Chapter 293: 293
A few casings clinked when they touched the flooring when Kaley fired the last shot. It was towards the guy limping his way, trying to find cover even if bone is already sticking out of his leg. The noise of the M70 that Kaley fired would’ve attracted a large number of them because a muzzle brake is attached instead of a suppressor. Despite that, only the closer ones to our direction got attracted but they would still redirect towards the slums.
Black smoke is still billowing out from that direction and a few small explosions are occurring maybe due to propane tanks or other flammable objects catching fire. The C4 Rod planted that didn’t detonate still hasn’t because they wouldn’t in real life even if you shoot it with a bullet. The gunshots that we are hearing from that place have lessened significantly compared to earlier but I could still hear a few automatics going off in the distance.
“These people have no chance going against someone that holds the power of a country.” I thought to myself.
A mass of bloody figures are slowly marching towards the direction of the slums with the exception of a few specials that we prioritized on shooting down. The amount of them is staggering compared to the ones at my place. Some of them are coming from a few tall buildings after falling down and surviving luckily. The only vehicles that could safely traverse that road is our killdozer and a few vehicles that we modified. If I let Nikolas travel on their own when they asked me, it’s hard to tell if they could come back in one piece.
“How about the normal ones bro? They’re a f.u.c.k.i.n.g lot, do we shoot them too?” Jared asked.
“Let’s let them be for now, until this operation is over, we deal with the special ones and those people only. Also, Kaley, hold off on shooting for now since that M70 unsuppressed would be trouble.” I replied then looked at Kaley.
“Okay, can I borrow that Tavor then? It’s nostalgic to use an M70 again but I prefer a semi-automatic now.” Kaley replied.
“Sure…” I trailed as I handed her my Tavor.
She laid the M70 down and she wore the sling of my Tavor across her body and get into position.
*CRASH*
All of a sudden, a huge truck crashed against the gate which came from inside the slums. It’s a 10-wheeler truck and its windshield has several cracks all over. The body has several dents and a few body parts are dangling in some areas. There’s a few people at the back of it holding tight and it’s slowly gaining speed after that crash. The person riding shotgun decided to peek out the window and shoot everything that moves in front of them. He killed a few but a sprinter running in all fours suddenly came from a blind angle and jumped inside in one quick motion.
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
Flashes of light erupted from inside the truck and a gush of blood followed after. The huge truck swerved a few times until it overshot and fell on its side with incredible speed. It started to slide and mow down the mass of zombies marching towards them that immediately turned into paste. It slid several meters until it crashed into a nearby building but it hit its corner. The speed it was sliding in made the impact cause the truck to get bent in a gruesome angle and the people riding at the back can’t be recognized from the ones that turned to a bloody paste.
A few of them actually got up but are seriously wounded. They tried their best to escape that horde and they even managed to kill a few. They’re fighting for their lives but that’s when our kind’s evil nature kicked in.
A lucky guy that jumped off before the truck crashed shot his last surviving ‘buddies’ so he could get away. Two quick pops to the knee stopped them in their tracks and he gained a substantial lead because the ones following them crouched down and gobbled up the ones screaming for help. However, the windshield of the truck got kicked off and the same figure who jumped inside the truck chased after him. His back was turned and he was running for his life and he didn’t notice it closing the distance. It just stretched its hand out and clawed against the guy’s head. I thought he would just get scratched but he didn’t.
His head flew off several feet ahead.
Everyone witnessed that happening and I didn’t even need to give an order. The moment we saw it chomping down on the guy’s body, they aimed for its head.
*BSSHEW*
*PSSHEW*
Jared and Kaley immediately took shots.
I thought it would be an easy shot but it wasn’t.
“The f.u.c.k?!” Jared exclaimed.
“…” Kaley.
We’re not 100% sure on what happened. It could be a fluke or that it just moved its head at the right moment. Their shots missed their mark by a hair. One bullet hit its jaw line and tore through the joints so its jaw is now hanging out and its tongue is dangling wildly. The other bullet just grazed its shoulder making the two shots completely useless.
What happened next is that its head snapped to our direction.
“KROOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” It screamed out loud.
“SHOOT IT DOWN!!!” I shouted.
It crouched as low as it could and it launched itself running towards our building. It’s running at an erratic zigzag-like pattern as if it knows what it’s doing. The zombies it tangled with would be pushed to the side with great force due to how fast it is running. Jared and Kaley shot it multiple times but a headshot at this distance and the way the target is moving erratically made them miss the head every time. It’s also picking the path it’s treading in where there’s a lot of obstructions so aiming at it properly is a f.u.c.k.i.n.g chore.
At the rate it is approaching us, I made a decision. I ran to the helicopter to get Oscar’s shockwave and I ran down the stairs. I grabbed my radio and contacted the people below while going at full speed.
*bzzt*
“TATIANA WHAT FLOOR ARE YOU ON?!”
*bzzt*
I’m still on the stairs on the 4th floor.
*bzzt*
“We’re at the first- a few are at the second!”
*bzzt*
I’m making my way to the third.
*bzzt*
“INCOMING IRREGULAR!!! BE READY I’M RUNNING DOWN!!!”
*bzzt*
I heard Tatiana shouting orders to guard the entrance.
*bzzt*
“BRO IT JUMPED STRAIGHT TO THE 2ND FLOOR!!!”
*bzzt*
Everyone in our frequency heard Jared’s voice.
*CRASH*
I heard the crash from the floor below me and several screams followed after erupting gunshots. I had no time to radio in as I dashed to the opposite side of the building where the stairs are located. The moment I reached it, I jumped the whole flight of stairs and broke my fall by rolling over. It’s a few dozen steps but there’s another flight of stairs since I’m still between the 3rd and 2nd floor. I jumped again and rolled over and just as I saw the hallway, I caught a glimpse of that figure lunging towards a soldier inside an opposite room.
I immediately heard flesh getting torn apart.
*bzzt*
“WE’RE GOING DOWN!!!”
*bzzt*
I heard Kaley’s voice.
*bzzt*
“WE’RE COMING UP!!!”
*bzzt*
It was Tatiana’s voice.
A guttural scream resounded and I saw Tatiana’s figure from the opposite side where the stairs to the 1st floor are located. We just locked eyes but the one I’m chasing after seemed to have noticed me and it broke through the drywall partition and I could see its ugly mug from 6 feet away.
It lunged towards me but I jumped back at the same time.
The moment we landed, it’s only a couple feet away from me but the shockwave was already aimed at its mouth.
“You are terminated.” I said with an accent then I pulled the trigger.
*BOOOOM*
It’s head scattered to a million pieces and its bloody bits decorated the walls.
I pumped the shotgun and the empty shell fell to the floor. I walked over to the room where it was and saw Cruz’s torn corpse among the few soldiers we brought. I let out a very long sigh and I took their tags after making sure they wouldn’t rise up again. I looked back and the group I’m with are carrying solemn expressions but now is not the time for mourning our comrades.
Jared gave a sigh of relief when he saw me alive and kicking while Kaley still took a few moments before calming down. The soldiers close with the ones who died tore the culprit into pieces out of spite even though it’s already dead. I let them do that so at least they’d have a place to vent their anger and frustration.
I left a few soldiers to guard and barricade the first floor while we climbed the stairs back to the rooftop to check on the situation outside.
Micah is carrying a frightened expression when we saw her but it eased when she saw our faces. I told her about what happened below and she actually knew the other soldier that was killed by that wild animal-like sprinter. She asked for the tag of that soldier and she kept it in her pocket.
We’re just watching the black smoke slowly turning lighter in color but there’s a few more sources of fire where it is still black and thick.
“Is it over on our side?” Micah asked.
“Close. The cargo helicopters just need to drop down a few more shipping containers to block the entrances towards the slums.” I replied.
“Why do we need to block them?” Micah asked.
“Unless their bodies get burned to a crisp, there’s a huge chance that they would still be walking like the ones we saw chasing a few that escaped. They would look like burnt matchsticks but they’re still a threat and should be properly taken care of. That’s why I’m against this plan of Rod at first. If it wasn’t for the time remaining for you guys to be in this city, I would’ve cooked a better plan.” I answered.
“I see~ it worked though, right?” Micah replied.
“It did, yes. It’s just that I wa-” then Kaley cut me off.
“He wants the spoils so he’s thinking of other ways to deal with them.” Kaley lowered my rifle.
“Yep. Think of the things those people have acquired over this time period. It makes my heart bleed a little when I see potential resources getting burned down. I just wanted to have our returns for using up resources exceed the expenses. The returns we have for this operation is that we would be able to dispose of a huge number of the dead that’s gathering there in the process and taking out a place that would be a huge problem in the future.” I explained.
“Bro, that’s why people say it is better to get robbed than to lose your house through a fire.” Jared interjected.
“And who told you that?” I looked back at him.
“Oh, right.” he chuckled but his expression quickly turned back to solemness.
We’re making light conversation but we finally saw the cargo helicopters coming back.