Noah and Leonard left the mall through the main entrance, stepping back out into the quiet of the ruined street.
"Let's leave the collecting to them," Leonard said, stretching his arms above his head as they walked. "The rest of the recon unit will show up soon anyway."
"Yeah," Noah agreed. "Not our job."
They moved at an easy pace, heading back down the avenue toward their base. The same broken road, the same hollow buildings on either side, the same heavy silence hanging over everything.
Leonard had his hands behind his head, walking without a care. Noah had his phone tucked into his pocket, waiting for any vibration from Travis.
They were about halfway back when Leonard suddenly stopped.
Noah noticed and halted beside him.
Leonard's eyes had shifted toward a building on their left. His relaxed posture was gone. He stood completely still, his head tilted slightly.
"You hear that?" he asked in a low voice.
Noah listened.
