Allistor shrugged.  “What do you want to do?  Drive on and see what happens? Look for another place and maybe try the radio again?”

She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel for a bit, then said, “If there were survivors, chances are the buildings we’d want are locked down.  So even if we don’t get shot, we probably can’t get in.  I mean, they’re designed to withstand nuclear strikes ‘n such.”

Allistor nodded.  “Right.  So that’s that, then.  Let’s find ourselves a good safe spot for the night, and once that’s established we can spend the rest of the afternoon exploring and foraging.  Maybe we can find an even better place.”

Helen looked askance at him, but she put the truck back in gear.  “I might know a good place.  Over by the airport.”    She drove down a couple more roads, which remained mostly clear.  There were some abandoned cars blocking parts of them in a few places.  Some accidents with a few burned out cars, but for the most part, the city just looked like everybody bailed.

They crossed over Interstate 25 headed east, and Allistor could see the airport control tower.  “You’re not actually taking me to the airport, just to mess with me, right?”

“Nope!  Relax, we’re almost there.  I think you might like this.”  A moment later she turned off the road into a parking lot.   There in front of them was a big, sexy shopping mall.  The sign out front read Frontier Mall.  He could see a movie theater, a few big box stores, and signs for many more, including a few fast food restaurants and a candy store.

Excited now, he hopped up and down in his seat a bit.  “Yesss!  Well done!  Sturdy structure, clear line of sight all the way around, filled with loot! Now let’s hope there’s nobody in there to keep us from claiming it.   I wonder if it’s too big for an Outpost.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Slow down there, hot pants.  I thought we were going to try the base again?  You know, the place full of nuclear missiles?  How much could you sell those for on the market?”

Allistor drooled a little bit.  “Much. Many klax. Oodles. And if we could figure out how to fire them, nobody would ever screw with us.” He thought about it for a second.  “Unless of course, the dicks who brought us here have the tech to nullify them.  Still, worth a shot.  That’s why I was thinking Outpost for the mall.  That way we could still make the bunkers a Stronghold if we get in.”