《Wither With Me》


 CHAPTER 1 – BAD CHOICES

    That had been a bad choice after all. They shouldn¡¯t have left on their own. They shouldn¡¯t have wandered blindly into the city, following a glimmer of hope they didn¡¯t even know if they could trust in the first place. Did they have any other choice though? It didn¡¯t matter, it was all over now.


    The loud banging on the car windows kept going for several minutes, along with a cacophony of growls and gurgles that seeped into the vehicle from every direction. The endless crowd of shamblers piled up all around and on top of the car, focused only on the tempting treats hiding inside.


    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± Nora squeezed the steering wheel in frustration, before turning around to face the other two girls in the backseats. ¡°Please, Claire, you have to stop crying! They¡¯ll never leave us alone like this!¡±


    Claire wasn¡¯t even listening. She was clinging to Lilian with both hands, frantically looking around with tears in her eyes, yelping and screaming at every blow on the windows. Lilian curled up into a ball on her seat even further, mumbling to herself while spacing out.


    Nora turned her attention back to the windshield. As much as she berated Claire for her panicked state, she knew it would be futile nonetheless. They were staring at them through the cracked glass. They knew they were in there, and they wouldn¡¯t stop until they had their fill. Every new blow cracked the glass further, made it inch inwards a little bit more. It was a miracle it was still holding out. She fumbled with the car keys once again, her hands slippery with cold sweat. Getting the car running again, and somehow pushing through the crowd, that was their only ticket out.


    ¡°Come on, come on, come on¡­¡±


    The engine made a rattling sound for a couple of seconds. Nothing. Was there really not a single drop of fuel left? Did it really have to run dry in that exact spot? Just when they were so close to making it to their destination? It looked like fate was just laughing at their misfortune.


    Again.


    ¡­


    Nothing. Nora slumped down on her seat. At this point, even the growls, the banging sounds, or Claire¡¯s bawling stopped bothering her.


    ¡®So, this is it¡­ Not the way I was expecting to go¡­¡¯


    She looked up, as the windshield finally started to give in. Their hands started to creep their way into the vehicle, along with an absolutely revolting smell.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯ tears streamed down her face.


    *Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!*


    A loud ringing sound could suddenly be heard over the screams and the gurgles. Nora¡¯s eyes widened up in disbelief, as the horde of shamblers, equally as confused, turned their attention to the source of the sound. Like a miracle, the crowd slowly creeped away from the car, stumbling and tripping across the street into a nearby building. As she was still trying to understand what was going on, one of the back doors swung open, and Claire rushed out.


    ¡°Wait, Claire! It¡¯s not safe out there, get back¡ª!¡°


    ¡°Nora, look!¡±


    Claire was standing right outside the car, pointing to something in front of them. Nora looked forth, squinting her eyes because of the sunlight. About a hundred meters away, was the building they meant to reach before getting surrounded: what looked like a huge apartment building, with clear signs of makeshift fortifications. At street level, a large metal gate was being pulled up, revealing an ominous darkness inside. From one of the windows on the upper floors, a white blanket was hanging out, with two big, sloppy words written on it.


    [GET INSIDE]


    She wasn¡¯t going to waste that chance. It was do or die. Without a moment of hesitation, Nora bolted out of the vehicle and rushed to get Lilian outside as well.


    ¡°Come on, Lilian, it¡¯s gonna be okay now!¡±


    The ringing sound had stopped some moments ago, the growling noises getting louder and louder again.


    ¡°Run! To the building! Hurry!!¡±


    ******


    The man waited until their voices could clearly be heard from the room below.


    ¡°Hello!? We¡¯re inside¡­! Please, help us¡­!¡±


    ¡°They are getting closer! Please, hurry up!¡±


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    He didn¡¯t have time to observe in detail how many people were inside that ruined car. He also had no way to know if all of them had managed to get inside safely. But one way or another, he had to close the gate to keep the shamblers out. With the flip of a switch, the pulley mechanism was released, and the large gate descended, locking the newcomers in the entrance room. They would now be in nearly complete darkness, and probably confused, but that was to be expected. He took his time to make sure that the shotgun was loaded and ready to use, and he proceeded towards the stairs.


    As he approached the door at the bottom of the stairs, he swung it open, but didn¡¯t go into the room.


    ¡°Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you for saving us, we were r-really going to die out there!¡± the voice sounded sniffly, almost stuttering.


    ¡°Claire, wait.¡± that voice was different, more mature. ¡°Listen, we¡¯re grateful for the help, but why would you save someone just to lock them in a cell?¡±


    Besides those two voices, only a third, distant mumbling could be heard. At least three people, although there could be more of them, choosing to stay silent for whatever reason. Should be manageable, but he¡¯d need to ensure his own safety nonetheless.


    ¡°Listen closely, I¡¯ll only say this once. I¡¯m armed. If you don¡¯t behave, you¡¯re dead meat. I¡¯ve also rigged a ringing sound trap somewhere in this building, like the one you heard before. If something happens to me, you¡¯ll soon have a couple thousand shamblers climbing up the walls and pouring through the windows. If you know what¡¯s good for you, don¡¯t do anything funny. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Okay, we don¡¯t want any trouble¡­! We¡¯re just trying to survive here!¡±


    Weapon up front, he walked into the room and flipped a light switch. Without uttering a word, he analyzed the three women staring back at him, visibly nervous. One of them was obviously more mature than the rest, probably in her late twenties. She was standing at the front, shielding the other two. One of the girls fidgeting nonstop with a scared look on her eyes, the other one spaced out and staring at the floor for some reason, but surprisingly calm.


    They were all locked behind a rusty iron fence separating the entrance gate from the rest of the room. The fence had a small improvised door, which barely reached waist height; it didn¡¯t look like it was made for people. The side wall had a sturdy door that seemed to lead to a different room. It had no handle, but it did have a keyhole.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt: I don¡¯t trust you, and I don¡¯t like you either. Nobody in their right mind would be recklessly driving a car around these days, let alone in the middle of the city. Who are you, and why are you here?¡±


    He got a bit closer to the fence, aiming the shotgun directly at their faces. The spaced-out girl started groaning and becoming slightly agitated.


    ¡°S-stop that! You¡¯re making her uncomfortable!¡± said the other girl, glaring at him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lilian¡­ He¡¯s not gonna hurt you, it¡¯s okay¡­¡± she petted her head and kept mumbling to her with a sweet voice, which did apparently manage to calm her down a little bit.


    ¡®Annoying bunch¡­ I can already tell they¡¯ll be a burden. Great.¡¯


    He stared at the grown woman, as if prompting her to start talking.


    ¡°We¡­ saw a trail of smoke. Red smoke, coming from this building, several days ago. We were running away from our previous shelter after it got overrun, and thought we could find more survivors here.¡±


    He really didn¡¯t need to be reminded of the fucking smoke signal. Of all the things he wanted to forget about and leave behind, that one was at the top of the list. His grip on the shotgun tightened, as he frowned at them even more than he did before.


    ¡°You really are damn annoying. Maybe I should just get rid of you all, right here, and save me the trouble.¡± his trigger finger felt jumpy.


    ¡°P-please, wait! Why!? We haven¡¯t done anything! And we don¡¯t have anything valuable either!¡±


    ¡­


    That bloodshed would indeed be pointless. He lowered his shotgun, and proceeded to drag a couple of baskets towards the waist-high door on the fence. After unbolting it and getting it loose, he kicked them inside the cell.


    ¡°Strip. All three of you. Completely. Put everything you have on the empty basket. The other one has clean clothes, you should find something that suits you in there. Their old owners won¡¯t mind if you take it.¡±


    ¡°N-No way!! Nora, he can¡¯t possibly mean this for real, right!?¡± said Claire, nearly bouncing on the spot.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Is there no other way? Can you at least look away¡­?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t any other way, and yes, I¡¯m going to look. I said I don¡¯t trust you, and I¡¯m going to make sure you don¡¯t have anything that could possibly jeopardize my safety after I let you inside. If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯m sure the shamblers out there will.¡±


    The subtle banging on the outer metal gate did nothing but reinforce his threat. The women were definitely in no position to negotiate.


    ¡®Yeah, I¡¯ve had enough of trusting people. I¡¯m playing with my own rules. Take it or leave it, your choice.¡¯


    ¡­


    Those people weren¡¯t ordinary survivors, that was for sure. Clothes that weren¡¯t ragged or torn. Their skin almost clean, as if they had the luxury of keeping proper hygiene until not too long ago. Bad physical shape. No visible wounds or scars. After six months of outbreak? There was no way such a thing was possible.


    He kept observing, as they undressed, as they folded their own clothes into the empty basket, as they dressed back¡­ The shy girl, the one named Lilian, seemed to need encouragement and help to do this kind of stuff.


    ¡®That one seems to have some issues, huh¡­¡¯


    It didn¡¯t matter, he would figure it out later if necessary. At that moment, he just wanted to get them out of his sight, for some reason they were irritating him by the second.


    After retrieving the baskets, he turned around and grabbed a key from a nearby locker.


    ¡°Unlock that door and throw the key back.¡± he threw the key through the fence. ¡°Don¡¯t bother keeping it, the door will lock again once you close it, and there¡¯s no keyhole on the other side.¡±


    He was armed and they weren¡¯t, so the girls did as instructed and entered the next room without further complaint. The door locked behind them, the sound ringing unnaturally loud in his ears.


    ¡®I¡¯ll definitely have to think this through... Liabilities are the last thing I need.¡¯

 CHAPTER 2 – CHANCE

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have come here! Maybe we should¡¯ve just made a run for any of the other empty streets¡­! This is creeping me out so much, it¡¯s awful! And we don¡¯t even know what he¡¯s planning to do with us¡­¡±


    ¡°Stay calm, please. I don¡¯t like this either, but right now we don¡¯t have any other choice. Besides, he did save our lives after all. Let¡¯s try to be cooperative for now, okay?¡±


    Claire nodded, although Nora could clearly read signs of hesitation in her eyes. Not too surprising, that entire situation came as a shock. They had been living in relative comfort and safety until some days ago. And now, all of a sudden, they find themselves buried under a shambler wave, running for their lives, and then threatened and forced to strip at gunpoint. Not exactly your everyday routine.


    ¡®If this man wanted us dead, he wouldn¡¯t have helped us in the first place, right¡­? Of course, he could still have other sinister intentions in mind, but for now we should be safe. At least, safer than out there.¡¯


    Nora turned to Lilian, crouching down a little bit to get to her eye level, and patting her head.


    ¡°Sis, are you doing okay?¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Lilian mumbled in affirmation.


    The girl dragged her eyes around the room, before making shy eye contact with Nora again.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t like this place¡­¡± She pinched Nora¡¯s blouse, as if this provided her with extra safety. ¡±But¡­ I like it more than the bad guys outside.¡±


    A warm smile formed on Nora¡¯s face, followed by a hug.


    ¡°Aha, that¡¯s right, the bad guys can¡¯t get to us here! Let¡¯s go, okay?¡±


    The room they had gotten into was quite unusual. It was a plain square room, completely empty except for a ladder in the middle, leading to a crude opening in the ceiling. It looked like the hole had been made by busting the ceiling from above. There was another door in the room, but it had been sealed shut with wooden planks and scrap metal. With no other way to go, the group headed for the ladder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± said Nora. ¡°Lilian will go right behind me. Claire, can you watch over her from below and make sure she gets up safely?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    The ladder didn¡¯t stop at the first floor. It had been enclosed on all four sides with brick walls. The same thing seemed to repeat over several floors, there was nowhere to go but all the way up. At the very top of the third floor awaited them a large metal hatch, already open. Nora noticed it looked really heavy, she doubted any of them could have pushed it open. They got up into what looked like the bedroom of an ordinary apartment. The bed itself was nowhere to be seen, most likely to leave space for the ladder hole.


    As she helped the girls up, she couldn¡¯t help but think about how elaborate and intricate the modifications to the building were. It didn¡¯t look like something a single person could have done.


    ¡®What now¡­? He obviously guided us here, but I doubt he¡¯ll just let us roam freely around the building¡­¡¯


    ¡°Girls, stay close to me.¡±


    Claire and Lilian followed her through the bedroom door, into the rest of the apartment. The place itself was small and cramped, consisting only of a kitchen area with some essential furniture and a single, rundown bathroom. The entrance door had been removed, and replaced with a barred metal door, similar to the ones found in jail cells. Nora tried to open it, but to nobody¡¯s surprise, it didn¡¯t budge.


    She sighed.


    ¡°All the cupboards and drawers are empty, there¡¯s nothing anywhere¡­¡± said Claire. Her tummy groaned in complaint.


    They had been forced to run away and steal the car in a panic, without any chances to grab proper supplies. The places they decided to try and scavenge for food had already been swept clean. They were thirsty, and none of them had eaten anything since days ago.


    ¡®Just hang in there a bit longer. I¡¯ll get us out of this somehow.¡¯


    Nora sat down against the wall and rested her eyes for a while.


    ¡­


    Footsteps broke the silence, echoing through the hallways, prompting Nora to immediately stand up.


    ******


    Among their stuff, the only useful things he found were a pocket mirror, a lighter and a couple of cellphones. All of these resources could be put to good use in the right situations. The rest of the stuff was random crap. He even found money. For what reason were these people carrying money around was beyond him, bills were nothing but glorified fire kindling now.


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    As he approached the apartment door, he was met with a defiant gaze. Nora was the only one in sight. He leaned against the metal door, and pointed at himself with his right thumb.


    ¡°The name¡¯s William.¡±


    He was carrying a bag over his left shoulder, which he proceeded to drop on the floor.


    ¡°This is the stuff I took from you earlier. You¡¯ll get mostly everything back, except some select items I found of special interest. But we need to talk about a couple of things first.¡±


    Nora was just staring at him and listening. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but decided to stay silent out of caution. William leaned back against the hallway wall, pulled out the lighter and a single cigarette, and started smoking.


    ¡°So, what can you do?¡±


    ¡°Wh-what do you mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°Any skills? Useful skills? I¡¯m not exactly running a charity here. What did you do before everything went to hell?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I was an accountant. Office work most of the time¡­¡± Nora avoided his eyes and bit her lips, aware of how unimpressive that sounded, given the situation.


    ¡°I see¡­ And the other two?¡±


    ¡°Claire was a university student, and Lilian¡­ she¡¯s my younger sister, and she has¡­ mental health issues. She needs special care.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I get the idea¡­¡± William took a long puff. ¡°So, you¡¯re mostly dead weight.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait! We¡¯re not! We¡¯re willing to help if that¡¯s what you want!¡± Nora got closer to the door, flustered.


    ¡°But can you? Are you aware of what it takes to survive out there?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­! I-I¡¯ve seen what¡¯s out there, alright? We came all the way from¨C¡°


    ¡°Seeing isn¡¯t enough.¡± He went back to the door and stared at her dead in the eye. If looks could kill, she would be dead and buried. ¡°People like you don¡¯t survive out here for long. You haven¡¯t been exposed to the perils outside on a daily basis, have you? I can tell just by looking at you and the things you¡¯ve done so far. From the way you arrived here, the way you look, the way you act¡­¡±


    As some tears bundled up on her eyes, she crumpled down against the door.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t figure you out. You¡¯re trying to put on a front for those two, I assume? Yet you dragged them into this. Hoping to find more survivors? In the middle of the city? That logic is fucking insane; no amount of survivors would make such a trip worth it, blindly tumbling into the most dangerous place I could think of. The more I look at you, the more hopelessly unaware you seem. There has to be some ulterior motive at play here.¡±


    Nora started mumbling, with barely audible words. ¡°I know¡­ I know, damn it¡­¡±


    Her mumbling quickly turned into bitter sobbing, the atmosphere getting more and more uncomfortable by the second.


    ¡°We¡­ we need help¡­! We¡¯re hungry, thirsty, we have nowhere to go¡­ We can¡¯t survive this on our own¡­! I brought them here, I made mistakes, I know I¡¯m hopeless!! Yet I don¡¯t know how to fix it¡­!¡±


    ¡®Finally some honesty, huh? She¡¯s been acting tough most likely to protect those two, but everyone has a breaking point.¡¯


    ¡°Nora, are you okay¡­!?¡± Claire¡¯s voice sounded distant, emerging from the bathroom. ¡°H-Hey Lilian, stay still, you can¡¯t go¡­!¡±


    ¡°Stay in there, girls! I¡¯ll handle¨C¡°


    ¡°Hey, pipsqueak, come out here.¡± ordered William.


    Claire¡¯s head peeked from the bathroom door at waist height. ¡°M-Me¡­?¡±


    William nodded and gestured with his left hand, prompting her to approach him, while having another puff at the cigarette. As she got closer, he started rummaging through the bag he had dropped earlier. Nora, still slumped over, observed and listened with teary eyes.


    ¡°So, what¡¯ve you been studying?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Biology, sir.¡±


    ¡°Huh, biology... Then maybe this will be up your alley after all, makes it easier.¡±


    He pulled out a smaller bag, looking quite heavy for its size. After throwing the still unfinished cigarette away, he grabbed a key from his pocket and opened the door, prompting Nora to stand up and get out of the way.


    ¡°Here.¡± William handed Claire the small bag, which she took after a moment of hesitation. ¡°The sooner you start, the better.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ these are¡­ books?¡± The bag contained several books, on the topics of botany, gardening, and basic survival skills. ¡°My studies didn¡¯t really cover all of this, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Like I care. Get familiar with all this, then you can be of proper help.¡±


    As he pushed the bag with all their clothes and possessions inside the apartment, he pointed at Nora.


    ¡°You get out, the other two girls stay here. I¡¯m willing to give you a chance, it¡¯s up to you whether you survive this mess you¡¯ve gotten into, or you end up as a shambler¡¯s meal.¡±


    Nora nodded, wiping her face from the earlier tears. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ******


    Nora knocked on the apartment door. Claire took a peek from behind a corner, and quickly rushed to meet her friend.


    ¡°Nora!! Are you okay!? He didn¡¯t do anything weird, right¡­!?¡± She almost stuttered, unable to contain her nervousness. ¡°You¡¯ve been away for hours!¡±


    Nora let out a giggle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just fine.¡± She handed Claire a couple of small cans of food through the door, as well as a bottle of water. ¡°Take this, it¡¯s all I can get you for now. Are you doing okay? How¡¯s Lilian?¡±


    ¡°Food¡­!¡± her eyes flared up, she looked eager to devour the food, containers included.


    ¡°Please, try to ration it. There might be nothing else to eat for a while.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know¡­ Lilian¡¯s okay, she managed to fall asleep earlier. I¡¯ll let her know there¡¯s something to eat once she wakes up!¡±


    As she grabbed the cans and the bottle, Nora reached out through the door and grabbed her shoulders.


    ¡°Listen, Claire. I¡¯m really going to need you to look out after Lilian for a while, okay?¡± The look on her face was very serious, and Claire noticed. ¡°Tomorrow morning I¡¯ll be¡­ going out with William, we¡¯ll be looking for some supplies.¡±


    Claire¡¯s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. ¡°Wait, what!? No, no, no, you can¡¯t go out there¡­! You¡¯ve seen those things! You¡¯ll just get yourself killed¡­!¡±


    ¡°I have to do this¡­!¡± Nora¡¯s tone was way louder than usual. ¡°Claire, we¡¯ve been surviving for the last six months thanks to the hard work of others¡­ But I knew that reality wouldn¡¯t last forever, especially with everything at stake here. We can no longer sit back and hope that our issues go away, not anymore. We need to pick up the pace if we want to make it.¡±


    Claire¡¯s eyes avoided her. She looked down, fidgeting with her fingers. ¡°I know¡­ I know that, okay? But please¡­ be safe!¡±


    Nora smiled at her. ¡°I will, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll leave Lilian in your care, alright?¡±

 CHAPTER 3 – SETBACKS

    They moved from rooftop to rooftop, as swift as they could afford to be while staying silent. William had chosen a very carefully planned route, he knew exactly where he was leading them and what to expect to find along the way. They were traversing the city across building blocks, were everything was so packed together that alleys were narrow enough to be jumped over, and streets could be crossed with makeshift bridges, like planks, ladders or improvised rope. Power lines were dead since long ago, and could now be used as ziplines or handholds. Bigger streets were avoided if possible. If one of those had to be crossed, they¡¯d go down the side of the building itself, typically using a fire escape, and then they¡¯d immediately get up at the other side by similar means. Any indoor environment was also avoided unless necessary.


    Up, then down, then climb over something, then down again, then up again¡­ It didn¡¯t take long for fatigue to settle in and take its toll. Nora¡¯s face started to shine with sweat, her breath becoming heavier as time went by. Yet she couldn¡¯t afford to slow down even for a moment, she couldn¡¯t allow herself to become a burden at this point.


    As she followed William around a corner, she was so focused on her thoughts she didn¡¯t notice her partner signaling her to stop with his hand, to the point she almost flinched on the spot.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take a short break here.¡± he said.


    Over the next couple of minutes, Nora took a quick gulp of water from a plastic bottle, and slowly nibbled on the small amount of food they packed up for the trip. She was very hungry, but she knew they had to use their resources sparingly.


    She couldn¡¯t help but notice how William was staring at her intently the whole time. It made her very uncomfortable.


    ¡°You seem to work well under this kind of stress. Beyond your obviously lacking fitness and your cluelessness, you don¡¯t seem very fazed by this environment. You puzzle me.¡± He took a sip of water before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m aware of how strong the desire to protect someone can be, but I wonder if that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    As much as she hated to admit it, he was right on the spot. She averted her eyes away from him for a moment, before mustering a reply. She didn¡¯t really feel like sharing a lot of things with him, but she had to say something.


    ¡°I saw a lot of things back at our original shelter. Claire and Lilian were kept unaware of this reality as much as possible, but I used to help the scouting parties when they came back from scavenging. Whether it was tending to the wounded, helping with supply management and organization¡­¡± She sighed, still avoiding eye contact with him. ¡°I feel like I got to see the worst of both sides. I saw arguments, nonsensical fights ending in unnecessary tragedy, theft and opportunism, selfishness¡­ and I also saw the way some of them came back. Horrific injuries, sometimes turning on the spot¡­¡±


    Nora stopped for a moment, and even though she looked like she still had more to say, William stood up and interrupted her. He didn¡¯t look too pleased.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to disrespect, but I seriously doubt you¡¯ve seen the worst. Of neither side.¡± He started rummaging through his belongings and packing what remained of his food. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mean to completely disregard your own experiences either. I¡¯m very aware that you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. And frankly, that¡¯s the only reason you¡¯re still alive. Don¡¯t make me regret it. Now pack up, let¡¯s keep moving¡±


    Nora didn¡¯t say anything, even though she wanted to. What William said sounded insensitive to her, yet she still agreed. In the old world, it was already risky to trust people based solely on words. This new world had made it worse.


    In all honesty, the distrust was mutual. Claire and Lilian had been left locked up back in the apartment building, and after coming this far away from it, Nora doubted she could manage to get back on her own. By all practical means, they were all pretty much kidnapped and at William¡¯s mercy. Still, neither of them showed signs of having ill intentions. At least, it didn¡¯t look like it. It should all be a matter of trust-building. Easier said than done, of course.


    Nora packed everything up and got ready to move. William was already waiting for her at the opposite side of the rooftop, arms crossed. She hurried over, the last thing she wanted was to irritate him any further.


    ¡°At least you¡¯ve seen some things. That¡¯s a good start already.¡± added William, as he descended a nearby ladder.


    Nora let out a breath of relief as she followed him down. Relief for being given a chance, at least. Given the current state of the world, such a thing was probably a privilege.


    They kept going for a couple more buildings until they came to an abrupt stop. Nora approached the edge of the rooftop, right beside William. A big, open space was in front of them.


    ¡°We reached the river. Our destination is on the other side. This bridge would be our best option, but¡­¡± announced William.


    The entire city was split in half by a big canal, around fifty meters wide with a bridge connecting both shores. The whole scenery was a good, depressing summary of the city¡¯s state of disrepair. Beyond the line of ruined and uninhabited buildings, hundreds of cars piled up on and around the bridge. The bridge itself was littered with remains of military and police barricades, overrun and destroyed long ago. Some areas still looked like they had a slight dark tint of dried blood. An obvious hot spot at the beginning of the outbreak, most likely a deathtrap as people tried to evacuate and get to safety, now completely silent, a remainder of the past. Silent, as long as it remained undisturbed.


    Nora looked down, and shuddered. It was difficult to judge their numbers, but it was definitely hundreds. Completely still, staring at the sky, all over the bridge.


    ¡°Get down.¡± William grabbed her shoulder and pulled her down on her knees. ¡°Don¡¯t let them see you, they have surprisingly good sight.¡±


    ¡°I was actually wondering why have the streets been nearly empty so far¡­ B-but this¡­¡±


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    ¡°So, you really know nothing about them? You said you used to help your scavenging parties. You helped them, yet nobody told you anything?¡±


    ¡°We¡­ We weren¡¯t told a lot.¡±


    William stared at her once again, and sighed.


    ¡°Alright, listen. They always move in hordes. Actually, based on what I¡¯ve observed so far, it¡¯s more like a stream. They seem to take specific paths around the city, and flow across those paths. But they only do so at night. During the day, they all stop and stare at the sky. I have no idea why.¡±


    ¡°What¡­? Isn¡¯t that¡­ way too organized!? I mean, aren¡¯t they just mindless zombies?¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, you just asked what everyone else is asking.¡± William looked serious, yet that comment almost sounded like teasing.


    He pulled out a map of the area, and scratched his beard, thinking.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ I kinda predicted this horde would be hanging around in the area, but I didn¡¯t expect them to actually be directly occupying the bridge. And I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something we can distract with a sound trap, we can¡¯t guarantee that the sound will reach the other side of the bridge and pull the entire horde away. There¡¯s too many risks involved¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Do we actually need to use the bridge? Is there no other way across?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re thinking about swimming, that¡¯d be a terrible idea. The current is strong, way stronger than it looks.¡± He diverted his eyes to a different area of the map, downstream. ¡°However¡­ there¡¯s another bridge. We¡¯ll take longer to reach our destination, but it might be our only way across.¡±


    That sounded like good news, but Nora noticed him frowning and checking the sky, visibly worried.


    ¡°Is something wrong¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this change of plans. But we can¡¯t really afford to go back empty-handed. The supplies back at the apartments are dangerously low, and nearly everything on this side of the river has been ransacked already.¡± He proceeded to put the map back in his pocket, and signaled Nora to quietly follow him. ¡°If we move fast, we should have enough time to be back before nightfall. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Is the night really that dangerous?¡±


    He suddenly stopped and turned around to face her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even question it for a moment. Not only are they mobile during the night, their senses also sharpen. You can¡¯t run away from them, you can¡¯t hide, you can¡¯t even fight back. Let¡¯s just pray we can make it back in time.¡±


    Nora gulped. The night. She had heard some things before, but nothing too specific. Back at her old shelter, she had noticed how the scouting parties always worked during the day, and only during the day. The building was sealed shut once the sun started to go down. So, there was a good reason for that protocol.


    ******


    If the night came down on them, there was no way they would be able to guarantee their own safety. The apartment building was relatively safe, because it was big enough to keep them away from their sharp nocturnal senses. But anywhere else was a death sentence. William knew very well what would happen if they triggered a night-time rampant horde. To call it disastrous would be an understatement.


    They went from one building to the next one, following the river downstream. Almost the entire shore was free of stationary hordes, only populated by a handful of shamblers scattered around. Although the vast majority of them tended to flow as a stream across their paths around the city, some amounts of them occasionally strayed apart from the group and wandered aimlessly. Luckily, even if they were spotted by one of these loners, they didn¡¯t really pose a problem, since they lacked strength in numbers.


    William was deep in thought, as usual. On top of deciding the best path to take, counting the time, and keeping his guard up at all times; keeping watch on Nora was proving to be an additional hurdle on the list. She was following him quite nicely despite her obvious lack of physical training and exercise, but his pacing would definitely be faster if she wasn¡¯t there.


    About halfway to their destination, they reached a decently safe spot on a well-hidden rooftop between taller buildings. Judging by the position of the sun, it was around noon.


    ¡°Rest up here for a while, catch your breath.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure¡­? I can keep going.¡± she replied.


    ¡°Your sweat and your panting say otherwise. We¡¯ll still need to come back. If you completely exhaust yourself now, we¡¯re going to have a problem later. We need to ration energy properly, like any other resource.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ Thank you.¡±


    ¡­


    William finished taking a look at the surrounding streets, which only contained a handful of shamblers. He memorized the exact path they would take for the remainder of the way to the bridge, and put the map back in his pocket. He headed back towards Nora, just in time to see her taking a glance at a small piece of paper, which she hid back in her pocket when she noticed him coming back. Suspicious.


    ¡°I saw that. What is it?¡±


    She flinched, and avoided his gaze. ¡°Uh¡­ No, this is¡­ Um¡­¡± Nervous rambling, but no clear answer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me take it from you.¡±


    She stayed silent for a moment, before finally letting out a deep sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a medical prescription. Lilian needs a certain medication. She needs to take it monthly, or she risks serious health issues¡­ We ran out of it, and she¡¯ll need a new dose soon¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me!? And now you tell me!?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to-!¡±


    ¡°You say she needs a new dose soon. How soon!?¡±


    ¡°¡­more than a couple of days would be risky for her already.¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable¡­!¡±


    William walked around in circles for a moment. He took a cigarette and a lighter out of his bag, lit it up, and took a puff. He faced Nora again. He was angry, they couldn¡¯t afford any setbacks at the moment. Besides, medication? With the current state of the world? That was a fucking death sentence, a ticking time bomb waiting to blow up. Talk about liabilities.


    ¡°Why? Why didn¡¯t you tell me before?¡±


    ¡°Did you really expect me to do so¡­? I know you don¡¯t trust me; you don¡¯t trust any of us. And you expect me to openly request that we go check out a pharmacy, or a hospital? Are we in a position to make requests?¡± She was now drilling him with her eyes, yet they weren¡¯t neither defiant or fearful like they had been so far. If anything, she looked more self-conscious than anything else. ¡°I was merely going to keep watch just in case we happened to travel close to one¡­ And then ask, if the possibility arose. Nothing else¡­¡±


    He took another puff, and then he breathed deeply. He closed his eyes for an instant. She did have a point, although that didn¡¯t make the current situation any better. Still, arguing wouldn¡¯t achieve anything. Indeed, had she made any requests, he probably wouldn¡¯t have reacted nicely to it. It was just an unfortunate turn of events.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have any chance to gather these medicines before you arrived at the apartment building?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think we were completely out of gas when we arrived? I tried¡­ I tried several places, but they were either infested with shamblers or ransacked to the ground.¡±


    ¡®I see¡­ So, she knew what their destination was, but she postponed it as much as possible so she could look for her sister¡¯s medication¡­ And in the end, she calculated the remaining fuel a bit too tightly, and ended up getting them stuck in the middle of a horde¡­¡¯


    Assuming her story was true and she wasn¡¯t lying to him, he had no reason to be angry at her. If anything, he would feel sorry. Still, he needed to remain analytical. This world no longer had any place for mercy, as long as it implied unnecessary risk.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m going to be clear. I won¡¯t go out of my way to get your medicine. If we run into it by chance, consider yourself lucky. But if you want to go looting on your own, then you¡¯re entirely on your own. And so are the other girls. Understood?¡±


    Nora nodded. Her expression was bitter, but he hoped she would understand. As rough as it was, there was no other chance. He wasn¡¯t going to risk getting himself killed for someone he didn¡¯t trust. His safety was first, whether she liked it or not.


    ¡°Get up, let¡¯s keep going.¡±

 CHAPTER 4 – SURVIVAL

    Upon reaching the second bridge, Nora felt her heart sinking.


    ¡°Oh god¡­¡±


    The bridge was in similar condition to the previous one. Equally desolated, equally full of ruins and car wrecks, and equally populated with shamblers. If anything, it was even worse, since the midsection of the bridge was completely blocked with several totaled trucks, with cars piling up around them all over the place. Besides, the nearby streets were also infested with zombies.


    ¡°We can get across this one. Look underneath.¡± William said, pointing to the lower sections of the bridge.


    Upon more detailed inspection, Nora noticed what he was talking about.


    ¡°Oh¡­! I see, we can use that¡­!¡±


    Running along the entire lower section of the bridge was a structure of metal beams and catwalks, most likely for maintenance purposes. It was empty; a metal gate had seemingly kept the shamblers out.


    ¡°The previous bridge also had a similar structure below, but that one was destroyed. Probably some kind of sabotage to aid in the quarantine efforts, who knows.¡± After locating a nearby fire escape, he put down his backpack and started rummaging through his supplies. ¡°Get ready to move. We¡¯ll clear the street, but I don¡¯t think we can completely clear the area near the bridge. On my signal, we get down and run for that maintenance catwalk like a bat out of hell.¡±


    Nora gulped. The idea of running around the shamblers wasn¡¯t exactly appealing. But they had no other choice. She watched as William pulled out an old mobile phone. It was a classic model, with a keypad and a lid.


    ¡°Every phone works for this purpose, but I prefer to use the old ones. Compact, sturdier, more likely to survive the process. It sucks when you go retrieve it later only to find it in pieces.¡± he added, as he finished setting up the phone¡¯s alarm.


    He closed the lid, pulled several strands of foam and a roll of duct tape from the bag, and proceeded to cushion and package the phone with several layers. Then, he got up and threw it down the street, away from the bridge.


    ¡°It should ring in a couple of minutes.¡±


    Nora followed him down the fire escape, floor after floor, until they got to the very last platform before hitting the street level. Several shamblers spotted them, and started dragging themselves towards the building.


    ¡°William¡­! They¡¯ve seen us!¡± she said, in a fearful tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s inevitable. Don¡¯t worry, they can¡¯t get to us here, as long as we don¡¯t drop the ladder.¡± The bottom platform had a ladder that needed to be deployed downwards in order to reach the ground. ¡°We don¡¯t do anything until the alarm rings.¡±


    ¡°But we won¡¯t be able to get down anyway if they¡¯re beneath us!¡±


    ¡°Remember how they left your car alone when they heard the alarm? They are more sensitive to sound than their own sight. High-pitched noises can easily shift their focus. Stay calm, and wait.¡±


    ¡­


    It might have been only a couple of minutes, but they felt like an eternity. Nora felt the cold sweat stream down her face. The growls and squeals of the shamblers below them sounded more disturbing as time went by. Every second that passed, she found herself more focused on them. She felt shivers down her spine. Most of them were still wearing ragged and blood-soaked clothes, that did little to hide their disfigured bodies. Gray skin, terrible wounds and bite marks that wouldn¡¯t heal but wouldn¡¯t get infected or rot either, empty white eyes that stared back at her filled with primal hunger. All of it was only a shadow, a remnant of what they once were. These were normal people six months ago, and nothing but mindless cannibal monsters now. And she had to get down there and run among them? Now?


    ¡®Oh god, oh god, oh god¡­ Come on, Nora, you need to calm down¡­¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t help but think about Claire and Lilian. They needed her. There were too many things at stake, she couldn¡¯t afford to leave them alone. Not like this. Her breathing started getting faster and faster.


    All of a sudden, a grip on her arm made her look away from the shamblers and snap out of it, to the point that she even let out a subtle yelp.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose your shit now. Breathe, and for god¡¯s sake do not stare at them. Specially if you¡¯re not used to it.¡± William¡¯s tone was a bit abrasive, but he didn¡¯t look annoyed. As a matter of fact, he looked like he had gone through that exact situation many times before.


    ¡°Ah¡­ yeah¡­ Thank you¡­¡± She closed her eyes and let out several deep breaths. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­ Back when they surrounded us in the car, it didn¡¯t feel as dreadful as it does now¡­¡±


    ¡°Adrenaline can do that to you. But this is a calculated and premeditated situation, things hit different when you don¡¯t get thrown into them by surprise. And trust me, it¡¯s better that way. Now stay focused, it¡¯s almost time.¡±


    She did her best to ignore the growls from below, and concentrated on counting time instead. She could almost hear the clock ticking in her head. Tick, tock, tick, tock¡­ All other sounds seemed to deafen and die out, a low ringing taking their place in her ears instead.


    Until the real ringing happened. Down the street, the phone¡¯s alarm started blaring at full volume. Like a synchronized wave, drawn to the sound, heads started turning all over the street, bodies tumbling one over another towards its source.


    Without a second thought, William released the latch on the ladder, which quickly hit the now clear ground level.


    ¡°Now, get moving!¡± he yelled, almost flying down the ladder.


    Nora followed him down and started running for the bridge after him. As they closed their distance with the structure, she could hear growls all around, she could feel their gazes coming from every direction. Yet she set her eyes solely on William, she¡¯d rather not look back.


    Emerging from the shore sidewalk, a flight of concrete stairs descended towards the bridge¡¯s foundations, and connected with the maintenance corridor underneath. William reached it first, and descended in a hurry, after taking a quick look at Nora. As she did the same thing moments later, she looked back. And what she saw wasn¡¯t good news.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°William, they¡¯re coming this way!¡±


    ¡°I know! The sound isn¡¯t as loud this close to the bridge, it¡¯s not dragging them away effectively!¡± he shouted, as he frantically looked for something in his bag right in front of the gate that led into the catwalks. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure the alarm is ringing anymore!¡±


    Some seconds later, he pulled out some bolt cutters, which made quick work of the lock on the gate. They both rushed onto the metal platforms, as a wave of shamblers poured down the concrete stairs after them.


    ¡°Hurry! To the other side!¡±


    Gasping, without even a moment to catch her breath, Nora ran. She could feel the catwalk shaking in a dangerous manner as the horde gave pursuit behind them. She could hear the splashes deep below, as countless bodies tripped off the platforms and fell into the river below. They were quickly gaining distance on the shamblers, but after a quick glance behind, it didn¡¯t feel like it. All she saw was their hungry faces creeping towards them.


    ¡°There, there¡¯s a door ahead!¡± William shouted. About the midsection of the bridge there was a small box-shaped metal structure, with a closed door leading into the catwalk they were in. ¡°We¡¯ll bust it open if we have to! Hurry!¡±


    They pretty much slammed against the door. The room had no windows, so there was no way of knowing what was inside, but it was most likely better than what was behind them at the moment. William fumbled with the doorknob, and to his surprise, it was open. Yet the door didn¡¯t give way, as if something heavy was blocking it from the inside.


    ¡°Push! With all your strength!¡±


    Nora got her shoulder against the door and pushed as hard as she could, putting all her weight against it. She gritted her teeth as it started to open, inch by inch. Then, the door suddenly gave in. Whatever was blocking it had gotten out of the way, prompting both of them to stumble their way inside.


    William lunged forward and fell sideways, but she fell flat on the floor, nearly hitting her head in the process. As she tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness and look around, she felt around with her hands, and touched something soft. Something that moved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there!! Move, you fool!!¡±


    By the time she could react, it was too late already. She had fallen right beside a shambler, and that same shambler was now on top of her. Nora screamed and fought as hard as she could. She grabbed the head of the zombie with both hands and tried to push it away from her, but it wasn¡¯t working. She could feel its immense strength, almost inhuman. No wonder the door was so difficult to budge.


    The thing was growling directly to her face, its eyes staring at her with animalistic rage, almost shining in anticipation of the fateful bite. It was directly grabbing her shoulder and torso, so she couldn¡¯t get away. It was on top of her, too heavy for her to shrug him off. Its face got closer and closer, with strength so overwhelming she couldn¡¯t manage to fight back. The smell was revolting, to the point it felt like she could faint from it. She couldn¡¯t help but yelp and scream as she struggled.


    ¡®No, no, no... Not like this...! Not like this, oh god, please¡­!! Somebody help¡­!!¡¯


    Then, the shambler got thrown away to the side. William had kicked it as hard as he possibly could, causing it to lose its grip on Nora and go flying against nearby furniture. However, it managed to grab hold of William¡¯s leg, causing him to lose balance and fall down as well.


    As everyone struggled on the floor, Nora looked over and saw some tools knocked over around the floor. She didn¡¯t think too much about what was going to happen next. In her eyes, it was all a blur. In her mind, nothing but a fleeting thought. Instinct took over her body and senses. The instinct to survive no matter what. She could barely hear herself groaning and screaming with every blow she delivered. She had no idea how long that moment of rage lasted, she only knew she had to do it.


    ¡°¡­ra! ¡­ora! ¡­at¡¯s enough, ¡­out of it! Nora!!¡± William¡¯s screams finally got her out of her trance, and she stopped right on her tracks.


    She looked down, and instantly got to the verge of throwing up. She was sitting on top of the shambler that attacked her, but its head had been completely shattered, destroyed, as if sent through a meat mincer. Blobs of congealed blood covered the ground, and soaked her clothes and the hammer she was holding. She backed off the corpse in a hurry, and started retching heavily.


    ¡°Stop freaking out and get up, now!¡± William had locked the door again, and was dragging a heavy-looking shelving unit in front of it.


    Fighting through her exertion and her vomiting urges, Nora stumbled back up, and started pushing against the shelves, which were now right in front of the door. She couldn¡¯t know for sure, but from the way William looked at her, she didn¡¯t look good.


    ¡°Listen, you need to focus on what¡¯s happening right now, focus on what you need to do to survive, you understand? Just push. Push as hard as you can, as if your life is at stake. Don¡¯t make a sound, and don¡¯t stop pushing, you hear!?¡±


    She nodded. Moments later, a myriad of banging noises came from outside, and the entire wall of the room started shaking.


    They could feel the incredible strength of the horde slamming itself against the side of the room. Every blow shook them to the core, threatening to bust that door open again, to destroy everything in the way so they could feast upon them. The choir of angry growls was never-ending.


    Nora closed her eyes and just let her body do the work. She didn¡¯t think of the situation, she didn¡¯t want to think. She was still shaken up, covered in cold sweat and blood stains. She could feel her legs trembling. She just ignored the sound of the crowd, ignored the unrelenting banging, and just kept pushing.


    Until there was no more banging, no more growling, just an ominous silence. William laid back against the wall and breathed deeply, as Nora dragged herself down and sit on the ground.


    ¡°First time getting up close and personal, am I right?¡± he asked.


    Close and personal? No, that wasn¡¯t the only thing on her mind. Sure enough, staring at death¡¯s face so closely was a terrifying experience. Yet there was something else digging at her subconscious.


    ¡°I just killed it. Just like that, gone.¡±


    ¡°And it was the right thing to do.¡±


    It was easy to think about it from the safety of a shelter. They were just zombies, mindless monsters. You¡¯d see similar stuff in fiction all the time. They always made it look simple. But, actually doing it? Watching a human body go limp after severe trauma, hearing the bones crack as the stench of blood and death fills the room¡­


    She looked at William in the eye, as if looking for acknowledgment and acceptance of her actions.


    ¡°Was it¡­? This was a normal person not so long ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly, was. You can¡¯t look at them like people anymore. They certainly won¡¯t look at you like people either. If you hesitate, you¡¯re asking to get eaten, just like a moment ago.¡±


    Nora looked down. She was still gripping the blood-soaked hammer. Even when she was pushing those shelves, she didn¡¯t let go of it. A couple of tears streamed down her cheeks.


    ¡°The first time is always the hardest one. It gets easier afterwards. And I know what you¡¯re probably thinking, everyone thinks like that at some point. But this isn¡¯t about morals anymore. It¡¯s about survival. The sooner you get used to it, the better.¡±


    It gets easier afterwards? It didn¡¯t feel like it so far. Her grip on the tool got even harder, she was almost hurting herself by clenching on it.


    ¡®Fuck, this is hard¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Lilian¡­ Big sis keeps acting tough, but¡­ I¡¯m just a big liar¡­¡¯


    ******


    William looked at Nora as she wept in near silence. He knew they couldn¡¯t afford to loiter around, but for once, he didn¡¯t rush her. He just let her compose herself, and smoked through an entire cigarette while doing so. It had been a while since he could smoke a full cig in one sitting. He threw the butt away, and stared at his partner. She had stopped crying, and was spaced out, immersed on her thoughts. Yet he noticed something that picked his attention.


    The skin on her fingers was pale from the pressure she was exerting on the hammer handle. She hadn¡¯t loosened her grip even for an instant.


    ¡®You¡¯re scared shitless¡­ yet look at you. Seriously, what¡¯s the deal with you¡­?¡¯

 CHAPTER 5 – THREAT

    ¡°Nothing¡­ It¡¯s all useless, again.¡± William grumbled under his breath. ¡°Anything over there?¡±


    He closed the cupboard he was inspecting and looked over to the other side of the kitchen, where Nora was.


    ¡°No¡­ Everything that¡¯s left here is spoiled already¡­¡± All the cupboards were full of trash and rotten leftovers from long ago. She briefly opened the fridge door, but immediately closed it back as she smelled the putrid odor emanating from within. ¡°Ugh¡­ Oh god¡­¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Maybe whoever lived here consumed all of their food reserves?¡±


    William took a look around. There weren¡¯t any signs that anyone had lived there since long ago. Doors were busted, windows broken and unbarricaded, trash and dried blood all over the place¡­


    ¡°Remember how the epidemic started? It hit fast. Way too fast for anyone to react. By the time the authorities truly grasped the severity of the situation, it was already too late. It only took a couple of days for most of the city to get wiped out and fall into utter chaos. The vast majority of the buildings were overrun by the infected long before proper measures could be taken. Which is why it¡¯s common to find canned goods and food; their owners never even had a chance to use them in the first place.¡±


    Nora seemed to think about it for a second, and then nodded. ¡°Then, why¡­?¡±


    It was strange. After they left the bridge and got back into the relative safety of the building rooftops, they stopped at several points to try and scavenge for supplies. But everywhere they had tried, they found nothing of use.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep moving. Our main destination should be nearby. I want you to keep your eyes peeled out there, you hear?¡±


    ¡°S-Sure¡­¡± Nora agreed, although with a look of worry on her eyes.


    As they returned to the stairwell and headed up towards the rooftop, William kept taking glances at Nora. She was sweaty, shaky, her movements had gotten clumsier and slower. The bags under her eyes denoted her lack of rest and sleep. And of course, she was still shaken up from the incident at the bridge. When they started their trip that morning, she kept trying to keep her clothes tidy and fix her hair when she had the chance. Her clothes were now kind of dirty and her hair unkempt, yet she didn¡¯t seem to notice or care about it anymore. He figured that sudden lack of self-care could be attributed to emotional shock, she probably had more important things on her mind right now.


    ¡®It almost feels like I¡¯m babysitting her now¡­¡¯ To be fair, he understood her situation. And he couldn¡¯t say he didn¡¯t care about her at all, not anymore. He didn¡¯t really like her, but he didn¡¯t mind her either, even if her psychological condition wasn¡¯t the best. He also knew he didn¡¯t want to just abandon her unless she gave him a good reason to do it first.


    However, one didn¡¯t have to be a genius to realize she needed some proper rest. And they wouldn¡¯t be able to tend to those needs until they were back at the shelter.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting back outside, stay close to me, and stay alert.¡±


    ******


    [Are you that easy to break down? Is that really all you got?]


    ¡®Leave me alone¡­ Shut up, I¡¯m doing my best¡­ To survive, for me, for them¡­¡¯


    [Doing your best? Don¡¯t say it like there¡¯s something you can do. All you can do is let your instincts run wild. But you have no say whatsoever. If it wasn¡¯t for them, you¡¯d be worthless.]


    ¡®So what¡­? If protecting them keeps me going, what¡¯s the problem¡­?¡¯


    [Who¡¯s going to protect you? Are you going to depend on others? Again?]


    ¡®Shut up¡­ Leave me alone¡­¡¯


    [Of course you are. On your own, you can only curl up and pray. Pray that you get to live another day. Pray that you don¡¯t get hurt again.]


    ¡®Please¡­ Stop¡­ Get out, leave, get out¡­!¡¯


    [Some things never change.]


    ¡­


    A sudden impact brought Nora back to reality. Drowned deeply in her thoughts, she had run into William, who had stopped walking right at the edge of the rooftop.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing!? I told you to stay alert¡­!¡± he complained.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­! I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡±


    ¡°Seriously, pull yourself together¡­ We¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    ¡°Ah? But, I don¡¯t see anything special around¡­¡± she said, while looking at the surroundings..


    ¡°Look down.¡± William pointed his finger down at the street.


    As Nora got closer to the edge, she leaned forward and looked down, not sure what to expect. However, as soon as she set her eyes on the balconies below, she noticed right away. The building looked like another apartment complex, similar to their own. A peculiar glint of sunlight reflecting off the object gave away its position. It was a couple of levels below the rooftop, on the third floor. The balcony contained a fancy glass table with what looked like a laptop on top of it, along with some other electronics. And there, hopefully intact, was a portable solar panel.


    She remembered the conversation she had with William earlier during the morning, before they left the shelter.


    ######


    ¡°So¡­ We¡¯re gonna go look for a solar panel?¡±


    William was leading her through several corridors, up to a room in the top floor. The place looked like an ordinary apartment that had been refurbished and transformed into some kind of management office. Although dark, Nora could tell the room was full of lockers and shelves covered in books and documents, along with lots of random tools and utensils. There were also food reserves stored in there, neatly piled up inside crates in a corner. They weren¡¯t plentiful though.


    ¡°Exactly. The gate you all used to enter the building, the cellphones I use to lure hordes away and move around the city, traps around the building, lighting, appliances¡­ This entire shelter depends on that thing to function.¡± he explained as he flicked the light switch.


    ¡°I see¡­ That makes sense. I assume you¡¯ve been using one so far? What happened? Did it stop working?¡±


    William kept a moment of silence. He stared at her, as if measuring his words. Nora didn¡¯t know what to make of it, but didn¡¯t comment on it either.


    ¡°It got busted, beats me how. Thankfully, there¡¯s several car batteries rigged up as emergency energy storage, but those will eventually run out. We need a replacement for the panel, otherwise this building might stop being safe.¡±


    There was a table in the center of what used to be the bedroom. A map of the city was spread on top of it, full of markings and scribbles. William pointed at one specific building block, at the other side of a nearby river.


    ¡°Here. Several weeks ago I passed through this area while taking care of unrelated business, and managed to spot a suitable replacement in a balcony. It¡¯s quite rare to spot one of these, to be honest, but I couldn¡¯t afford to take a detour and grab it at the time.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that far away, but she somehow knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy to get there. If it was, William himself would¡¯ve probably gotten it already.


    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee the panel will still be at the same spot where I saw it.¡± he added, as he approached a nearby locker and started gathering some supplies onto a backpack. ¡°I don¡¯t frequent the other side of the river too much, mainly because of the dangers involved in crossing the river itself. We¡¯re likely to find unlooted buildings in the area. So, even if we don¡¯t manage to get the solar panel, we shouldn¡¯t come back empty-handed.¡±


    ######


    ¡®We¡¯re still empty-handed after all¡­¡¯


    In an ironic twist of fate, the dubious element was right there, in plain sight and in the exact spot where it was expected to be.


    ¡°We¡¯re going in. Get ready, now more than ever.¡± William said, as he pulled a weapon from his bag.


    Nora readied her hammer. She kept it ever since she used it at the bridge. It proved more than capable of getting rid of a shambler, and it should be durable enough. Furthermore, it was easy to handle and swing around, and didn¡¯t exhaust her in the same way a heavier weapon would. However, the weapon William was holding was not what she expected to see.


    ¡°Wait a moment¡­! A handgun¡­!?¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too dangerous to use? Won¡¯t it draw more shamblers towards us!?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t for the shamblers.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Nora realized. All this time, she had been oblivious to another very obvious threat in this new world. She inched closer to William, almost touching him, and started feeling a chill down her spine, as if someone was watching her.


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    ¡°All the buildings we checked on this side of the river were already ransacked. Yet as far as I know, they shouldn¡¯t have been. Which means, another group of survivors must be operating on this area.¡±


    ¡°You think they¡¯ll be hostile¡­?¡± she looked around at the neighboring rooftops. Every odd shape and shadow started to look more and more like a potential threat, a stalker watching them from a distance, waiting for the perfect chance.


    ¡°I¡¯m certain they will. For all they care, we might just be extra mouths eating their food. You can¡¯t hesitate. Shoot first, ask questions later, you hear?¡±


    ¡°O-Okay¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Nora picked up on the look William gave her. He likely knew she wasn¡¯t too eager to attack another human being unprovoked. She didn¡¯t want to become a burden, yet she questioned her ability to avoid doing so. Perhaps she did already.


    As they entered the door to the stairwell, William gave her a signal with his index finger on his lips, reminding her to keep quiet before entering the darkness of the building. The sudden transition from daylight to the dim indoors environment made her go blind for a couple of seconds, before her eyes started adapting to the lack of light.


    The interior was damp and dusty, the eerie atmosphere of decay and abandonment permeated every pore of Nora¡¯s skin, and she felt as if she could jump and flinch at any moment. The previous buildings they had tried to loot also had similar creepy features, but for some reason this one felt different. The potential danger of hostile survivors, along with the shamblers, made every random noise in the distance feel like an imminent threat to be encountered.


    Distant creaking noises, little taps and scratches coming from the walls¡­ What sounded like low gurgles and mumbles echoing across adjacent hallways¡­ As they descended the stairs, step by step, a myriad of strange noises seemed to greet them. Nora figured most of them were either coming from her own imagination, or from all the insects and small rodents that now thrived in the city after humanity left it vacant. It wasn¡¯t the noise that concerned her, but rather the possibility of the noise¡¯s origin being a reason of concern.


    Upon reaching the landing above the fourth floor, William stopped in his tracks, and told her to get closer with a gesture. She did as instructed, and took a look at the next landing, where he was now pointing. She struggled to see in the darkness, until she eventually managed to identify a strange mound laying on the floor, right in front of a doorway. It was a shambler. A dead shambler.


    Her eyes opened wide upon realizing what that meant.


    ¡°You get it, don¡¯t you?¡± William whispered.


    Nora nodded. Shamblers don¡¯t die on their own.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open, and don¡¯t make a noise. This place is dangerous. We grab the solar panel, and we¡¯re out. No exceptions.¡±


    Open doors, dark hallways, corners¡­ Danger could be lurking anywhere. Being spotted before spotting them, that was all it would take.


    They sneaked past the shambler corpse and down the stairs, every step as slow and calculated as possible. Nora felt as if every single one of her steps was about to make the floor creak in agony, even though it was solid concrete. Once again, cold sweat started flowing down her face. She could feel her heart pumping like crazy, as her five senses focused on her surroundings. They really needed to grab that panel and get out of that building as soon as possible, before her nerves got the worst out of her.


    Step after step, landing after landing, they got to the third floor, where their target was. A hallway extended from the stairwell, with many doors on both sides leading into the apartments. According to what they saw earlier, the solar panel balcony should belong to one of the housings on the right wing, but Nora was unsure of which one. She looked at William, as if hoping he knew. And as a matter of fact, he did. He noticed her gaze, and proceeded to point at the right side of the hallway, before raising four fingers.


    ¡®Got it¡­ The fourth door.¡¯


    They advanced deeper. Several of the doors were wide open, others were completely busted or caved in, as if something had torn them apart with extreme force. As they approached the first one to the left side, William crouched down just around the corner of the open doorway, and looked for something on his pocket.


    He pulled out the pocket mirror he had gotten from the girls when he looked through their belongings the previous day. He inched the mirror past the corner, and took a peak inside through the reflection. After a couple of seconds, he put the mirror back in his pocket and gestured Nora to advance.


    ¡®I see, that¡¯s why he took the mirror. Clever¡­¡¯


    They repeated the same procedure on another two open apartments, until they finally reached their target. The door was closed. William reached for the doorknob, and very slowly started to turn it. It gave in without resistance. He pushed the door open and readied his gun.


    Nora clenched the hammer and attempted to psyche up for the worst, yet she still froze on the spot once they could see what was inside. Dim rays of sunlight coming in through the windows revealed a standing figure, a couple of meters away from the entrance doorway, looking straight at them.


    It was a shambler. But it looked different. Its eyes were wide open, and instead of the monotone, milky white color of the ones Nora had seen before, those eyes seemed to glow in a faint blue hue. Slight traces of that same sickly blue light seemed to emanate from the creature¡¯s blood vessels, barely visible under its decaying skin, like some kind of otherworldly bioluminescence.


    It only stared at them for a split second. Nora barely had time to react, the thing had already lunged towards them.


    ¡°Shit! Watch out¨C!¡± William reacted without hesitation. He pushed Nora out of the way and barely evaded the shambler, which slammed against the wall behind them.


    Nora watched in horror as he stomped the shambler right on the head, not giving it a chance to get back up. Over and over, until the skull caved in and it stopped moving.


    ¡°W-What¡­ what was that¡­!? Oh god¡­¡± her voice came out shaky and insecure.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason why darkness is considered dangerous. Now get up and¨C¡° William stopped talking abruptly.


    ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯


    Why did he stop all of a sudden? Why was he raising his gun and aiming in her direction? She really didn¡¯t have a chance to ask herself more questions. She felt a strong force grabbing her from behind and raising her up, along the cold feeling of steel against her neck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, sweetheart. Or I¡¯m gonna paint the walls with your insides.¡± she heard an unknown male voice talking directly on her right ear.


    She felt like she could piss herself at that point. Without realizing it, she dropped her hammer, which made a loud noise as it banged against the floor. Her heartbeat went through the roof, she could do nothing but stand still, paralyzed by the fear.


    ¡°Let her go. Now.¡± William was aiming directly at them. Nora didn¡¯t feel safe. She didn¡¯t know if William would actually be willing to shoot and risk hitting her by mistake. She didn¡¯t know to what extent he trusted her, to what extent he cared about her at all.


    ¡°Ooooh, a gun, how scary¡­ I think I have an idea of who you are¡­¡± said the man.


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely the bastard that has been roaming around the area and stealing our food. I¡¯ve seen him before.¡± a second voice emerged from behind. Nora couldn¡¯t see either of them, but there were at least two men behind her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself, let her go and piss off.¡± William switched his aim between the two individuals. His trigger finger looked like it was shaking. Insecure, or eager? Nora couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve, coming into our territory and even making demands! Who the fuck do you think you are!? Just because you have all those fancy weapons you get to do whatever the fuck you want!? No wonder the boss is pissed off with you!¡±


    ¡°How do you know about¡­? Shit, I should have figured, you pieces of shit are¨C!¡± William¡¯s sentence was cut short by a blunt hit to the back of his head.


    ¡°Shut it already.¡± a third man had sneaked behind him from the other side of the hallway. He was holding a heavy-looking pipe in his right hand.


    ¡°Well, what do you know, we actually got rid of this motherfucker, and got ourselves a juicy treat. Talk about a lucky day.¡±


    As the first individual pressed the knife against her neck, the other two approached her to take a better look at her. They were covered in dirt and blood stains; their clothes were pretty much in pieces and ruined all over. The look on their faces denoted nothing but depravity, like predators who had just captured the most delicious prey of their lives.


    ¡°Behave, will you? And maybe you¡¯ll get lucky.¡± said one of them, as he proceeded to grab her face, as if inspecting her in detail.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to die.¡¯, thought Nora. Yet dying wasn¡¯t the worst part. Perhaps dying would be a blessing. Who knew, what kind of things those men had in store for her? She was like a cornered, terrified rat in front of a pack of hungry cats.


    She snapped under the pressure. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. If that knife on her neck was going to kill her, then so be it.


    Her sudden bout of strength got the men by surprise. She pushed and kicked with all her might, somehow breaking free of the knife threatening her throat. As she stumbled back towards the stairwell, she attempted to run, but the corpse of the shambler they had previously killed caused her to trip and fall.


    One of the men fell on top of her, attempting to restrain her.


    ¡°Stay put, bitch!!¡±


    Nora yelled and screamed while clawing back at his face and trying to gouge his eyes. The man complained and groaned in pain, but quickly managed to overpower her and grabbed her neck with both hands, trying to strangle her in a fit of rage.


    ¡°Woah, woah¡­! Hey, shut her down already!!¡±


    The other two individuals rushed over to try and help restrain Nora. Her vision was starting to get dizzy and blurry from the pressure on her neck, and it wasn¡¯t long until she started to lose strength on her arms. As the other two men grabbed her arms and pinned them down against the floor, the one on top of her released her neck, causing her to start coughing violently.


    ¡°Hey, hang on a second¡­ You hear that¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Oh shit¡­ Hey, hey, we need to go, now!!¡±


    ¡°No way, man¡­! I haven¡¯t touched a woman in so long, you¡¯ve got to be joking!¡±


    ¡°Are you retarded!? Do you want to die over a sack of meat!?¡±


    Nora didn¡¯t really know what was happening. All she could hear was noise. She could tell the men were arguing with each other over something, but she was unsure what it was. The grip on her arms had been released, the heavy weight on top of her was gone, so she rolled over to the side and kept coughing for a couple of seconds.


    ¡®Am I¡­ saved¡­?¡¯


    She quickly realized she wasn¡¯t. The distant growls, getting louder and louder by the second, were an obvious sign of danger.


    ¡°Damn it!! This stairwell is no good, we¡¯ve got to head for the other side, hurry!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking!? Go for the window!! They¡¯re coming from that side too!!¡±


    ¡°Ah, shit¨C!!¡±


    Screams. Loud, bloodcurdling screams filled the hallways. Nora looked up, and despite her dizziness, she saw many figures. They were hurrying past her, bumping into her and tripping on her legs as they tumbled across the corridor, pouring in mass into one of the nearby apartments. Like guided by an animalistic hunger, they ignored everything but the source of the screaming. It sounded like many voices were shouting in agony, crying for help, but she didn¡¯t really care.


    She looked over, and saw a big dark lump on the floor besides her. A lump she knew quite well.


    ¡®William¡­¡¯


    She crawled towards him, dragging herself along the floor. She barely had any strength on her limbs.


    ¡®I can¡¯t¡­ Not here¡­ Come on, move¡­ Please¡­¡¯


    The screaming had stopped already, but the horrific sound of the shamblers in their feeding frenzy kept attracting more and more to that particular apartment, to the point where they could barely fit inside anymore.


    Tapping on all the strength she had, Nora pulled on William. And she kept pulling. She could still feel the shamblers dragging their feet past her, literally touching her, but the sound of the crowd seemed more interesting to them. She just pulled. At that point, she knew she couldn¡¯t possibly do much more than that.


    As she looked to the left, she saw an open door. It didn¡¯t look broken. With a lot of effort, she dragged William inside. She noticed blood on her right arm. There was an obvious cut near her shoulder. When had she gotten that cut? It didn¡¯t really matter for now, it didn¡¯t hurt.


    After making sure William¡¯s body was completely inside the room, she pushed the door closed, and laid herself against it. She didn¡¯t bother locking it, she lacked the emotional strength to do so.


    ¡­


    She wept as silently as she could.

 CHAPTER 6 – MISTAKE

    Pain. A lot of pain. He couldn¡¯t tell what was going on. He tried opening his eyes, but didn¡¯t perceive anything but a dark, blurry mess. The terrible headache was severely impairing his capacity to think or make sense of anything. Where the hell was he? What was he doing? His memory was hazy.


    William groaned in discomfort. As he slowly regained consciousness, he tried to rub his eyes, but his arms felt weak. With a lot of effort, he managed to reach his face. It felt cold to the touch. It seemed like he was laying on the ground, but the apparent darkness made it impossible to get anything out of his surroundings.


    As he unsuccessfully attempted to sit up, a faint light suddenly manifested to his left. It probably wasn¡¯t too bright, but given his state of confusion, it seemed blinding. He also heard some sort of distant mumbling. It was a soft sound, almost like a voice trying to communicate with him.


    ¡°¡­am¡­ Will¡­ ¡­wake¡­? ¡­an you he¡­ ¡­me?¡±


    The sound went on for a couple of seconds, and he felt a slight tugging on his body, like someone trying to shake him awake without disturbing him too much. The shaking seemed to work, as the voice gradually became clearer and clearer.


    ¡°William¡­ can you hear me¡­? William¡­?¡±


    As his sight came back to him, he could finally identify the source of the voice. Nora was kneeling down by his side, faintly illuminated by the light of a candle. She looked tired, very tired. He was unsure of the circumstances, but he could notice her ripped, dirty clothes and the blood on her right arm.


    ¡°Nora¡­ Ugh, shit¨C¡° just speaking caused stinging pain on the back of his head. ¡°What happened¡­?¡±


    ¡°You were knocked out, they got you from behind¡­¡±


    Upon hearing that, William remembered. About coming to the other shore of the river looking for the solar panel, getting ambushed by those men in the dark corridors, and then¡­ nothing. He felt like he was forgetting some important piece of information. Who were they, and why did it feel like he knew them?


    ¡°I see¡­ Damn it, it fucking hurts¡­¡± he kept complaining, as he tried to sit up again.


    ¡°Careful, I think you were hit pretty badly¡­¡± Nora tried to help him get up as gently as she could, until he was finally resting up against the wall behind him.


    A couple of minutes went by. William kept is eyes closed for a while, while his acute headache waned.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Nora muttered under her breath. William opened his eyes and looked at her. She was staring at the floor and throwing short glances over to something in the darkness, beyond the range of the candle light.


    ¡°What is it¡­? Just spit it out¡­¡± even though he appreciated her being there with him, he was pissed. Not at her, but at their luck. It was common sense to try and keep looting trips as uneventful as possible. And that day was pretty damn full of events. He wasn¡¯t in a good mood.


    ¡°I¡­ I got some things while you were unconscious¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Nora reached over and grabbed her backpack from within the darkness. He could tell she had to make a certain degree of effort to drag it, it looked heavy. She opened the zipper on the top, and pushed the bag really close to William, so he could properly see what was inside. His eyes widened up.


    The bag contained several cans of food, along some packages of dehydrated beans and pasta, among other various things. Finally, some good news. The revelation actually seemed to help him regain the strength he was missing on his arms, encouraging him to slouch over the bag and rummage a little bit through its contents.


    ¡°But¡­ how? You got all this on your own¡­?¡±


    ¡°I also got this¡­¡±


    Nora reached for the darkness again, grabbing his own backpack this time. Then, she proceeded to open it and pull out an object. Her eyes were brimming with insecurity, yet she held the prized solar panel in her hands like a hunter showcasing a hunting trophy with pride.


    ¡°After I dragged us both into this apartment, the shamblers outside seemed to move away for some reason¡­ So, I got out and took a look¡­¡± she explained.


    ¡°Wait, hang on¡­ Shamblers? What even happened¡­!?¡±


    ¡°W-Well, after you were knocked out, those men tried to¡­ a-assault me. And then, the noise attracted the shamblers, a-and all hell broke loose¡­¡± Nora¡¯s voice started trembling and stuttering as she recalled the events.


    ¡®What in the world¡­? How is she even alive!? And she even dared to go back out afterwards¡­¡¯


    William raised an arm and grabbed Nora¡¯s shoulder. She flinched and looked at him, fearful.


    ¡°Listen¡­ I don¡¯t know how you managed to survive that on your own, but you really shouldn¡¯t have gone back out. Are you even aware of the risk you put yourself in¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­I-I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sit tight and do nothing. I¡¯m weak, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing if I¡¯m not following you around, I¡¯m so scared¡­¡± her eyes became tearful. ¡°B-But I can¡¯t just cower in fear¡­ It¡¯s addictive, you just keep crying and crying, hoping that the bad things will go away, but they never do. To wallow in your own fear can feel cathartic in its own way. But it never fixes anything. I-I can¡¯t go back to that, I¨C¡±


    She didn¡¯t sound like she was speaking to him anymore, she looked as if she was going over something on her mind, speaking to herself. William gently shook her shoulder, causing her to flinch again and cutting her off mid-dialogue.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You did a good job by gathering these. Come on, pull yourself together.¡±


    Nora¡¯s eyes filled even more with tears. After a brief pause, she nodded and tried to clumsily wipe them off her face. William watched her do it with a mix of sadness and compassion. Was he actually caring about her at this point? He probably wouldn¡¯t be alive right now if she hadn¡¯t put him to safety early on, yet she did so while dealing with whatever psychological trauma she had in her mind all this time. Was she doing it for her sister and her friend? For him, perhaps? For herself? Love, survival, fear¡­ the answer was unclear, he was no psychologist. For an instant, he remembered some words he had told her earlier that day.


    [I don¡¯t mean to disrespect, but I seriously doubt you¡¯ve seen the worst.]


    ¡®I can see how that probably hurt in ways I hadn¡¯t intended¡­ Just what the hell have you been through, Nora¡­?¡¯


    Some more minutes went by. They both remained silent.


    ¡­


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    What was that eerie feeling? His head still hurt like hell, but somehow William felt that something was wrong. It wasn¡¯t just the pain. He felt there was some critical circumstance he should be aware of, something important he was not noticing.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here for much longer¡­ Even if we aren¡¯t in the best shape, we really need to move. Can you do it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ I think so. I¡¯ll grab my things.¡±


    As he finally stood up and grabbed his backpack, still fighting with his dizziness, he thought he heard something. Was it a rumble? It sounded like a distant tremor, like something big and heavy being dragged around. And it was getting louder.


    Then it dawned on him. The realization of his mistake hit him like a bucket of cold water, and he turned to face the nearby window in horror.


    ¡°Fucking hell¡­! What time is it!?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­? Ah! Oh no¡­!! I-I kind of stopped tracking time altogether¡­!¡±


    There was barely any sunlight outside. The sun had started to set a while ago, and only the last, shy rays of light swept over the ruined city, soon to be gone. Night had fallen on them. How long had he been unconscious? How could he have forgotten about something as crucial as time?


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have stayed here with me! You should have gone back the moment you got your hands on the supplies!¡±


    ¡°W-why? What¡¯s going on? Aren¡¯t we safe as long as we stay quiet in here!?¡±


    Nora was trying to keep her voice down, but William wasn¡¯t, he was literally shouting. He knew how useless it was to stay quiet during the night unless proper measures were taken. He rushed to the door and started pulling apart the furniture Nora had piled up against it. Such bad timing.


    ¡°Help me out here, quick!¡±


    ¡°A-Alright¡­!¡±


    The rumbling noise outside became louder and louder, until its true nature was eventually made clear. It sounded like an aggressive cacophony of growls and screeches, along the constant hammering of hundreds of footsteps. As they got closer, they sounded increasingly more rabid and anxious. It was almost as if they knew. They knew there was a feast waiting for them.


    Nora noticed the crowd of screams outside, which now sounded like they were in the street right outside the building. And they kept getting louder. Closer. She must have realized on her own the severity of the situation, as she started to panic and pull harder on the furniture blocking the door.


    ¡°Ah¡­! Aaah¡­! William, what¡¯s going on!? How do they¡­!?¡±


    ¡°They know! They can tell!!¡± after pulling apart to the side the wardrobe blocking the door, William swung it open without hesitation and stormed out into the corridor.


    He grabbed an old mobile phone from one of his pockets, opened the flip and pressed a couple of keys.


    ¡®Come on, buy us some time¡­!¡¯


    A ringtone burst at full volume from the phone. He threw it back into the room they had just abandoned, just as the sound of shattering glass started to fill up the building, coming from seemingly all directions at once.


    ¡°Go for the stairs! Run!!¡± he screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Both of them bolted for the stairs. As they closed the distance with the stairwell, all they could hear was glass breaking, doors getting busted down on the lower floors, roars and screeches echoing on the corridors. If the shamblers got to the stairs before they did, it would be all over. With every running step they took, William unconsciously threw a prayer to the heavens. And he wasn¡¯t a believer.


    ¡®Come on, come on, come on¡­!¡¯


    They emerged from the hallway into the dark stairwell. They could barely see anything anymore, only the faint glow of the moonlight remained, beaming down from the rooftop door, barely illuminating the outline of the stairs. The jarring noise of the shambler horde emerged from down below, and from the hallway behind them. With a quick look to the corridor behind him, William discerned several figures illuminated by a sickly blue glow, moving towards them rapidly.


    ¡°Up!!¡±


    Nora wasn¡¯t replying or articulating anything coherent by now. She was panting heavily and loudly, almost wheezing as she followed him up the stairs as fast as she could. They could still hear things breaking in the distance. The screaming was getting closer, hundreds of footsteps and other chaotic sounds resonated right behind them.


    William pretty much flew out into the rooftop, with Nora almost slipping and tumbling behind him. As soon as the doorway was clear, William shut it closed.


    ¡°We need to get to the river! It¡¯s our only choice!!¡±


    ¡°What¡­!? But¡­!¡±


    He didn¡¯t let her catch her breath. There was no time for that. He grabbed her hand and forcibly pulled on her until she found herself running after him again. They rushed to the edge of the rooftop.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think, jump!¡±


    William let go of Nora¡¯s hand and leapt over the alleyway, landing on the rooftop of the neighboring building. He turned around, expecting Nora to do the same thing. But she was hesitating. Suddenly, a loud bang behind her startled her, as the stairwell door was blown off its hinges by an enormous force.


    The shamblers burst out of the stairwell like a continuous stream. They were tripping and stumbling over each other as usual, but they were quickly getting back up with unprecedented agility. Their eyes and veins were all glowing in that ominous blue color, almost iridescent under the moonlight. Their gazes, even while stumbling and falling over, were fixated on William and Nora. As if acting together like a single entity, they immediately corrected their course and started sprinting after them. At the same time, accompanied by even more screeches, some more hordes of shamblers started pouring into the rooftop from the sides of the building, after having climbed all the way up.


    ¡°Hurry!!¡±


    Nora let out a terrified scream and threw herself over the gap, landing clumsily on the other side. William hurriedly grabbed hold of her and pulled her up, and they started running again. In a couple of seconds, they were entering the new building, as the horde of shamblers covered the previous rooftop and spilled over to the next one after them.


    William closed the rooftop door behind them, and it was met with a barrage of blows almost immediately. He knew it wouldn¡¯t last long, barely a couple of seconds, but even that much could save their lives.


    ¡®Fuck, my head hurts. It hurts so fucking much.¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t let the pain cloud his thinking, not at that moment. One flight of stairs. Two flights of stairs. They heard how the door keeping the shamblers out was finally torn to pieces in the distance. More stairs, turned a corner, two corners, another stairwell. What was that building? It didn¡¯t matter. They needed to get down, and fast.


    Glass breaking, the sound of furniture getting trampled¡­ The multitude of angry screams followed them around the hallways relentlessly, like a hound tracking its prey. They went down more stairs. Suddenly, a door appeared in front of their eyes, and then the streets. It all happened so fast, almost like a blurry thought. Before they could even realize, they were already at ground level.


    Nora¡¯s wheezing was deafening, William could swear she was pretty much crying from the effort. He was covered in sweat, panting heavily. His head hurt like hell, he could barely feel his legs. But they couldn¡¯t stop now. If they did, they¡¯d be done for.


    ¡°Come on¡­!! This way, hurry¡­!¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­! I¡­ can¡¯t¡­!!¡± whimpered Nora. Yet she was hurrying behind him with all her might. The adrenaline high allowed her to do so.


    As they ran down the street and around the corner of the building, the windows exploded above their heads. Shamblers poured down from the floors above, slamming against the ground, breaking their bones apart from the impact. It was a literal rain of corpses, corpses that still kept trying to get up despite having shattered their limbs from the fall. Even in their mangled state, lumps of decayed flesh on the road and the sidewalk, they still kept their eyes set on the tempting human snacks, screeching, wildly flailing their crippled arms and legs in an attempt to reach them.


    They did their best to ignore the crowd closing in on them from all directions. They ignored the bodies falling on them from above. They focused their attention on the river shoreline ahead. It was so close, the murmur of the water streaming down the canal was audible already.


    ¡°Jump¡­ into the water¡­!! Don¡¯t give up¡­ you hear me¡­!? Go¡­ for the bridge¡­!!¡± William shouted, hoping that Nora heard him despite all the shamblers roaring as they got close. He could still hear her panting behind him. He was unsure if she heard him, but he wasn¡¯t going to stop running. He wasn¡¯t going to look back either. He already knew what was he going to see. He could hear them, the screams all around. They sounded very close, as if they were breathing down his neck. Was Nora even okay? The horde sounded closer than her wheezing did.


    ¡®You better make it, you fool¡­!! Don¡¯t you dare die on me now¡­!¡¯


    As soon as he heard the water in front of him, he jumped. As he did so, he turned slightly sideways. Did she make it? Time seemed to slow down for a moment. As he looked over, he saw her dropping down to the river by his side.


    ¡®Good, at least she made it¡­¡¯


    Then, a jolt of pain. But it wasn¡¯t his headache. His head had been hurting so much he had actually gotten used to it since a couple of minutes ago, the burst of adrenaline had blocked it off. No, that was different. The pain came from his left arm. He looked at it, and saw a couple of glowing eyes staring right at him.


    ¡®Ah, fuck¡­ You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me¡­¡¯


    He broke the surface of the water with a strong impact. The shambler released its bite and got swept away, leaving William to drift downstream.

 CHAPTER 7 – DIVISION

    Nora¡¯s heart felt like it would burst out of her chest at any moment. She could barely breathe, she couldn¡¯t feel her legs, she believed she would just drop on the spot if she stopped running. William¡¯s voice resonated on her ears, mixed with a lot of other noises. Was he encouraging her? Hard to say, she couldn¡¯t tell for sure. But it definitely seemed like something was about to happen.


    Suddenly, she lost her footing. She tried to scream, but nothing came out of her mouth. Then, before she could think of anything else, she felt the cold embrace of water.


    Once again, she tried to scream, which caused her to swallow a large amount of frigid water. She thrashed, unable to tell up from down, left from right. There was no way to know where the water¡¯s surface ended or where the bottom began. However, she managed to briefly catch a glimpse of moonlight, coming from somewhere below her. Nora tried her best to swim in that direction with all her strength, fighting with the current. Her bones and muscles were stiffening up from the cold water.


    Eventually, her face broke the water¡¯s surface. She took one long and panicked breath. Her heavy backpack felt like a giant stone slab on her back. The current was still dragging her downstream, and the turbulence in the water kept intermittently pulling her back underwater before letting her breathe again. During those swift moments of respite, she started discerning a big shadow approaching her in the darkness of the night. Or rather, she was approaching it.


    She slammed against something hard. Instinctively, she held onto it for dear life, doing everything she could to stick her hands to its rough surface. It felt like concrete.


    ¡­


    ¡®A-Am I¡­ alive¡­?¡¯


    Slumped on all fours, Nora kept coughing up water while trying to regain her breath. The constant coughing fits gave her a burning sensation on her chest.


    ¡®Uggh¡­!¡¯


    Somehow, she had just pulled herself out of the river, onto what looked like a concrete ramp. Her body started to hurt all over.


    Then, she heard a male voice complaining nearby. She looked around, but she couldn¡¯t really see anything in the darkness. That area in particular seemed darker than usual, as if something big was blocking the moonlight from above.


    With a lot of effort, she stood up, stumbling a little bit in the process, and tried to follow the sound to its source. She walked with caution. With her sight disabled, it¡¯d be easy to misstep and fall back in the water.


    The ramp led her onto some kind of flat surface. The grumbling voice sounded closer and closer, but the noise from the water stream made it difficult to identify who or what was producing it.


    ¡°W-William¡­? I-Is that y-you¡­?¡± she asked to the darkness.


    There was a tense moment of silence.


    ¡®Please, don¡¯t be one of those t-things¡­ Please, God, I¡¯m begging you¡­¡¯


    Then, a sudden flash of light hit her right in the face. At least it wasn¡¯t a shambler, that was for sure. Unless they somehow knew how to operate a flashlight. Nora gasped and covered her eyes from the blinding light.


    *cough* *cough* ¡°Nora¡­!?¡± *cough* ¡°You¡­ made it¡­¡± she knew that voice.


    ¡°William¡­!¡±


    For once, her prayers seemed to have worked. She couldn¡¯t help but smile, although it was a bitter smile. She knew they weren¡¯t home and dry yet.


    ¡°Help me out here, quick¡­! Grab this flashlight for me and give me light.¡± he requested.


    Wondering what was going on, Nora obeyed. She grabbed the flashlight and aimed it at William. As expected, he was completely wet from head to toe, and his clothing was all messed up and ripped in several places. His face was pale and it looked tired, probably no different than Nora¡¯s face. He pulled up the sleeve on his left arm. Nora noticed how there was a quite severe rip on that place in particular.


    Her eyes widened once they had a clear view of his bare arm.


    ¡°O-Oh no¡­! Is that¡­?¡± she asked, with shaky voice.


    A bite mark. The teeth were clearly lined up in a perfect formation on the outer side of his left forearm. But there was no actual wound or blood. The skin had a strong red coloration, yet it hadn¡¯t been pierced.


    In a rush, William grabbed his bag and started frantically going through its contents, and proceeded to pull out first aid supplies. Nora gulped and observed nervously as he disinfected and bandaged the bitten area.


    ¡°A-Are you going to be okay¡­?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Beats me¡­ But it¡¯d really suck if I didn¡¯t.¡±


    After packing up the supplies again, he got up, wore his backpack, and took the flashlight back from Nora¡¯s hands. He aimed the light around for a bit, inspecting their surroundings. They were standing on a concrete platform with an enormous pillar rising from its center. A metal ladder surrounded by a safety cage ran up the side of the pillar.


    ¡°We¡¯re on the foundations of the bridge we crossed earlier.¡±


    Nora¡¯s legs started shaking the moment she set her eyes on the ladder. Before she could say anything, William handed her the flashlight back.


    ¡°Listen¡­ I¡¯ll go up. Do not follow me, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°What¡­? B-But¡­¡±


    ¡°The most obvious symptom of the infection is dizziness, followed by a temporary loss of consciousness. It can go unnoticed if it happens while you¡¯re sleeping. It¡¯s not safe for me to stay down here with you. If things take a bad turn¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say I won¡¯t be able to hurt you too much after taking a drop like this.¡± he said, staring up at the bridge. ¡°Tomorrow morning we¡¯ll know for sure if I¡¯m screwed¡­¡±


    Nora didn¡¯t like the situation, but she said nothing. She just stared at the ground and nodded. She knew what he was talking about, she knew about the implications, and she knew there was no way around it.


    ¡°You need to get those clothes off. There should be a small dry blanket in your backpack, cover yourself up with that instead. Remain wet and hypothermia might kill you before the sun rises.¡± he threw a quick gaze at her bag. ¡°Also¡­ try and eat something.¡±


    William turned around and went for the ladder.


    ¡°W-Wait¡­!¡± Nora was now shivering so much it was hard to talk. ¡°Y-You should grab something to e-eat too¡­!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure that out myself. Don¡¯t worry about me right now. It might not be worth it. Just focus on taking care of yourself and resting, you need it more than I do¡­¡±


    Then, he climbed up. The sound of his steps on the ladder rungs got weaker as he got up, until they became an echo in the distance, and then silence. Nora stood still for a moment, still trying to process what had just happened. Her entire body was shaking.


    ¡­


    Nora finished wringing water from her pants and laid them down on the floor, along with the rest of her clothes. Every move was a struggle. Even though the weather wasn¡¯t particularly cold or windy, even the slightest breeze against her bare skin felt like piercing daggers.


    She sat down right by the metal ladder, trying her best to make herself as small as possible. The blanket wasn¡¯t too big, and it was partially wet from drying herself moments earlier, but it was still better than nothing, and definitely better than her drenched clothes. The shivering wasn¡¯t stopping, but at least the blanket gave her some degree of comfort and protection.


    She suddenly started feeling tired. So, so very tired, as if all the efforts she made during the entire day were taking their toll all at once. Deep down, she was glad William chose to go up the ladder and leave her behind, because she was absolutely sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to climb it herself. She lacked strength on her limbs, all she could feel was pain. Every single muscle on her body seemed to ache. Her head felt heavy.


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    ¡®Oh god¡­ Please, let me make it through this¡­¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡®Lilian, Claire, I hope you¡¯re okay¡­¡¯


    ******


    *Grrrroooooooowwwwllll*


    Claire got unintentionally woken up by her own half-empty stomach. She opened her eyes, but she didn¡¯t see anything nonetheless, it was pitch dark inside the apartment. It was already hard enough to sleep under the circumstances they were in, doing it while hungry was just an added handicap.


    ¡®Oh, damn¡­ Shouldn¡¯t Nora and that man have come back already¡­!? I hope nothing bad has happened¡­¡¯


    She felt a shy tugging on her left arm.


    ¡°Clairie¡­¡± the incredibly soft and low voice came out from somewhere to her left. ¡°You¡¯ve got to eat, Clairie¡­ Here¡­¡±


    Claire could hear Lilian fumble around with a half-full can of beans.


    ¡°Stop it, Lilian, that¡¯s your portion¡­! Seriously, you need to eat too¡­!¡±


    ¡°Not hungry¡­ But your tummy is.¡±


    ¡°Aw, come on¡­ I refuse, keep it!¡±


    Lilian mumbled in complaint, but eventually stopped trying to feed her the beans. What was her deal? She hadn¡¯t eaten anything in so long, yet she wasn¡¯t hungry? Claire wasn¡¯t buying it. She let out a sigh of both resignation and frustration, and tried to fall back to sleep.


    ¡°Mmh¡­ I hope they don¡¯t come to eat it instead, I don¡¯t wanna give it to them¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure¡­ Just eat it yourself¡­¡± answered Claire, trying to disregard Lilian¡¯s antics.


    Yet something caught her attention.


    ¡°Wait, hold on, who are you talking about¡­?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Them¡­ I heard noises¡­ I don¡¯t want to feed them too, I only want to feed you¡­¡±


    ¡°Lilian, are you sure you heard noises¡­!?¡± Claire¡¯s eyes widened up all of a sudden. She wasn¡¯t feeling sleepy anymore.


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±


    Should she disregard it? Maybe she had been dreaming about something, and mistook it for reality? She wasn¡¯t sure. If Nora and William had come back, they would¡¯ve come and say something, but nobody showed up. So, if it wasn¡¯t them, then who?


    Claire¡¯s legs had started shaking nervously. She had never been too brave, but this time she needed to do something. She made a promise to Nora, and it wasn¡¯t a promise she was willing to break.


    ¡°Lilian, stay here, okay?¡±


    She got up and felt around the room. They were in the bathroom, and she had a good idea of the apartment¡¯s layout, so she walked blindly along the wall until she reached the doorway leading to the main room, which connected with the entrance door. It was almost absolute darkness. Some faint rays of moonlight seeped in through the boarded windows, but it was barely enough to tell apart anything but blurry shadows and shapes.


    Claire walked up to the entrance, measuring her steps with caution. She felt around, and her fingers gripped the door¡¯s cold metal bars. But she could immediately tell something was wrong. The door was wide open.


    She froze on the spot.


    Who was it? Who opened the door? Why? Was it Nora, why didn¡¯t she say anything? It couldn¡¯t have been Nora. What was going on?


    ¡®Oh god, what¡¯s happening¡­? Fuck, are you serious¡­!? W-What do I do now¡­!?¡¯


    She noticed her breathing getting heavier and her heart pounding like mad in her chest. She had to protect Lilian. She needed to get her out of there, somewhere else. That apartment didn¡¯t feel safe anymore.


    Claire turned around and started backtracking her steps towards the bathroom. Every step felt like it took an unnaturally long amount of time, as if the slightest sound she made could alert something of her presence, something lurking in the darkness of the building.


    *ba-dum, ba-dum* *ba-dum, ba-dum* *ba-dum, ba-dum*


    ¡®Why did this happen¡­!? Who could have¨C!?¡®


    Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted. Something grabbed her waist from behind, and her mouth and nose were covered with some sort of soft material. Fabric? She couldn¡¯t tell. But it was wet, and it had a strong chemical odor.


    ¡°Hmmmmmm!!! Hmmmphhmhhhp!!¡± she tried to yell, but her shouts were muffled. She struggled and tried to break free, but the difference in strength was abysmal.


    ¡°Keep it quiet, would you? You just had to make it difficult¡­¡± a male voice whispered behind her. Claire listened, terrified, as she kept attempting to fight back.


    ¡°Hmphghfghh!! ¡±


    ¡°We were surprised when we noticed this room was occupied, didn¡¯t expect anyone home¡­ And this is exactly the kind of ruckus we wanted to avoid. Oh well¡­ Come on, go back to sleep, we can¡¯t be making any noise now, you know?¡±


    ¡°Hmmmgh¡­.!¡± Claire felt her strength waning bit by bit. Tears of pure terror streamed down her face as she hopelessly attempted to break free from her attacker.


    A couple of minutes of struggle went by, and it quickly became clear to her that she didn¡¯t stand a chance. Her arms fell down like dead weight, her legs started to failed her; and despite the darkness, she could feel her sight getting hazy.


    ¡°Clairie¡­?¡± Lilian¡¯s voice emerged from the bathroom, alerted by the noise from outside.


    ¡®Oh, Lilian¡­! Run away, please¡­!¡¯


    ¡°Hey, grab the other one too.¡± said the man, speaking to some other unknown person.


    ¡®N-No¡­! No¡­!!¡¯


    ¡­


    ******


    [Feeling alone?]


    ¡®No, I¡¯m not¡­ Leave me alone¡­¡¯


    [Oh, but you do. You¡¯ve got nobody to cling to now. You thought saving him would bind him to you, didn¡¯t you? Deep within, that¡¯s the only thing you care about. Because you can¡¯t keep going alone.]


    ¡®Shut up¡­ Please, shut up¡­! I can do it¡­ I¡¯m not like that anymore, I can do it now! I will keep going, for them¡­¡¯


    [And what if something does happen to them? Can you still say the same thing? Can you still go on without clinging to someone out there, one way or another?]


    ¡®Leave me alone¡­!!¡¯ ¡°Leave me alone¡­!!¡±


    Nora woke up shouting like a maniac, sweating but cold at the same time. Was all that a dream, or just her own inner dialogue? It wasn¡¯t clear. The morning breeze felt chilling on the exposed parts of her skin, and she wasn¡¯t even sure she could feel her feet or her hands. She could still move them, so that had to be a good sign, right?


    She fought through the muscular pain all over her body, and got up. The breeze intensified, as if mocking her efforts.


    ¡°F-Fuck, it¡¯s so c-cold¡­¡± she muttered, almost clacking her teeth.


    It was no wonder she was cold though, since she was almost completely naked, wearing nothing but a small blanket. Her clothes on the ground weren¡¯t completely dry yet, but somewhat moist. She figured it would be wiser to just wear them nonetheless. While she did so, she couldn¡¯t take her inner thoughts out of her mind.


    ¡®If we really got separated¡­ What then¡­? Do I have a purpose on my own? I do¡­ right¡­?¡¯


    ¡®The purpose to live on, of course. I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡¯


    [Why?]


    Nora shook her head. She really didn¡¯t want to keep thinking about anything at that moment. She focused on the chilly feeling of the clothes against her skin. Hopefully the warmth of her own body would help them finish drying soon.


    As she finished getting dressed, she looked up. Was William okay? Should she go up the ladder to check on him?


    ¡®Now that I think about it, I kind of got separated from him last night¡­ As much as I hate to admit it, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do if he¡¯s not with me¡­ Can I even make it back to the shelter on my own¡­?¡¯


    She gulped nervously, remembering the words he told her the night before.


    [Tomorrow morning we¡¯ll know for sure if I¡¯m screwed.]


    She started packing up her things and getting ready to climb up to the bridge. No matter what had happened, she had to go up one way or another. She had to face the truth waiting for her above, whatever it was.


    The ladder seemed surprisingly sturdy, as if it was impervious to the last six months of abandonment. It allowed William to climb up safely, and he was way heavier than she was, so it should be safe enough for her as well. Nora took a deep breath and started climbing.


    Step after step, she got closer to the catwalks. The wind blew harder as she gained altitude, as if trying to knock her back down, and she felt stinging pain on her arms and legs due to the previous day¡¯s exhaustion. She tightened her grip as best as she could and kept going up, gritting her teeth in discomfort.


    ¡°W-William¡­? Are you there¡­?¡± she asked once she was a couple of meters away from the metal platform. She didn¡¯t raise her voice too much, but it was loud enough she was sure it could be easily heard from up there.


    There was no answer. The catwalk itself was made of grating, and therefore see-through, but some areas were obscured due to the viewing angle. It was difficult to tell if there was someone up there from her position, specially if they were laying down or crouching.


    She popped her head past the floor level and looked around. The entire platform was empty, from side to side. Some distance away, she saw the structure where they had taken refuge from a shambler horde when they entered the bridge the day before. They¡¯d probably have to pass through that place again on their way back.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s gone back into the city, that¡¯d make no sense¡­ Maybe he took refuge from the cold in that room?¡¯


    She approached the door, which was closed. She had a bad feeling about the entire situation. When she was about to reach for the doorknob, she noticed something affixed to the door itself with tape. It was a piece of paper, with some words written on it with a black marker.


    [WAIT HERE


    LEAVE IF I¡¯M NOT BACK


    BY THE AFTERNOON


    W.]


    ¡°William¡­ So, this means¡­ you¡¯re okay¡­?¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t have gone away if he wasn¡¯t in good condition to do so, right? Or perhaps he did it because he guessed she would eventually come up, in order to not put her in unnecessary danger? If there wasn¡¯t any danger of turning anymore, then why did he leave? Nora didn¡¯t have the answer to any of those questions. She hoped that hearing from him would calm her down, yet it further aggravated her worries.


    She opened the door. Not a lot of sunlight reached under the bridge, but it was still enough to light up the interior of the structure. She knew that room all too well. The blood stains were still on the floor, but the corpse of the shambler wasn¡¯t there anymore. Maybe William had dropped it off into the river? She hoped so. The thought of a shambler still surviving and wandering around pretty much with no head was terrifying.


    She tried not to think too much about what had happened there, and put her bag down on the floor. She sat down beside it, opened it, and grabbed a can of food at random. Her stomach had been complaining the entire morning, to the point that it was physically hurting. She was famished.


    It turned out to be canned meatballs. They were foul, exactly as she remembered them, but given her hunger, anything was delicious. They didn¡¯t last long.


    Then, she waited.

 CHAPTER 8 – TRUST

    How many hours had it been? Nora didn¡¯t have a working clock or phone with her, so she had no way to measure time accurately. But based on what she could see from the catwalks, it was past noon already. Her clothes had dried. Her tummy was rumbling again. Time flew by. Yet William was still nowhere to be seen.


    Her worry was undeniable. However, on the bright side, she had some time to collect her thoughts and process everything that happened the previous day. Specially regarding the shamblers. The world being full of bad people was something she already saw coming, but the usually clumsy zombies turning into rabid monsters with no warning was beyond her. No wonder everyone feared the night, now it made sense. Seriously, what was the deal with them? To think she was already scared of them during the day¡­ She wasn¡¯t expecting that twisted turn of events.


    William definitely knew about them in full detail though. He knew about the dangers of the night, he night how to react, he knew what to expect. She wondered why he didn¡¯t warn her in advance. Perhaps it was a matter of trust, as usual. They were pretty much strangers after all; strangers who met under very sketchy circumstances. And they both had secrets to hide and personal issues, Nora didn¡¯t doubt that for a second.


    But what is trust to begin with? To put your life in the hands of someone else? To confide in them? To share emotions, experiences¡­? Such a simple word, but with such an abstract meaning... And to what extent was trust a valid concept in that new world? Could you truly afford trusting others in that harsh environment?


    Still, none of that mattered if William never came back. And the waiting was getting Nora on her nerves. She was scared. Did she depend on him that much? Apparently, she did.


    ¡­


    Nora stared at the door on the other side of the room. The shelving unit they dragged in front of it was still there, blocking it. The entire wall was slightly bent inwards from the force the horde applied upon it from the outside. It was already way past noon, at least a couple of hours. She couldn¡¯t wait any longer. She realized that if night fell upon her again, it would be her end. There was no way she¡¯d survive again on her own. She had to move, even if it meant walking towards an untimely death.


    She figured that dragging the entire shelving out of the way would make unnecessary noise, so she spent several minutes carefully unloading the boxes and random tools filling the shelves, placing them down on the floor or on nearby furniture, until the unit was mostly empty. Then, she grabbed one corner, and very slowly pulled from it. It moved. Inch by inch, the shelves got out of the way.


    The door was free. Would it even open? It was literally bent, but the frame itself looked okay. She gulped. For some reason, she felt a chill down her spine. She reached for the doorknob.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± a voice startled her from behind.


    Nora flinched and let out a brief squeak. She turned around in a hurry. There was a shadowy figure standing on the entrance doorframe, looking at her. It was a man, that¡¯s for sure. She felt as if he looked familiar, but the fact that he was standing with his back to the light made it difficult to identify him. Before she could say or do anything, the figure rushed her and put a hand in her mouth. The sudden ambush took her aback so much that she couldn¡¯t react in time. She grabbed his arm and started struggling.


    ¡°Stay quiet¡­!¡± she knew that voice. Her eyes opened wide, and all resistance ceased the moment she finally identified the person holding her.


    ¡®William¡­!¡¯ tears of relief pooled on her eyes.


    Mocking their reunion, several soft blows resonated against the door Nora was about to open a moment ago. They insisted for several seconds until they eventually gave up. William released her mouth afterwards.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got guts, I¡¯ll give you that. Well¡­ it¡¯s either guts or stupidity. Had you opened that door, you¡¯d have been dead.¡± he whispered. His voice sounded raspy and sickly, as if he had gotten a cold. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t talk here. Let¡¯s go outside.¡±


    She was eager to hear him out. She had a meek smile on her face, although there was no way to tell if he noticed it within the relative darkness of the room. She didn¡¯t care, she was relieved. Immensely relieved.


    She followed him outside, after grabbing her bag from the floor.


    ¡°A-Are you okay then¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone taking this long to turn, it usually happens within a few hours. It depends greatly on the bite location. It can range from almost instantaneous, to several hours. But I¡¯ve never seen it take half a day. And I¡¯m not feeling dizzy either¡­ so I¡¯d say I¡¯m clear.¡± he stopped for a moment, leaned on the catwalk railing and stared for a long while towards the river. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re already aware of this, but it¡¯s a fucking miracle that we¡¯re both alive right now.¡±


    Nora nodded while wiping the tears from her eyes.


    ¡°Um¡­ So¡­ Where did you go¡­?¡± she asked.


    William looked at her dead in the eye, then closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He took off his backpack, opened it, and retrieved something from it.


    ¡°Here. Take it.¡± he said, while offering her a small box.


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    Nora accepted the box, and at first, she didn¡¯t know what she was looking at. Until she noticed the labels all over it.


    ¡°Ah¡­! No way¡­!! William, is this¡­!?¡± Nora couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.


    It was a box of a very particular medicine.


    ¡°Listen¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter how lucky we were, how risky it was, the bad decisions that might have been taken¡­ In the end, it truly doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re both alive, that¡¯s what matters. And if you hadn¡¯t saved my life by risking yours, putting me to safety, staying with me until the end¡­¡± he stopped for a moment. He probably didn¡¯t really want to think about all the possible things that could have gone wrong, and neither did Nora. ¡±I believe it¡¯s only right that I now return the favor by helping you save your sister.¡±


    Nora hugged the medicine in tears, and quickly proceeded to put it to safety inside her own bag.


    ¡°Thank you¡­! Thank you¡­!! I looked so hard for this, how did you even¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask. I told you I¡¯d figure things out. Now let¡¯s get moving. The shamblers seem to have gotten stuck on the other side of the catwalks, but the top of the bridge is now empty. The ones up there were probably the horde we encountered last night. We should hurry up and take this chance.¡±


    How long had it been since Nora smiled genuinely, from the bottom of her heart? Six months, perhaps? No way, not even close.


    It was definitely longer than that.


    ******


    In comparison with the previous day¡¯s adversities, luck had seemed to turn in their favor. The bridge and the surrounding streets were devoid of shamblers besides the occasional straggler, and they had nearly no issues whatsoever getting back up to the rooftops on their original side of the river.


    God bless waterproof backpacks. William had gone through the trouble of getting them several months ago, and their performance was marvelous. Even when submerged over considerable periods of time, their insides remained dry and unaffected by the moisture. The fall on the river had managed to ruin some of the more vulnerable objects they carried on their pockets, but the contents of the bags remained in perfect condition. And that was particularly positive regarding the solar panel they went through so much trouble to get.


    Also, when he went back to the city to look for Lilian¡¯s medicine at a nearby pharmacy, not only did he grab some extra medical supplies, but he also managed to find more food along the way.


    Food, medicines, and a critical piece of equipment. Both Nora and him took a beating, but they were alive. The way back was uneventful. Was their luck finally improving after a streak of misfortune?


    Apparently not.


    ¡°Fucking hell¡­ Right, forgot about this¡­¡± William stared, annoyed, at the pack of cigarettes the river had ruined the previous night. ¡°Bah¡­¡± he proceeded to throw them away and sulk instead.


    Nora was looking at him while sipping from what little water she had left. He couldn¡¯t tell if her gaze was judgmental, mocking, or if she simply didn¡¯t care.


    They had just stopped to eat something and rest before marching the rest of way towards the shelter. This time they had time to spare, William was confident they could make it, unless some new critical setback took place.


    He stared off into the horizon. The city extended as far as the eye could see, row after row of buildings. Back in the day, the sky would be obscured by pollution, you could almost perceive the clouds of smoke and chemical crap emanating from the city and diluting into the atmosphere. But now, the sky was bright and clear.


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    ¡®¡­¡­¡¯ he pondered for a couple of seconds.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± he said.


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Nora was kind of perplexed by those words, she looked back at him in bewilderment.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t properly thanked you yet¡­ For saving my ass.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡­ But, what else could I have done¡­?¡±


    ¡°I know. You depend on me, am I wrong?¡±


    He could tell how those words hit the nail on the head. Nora¡¯s eyes widened for a moment, and then she avoided eye contact altogether, deciding to stare at the ground instead.


    ¡°As I said when we met the other day, I could tell you were clueless from the moment I saw you. And don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t been observing you during this entire trip. You¡¯re prone to emotional outbursts, you quickly got attached and dependent of a complete stranger like me¡­ And I took advantage of that.¡± he explained. Nora just listened. Whether she chose not to say anything or she had nothing to say, he didn¡¯t know. ¡°I told you what you needed to know, when you needed to know it. The more you didn¡¯t know, the more you would depend on me. The more you depended on me, the less likely you would be to stab me in the back. And let¡¯s be real, you had all the reasons to do it, given how I treated you when we first met.¡±


    William got up from the ledge he was sitting on, and walked towards the railing that surrounded the rooftop, right in front of him.


    ¡°And still, you chose to save my life. So, tell me¡­ did you do it out of good will, or was it because you¡¯d die without me otherwise?¡± he turned around and leaned back against the railing, facing Nora.


    ¡°I¡­ U-Um¡­¡± Nora muttered, but it took her some effort to articulate coherent words. ¡°Both options are true¡­ I suppose I did it for both reasons.¡±


    ¡°As I imagined¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone. I have no reason to stab anyone in the back, unless they hurt me or the people I care about¡­ And I also don¡¯t want anyone else to die, unless they give me a reason to hate them. But I also know I can¡¯t survive this on my own. And there¡¯s also Lilian and Claire, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ I get it.¡±


    Indecisiveness. Not wanting to get your hands dirty, hoping for everything to be okay, hoping that nobody has to die. That kind of wishful thinking had little place in that world, but William understood that some people are just like that. Not everyone can steel themselves in the face of adversity.


    He stared up into the sky, collecting his thoughts for a while.


    ¡°Listen, I used to trust people a lot more, you know?¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you could tell, but that shelter used to have a lot more people¡­ We had a whole community back there.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I ask what happened¡­?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all either dead or gone. All because of a single person¡¯s treachery. We had survived together almost since the very beginning of the pandemic, and it all went to hell in a single night.¡±


    ¡°Was it¡­ the day we saw that red smoke signal¡­?¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡±


    A long period of silence ensued.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that¡­ I¡­ I think I understand better now.¡± said Nora.


    ¡°I told myself I wouldn¡¯t trust strangers anymore. If I can¡¯t trust someone I¡¯ve considered a partner from the very beginning, how the hell am I supposed to blindly trust someone I know nothing about?¡± William was almost shouting at that point. Nora simply nodded and listened. ¡°As much as I dislike it, it¡¯s the only way I can guarantee nobody will fuck with me again. Still¡­ I do want to trust you. I suppose it¡¯s only a hunch. I¡¯ll be damned if it ends up backfiring on me, but I don¡¯t want to keep you in the dark anymore.¡±


    Nora¡¯s eyes seemed to brighten up when she heard that. She lifted he head and looked at him directly again.


    ¡°Ah¡­ R-Really¡­?¡±


    In all honesty, it was indeed nothing but a hunch. Something about her made her feel like an honest person. If anything, the moment he handed her Lilian¡¯s medicine was a turning point for him. Those tears were pretty damn hard to fake. The girl¡¯s condition seemed to be legit, and no selfish person would drag around someone like that. At least, that¡¯s what William wanted to believe.


    ¡®Either she¡¯s to be trusted, or she¡¯s a fucking psychopath¡­¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, though. I¡¯ll still keep an eye on all three of you.¡±


    ¡°R-Right¡­! That¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll do our best to help in any way we can if you give us the chance!¡±


    ¡°I expect no less. Even Lilian will have to find something she can do, even if it¡¯s something simple. We can¡¯t afford to babysit anyone here.¡±


    William sighed. The concept of several people working together to survive already seemed like nothing but a distant memory. Truthfully, not a lot time had passed since, around a week, yet it felt like an eternity to him.


    He needed to be careful around Nora and the other girls. No matter how much they looked like ¡°good¡± people, he couldn¡¯t just go and let them do as they pleased. He didn¡¯t want to live through anything like that ever again.


    ######


    ¡°Hey! Richard¡¯s group just came back! Drop the ladder!¡±


    The sound of the fire escape¡¯s ladder sliding down towards the sidewalk was jarring, but luckily there was no shamblers anywhere in the surrounding city blocks that day.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to lubricate that thing today. I can¡¯t stand that damn noise, and it¡¯s been like that since forever ago.¡± said William from the back of the group, as he watched the people in front of him climb up to safety.


    ¡°Haha, yeah! We actually managed to find a small bottle today, didn¡¯t we? We could use that.¡± suggested one of the men in front of him.


    ¡°Come on, leave the chit-chat for later, get up already!¡± said the man on top of the ladder.


    Night would be falling in just a couple more hours, the looting trips were getting more and more dangerous the further away they had to go. Who knows, maybe they¡¯d need to actually move out and secure another shelter in a different area of the city soon. William started climbing up the ladder once it was his turn to go, gladly accepting the help of the man waiting for him up there. The bag on his back was heavy.


    ¡°All good? We aren¡¯t missing anyone, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, all good. We encountered a couple of shambler groups, but there were no direct confrontations.¡± he replied.


    ¡°Ah, perfect. Come on inside, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got this time.¡±


    Between the four of them, they found food, tools, maintenance and repair supplies, one of them even grabbed a small toy for one of the children. A little bit of everything. One of those trips each day was usually enough to keep the shelter supplied, although more people were sent out in cases of particular necessity.


    There were seventeen survivors in total, among which there were two elderly and two children. A small group of people was chosen every day to go out and scavenge the area for supplies, never numbering less than four. Everyone else back at the apartments either took care of managing their current stock of supplies, repairing the outer barricade, keeping watch, or any other task that arose. Other than that, people passed time as best as they could. Or rather, as best as they could afford in an apocalyptic scenario. Sedentary activities, like reading, were favored, since moving around and wasting energy was a very bad idea. Sometimes, fancy or interesting books were picked up during looting trips, for this very reason. The children hated it, but there was no other choice.


    William dropped off his bag of supplies in the apartment they were using as a storage unit on the fourth floor.


    ¡°Ah! Is that from today¡¯s haul? I had only seen three bags, started to think one of them had gone missing!¡± said Emma, the woman who was in charge of taking inventory of their resources that day.


    ¡°Ah, well, yeah. I took a moment to take care of some quick maintenance on the exit ladder, it was driving me nuts every single time.¡± he replied.


    ¡°Ooh, I see. That¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m in a hurry. Just leave it there, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Sure, thank you.¡±


    ¡­


    The apartment building had a spacious inner courtyard. Originally it was almost completely covered with tiling, but most of it had been removed to reveal the soil underneath, and a decently sized vegetable garden had been planted. It didn¡¯t take long for William to spot a brown-haired woman wandering around the place.


    ¡°Honey, I¡¯m back.¡± he said as he approached her.


    The woman turned around to face him, her green eyes filling up with light, a smile drawn on her face as soon as she saw him.


    ¡°Darling¡­!¡± she wasted no time in greeting him with a heartfelt hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°Everything okay around here too?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    He didn¡¯t really need to exchange a lot of words with his wife, Amanda. Their connection ran deeper than that. William felt like she understood him better than he understood himself. In most situations, their actions and the way they physically interacted with each other carried more meaning than words ever could. He felt emotional safety around her, and that wasn¡¯t something he could easily find anywhere else.


    Amanda was pretty much the only person in the entire building who knew how to work a field and grow something edible out of it. Besides the elderlies, that is, but their physical condition wasn¡¯t exactly fit for that kind of work anymore. In a way, she found some degree of peace of mind in that place. Fresh food was an absolute luxury those days, so a place that produced it felt like some kind of gift of God, almost mystical in a sense. At least, that was how she described it.


    ¡°Are you free right now?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to keep watch until midnight today.¡±


    ¡°Aw, alright. Be careful, okay?¡±


    ¡­


    The wind was blowing strangely hard that evening, and the sky was starting to get dark. It was almost time for the daily rationing meeting, which was usually held every day right before the sun set. Pretty simple: everyone in the building met together in one room, their food and water provisions for the following day were handed out by the people keeping inventory that day, and then everyone went to sleep, quietly.


    He figured he might as well down a cigarette before the meeting. Amanda would probably berate him for it, but he wouldn¡¯t really be around her again until his watch shift was over some hours later, so it shouldn¡¯t be that bad.


    From the rooftop of the building, he had a clear view of the surroundings. The city looked calm that day. As he took puff after puff, trying his best to cover the cigarette from the wind, he noticed someone walking up to him.


    ¡°Oh, hey Desmond. How is it going? Also on watch duty?¡± he asked, greeting the newcomer.


    ¡°Hi Will¡­ No, not really, I was just taking a walk¡­¡±


    He thought it was a bit strange, but perhaps he just wanted to get some fresh air from the roof, so he disregarded it. He had known Desmond for a while, he was one of the very first survivors who joined William¡¯s original group in the building, barely one month after the pandemic had started.


    He was a good guy. Quite small in physical size, sort of cowardly, and not prone to talking too much. However, William wasn¡¯t really a people person himself, so as a matter of fact, a quiet and meek type like Desmond was a good match for him. Since he wasn¡¯t too good at anything in particular, he was often tasked with keeping watch, or with other menial tasks, and he ended up chit-chatting with William more often than not.


    There was a long moment of silence. Usually that would be a common thing for them. But why did William feel like something was off? Desmond seemed more nervous and troubled than usual, he kept fidgeting with his hands, and his feet were trembling, as if he was anxious about something.


    ¡°Hey, dude, are you okay?¡± asked William.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ Well, you see¡­¡±


    William stared at him, as if encouraging him to keep going. He clearly had something to say. Why was he so nervous?


    ¡°Um¡­ H-Have you ever done something you deeply regret¡­?¡±

 CHAPTER 9 – UNREST

    Something he deeply regretted? What kind of question was that? William spent a couple of seconds gazing in confusion at Desmond, who was now trembling and fidgeting even more than before.


    ¡°Hang on, what do you mean by that¡­? Did something happen? Are you sure you¡¯re okay¡­!?¡±


    ¡°W-Well¡­ A-Ah¡­ There¡¯s been something on my h-head lately, and I thought¡­ U-Um¡­¡± Desmond wasn¡¯t really conveying any relevant information through his babbling.


    This kind of behavior was completely uncharacteristic of Desmond. He was usually shy and reserved, as well as indecisive. But that looked like a full-blown panic attack, like nothing he¡¯d ever had before, at least not that William knew about. As a matter of fact, he had seen him just before he departed on that day¡¯s scavenging trip, and there wasn¡¯t anything weird about him. Just good old Desmond, like always. Something was off.


    ¡°Hey, you need to calm down.¡± William grabbed his shoulder and looked at him straight in the face. Desmond avoided direct eye contact at all costs. ¡°If you don¡¯t calm down and speak properly, I can¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on. What¡¯s gotten into you, man?¡±


    He just kept whimpering and babbling incoherent words. After a while, his anxious eyes finally rested on William¡¯s. His face was contorted with some bizarre mix of uneasiness and fear.


    ¡®Fucking hell, this guy is terrified out of his mind. What is going on!?¡¯


    ¡°I¡­ I got some news about a certain m-matter earlier this d-day¡­ But I, um¡­ I think I need to collect my t-thoughts for a little bit¡­¡± he said. He was a bundle of nerves.


    ¡°Right¡­ I see¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go down a-and rest for a while¡­ I¡¯ll see you l-later, Will¡­¡± Desmond turned around and started walking away.


    ¡°Hey, take care, alright¡­? You sure you don¡¯t want me to go down with you?¡±


    Desmond stopped for a brief moment and seemed like he was about to look back, but he just kept walking. ¡°I-I¡¯m okay¡­ Sorry for d-disturbing you¡­¡±


    William watched him until he eventually disappeared through the door into the nearby stairwell. He was astonished, he didn¡¯t know what to make of what had just happened.


    ¡®I¡¯ll make sure to keep an eye on him later. I¡¯ll have to report it to the others as well. Something about this isn¡¯t right.¡¯


    In all honesty, he felt like going down and taking care of the issue right away, but the rationing meeting was about to start soon. He figured he¡¯d have a perfect chance to bring up the subject after the meeting was over.


    ¡­


    William leaned back against the wall and waited. The meeting ¡°hall¡± was actually the apartment right in front of their storage unit in the fourth floor. The bedroom and bathroom walls had been destroyed in order to turn it into a single, big room. Only one door allowed access inside, and William watched it closely as the rest of the building¡¯s inhabitants arrived.


    Emma was already inside, checking the rations. Richard and Wattson came in¡­ Then Amanda, who threw him a warm smile as she saw him. He reciprocated, then went back to observing the door. The elderly couple came in at their own pace. Then Elijah, then Daniels¡­ Eventually the kids showed up as well. Everyone came for the meeting, one by one.


    Well, almost everyone. Desmond wasn¡¯t showing up.


    William was nervous. He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the conversation he had with him a short while ago, for some reason. Why the hell did he have such a bad feeling about it? He didn¡¯t want to wait anymore.


    ¡°Has anyone seen Desmond¡­?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Desmond? I saw him a while ago going up to the rooftop. I think he was going to talk with you about something?¡± answered Emma.


    ¡°Yeah, he did¡­ But something was wrong with him. He was anxious about something.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, the dude was indeed acting strange today¡­¡± said one of the men in the room. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t stop wandering around the whole building. I wonder what the hell was he doing¡­¡±


    ¡°Bah, that young man can¡¯t lift a finger to save his life¡­! He must have been up to no good.¡± grumbled the old man.


    ¡°Oh, come on darling, don¡¯t be like that.¡± his wife didn¡¯t seem too happy about that comment. ¡°I¡¯ve told you; you should be more lenient with the youngsters. You can barely lift your own rear yourself.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m a raisin already, you can¡¯t be comparing them to me!¡± he complained.


    Arbitrary chit-chat came up in the room, mixes a couple of laughs here and there. Everyone seemed to disregard Desmond¡¯s behavior. Probably because of how inconspicuous and harmless he was considered. What was the worst he could do? Well, from William¡¯s perspective, not a lot of effort was needed to take things for a bad ride.


    Beyond the noise from all the talking in the room, William heard something else, an intermittent sound coming from the hallway. Sounded like footsteps. Running footsteps.


    Suddenly, a man showed up on the doorframe and knocked loudly on the open door to grab everyone¡¯s attention. There a moment of silence as everyone turned around to face him. He looked concerned.


    ¡°Hey, hey¡­! What¡¯s up with the roof!?¡± he asked, while panting slightly.


    ¡°What do you mean, what¡¯s wrong with the roof?¡± William instantly replied with another question, almost bouncing from the wall and taking a step forward.


    ¡°There¡¯s a crapload of red smoke coming from the roof¡­!! It¡¯s emitting light too, it¡¯s fucking bright up there!¡±


    ¡°What¡­!?¡±


    The people in the room started looking at each other with worried faces.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­ I don¡¯t think we had anything flashy like that in store¡­¡± added Emma. And she probably knew better than anyone else, at least that day in particular.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check it out. Richard, Elijah, with me. Everyone else stay here, turn off the lights and lock the door. Something dangerous might be going on.¡± suggested William.


    Nobody objected. While the remaining people locked themselves in the apartment amidst concerned mumbling, William and his small team headed for the roof. They didn¡¯t really know what was going, but William had a sense of urgency taking over him. He sprinted at full speed down the hallway and towards the stairs, then started climbing them in a rush. Richard and Elijah had trouble keeping up with him.


    Right there, in the landing just below the rooftop, Desmond was crouching down in a corner. The rooftop door was open wide, and the flashing red lights emerging from whatever that was on the roof beamed down on him. He was sweaty, shaking like crazy, and bawling his guts out.


    William crouched beside him and grabbed him by both shoulders. He wasn¡¯t gentle this time, he shook him around and forcibly turned him around.


    ¡°Desmond¡­!? What¡¯s going on, Desmond!?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­!! I¡¯m s-s-sorry¡­!!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sorry for what!? What¡¯s happening!?¡±


    Before they could keep talking, a sound resonated in the distance, interrupting their conversation. It was like a siren. It was an incredibly loud sound, its twisting ring blaring down the streets and permeating everything. It sounded like it came from quite far away.


    ¡°Oh god¡­!! Oh, dear god, forgive me¡­!! Aaaah¡­.!!!¡± Desmond¡¯s face was covered in tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Will¡­!! Please forgive me, I didn¡¯t want to do it¡­!!!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is going on, Desmond!? What have you done!!?¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ######


    ¡°Uuh¡­ Is everything okay?¡±


    Nora¡¯s voice abruptly drew William out of his deep thought. He pretty much flinched, it wasn¡¯t like him to sink in his own thoughts like that. He even lost track of time for a short while.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ I was just thinking for a moment.¡± he replied. ¡°Alright, we should keep moving. We still have plenty of time, but we shouldn¡¯t be lounging around anyway.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    As they got ready to leave, he tried to focus on the task at hand, and leave memories for another moment. It wouldn¡¯t do him any good to keep them floating around.


    It was hard to move on from certain things, but letting emotions become stagnant is a recipe for disaster. Sometimes shit happens in your life, and it¡¯s best to find a new path to follow as soon as possible. Something that allows you to leave those obstacles behind and still be true to yourself. But it¡¯s when those obstacles linger around, that moving on becomes a real challenge.


    William knew that all too well.


    ¡®Amanda¡­¡¯


    ******


    She couldn¡¯t hear anything. She couldn¡¯t see either. Were her eyes open? She didn¡¯t know. They probably were, she seemed to perceive something, but it didn¡¯t mean much. Or rather, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to give it a meaning. She tried to move. Or maybe not. Again, she wasn¡¯t sure if she did. Her head didn¡¯t hurt, it just felt numb. What was going on? Did she even care?


    Something could be heard. Voices? Maybe. There were several of them. They seemed to argue with each other. She had no idea why.


    ¡®Shut¡­ up¡­¡¯


    ¡®Just leave me alone¡­¡¯


    She felt so incredibly tired.


    ¡­


    It was a matter of time until the effects of the drug started to wear off.


    Claire started to slowly regain her vision and her consciousness over time. Once again, she tried to move, but it didn¡¯t work. Something was restraining her movements. She couldn¡¯t speak either, only some uncoherent blabbering came out of her mouth.


    Suddenly, something slapped her in the face. Repeatedly.


    ¡°¡­ey! ¡­akey, wakey! ¡­bout dam¡­ ¡­ime.¡±


    The repeated slaps seemed to kick her brain awake, and she was able to make sense of her surroundings once the slapping stopped.


    She was no longer in her apartment, although it still felt like the same building. It was a bigger room, whose walls had been busted down for some reason. As she looked up, she saw her wrists tied with rope to the metal bars that sealed the window. Her ankles were also restrained with tape. Panic started to kick in.


    ¡°Ah¡­! Aua¡­!!¡± no coherent words came out, as she attempted to fight against the restraints in vain.


    A man was standing in front of her. Wearing old dirty clothes, half bald, beard of God knows how many months¡­ His appearance was terrible, yet Claire was particularly terrified of his face. He wore a dead serious expression, but his eyes denoted a deep, wicked malice. And those eyes were drilling her down to her very core. She started shedding some tears of fear.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go straight to the point, brat.¡± he said. Then, he crouched and got really close to her face before he continued talking. ¡°Where is the stash?¡±


    Stash? What was he talking about? Claire didn¡¯t know anything about a stash.


    ¡°Oaa¡­.! Aah...!!¡± again, no words came out. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure if she couldn¡¯t talk because of the effects of the drug, or because her brain was crapping its pants.


    ¡°Oh, come on¡­¡± the man got up, turned around and started walking in circles around the room. He pulled an automatic knife from his pocket and started to play around with it. ¡°I really don¡¯t want this to get ugly¡­¡±


    ¡®Why¡­? Why¡­!? I don¡¯t know anything¡­! Why is this happening...!?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m getting tired of waiting, dude. If those two end up coming back we might run into trouble.¡± said another voice. ¡°And this one over here can¡¯t talk shit even when fully awake.¡±


    It was then that Claire noticed there were more people in the room. Another man, looking as disheveled as the first one, was sitting on top of some boxes in a corner of the room, sulking. And at his feet, a much smaller body remained immobile on the ground. Claire knew that body. Even though she couldn¡¯t see her very well, she recognized Lilian almost immediately.


    ¡°Ah...! Lilln¡­!! Linn¡­!!!¡± she tried calling out to her. Lilian seemed to move a little bit, but nothing else. Her hands and legs were immobilized as well. Knowing her, it was likely that both the restraints and the situation felt overwhelming enough to emotionally incapacitate her.


    The thug in front of her bounced his eyes between Claire and Lilian for a while.


    ¡°Hey, you wanted to have some fun with the girl, right? Maybe that will make this one over here feel like cooperating a little bit.¡± he suggested.


    ¡°Shit, can I really go for it?¡±


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    ¡°Damn, alright.¡± to Claire¡¯s horror, the guy on the corner got up and immediately fell upon Lilian. She couldn¡¯t see what he was trying to do, but she didn¡¯t have to think a lot to figure it out. ¡°How old is this one anyway? You think she¡¯s a teenager? Her reactions are as flaccid as a dead fish, but it doesn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t get much better than this!¡±


    ¡°Aaaoo¡­ Uaaauaaaa¡­.!¡± Lilian started to emit undecipherable complains in a low voice. Claire could see her legs attempt to move and break free, but it obviously wasn¡¯t going to work.


    ¡°Ah¡­! Nn-no¡­! Shta-p¡­.!!¡± Claire¡¯s voice seemed to compose itself from the horrific scene unfolding before her.


    ¡°Oh? Feeling talkative¡­?¡± asked the thug besides her.


    ¡°Pl-ease¡­! Yo-u¡­ monstr¡­.!! St-op¡­!!!¡±


    The man kneeled down beside her and gave her a much stronger slap across the face, knocking her glasses entirely off her head and onto the ground. Miraculously, they didn¡¯t seem to break.


    ¡°Stop fucking around and tell me what I want to hear already, brat!!! Where is the fucking weapon stash!?¡± he screamed directly to her face. ¡°Perhaps you want some action as well?¡± without a second thought, he grabbed her chest and started groping it roughly. It hurt.


    ¡°Ah¡­!! No¡­!! Yo-u p-pig¡­!!!¡± she yelled and struggled as much as she could. ¡°D-Don¡¯t¡­ touch me-e¡­!!¡±


    Somehow, Claire managed to squeeze her legs closer to her torso and then put them on the man¡¯s stomach. She pushed with all her strength, which wasn¡¯t a lot, but it seemed to be enough to make him lose his balance and fall backwards.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Of course, that was only going to make him angrier. But what was she supposed to do? She didn¡¯t know what they wanted from them. She couldn¡¯t possibly escape on her own. The only thing she could do was pray for William and Nora to come back before it was too late.


    ¡°Ouch¡­! Ow, ow, owww!! Aaargh¡­!!!¡± the other individual, who was molesting Lilian, suddenly let out a panicked scream. He quickly got up, holding his hand.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± asked the one on the floor.


    ¡°This bitch¡­! I figured she was starting to resist a little bit, and I grabbed her face to keep her down, but she actually went and bit me!! Fucking hell, it¡¯s bleeding a lot!! Shit!!¡±


    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake¡­ Go and get the other two, get that shit treated¡­¡±


    The injured man left the room in a hurry, leaving Lilian visibly distressed on the floor. Her clothes were messed up, and they had been slid out of the way, revealing most of her tummy and her thighs. She looked unharmed though. Claire¡¯s blood started to boil in her veins, and she threw a killing stare to the remaining thug.


    Honestly, she was absolutely terrified, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that she was furious at them. She clenched her teeth out of frustration.


    ¡°You¡­! Fucking¡­ disgusting pigs¡­!! Go die¡­!! Pieces of shit, damn it¡­!!!¡± tears kept bundling up in her eyes, but these weren¡¯t caused by fear. That was anger.


    The man got up and looked up to the ceiling, thinking. He sighed, annoyed.


    ¡°Well, at least you look like you can speak properly now.¡±


    ¡°Go to hell!!¡±


    He stared at her for several seconds. Then, in a quick bout of anger, he grabbed his knife and plunged it directly into Claire¡¯s left thigh, all the way to the handle.


    He twisted it very slowly.


    Claire had never screamed in such a way before. A bloodcurdling scream of agony, at the top of her lungs. The screaming went on for a while, until she ran out of air and started to grind her teeth instead.


    ¡°Listen here, brat¡­ The boss doesn¡¯t like it when people fuck around with him, you know? If we don¡¯t go back with results for him, we¡¯re dead meat. And I swear to whatever fucking god you believe in¡­ you¡¯re going to be dead meat long before I do. Are we clear?¡± he was barely a couple of centimeters away from her face.


    Her anger and momentary bravado had been flushed down the drain in an instant. All she had left was pure terror. She nodded. She nodded as if her life depended on it. Because it most likely did.


    ¡°P-Please¡­ D-Don¡¯t hurt me a-anymore¡­!¡± she begged.


    ¡°Then start talking. Simple and easy.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know a-anything¡­!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me stab you again... I swear it¡¯s going to hurt a lot more than the first one.¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­! I-I¡¯m telling the truth¡­!! We were locked up the moment we set foot in here¡­! That man didn¡¯t tell us anything¡­!¡±


    ¡°Locked up¡­? So, you¡¯re newcomers? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­!¡±


    He remained silent for some moments, before bringing the knife up to her face and caressing her skin with it. He was applying dangerous amounts of pressure, but not so much as to actually injure her.


    ¡°Right, and I was born yesterday. Do you expect me to believe that?¡±


    ¡°Aaaah¡­!!¡±


    Claire was shaking so much that she feared her own trembling would cause the knife¡¯s blade to pierce her skin.


    ¡°We know this building hides a lot of firepower. An entire police department¡¯s worth of it, to be precise. We¡¯ve known for a long time. We¡¯ve looked everywhere, even in the heavily reinforced vault in the basement, where it was supposed to be. Nothing. And we¡¯re running out of time. Nobody fucks with us. You¡¯ve got guts, brat, that¡¯s for sure. But you¡¯re about to regret having them.¡±


    ¡®Aaah¡­! Please¡­! Someone, anyone¡­ save me!! Nora¡­!!¡¯


    ******


    Nora was getting noticeably tired from the trip back. However, they could already see the apartment building in the distance. The day still had several hours of daylight left before sunset, so time management had been a great success that day. William had been looking gloomier than usual since their little talk a while ago, but to be honest, he had his fair number of reasons.


    Something suddenly got their attention. A horrifying scream in the distance. And it came from their building¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Huh!? Wait, was that¡­!?¡± Nora looked at William, but he had already started sprinting.


    ¡°That definitely came from the direction of our shelter¡­ Shit!¡±


    ¡°No, no way¡­ Claire!! Lilian¡­!!!¡±

 CHAPTER 10 – BAIT

    William ran as fast as his legs allowed him, jumping over obstacles and turning corners as he quickly approached the street that separated them from the apartment building, with Nora following closely behind. She was yelling something, but he wasn¡¯t listening, his mind was somewhere else. He knew he had been forgetting something since the day before, and it was so obvious now that he actually felt like an idiot for not realizing sooner.


    The men who had ambushed them the day before, he knew them. More precisely, he knew what group they belonged to. And he had a strong feeling that whatever was happening at the shelter was directly related to that encounter.


    He came to a stop behind a corner, with the street right ahead. He chose not to go out in the open. Even if time was of the essence, rushing in would probably be a bad idea. Besides, if his suspicions were on point, Claire and Lilian should still be alive.


    Nora came barrelling down in his direction, he had to grab her to stop her form giving away their presence.


    ¡°Stop...!¡± he said, holding her back with both hands.


    ¡°What are you doing!? Let me go¡­!! They might be in danger!! Let go!!!¡± she was yelling and fiercely trying to break free from him.


    ¡°Stop losing your shit and calm down!! We need to act very carefully, or we¡¯ll end up putting them in even more danger!¡±


    She let out a loud huff. William understood her worry, but there was no time to waste talking. He signaled her to stop and wait where she was, and then he peeked past the corner and into the street.


    A large horde of shamblers piled up against the apartment building¡¯s side. They had probably been attracted by the scream from before. The overhangs he and his old companions had built all around the structure prevented the shamblers from creeping up and reaching the windows of the upper floors. They covered most of the street in their effort to get to the source of the sound.


    All the shamblers were bunched up on that particular spot, which could only mean the girls were somewhere on that side of the building. The first, second and third floors had been completely sealed shut with brick walls and welded scrap metal, those apartments were no longer accessible. So, it was very likely they were either in the fourth floor, or in the top floor.


    ¡®Where are they¡­?¡¯ he squinted his eyes as he looked at the boarded windows, in hopes of spotting some sign of movement through the gaps. However, it was too far away, and the inside was too dark.


    ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯


    ¡°How is it¡­!? Do you see something!?¡± asked Nora, impatient.


    ¡°Listen¡­ I have a vague idea of where they might be, and I think I know what we¡¯re up against¡­ But there¡¯s no way to know their numbers. And they are armed, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s people¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am. Had those things found their way inside, they wouldn¡¯t be dragging their feet down there¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh god, oh god¡­¡±


    ¡°I have a plan. But it¡¯s in no way safe, we¡¯re going to have to take a lot of risks. We might all die.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me already¡­! I can¡¯t leave them in there to their fate¡­! I¡¯m willing to take the risks¡­!¡±


    Her face was contorted with fear and worry, yet there was something burning in her eyes, something that felt both like anger and pure, raw willpower. William figured she really wasn¡¯t going to hesitate this time, no matter how scared she was. Which was a good thing. They couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate if they were to take back their shelter.


    ******


    Nora waited impatiently. Sweat was dripping from her face. She could feel her arms and legs shaking from all the nerves. She looked down. The shamblers were now directly underneath her feet, clawing at the air, trying to reach her. She had done that before, on a similar fire escape, just the previous day. And she freaked out back then, but that wasn¡¯t going to happen again. She was focused on what she needed to do. She had to focus, for Claire and Lilian¡¯s sake.


    *Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!*


    The phone alarm exploded at full volume, and the shambler horde slowly dragged itself away and in the direction of the sound. As William had instructed her, she dropped the ladder as soon as the ground below was clear enough, she climbed down, and she made a run for the apartments.


    According to William, the way of entry they used to use was the shelter¡¯s own fire escape, but it would be too difficult for her to use it on her own, so she headed for the only other option she had available. As she turned the corner of the building, she spotted a door up front. It was a big metal door, that looked like it was reinforced by welding additional layers of metal sheets over the original door.


    Nora felt like she was being watched. There was no way whoever was inside of the building hadn¡¯t heard the sound of the ringing phone. And it was very likely they had their eyes on her as well. After all, a human running around on an empty street was pretty easy to spot.


    She turned the handle and pushed. It was open, but the door barely moved. She rested her shoulder on it and pushed harder, with all her weight. That thing was incredibly heavy. With some effort, she managed to slip inside and push the door closed again.


    [Once you get inside, close it and block it shut. I¡¯ll use a different entry point.]


    The door had two U-shaped metal brackets to the sides. Nora noticed an iron bar laying against the nearby wall. She slid the bar over the brackets, following William¡¯s advice. Then, she turned around.


    The room was very dimly lit, but she could still notice a ladder similar to the one William had her climb when she first arrived at the building two days ago. It went right through the ceiling and several floors up.


    She gulped, and started heading up. Her shaking wouldn¡¯t stop, she knew what was probably waiting for her up above.


    She wondered if William was already inside the building at that point. As her steps echoed up and down the ladder hole, she kept praying for the safety of the others. She didn¡¯t really care that much about her own well-being, as long as what she was doing could help save Lilian and Claire in one way or another.


    ¡®I hope this works out¡­ God, please¡­¡¯


    When she reached the top of the ladder, she peeked out for a while. It was a bare room, with a single door leading out into a hallway. If she counted the floors correctly, she should be at the top floor of the building. It was the floor where Claire and Lilian had been staying, yet not a sound could be heard, except for her own heavy breathing.


    She climbed out of the hole. Staring at the empty, dark doorframe made her stomach churn with unease. She let out a deep breath, and stepped outside into the corridor.


    Almost immediately, she was met with something cold on her neck. She froze. Out of the corner of her eye, to her right, she saw a shadowy figure, which was holding a knife to her throat. From the shadows to the left emerged two more figures.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± asked the one to her right. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck around and answer clearly.¡±


    Nora¡¯s insecurity made her bite her lips for a moment, so hard that she was probably close to bleeding. She had to say something. If she didn¡¯t, things wouldn¡¯t end well for her. She remembered William¡¯s instructions once again.


    [If they ask about me, tell them this¡­]


    ¡°He¡¯s dead. He was bitten.¡±


    The men looked at each other for a while, then stared back at her. She noticed how they stared at her attire. She was wearing a very damaged jacket which was way bigger than her size, along with two backpacks, one on the back and another one on the front.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Come with me, and don¡¯t pull any tricks. You guys should keep watching this entrance just in case.¡± he said, before he started pushing Nora to walk down the hallway, the knife still on her neck.


    While they were midway to the stairs, Nora heard a scream coming from the floor below. It sounded like Claire.


    ¡°Ah¡­! Claire¡­!!¡±


    The knife pressed tight against her skin, threatening with piercing it at any moment. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, or I¡¯ll skin you like alive.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but let her tears flow down her cheeks, almost hyperventilating from the sudden burst of anxiety.


    ¡®Come on, William¡­ Please tell me you made it¡­! Please¡­! Hurry up¡­!!¡¯


    ******


    A direct approach from the front door would only end in disaster. If they wanted to beat those bastards, they had to play smart. As William navigated the dark underground passage, he could only hope that Nora had managed to get to the building safely.


    The plan was simple enough: make it seem like Nora was the only one able to make it back. He had given her his own leather jacket and his backpack. Both backpacks would have been too heavy to carry on her own, so most of the contents had been stashed in a safe location nearby; to make the bluff more believable, and also to ensure they could be easily recovered later on.


    If they took the bait, they might have lowered their guard. At the very least, they would be focusing their attention on the newcomer. Any possibility of staging an ambush was worth taking.


    The sewer tunnel was cramped as hell. After all the infrastructure had fallen apart since the beginning of the pandemic, many sewer tunnels across the city had overflown and clogged themselves, while others dried up completely. That one in particular was among the ones that had dried up. Still, humidity was very high, and the place was claustrophobic, it smelled like shit, and it was infested with rats and other pests.


    Guided with only his flashlight, he rushed along the tunnel, following a path he knew very well. Right, left, straight, left, right¡­ He had done that many times before already, specially when the shambler hordes ended up occupying the entirety of the streets surrounding the apartment building, which made accessing them an impossible task.


    Eventually, he stopped at a particular ladder, which led up to a manhole. He grabbed the flashlight with his mouth and started climbing up. With a lot of effort, he managed to push the cover open. He slid it out of the way, and got up into the building¡¯s underground parking lot.


    That area of the building had been sealed off almost entirely, but he knew it was an available access point, used only during emergencies. The usual street access was an automatic gate which had been welded shut. The stairwell was blocked as well, most of the stairwells only had access to the top floors. The only available route was the elevator shaft.


    The elevator itself had been removed and scrapped for materials long ago, leaving the empty shaft as the only remnant of its existence. William made sure to not shine any light into the shaft itself, turned his flashlight off, and approached it.


    Dim beams of light rained from above, but it was pretty dark overall. An improvised rope ladder run up the wall of the shaft, all the way up to the fourth floor. That would be his way inside. He held his pocket knife with his mouth, made sure his pistol was secure in the holster on his waist, and started climbing, trying not to make any unnecessary noise.


    ¡­


    As he approached the fourth floor, he could hear someone whimpering, along with another voice yelling profanities. The elevator was located on the same side of the building where the shambler horde was piling up outside, so his deductions had been correct so far. The girls were probably somewhere nearby.


    He got close enough to the fourth level floor to peek his head over the ledge and take a look at the corridor. The entrances to the elevator shaft on each floor were located on a small nook on the corridor, tucked away from view unless the observer was directly in front of it. As long as there was nobody on the immediate vicinity, he should be able to get up onto solid ground safely.


    He really counted on Nora for that. If she had managed to properly distract the invaders, it should be less likely that anyone was wandering aimlessly around the hallways, unless they knew about the underground entrance. But if they knew, they¡¯d have been guarding it already.


    William got out of the shaft, and readied himself. Knife in left hand, firearm in right hand. He could almost hear his own heart pumping like mad inside his head. He tightened the grip around his weapons, the sweat made it feel like they could slip from his hands at any moment.


    The noise was coming from somewhere down the left hallway. It sounded like it was several apartments away. He held his back against the left wall, and approached the corner of the hallway, keeping his eyes set on the right side. It looked clear. The right corridor wasn¡¯t too long, and he could see all the way to the wall at the very end. There was nobody in sight.


    He held the knife with his mouth again, and reached for his pocket, grabbing the pocket mirror. He crouched and peeked it past the corner, as close to the ground as he could. Clear. The entire hallway seemed to be empty.


    He returned the knife to his hand. Without wasting a moment, he sneaked past the corner, with his gun up front. When looking at the corridor directly, he quickly noticed something he hadn¡¯t seen in the mirror. A couple of doors ahead, he focused on the open doorway of the meeting hall. As a matter of fact, almost every single door in the entire hallway was open, but the meeting hall grabbed his attention for a very particular reason.


    Although the light was very weak overall, he could distinguish shadows moving around. There was someone in that room.


    ¡®Bingo¡­ Okay¡­¡¯


    Aware of how easy it would be for anyone to surprise him right there and then, he advanced forward. The noise coming from the hall masked the sound of his footsteps. The groaning and crying kept going, and so did the yelling, but they were still too far away to clearly understand what was happening. It was bad, though. That much, he could tell.


    He advanced carefully along the corridor, checking the rooms at both sides with caution, taking advantage of the mirror whenever he could. Blind spots were unavoidable in that situation, he¡¯d just have to take the risk.


    Miraculously, he made it to the apartment neighboring the hall without incidents. He rushed inside and listened. He could finally hear what was going on.


    ¡°Please¡­ No¡­ more¡­¡± a faint voice begged for mercy.


    ¡®That voice¡­ That¡¯s Nora¡¯s friend¡­ Claire, was it? Damn it¡­¡¯


    ¡°I can do this all day, brat. I don¡¯t give a fuck if you die.¡±


    Ah, William knew that voice. Of course he did. It brought him way too many painful memories.


    ¡®Fucking hell¡­ It had to be that son of a bitch¡­¡¯


    He could feel his trigger finger getting nervous. It was thirsting for action. He knew that shooting a weapon would drag a lot of attention, but the apartments wouldn¡¯t be in that much danger during the day. No, that would be the perfect moment for some very necessary payback.


    Then, he heard footsteps. Someone was coming. That was close, he had been about to rush out of the room, weapons ready. He waited some more as the steps got closer.


    ¡°Keep walking, bitch! Hey Jacobs, you there!? Here¡¯s something for you!¡± William heard a voice shouting down the hallway. He chose not to bring out the pocket mirror, fearing the newcomers might notice it if he did. Any reaction could potentially blow his cover.


    He kept listening, as the footsteps reached the meeting hall.


    ¡°Aaah¡­!! Claire¡­!!? Lilian!!! Oh god, Claire¡­!! What have they done to you¡­!!?¡± Nora¡¯s voice sounded terribly distressed. ¡°Let me go!! You fucking¡­ monsters¡­!!¡±


    Nora¡¯s complaints were suddenly cut short.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your relationship with these two is, but you sound like you care. And that¡¯s all I need to know.¡± Jacobs sounded as sly and fucking annoying as he remembered. ¡°You see, this one over here is still relatively untouched. I can fix that very, very quickly. Do you get where this is going?¡±


    There was a short pause.


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    ¡®Nora must be shitting bricks right now¡­ I need to do something, and quickly, damn it¡­ But if I don¡¯t find the right moment to do so, I¡¯ll put them in more danger¡­¡¯


    ¡°She said William¡¯s dead.¡± said the man who had brought Nora.


    ¡°Dead, you say¡­?¡±


    Another short pause.


    ¡°Speak up. And you better sound convincing.¡±


    ¡°H-He was b-bitten¡­ A-After barely surviving the n-night, one of t-those things b-bit him, and he t-threw himself i-in the r-river¡­¡± Nora was almost whispering, it was difficult to understand what she was saying.


    ¡°I find it hard to believe. That guy was tough as hell, I¡¯ll give him that. But the one survivor that came back did say he had been knocked unconscious¡­¡±


    ¡®There was a survivor yesterday¡­!? God damn it all, just as I suspected¡­ That¡¯s why they rushed the building before we had a chance to come back¡­¡¯


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that motherfucker is actually dead¡­? And here I was hoping we could get some juicy information out of him¡­ Oh well.¡±


    Another short moment of silence ensued.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving. We¡¯ll come back later and take care of their supplies.¡±


    ¡°Why not take care of the supplies now? We still have enough time to fuck them up today.¡± asked the other thug, confused.


    ¡°Are you fucking stupid? When you rob a bank, you don¡¯t piss on the money. We¡¯ll be taking everything they have, bit by bit. This place no longer has anyone to fuck up.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right¡­¡±


    ¡°So, only one more thing to take care of, then.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­!! No¡­!! What are you doing¡­!!!?¡± Nora started screaming again.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill these two. What¡¯s so hard to understand? You¡¯re only going to live because we might be able to get something useful out of you. And if we can¡¯t¡­ Well, we¡¯ll figure out a way to make you useful.¡±


    ¡®That psychopath¡­!¡¯


    ¡°Stop!! Nooo, stop!!! I¡¯m begging you!!!¡±


    ¡°This one can¡¯t even talk, and that one over there is so beaten up I¡¯m actually convinced she doesn¡¯t know shit. As a matter of fact, I sort of figured out she didn¡¯t know anything a while ago, I just kept going for fun, not going to lie. And I¡¯m a little bit tired now, so I¡¯d rather wrap this up quickly.¡±


    ¡°Aaaah¡­!! Aaaaargh!!! Noooooo!!!¡±


    ¡®Shit¡­!¡¯


    William should have known Jacobs was capable of taking any situation to unwanted extremes in a matter of seconds. He prayed it wasn¡¯t too late. He only needed a couple of seconds.


    In the blink of an eye, he flew down the hallway and barged into the meeting hall.

 CHAPTER 11 – RESCUE

    When William burst through the doorway, time almost seemed to slow down for him. He knew he wouldn¡¯t have any second chances if he messed up. He needed to act quickly and decisively. His eyes dashed through the scene.


    An unknown man was holding Nora back, both of her arms were restrained behind her back, and she was hopelessly trying to break free. They were right in front of the door. William didn¡¯t waste any time thinking, such a luxury couldn¡¯t be afforded. The knife sunk into the man¡¯s neck from behind, all the way through. The damn bastard couldn¡¯t even process what had just happened, he gurgled and dropped on the spot.


    The entire room seemed to freeze for a moment. He could feel everyone¡¯s gazes falling on him. This was his golden chance; an instant was enough. In that short fraction of a second, his brain didn¡¯t really bother to recognize faces. It wasn¡¯t necessary, he knew what he was looking for. His gun only needed to aim for the biggest person in the room. The one crouched over in a corner, knife in hand, about to cut a girl open.


    He fired. A pained scream followed.


    ¡­


    He missed; that son of a bitch wasn¡¯t dead. Jacobs charged at him head first, howling like a rabid animal. His arm was bloody. The bullet had inflicted some damage, enough to make his arm jolt with pain and drop the knife, but not enough to incapacitate him. He crashed himself against William and grabbed his waist, before he had the chance to fire the weapon again. The force of the impact ripped the gun away from William¡¯s hand, and threw both of them out of the room.


    ******


    Nora¡¯s distress turned into shock, which then turned into panic. What was going on? She needed a couple of seconds to comprehend the situation, everything had happened too fast. Claire¡¯s moans got her out of her trance, and prompted her to jump into action.


    ¡°Ah¡­! Claire, hold on¡­!!¡± she exclaimed.


    She frantically looked around the floor and located Jacob¡¯s knife. She hurried over to Claire and started cutting through her restraints. She couldn¡¯t believe how badly beaten she was. Several bruises on her face and body, small superficial cuts on her arms and legs, one particularly nasty gash on her left thigh¡­


    ¡°Oh god¡­ Claire, can you talk¡­!?¡± asked Nora, as she finished cutting free Claire¡¯s arms, which fell down like dead weight.


    ¡°Nora¡­¡± her voice was weak. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ glad you¡¯re¡­ okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay¡­! It¡¯s all going to be okay¡­!¡± her eyes filled up with tears. ¡°Hang in there, we¡¯ll get you both out of here¡­!¡±


    She quickly turned around and rushed over to where Lilian was.


    ¡°Lilian...! Lilian, sis, I¡¯m here¡­!!¡±


    Lilian¡¯s head slowly moved around, dazed, while Nora freed her hands and feet.


    ¡°Oh dear, what happened to your clothes¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Norie¡­?¡± whispered the girl, still visibly confused.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here, big sis is here!¡±


    ¡°Mmhm.¡± that kind of mumble was a good sign, Nora knew her sister very well. She didn¡¯t seem to be hurt.


    She gently grabbed her and pulled her up. Her small feet touched the floor, and Nora let go of her bit by bit. She stayed up by herself.


    ¡°Okay, Lilian, you need to stay very, very close to me! Can you do it¡­!?¡± she asked, patting Lilian¡¯s head.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± In response, Lilian pinched Nora¡¯s jacket and cuddled beside her.


    ¡°Good girl!¡±


    She went back to Claire, with Lilian following very close behind.


    ¡°Come on, Claire¡­! We have to get you out of here, somewhere safe¡­!!¡±


    She crouched beside her friend and lent her a shoulder so she could stand up. Claire looked incredibly fragile and weak. When attempting to raise herself up, just moving her injured leg made her let out a cry of pain. She sounded hoarse, and what little voice she had left was a little raspy.


    ¡°Kuuuughh¡­!!¡±


    After a great struggle, Claire finally found herself standing up, and resting against the wall.


    ¡°How are you¡­? Do you think you can walk¡­?¡± asked Nora.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Claire¡¯s eyes looked like they were fighting fiercely to not close on their own.  ¡°My¡­ leg¡­ I can¡¯t feel my legs¡­ My arms neither¡­ It¡­ hurts¡­¡±


    ¡°Norie¡­?¡± asked Lilian, meekly. ¡°Why are they grunting at each other outside?¡±


    Nora realized all of a sudden that William was still fighting. She gasped and rushed for the door. How could she have detached herself so much from the situation? Her consciousness had completely locked itself on Claire and Lilian, she had literally blocked off what was going on with William. On her sprint towards the hallway, she stepped on something on the floor, causing her to fall down on her side.


    ¡°Kyah¡­!¡±


    She immediately tried to get back up, but then she saw what she tripped with. William¡¯s pistol.


    ¡°Ah¡­! This is¡­!¡±


    Outside, the noise from the brawling could still be heard, although they seemed to have gotten further away from the meeting hall. She got back up and stormed out, gun ready. At least, she thought it was ready. Never before had she fired a weapon. She just hoped that her first time wasn¡¯t about to end in failure.


    She looked towards the right, where the noises were coming from. William and Jacobs were a couple of meters away. They were both grabbing each other on the floor, trying to immobilize their opponent, exchanging blows, kicking¡­ How was she supposed to aim?


    ¡°S-Stop¡­! Get away from Willian, now¡­!! I¡¯ll shoot!!¡±


    Before she had a chance to fully assess the situation, more footsteps filled the hallway, coming from the opposite side, behind her. When she turned around, she spotted the two remaining thugs approaching rapidly, knives in hand.


    ¡°Fuck, what happened here!? Jacobs!!?¡± shouted one of them.


    ¡°S-Stop right there¡­!!¡± Nora aimed the gun at them, which seemed to work, since they came to a halt in an instant.


    ¡°Woah there, take it easy now¡­ You might hurt yourself with that toy¡­¡±


    ¡°Go fuck yourself!!¡± Nora was seriously irritated.


    What should she do? She was quite a distance away. How many bullets were in the magazine? What if she missed? Missing and running out of ammo would be a death sentence, that gun was the only thing that gave her an advantage. If she turned around and helped William, they¡¯d pounce her. Getting closer to them might be dangerous as well, they might have more tricks up their sleeves than just those knives. She gulped. Her breathing got heavier and faster as panic struck her again.


    ¡®Shit, shit, shit¡­! What do I do¡­!? What now¡­!? Do I shoot¡­? Do I try my luck¡­?¡¯


    She was carefully pondering on her options, when someone emerged from the corner of her eye, grabbed the gun, and fiercely ripped it off her hands.


    ******


    The pain was blinding, like an electrical current, shaking her brain with every step. But she didn¡¯t care. She knew what was happening, and she had seen her chance. It might have been a long shot, but that was all she needed. After that quick moment of respite, anger started filling her up once again. Her friend was suffering for her, fighting for her. Even that man, that stranger, was risking his own life to save her. And what was she doing? Just standing there, slouched over like a rag?


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    She couldn¡¯t stand it.


    Claire grabbed the gun and pulled at it, tearing it off of Nora¡¯s hands. She felt weak, but her anger seemed to fuel her muscles. As she stumbled out into the hallway, her left leg threatened to fail, bending dangerously close to the ground and forcing her to rely on her left hand to support herself on the wall.


    ¡°You¡­ motherfuckers¡­!¡±


    One of the men standing there in the middle of the corridor had a bandage around one of his hands. Ah, that was the one. That was the bastard she wanted to kill the most. Perhaps it was a bad idea to shoot without restraint. Was there enough ammo? Maybe not. Had she used a weapon before? Well, there¡¯s always a first time.


    She didn¡¯t give a crap anymore.


    *Bang!!* *Bang!!* *Bang!!*


    The bullets rained down the hallway, one after another. There was a couple of hits. One of the men took two bullets, one to the leg and another one to the abdomen. Everything else missed.


    ¡®Serves you well¡­ Fucker¡­¡¯


    ¡°F-Fuck, to hell with this¡­! Aaah, I¡¯m out of here¡­!!¡± the thug with the bandaged hand wasted no time in scuttling away, quickly turning the corner and disappearing from view.


    ¡®Ah, shit, I missed the one I was aiming for¡­ Come back¡­! You coward¡­!¡¯


    ¡°Oh my god! Claire¡­!? Wait, what are you doing!?¡± Nora exclaimed at her, shocked. ¡°Stop, you need to rest, don¡¯t be reckless¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Nora¡­! I don¡¯t¡­ care¡­!! Lilian¡­ they dared to¡­!! I made¡­ a promise¡­!!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about¡­!? Stop, you¡¯re hurting yourself¡­!!¡± Nora tried to grab her, but Claire refused the help, shoving her away.


    ******


    The injured man screamed in pain, dragging himself across the floor face down, in an attempt to retreat from the scene.


    *click* *click*


    A clicking sound¡­ What was that? It sounded very similar to those noises guns make when their magazines are empty, didn¡¯t it? And it sounded very close to his head. Suddenly, something heavy fell on top of him. He couldn¡¯t see what it was, but he felt a pair of hands ensnaring his neck and applying pressure on his throat.


    ******


    ¡®Still alive¡­! They¡¯ll hurt Lilian again¡­! They¡¯ll hurt Nora¡­! I can¡¯t let them¡­! I won¡¯t¡­!¡¯


    Everything she had left, she released it all in that one grip. The man probably didn¡¯t have much strength left in his body to begin with, after getting those gunshot wounds. It was only a matter of time until his squirming came to a stop. She felt her fingers sinking deep in his neck, yet she didn¡¯t let go. Even when all resistance ceased, she didn¡¯t let go.


    Hurried footsteps approached her from behind.


    ¡°Claire¡­!? Oh god, Claire¡­!¡±


    ¡°Shut up¡­ It¡¯s okay, Nora¡­ This one won¡¯t hurt you or Lilian anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Claire, that¡¯s not what I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just scum, isn¡¯t it¡­? What¡¯s one more¡­?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s right, what¡¯s one more? I¡¯m just doing what I think is right¡­ Don¡¯t judge me¡­ I haven¡¯t done anything wrong¡­! ?They deserve it¡­!¡¯


    ******


    William threw his right elbow back, sinking it into Jacobs¡¯ side, and causing him to release his grip on his neck and fall off to the side. William hurriedly got up and faced Jacobs again, with his fists up.


    Damn, fighting was tiring. He could tell how every muscle in his body was aching, every punch and kick he had gotten had left a burning sensation. But his adrenaline kept fueling him, urging him to keep going, to beat his opponent into a pulp.


    They locked sights with each other. They both stepped forward and backwards in some kind of strange dance, measuring the each other¡¯s movements, looking for an opening.


    He saw the fist coming. Left arm up, divert it, hit back. In a frenzied sequence, he planted his own right fist in Jacobs¡¯ face. That jaw was tough as hell. He thought he heard something, like a tiny object bouncing around on the floor. Was that a loose tooth? He hoped so.


    Jacobs groaned and stumbled back from the impact. His entire face was swollen, and his nose was bleeding profusely. He spit some blood out. William noticed how he had started to gaze at something behind him. He looked nervous.


    Were Nora and the others okay? Gunshots were heard less than a minute ago, and their voices echoed in the hallway, but William didn¡¯t risk looking in their direction. He couldn¡¯t afford to take his eyes off Jacobs even for a moment.


    ¡°Nora!? What¡¯s going on back there!!?¡± he shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping that she heard him.


    ¡°Ah, shit¡­¡± Jacobs let out a disgruntled reproach before turning around and bolting for the stairs.


    Was he running away? For a moment, William didn¡¯t know how to react. He never expected that bloodthirsty murderer to disengage without warning.


    ¡®Shit¡­! Where is he even going¡­!? If I let him run away, he¡¯ll come back for more, sooner or later¡­! Do I let him go and check on Nora¡­? Do I give chase¡­?¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡°Nora! What happened!?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­! Well¡­ One of them got away¡­! We¡¯re okay¡­!¡± she answered. William noticed how Lilian hid herself from him behind Nora. The girl didn¡¯t look hurt, thank god.


    Claire, on the other hand¡­ She was sitting on the floor beside the dead body of one of the bandits. She looked terrible.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not okay¡­! Listen, take her to the storage room, it¡¯s right in front of the apartment we found them in! Lock yourselves in there. There should be medical supplies in stock. Clean her wounds and disinfect them, she needs help! Look in the second shelving on the left side, bottom shelf!¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­! Alright¡­!¡± Nora barely had time to agree before William started running towards the stairs. ¡°Please, be careful¡­! Come on, Claire! We need to treat your wounds¡­!¡±


    As he approached the stairs, he saw the scattered trail of blood drops on the steps. It went up.


    ¡­


    Spiteful and frustrated, William removed the hook on the rooftop¡¯s handrail. The heavy metal hook, along with its several meters of rope, came crashing down on the sidewalk five floors below. He greatly tightened his grip on the handrail, as if trying to sink his fingernails into it.


    ¡®I should have expected this much¡­ Damn it¡­¡¯


    The sun was now starting to go down in the sky. Somehow, it seemed to have acquired a mysterious red hue. Was it mocking their struggle, rejoicing on the blood spilled that day? Or was it perhaps a bad omen for events to come?


    ******


    Nora held Claire¡¯s hand as gently as she could. Her friend was panting heavily, heaving from exhaustion and pain. That apartment wasn¡¯t the most comfortable place to keep a patient, but it was the closest one to the storage; they couldn¡¯t keep dragging her around in her state.


    ¡°Hang in there, Claire¡­ You¡¯ll get through this¡­!¡± she said, doing her best to cheer her up. There was little she could do to hide her own tears, though.


    ¡°Okay, this should be everything¡­. Antiseptics¡­ Gauze¡­ Painkillers¡­ We should also have some antibiotics around, just in case. I¡¯m no doctor, so I have no idea if all of this will end up screwing her up even more¡­ but anything is better than dying from an infection.¡± William had spent the last hour treating Claire¡¯s wounds. Nora had cleaned them up with some sterile water and tried to apply some disinfectant, but those injuries weren¡¯t going to heal that easily. ¡°We had someone here that knew his way around first aid. It¡¯s a shame I won¡¯t be as reliable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t beat yourself over it¡­¡±


    Nora kept trying to comfort Claire. She noticed her eyes were half-closed. Despite her obvious light-headedness, she was looking directly at William, scrutinizing him and following his movements and his actions whenever she wasn¡¯t busy grinding her teeth to endure the pain.


    ¡°Hey¡­ You can hear me, right?¡± he asked.


    Claire nodded slowly.


    ¡°This is going to hurt. This wound is deep, we need to sew it shut. I have a suture kit¡­ but I¡¯m not too good at this kind of thing. I know what I have to do, but it¡¯s not going to be pretty.¡±


    ¡°¡­go¡­ ahead¡­¡± a thin voice came out of her mouth. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll¡­ take it¡­¡±


    William nodded back.


    ¡°Alright.¡± he handed Nora a rag. ¡°Here, have her bite on this.¡±


    Claire¡¯s mouth closed on the piece of cloth. Was she really going to be okay? She didn¡¯t look like she even had any strength to properly bite down on anything. However, once the acute pain of the needle hit her, she bit so hard she threatened with ripping the cloth apart.


    ¡°Kuuuggghhhhhhh!!!!¡± tears of pain flowed in waves from her eyes.


    ¡°Hang in there, you¡¯re doing great¡­!¡± Nora tightened her grip on Claire¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Hhhhmmmmmggghhhh¡­!!¡±


    ¡­


    ******


    ¡°There, this should do it¡­ The pressure clothing should help with the bleeding. We¡¯ll have to change the bandages for clean ones regularly.¡± William had just finished caring for the girl¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°I think I can take care of that.¡± replied Nora.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll leave that in your hands.¡±


    ¡°What about you? You¡¯re also injured, you¡¯re full of bruises¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tend to myself later. Come here.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­? M-Me¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you. We haven¡¯t properly treated that cut on your right arm, besides some basic cleaning.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right¡­¡±


    ¡­


    In all honesty, his medical expertise left a lot to be desired. He just hoped it was good enough to keep them alive. That world wasn¡¯t going to give them any second chances.


    It could very well give them a break, though. Given what they had gone through in just a couple of days, it was a miracle that Nora and the girls had managed to make it.


    ¡®Now that I think about it¡­ Hmm¡­¡¯


    ¡°Hey, girl.¡±


    Claire¡¯s gaze was lost in the shapes of the ceiling. She was guaranteed to be unfathomably tired. However, she responded to his call, slowly dragging her eyes towards him.


    ¡°Good job. You did well.¡±


    Her eyes widened. William got up from his seat and started walking towards the door. On his way, he stopped by Nora¡¯s side and rested his hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°You too. Now rest, both of you. I¡¯ll bring you your rations for tonight later. We should be able to catch our breath for now.¡±


    Before letting go of Nora¡¯s shoulder, he noticed how she had started trembling slightly. He figured he knew the reason. It was okay. He reached the door, but he stopped for a moment right at the doorframe.


    ¡°Welcome home.¡±


    As he walked down the hallway, he could hear Claire starting to sob. Nora soon joined her. Their sobbing eventually became crying. Bottled up emotions came out in full force, a wailing so bitter yet so relieved at the same time; that even the shamblers outside seemed to just cease their gurgling, and listen.

 CHAPTER 12 – FALSE SECURITY

    The sights from the rooftop were strangely scenic. Since all the surrounding buildings were at most three or four-story high, the apartments towered above all of them, offering an all-around view of the area. Nora¡¯s previous shelter was a skyscraper downtown, but back then she didn¡¯t have any chances of admiring the views. She had other things in mind.


    During the last six months, not even once did she feel safe. And yet, even after the crazy chain of events that had unfolded a couple of days ago, she now felt a glimpse of peace. Were things really going to be okay from that moment on? She knew it wasn¡¯t going to be that simple. Truth be told, not a lot had changed since they escaped the city center and arrived at the apartments. They might have found a new ally, they might have a new shelter; but the stakes were as high as they were at the starting point. Perhaps even higher.


    They weren¡¯t safe. If anything, she felt like the world was giving them a false sense of security. It slumbered, waiting for a chance to crumble apart. It was only a matter of time. She couldn¡¯t allow herself to lower her guard.


    She looked out to the horizon. The entire city stood still, like frozen in time. No movement dared break its lethargy, no sound shattered the silence.


    ¡®Ever since this entire mess began, I never noticed¡­ Has the city always looked so¡­ sad¡­?¡¯


    Nora didn¡¯t like the old world, but the new one was depressing in an entirely different way. She let out a deep sigh, and walked away from the handrail.


    ¡­


    William had attempted to keep the shelter as functional as it was before the original community got disbanded, although they were obviously understaffed. Still, less people had less necessities. Survival should still be possible with proper task management.


    He was the one in charge of keeping the building in good shape, performing maintenance just like he used to do before. Nora didn¡¯t truly understand why maintenance was such a big deal until the previous night. A rampant horde had passed through the area, although William said it wasn¡¯t a common occurrence in that district. It took a lot reassuring from him to be able to stay calm, and the same thing could be said regarding Claire, who by then had already been moved to the top floor. She had never encountered one of those hordes before, so it was only natural for her to freak out. Ironically, Lilian was the only one who remained calm through the entire event.


    The building¡¯s overhangs had prevented the shamblers from climbing up to the higher floors, but the barricades all around the ground level had suffered noticeable damage. Wood was dislodged, metal was bent; the horde had crashed itself against the structure, and would have flooded the lower levels had they managed to break inside. And apparently, if they get too close to you, it¡¯s over. She knew that very well.


    The defensive barricades were the only obstacle causing the nocturnal hordes to diverge away from the building¡¯s interior, and those were something only William had experience fixing.


    On the other hand, he wanted Claire to help with the crops on the courtyard once she recovered from her injuries. Her condition had improved enormously, but her left leg still looked like it needed proper rest and care.


    And finally, there she was. Stranded on the rooftop, walking around all day, keeping watch. And it was no wonder William wanted her to stay up there. They had every reason to be paranoid of incoming danger.


    Nora recalled the conversation they had the day before, when everyone met on Claire¡¯s room to distribute food and water.


    ######


    ¡°This is all we can spare for now.¡± said William, after placing three cans of food and two bottles of water on the small table by the bedroom¡¯s entrance. ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll be a bit hungry, but we need to hold on to what we have for as long as possible. We should minimize looting trips as much as we can.¡±


    Nora sat quietly beside Claire¡¯s bed, with Lilian standing by her side and clinging to her as usual.


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. We¡¯ll bear with it.¡± she replied.


    ¡°How is she doing?¡±


    Nora turned her attention towards Claire, who reciprocated her gaze and then looked at William.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ better, I guess. My leg still hurts, but I think I¡¯ll be alright¡­¡± Claire frowned for a moment. ¡°Thank you, by the way¡­ For taking care of me¡­¡± she bit her lips and looked away. It was obvious she wanted to say something else, but for some reason she hesitated. To Nora, it didn¡¯t come as a surprise. Claire had never trusted people too easily, and the end of the world had only aggravated it further. Kindness was a rare sighting for her, creating nothing but emotions she chose to bottle up instead of letting go.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Focus on resting for now.¡± William laid his eyes on the bedside table, which had a small pile of books on top of it. ¡°But also try to use this time wisely if you can. You¡¯ll need to be able to help once you recover, we need all the hands we can get.¡±


    ¡°R-Right¡­!¡±


    He turned around and left the room, only to come back a couple of seconds later.


    ¡°Actually¡­ I should tell you all about something. Specially you, Nora, since you¡¯re one keeping watch.¡±


    ¡°Me¡­?¡± she felt she already had an idea about what he was about to tell them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to look out for shamblers, I want you to look out for people. No matter if they look hostile or friendly, everyone is an enemy. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Is it related to the people who attacked us the other day¡­?¡± she felt dumb for asking such a question. Of course it was related to them. But she wanted to hear more details.


    ¡°Yes. Those guys¡­ The ones we met on the other side of the river, and the ones who invaded the shelter, they are all a part of the same group of survivors. We¡¯ve been on bad terms with them since way before you three arrived at the building.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ But why? What do they want, exactly?¡±


    ¡°When they t-tortured me¡­ they kept asking about a weapon stash, or something like that¡­¡± added Claire with shaky voice.


    ¡°There¡¯s a police department in the area, not too far from here. Well, there was; it¡¯s barely more than a dilapidated building now. Both their group and ours got there almost at the same time, we were marginally faster. A fight broke out, people died¡­ Enemies were made.¡± he explained. He didn¡¯t seem happy about recalling those events, his narrow eyes and frowning demeanor were clear signs of it. ¡°They had been operating in the nearby districts for a while, probably since the beginning of the pandemic. I don¡¯t know where they came from or what kind of people they truly are, but so far, they¡¯ve been acting like animals. Stealing what they can, killing whoever they please¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible¡­ Why are they doing this¡­?¡± asked Nora. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a way to survive without resorting to such things? This place should be proof of that¡­!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, and look how it ended.¡±


    An uncomfortable silence filled the room.


    ¡°Possible? Yes, by all means. It needs tolerance, teamwork, cooperation and mutual understanding. Everyone needs to work together and seek a common goal. It should be, and it probably is, the most efficient solution to this crisis. But it requires the creation a new law, in a lawless world. You get where this is going, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Not everyone is willing to go the extra mile. I think I¡¯ve told you this before, but morals don¡¯t mean shit anymore. If you kill someone, you eat their share too. That¡¯s pretty much how they work.¡± William run his hand through his hair, closed his eyes for a moment, and let out a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s easy to guess why they obsess over the weapons.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just¡­ turn them over¡­?¡± suggested Claire.


    ¡°That¡¯s basically like signing up for our own execution. If they get those weapons, we¡¯re all done for, I highly doubt we¡¯ll be spared. And if they don¡¯t get them, they¡¯ll keep coming back until they do. It¡¯s a dead end.¡±


    Nora lowered her sight. Deep down, she knew all along something wasn¡¯t quite right. The pieces were slowly falling in place, but it didn¡¯t make the picture any better. If anything, the picture was grim, that puzzle looked better when it was unsolved and scrambled.


    ¡°Our only chance of getting out of this is to outlive them, somehow. To pray that karma gets them where it hurts, before it gets us. And if we want to do that with as few people as we have, we can¡¯t afford to get any nasty surprises. Do you understand, Nora?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡±


    ######


    Nora shook her head. She needed to focus. She kept walking around the rooftop, taking laps around the perimeter, expecting to see movement at any moment. According to William, this other group of survivors was considerably more numerous than they were. Were they waiting for them to lower their guard? Were they licking their wounds, scared off after losing several of their members? The more she looked at it, the more ominous the quietness of the city became.


    William had repeatedly told her that the shamblers weren¡¯t a real threat in that world.  And Nora finally understood why. As much as they infested the streets and ran wild during the night, as refined as some of their senses were¡­ They were nothing but a force of nature, one powerful enough to drive mankind to the brink of extinction. And like most forces of nature, they were predictable.


    Humans are not.


    ******


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Claire looked out the double doors, into the courtyard. After several days of rest, she was finally able to walk around, although she was aiding herself with a makeshift crutch. Her legs still felt weak, and she had a noticeable limp.


    She thought she¡¯d have a chance to get to the courtyard and inspect it in detail at William¡¯s request, but the sudden heavy rain prevented her from doing so.


    ¡°Can you walk around already?¡± asked William, coming out of nowhere. The drumming of the rain had drowned out the sound of his footsteps, so she didn¡¯t hear him approaching. Claire abruptly turned around, startled.


    ¡°Ah¡­! Jeez, d-don¡¯t scare me like that¡­!¡± she complained, unconsciously taking a shy step away from him. ¡°Yeah, I can walk now. I should be able to function as usual soon¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to know.¡±


    He walked all the way up to the exit door, to the point that the rain was falling just a couple of inches away from his feet. He stared at the plants outside. An awkward moment of silence ensued, disrupted only by the downpour.


    ¡°S-So¡­ What¡¯s exactly growing out there? I didn¡¯t really have a chance to check it out yet¡­¡± Claire said the first thing she could think of. Being alone and in silence with William made her feel anxious.


    ¡°Potatoes, carrots¡­ Most of the crops are root vegetables, but there¡¯s also a couple patches of greens, and some beans. Apparently, most of this stuff can grow with limited amounts of sunlight. Also, some of these will need fertilizers, but most of them should be fine in poor soil.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s smart, given the circumstances.¡±


    William brought out a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket, and started smoking before he continued talking.


    ¡°My wife chose them herself¡­ She¡¯s actually the one who came up with the idea of planting crops in the first place. And we did manage to get a couple of harvests in the last six months, so I suppose it wasn¡¯t a bad idea after all. Not too plentiful, but worth it nonetheless.¡±


    William hadn¡¯t talked too much about himself. Based on what Nora told her, he was living in those apartments with more people until a certain incident left him as the sole remaining survivor. Which probably meant that his wife was no longer around. Claire realized she shouldn¡¯t bring the subject up at all, unless he did so himself.


    But what was the deal with him? Claire didn¡¯t know what to make of it. So far, almost everyone around them was a selfish piece of shit, everyone did everything they could to take advantage of others, to secure a position of power and leave the weak ones to fend for themselves. In a sense, that was to be expected. In a world where all forms of order had crumbled down, the rule of the strong was often the only thing remaining.


    She had gotten used to distrusting everyone. But this man puzzled her. He had stepped down from his own position of power, risking his life to save theirs. Yet his intentions were unclear. She highly doubted his actions were driven by goodwill. At least, not just goodwill.


    ¡°I really hope we can at least get another harvest from these plants. It¡¯d have made her happy if they did¡­ Can I count on you?¡± he asked.


    ¡®Could this be¡­ his way of mourning¡­? Hmm¡­ Well, I suppose the harvest will help everyone anyway¡­¡¯


    ¡°Y-Yeah, sure. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Those last two words felt warmer, and more honest than anything preceding them. Claire¡¯s head was full of nothing but mixed feelings. She didn¡¯t want to trust him, yet she felt like he had somehow earned her trust so far. There seemed to be a cold emotional barrier separating them, but somehow, she understood the kind of pain he was probably going through.


    She remained motionless, deep in thought. Eventually, William finished up his cigarette, and started fumbling with something on his waist, under his jacket. Claire couldn¡¯t see what it was.


    Some seconds later, he turned to face her, and he was holding a pistol. She froze. Even though he wasn¡¯t aiming it at her, she felt a strange aura emanating from the weapon. Was that the same pistol she used some days ago? She wasn¡¯t sure. She gulped.


    ¡°I heard about what happened.¡± said William.


    ¡°W-What do you mean¡­? I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. Nora told me.¡±


    ¡®Damn it, Nora¡­ Why¡­!?¡¯ Claire bit her lips and avoided eye contact. Of course, she knew what he was talking about.


    ¡°S-So? What about it¡­?¡±


    Even when looking away from him, she could tell he was drilling her with his own gaze.


    ¡°You want to be able to protect them, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Claire resumed eye contact again.


    William¡¯s arm was reaching out to her, offering her the grip of the gun.


    ¡°Do you want me to teach you how to properly use it?¡±


    She was scared.


    ¡°R-Really¡­? I-Is it o-okay¡­?¡±


    William nodded. A gun¡¯s purpose is either to intimidate, or to kill. And neither of those things should be okay. Part of her was willing to go that far and beyond in order to protect the people she cared about, but another part of her was terrified of the concept.


    It was a difficult choice to make. So why? Why was she so eagerly holding the gun she had been offered?


    ¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right, now line up the sights like I¡¯ve told you, and pull the trigger.¡± said William.


    The target was easy to hit, a piece of cardboard with a cross scribbled on it, hanging from the opposite wall of the room. All the steps so far had been easy enough. Checking the safety, reloading, unloading¡­ William had told her how to find the best posture to aim, explained how to hold the weapon correctly to improve accuracy and reduce recoil¡­ So far so good.


    Why was the last step so complicated? She only had to pull the trigger. It was just a piece of cardboard. She didn¡¯t hesitate when faced with a bunch of potential murderers, but she had doubts against a practice target?


    Her hands started shaking violently. She took her finger away from the trigger, fearing she might fire accidentally. William¡¯s hand rested on her own trembling hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Calm down, breathe.¡±


    ¡°I-Is it¡­? Is it really okay¡­? How do you know¡­? How do you know it¡¯s okay¡­?¡±


    ******


    Claire didn¡¯t look like she realized at all, but when William rested his hand on the weapon, he had engaged the manual safety. She started sobbing, and her breathing got rapid and panicked. He definitely didn¡¯t want her to fire a gun in that state.


    She had become a bundle of nerves in a matter of seconds, William felt sort of bewildered. He knew she killed one of the invaders, shooting him down and then strangling him to death. Was that experience the source of this panic attack? He had the feeling there was something else to it.


    It didn¡¯t escape William¡¯s perception: what Nora had originally described as a timely bout of anger was likely a fa?ade, an emerging consequence of some more complex circumstances he wasn¡¯t aware of.


    ¡°Are you thinking about what you did the other day¡­?¡± he asked. He waited for an answer, but Claire didn¡¯t say anything. She just kept shedding tears and focusing her eyes on the gun, as if mesmerized by it. ¡°Listen¡­ I¡¯ve told Nora the same thing before, but the first time is always the most difficult one. It gets easier afterwards, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± she interrupted him.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t get any easier¡­ It fucking¡­. doesn¡¯t¡­.! Damn it¡­!¡± her knees failed her, causing her to drop down to the floor. Struggling to talk while crying, she let go of the gun.


    William observed for a while. He picked up the gun and stored it again on its holster.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what have you done in the past. But whatever it was, you had a reason to do it, right?¡±


    Her crying intensified. Yes, I did. Those are the words she looked like she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. He sighed.


    ¡°Stay faithful to that reason, and don¡¯t get carried away by your emotions. Focus on the path ahead. We¡¯re going to need your help, alright? That¡¯s all the advice I can give you right now.¡±


    He started walking away, leaving Claire to compose herself in peace.


    ¡°If you¡¯re feeling better tomorrow, we¡¯ll continue this lesson where we left it.¡±


    ¡®Seriously, just what the hell happened to you all¡­?¡¯


    If he said he wasn¡¯t curious, he¡¯d be a dirty liar. Even though he had personally shared some details here and there about his own past issues, he knew virtually nothing about those three, besides the fact that they came from another shelter and they ran away after it got overrun. Yet it was way too obvious that something serious was going on in their minds. But both Nora and Claire seemed reluctant to disclose anything.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to ask them directly. At least, not yet. He had no right to stick his nose in their personal lives. Although, if their emotional outbursts started to become a serious obstacle for their survival, he¡¯d have to have a serious talk with them. So far, they pushed through the adversities, but he wasn¡¯t happy with the risks taken.


    One way or another, they were hiding something. Even they should be perfectly aware of how obvious that was. William had no idea if whatever that secret was would end up being bad news for him. He¡¯d need to remain cautious of them, just in case.


    ¡­¡­


    Days went by without issues. Well, without unusual issues would a more precise way of describing it. And William wasn¡¯t buying it. Nora reported no signs of activity, besides shamblers standing around or hugging the walls of the building. He didn¡¯t notice anything strange either.


    By all means, he would expect Jacobs¡¯ group to retaliate again in a short period of time. Had something happened? Perhaps some internal quarrel they hadn¡¯t resolved yet? He had no idea, but the waiting was getting on his nerves.


    He had paid a swift visit to the weapons cache, and was carrying not only a gun, but also a combat rifle strapped on his back; at all times. Claire had finally gotten more comfortable with a pistol after some additional lesson, and carried it for self-defense as well. Nora refused to wield any guns for the time being, and just chose to stick with the hammer she had somehow managed to bring back from their initial trip. He figured he would keep insisting over time, and sooner or later she¡¯d yield.


    The only one he wasn¡¯t able to gear up at all was Lilian. As a matter of fact, he couldn¡¯t even talk to her, any interaction was like trying to talk with a rock. The girl avoided him like the plague, frowning and pouting whenever she saw him coming, and shutting down outright if he got too close for comfort.


    At least she was able to be of use when she followed Nora or Claire around. Nora assured William that Lilian was able to provide assistance when keeping watch. Apparently, even though her communication skills were somewhat impaired, her senses were perfectly normal, and she¡¯d let her know in case she noticed anything out of the ordinary. Claire claimed she would help when carrying things around, setting up containers to pick rainwater, cleaning, etc.


    Weirdly enough, he barely got to see any of that. Whenever he saw her, she was either extremely aware of him and focused only on avoiding him, or doing strange things, like staring into the distance, or up towards the sky.


    He didn¡¯t worry too much about it though. As long as she could prove useful when she was around the others, that was already more than he initially betted on her.


    Despite the fact that everyone was on edge, life in the shelter seemed to carry on. He found it almost nostalgic, seeing people wandering around the building again. He hoped things would stay as they were, although deep down, he was but certain that more hardships were waiting just around the corner.


    ******


    It was early in the morning.


    Nora walked faster down the hallway. Two apartments away from her own, that¡¯s where Claire was staying. She figured it was probably okay, but something about that situation felt strange. Not even once had such a thing happened over the last week.


    She knocked on the door, causing a shaky, groggy voice to mumble from the inside. She heard some strange noises coming from the apartment, as if someone was stumbling with things on their way, and then the door swung open.


    Claire fumbled with her glasses, trying to put them on. Her eyelids struggled to stay open. She had a disoriented look on her face, and her hair was a mess. She had just woken up.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­? Ah, Nora¡­? What¡¯s up¡­?¡±


    ¡°Um, hey Claire. Sorry to wake you up this early, but¡­ Have you seen Lilian?¡± asked Nora. She couldn¡¯t hide the worried, jittery tone in her voice.


    ¡°Eh¡­? Lilian? Wasn¡¯t she sleeping with you?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ not in my room.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird¡­ I wonder what¡ª¡±


    Claire stopped talking as she heard hurried footsteps coming from the nearby stairwell. Suddenly, William emerged from the darkness. He didn¡¯t look happy. Eyes wide open, sweaty, frowning¡­ He looked very agitated.


    ¡°W-William¡­? Is something wrong¡­!?¡± asked Nora as he came to a stop right beside them.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a fucking problem¡­!! The ground entrance was wide open! And I¡¯m damn sure I left it closed last night!¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­!?¡±

 CHAPTER 13 – TRAIL

    ¡°Have you lost your fucking mind!?¡± Nora, we can¡¯t go look for her! Where would you even go!? She could be anywhere!¡± yelled William.


    They had searched the entire building, from top to bottom. William had even gone into the restricted areas on the lower levels, to no avail. Lilian had left... or someone had taken her away. But if someone had such ill intentions, why didn¡¯t they do anything else? If they were able to go unnoticed all the way into the living quarters of the building, they could have killed or incapacitated all of them as well. If the girl had truly been kidnapped, was there some kind of unknown purpose to it? If she left on her own¡­ why!?


    Nobody knew the answers, and everyone was losing it. Especially Nora.


    ¡°William, don¡¯t make me repeat myself, I¡¯m going!!¡± she said. She had already grabbed a backpack and hurriedly packed some supplies. ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave her out there to her fate¡­! I¡¯m going, with or without you!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only going to get yourself killed! This is probably what they planned for¡­ Kidnapping her, luring us out so they can claim the place again!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, she wasn¡¯t kidnapped, she had to leave on her own! She was right beside me! Claire, you trust me, right!?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­. Um¡­!¡± no words came from Claire¡¯s mouth. She recoiled against the wall, looking at them both with a horrified look on her face.


    ¡°Cut the crap!¡± William gesticulated wildly while trying to reason with Nora. ¡°I refuse to let you go out there without a proper plan! Rushing will only make us easier targets for whoever is behind this!¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap!? It¡¯s easy for you to say that, isn¡¯t it!? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s your sister after all!¡± Nora¡¯s eyes were burning with something that William couldn¡¯t identify. Was it anger? Despair? He had never seen that look on her eyes before. But that didn¡¯t change the fact that he didn¡¯t like what she had just implied. Not one bit.


    ¡°Watch your mouth, Nora. I know how painful it is to lose a loved one. And trust me, I¡¯m pretty sure I know it better than you do.¡±


    ¡°Kuh¡­! Damn it¡­!! Shut up¡­!!¡± she was panting from exasperation. ¡°You don¡¯t get it¡­! Fine, if you don¡¯t want to help me, then you can go to hell¡­!!¡± without saying another word, and with tears in her eyes, Nora bolted for the stairs.


    ¡°W-Wait, Nora¡­!!! Aren¡¯t you taking this t-too far¡­!!?¡± Claire yelled, but it was for nothing.


    ¡°Nora¡­!!¡± William was about to run after her. But should he? What was he going to achieve? More arguing? Provoking her further? He might be able to forcefully stop her, but would that help? From his point of view, that kind of hurried, panicked decision-making was anything but wise. If Lilian left during the night, she was nearly guaranteed to have encountered some nocturnal shamblers. Nobody survives the night out in the streets. However, he understood that Nora wanted to go as fast as possible. What stopped him from stopping her?


    ¡®Amanda¡­ If that were you¡­¡¯


    His rational side told him to stop her. His emotional side told him to go with her. He did nothing.


    Claire dropped to her knees, as Nora¡¯s footsteps sounded further and further away, until only silence remained.


    ¡­


    ¡°What are you going to do¡­?¡± he asked Claire.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± she stared at the floor, unresponsive.


    Upon receiving no answer for a while, William walked away, dubious. It was unlikely for him to hesitate, he needed to pull himself together. It was undeniable, at that precise moment both Nora and Lilian were in danger. Something had to be done. Just as he was approaching the stairs, Claire¡¯s voice stopped him in his tracks.


    ¡°Can you¡­ Can you trust us, even if it¡¯s just this once¡­?¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± he turned around to face her. She was looking at him, but the look on her face was completely different than the horror that took hold of her a minute ago. Her new expression denoted nothing but sadness.


    ¡°Lilian wasn¡¯t kidnapped¡­ And I think Nora knows exactly how to find her¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Has she done this before¡­?¡±


    Claire looked away for a fraction of a second, as if measuring her words.


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ I think I know where they¡¯re going. Please, you have to believe me¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen, every passing day I find it harder and harder to trust you all. You say nothing. You leave me in the dark while something eats at you from within¡­ Now the brat goes missing, and you apparently knew such a thing could happen¡­? And Nora, lashing out like that and not even stopping to think. Damn it¡­ What¡¯s the fucking deal!? If it didn¡¯t directly affect our odds of making it out of this mess alive, I wouldn¡¯t give a goddamn fuck! But I¡¯m getting tired of secrets already¡­!¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ Damn, I know¡­! We both do¡­!¡± Claire¡¯s face contorted as she curled up against the wall, visibly shaky. ¡°I wish we could just tell you¡­! But¡­ it¡¯s not that simple, damn it¡­!!¡±


    ¡®You wish you could tell me¡­? Why the hell does that sound so ominous¡­?¡¯


    ¡°P-Please, don¡¯t get mad at Nora¡­ I¡¯m convinced she didn¡¯t mean to start a fight with you. Her emotions are taking hold of her¡­ We¡¯ll explain everything, I promise. I¡¯ll talk with Nora about it¡­! But right now, we really need to go find her¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    ¡®Ah, damn it¡­¡¯


    ******


    [Tick, tock, tick, tock¡­ The clock is ticking. You know it, don¡¯t you?]


    ¡®Shut up...! I don¡¯t want to listen to you anymore.¡¯


    [Oh? But you always need someone to listen to, someone to follow around. What are you going to do otherwise? You¡¯re out here, in the middle of nowhere, running around like a headless chicken. Alone.]


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    ¡®I¡¯m not alone anymore¡­!¡¯


    It didn¡¯t matter how much she tried to tell herself otherwise, it was a fact that Nora was entirely on her own at that moment. But she couldn¡¯t turn back. Finding Lilian was more important. Her little sister was the main pillar keeping her life together, the one thing she had devoted to protect. What if¡­?


    Nora shook her head and kept going. The worst-case scenario was something she¡¯d rather not contemplate at all.


    She did her best to remember her trip with William. How to go up and down buildings, how to use the environment to cross alleys from the safety of the rooftops¡­ She made her way across the building blocks, with her eyes set on the streets below. It was highly unlikely Lilian had the audacity to climb up to avoid the ground level. If she was still alive, she¡¯d probably be somewhere down there.


    As she went further ahead, the streets gradually filled with shamblers, until Nora spotted a big crowd immobile in the middle of a street junction. Her attention was too focused on scouring every inch of the area. She didn¡¯t even see the floor coming when she tripped and slammed headfirst against it.


    ¡°Kyaah¡­!¡±


    She stopped for a second, although she didn¡¯t want to. Sweat drenched her clothes. She was panting so much she struggled to catch a proper breath. Her legs hurt like hell. She hadn¡¯t kept track of how much distance she had covered, but it had to be considerable. She had left the shelter about an hour ago.


    ¡®Come on¡­ Move¡­ Move¡­!¡¯


    With a bit of effort, she got up and kept running. But, what for? After all, the trail she was following was nothing but a hunch, and it just so happened to end right there. She had no more clues.


    ¡®What now¡­? Lilian, where are you!?¡¯


    Nora started wandering around the building block, keeping her eyes on the surrounding streets, looking for something that kept her hopes alight.


    Fortunately, it was obvious William¡¯s group had previously explored that entire area before. Ropes allowing access between uneven roofing, wooden planks or ladders secured over gaps... Nora didn¡¯t know how to navigate the place on her own, so the makeshift infrastructure was more than welcome.


    ¡­


    She ran to the handrail and peeked over the edge. Her head swung from side to side, her eyes combing the sidewalks and the surrounding buildings.


    In front of her was the street parallel to the one she had been following over almost the entirety of the past half hour. She saw what remained of a once bustling shopping district. Grocery stores, clothing stores, what looked like a book store¡­ All of them seemed to be dark and empty inside. The shattered remains of the window displays littering the ground, abandoned cars all over the road, random garbage strewn around¡­ It would be easy to hide in a place like that.


    ¡®Damn it, she could be hidden anywhere¡­!¡¯


    All it would take was for Lilian to have wandered off into an arbitrary building. Just like that, such a simple decision, and Nora would never find her. But she believed on her instincts, she trusted that she knew her little sister well enough to be able to track her down.


    ¡°Huh¡­? What¡¯s¡­ that¡­?¡± her eyes stopped on something located about fifty meters left from her position, in the sidewalk at the other side of the street.


    It was a big structure. She didn¡¯t really know that area of the city too much, but she recognized the place. A subway station. There was something right in front of the entrance.


    ¡®No way¡­!!¡¯ Were her eyes deceiving her¡­?


    It looked like a human with a small frame, wearing a black hoodie and dark pants. From that distance it was difficult to be sure, but there weren¡¯t many people around that matched that description. And Nora happened to be looking for one of them.


    ¡°Lilian¡­!? Is that you, Lilian¡­!!? Lilian¡­!!!¡± she shouted down the street in the general direction of the figure, cupping her hands around her mouth.


    The shape seemed to turn around, very slowly.


    ******


    Was big sister calling for her? She turned around, trying to identify the source of the voice. It was difficult to hear it over all the other voices.


    The day was looking great. Not a single cloud could possibly block the big, shiny sphere of light in the sky. Its radiance permeated everything around her, warm and fuzzy. It made her want to just stare at it and bask in the feeling.


    The houses around her were as gray and monotonous as always. If anything, they seemed to be slightly more monotonous than she remembered them to be. Nobody else seemed bothered by it though. There was nobody around, but their voices sounded loud and clear in her ears. Everyone went about their business and daily routines, the city bustling with activity, like it had always been.


    But they were so noisy. It made it very difficult to locate big sister. She looked around, squinting as she dragged her eyes over the nearby streets and buildings.


    She finally spotted her. She was waving at her from a rooftop, but she was too far away to tell what she was saying.


    ¡®Norie!¡¯ she was finally there. She saw her. Everything should be okay.


    She wanted to go and meet her, but someone else was asking for help. She turned around and faced the dark entrance in front of her. Wide stairs led down into the bowels of the building. It was dark. Very dark. So dark it made her want to run away.


    She hated darkness. It made her feel insecure, vulnerable. Whenever big sister and Clairie slept at night, she envied them. She couldn¡¯t sleep well. She felt as if something bad would happen if she did. She¡¯d remain on edge, eyes wide open, looking out for dangers yet unseen. Sometimes she felt the urge to get up and leave. But she couldn¡¯t leave big sister¡¯s side. She felt safe with her, even in the dark.


    *Waaaaah! Waaaaah! Waaaaah!*


    The baby kept crying bitterly. It was coming from somewhere in the darkness below. She had followed its cries from very far away. It needed help, and nobody was noticing. Why would anyone ignore a crying baby? Such bad people!


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯m gonna help you soon, kay¡­?¡± she mumbled to herself, still staring at the ominous entrance.


    She¡¯d never dare to go down there on her own, but now that big sister was coming, it would be okay. She didn¡¯t fear the darkness with Norie around.


    Very slowly, she started descending the steps, disappearing into the shadows.


    ******


    Nora¡¯s ankle made a weird twist when she flew down the ladder and landed on the sidewalk.


    ¡°Ugggh¡­!!¡±


    Was it sprained? It didn¡¯t feel like it, she could still walk, but it hurt like hell. She couldn¡¯t afford to waste time, she needed to hurry up before it was too late. She crossed the street and started sprinting at full speed towards the subway entrance. She might be drawing unwanted attention to herself. There might have been shamblers hidden in the vicinity, lurking in the nearby buildings, watching her every move. She didn¡¯t care.


    ¡®Why¡­? Why? Why!? Lilian, why are you going down there¡­!? Come back!! Please¡­!!¡¯


    If her sister happened to stumble upon a wandering shambler indoors, it¡¯d be over. Nora had heard from William in greater detail. Darkness made them faster, more vicious. Their senses grew sharper the longer they remained in the dark, their behavior becoming increasingly violent. The transition from day to night is what caused them to eventually form those massive nocturnal hordes. Their activity levels would subside during the day, but those who got stuck indoors would remain in such a state of aggression indefinitely.


    She noticed her heartbeat rapidly ramping up as she got closer to the subway station. Her exhaustion seemed to fade away after each hurried breath she took. A sense of utmost urgency had taken hold of her, her legs were moving almost on their own. She only wanted to catch up to Lilian as fast as possible.


    ¡­


    Nora gulped. The station was engulfed in darkness. It was like the maws of a hungry beast, waiting for her to make her move before closing in for the kill. But Lilian was down there. She had definitely seen her walk down those stairs.


    ¡®O-Okay¡­ Um¡­ Did I grab that¡­?¡¯ she grabbed her backpack and rummaged through it.


    After a while, it became clear enough. The flashlight was nowhere to be found. When William told her to prepare properly before rushing out, he was probably trying to avoid predicaments like that.


    ¡°Ah, damn¡­!¡±


    After staring at the dark entrance for some seconds, Nora made her way down the steps. Her footsteps started to echo more and more the deeper she went, until she disappeared into the bowels of the building.

 CHAPTER 14 – SUBWAY

    What was that feeling of dread? Nora felt her legs shaking more and more with every step she took within the darkness. It took her a while until it truly dawned on her, just how screwed she could be if things went awry.


    No matter how much she tried to tell herself otherwise, she should¡¯ve listened to William. Although he sometimes came out as rude and harsh, his calculated reasoning and his experience gave her a certain degree of safety and confidence.


    [See? You¡¯ve gotten attached already, like you always do. You can¡¯t stand on your own two legs if you¡¯re not supporting yourself on someone else.]


    Nora wanted to dispel her own thoughts, but she couldn¡¯t figure out how. Her mind was too busy to do so.


    [That man acted as a wall for you. A wall you could hide behind. But once that wall is gone, what is it that remains¡­?]


    The darkness of the building beckoned her to advance further. Trying not to make unnecessary noise, she wiped the cold sweat off her forehead and stepped forward. Her eyes were wide open, trying to adjust to the darkness and looking out for any potential threats.


    ¡­


    Faint beams of light came through the main entrance and rained down from the skylights in the ceiling. The light seemed to quickly disperse, giving the subway concourse a dull, eerie aura.


    The entire building was desolate. Small shops, restaurants¡­ All of them sundered in deep penumbra, all of them silent. Tables and chairs knocked over, abandoned luggage and personal belongings all over the place, as if everyone suddenly left whatever they were doing and rushed away in a panic. There was no sign of life or activity. All that remained were dried bloodstains and the occasional desiccated corpse.


    Where was she supposed to go? Lilian had to be somewhere in the vicinity, but she didn¡¯t dare call out her name. The station itself felt like a slumbering beast. It was hungry, and it would devour her whole if she woke it up.


    Nora walked further into the open area of the concourse, her eyes bolting nervously from side to side, her heartbeat vividly thumping in her chest.


    As she approached the subway access point, the darkness down below made her freeze on the spot. Several mechanical stairs connected the concourse with the underground subway hallways. They had gone quiet a long time ago, but Nora wished she could still hear their tireless whirring. It would be a lot more comforting than the maddening silence all around her.


    ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯


    At the bottom of the stairs, a small human figure stood still. Even in the absence of light, she would recognize her anywhere. Lilian was right there, quietly watching the top of the stairs. The moment she noticed Nora¡¯s presence, the girl looked down for a brief moment, then proceeded to walk further into the depths of the station.


    ¡°Lili¡ª!!!" Nora covered her own mouth with her hands, before she had the chance to actually raise her voice.


    She looked around, expecting the worst. Everything remained still. Nothing jumping from behind a corner, no threatening noises, nothing. She looked at the bottom of the stairs again. Lilian wasn¡¯t there anymore.


    ¡®Crap¡­!!¡¯ she started walking down. Every step she took seemed to echo more than it should, the weary stairs slightly rattling under her weight. ¡®Why¡­!? Lilian, come back¡­!!!¡¯


    Nora wasn¡¯t sure if she had taken too long to descend the stairs or if Lilian had rushed away the moment she took her eyes off of her, but by the time she reached the bottom, the girl was nowhere to be seen.


    She had a very bad feeling. She really, really didn¡¯t want to go any further. From that point onwards, it was pitch black. Sunlight didn¡¯t reach that far down at all. The underground tunnel made a sharp turn to the right. Beyond that, a black veil. She could feel her entire body trembling, tears bundling up in her eyes from sheer stress.


    [Are you sure this is what you want to do?]


    ¡®She¡­ needs me¡­!¡¯


    [She needs someone better than you. You can¡¯t help her. You¡¯re the one that needs help.]


    ¡­


    ¡®At least I have to try.¡¯


    Ignoring the tears that slowly slithered down her cheeks, Nora placed her hand on the right wall, and started following it into the tunnels.


    ¡­


    She felt like she could lose track of time. Her feet dragged themselves along the corridor wall. Turn right, then left. She almost tripped down some more stairs. Then right again. Were subway corridors always that long?


    The hallways seemed to blow slight currents of air past her face, which carried otherworldly sounds and echoes. Creepy whispers, subtle growls and wails¡­ Nora was unable to tell whether or not those sounds were real, or if they were nothing but hallucinations.


    ¡®We have to get out of here¡­ Out¡­ Out¡­! Where are you, sis¡­!? Did I get past her already!? I can¡¯t see anything¡­!¡¯


    And suddenly, as if fate wanted to grant her a slight moment of respite, she saw something. Light. A warm, orange light, emerging from somewhere beyond the next corner. Was it a good sign? Was it a bad omen? She didn¡¯t know, so she headed towards the corner with caution, and took a peek.


    The tunnel split into two different hallways, each heading into its own subway platform. The light came from a metal barrel, right in the middle of the intersection. It had several holes punctured into it, and something burned inside. There was also a wooden table, some shelves and boxes, a mattress, and lots of random trash scattered around. It looked like someone had been living there not too long ago.


    But Nora¡¯s attention was focused on something else. Lilian stood right beside the burning barrel. Her eyes were staring directly at Nora, as if she knew all along that she was coming, as if she was expecting her to peek from behind the corner at that exact moment. The light seemed to reflect intensely off of those eyes, almost giving them a glow of their own.


    ¡°Norie.¡± Lilian calmly called out to her.


    Nora didn¡¯t think too much. She rushed from behind the corner and ran towards her sister. She just wanted to hug her right then and there, but her rational side knew they didn¡¯t have time for that. They needed to move.


    ¡°Lilian¡­! Lilian¡­!!¡± Nora tried not to raise her voice too much as she approached the girl. ¡°Come on, Lilian¡­! We need to go back¡­!¡±


    She grabbed her arm and gently pulled on it, but Lilian didn¡¯t budge. It was then that Nora noticed what she was doing. Her right arm pointed directly at one of the corridors emerging from the intersection.


    Unlike the other hallway, which was empty, that one was heavily barricaded. It looked rough and dirty, like something that had been put together in a hurry. Metal sheets, boards, random furniture, all held up with ropes and nails. It looked sort of sturdy, but also fragile and unreliable.


    ¡°There¡¯re babies in there, Norie. We have to help the babies.¡± said Lilian. She sounded strangely sad, and Nora noticed. It wasn¡¯t common for Lilian to express emotion at all. ¡°They¡¯re crying, they don¡¯t like it in there.¡±


    ¡°What¡­!? What are you talking about!? We need to¡ª¡± something made Nora stop talking.


    Past the barricade, she saw something. The gaps between the boards barely let the light through, but it was enough to discern what was at the other side. Shapes, many shapes. It took Nora a moment to realize what they were.


    Shamblers. Probably several dozens of them. She shuddered.


    ¡®Ah¡­ H-How¡­? W-What¡­?¡¯ She noticed their eyes. They were looking at her through the gaps. They knew. ¡®I need to run¡­ Run¡­ Move¡­!¡¯


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    But why were they standing still? They were definitely aware of her presence. She was in plain sight, in the middle of the corridor. She was talking just a couple of seconds ago. There was no way they didn¡¯t notice, being that close. Yet they weren¡¯t moving. Somehow, they looked like they wanted to move, but something was preventing them from doing so. Some of them twitched and had brief spasms, wheezing and emitting barely audible moans, but that was it.


    Nora was confused, but she didn¡¯t really have a chance to think about it for too long. A new noise broke the silence. Footsteps. Several footsteps, reverberating through the hallways, coming from the direction she came from.


    ¡®Oh no¡­! W-Who is it¡­!?¡¯


    Perhaps it was Claire and William? She figured it was very likely they ended up going after her. Or perhaps not, who knows. Would William be willing to go after her? After she left in such a rush? After the argument they had? Would Claire have the courage to do the same thing?


    No matter what the answer was, it wouldn¡¯t make sense. There was no way they could find that place by sheer luck. Nora knew where to look, because by some miracle she spotted Lilian entering the building. But they had no chance of figuring out such a thing.


    Lilian cuddled up to Nora and clung to her clothes. She made an uncomfortable groan, and looked at the darkness of the entrance tunnel, frowning. The footsteps sounded closer and closer.


    ¡°Lilian, come. Stay close to me, okay? Hurry!¡±


    She grabbed Lilian¡¯s hand and headed blindly towards the subway platform.


    ******


    ¡°Not that way!¡± William warned Claire. ¡°That¡¯s a dead end, we should go down to that balcony and take a detour around the building instead.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­! Alright¡­!¡±


    ¡°And slow down a bit, would you? A careful but steady pacing will get us farther than rushing.¡±


    ¡®Ah, damn¡­ What am I even doing right now¡­?¡¯


    The shelter had been left empty and unprotected, they were following a trail Claire refused to elaborate on, Lilian might as well be dead already¡­ Every single one of those circumstances felt wrong. They felt unnecessary. There were better ways to proceed, better things to risk his life for. So far, logical thinking and careful assessment were the only things that kept him alive, along with a spray of luck. And yet, there he was, following after something that defied those exact principles.


    He let out a deep sigh as he followed after Claire. At least, she was in surprisingly good physical shape. He was glad that his initial impression of her was wrong. Neither of the girls looked like they were in good shape, but appearances can indeed be deceiving. Claire¡¯s movements were quite swift and agile. And at that moment, such a thing was a blessing. As precarious as the situation was, being able to keep a good pace was convenient.


    Her personality also seemed different. Braver, perhaps? On the surface, she looked cowardly, skittish. But she seemed to rapidly build up courage during an emergency. Or, to be precise, when Nora or Lilian had an emergency. William wondered what kind of bond those three shared. He hoped to get some answers after they managed to get back to the shelter. If they were still alive to tell the tale.


    ¡­


    After a good amount of walking, Claire came to a stop. They were on a rooftop overlooking an intersection. That place was infested, occupied by a stationary horde of shamblers.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are we stopping?¡± asked William.


    Claire looked confused. Her expression, previously driven by determination, now denoted worry. She looked down at the streets, scanning the intersection and the surrounding area with her eyes, looking for something.


    ¡°I-I¡­ Um¡­ Nora s-should be around this area, I think¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°Are you sure¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ We should take a look around. She can¡¯t have gone too far from here.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± something wasn¡¯t right. The shakiness in her voice made it obvious that something was amiss. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t want any more back and forth, I don¡¯t want any more secrets and unclear answers. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡± Claire sighed and looked at him for a couple of seconds. ¡°Alright¡­ Um, I¡¯m pretty confident Nora has been here. But my leads end here. From this point onwards, I¡¯m not sure anymore¡­ If I were her, I¡¯d probably take a look around the area.¡±


    ¡°God damn it¡­¡± William pondered for a moment. ¡°Okay¡­ I just hope you know what you¡¯re doing. We¡¯re chasing a vague lead, and I don¡¯t like it one bit.¡±


    ******


    Nora hugged Lilian and stood completely still, not making a single noise, almost holding her breath. They had nowhere to go, they were cornered like rats.


    She wasn¡¯t even sure what that room was. A security post? A staff room? A ticketing booth? Who knows; like it even mattered. Both of them crouched among a couple of desks, right behind a long, windowed wall that separated them from the underground subway platform.


    That place was definitely inhabited. The platform was dimly lit by more burning barrels and some makeshift torches. More furniture laying around, empty food cans, bottles¡­ The subway tracks disappeared into enormous dark openings, from which emerged a subtle yet eerie humming. But Nora could hear something else, something she hadn¡¯t heard in a long time: voices. Actual, human voices in the distance. Was she imagining things?


    That small room they were in was the only truly dark place in the entire platform, untouched by the faint lighting that filled the area. As long as they didn¡¯t get up, they should remain unseen. Nora prayed that nobody just so happened to wander into that room.


    She trembled, her teeth almost chattering, as the group of footsteps got closer. Lilian noticed, and gently grabbed Nora¡¯s arm, as if trying to comfort her. Along the newcomers came new voices, undecipherable murmurs, that eventually became crystal clear as they entered the subway platform.


    ¡°Man, I¡¯m parched. You think there¡¯s some alcohol left?¡±


    ¡°If there is, you¡¯re not getting any, asshole. Almost got us all killed.¡±


    ¡°Hey, at least most of us made it back! Besides, they only ate Jim. It¡¯s one fucking less mouth to feed. Nobody liked that bastard anyway.¡±


    ¡°Piece of shit¡­¡±


    They seemed to be arguing about something. Was this their shelter? Did Nora and Lilian just happen to barge in to someone else¡¯s shelter?


    After some more seconds of bickering, Nora heard the creaking of a door opening in the distance, along with some more footsteps.


    ¡°Finally back, huh? Got something good?¡±


    ¡°Food, drinks, tools, and one dead fool. Good enough?¡±


    ¡°That was your fucking fault, you sack of shit! You¡¯ve got some nerve! You¡¯ll be lucky if Marcus doesn¡¯t get one of your arms chopped off. And if he doesn¡¯t, Jacobs will!¡±


    ¡®Jacobs¡­!? W-Wait, wasn¡¯t that¡­!? A-Ah, no way¡­!!¡¯ Nora tried to keep her cool, while throwing glances at Lilian. ¡®Oh god¡­ Why did you have to come here, of all places¡­!?¡¯


    The girl wouldn¡¯t stop squirming and staring at the open doorway. From time to time, she made as if to get up and leave, as if her entire body felt itchy just by sitting there. Still, she clung to Nora and stayed in place.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Jacobs will have the balls to do much on his own, after what happened last time¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure, as if missing a couple fingers would make that psycho give a fuck about anything.¡±


    Then, a new set of footsteps joined the group.


    ¡°Things seem lively around here. What¡¯s up?¡±


    Nora¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s one of the new guys... Aren¡¯t you getting a little bit too comfortable, punk?¡±


    ¡°Come on, there¡¯s no need to be hostile.¡±


    That voice. The men outside the room kept talking, but she stopped perceiving their voices altogether. A loud ringing replaced them, along with the echoes of that one voice, banging around inside her head, tearing it apart.


    ¡®Why? Why is he here? Why? Why? I don¡¯t want this. Why? Why do I have to run into him again? Why? Whywhywhywhywhywhywhy¡ª¡¯


    [That¡¯s all it takes, isn¡¯t it? It doesn¡¯t matter how much you try to run away from your past, it doesn¡¯t matter how much you try to act like you are in control. You can¡¯t change who you are.]


    ¡®Stop. Stop it. I don¡¯t want this. Let me go.¡¯


    Nora¡¯s mind was cloudy, she was unable to collect her thoughts anymore. She curled into a ball, trembling uncontrollably. Her eyes were open wide, but they lost all focus. She wanted to cry, but no tears came out. She felt her stomach churning. Her heartbeat thundered relentlessly, as if about to explode out of her chest. Eventually, it became hard for her to breathe, and she started to hyperventilate. More loudly than she should.


    ¡°Hey, you hear that¡­? What the fuck is that sound¡­? Where is it coming from¡­?¡±


    ¡°Shit, did a shambler sneak inside¡­!? It sounds like some wheezing! Should I warn the others¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll go check it out¡­¡±


    All the talking ceased, and some lonely footsteps started coming closer and closer to the room. They were cautious footsteps, but they probably weren¡¯t going to stop. That man was going to enter the room. He was going to spot them. They needed to run. They needed to do something. So, why? Why wasn¡¯t she doing anything?


    ¡®Why?¡¯ [Why?]


    [You know the answer. You deserv¡ª]


    A hand gently covered Nora¡¯s mouth. Her breathing stabilized. It was a soft touch, softer than anything she had ever felt. Not meant to silence her, but to acknowledge her pain, to ease it, to mend it in any way possible. She slowly dragged her eyes towards Lilian, who was now piercing her with her gaze. Once again, the dim lighting in the room seemed to shine particularly brightly in those eyes, staring deep at her very soul. But they didn¡¯t feel threatening. What was that feeling? She couldn¡¯t put it into words.


    Lilian pulled herself closer to Nora¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I know.¡± she whispered, almost inaudibly. ¡°Stay.¡±


    ¡®W-What¡­? Lilian¡­?¡¯


    ¡­


    Why didn¡¯t she stop her when she stood up? She wanted to reach out to her, pull her back down. Or at the very least, grab her and run. Yet she just watched. Her heart felt like it suddenly stopped beating, as these events unfolded in front of her eyes.


    ¡°Holy fuck, there¡¯s something there!!¡±


    ¡°Is it a shambler¡­!!?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a normal person!!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, wait!! There¡¯s no fucking way¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it, you know this chick?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡­ You¡¯re Lilian, right¡­? Come here¡­¡±


    Nora watched in horror as Lilian complied with the request, slowly stepping out of the room, into plain sight.


    ¡°Bloody hell, how¡­!? I¡¯ll go tell Marcus and Mr. Julien. Keep watch over her, and whatever happens, don¡¯t hurt her. She¡¯s very precious.¡±

 CHAPTER 15 – KEY

    Claire tried to keep her eyes peeled, looking out for any signs of movement in her surroundings. However, walking around the streets was certainly more unsettling than she had imagined. It felt surreal, just how much the world had changed in a matter of months. Even when completely empty, the streets didn¡¯t feel safe.


    Ironically, she has having second thoughts, despite being the one who suggested and insisted on the idea. She wasn¡¯t sure why did William agree in the first place, she didn¡¯t really expect him to.


    With the exception of that one horde they stumbled upon a while earlier, the surrounding streets were devoid of shamblers. That didn¡¯t mean they were safe, but William seemed to use that as justification to do something that would otherwise be outrageous for him.


    [At the slightest sign of danger, we call this off and go back up, you hear?]


    Those had been his words before climbing down. But what was a ¡°sign of danger¡± anyway?


    The surrounding buildings had a much more sinister feel from the street than they did from the rooftops. Windows. Gateways. Doors. All of them black pits of uncertainty, all of them potentially hiding the next threat they¡¯d have to face. Claire shook her head and tried to focus on what they needed to do: finding Nora and Lilian.


    From the moment they hit the ground, William had taken the lead. Claire followed him slowly but steadily down the street, as they did their best to keep a low profile and merge with the shadows cast by the buildings. Her head kept turning from side to side. Every store, every alley, every corner, they offered a new chance to spot Nora or Lilian. All indoor spaces were brimming with darkness, but still, sunlight managed to reach inside far enough to allow them to get a decent glimpse of the interior.


    That area was almost exclusively a shopping district. Most of it was torn to pieces, either destroyed or salvaged so many times it was left in pretty much unrecognizable shape. It would take them an unrealistic amount of time to find anyone in such a place, unless they were standing in plain view.


    ¡®Nora¡­ Lilian¡­ Where have you gone¡­?¡¯


    Something interrupted her thoughts. Out of nowhere, William grabbed her arm, roughly pulled her behind a nearby car, and put a hand on her mouth to prevent her from screaming in response.


    ¡°Quiet¡­!¡± he whispered.


    What was going on? Shamblers? He had clearly spotted something, but Claire didn¡¯t see what it was, and she didn¡¯t dare raise her voice to ask. She nodded at him, and he let go of her. She noticed how he immediately grabbed his pistol from its holster.


    ¡®You don¡¯t use guns against shamblers¡­ Right¡­?¡¯


    Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard several footsteps approaching their position. Coordinate, rhythmical footsteps, not the characteristic stumbling and dragging of the shamblers. It was people.


    She gulped, and stared at William. He wasn¡¯t paying attention to her, he was completely focused on the incoming danger, and most likely ready to pull the trigger if necessary.


    They were talking. The distant murmur became gradually clearer as they came closer, at a surprisingly rapid pace.


    ¡°¡ªstill don¡¯t think this is a good idea, man. What the hell is Marcus thinking!?¡±


    ¡°Shut it, we don¡¯t get to make the decisions, do we? Besides, we only need to take a look. We shouldn¡¯t get into trouble as long as we don¡¯t stick our noses where they don¡¯t belong.¡±


    ¡°Bah, whatever¡­¡±


    They sounded like they were almost at the other side of the vehicle.


    ¡®Please, keep going, keep going¡­¡¯


    ¡°But seriously, I don¡¯t care who that chick is, we should¡¯ve gotten rid of her. Did you look at her in the eye? She creeps the hell out of me!¡±


    ¡°Keep talking like that and they¡¯ll feed your tongue to the shamblers. Come on, less chit-chat and more walking, we need to be back before nightfall!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, it¡¯s not like¡ª¡±


    Eventually, their voices got lost in the distance again. Claire and William stayed still and quiet for a couple of minutes afterwards.


    ******


    ¡°That¡­ didn¡¯t sound good.¡± it was William who eventually broke the silence. ¡°What do you think¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush. Do you think it could be one of them?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Lilian does have a tendency to stare a people in strange ways, especially if she¡¯s uncomfortable. But how can we know for sure¡­!?¡±


    Indeed, there was no way to know for sure if they were talking about Nora or Lilian. For all they knew, those thugs might have been talking about some other unfortunate soul they managed to get their hands on. But for some reason, such a thing felt unlikely.


    ¡®They should¡¯ve gotten rid of her¡­?¡¯


    Those people weren¡¯t exactly keen on sparing anyone without a good reason.


    ¡°Those guys were from the same group that attacked us.¡± he said.


    ¡°H-Huh¡­!? Are you sure¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Marcus¡­ That¡¯s their ringleader, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve heard his name before.¡±


    ¡°T-Then¡­ If they captured Nora and Lilian¡­ Oh no¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on, let¡¯s think about this for a moment. If they captured either of them, they might want to use them as hostages, as a blackmailing tool to get what they need from us. And I suppose stumbling upon either of them out here in the middle of nowhere must be quite unexpected. They might have sent those two to check on our shelter, to figure out if something has happened¡­¡±


    He pondered for a while. Claire fidgeted and started biting her nails, unable to remain calm.


    ¡°W-What do we do then¡­!?¡± she asked.


    William threw a glance down the street, towards a big subway station.


    ¡®I saw them come out of the subway¡­ I knew they were stationed somewhere nearby. I should¡¯ve thought they were using the underground tunnels¡­¡¯


    The situation had taken a turn for the worse, and they had to do something about it. They were sitting ducks, right at the core of enemy territory. The only clue they had was uncertain at best, and it was leading them even deeper, directly into the lion¡¯s den. Should they disregard it and walk away? Should they follow it further in?


    William¡¯s thoughts were strongly divided, opposing each other. Rationality or impulse? One way or another, they had to take a choice, and quickly.


    ¡­


    [It¡¯s not like she¡¯s your sister after all!]


    [I know how painful it is to lose a loved one.]


    ¡®Nora¡­ I get it¡­¡¯


    ******


    ¡°Uggggh¡­!! It¡¯s no use, I can¡¯t¡­! Too heavy¡­!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll do it, just come down. Watch your step, it¡¯s a bit slippery.¡± said William.


    ¡°A-Alright.¡± Claire gave a shaky reply as she climbed down the manhole. ¡°Are you really sure this is a good idea¡­?¡±


    ¡°What else do you suggest, barging in through their front door? At least the sewers should allow us to approach the subway undetected.¡±


    Actually, Claire understood the reasoning behind that choice. She was simply scared of wandering into those dark, claustrophobic corridors.


    She reached the solid concrete bottom and stepped away from the ladder. William proceeded to reach up to the manhole cover and dragged it back in place, locking them in complete darkness. Then, Claire heard him climb back down and rummage in his pockets. A flash of light suddenly illuminated the entire corridor, emerging from a flashlight in William¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Here, you take this one.¡± he said, as he handed her another one.


    He grabbed a piece of chalk and marked the wall behind him, drawing an arrow pointing towards the ladder.


    ¡°Alright¡­ We don¡¯t wanna get lost. We¡¯ll mark the left wall as we go, pointing towards the exit. I think I have a rough idea of the layout of the subway tunnels. We¡¯ll try and find our way into one of them, then we head for the station. Are we clear?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s move. And keep quiet.¡±


    ¡­


    Time really seemed to stop flowing down there. Claire followed William along the twisting passageways, but it¡¯s not like she had any other choice, many of them were so narrow they couldn¡¯t possibly fit both of them side by side. The shape of the sewer kept changing. Some sections were so narrow she felt the walls could collapse on her at any moment, other sections were so wide she couldn¡¯t reach both sides with her arms extended. Some were so tall she couldn¡¯t touch the ceiling, and some required her to crouch to pass through.


    She hated it.


    Those walls looked like a coffin, they gave her a feeling of being buried alive. Her limbs tingled, as if they were about to go numb if she walked further into the creeping darkness. The only things keeping her focused were the sound of their footsteps, and William¡¯s scribbling on the walls.


    The corridor opened up into a bigger section of tunnel. William stepped out and took a look around for a moment.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°You good back there?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°S-Sure¡­ Just¡­ a bit anxious¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably normal. Now, come quietly. No matter what, don¡¯t raise your voice when you see this.¡±


    ¡®When I see¡­ what¡­?¡¯


    She walked out into the open tunnel and looked at whatever William was pointing his light at. She couldn¡¯t help but gasp, but covered her mouth with her free hand to prevent any more noise from coming out.


    Several shamblers. Just a couple of meters away. Staring right at them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make any unnecessary noise. These won¡¯t be an issue, but we don¡¯t know what¡¯s further beyond.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ W-What¡­?¡± Claire¡¯s voice trembled, she couldn¡¯t articulate properly.


    It was the first time she could observe them so closely and so clearly. But something was odd. They stared at them with hungry eyes, but their otherwise erratic and feral behavior had been reduced to nothing but some occasional twitching, along with faint wheezing and moaning. They almost looked sad.


    ¡°They become like this when they spend too much time in the dark.¡± explained William.


    ¡°T-Too much time¡­?¡±


    ¡°Darkness seems to accelerate their movements and sharpen their instincts, but if they become stuck in darkness for a few days, they eventually start slowing down to a crawl¡­ Don¡¯t ask me why, I have no idea how they work.¡±


    ¡®They look¡­ starved¡­?¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t step too close to them. They can barely move, but they will try to grab you.¡±


    ¡°Oh god¡­ A-Are you sure it¡¯s safe¡­?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be this quiet if it wasn¡¯t. Come on, follow me closely. And don¡¯t stare at them too much¡­¡±


    Claire didn¡¯t say anything else; she just scurried behind William and followed his every step. As they advanced along the passageway, zig-zagging between standing corpses, Claire couldn¡¯t prevent herself from doing exactly what William told her not to do. Loose jaws attempting to dislocate themselves in a biting motion. Hands slowly trying to grab something out of thin air, with twitchy fingers. Joints popping and cracking as they did their best effort to turn their bodies in her direction. Frustrated eyes following her every movement.


    They weren¡¯t really doing any meaningful movements, but she could feel the lethargic sense of unrest all around her, like an animal slowly waking up from its slumber. The myriad of anguished wails didn¡¯t help either.


    ¡®Come on, Claire, focus¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­ You¡¯ll be okay¡­¡¯


    She gulped and tried to clear her mind for a moment. If she followed William, she should be alright. He was way more experienced than she was, or so she wanted to believe. And whatever Nora and Lilian were going through, it was most likely worse than some decrepit shamblers.


    ¡®Nora¡­ Lilian¡­ Please, be safe. We¡¯re coming¡­!¡¯


    ******


    The big open space of the subway tunnel felt more welcoming than William expected. At long last, they had emerged from the sewer tunnels into a cramped maintenance corridor that connected directly with the subway tracks. Besides the encounter with those languid shamblers, their walk through the sewers had been uneventful, which he considered a miracle. He did lose track of time though; he wasn¡¯t sure how long they spent wandering around those corridors.


    The vastness of the main tunnels was intimidating. They were big enough that, even with the flashlight, it was difficult to see the walls on the opposite side of the tunnel. Some kind of white mist seemed to permeate the area, and mysterious noises emanated from the depths.


    ¡°Alright, the station should be in that direction¡­ Let¡¯s go, and don¡¯t aim your flashlight forward, keep it down.¡± he said.


    ¡°Down¡­?¡± Claire looked somewhat perplexed.


    ¡°If you aim it forward, the light beam might give away our position¡­ Nobody would be walking around in this darkness without a light source, and I doubt they live in the dark either. If we can spot them before they spot us, we¡¯ll save ourselves a lot of trouble. Just keep the light down, enough so you can watch where you¡¯re stepping.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I think I get it¡­¡±


    ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s move. And as always, be quiet.¡±


    They started walking in silence, accompanied by the sound of their own footsteps and the swaying of the flashlights.


    ¡­


    After what felt like an eternity, William stopped. There was something ahead, he could hear it.


    ¡°Lights off¡­!¡± he whispered, as he turned off his own flashlight, with Claire doing the same thing seconds later.


    He reached for his back and grabbed the combat rifle he had been carrying with him that entire time. There was no way to know what was awaiting them ahead. He¡¯d better be ready to pull the trigger if he needed to.


    ¡°Hey, that gun of yours¡­ Keep it at hand, would you?¡±


    He got no answer from the girl, but he assumed she got the message. She did find it difficult to handle guns though, and he knew.


    ¡®Something tells me this isn¡¯t going to go smoothly¡­¡¯


    They carefully advanced towards the source of sound. Eventually, a warm orange light started filling the end of the tunnel.


    ¡®Is that the station¡­?¡¯


    They hugged the wall and kept getting closer. Several people were talking about something, but it was unclear what it was.


    ¡°¡­no point in¡­  ¡­anymore¡­ ¡­soon as we¡­ ¡­the better.¡±


    ¡°¡­now, there¡¯s no¡­ ¡­rush.¡±


    They got even closer, and they stopped. They could finally see the station, and several people standing in plain view. The echo of their voices was enough to tell what the conversation was about.


    ¡°Man, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re understanding the point.¡±


    ¡°I do, but you¡¯re just thinking of yourselves now. I simply can¡¯t leave behind my people, and moving everyone will take time. You should be well aware of this, Mr. Julien.¡±


    ¡°Please, Mr. Marcus, do consider my advice¡­ Now that we have the girl, we have new options available to us. And you can¡¯t feed these people forever. Not here.¡±


    ¡®Marcus is there¡­!? That Marcus¡­!?¡¯


    William was so focused on overhearing the men ahead, that he didn¡¯t catch Claire¡¯s breathing growing heavier and more accelerated by the second. He could also hear the pistol rattling in her hands. He turned around to face her, but he couldn¡¯t see her in the darkness.


    ¡®Shit¡­! Why¡­!? For the love of God, don¡¯t make a noise¡­!¡¯ he wanted to verbally tell her, but he didn¡¯t dare to speak out loud, not even whispering.


    He felt around until he managed to grab her arm, hoping to calm her down. What was going on? Why was she acting up like that?


    Then, out of nowhere, a low mumbling noise could be heard coming from the station. Another voice? It sounded like unintelligible gibberish.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there!!?¡± a thundering voice resonated through the tunnel.


    ¡®Fucking hell¡­!! Did they hear us¡­!!?¡¯


    William turned around towards the station. The men had stopped talking, and one of them had taken a step towards their position, trying to make out something in the pitch black. He was holding someone right in front of him, aiming at their head with a pistol. Someone much smaller than he was.


    ¡®It¡¯s¡­!! That girl¡­!¡¯


    Lilian¡¯s eyes stared right at them, as if she could see both of them perfectly despite the lack of light. Yet William noticed she wasn¡¯t looking at him, she was looking directly at Claire instead.


    ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t making things up?¡± asked another individual.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite familiar with this child¡¯s mannerisms. She wouldn¡¯t react like this for no reason. Whoever is out there, step out!¡±


    ¡°¡­pieces of shit¡­¡± mumbled Claire, gritting her teeth.


    Before William could stop her, Claire rushed out of the tunnel and into plain view, aiming the gun at the men on the station platform. Far from her usually reserved demeanor, she looked angry. Very angry.


    ¡°You fucking bastards¡­!! Why!!? Why are you people alive!!? Fucking damn it¡­!!!¡± her gun bounced frantically from target to target.


    ¡®You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­!! You fool!!!¡¯ William followed Claire, rifle up front.


    Upon approaching the platform, he could take a better look at those people. The man holding Lilian captive looked surprisingly clean. Wearing a gray business suit, groomed short hair, not a speck of dirt on his skin¡­ His entire appearance exuded arrogance. Was he the ringleader? No, that wasn¡¯t him. He knew for sure Marcus, who was right behind him, was the one leading the group.


    Marcus¡¯ attire looked way more appropriate in comparison, the same deteriorated clothing as all the other thugs William had seen so far. His medium brown hair gave him a bit of an edgy look; but his eyes were mysterious, difficult to read. He observed the situation calmly, unfazed by the blatant display of firearms pointing right at him.


    There was another guy standing closely by their side, with a smug look on his face, but William didn¡¯t recognize him.


    ¡°Ah, Miss Bauman¡­ I guessed as much, if Lilian was here, then of course you¡¯d be around as well.¡± said the suited man.


    ¡°Makes you wonder if Nora is around too¡­ Damn, I miss her¡­¡± the unknown man behind him spoke with an obviously sarcastic tone, before chuckling a little bit.


    ¡°YOU!! Don¡¯t you dare speak her name, you fucking degenerate¡­!! It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s because of you that she¡¯s¡­!!!¡± Claire¡¯s face contorted as she grinded her teeth, and tears started forming under her eyes.


    ¡°Claire!! That¡¯s enough, calm down already¡­!!!¡± William shouted in an effort to keep her under control. It was obvious those people were related to the girls in some way, but he couldn¡¯t let her emotions take hold of her. Especially when she was holding a gun.


    ¡°Mr. William, is it? Marcus told me some things about you¡­ You seem more talented than the rest of the rabble¡ª¡± the suited man continued talking, before being interrupted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit. The only thing you¡¯ll get from me is a bullet to the forehead.¡± he replied. He wasn¡¯t exactly willing to listen to any of their nonsense. Every single person living in that entire subway station was an enemy, period.


    ¡°Down to earth, I see. Convenient. I¡¯m guessing you understand that a stray bullet is all it takes, right?¡± he pressed his gun against Lilian¡¯s head, causing her severe discomfort and making her squirm a little bit. ¡°I¡¯d suggest you both lower your weapons.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, William!! He¡¯s just a manipulative asshole!! They won¡¯t hurt her!! They need her alive!!¡± shouted Claire.


    ¡°What do you mean they need her¡­? Why do they need her¡­!?¡±


    For a couple of seconds, there was no reply. William looked back and forth, at Claire and then at the man holding Lilian, confused. They needed her?


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ Claire, Claire¡­ A sly vixen, as always. Wasn¡¯t what you did to us enough? You also had to go and make a fool of this man as well?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­!!¡± Claire¡¯s expression turned from anger to frustration, and then to fear. Very, very quickly.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told him a single thing, have you?¡±


    ¡°Of course she hasn¡¯t. Just look at their faces, pfff!¡± said the individual on the back.


    William didn¡¯t want to listen to them. But Claire¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t something he could just ignore. He slowly turned his eyes towards the man in the suit. The rifle was still aiming directly at his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cut right to the chase, Mr. William.¡± he seemed to stop for a moment and take a full breath of air before continuing. ¡°The girl is infected.¡±


    ¡°What¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Interesting, isn¡¯t it? Think about it for a second. Infected, yet she resists the turning process. Don¡¯t you see? She¡¯s the key. Our ticket out.¡±


    ¡°Hold on¡­ Hold on¡­! Claire¡­!? Is this true¡­!? She was infected all along!!?¡± William didn¡¯t really know how to process that new influx of information. But all of a sudden, a lot of things slowly started to make sense. ¡°And you¡­! A ticket out¡­!? What do you mean¡­!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? The military want her. And we want to get out of this hell. It¡¯s such an obvious exchange... Yet all these women did was selfishly running away with such an important asset, dooming us all to die here.¡± he rolled his eyes as he spoke.


    ¡°Military¡­!? You mean to tell me the Army is still active out there!!?¡±


    William¡¯s eyes were wide-open in disbelief. He was angry. In a way, he assumed Nora and Claire only wanted to protect Lilian, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel anger after that turn of events. He felt betrayed. Used, perhaps? What did he risk his life for? To have been kept in the dark like that? This was way beyond personal experiences or emotional trauma. It was way, way bigger than all of that. And they knew all along?


    ¡°Claire¡­! I trusted you, Claire¡­!! Shit, I trusted all three of you!!¡± he turned to face her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything!?¡±


    Claire simply looked down. Tears slithered down her face, but she refused to look at him in the eye. She bit her lips, refusing to speak as well. William was about to keep shouting, but a threatening feeling on the back of his head stopped him from doing so.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be looking away from your enemies, dumbass.¡± someone pressed a gun against his nape.


    ¡®This voice¡­ Jacobs¡­ Fucking damn it¡­!¡¯


    ¡°Drop the weapons. You¡¯re out of options. Don¡¯t make me break your arms.¡± said Jacobs. His tone was calm but frustrated at the same time, as if he was eager to further escalate his threat.


    Claire¡¯s hands trembled for a while, before she threw the gun a couple of feet away. Her shaking was suddenly gone. Had she given up? Surrendering was most likely a death sentence, but¡­ was there anything else he could do at that point? Cursing the moment he decided to venture into that place, William let go of the rifle. A couple of men jumped down into the tracks and approached them.


    ¡°Do not hurt them.¡± Marcus stepped forward and gave the order before either Jacobs or any of the other thugs could lay their hands on them. He drilled William and Claire with a cold and penetrating gaze.


    ¡°Are you sure¡­? After all the trouble they have given us?¡± asked Jacobs.


    ¡°I find them¡­ interesting. I¡¯d like to have a chat with them later.¡±


    ¡°Tch¡­! Weirdo¡­¡± Jacobs mumbled under his breath. ¡°Come on, start walking, trash!¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Claire¡¯s voice was barely a murmur.


    ¡®Being sorry won¡¯t fix anything, you know¡­¡¯

 CHAPTER 16 – OMEN

    William was escorted through the dark hallways by a couple of burly men, with Claire following right behind under similar circumstances. Their hands had been tied together; their weapons confiscated. They had done all they could. And it didn¡¯t feel like it was worth the effort.


    All he ever wanted was to live a normal life. After that normal life broke apart, he just focused on surviving. After survival proved pointless, he just wanted to keep going until he didn¡¯t feel like fighting fate anymore. And if that was how he was meant to die, so be it.


    New people stumbled their way into his life, people that made him think it might have been worth it to try and survive for a bit longer. And then¡­


    [Lilian wasn¡¯t kidnapped¡­ And I think Nora knows exactly how to find her¡­]


    [What do you mean? Has she done this before¡­?]


    [Y-Yeah¡­]


    They knew, of course they knew. They were runaways, and they dragged him into whatever that situation was. And he wasn¡¯t sure he had the energy to deal with it.


    ¡®I¡¯m¡­ tired.¡¯


    ¡­


    As William was taken into an entirely different subway platform, he took a look around the place. He didn¡¯t really care that much about it, but some peculiarities grabbed his attention nonetheless.


    Most of the underground complex was poorly lit with some scattered, rudimentary light sources, leaving the vast majority of the tunnels cast in shadows; with the exception of a few shy patches of light, around which most of the activity bundled up. There were at least a couple dozen people living in the area, and many of them were children and elderly. William thought of that group as nothing but a gang of thugs, but what he saw in those hallways was a very different story.


    The living conditions were grim at best. Those people were living in barely more than a couple of mattresses laying on the floor. Cardboard boxes were the only reminiscent of furniture in sight. With no sense of order or structure whatsoever, everything gave the impression of having been put together in a hurry.


    Most of the inhabitants didn¡¯t even react when William¡¯s group passed by. Those who did react, merely looked at them sideways, trying not to keep eye contact for too long. Even the children appeared to be devoid of energy.


    It was worth noting that, cheerlessness aside, the kids looked okay. But most adults didn¡¯t. Many of them were malnourished, the shape of their bones starting to stick out under their skin, their dry lips yearning for a sip of water. Those people had some clear priorities in mind. And it was never a good sign when such priorities became necessities.


    William looked at them with indifference. As needy as those people might have been, it wasn¡¯t his problem, and he wanted it to stay that way. After all, that group was still responsible, in one way or another, for the crumbling of everything he had fought for since the beginning of the pandemic.


    They could all rot in hell for all he cared.


    ******


    Much like William, Claire offered no resistance while the man tied her hands behind her back and then secured them to a sturdy pipe on the wall. She was forced to sit on the floor, and she couldn¡¯t manage to find a comfortable position that didn¡¯t put strain on her legs, but she didn¡¯t really care. At least the pain gave her something to focus on, something to diverge her attention away from her thoughts.


    Within that same dark restroom, a couple of meters away from her, William had been restrained in a similar manner. She consciously avoided making eye contact with him. She couldn¡¯t possibly look him in the face. She really intended to talk to him about everything that had happened. But with the way things had turned out, how could she?


    ¡®Not like this¡­ This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen¡­¡¯ tears kept pooling under her eyes and impairing her vision, but with her hands bound she couldn¡¯t wipe them off.


    The two men finished securing their restraints and then walked back out of the restroom without even saying a word. Claire did notice their resentful gazes falling upon them though. She felt a knot forming on her stomach. They probably wouldn¡¯t have even made it to that restroom in one piece, had that Marcus guy not requested their safety.


    Speaking of the devil.


    Marcus entered the room, carrying a lit camping lantern, which he placed on the floor near the entrance, filling the place with much needed brightness. He closed the door behind him and then stared at Claire and William for a while, with cunning eyes. He looked just as calm and unimpressed as he did back at the subway platform.


    ¡°This is indeed unfortunate. Julien had told me about the resistant girl on the run, but he said nothing about her having family or friends¡­¡± said Marcus, looking directly at Claire.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say¡­ You¡¯re all the same¡­ Just get to the point already¡­¡± she replied. She felt too exhausted to engage in proper conversation, but there was a lingering anger in her mind that wouldn¡¯t let her stay silent.


    ¡°Claire, is it? Listen, Claire¡­ Don¡¯t get me wrong. I understand what you might be going through. All the hurdles you must have gone through to make it this far, only to have your friend taken away from you like this¡­ It must be rough. But as rough as it is, this loss is unavoidable. It¡¯s someth¡ª¡± his speech was suddenly interrupted by a low chuckle coming from the other side of the room.


    Was that William? Claire had never actually heard him laugh before. And that was definitely not a genuine laugh, it exuded sarcasm in every way possible. Marcus turned around to face him, almost tilting his head sideways in what seemed to be confusion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I understand what¡¯s so funny, William. Ah, I hope I¡¯m remembering your names right¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re full of shit.¡± said William, giving him a scornful look. ¡°Hearing you talk about loss makes me want to puke.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural that you resent me.¡± Marcus took a couple of steps towards William. ¡°I¡¯m fully aware of what Jacobs did to you and your people.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? I bet you were happy to hear about it.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I wasn¡¯t. That was entirely his choice, not mine. You¡¯ve seen what kind of man he his. You can¡¯t really control someone like that. It¡¯s like attempting to tame a rabid dog; it will bite the arm that feeds it.¡±


    Marcus started walking in circles around the restroom.


    ¡°I founded this community because I wanted to help people, not hurt them. But when faced with individuals like him, leadership and charisma won¡¯t cut it. I give him the freedom he desires, in exchange for his support. But it¡¯s a fragile balance of power, and freak accidents are bound to happen. And the longer we stay here, the more likely they are.¡±


    He stopped wandering around and stared again at Claire.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Which takes us back to you. Or, more specifically, to the other girl, Lilian.¡±


    Claire felt a shiver down her spine. She knew what he was about to say. And she didn¡¯t want to hear it. But she didn¡¯t have a choice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of the big picture, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s extremely risky for the military to get anywhere close to this area. They won¡¯t risk their lives to save us, we mean nothing to them under these circumstances. All of us are worthless, except for that girl. They¡¯re willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on her.¡± he crouched down beside her, trying to get to her eye level. Somehow, his speech didn¡¯t sound as oppressive and arrogant as Julien¡¯s. But still, she didn¡¯t trust him at all. ¡°She will keep dragging people towards her, colliding interests will clash over her custody, and calamity will follow.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Marcus stood up and took a deep breath before continuing.


    ¡°When Jacobs came back from your shelter, another man managed to come back with him. His hand had a bite wound. Clueless as he was about the girl¡¯s nature, he didn¡¯t think much of it. Some disinfectant, a couple of bandages, and he¡¯d be good to go¡­  He turned, in the middle of the night. Many innocent people died before we could contain the ensuing shambler wave.¡±


    Claire remembered the incident back at the apartments. When she opened fire, the one guy she missed was most likely the guy Marcus had just talked about. Had she aimed better, could those innocent deaths have been prevented? The thought kept floating in her subconscious.


    ¡®Am I¡­ responsible for this, somehow¡­? For this, too¡­?¡¯


    ¡°Julien also told me about what happened back at your original shelter. He didn¡¯t go into the details, but it doesn¡¯t take a lot of audacity to figure out that the girl was somehow involved. Do you get where I¡¯m going, Claire?¡±


    Claire raised her eyes to meet his.


    ¡°She¡¯s a bone of contention, a potential walking disaster as long as she remains out here without proper surveillance. It will happen again. People will fight over her. If other survivor groups hear about her situation, what little remains of civilization will degrade into a tribal war. Wherever she goes, she¡¯ll be a bad omen. Hoping for the best is just wishful thinking.¡±


    He walked back towards the door and grabbed the lantern off the floor.


    ¡°I truly don¡¯t want to drag your friend away from you, but this is something that needs to be done for the greater good. And it might just be the only chance of salvation we have left.¡±


    He opened the door and gave both of them one last look before stepping outside.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡± asked Claire. Marcus stopped at the doorway and turned back around. ¡°What was the point¡­? Why did you come here¡­? You¡¯re going to do whatever the fuck you want anyway. Why bother with the self-righteous speech¡­?¡±


    ¡°The fact that the both of you are still alive means that you¡¯re capable enough. And we need people like that. I¡¯m simply hoping for some degree of mutual understanding. It¡¯s undeniable that we have our differences, but we should definitely do our best to overcome them.¡±


    ¡°Shove your banter up your ass. You¡¯re delusional.¡± replied William. His voice sounded raspy. ¡°Go talk about our differences to my dead friends, you¡¯ll see how excited they are to hear about them. Pray that I never break free from these restraints.¡±


    Marcus didn¡¯t say anything else, he simply sighed and closed the door, leaving them in pitch darkness once again.


    The situation quickly became uncomfortable. Claire could hear William¡¯s breathing from the other side of the room, but neither of them were saying anything. She wouldn¡¯t dare talk to him; not after what had happened. And he probably didn¡¯t feel like talking to her either. She felt dirty. Dirty, and hopeless. Yet there was nothing she could do to fix it.


    Her legs were numb. With the complete lack of external stimulus, there was nothing she could use to keep herself busy, except her own thoughts. Guilty thoughts, hammering incessantly at her own sanity.


    ******


    He was a ball of nerves, as he scurried down the hallways, trying to stay in the darkness as much as he could. He didn¡¯t want to grab anyone¡¯s attention, if at all possible. People didn¡¯t usually care about him, but he still remained on edge. He knew those guys weren¡¯t fooling around. If someone suspected that he was into some kind of shady business, he would get in big trouble.


    Why was he feeling so unsettled by what he had witnessed? She looked like any ordinary teenager, yet something about her made him anxious. And why him? Of all people, why did she seem to choose him in particular?


    ######


    Something had happened, that kind of commotion wasn¡¯t usual. Marcus¡¯ men had brought some people into the station some minutes ago, but he didn¡¯t get to see who they were. Nobody told him anything specifically, and he wasn¡¯t going to snoop around uninvited. He was left wanting to know more, and that was it.


    But very few things were as uncommon as watching Marcus himself escorting someone into that dump of a shelter. And a teenager, on top of that. He watched in silence from his corner, as the group of people marched across the hallway.


    Everyone seemed scared of the young girl for some reason. Most of Marcus¡¯ thugs were rude and rough with anyone that wasn¡¯t Marcus, yet they walked a couple of feet away from her, as if afraid of touching her. Only Marcus himself, along with a strange suited man, were reasonably close to her.


    The group suddenly stopped, and the men started talking about something. The fearful lackeys started dispersing, after taking new orders. They were quite a distance away, making it difficult to tell what they were talking about.


    The scene looked somewhat disturbing. The girl was visibly uncomfortable, fidgeting and looking around with sadness in her eyes. Was it actually sadness, though? Her facial expression was bitter, yet devoid of emotion at the same time.


    Her behavior was weird. She started staring at the people around her, most of which weren¡¯t even paying attention. She seemed to slant her head sideways for a moment, then switch her gaze to another person, then repeat. Was she looking for someone? He kept watching, but tried not to give it too much importance. It wasn¡¯t his business after all.


    ¡­


    ¡®Ah, she¡¯s looking at me now¡­¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡®O-Oh god, why is she still staring at me¡­!?¡¯


    He could feel those eyes penetrating him from a mile away. Very dark eyes, almost jet black; but they had a light of their own, a mysterious blue sparkle, flickering shyly. He felt entranced. It took him a good deal of effort to diverge his attention away from her. It was then that he noticed why was she staring at him so intently.


    The girl pointed with her hand back towards the hallway she had come from, in the direction of the subway platform. She slightly swayed her hand back and forth, as if attempting to add further emphasis. Furthermore, her lips moved. It was a very subtle movement, but it felt like she was trying to spell something for him.


    The men finished their conversation and started to walk again, dragging the girl down the hallway. They got closer and closer to him, passed right in front of his spot, then disappeared into the darkness.


    It was there, when the girl was right in front of him, almost within arm¡¯s reach, that he could make out what she was trying to spell.


    ¡®¡­pretty¡­ please¡­?¡¯


    ######


    The men keeping watch on the platform had gone back with the others, probably to grab a drink. As reckless and stupid as it might be to leave the area unattended, he was thankful for it. He had to take that chance. If someone spotted him over there and questioned him, he didn¡¯t have an excuse to provide without looking suspicious.


    His mind felt heavy, hazy. The platform was silent, with the exception of the typical eerie noises that emerged from the track tunnels. He stepped forward and started walking around, unsure of what he was looking for.


    ******


    Bitter sobbing broke the silence in the pitch blackness of the restroom. William turned his head slightly in the direction of the noise.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ It¡¯s always like this¡­¡± said Claire, barely able to speak while crying. ¡°We have to do things for the greater good, and nobody gives a fuck about us¡­¡±


    William said nothing.


    ¡°If they need to break us apart, tear us to pieces¡­ they will¡­ What can we do but run¡­? How can we say anything, voice our concerns, call out for help, when anyone would be willing to take advantage of our circumstances¡­?¡±


    Willing to go to any length to save a friend, to protect a loved one¡­ He knew what that felt like. And he also knew how it tasted to fail at it. It was a bitterness that time couldn¡¯t possibly heal. Running away, suspicious of everyone and everything, with their entire world on their tails¡­ He got the picture. He was angry, but he understood. At least, a little bit.


    ¡°Listen¡­ I want to hear it. Right now.¡± he said.


    ¡°H-Huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°The whole story.¡± he added, before a brief pause. ¡°I¡¯m tired, Claire. Exhausted. I feel like a fool. And in a way, I hate you all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°A part of me feels like giving up, like it isn¡¯t worth it anymore. But the other part of me wants to keep fighting until the end. Give me a single reason to keep going, Claire; a single reason to care. Please.¡±


    Claire tried her best to compose herself and stop her tears. After some unusually long seconds, her sobbing faded away.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Then, she started talking.

 CHAPTER 17 – DIARY

    [April 19, 20XX]


    This is insane. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on anymore, the world has gone to hell. Everyone is panicking, and I fear for my safety.


    I¡¯m not even sure how am I supposed to express my thoughts here. I¡¯ve never written a diary before, but I feel like I need to. I need to let these things out somehow.


    I guess I¡¯ll try to keep track of what happened. Maybe that¡¯ll help me put things into perspective, at the very least.


    It started a couple of days ago. Whatever ¡°it¡± is. I was walking back home, when I heard¡­ something. It was like a commotion in the distance. Lots of police cars zooming around, as if a serious incident had happened; people walking faster than usual with worried looks on their faces, screaming at their phones¡­ I didn¡¯t know what to make of it back then, but it makes a bit more sense now.


    I got a message on my phone, the emergency broadcast started showing up all over the place, vehicles with loudspeakers sweeping the streets¡­ They were telling us to lock ourselves wherever we could, to avoid being outside, and to remain calm. Yeah, as if such a thing was possible.


    I rushed into the closest building I found. I¡¯m still here. It¡¯s a really tall building, it looks like a bunch of offices on the inside. Some more people seem to have taken refuge inside just like me. I¡¯m not sure how high up we are, but I can¡¯t see the ground without peeking out the window.


    Right after getting inside, I called my parents. They live two hours away from here, and apparently, they heard about this ¡°incident¡± on the news. But nobody knows what¡¯s actually going on, the authorities won¡¯t say anything. They were also told to stay at home and lock themselves in. I hope they manage to stay safe¡­


    _________________


    You can hear the screams down there. It sounds like complete chaos outside. Police sirens, car crashes, gunshots¡­ More people kept entering the building yesterday, but at some point, a small group went down and barricaded the stairs on the lower levels to stop anyone else from getting inside.


    They saw something. They won¡¯t tell us what it was, but it was bad. However, I think I have an idea of what it is. Some people have been posting disturbing stuff on the Internet. Videos. They get taken down, only for someone else to repost them somewhere else.


    You can see these¡­ people getting attacked by other people. They look rabid. It looks like zombies, like something out of a movie or a videogame. But¡­ Even if it¡¯s hard to believe, I can¡¯t just disregard it, not with everything that¡¯s going on.


    The other people around here have also seen those shady videos, and they are freaking out and arguing with each other.


    Also, all emergency numbers appear to be saturated.


    My parents didn¡¯t pick up the phone today.


    My hands are starting to shake too much, it¡¯s difficult to write. I need to rest for a bit. I hope this is just a temporary crisis.


    I¡¯m scared.


    [April 26]


    Phone reception has vanished today. No more access to the Internet, no more calls, nothing. Just¡­ silence.


    I was about to write down that I¡¯m scared, but¡­ Something tells me I¡¯ll be scared for a while, so I think I¡¯ll just refrain from doing it.


    I was¡­ hoping for some good news, eventually. A sign that help was coming, something that let us know that things were getting back under control. But the mobile phone signal disappearing is definitely not a good sign.


    Remember how I talked about the sound of sirens, crashes, gunfire¡­? You can¡¯t hear any of those anymore. The situation seems to have calmed down out there. The only problem is¡­ it hasn¡¯t. You wouldn¡¯t hear the screams if that was the case. They don¡¯t sound as often now, every day they become less and less common.


    Electricity and water are still running, but something tells me it won¡¯t be for long. TV still works, but all channels have the emergency broadcast on loop.


    I think there is no rescue coming. Whatever happened, it¡¯s really serious.


    _________________


    I¡¯m sorry, diary. I know these tears are messing you up, but I can¡¯t stop them from coming out.


    I haven¡¯t been able to get in contact with anyone. My family, my friends¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do. I should probably be thinking about working together with these people, but they don¡¯t look promising either.


    Everyone is losing it.


    This building is massive, and lots of people ended up getting stuck in here, most likely hundreds. Some of them want to go out and take a look at what¡¯s going on, some others wanna stay and wait for help¡­ There¡¯s plenty of water for everyone so far, but food is scarce. The cafeterias and vending machines have all been depleted, and people are getting hungry and desperate. I managed to snatch away some snacks, like chocolate bars and biscuits, but it¡¯s not enough.


    As I write this, right now, I can hear fighting in the background.


    The sun is about to go down, I¡¯ll leave it here for now. I want to lay low, and see if I can get some very needed rest.


    Not sure if I¡¯ll manage, though. You can hear some freaky noises coming from outside during the night¡­


    [May 12]


    Things have changed.


    The vast majority of the people in the building are gone. Many starved to death. Others tried to leave the building, and we never heard from them ever again. Sometimes you¡¯d hear screaming in the distance shortly after they left¡­ The remaining people have been going out for supplies, but there would always be someone missing when they came back.


    Looks like the surrounding areas are extremely dangerous, this building is one of the few safe places around. It¡¯s ironic, I¡¯m writing about the dangers lurking outside, when in reality almost nobody knows what¡¯s actually going on.


    We¡¯ve moved to the upper floors. The people in charge don¡¯t want us anywhere near the ground floor. Only those who are used to going out are allowed to stay on the lower levels. During the night, however, everyone goes up; no exceptions. I don¡¯t know why.


    It feels as if we¡¯re being put into different groups based on what we can do. People like me can only do trivial tasks around the building, or assist the scavenging parties when they come back; and we seem to be considered a low priority when it comes to food, drink and commodities. I guess it makes sense, though.


    There¡¯s also¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to describe it, but some folks with clashing ideals have been gaining popularity and notoriety around the shelter. It¡¯s always the same thing: to leave, or to stay.


    I think it¡¯s just stupid. It makes no sense to be fighting among ourselves in this situation! There¡¯s not even that many of us left, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s more than 50 people in total. We should be working together, not fighting each other.


    The main culprits are two guys named Liam and Julien. They¡¯ve been at each other¡¯s throats since day one.


    Liam thinks we should secure safe shelters outside, so we can gradually start moving everyone out. His plan is to leave the city entirely, and settling down somewhere in the country, where long-term survival might be easier.


    Julien opposes the idea. He still thinks that help is coming. Somehow, I find it hard to believe, yet a lot of people seem to cling to that idea as well. I suppose it¡¯s difficult to let go of hope, but they¡¯ll have to come to terms with the reality sooner or later.


    I find this Julien particularly unsettling¡­ Always walking around in a suit, looking down on everything and everyone¡­ I think he was some kind of big shot in a company of some sort, something in the pharmaceutical industry. He wouldn¡¯t shut his mouth about it, especially in the early days. As if it mattered.


    [May 13]


    I knew I forgot to tell you something yesterday! I made a friend. Her name is Nora. At least, I think she¡¯s the closest thing to a friend I¡¯ve had since this whole mess started.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    I met her quite casually, while we were gathering rainwater from the rooftop. Right, I don¡¯t think I mentioned this either, but electricity and water ran out a couple of days ago. It sucks.


    But yeah, I just met her up there. And I¡¯m not sure why, but she looked approachable, so I just kinda said hi¡­ We¡¯ve been talking from time to time ever since. I don¡¯t get to see her a lot, but it feels nice when I do. I missed having someone to chat with.


    There¡¯s something mysterious about her, and I can¡¯t quite tell what it is. It¡¯s like she looks so sad all the time¡­ But then she talks to you, and she hits you with this warm smile of hers! To be honest, even though she¡¯s older than me, I like her a lot. She¡¯s sweet and kind, like a big sister! Now that I think about it, she mentioned having a little sister, and she¡¯s also in the building, although she stays all the time with Julien¡¯s people, wherever they are.


    She¡¯s with Liam¡¯s group, but her little sister is with Julien¡¯s? I¡¯m not sure how that works. She didn¡¯t want to elaborate on the subject, she just said they had a ¡°reason¡± to be where they were. Actually, she looked quite uncomfortable when talking about it, so I made sure not to pressure her anymore. It left me thinking, though¡­


    Anyway, I¡¯m glad I made a friend! I¡¯ve been so lonely lately. Writing these words down has been my only way of coping. Fortunately, now I have someone else to share them with.


    [June 15]


    Julien and his goons gave us extra food rations today. Weird.


    The separation between Liam and Julien has grown bigger. Both groups stay away from each other at all times, except when distributing loot from the scavenging parties, or when we have some kind of meeting to talk about stuff. Well, more like, to argue about stuff.


    The groups keep their own storage of supplies, which get distributed evenly depending on the amount of people on each side. If there¡¯s extra supplies, they go to a special backup storage we should only use in case of an emergency. The system seems to work as it is. So why would they go out of their way to gift us food?


    It feels like they¡¯re just trying to buy people over. By this time, it¡¯s pretty obvious Julien has a personal grudge against Liam, and he¡¯s yearning to get him out of the picture by any means.


    I fear things might take an ugly turn at some point. A really, really ugly turn. And that man just seems so satisfied with this result. Always so arrogant¡­


    I hate Julien.


    [June 27]


    Something¡¯s wrong.


    Several supplies were gone from the backup storage some days ago. Yesterday, they were found on Liam¡¯s storage room. Nobody is taking the blame. Why would anyone do this? As far as I know, we¡¯re getting enough stuff to survive, even if things are a little rough. Resorting to theft isn¡¯t going to make the situation any better. At the very least, they could have asked first, right? But nobody did.


    It doesn¡¯t add up. Liam also thinks it¡¯s suspicious. But nobody is listening to reason, they are fighting with each other now. Again. Someone even blamed me at some point. Can you believe it!? Why the fuck does it matter if I¡¯m quiet and try to not get involved with all their nonsense!? I think they also tried to blame Nora. To be honest, I think everyone got the blame thrown at them in one way or another.


    Things have been tense ever since. I thought we could eventually bond as a group and work together. But right now, everyone is staying away from each other, nobody trusts anyone but themselves.


    I don¡¯t like it.


    [September 20]


    It¡¯s been a while since I wrote the last entry, right? Some ¡°diary¡± this is.


    Anyway, this is big. Julien just requested a meeting today. And you won¡¯t believe what kind of news he dropped on us.


    As it turns out, they now have a working radio. You know, those traditional radios that apparently work even when everything else stops working? I have no idea how any of that goes, but they have a dude who knows. The thing is, they contacted someone. The Army. Yes, you heard right, the fucking Army.


    Liam went over and confirmed that he was indeed speaking the truth. The military have been active this entire time, and they are looking into a way to save us! Apparently, they have their own issues out there, it¡¯s not as simple as just coming here and picking us up. Many of us still don¡¯t know what¡¯s actually happening in the world, they won¡¯t let us out or tell us anything, ¡°for our own safety¡±. I call bullshit on that.


    Still, as uncomfortable as things have been, this has to be a good sign, right? Finally!


    [September 21]


    I take it back. There¡¯s something fishy about this.


    Nora came to me today. She was in pieces. I¡¯ve never seen her like this, it took me aback. Seeing how we now have new hopes of getting rescued, the morale has improved a lot, everyone should be full of renewed strength. But¡­ it¡¯s like it had the completely opposite effect on her.


    She just¡­ cried. I tried to ask her what was going on, but she couldn¡¯t tell me. Or rather, she didn¡¯t want to do it. She said she needed to let those tears out, and I was the only one she could rely on for such a thing.


    Damn it, I¡¯m getting emotional about this again¡­ I ended up crying with her too, it felt awful to see her like that. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with her¡­


    I¡¯ll see if I can figure it out, somehow. After bonding with her over the last couple of months, I can¡¯t stand seeing her like this.


    I just want to help my friend. You would too, right?


    ******


    Claire let go of the pen and stretched back on her seat. She looked out the window. The vast city extended all the way to the horizon, the last shy rays of sun washing over the sea of buildings.


    Night was about to fall, and she should probably be getting ready to sleep, but she felt restless. She couldn¡¯t get Nora out of her head. Even though she always had a gloomy side to her, that kind of breakdown was quite uncharacteristic. It felt off.


    Claire stood up and headed towards the office¡¯s door, dodging boxes and piles of books on her way out. She wasn¡¯t sure about what she was going to say to her, but she wanted to meet her one last time before bedtime. If anything, she wanted to make sure she was okay, and provide her with some more support, if possible.


    The main office area was as dark as it was deserted. Since almost everyone had an entire room for themselves, the common areas were usually empty at that time of the day. She walked down the hallway past the ocean of cubicles, towards the opposite wing of that floor.


    ¡­


    She could barely see anything, but she knew the place enough that she didn¡¯t need to see. Stumbling around in the dark, she approached Nora¡¯s door. She was about to knock, but something stopped her from doing it. Something she didn¡¯t expect.


    She could hear noise coming from within. Subtle yet sorrowful crying, along with sniffling. And a voice. A male voice she didn¡¯t know.


    A knot formed on Claire¡¯s stomach. She wanted to do something about it, but she somehow knew it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. She put her ear to the door, hoping to get a glimpse of what was happening inside.


    A low mumbling, indecipherable. Claire stood still for a while, trying to make something out of it, clenching her fists with each sob that reached her ears. She didn¡¯t need to peek into the room to feel Nora¡¯s tears and distress.


    She was so bewildered by the situation she almost didn¡¯t notice the sudden silence, and the steps approaching the door. She quickly scurried away and behind a nearby corner. From the cover of darkness, she heard the squeaking sound of the door opening, and heavy steps walking out into the hallway. The door closed again.


    The steps echoed down the corridor in her direction.


    *ba-dum, ba-dum* *ba-dum, ba-dum* *ba-dum, ba-dum*


    Claire felt like the sound of her heartbeat would give away her position. She pressed her hands against her mouth and held her breath. She knew she¡¯d be in real trouble if she was spotted, she felt a dreadful sense of danger washing over her.


    The unknown individual walked past her, unaware of her presence. The lack of light made it impossible to identify who he was though.


    For an instant, Claire thought about rushing to Nora¡¯s aid. But before she made any move, she stopped to think for a moment. Her heart was urging her to rush to her friend¡¯s side, to help ease her suffering. Yet her instinct was focused on the mysterious man walking away from the scene.


    ¡®This might be a bad idea¡­ What do I do¡­? Nora¡­¡¯


    She pondered for a moment, and she took her choice. She had to, before she lost the only lead she had. She took off her shoes to avoid making any sound when walking around, then followed the sinister footsteps in the direction of the stairwell.


    ¡®I promise I¡¯ll come see you later, Nora¡­!¡¯


    ¡­


    Why that floor? It was an unremarkable floor. Neither Liam¡¯s group nor Julien¡¯s group lived in that area. The storage rooms were several floors higher, and the scouting parties operated much lower down. There was nothing there but empty rooms.


    The only remarkable thing was the man walking a short distance away from Claire. He didn¡¯t walk aimlessly. He wasn¡¯t particularly cautious either. He knew where he was going, and she wanted to know too.


    It¡¯d be fair to say it wasn¡¯t her business, she was sticking her nose where it didn¡¯t belong. But even with all the risks involved, she needed to know more. Her friend was suffering, that man was suspicious, and she didn¡¯t like the implications.


    The man stopped walking, right after turning a corner. Claire couldn¡¯t hear his footsteps anymore.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± a male voice broke the silence.


    ¡®Julien¡­!¡¯


    ¡°Not good. She¡¯s onto us.¡± replied the man Claire had been following.


    ¡°Is she?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She isn¡¯t certain, but she has her suspicions about what we¡¯re planning to do with Lilian.¡±


    ¡°I see, she caught on quickly¡­ Well, it¡¯s no wonder after all. Why would the military bother with us anyway? I swear, all these people are fools¡­ Give them a little hope and they light up like a Christmas tree. But of course, the military are only interested in the infected girl. The possibility of a cure is a bait they can¡¯t ignore.¡±


    ¡°Is this really going to be a good idea, though? We¡¯re going to get rid of most of them anyway, right? Why wait?¡±


    ¡°The more we gain their trust, the easier it¡¯ll be later on. Besides, we¡¯ll need their help to make it that far anyway. Or do you want to go and risk your own life gathering supplies out there?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you know what to do. And make sure you keep Nora on a leash. If she breaks down and tells someone before everything is ready, we could be in trouble. Threaten her, beat her up, whatever, I don¡¯t care. Just¡­ don¡¯t make it too obvious.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Don¡¯t worry, I know how to deal with her. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ What is she to you, anyway? A toy? What a boyfriend you are. You¡¯re despicable, Mr. Logan.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk¡­¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±

 CHAPTER 18 – COOPERATION

    [October 2]


    We¡¯re all in danger.


    I should have written this down earlier, just in case anything happened to me, but my head has been somewhere else lately.


    Julien and his people are planning something terrible.


    I¡¯m too scared to tell anyone about this. I don¡¯t know who¡¯s with him and who isn¡¯t. I¡¯m not sure I can trust anyone anymore. If someone realizes I know the truth, I might be in serious trouble. I have nowhere to run in this building.


    I¡­ I talked with Nora. She¡¯s the only person I know for sure is also a victim. At first, she tried to act like she didn¡¯t know what I was talking about, but she eventually gave in when I told her the things I had overheard.


    She broke down in tears while we talked. It¡¯s so much worse than I thought.


    Her little sister, Lilian¡­ is infected. She¡¯s a shambler. But she seems to resist the disease. Julien is planning to use her as a ticket out of the city, thanks to the military; they want her. And he plans to get rid of almost everyone else, in order to guarantee his own rescue instead of someone else¡¯s.


    _________________


    Nora has been under abuse for a long time. There¡¯s this guy, his name is Logan¡­ She¡¯s been in an abusive relationship with him for several years, and she can¡¯t get out of it because of her sister. He¡¯s threatening Nora with hurting her little sister if she does anything.


    Also, Lilian has some other medical condition that requires her to take medication. They¡¯ve taken the pills from Nora, and they are using them as a blackmailing tool as well.


    Julien and Logan are working together, supporting themselves on all this abuse as a means to control both Nora and Lilian. And since Nora is staying on Liam¡¯s side, they¡¯ve been making her do dirty work for them.


    Remember when I told you about some stolen supplies being found on Liam¡¯s storage? Well, I suppose you can imagine who the culprit was. She had no choice. And that wasn¡¯t the only thing she¡¯s had to do, it¡¯s horrible.


    I¡¯m both terrified and angry. I have to do something. I promised Nora I¡¯d find a way to help her, to help both her and her sister. She doesn¡¯t believe there¡¯s much to be done, I feel like she¡¯s just resigning to her fate. I¡¯m starting to understand her a bit better, I just wish I had noticed her suffering before.


    I think I have an idea of what to do. I just need to wait for the right moment¡­


    [October 13]


    These people are insane. Everyone has lost their minds.


    I think the Army is about to make their move. Julien has assured us that rescue is imminent. Everyone is flocking to him, even Liam. Hostilities have ceased almost entirely; he¡¯s capitalizing on the situation to paint himself as some kind of savior. And it¡¯s working, I don¡¯t get it. Everyone is starting to praise his leadership, and every time I see that smug look on his face, I¡­


    I took the risk and talked to Liam about what I know, about Julien¡¯s true intentions. He didn¡¯t believe me. He said I must be imagining things because of the pressure, that I should rest and take it easy. Easy my ass!


    I¡¯m sorry, Nora. We¡¯re probably on our own. But don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯ll make it work.


    I promise.


    [October 15]


    I saw red smoke rising up from the city, a good distance away, at sunset. I think everyone saw it. There was also this insanely loud siren sound, coming from somewhere in that direction.


    Julien disregarded it, he said it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with our ¡°rescue¡±. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d lie about something like this. It¡¯d be a missed chance to make everyone love him even more.


    Other people, perhaps? Maybe there¡¯s someone else out there, after all.


    I¡¯ll keep it in mind.


    [October 16]


    This will be my last entry. Thank you, diary, for letting me share things with you all this time.


    We¡¯re getting out of this cursed place. Nora, Lilian and me.


    We¡¯ll be heading south, towards the place where the red smoke came from. It looks like some big multi-story building from up here.


    I¡¯ll leave this diary somewhere outside the building. If you happen to find it, whoever you are, don¡¯t go inside. It¡¯s probably infested with shamblers.


    Beware of Julien and his people.


    Good luck.


    ######


    Claire gulped. Her mouth felt dry, and her voice was hoarse. She hadn¡¯t disclosed every single detail, she tried to leave her own emotions out of the story, but she was pretty sure she went over everything she considered relevant. William didn¡¯t interrupt her even once, he let her speak.


    ¡°I think you know the rest¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t see anything in the pitch darkness, but somehow, she felt William¡¯s eyes piercing her from the other side of the room.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± he replied.


    An uncomfortable period of silence ensued. She wasn¡¯t sure how long it was, but it felt like an eternity. She heard a subtle ringing in her ears, she found it difficult to focus on anything.


    ¡°So¡­?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ we should cooperate with them for now.¡± he said.


    ¡°What¡­!?¡± her voice sounded almost squeaky. ¡°Have you lost your mind too!? After hearing what I just told you, that¡¯s what you suggest¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡±


    ¡°W-Well¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as we remain locked up in here, we won¡¯t be able to find a chance to turn this mess around.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    William sighed. He didn¡¯t say anything else, though. She couldn¡¯t see his face, but just by the sound of his voice, he seemed tired. Tired, and distant. Like his mind was busy with something in particular.


    Another period of silence.


    ¡°Can I ask you something¡­?¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±


    ¡°Did it help¡­? What I just told you¡­? Any of it¡­?¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°¡­Perhaps¡­¡±


    What kind of answer was that? Claire didn¡¯t know what to make of it. William was hard to read. But at the very least, it wasn¡¯t a direct negative. And if it meant he was willing to keep going even a little more, in her eyes, it was worth it.


    ******


    Sympathy? Maybe. Their story made sense. William understood, a background of abuse and constant threats could justify their behavior. The circumstances surrounding Lilian were a fair reason for their secrecy. All in all, it made sense. However, it didn¡¯t make it more acceptable for him. It didn¡¯t matter how valid their reasons were, it still felt like they were dragging him into their own issues. Issues that had nothing to do with him.


    He was tired. And yet¡­ he saw something in Claire¡¯s story. It was a small detail, something the girl probably didn¡¯t give much consideration or thought. But he did. Hope, perhaps? He didn¡¯t know how to describe it. He didn¡¯t even know if it was a tangible or logical possibility. What he did know for sure, was that he had no time to think about it. There were other issues at hand.


    He stared at the closed double doors in front of him, secured with a metal bar. The glass windows granted them view of the other side, but it was nothing but a black void. He stood side by side with Claire and with other two people from Marcus¡¯ group. They were told their names, but he didn¡¯t bother remembering them.


    He and one of the men were holding long wooden poles with a U-shaped metal head at the end. Claire and the other man had metal bats. The goons guarding the door got ready to lift the safety bar and open it.


    It might have been a nice chance to plan an escape, if it weren¡¯t for the armed guards standing a safe distance away, holding the weapons they confiscated from them a while ago.


    ¡®Tch¡­ Damn it¡­¡¯


    William remembered their conversation with Marcus some minutes before.


    ######


    ¡°So, you decided to cooperate? Just like that? Seems like a fairly sudden change of heart.¡±


    William didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll put you two to work.¡± Marcus turned around to face the men behind him. ¡°Make sure you keep them under surveillance. You don¡¯t have to be a genius to realize they aren¡¯t at good terms with us.¡± he looked at William and Claire again. ¡°As I said before, I hope we can eventually reach a mutual understanding. Now, follow me.¡±


    Once their restraints were undone, they walked out of the restroom, with armed guards following them a couple of meters behind. They were taking risks by letting them walk around physically unrestrained, but it would definitely be a bad idea to try something while so heavily surrounded. William¡¯s eyes zipped from side to side, from corner to corner. He didn¡¯t do anything. He moved on.


    Marcus seemed adamant on gaining their trust. William was confused, that man puzzled him as much as he annoyed him.


    ¡°As I told you before, an outbreak destroyed a good part of our community about a week ago before we managed to contain it. That section of the subway has been blocked off, and the shamblers sealed within. They should be pretty starved and tame by now. I want you to go in there and recover some essential supplies that were left behind.¡±


    ¡°What..!? You¡¯re going to send us into a shambler nest!?¡± replied William. He wasn¡¯t exactly happy about this proposition.


    ¡°A n-nest¡­?¡± asked Claire.


    ¡°Whenever a big group of shamblers became stuck inside a building, we used to mark it as a nest¡­ It¡¯s basically a death trap¡­! You fucker¡­ If you want to kill us, do it right here!¡±


    ¡°All the entrances to that section are closed, there¡¯s no way in or out.¡± Marcus didn¡¯t seem fazed by William¡¯s angry remarks. ¡°It¡¯s almost guaranteed that they¡¯ll all be famished and exhausted. Besides, you won¡¯t go in there alone. It¡¯s two of you, so I¡¯ll also send two of my men with you. I believe it¡¯s only fair.¡±


    ¡°Tch¡­!¡± William lowered his eyes away from Marcus. He¡¯d rather not look at his face. It felt like he wanted to punch it every time he did.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be looking for anything that could be of use, especially food and water. But the one thing you need to bring back is¡­ a certain briefcase.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­!?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go into details. But the briefcase is important. Of course, my people need other, more immediate resources. Which is why I¡¯m also requesting that you recover food and drinks. Just¡­ make sure you find the briefcase.¡±


    Suspicious. Why would a briefcase matter in such a situation? What could the contents possibly be, for them to be the main focus? William looked at the men surrounding Marcus. They looked just as confused as he was. Tightened lips, raised eyebrows, nervous stares. He had the feeling that the briefcase was important for Marcus, and for Marcus alone.


    Still, they were in no position to negotiate. The guns pointing at them were a pretty strong form of diplomacy. And none of the men looked like they were against it, as long as food and beverages were involved.


    ######


    The door made a slight creak as it swung open, revealing a deep darkness within. The flashlights flared up, bathing the empty hallway in light.


    ¡°Alright, remember what we talked about. Don¡¯t engage them if we encounter them. Just push them aside and keep going.¡± said one of the men accompanying them.


    ¡°Um¡­ E-Excuse me¡­ Why can¡¯t we just kill them¡­? Aren¡¯t they supposed to be really weak and slow right now?¡± asked Claire.


    ¡°Killing them would be a really bad idea, kid. Unless you want unnecessary attention.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°Actually, he might be right¡­¡± added William. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to like it when other shamblers die¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Now focus and let¡¯s move on. We have work to do.¡±


    Those two men looked big and strong. Still, the occasional sweat drop falling from their faces, the restless looks, the tight grip on their weapons and tools¡­ All of them signs of stress. Everyone was on edge. And the gaping dark maw opening in front of them appeared to feed on that tension.


    William stayed aware of his surroundings. A sealed nest of shamblers in front, no possible escape routes, armed people watching the entrance¡­ That wouldn¡¯t be a good moment to try anything funny either. They¡¯d just have to play along and try their best to stay alive. Who knows, if they brought back enough food, they might even get their share as well. Although somehow, he doubted it.


    The group stepped into the depths of the subway, and soon turned a corner, leaving the apparent safety of the shelter far behind. William despised Marcus and his people, but he still preferred their company rather than wandering into a shambler infestation.


    ¡°Fucking hell¡­¡± he whispered.


    One of the men threw him a quick gaze.


    ¡°Between you and me¡­ There¡¯re better and safer options to find food. Whatever is in that briefcase, Marcus wants it. It¡¯s the only thing he wants from this.¡±


    ¡°I-I thought he wanted to help you all¡­ Doesn¡¯t he care if you die¡­?¡± asked Claire with barely audible voice.


    ¡°When he came here and he founded our community, he was some kind of doctor. I think he was researching something. And he had that briefcase with him already. Listen, his leadership has been bright so far, and I think he really wants to help people¡­ But whatever is in that briefcase, it must be important.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you sure you should be telling them this stuff¡­?¡± asked the other man.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of this shit, man. I don¡¯t want to be enemies with anybody. All I know is that Marcus really values that briefcase, and we might get an extra ration or two if we manage to bring it back. That¡¯s why we volunteered for this job, right? Come on, Owen. I have a family to feed back there, and you do too. You should know it well, man. We need to leave differences aside and work together, at least until we¡¯re out of this shithole.¡±


    Owen said nothing in response. Neither did William or Claire. To be honest, William didn¡¯t ask for a goddamn lecture, but any information he could get on Marcus was welcome anyway. And as a matter of fact, that little piece of information was particularly welcome.


    ¡®A doctor, huh¡­?¡¯


    ¡­


    They advanced further into the subway, eyes on all directions, their flashlights swaying with their every step. Then, they heard something, as several silhouettes stood out in front of the light.


    ¡°Watch out¡­ We¡¯ve got company¡­¡± said one of the men.


    Three shamblers, completely still, staring at the group of intruders. Like the ones they spotted in the sewers, their bones creaked and their teeth seemed to chatter as they attempted to drag themselves in their direction.


    William noticed how they looked much ¡°fresher¡± than the ones he was used to seeing on the outside. The color of their skin felt warmer under the light, their muscles still clinging to their bones. The blood dripping from their wounds and drenching their bodies shined eerily, still not fully congealed or dry.


    However, unlike the ones in the sewers, these were inching in their direction, albeit at an almost laughable pace. Still, it was enough to make the group aware of the threat.


    ¡°Alright¡­ Let¡¯s do this¡­¡± said the man at the front, pointing the U-shaped tool at the nearest shambler¡¯s body.


    With a decisive and strong shove, the shambler lost his balance and fell back. It squirmed and struggled on the floor, but judging by the weakness of its movements, it was unlikely to be able to get back up.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you do it. Come on, our objective is deeper within. And watch your step, stay away from them.¡±


    After shoving down the remaining two shamblers, William followed the two men onwards, with Claire trembling and sticking unusually close behind him.


    ******


    [Food. Food. Food. Food? Food. Food???]


    [No.]


    [Pain. Pain. Pain. It hurts. It hurts. Pain? Pain. Danger.]


    [Danger.]


    [Help. Help. Helphelphelphelphelp¡ª]


    The shambler contorted on the ground, a dribble of blood emerging from its mouth as it tried to drag itself back up. Its eyes suddenly lit up in the darkness with a sinister blue bioluminescence. And there, laying on the floor, its jaws opened wide. No sound came out of its throat.


    There, in complete silence, the shambler screamed.

 CHAPTER 19 – NEST

    ¡°You people seem quite used to this¡­¡± said William. ¡°We¡¯d never mess around with nests like this¡­¡±


    ¡°They are usually packed with resources. Surviving is a gamble, but sometimes you need to take the risk. Still¡­ This one is way too recent. I think we should have waited a couple more days before heading inside. Marcus has been restless ever since the outbreak¡­¡± replied the man leading the group.


    ¡°Um¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we be quiet¡­?¡± asked Claire, her eyes zooming from side to side, as if expecting a shambler to jump at them from the shadows.


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless. As long as they are in the dark, they can sense our presence at all times, even if they are weakened. Their senses are weird, don¡¯t think about it too much.¡± the man threw her a quick look as he spoke.


    Claire nodded and kept walking behind the group. She didn¡¯t feel safe staying at the back. She kept throwing constant glances at the dark hallway behind her. The swaying beams of light from the flashlights bounced back in irregular patterns, making it look like creepy shapes were slithering after them at every turn. Of course, there was no such thing, but she was stressed enough to believe it.


    There was something different about that place. Claire had already seen a couple of unsettling places before, but none of them had been as bad as those tunnels. Thinking back, the memories from her old skyscraper shelter gave her nothing but frustration and depression. William¡¯s apartments were disturbingly quiet and full of a strange sense of loss, like something was amiss. The sewers were scary and smelled like shit. Every location had its own twisted identity. But that subway¡­ that was a new one for her. It smelled like death. Fresh death.


    As they walked deeper into the hallways, they had to find their way around all sorts of stuff laying on the ground. Garbage, boxes filled with various items, clothes¡­ All of them strewn all over the place. And it was no wonder why. The pools and stains of blood, not completely dry yet, were left as a testament of the panic that probably took hold of the place once the outbreak started; and of its deadly consequences.


    Claire covered her mouth and nose with her hand. The smell of blood felt nauseating.


    Deep within her mind, she had the impression of staring at the consequences of her own actions. All things considered, she hadn¡¯t expected Lilian¡¯s bite to actually spread the disease. But in all honesty, she should have. After all, even if she was resistant, she was still infected, and therefore was a carrier, yet another disease vector. However, all that death was caused by a single infected, and she had a chance of stopping him, a chance she missed. What if¡­?


    ¡®Come on, Claire¡­ Stop it¡­ You can¡¯t be carrying the guilt for every single thing that happens¡­ This is just stupid, and you know it¡­ Focus¡­¡¯


    She gave herself a couple of subtle slaps on the cheeks, shooing her intrusive thoughts away. She didn¡¯t need any more sources of guilt on her shoulders. She had enough of those already.


    The sound of a dull, heavy impact brought her attention back to her surroundings. Another pair of shamblers, attempting to wave their arms as they fell down.


    ¡°Our supplies are in a small staff-only area ahead. Keep your eyes open.¡±


    ******


    Owen shuddered. They had raided shambler-populated buildings before, they knew how to handle them. And they knew how risky it was. They had enough close calls already, enough losses. They had learned to stay alert and aware of their own surroundings at all times.


    The subway didn¡¯t feel safe. The shamblers were still able to move. Weak, pained movements, but enough to make his brain throw danger signals. Their eyes, usually dull and devoid of life, gradually lighted up in a sickly blue hue as their bodies were knocked over.


    Owen threw Jonah a shifty, nervous look. His friend reciprocated. He had noticed too. And to be fair, it was very likely that Marcus knew as well.


    It was uncharacteristic of him to undertake such risks. Something was going on. A lot of events had taken place in a short amount of time. An outbreak inside the shelter, the arrival of that suspicious suited man and his lackeys, the strange girl showing up out of nowhere¡­ He took a peek at William and Claire. Yet another unexpected event, emerging from the tunnels loaded with guns, throwing shit at them, and then all of a sudden deciding to behave and cooperate.


    Owen had the feeling that all these events were related to one another, and he didn¡¯t like it. Was Marcus rushing things? Did he expect even more crazy things to take place? Only time would tell.


    Jonah gave him a silent signal with his hand. The staff-only area was just a couple of meters ahead, behind a closed door in the wall of the tunnel.


    ******


    A simple lounge with some broken vending machines, a locker room, a couple of offices, restrooms¡­ The place was small and moderately cramped, but it sure looked busy. At least, it used to be busy, judging from all the chaos littering the ground.


    Claire took a look around, wary of the many open doorways.


    ¡°The place should be clear, most of the shamblers chased after the survivors on their way out. Still¡­ keep your guard up.¡± said Owen.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have encountered them on our way inside then? There was only a small bunch¡­ Was that all of them?¡± William sounded confused.


    ¡°No¡­ There¡¯s another exit close to the concourse, we lured most of them in that direction. It¡¯s a good distance away, we should be okay¡­¡±


    There was a slight hint of worry and shakiness in his voice, it didn¡¯t go unnoticed for Claire. Were they really going to be okay? The feeling of dread sent shivers down her spine.


    ¡°That office, that¡¯s where Marcus used to spend most of his time. His briefcase must be in there, somewhere.¡± Jonah started pointing at the open doors as he spoke. ¡°That other room over there was our storage. Let¡¯s see what we can salvage. Come on, let¡¯s get to work.¡±


    ¡­


    The office was cold, much colder than the rest of the subway. Claire figured that freezing sensation was just her nerves keeping her on edge upon facing the darkness on her own, but she couldn¡¯t help but shiver for a couple of seconds.


    She aimed her flashlight from side to side. The room was clear, at least at first glance. She sighed, gulped and stepped forward.


    Everything was quite unremarkable. A desk, shelves, boxes¡­ Almost every conceivable flat surface was covered with all kinds of paperwork, documents, folders and books. Claire approached the central desk, laid her bat against its side, and took a look at the documents.


    ¡®This is¡­ Oh man¡­ Microbiology¡­? They did say this guy was researching something, but¡­ This stuff is all related to diseases, pathogens¡­ It¡¯s all medical research.¡¯


    The shamblers came to Claire¡¯s mind. Was Marcus¡¯ research related to them¡­? She was uncertain, and apparently so was everyone else. And without confirmation from the man himself, it was difficult to know for sure.


    But she had no time to waste reading documents. She proceeded to rummage through the drawers, unearthing more and more piles of paper. She squinted her eyes through the tools and basic laboratory equipment that lined the shelves. Nothing.


    ¡°Hufff¡­¡±


    She crouched down beside the shelving unit with the intention of inspecting a nearby box, when her eyes rested on the thick shadows that peeked from below the shelves. On a hunch, she got on all fours, reached underneath and felt around. Her hand touched something cold. Something metallic.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±


    Her fingers managed to grasp a handle on the strange object, and she pulled it out. It was heavy, much heavier than its size would suggest. Upon looking at it under the light of the flashlight, it looked even heavier. The briefcase was quite small, the size of a book. The outer shell had a strong metallic glint and barely a couple of scratches, most likely stainless steel. It remained sealed with an electronic locking device, with a narrow slit for some kind of key card.


    It wasn¡¯t an ordinary briefcase, that was for sure.


    ¡®This really looks secure, huh¡­ I wonder what¡¯s inside¡­ It must be important indeed¡­¡¯


    Claire grabbed it by the handle and got up, having to make a considerable effort to lift it. She hung the flashlight from a pocket on her jacket, and went to grab her bat, when she noticed something laying on top of the desk. It was in plain view, but for some reason it didn¡¯t grab her attention until that moment.


    It looked like a small, brown foldable object. A wallet? She picked it up, and opened it to take a look, out of curiosity.


    She gasped.


    ¡®This is¡­! No way¡­! This guy is¡ª!¡¯


    ¡°Oh, fuck!! Hey, we¡¯re in trouble¡­!! We need to leave now!!¡± a male voice screamed outside the office.


    Claire jumped on the spot and let out a soft squeal. She hurriedly put the mysterious wallet on her pocket, grabbed the bat and rushed out of the office.


    ******


    William closed the zipper of his backpack, loaded with various supplies, with a particular focus on food and bottled water. Even as he searched the cabinets and boxes, he had kept watch over Owain at all times. Was it Owain? Owen? He still didn¡¯t bother making the effort of caring about those guys or their names. In his eyes they were all the same: people who couldn¡¯t be trusted, no matter whether they looked like assholes or not.


    He only had interest on a select number of people in that shelter, and none of them were present. Overthinking things wouldn¡¯t achieve anything, not until they got out of that nest. He wore his backpack and stood up.


    ¡°Is this it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, this should be enough for now¡­¡± replied Ow-whatever. ¡°Let¡¯s check with the girl, see if she found the briefcase, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck!! Hey, we¡¯re in trouble¡­!! We need to leave now!!¡± a male voice screamed outside the office.


    ¡°Huh!? Jonah!? What¡¯s going on out there!?¡± Owen ran to the door and aimed his flashlight outside.


    Jonah, who had been left watching the entrance to the staff-only area, came barrelling down the hallway in their direction with a concerned look on his face.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming!! Shamblers!!¡±


    ¡°Shit! How many!?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s all of them!!¡±


    ¡°Tch¡­! Fools¡­! The nest is still active, I knew it! I knew this was a crazy idea¡­!¡± complained William. He left the storage room, almost pushing Jonah aside on his way out. ¡°Claire!! We need to leave!!¡±


    Claire emerged from a nearby doorway, nearly tripping with nearby garbage. She carried a heavy-looking metal briefcase.


    ¡°A-Aah¡­! W-What¡¯s happening¡­!?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Shamblers, that¡¯s what!¡±


    ¡®Why did I even agree to help these psychos¡­!? Talk about having regrets¡­! This is stupid, and it¡¯s going to get us all killed¡­!¡¯


    Before they had the chance to exchange any more words, the other two men sprinted down the entrance corridor.


    ¡°Move!!!¡±


    William and Claire followed behind. He noticed how his heartbeats escalated in magnitude with every leap he took, as they approached the door leading back into the main subway hallway. The group crashed against the door and busted it open without a second thought, only to be met with a faint blue glow coming from the corridor to their right.


    Creeping from the shadows, a mass of shamblers occupied the entire width of the tunnel and dragged itself towards them. Their movements were still weak, but an unseen force seemed to drive their muscles, fuelling them in one last effort to get their hands on fresh prey. Their hunger-filled eyes, dull and milky when they entered the tunnels, now shined blue, possessed with ravenous malice.


    ¡®They¡¯re desperate¡­!¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s the way we came from¡­! Is there really no other exit!?¡± asked William.


    ¡°Shit¡­! This tunnel leads to another subway platform, but it¡¯s barricaded!¡± replied Owen.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go!!¡±


    ¡°But I just said it¡¯s blocked, there¡¯s no way to get out¡­!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to figure it out, damn it!!¡± William used his U-shaped tool to shove back a shambler who got too close. It barely made a difference, since the rest of the mass kept pushing it forward, preventing it from falling down. ¡°Fucking move!!¡±


    They ran. A mad sprint that hardly lasted a minute, but it felt eternal. All William heard was everyone¡¯s panicked breaths, their disorderly footsteps echoing down the corridors and the choir of wails following their trail. Down some stairs, turn a corner, and then he saw light at the end of the tunnel. Light seeping through the cracks of a mess of boards and furniture.


    ¡°Heeeey!!! Is anyone there!!? Heeeeey!!!!¡± Jonah shouted the instant he spotted the barricade.


    Surprised murmurs could be heard coming from the other side. Both Owen and Jonah rushed to the blockade and started loudly talking with the guards on the other side. William turned to face Claire, who was panting and trying to catch her breath while staring with horror at the dark tunnel behind them.


    ¡°Hey¡­! Put that thing in my backpack!¡± he said. ¡°If we have to fight, you¡¯ll need both of your hands!¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­! Okay¡­!¡±


    William turned around and let Claire open his backpack and stuff the briefcase inside. Luckily, it fit. He felt its weight the moment she let go of it.


    ¡®What the hell is this thing made of¡­!? It better be worth the trouble, god damn it¡­!¡¯


    ¡°Stop fucking around, asshole!!!¡± Owen started shouting at the top of his lungs, drawing William¡¯s attention back to the exit. ¡°This is no joke! You need to help us!! We even have what Marcus wanted us to retrieve!!¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­! The shamblers¡­!¡± a confused voice came from the other side.


    ¡°H-Hey¡­ Can¡¯t we just¡­ wait it out¡­? At least now we know where the important stuff is¡­!¡± another voice, barely audible over the cacophony of the incoming shambler horde.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me¡­!!¡± Owen kept screaming.


    ¡°Guys¡­!! You can¡¯t leave us here like this¡­!¡± Jonah pleaded with the people on the other side, who remained silent.


    ¡°They don¡¯t look too willing to help, do they!? Fucking idiots¡­!¡± William held his pushing tool firmly. ¡°One of you, start tearing at that barricade however you can! The rest, grab the bats and get ready! And get the backpacks off, they¡¯ll impair us!¡±


    ¡°This is madness, man!¡± said Jonah. He showed hesitation, but he did follow William¡¯s advice and dropped his backpack near the barricade.


    ¡°Do you have any other ideas!? Do you want to die for nothing!?¡±


    No, he couldn¡¯t allow himself to die, not just yet. After finding a new sliver of hope, something to cling to, he had to see it through to the very end, as improbable as it might be. Or at least, he wanted to try.


    After getting rid of his own bag, he charged towards the approaching shamblers. They needed to stop their advance as much as possible. Without thinking twice about it, he shoved with all his might at the closest shambler¡¯s legs. The impact caused it to trip forward, causing it to fall flat on the floor. He quickly pulled back his tool, which almost got caught under the fallen corpse.


    ¡®They¡¯ll surely be slower if they¡¯re crawling¡­!¡¯


    Claire and Jonah approached him from behind, armed with the metal bats. Claire was as terrified as Jonah was angry. Her shaky hands were threatening to drop the weapon at any moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate, go for their heads!!¡± yelled William as he knocked another shambler down. ¡°You hear me, Claire!? Don¡¯t think, just go for it!! And watch out for their hands!!¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­! S-Shit¡­!!¡± after a couple of seconds of hesitation, Claire gritted her teeth, tightened her grip as much as she could, and dropped the bat with all her might on the closest head.


    ******


    The boards were loose. No part of that barricade had been put together with even a figment of care or technique. They had jammed everything they could, as fast as they could, in order to contain the threat. But that didn¡¯t make it any easier to pull apart. Everything was wedged in, stuck in place.


    Owen pulled and shook as hard as he could, the wood rattling in response.


    ¡°Fucking hell¡­!! Come on¡­!! Come on¡­!!!¡±


    The board started dislodging itself, but several chairs and tables intertwined with each other and with the board prevented it from coming off completely. He tried grabbing something else. He didn¡¯t care what it was, he just prayed that something would eventually come off. He didn¡¯t want to die. His wife was waiting out there, she was counting on him. He couldn¡¯t die like that.


    ¡°Fuck¡­!! Move¡­!!! Fuuuuck!!!¡±


    Behind him, he could hear the rest of the group struggle. He heard the wails of the shamblers as they dropped to the floor, he heard the sound of the bats crashing against their skulls, he heard his teammates panting and yelling as they fought for their lives.


    He pulled harder, placing his foot on the barricade itself so he could exert as much strength as possible over the piece of wood.


    ¡°Fuck this shit¡­! I¡¯m doing this, man¡­!¡± a voice came from the other side. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­! I can¡¯t deal with this, I can¡¯t let them down like this, dude¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­! For real¡­!? B-But¡­!¡± the other voice seemed hesitant.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up already and go get help¡­!¡±


    ¡°S-Shit¡­!¡±


    The barricade started rattling and shaking, someone had started pulling at it from the other side.


    ¡°Hang in there!! We¡¯ll get you out¡­!!¡±

 CHAPTER 20 – MARTYR

    How many people lived in that shelter? Did Marcus go around taking under his wing every single survivor he found? It felt like the entire damn city was down there, clogging the tunnel, and slowly but steadily closing in on them. The ones at the back seemed to nudge the ones at the front, making them inch forward. And every centimeter of tunnel they lost cornered the group more and more.


    William knocked another shambler down and took a quick look behind him. The barricade was still up.


    ¡®Damn it¡­!¡¯


    He turned around towards the horde and proceeded to kick and stomp at one of the zombies, who had managed to crawl way too close to him. Sweat poured down his forehead.


    Not a single one of those shamblers would¡¯ve been a threat by itself, not with their lack of energy. But strength in numbers made up for their weakness.


    Claire and Jonah yelled and groaned as they kept smashing and beating whatever got too close. Corpses littered the floor, globs of blood splattered the walls, their clothes became messed up and dirty with God knows what¡­ It was there, in the face of adversity, where William¡¯s prejudice and bitterness were truly swept away. There was no time for such things anymore. His mind, boosted by adrenaline, focused only on surviving.


    Another shove. Another stomp. And another kick. And another shove. He couldn¡¯t stop, he couldn¡¯t allow exhaustion to grab hold of his limbs until they were either safe or dead.


    The piling bodies on the floor caused several shamblers to trip, a chance they took to lunge forward, extending their arms in hopes of grabbing something. And they did. One of them managed to grasp the tool William wielded, which then got caught under the weight of its body. Another one grabbed his left leg.


    ¡°Crap¡­!!¡± he shouted, while trying to break free from its hold. He kicked its head with his right leg, not with the intention to kill it, but rather to keep its mouth away from him.


    ¡°W-William¡­!!¡± Claire let out a yelp, followed by her bat crashing down on the shambler¡¯s arm. A loud snapping sound reached their ears, and William felt the pressure around his ankle disappearing.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Jonah rushed towards them and pulled at them, as another group of shamblers climbed over the ones on the floor and subsequently tripped forward like the previous ones did.


    The group fell backwards, narrowly avoiding the lethargic but restless flood of zombies. Then, a scream. Jonah let out a howl of pain. William stood up, and saw a shambler hugging Jonah¡¯s leg. Its teeth sunk deep into his flesh, fresh blood poured from the wound and pooled on the floor.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaghh¡­.!! Fuuuck¡­!!!¡± screamed Jonah.


    A swift kick to the head, and William managed to free his leg, leaving the still alive shambler yearning for more.


    ¡°O-Oh god¡­!! No¡­!!¡± Claire was still sitting on the floor, dumbfounded and looking at Jonah with a terrified expression on her face.


    ¡°Claire!! Give me that bat and go help with the barricade!! Now!!¡± William gave the order with a thunderous voice. The girl didn¡¯t complain, wasting no time in doing as instructed. ¡°And you¡­! Can you stand¡­!!?¡±


    ¡°Damn right I can¡­!¡± replied Jonah, standing up and readying his weapon, albeit gritting his teeth.


    They no longer needed to knock the shamblers down. They were now coming down in waves on their own, crawling over the ever-increasing pile of corpses, both dead and alive. However, in doing so, the horde advanced faster than before. They both swung their bats with all the strength they had left. Beating the crap out of those shamblers was the only thing left to do.


    ¡­


    ¡°Hey¡­ tough guy¡­!¡± Jonah grunted in between swings. ¡°Would you¡­ do me¡­ a favor¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­!?¡± replied William.


    ¡°My family¡­ out there¡­! Just tell them¡­ that I¡¯m sorry¡­ would you¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Is that all¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­! An apology¡­ is enough¡­!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Yeah, sure¡­!¡± William gave his answer while bashing at yet another shambler.


    He looked at Jonah, and even in the darkness, he thought he saw him smile for a brief moment. Coming to terms with his own end, just like that? Many thoughts started to make noise within William¡¯s mind, but he shook them away. There was no time to think. He kept swinging the bat instead.


    ******


    ¡°Shit¡­! Shit¡­!! Jonah¡­!! Oh, man¡­!!¡± Owen muttered to himself while pulling at the boards.


    Claire attempted to pull at something, anything, but it felt like her efforts were doing nothing at all. The jumbled mess of scrap and furniture trembled, but didn¡¯t collapse.


    ¡®Oh god¡­! We¡¯re going to die here¡­! I don¡¯t want to¡­! I don¡¯t wanna die¡­!¡¯


    The rattling had increased exponentially over the last couple of minutes: more people had arrived on the other side. A heated argument could be heard, the inhabitants of the shelter tried to reach an agreement on what to do.


    ¡°Watch your heads!!!¡± a voice slid through the cracks in the barricade.


    Claire and Owen looked up, and saw a thin and long metal object sliding through a hole in the blockage. They stepped out of the way. It fell fast, cracking the floor tiles. A crowbar.


    ¡°Use that!! Go for the lower left corner!! You just need to be able to crawl through!!¡±


    ¡°A-Alright¡­!! Thank you¡­!!¡± Claire was about to pick up the crowbar, but Owen beat her to it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pry the boards and sheets, you keep pulling and taking them out of the way!¡± he said.


    ¡°S-Sure¡­!¡±


    Banging noises. Endless rattling. The gurgles and squeals of the approaching shamblers, barely a couple of meters from the barricade. William¡¯s and Jonah¡¯s screaming. Cracking bones and spilling blood. The macabre orchestra of noises drilled Claire¡¯s ears as wood splintered, as metal bent dangerously close to her face, as her nails threatened to shatter while clawing at the pile of boards.


    Suddenly, light pierced the darkness of the tunnel, pouring from the human-sized hole on the bottom of the barricade. A hand reached inside.


    ¡°Hurry!!! Get out!!¡±


    ¡°Aaah...!!! William!!! It¡¯s open!!!¡± shouted Claire.


    ¡°Fucking finally!! Go!! We¡¯ll follow!!¡± he replied.


    ¡°Okay¡­!¡±


    She turned to Owen. He grabbed her and shoved her towards the hole.


    ¡°Come on, come on¡­!¡± he urged her to go first.


    She didn¡¯t complain. She wanted everyone to be safe and make it out, but she was damn glad she got to go first. She launched herself towards the opening. Her arms hurt like all hell, but that didn¡¯t stop her from holding onto the many arms reaching out from the other side. She held onto them for dear life, and let them drag her towards safety.


    Still laying on the floor, she looked back, and saw Owen kicking some backpacks through the hole, and then crawling through on his own.


    William was still inside.


    ******


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Hey¡­!! We need¡­ to go¡­!!¡± said William, after delivering a couple more strikes at the incoming shamblers.


    ¡°Nah¡­! You go¡­!!¡±


    ¡°You sure¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­! I won¡¯t¡­ hurt anyone¡­ in here¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Tch¡­!¡±


    ¡°Go¡­!!¡±


    A new group of shamblers started climbing over the fallen ones. The barricade was almost within arm¡¯s reach. William knew their time was up. In one last adrenaline rush, he turned around and dove towards the hole.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± William grunted one last sentence before dragging himself out.


    For an instant, he thought he heard Jonah say something under his breath. ¡°Make it count¡­¡±, perhaps? Who knows. Might as well have been a random groan from a hungry shambler.


    One last choir of growls when the horde fell against the barricade. The sound of a crowd of bodies crashing against the pile of furniture. Muffled screams.


    The chaos suddenly came to a full stop, and silence fell upon the subway once again. Shambler arms and heads attempted to peek out through the hole in the barricade.


    ¡°Plug that hole!! Quick!!¡± said someone. Several people flocked to the opening, carrying tools and worn pieces of furniture.


    ¡­


    ¡°Jonah, he¡¯s gone¡­ Shit, dude¡­¡±


    An unsettling moment of silence ensued. One of the women in the group turned her eyes towards William.


    ¡°Did you guys at least manage to get something out¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ The backpacks have food, drinks¡­ and also the thing Marcus wanted, whatever it is¡­¡± he replied.


    Many sighed in relief. However, not a single person in the group was free of concern, frustration or distress.


    It was almost ironic. As much as William initially hated those people, once thrown into the fray alongside them, once involved with their struggles, the collective desire to survive and push through adversity seemed to take over, one challenge at a time. Perhaps his hatred had been washed away by newfound hopes? That faint light at the end of the tunnel was strangely soothing. But it might as well be a fool¡¯s errand. He wouldn¡¯t know, until he got the chance to have a talk with Marcus again. And this time around, he¡¯d be the one making questions.


    He stared at Claire, and she stared back at him. She looked scared, and her arms and legs were shaking. Exertion, most likely. For someone who had never faced off against the shamblers before, she had done a good job.


    He still had mixed feelings towards her. However, he needed to get over it sooner or later. In the end, everyone was the same. She was fighting to protect Nora and Lilian. Before disaster struck him, he himself was fighting to protect his own community. The people in that shelter fought to protect their own families and friends. Even people like Jacobs or that Julien fought for something: for themselves. Everyone fought for a reason, and stayed wary of anything that was perceived as a threat. The circumstances were bitter and unfortunate, but he understood.


    He gave Claire a nod. She turned her eyes away from him, towards the floor, and let out a deep breath. Relief? Perhaps. It was probably difficult to find relief in that situation, given the fact that Lilian was captive, and Nora was nowhere to be found.


    William thought about Nora. They hadn¡¯t seen her even once since she left the apartment building that morning. With everything that had been going on, he hadn¡¯t given her any significant thought. Was she even okay¡­?


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let Marcus know about what happened¡­ Lock them away for now, and take those backpacks to the storage room, we need to take a look through their contents.¡±


    Some members of the shelter grabbed William and Claire and started taking them away.


    ¡°Hey, one last thing¡­¡± said William, causing the men to stop pushing them and listen. ¡°Jonah¡¯s family¡­ He owes them an apology¡­¡±


    Everyone stayed silent for a while.


    ¡°Is that¡­ what he said¡­?¡±


    William nodded.


    ¡°¡­alright. I¡¯ll make sure to deliver the message¡­ Thank you¡­¡±


    ******


    The cigarette consumed itself at an accelerated pace from the prolonged puff he took. It left him with an unpleasant bitter aftertaste.


    ¡°Bah¡­!¡± he proceeded to spit it out of his mouth. ¡°Fucking shitty brand¡­ Can¡¯t even enjoy a petty cig in this shithole¡­¡±


    He grumbled a couple more profanities while he approached the faint light down the hallway. A guard kept watch in silence, right beside a closed double door. His face was sweaty, his eyes opened wide and his legs looked shaky as he saw him getting closer.


    ¡°Halt¡­! Who goes there¡­?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Easy now¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re one of the newcomers¡­ Logan, was it¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been doing some errands here and there. I just got told to relieve you. You can go take a rest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank god¡­! Man, this is getting on my nerves¡­!¡±


    The guard wiped the sweat off his forehead and walked past Logan.


    ¡°I¡¯ll report back when I rejoin the others. Watch out for¡ª¡± his sentence was suddenly interrupted by a swift blow to the nape.


    The man¡¯s limbs went limp, causing him to drop like a rag.


    ¡°Welp, that was easy.¡± murmured Logan.


    He turned his attention towards the door. A metal bar kept it sealed shut. Through the reinforced glass windows, a human-shaped silhouette thrashed and scratched at the door. A shambler. Its bloodshot eyes shined with an intense blue shimmer, which branched out under its skin, following the veins all over its body. It was foaming at the mouth; and his raging, muffled gurgles demanded feeding.


    ¡°You must be the dude who died earlier¡­ What a sad sight.¡±


    He crouched down beside the fallen guard. He felt around his pockets, stealing a couple of snacks, a knife and some other utility items. Once he was satisfied, he stood back up, lifting the guard¡¯s body with him.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this¡­¡±


    ******


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± William talked to the darkness.


    ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Claire¡¯s voice answered. She sounded really tired.


    ¡°¡­you did a good job back there¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± she stayed silent for what felt like an entire minute or two. ¡°I feel like shit.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get it out of my head¡­ I feel like we should¡¯ve talked to you earlier, we should have been more open about things¡­ Especially after you went out of your way, even risking your own life, to help us¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop beating yourself because of that. It won¡¯t help anyone¡­ Listen¡­ I still don¡¯t know where I stand in all this. I don¡¯t know if I want to keep helping you, or If I want to part ways and keep struggling on my own¡­ I just know I can¡¯t really bring myself to hate you.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    More silence ensued. William couldn¡¯t see anything, he could only hear their own breathing. He thought he heard some strange noises in the distance, most likely coming from the rest of the shelter outside the restroom.


    ¡°Hey, can I ask you something¡­?¡± said Claire.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°When I told you about what happened to us, you know, before we met¡­ Well, you said it helped. Can I ask how¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­you wouldn¡¯t understand. And I¡¯m probably a fool myself for clinging to things like this. I just need to confirm something with that Marcus first.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    William didn¡¯t want to touch that subject. Not with Claire, nor with anyone else, unless necessary. And at that moment, it wasn¡¯t necessary.


    ¡°A-Ah, right¡­!¡± before he could say anything else, Claire yelped on her own. ¡°There¡¯s something I should let you know! I found something, something about Marcus¡­!¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s¡ª!¡±


    *Bang* *Bang*


    Those noises, although distant, sounded familiar. Too familiar to not recognize them. Gunshots. Both heard them, and both became silent, sharpening their ears.


    ¡°Something¡¯s up.¡± said William.


    ¡°Oh god, you think someone started a fight¡­?¡±


    The distant noise became increasingly loud. More gunshots. Muffled screams. Out of instinct, William started fighting with his bindings, trying to break free. Claire heard him struggle, and in a panic attempted to break free herself.


    Frenzied footsteps could be heard outside the door, approaching it at a rapid pace.


    ¡°Shit¡­! Someone¡¯s coming!¡± he yelled.


    The door was busted open, the light of a flashlight seeping into the restroom. The sudden flash blinded William, who grunted and turned his eyes away from its source. The noises outside kept increasing in volume. Some of them didn¡¯t sound human.


    ¡°U-Um¡­ Oh¡­!¡± the person in front of the door stuttered. It was a male.


    William knew that voice. It rang a bell inside his mind, a bell that he wished had stayed silent. He stared through the light, squinting his eyes in an attempt to make out who the intruder really was.


    ¡°Ah¡­ W-Will¡­?¡±


    ¡°No fucking way¡­! Desmond¡­!!?¡±


    The man let out a scared squeal and rushed to Claire¡¯s side. He started cutting through her bindings with a small pocket knife.


    ¡°Is that you, Desmond!!? I don¡¯t believe it!! Show me your face, you piece of shit¡­!!!¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­! I-I¡­ Oh god¡­!¡± he kept mumbling incoherent words.


    ¡°W-Who are you¡­!? What¡¯s going on¡­!?¡± Claire asked the newcomer, unaware of the circumstances.


    ¡°T-There¡¯s shamblers in the shelter¡­! You need to get out¡­! U-Um¡­! Girl, you untie him, okay¡­!?¡± he let her free and handed her his knife. ¡°Your friend¡­ your friend told me about you¡­¡±


    ¡°F-Friend¡­!? Lilian!?¡±


    ¡°N-No, not that one¡­ She¡¯s a g-grown woman¡­ Her name is N-Nora¡­¡±


    ¡°Nora is okay!!?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking and get me free already!! Do you have no shame, you fucking coward!!?¡± William screamed at Desmond from his corner.


    More gunshots and screams emerged from the corridors outside.


    ¡°Aaah¡­! There¡¯s no time, I have to g-go¡­!! The c-concourse should be s-safe¡­!¡± Desmond turned around and bolted towards the door.


    ¡°W-Wait, please¡­!! Where¡¯s Nora¡­!!!?¡± Claire stumbled while trying to stand up. ¡°Is she okay!!? I beg of you, take care of her¡­!!!¡±


    Desmond gave her one last panicked look, nodded, then disappeared out into the hallways, towards the choir of noises.


    William couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. His blood boiled in his veins. Had Claire followed him out, she would probably be able to reunite with Nora, but she obviously didn¡¯t want to leave him behind like that. Desmond could have easily untied him as well, but he probably didn¡¯t have the guts to approach him, and for a good reason. Claire was entrusting Nora to that fucking traitor, out of all people. Talk about bad choices.


    ¡°Hurry up, Claire!! Cut these up, we need to go!! Now!!!¡±

 CHAPTER 21 – OUTBREAK

    Desmond wanted to sprint towards the safety of daylight as fast as his legs allowed him to, but the woman he was pulling at kept resisting.


    ¡°L-Let go¡­!! What do you mean¡­!!? We can¡¯t leave them behind¡­!!¡± shouted Nora.


    He couldn¡¯t help but notice how much her behavior had changed since he initially found her a couple hours ago. By pure chance, cornered in a dark room, wrecked by nerves and anxiety. Even when he offered her a helping hand, it took her a while to even dare to murmur her own name.


    And there she was, willing to charge into an ongoing outbreak without a care in the world. Whatever it was that made her into a crying mess, it surely wasn¡¯t the shamblers.


    ¡°You said you were going to help them¡­!! Why are we running!? Why aren¡¯t they coming with you!?¡± she kept making questions.


    ¡°I-I¡­ I c-couldn¡¯t reach them¡­! There were s-shamblers in the way¡­!¡± an obvious lie, but he couldn¡¯t possibly tell her that he almost shat his pants and ran away upon facing William. ¡°They are cooperating with the rest of my people down there! T-They¡¯ll find an alternate way out! W-We need to g-go!¡± he said.


    In reality, the ¡°shamblers in the way¡± thing was a lie back then, but not anymore.


    There were only two passageways leading to the subway platform where everyone was staying. One of them connected with the section where the previous outbreak had happened, and was subsequently blocked off. The other one led to a major intersection connecting all platforms with the concourse on the surface.


    It was very likely they had already reached the main hallways, isolating everyone in the depths of the station. There were other ways to reach the surface down there, but it wouldn¡¯t be simple. The two of them had a direct path to the concourse though. They needed to take that chance as soon as possible. The shamblers were bound to pick up their trails soon.


    ¡°Wait!! My little sister is also in there¡­!!¡±


    ¡°T-They¡¯re taking care of her¡­!¡± yet another lie, the first one that came to his mind.


    He wanted to at least help Nora, but by no means was he planning to wander into a rampaging horde to save anyone else. He had to drag her out by any means necessary. And if she kept insisting, he¡¯d have to leave her behind, much to his dismay. The growls emanating from the depths escalated in volume at a rapid pace. Their time was up. He grabbed Nora¡¯s hand and started running towards the exit. She showed a certain degree of resistance, but she went along.


    ¡°S-Shit¡­!!¡±


    ******


    Nora¡¯s subconscious still felt torn. She had done what she always did: fool herself. Bring up her tough fa?ade, bury her emotions, and move on.


    Lilian soothed her, and she was gone. Claire understood her, and she was gone. William gave her safety, and he was gone.


    Yet she wasn¡¯t alone. That strange-looking man had showed up out of nowhere and offered her help. For all she knew, she might have signed her own death sentence the moment she accepted his offer, but what else was she supposed to do?


    Steel yourself. Swallow your tears. Those dark thoughts in your mind? Cast them aside. Get up. Move. You have to. As long as there¡¯s still hope ahead, you must.


    Nora engraved those words on her mind, over all the bottled emotions and insecurities. She only wanted to keep cowering down somewhere, to keep letting them take over her, break out without control. But it wasn¡¯t neither the place nor the moment to do so.


    Her legs moved on their own, right after Desmond. Guided by the sloppy swaying of his flashlight, they retraced the steps she had initially taken to get into the subway station, ascending the tunnels towards the concourse. Turning corners, going up stairs, turning more corners¡­ and finally, they saw weak droplets of sunlight falling upon the mechanical stairs of the entrance.


    They could have gone out right there and then, if only they were empty.


    Stumbling down the steps towards the underground hallways, a crowd of shamblers poured from the concourse ground level. Their attention seemingly set on something deep within, they crawled and dragged themselves to the darkness. As they advanced, their movements became faster. Their bodies started to glow, their veins pulsating under their skin. Their eyes snapped erratically in many directions, as if trying to acknowledge input coming from everywhere at once.


    Nora and Desmond froze on the spot. They were trapped. Shamblers in front of them, shamblers somewhere behind, all of them closing in on them at increasingly fast speeds. Nora started sweating and trembling from the sudden realization.


    ¡®W-What now¡­!? Oh god¡­!¡¯


    Desmond grabbed her arm and yanked at her, dragging her back inside.


    ¡°Q-Quick¡­! This way¡­!¡± he said.


    She didn¡¯t question him, whatever idea he had was probably better than letting the shamblers feast on them. They screeched and screamed behind them, angry that their prey was running away.


    The darkness of the tunnels felt even more oppressing than it did before. They could still sprint faster than the zombies, but they¡¯d lose that advantage soon. Would it matter, anyway? What were they even going to do?


    Suddenly, Desmond stopped running. She wasn¡¯t expecting him to stop, causing her to almost ram him as a result.


    ¡°Ow¡­! H-Hey¡­!¡± she complained.


    ¡°Here¡­! Quick¡­!¡±


    He fumbled with the doorknob of a door, surprisingly well hidden in the wall of the tunnel. It wouldn¡¯t be hidden if the subway was properly lit; but within the darkness, it was impossible to spot unless aiming the flashlight directly at it.


    ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s open. It¡¯s n-not supposed to be, I have a key¡­ Anyway, get in!¡± he mumbled, swinging the door open.


    Nora followed him inside without a moment of hesitation. With exceptional ease despite being in a dark environment and having one hand occupied with the flashlight, Desmond pulled out a keyring, identified the right key at a first glance, and locked the door from the inside. He slithered away from the door, staring at it with a mix of fear and doubt. His face was covered in sweat, his eyes bouncing up and down the entire wall as if expecting something to burst through at any moment.


    Nora braced for the worst, as a low rumbling noise got closer and closer, along with the symphony of growls and roars she already knew so well. That door wouldn¡¯t hold. If the entire horde charged against it, they¡¯d tear it to pieces. Why were they waiting? She wanted to keep running into the unknown behind her, but Desmond¡¯s stillness enticed her to stay.


    A couple of seconds later, they could hear the unsettling noise right behind the door. They walked up to it, they banged against it, and they kept walking past it towards the depths of the subway. They didn¡¯t insist.


    Nora observed in shock, she didn¡¯t even notice her jaw dropping. Desmond turned around, gave her a signal to follow, and started tip-toeing down the corridor. None of them uttered a word until they were a good distance away from the door.


    ¡°W-Why are they ignoring us¡­? They should be aware of our presence¡­¡± whispered Nora.


    ¡°They are¡­ I-I think they are more interested in what¡¯s happening d-down there¡­¡±


    Nora gulped and clenched her fists.


    ¡®Please¡­ Please¡­ Lilian, Claire¡­ William¡­ Stay safe¡­!¡¯


    Wishful thinking? Perhaps. But what else could she do, but pray for the best? Praying rarely seemed to work very well before, yet she supported herself on the idea, even if it was nothing but temporary placebo.


    ¡®Don¡¯t let go¡­ You can¡¯t wind down yet¡­¡¯


    [Yes, you can.]


    ¡®Shut it.¡¯


    Nora harshly pinched the skin of her left arm. She felt a warm trickle of blood on her fingertips. She refused to listen to her inner thoughts.


    ¡°Hey¡­ What is this place¡­?¡± she asked Desmond. She wasn¡¯t that curious, she merely wanted something to focus on.


    ¡°The station is full of hidden passageways for staff¡­ They go everywhere, up and down the entire building. We should be able to reach the concourse this way.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ isn¡¯t that place full of shamblers right now¡­!?¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°They are all heading underground¡­ It should be safe, eventually. Besides, there¡¯s a safe room up there, on the upper level¡­¡± he paused for a moment. ¡°I¡­ told your friends that we¡¯d be heading there.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­! Alright¡­ I¡¯ll follow your lead then. Please, take me there.¡±


    Again, blindly trusting that man might not be a good idea. But it was everything she had. It was no different than when she met William. Well, Desmond was way shadier, but that was beyond the point. She¡¯d have to be wary of him.


    With her eyes observing his every movement, she followed him along the claustrophobic corridors, winding around the main facilities, towards the surface.


    ******


    Despite the crushing sense of urgency, Claire¡¯s gaze was dead set on the events unfolding in front of her.


    The shambler fell upon the terrified man like a predator, lunging at him from a couple of meters away, grabbing his torso and shoulder with deadly precision. He screamed and squirmed, but the shambler didn¡¯t care. There was only one thing it cared about. Its teeth sunk deep into the man¡¯s neck, who let out a bloodcurdling howl, soon to be muffled and drowned by the blood pouring from his mouth. The thing gnawed and ripped at its victim¡¯s neck like a rabid animal, quickly tearing it to pieces, before letting go and rushing forward, looking for another prey.


    Almost immediately, the fallen body started convulsing. The limbs thrashed in random directions, its joints turning in weird, sudden angles, some of which should be impossible without snapping bones in the process. Something started bubbling underneath the skin, which gradually obtained that characteristic blueish glow, concentrated on the veins and eyes. The creature let out an otherworldly wail.


    ¡®N-No way¡­!! That quick¡­!!?¡¯


    ¡°What the hell, Claire¡­!!? Move!!!¡± William screamed at her, taking her out of her trance.


    ¡°S-Shit¡­!!¡± she sprinted towards him, away from the incoming shamblers.


    These were nothing like the ones they encountered on the sealed section. Where had they come from? There were more people behind them they could gorge on, that was the only reason they were still alive. The fresh horde of shamblers came barreling down the subway tunnels at full speed, trampling everyone they found, tearing them apart and reanimating them into new members of the horde. An unstoppable, exponentially growing process. Was this the kind of thing the shelter managed to contain a week ago?


    Unfortunately, what remained of the shelter was in total disarray. The survivors ran into the subway platform and into the tracks, looking for somewhere to hide, knowing fully well that nothing would make the dark shamblers lose their trails. Human and inhuman screams, mixed together in a maddening choir.


    Some people tried to fight back, but if the difference in speed and strength didn¡¯t overwhelm them, fright would. Some others opened fire upon the zombies, but their frenzied movements made it almost impossible to score a meaningful shot. Some ceased all resistance upon being faced with what remained of their loved ones, embracing death in one last act of acceptance.


    ¡°Hey!! Over here!!¡± a male voice grabbed Claire¡¯s and William¡¯s attention, coming from the subway tracks, at the very end of the platform.


    ¡°Marcus¡­!¡± they both responded in unison, both glad and bothered to see him.


    He stood in the middle of the tracks, leading a group of survivors into the tunnel. He waved at Claire and William with his hand, urging them to come over.


    ¡°There¡¯s another exit this way, hurry!!!¡±


    They dropped onto the tracks and started running for their lives. Claire looked back for an instant. The shamblers poured out of the subway corridors into the platform and down the tracks, flooding the area in pursuit of the remaining survivors.


    ¡°Aaaah¡­!!¡±


    Her legs were sore from her restraints a while ago, and she was still tired from their incursion into the nest, yet she kept running. The roars were getting closer. She¡¯d rather not think about what would happen if she stopped even for a moment.


    Marcus broke sprinting along with the rest of the group as soon as they caught up. One or two panicked flashlights granted them poor sight of the outline of the tunnels.


    ¡°Where is the exit¡­!? What¡¯s the plan!!?¡± shouted William.


    ¡°Right there, that passageway¡­!!¡± replied Marcus, pointing somewhere ahead of them.


    The lights converged on an opening in the wall of the tunnel. It seemed to be yet another staff-only hallway, like the one they had used to sneak into the subway system that morning. Someone was already there, making wild gesticulations with their hands.


    ¡°Hurry up¡­!! Here!!¡±


    Someone else emerged from the corridor, pulled out a handgun, and started taking shots at the shamblers behind the group. Unlikely to make a difference, but any effort to slow down the horde was welcome. The loud bangs of the pistol were barely noticeable over the echoing roars of the hungry, rampant crowd of corpses.


    ¡°This passageway leads outside!! Come on, get inside, quick!!¡± Marcus hurried everyone to squeeze into the hallway.


    Claire followed William closely behind, fighting with everyone else to earn a spot inside the cramped corridor.


    ¡°Get the fuck out of my way!!¡±


    ¡°Stop pushing!!¡±


    ¡°Go!! Fucking go, they¡¯re coming¡­!!¡±


    Everyone seemed to care only for their own survival at that point. Claire focused her eyes on William¡¯s back, she didn¡¯t want to get separated from him. Her ears perceived nothing but screams, panting, footsteps and growls.


    At some point they passed through an open doorway. She barely got to get through before someone else attempted to close the door.


    ¡°Hey, what the fuck are you doing!!!? Open the door!!!¡± someone shouted, the big metal door suddenly swinging closed in front of their face.


    They pushed and banged on it. One side fought to close it and the other side struggled to push it open again.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening!!? Don¡¯t leave us here!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s still people behind! Open the door!!¡±


    Horrifying screams filled the hallway.


    ¡°Oh god, they¡¯re here¡­!!! Please, for god¡¯s sake¡­!! Open the door¡­!!!¡±


    ¡°Aaaaaarrghhh!!!¡±


    More screams joined their desperate voices, along with the bubbly noises of what could only be guessed as flesh and bones being torn. An arm peeked from behind the half-closed door. Its veins were glowing intensely with a blue aura, and it swung wildly, trying to grab something.


    ¡°Close it, quick!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still people out there!! We can¡¯t¡­!!!¡±


    ¡°They are fucking dead already!! Do you all want to die!?¡±


    ¡°Close it!!!!!¡±


    Someone hit the arm repeatedly with some kind of bladed weapon, over and over until skin and muscle started peeling off it and bones started to shatter. The group launched itself against the door, pushing it completely closed before the shamblers finished dealing with the stragglers and shifted their attention entirely. The door was locked, and banging started almost immediately, with several spots displaying bends and deformations in a matter of seconds.


    ¡°Oh dear lord¡­! Oh, no¡­!¡± muffled murmurs filled the hallway.


    ¡°This door won¡¯t hold! We need to go! Now!¡± Marcus¡¯ voice quickly took the lead again, prompting the entire group to move all at once.


    Claire kept following the group. Her consciousness wasn¡¯t making rational decisions anymore. They had just left several people to face certain death the moment they locked the door on them. She had helped them push, not even questioning it for a moment. Was it panic taking over? She wanted to live. She wanted to live so badly she was apparently willing to doom someone else in her place. She carried a great degree of guilt for being a burden to others, for causing innocent deaths, for what had happened back at the skyscraper shelter¡­ Yet in that one moment of frenzy, she was perfectly fine with hearing someone else¡¯s death throes, as long as she got to make it out in one piece?


    What a bad joke.


    ******


    William didn¡¯t touch the door. The moment it started closing, he knew those left behind were gone. In all fairness, had they opened it again, they would all have died. It was probably the right thing to do, as cruel as it might have been. But he didn¡¯t help. Or rather, he couldn¡¯t.


    That painful memory again. Standing behind a closed door, knowing that you can¡¯t open it, hearing the screams and cries coming from the other side¡­ And someone urging you to keep it closed, no matter what.


    He shook his head and kept running. Not the time to remember things. They had to get out, and do it fast. The screeching sound of metal bending and hinges getting blown away didn¡¯t take long to flood the halls.


    ******


    Nora followed Desmond through the doorway, out into the main hall of the subway concourse. She had been there before, some hours ago. The shift in the sun¡¯s position had caused the lighting to move around, casting shadows in different directions, but the general appearance of the place was largely the same.


    Random furniture and objects were strewn about all over the place, as if a big wave had washed over the area and dragged everything inside, towards the stairs leading underground. Fortunately, it seemed like all the nearby shamblers had already disappeared into the depths. None remained in the main building, at least not in plain sight.


    The two of them came out of the shadows, approaching the central area from the right side. At both sides of the opening leading underground, several sets of stairs connected the ground floor with the upper floor.


    ¡°T-There¡­ We need to go up now. The safe room is on the upper level.¡± whispered Desmond. ¡°If the others manage to get out, they should be able to f-find us there¡­¡±


    With cautious steps, the pair approached the base of the stairs. Something about the ambience of the area didn¡¯t feel right. Of course, the threat of shamblers still lingering around was a given fact. Maybe there were more hordes on their way, attracted by whatever was going on down below. But Nora¡¯s gut was warning her about something else. A strange combination of anxiety and discomfort, keeping her on edge and making her bounce her eyes all over the place, trying to identify something among the shadows.


    She should¡¯ve learned to trust her instincts.


    ¡°Halt.¡± her blood froze in her veins. At first, she didn¡¯t know where the voice came from, but her mind didn¡¯t need that information to nearly go into shock. ¡°Well, well¡­ I figured you¡¯d be slithering around here, somewhere.¡±


    Nora unconsciously clung to Desmond, burying her head on his back, once again a trembling mess. He didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡®No¡­ Not this again¡­ Please, go away¡­! Please¡­!¡¯


    ¡°U-Up there¡­ The r-railing, on the u-upper level¡­¡± murmured Desmond.


    As terrified as she was, she took a peek. Even from a distance and sunken in shadows, she¡¯d recognize him anywhere. The man who had turned her entire life into a nightmare. A nightmare she couldn¡¯t manage to wake up from, even with the world turned upside down.


    Logan leaned on the glass railing with a relaxed pose, holding a pistol with his right hand, aiming directly at them. Desmond, who remained surprisingly collected, reached under his jacket and pulled out his own gun, aiming it back at Logan.


    ¡°Oh wow¡­ Does everyone have a gun here? I thought these guys were short on weapons¡­ Hey boys! We¡¯ve got company here!¡± he shouted, talking to someone yet unseen.


    ¡°¡­p-ple¡­ase¡­¡± Nora¡¯s voice came out in whispers.


    ¡°H-Huh¡­?¡± Desmond couldn¡¯t hear her.


    ¡°¡­please¡­ h-help¡­ me¡­¡±


    Before she could plead with him anymore, more people joined Logan on the upper floor, most of them armed. One of them wore a full suit.


    ¡°Ah, Miss Lamb, an unfortunate encounter indeed.¡± Julien¡¯s voice resonated in her ears, more akin to noise than an actual voice. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we no longer require your services, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Should we do it?¡± asked Logan.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯ll be one less problem to worry about. Get rid of them.¡±

 CHAPTER 22 – DEFIANCE

    The rays of sunlight that showered the group of survivors came down like a blessing, right out of heaven itself. William squinted his eyes and covered his face with his hands, not used to the brightness after spending so many hours underground. They were in some kind of underpass beneath a major street, with thin beams of light illuminating the area from both entrances. It was getting late, and thus, it wasn¡¯t particularly bright anymore; but almost everyone had to physically protect their eyes.


    Not a single shambler was in sight. The nearby streets connecting to the underpass were deserted. The whistling of a slight breeze was the only perceivable sound, along with the frantic panting of the survivors. So much quietness and stillness, it almost felt safe.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stop here¡­! We need to keep moving!¡± said Marcus.


    William turned around to stare at him. He was probably right. The shamblers were still on the chase, and they would sooner or later catch up to them. How many doors had they closed on their way out? He didn¡¯t bother counting them. But how many of them were still standing? Probably very few.


    He noticed how Marcus was holding onto his briefcase. Had he been running around with it the whole time? It seemed like even during an extreme emergency, the briefcase was important enough to be worth the extra weight.


    ¡°W-Won¡¯t we be safe here¡­? They are slow out in the open, right!?¡± asked Claire. She looked desperate to find a moment to catch her breath.


    ¡°No, not these¡­ These turned just a while ago, they won¡¯t settle down even in the light!¡± Marcus stepped out into the open, leaving the cover of the underpass, and took a look around. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Right, there should be a safe place nearby, that penthouse¡­ We should be able to find refuge there¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­!¡± Claire flared up at William, interrupting Marcus¡¯ rambling. ¡°What happened to Nora and Lilian¡­!? Oh god, do you think they¡­?¡±


    Desmond, right. The sudden outbreak had taken him aback so much he had actually forgotten about Desmond entirely.


    ¡°Hey.¡± William grabbed Marcus¡¯ attention. ¡°One of your men, Desmond, mentioned something about retreating to the concourse¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡­? The concourse, you say¡­? Hmm¡­¡± he grabbed his chin, thinking. ¡°There¡¯s a safe room inside the concourse as well¡­ We¡¯ve been establishing secure areas in the vicinity, for situations like this. If they made it there¡­¡± he turned to face the group of survivors, numbering in less than ten people. ¡°Can you guys make it to the penthouse? Old man Elliot¡¯s apartment, on top the bookstore? It¡¯s not too far from here.¡±


    ¡°And why the fuck should we listen to you anymore!?¡± one man angrily barked at him, while hugging a scared-looking woman. ¡°Look where it got us!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll just get us all killed at this rate!¡± said someone else.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± Marcus¡¯ response was met with looks of frustration and unease. ¡°Would you do better on your own? If you think so, you¡¯re free to do as you please. I¡¯m just suggesting we should try and stay as a group. But at the end of the day, the choice is yours.¡±


    ¡°Bah¡­! Whatever¡­¡±


    The survivors looked at each other for a couple of long, uncomfortable seconds.


    ¡°¡­At least they won¡¯t eat us tonight if we stay at the penthouse, right¡­?¡±


    ¡°I guess so¡­¡±


    ¡°Do we have anywhere else to stay¡­?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    With sluggish reluctance, the group slowly agreed, one person at a time. Nobody was too eager to do anything, and it was no wonder why. After the abrupt loss of the subway shelter, the moral of the remaining survivors was abysmal. Several of them looked down or hid their faces, in a futile attempt to hide their tears. Droopy arms and shoulders, lost gazes, incoherent mumbling¡­ Within that brief moment of respite, as the sudden realization took its toll, the consequences were made clear. Loss, loss and more loss.


    William averted his eyes somewhere else, clenching his fists. That was a familiar kind of pain.


    ¡®How does it feel, Marcus¡­?¡¯


    As if alerted by his thoughts, Marcus turned around to face him and Claire. The other survivors had finally started to move, drifting towards their temporary refuge.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check the station¡¯s concourse. Are you okay with coming along?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I find it surprising, that you¡¯re willing to go yourself.¡± William was confused about his intentions.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving first, I¡¯ll tell you along the way.¡± banging noises and growls, coming from the subway access tunnel, were quickly becoming more noticeable. ¡°They¡¯re coming.¡±


    He rushed to the sidewalk, and proceeded to shove the briefcase inside a nearby bush, hiding it from view.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡­


    William kept his attention on Marcus the whole time, who was leading the trio towards the subway building. He had admirable stamina, showing almost no signs of fatigue even after running for a considerable distance. No sweating, no heavy breathing, nothing. For someone who supposedly spent most of his time in an office, he sure was healthy and fit.


    ¡°What happened in the shelter wasn¡¯t an accident.¡± he said, briefly looking back.


    ¡°What do you mean¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Certain people disappeared shortly before the outbreak started. I couldn¡¯t stay long enough to investigate any further, but Mr. Julien and his people were nowhere to be seen¡­ And neither was the infected girl.¡±


    ¡°Julien¡­!¡± Claire¡¯s voice was full of disdain and resentment. William could feel her anger swelling up behind him.


    ¡°You think they were behind it¡­?¡± asked William.


    ¡°I think so, yes¡­ They were eager to leave as soon as the girl showed up, no matter how much I tried to reason with them. Thinking about it in retrospective, I believe they never intended to cooperate with us in the first place. I should have kept them all under surveillance, like I did with you two¡­¡± as he talked, he went from jogging to fast walking. ¡°They didn¡¯t get out using the same exit we did. They might have taken a different tunnel, or¡­ they might have used the front door instead.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ There¡¯s a chance Lilian might be there. That¡¯s all you¡¯re after, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I have my reasons to believe she¡¯ll be safer under our custody for the time being.¡±


    Marcus provided no further details. William let out a disappointed puff, and chose to stop making questions. He had some things he wanted to settle with that man, but he¡¯d deal with him after they found Nora and Lilian¡­ and after having a word or two with Desmond, should they find him.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ******


    Claire listened to Marcus¡¯ words with a great sensation of unrest. Lilian would be safer under their custody? Yeah, of course he¡¯d say such a thing. Of course he had his reasons to believe something like that. She had been wanting to bring the subject up since a while ago. But, should she?


    It was almost guaranteed to be a bad idea. It might create further arguments, delays, infighting¡­ The most important priority was to make sure Nora and Lilian were safe.


    She kept walking, and said nothing.


    ******


    In general, she didn¡¯t dislike people. But, those? Oh, she hated those. The guys that surrounded her were ugly. They smelled nasty. They gave her bad vibes. Their murmurs were full of hatred, and she hated them just as much. Still, she tolerated it, to an extent.


    But they had just stepped over the line. A line they shouldn¡¯t have crossed.


    She stared at the bad guy laying on the railing in front of her. He was holding something dangerous. She wasn¡¯t certain of how it worked, but she knew it was dangerous. Bad, noisy stuff came out of the pointy side, and bad things happened to whoever ended up in front of it.


    And he was pointing big sis with it. Something bad was about to happen to her. That was something she wasn¡¯t willing to allow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± she whispered. It was merely that, a whisper, yet heads started turning in her direction, as everyone had heard it nice and clear.


    She wasn¡¯t too sure why, but her voice came out with a weird tone. It sounded like a warning. That wasn¡¯t specifically her intention, but something pulled at her subconscious, inciting her to keep those bad guys away from Norie at all costs.


    ¡°Hey, hey¡­¡± the ugly man took a tiny step back from the railing, slightly lowering the hand with the dangerous thingy. ¡°When did this brat grow a pair?¡±


    She kept staring him in the eye. He really was the ugliest of them all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush, Mr. Logan. I¡¯d assume you¡¯d want to take care of this issue yourself, but if you hesitate, someone else will do it instead. We can¡¯t keep wasting time here.¡± another man talked behind her, one wearing a strange magician suit. She hated magicians too. They fool you all the time. She didn¡¯t like it one bit.


    ¡°Alright, if you say so¡­¡± the ugly man focused his attention downstairs again, holding the dangerous thing with both hands.


    ¡®Oh, no.¡¯


    Something was going to happen. Something bad. She had to stop him.


    In a surge of compulsive emotions that suddenly hijacked her brain, she charged forward, before anyone could react.


    ******


    Nora couldn¡¯t keep her eyes off him. Her body had stopped responding to her; her limbs trembling out of control, her teeth almost chattering, her heartbeat hammering within her chest. But her awareness had gone oblivious to all that, she only had eyes for the barrel of the gun aiming directly at her.


    Was that it? Was it time? She knew she had to run, hide somewhere, get out of the way. Anything but staying still. Under different circumstances, death might have been considered a gift. It would¡¯ve been a welcome relief, as long as Lilian was safe and in good hands. In better, more capable hands than her own.


    But she was not. She was probably somewhere up there, with those scoundrels. Actually, she was definitely up there, no doubt about it. Right there. Behind Logan. Jumping at him. Growling at him like an angry dog.


    ¡®Huh¡­? W-What¡­?¡¯


    Her mind didn¡¯t process what was going on, until the ensuing commotion made it sink in.


    ¡°Hey! What the hell¡­!!? Shit, get her off me!!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°Somebody restrain her!!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to fucking bite me¡­!! Shit, she¡¯s strong!!¡±


    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll grab her¡ª Aaaaaaarrrgh!!!!¡±


    *Bang!!*


    The sound reverberated throughout the entire concourse, and a human body crashed against the glass railing of the upper level, shattering it and falling headfirst against the floor below. It bled profusely from an obvious gunshot wound on his head, and from a nasty laceration on his left arm.


    ¡°Gentlemen, we don¡¯t have time for this! Grab her arms, and put a rag on her mouth!¡± Julien¡¯s voice sounded frustrated and exasperated.


    ¡°Lilian!!¡± Nora reacted, screaming. ¡°Nooooo!! Don¡¯t hurt her!!! Stop!!!¡±


    ¡°Also, kill those two. I don¡¯t care who does it, just get it done already!¡± he ordered.


    Before Nora could attempt to recklessly charge upstairs, someone grabbed her right arm and pulled at her. She soon found herself landing roughly on the floor, behind a nearby low wall. Some more deafening gunshots, and several bullets flew by, missing them by an inch. A couple hit the very edge of the wall above their heads, spraying them with ceramic splinters and cement dust.


    ¡°Let go!!! I need to save Lilian!!!¡± Nora kept struggling, trying to break free of Desmond¡¯s grip, with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t be stupid!! They¡¯ll kill you¡­!! You w-won¡¯t make it¡­!!¡±


    Nora peeked her head over the ledge for a split second.


    *Bang!!*


    A sharp spike of pain made her flinch back down.


    ¡°Kyaaah¡­!!¡±


    She brought her left hand to her face. It was moderately warm, and it stung to the touch. She could smell blood. The bullet had scraped her left cheek. Even if it was only a superficial wound, it was enough to shake her to the core.


    On the upper level, Lilian was still fighting with her captors.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got her arm¡­!! Fuck, I can¡¯t¡ª!! How is she this strong¡­!!?¡±


    ¡°Hold her still!! I¡¯ll shove this in her mouth!!¡±


    ¡®Please, God¡­ If you¡¯re listening, please, please¡­ Don¡¯t let them hurt her anymore¡­!¡¯


    Nora hunkered down and gritted her teeth. She couldn¡¯t do much about the tears overflowing from her eyes. All she could manage to do was stop herself from crying out loud.


    ¡°Alright, she¡¯s secured!¡±


    *Bang!!*


    Another gunshot. But it didn¡¯t land anywhere nearby. In response, Nora heard a pained groan coming from the upper level. Had Lilian managed to bite someone else? The first one had been eliminated without hesitation, so it wouldn¡¯t come as a surprise if it happened again.


    ¡°Shit!! Someone else is shooting at us!!¡±


    ¡°Take cover!!!¡±


    ¡®Eh¡­?¡¯


    Despite the burning warning on her left cheek, Nora took another peek. Something was going on. The men on the upper floor had retreated from the glass railings, and were hiding behind pillars, benches and other obstacles. They were barely visible, but she could perceive signs of movement in the area. Lilian was nowhere to be seen.


    On the bottom floor, she spotted several figures, on the opposite side of the concourse hall. Taking cover behind the big supporting pillars, well hidden in the shadows. One of them was aiming a gun at the upper level.


    The other two, although difficult to discern within the darkness, felt familiar.


    ******


    Marcus had pulled a gun from under his clothes without warning. Had he been carrying the weapon the whole time? He could have used it to his advantage in a number of situations so far, William thought it was strange that he didn¡¯t. What was truly impressive, however, was his accuracy. Steady hands, flawless posture, and a clean shot. William wasn¡¯t an expert, but he was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t a lucky hit. That man was no amateur.


    ¡°Ah¡­! There¡­!¡± Claire pointed towards the other side of the building.


    On all fours, behind a small wall. The person itself was nondescript from that distance, with the exception of the hair. That red hair would stick out like a sore thumb anywhere.


    ¡®Nora¡­!¡¯


    Some kind of bulk was crouching besides her, most likely another person. He couldn¡¯t make out who they were, although deep down, he knew it already.


    Claire looked a bit too eager to go meet Nora. Her gaze bounced back and forth between their location and the upper floor of the building, as if looking for a chance to leave her cover.


    ¡°Claire, don¡¯t¡­¡± whispered William. ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s dangerous¡­!¡±


    Marcus hadn¡¯t averted his eyes from the enemy yet. It was ironic to call them ¡°enemies¡± though. One hour ago, he was supposedly willing to do whatever it took to help his people, and now he had no qualms with shooting them to death? Of course, they were presumed traitors who had ruined the entire shelter, but the attitude shift was still dramatic, to say the least.


    A deep silence had taken over the hall. Nobody was moving, nobody was shooting anymore. Whispering and other weird noises could be heard coming from up above, but that was it.


    William¡¯s eyes scoured the area, until they spotted a dead body on the floor, right in front of the stairs leading underground, out in the open. It looked like it had fallen from above. One of its hands still held a handgun.


    ¡®Only Marcus has a weapon¡­ If only I could get there, we could balance the scales a bit¡­¡¯


    That Julien and his men were up there, probably with Lilian¡­ All the players and pieces were in the board. They just needed to make the right moves.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Marcus¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±


    ¡°Can you cover me?¡±

 CHAPTER 23 – GUNFIRE

    Logan swept the entire shelf of supplies into the sack, before moving on to the next one. By his side, a couple goons were doing the same thing with nearby closets, taking as many resources as they possibly could before it was too late.


    ¡°Hey, hey¡­! Is the van coming or what!?¡± asked someone.


    ¡°Not yet¡­ The boys went to get it a while ago, they should be arriving soon!¡± replied another man, standing on the open back door, leading out into a flight of stairs which connected with the street.


    ¡°How is the situation back there¡­?¡± Logan pointed towards the front door of the storage room, towards the concourse hall.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear anything¡­ Those two got some reinforcements a moment ago, didn¡¯t they!?¡±


    A burly figure approached them from a corner of the room.


    ¡°I think they have a damn good shooter down there¡­ I saw how they dropped that bastard in a single shot.¡± Jacobs proceeded to cough and spit on the floor before continuing. ¡°They¡¯re probably going to die.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a problem, would it?¡± Julien stepped into the conversation, tightly holding Lilian¡¯s restrained hands behind her back. ¡°The van doesn¡¯t have enough space for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ You¡¯re exchanging them for sacks of food, aren¡¯t you? And I thought I was the mad one here¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, Mr. Jacobs, don¡¯t talk as if you wouldn¡¯t have done the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I would¡¯ve beaten the crap out of them myself.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should stop the pointless chit-chat?¡± said Logan. ¡°If those idiots out there get slaughtered, we might have to hold our ground here until the van arrives.¡±


    Hearing them talk nonchalantly about the deaths of their comrades, the rest of the group shared uncomfortable looks among themselves. Nobody wanted to leave their friends behind, but nobody wanted to oppose that trio either. Especially not Jacobs. His brilliant criminal record was proof that fucking around with him was a very bad idea. If lowering their heads and obeying was enough to ensure their survival, they¡¯d do so.


    Lilian, however, didn¡¯t seem to pay any attention to anyone around her. Her angry fit had subsided shortly after getting restrained. Her eyes were adrift, focused on nothing at all. Or maybe she was, as a matter of fact, focused on something. Something only her eyes could see. Her pupils flickered non-stop, like a broken engine rattling in its effort to kick in once again.


    ******


    Deep within the darkness of the subway, tucked away where nobody would interfere with it, a big shape wiggled and squirmed in short, calculated bursts of movement, almost like spasms. It was a mound of hard organic tissue, the exterior of which looked like some sort of calcified carapace.


    Several shamblers hugged the thing, clinging to it. Even though they had been converted just a while ago, they had already lost all remnants of vitality. Their bodies were partially fused with the vibrating mass, emaciated, drained of life. What remained of their vague consciousness would soon fade away in its entirety, leaving nothing but empty husks behind.


    The mound pulsated and trembled violently one last time, seconds before a giant vertical crack split it in half from top to bottom. There was something inside. A slime-covered appendage emerged from the interior, prying both halves open. Clouds of mysterious steam poured from the black cavity inside, dissipating upon reaching the floor.


    As the cocoon slowly fell apart into several pieces, a humanoid shape rose from its remains. It stepped on the decaying shambler corpses on its way out, crushing their bones beneath its weight. The darkness in the tunnel was quickly dispelled by the thing¡¯s bioluminescence, which gradually emanated from its body with the newborn energy that flowed through its veins.


    It was confused. Its limited cognition couldn¡¯t comprehend where was it, what was it meant to do, why was it alive. It took a couple more steps, it swayed its arms around, trying to get used to basic locomotion.


    Then, it heard the whispers.


    A maddening voice, commanding it from somewhere, requesting its presence at all costs. A voice it couldn¡¯t resist, an existence so powerful it overwrote its own identity.


    Possessed by a force beyond its understanding, it started sprinting at full speed, towards the surface.


    ******


    Claire didn¡¯t want to wait anymore, but she didn¡¯t have a choice. She gulped nervously, waiting for William and Marcus to make their move. The silence in the hall was freaking her out. The enemy wasn¡¯t attacking them, but they weren¡¯t retreating either. She could see them poking their heads from behind the columns on the upper floor every once in a while. What were they waiting for?


    *Bang!!* *Bang!!* *Bang!!*


    Marcus gave the signal to go. Three shots, spaced out by about a second, aimed at three different cover spots on the top floor. Almost simultaneously, William bolted from behind his own cover and made a dash for the corpse in front of the underground access.


    Marcus¡¯ cover fire was effective, keeping the enemy¡¯s heads down long enough for William to reach his target, but it wasn¡¯t perfect. One stray bullet managed to fly down in William¡¯s direction, missing him by an inch. Marcus returned fire at the shooter, also missing.


    William¡¯s only option for cover were the stairs connecting with the upper floor, to the sides of the underground entrance. As soon as he took refuge under them, pistol in hand, everything came to a stop once again.


    ¡­


    Claire had a valuable window of opportunity there, and she had made use of it. The enemy, with their attention centered on the bullet exchange, didn¡¯t seem to notice her slithering towards the outer walls of the concourse and making her way towards the back. She had managed to hide out of view, right under enemy positions.


    What was the plan? She wanted to reach Nora, make sure she was okay; but her hiding spot was in plain view in the middle of the hall. Approaching them directly would be a quick way to catch a bullet. Still, she had to do something. At the very least, she could try and get closer to their location.


    She tip-toed forward in the dark. A crossfire zone to her right, abandoned shops and hallways to her left, the enemy somewhere on top of her, darkness ahead¡­ Nowhere felt safe. Panting with fear and stress, she advanced towards William¡¯s position, right behind the stairs.


    Her presence startled him. She was damn lucky he recognized her before pulling the trigger.


    ¡°Claire¡­!? What are you doing here¡­!?¡± he whispered. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­ Listen, I have an idea¡­¡±


    ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± she replied, nodding.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s another way up in that direction¡­¡± he said, pointing towards the darkness, deeper within the building. ¡°There should be a stairwell that goes all the way from the underground parking lot to the top floor. I¡¯ll go up and try to create a diversion. If it works¡­ get Nora and his partner to safety.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea to get separated¡­!?¡±


    ¡°They have the advantage up there¡­ I don¡¯t see any other way. Just do as I said, and don¡¯t be reckless! Wait until you¡¯re certain they¡¯re busy with me and Marcus. You hear!?¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Alright¡­!¡± as soon as she gave him the confirmation, he turned around and bolted away down the closest hallway. ¡°B-Be careful¡­!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure those last words had reached him at all, since she was trying her best to not raise her voice more than absolutely necessary. Not even a second had passed, and she could no longer see William, the darkness had devoured him whole.


    She knew she couldn¡¯t waste any time. She kept hugging the outer walls, crawling as close as possible to Nora¡¯s position. She stopped behind a column, and waited.


    They were right there, about five meters away. Claire could see Nora hunkering down behind a wall, along with some other unidentified person. Perhaps the man who saved them, back inside the subway? They didn¡¯t look like they had noticed her presence, and she didn¡¯t dare make a sound to let them know. The entire hall was silent. Everyone watched, waiting for a signal to spring into action.


    She bit her nails, struggling to count the seconds in her head.


    Suddenly, she heard the gunshots.


    ******


    The very first thing William had done upon reaching safety was checking the magazine. It still had bullets. Had he stopped to check the dead body for extra ammunition, he¡¯d have been a sitting duck. He would have to settle the encounter with whatever he was carrying.


    As he climbed the stairs, feeling his way around in near complete absence of light, he kept reminding himself of why he was bothering with all that effort, taking all those risks. He was baffled, in a way. Where was the calculating, careful and analytical William? That whole day had been an emotional rollercoaster, which unearthed a tiny sliver of hope that ended up twisting his own point of view in ways he would never imagine. He had questions, and he yearned for answers.


    ¡®Soon¡­ Let¡¯s get this over with, then¡­¡¯


    But he¡¯d need the girl. He was almost certain. Lilian was instrumental. There was no chance she wasn¡¯t. And they had her. Somewhere nearby.


    He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and took a peek around the corner. He was under the cover of darkness; he was pretty sure they wouldn¡¯t be able to spot him. From his new position, they were exposed. They were at least five people. The men gesticulated and squirmed in place behind their cover, whispering to each other and using extensive body language in their attempts to communicate. They seemed confused, and restless. Perhaps they were getting impatient? William didn¡¯t really understand why were they still standing there. It felt like they were stalling for time, but for what reason?


    The girl was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡®Marcus mentioned a safe room on the top floor¡­ It¡¯s probably up ahead, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡¯


    He took another breath, before taking aim with the pistol. On the back of his mind, he knew there was another issue at hand. Catching a bullet wasn¡¯t the only threat they had to watch out for. Loud noises were a bad idea for a reason, and more so near such a hot spot, an outbreak site. Whatever he did, it had to work, and it had to do it fast.


    ¡­


    *Bang!!*


    He didn¡¯t bother aiming for a headshot. The bullet disappeared into the closest target¡¯s ribcage, who immediately let out a howl and dropped down to the floor.


    ¡°Aaaargh!!!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!!?¡± chaos and screams didn¡¯t take long to fill the air.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s up here!! Watch out!!!¡±


    William didn¡¯t give them any time to regroup or reposition. One of the men rushed to the fallen one¡¯s side, attempting to aid him. He took aim again.


    *Bang!!* *Bang!!*


    One miss, one hit. Fresh blood splattered the floor, coming from the left leg, causing the man to scream in pain and fall back. He dragged himself across the floor until he took refuge behind a nearby bench, leaving his partner behind. The other dude wasn¡¯t doing much better. His short breaths, pretty much wheezing, could be heard loud and clear, most likely symptoms of a punctured lung.


    ¡°There!!!¡±


    A bullet flew past William¡¯s face, to the point that he swore he could feel an intense sensation of heat from the bullet trail. He recoiled back and out of view.


    ¡®Shit¡­! That was a close one¡­!¡¯


    He could hear the men running around and arguing among themselves. Some more gunshots boomed through the hallways.


    ¡®I sure hope that¡¯s Marcus¡­¡¯


    He thought about Claire. Had she managed to reach Nora? Regardless of what the answer was, he needed to keep pressuring them. He took another careful look, and took aim one more time.


    ******


    Guns were loud. Too loud. Nora had witnessed that kind of thing before, several times. But right there, the walls of that massive hall made the thundering noises of the gunfire bounce and echo all over the place, hammering her ears and making her want to bury her head directly into the ground.


    ¡®Oh god¡­ What¡¯s happening¡­? Somebody, help me¡­!¡¯


    [There you go again, begging for help, when it¡¯s clear that nobody¡ª]


    ¡°Nora¡­!!¡± a female voice startled her, interrupting her thoughts.


    She unearthed her head from the floor and looked up, to a familiar figure kneeling over her. The unknown person gently laid a hand on her left shoulder, giving her comfort. Upon seeing their face, her eyes were quickly overrun by tears.


    ¡°C-Claire¡­? Aaah¡­. Claire¡­!¡± her voice sounded disconnected from reality, like ramblings that vaguely managed to become words. She wanted to keep talking, but she cried instead.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s okay¡­! We¡¯re here, it¡¯s okay! We came to help!¡±


    Claire took a glance at Desmond. She didn¡¯t look too pleased by what she saw.


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­! Hey, is that a gun you¡¯re holding¡­!? Why aren¡¯t you helping!?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­! No, I didn¡¯t¡­ Um¡­!¡± as usual, Desmond failed to articulate proper words.


    Ever since he dragged Nora behind cover, he had done nothing but crouch down and wait. She could easily relate to his behavior. Cowering down and hoping that all problems fade away on their own volition.


    ¡°Give me that gun!¡± demanded Claire.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t¡­!¡±


    ¡°We need to help them!¡±


    Desmond hesitated, but he eventually complied. Nora, still sobbing, stared at Claire with a mix of bewilderment and awe. Claire, that timid and reserved girl, was taking the initiative. She remembered her angry outburst at the apartments, and also back at the skyscraper shelter¡­ For her sake, every single time. Tears took hold of Nora again.


    ¡°T-Thank you¡­!¡± mumbled Nora.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to talk now¡­! We need to get out of here! We¡¯re exposed! William and Marcus are keeping them busy! Come on!¡±


    ******


    Its footsteps resounded throughout the subway hallways like an earthquake. The surface was close, it could feel it. It was having slight issues with the size of the tunnels, it needed to lower its head to avoid hitting the ceiling, but it still advanced at a very rapid pace.


    Something was ahead. A flimsy wall, made of wood, metal, ropes¡­ A barricade of sorts. There was light coming from the other side, orange and warm. Was that wall meant to stop it? It wouldn¡¯t be enough. Something so weak wouldn¡¯t stop it from heeding the call.


    It readied its right shoulder and rammed the blockage. The entity didn¡¯t even slow down while charging right through the barricade, making it explode outwards as If hit by a truck.


    ******


    A loud, distant sound echoed around the concourse. It sounded like an explosion? Claire froze in place, nervous.


    ¡°H-Hey¡­ Did you hear that¡­?¡± she asked.


    Nora and Desmond, kneeling behind the pillar by her side, looked just as dumbfounded as she did.


    ¡°I d-don¡¯t know¡­ I think it came from down below¡­?¡± answered Nora.


    Claire had a bad feeling about it. Judging by Marcus¡¯ words, the outbreak wouldn¡¯t be settling down for a while. Were the shamblers finally catching up to them? That whole time, she was pretty aware that they might be finding themselves surrounded by hungry corpses again, at any time and without warning. They had to rescue Lilian and leave as fast as possible.


    But, somehow, that noise felt wrong. She stared at the dark entrance to the underground tunnels, with cold sweat pouring down her face.


    ******


    The little ones were going up as well. Were they drawn by the unintelligible noises coming from above? Were they also heeding the call? No, they couldn¡¯t be. They were merely following the scraps left behind. Trekking out of instinct, in a trance, not really comprehending anything beyond the most basic compulsions.


    But the entity was different. Its pressence was required. More than anything else. It was compelled to go, no matter the obstacles in its way. The little ones were in its way. They were less necessary than it. It needed to get them out of the way, they would slow it down.


    The entity didn¡¯t care about the shamblers running towards the surface alongside it. It bashed them and punched them out of the way, splattering them against the walls, sending them flying bunch after bunch.


    ******


    Claire¡¯s eyes were open wide in disbelief. In that moment, despite how horrifyingly terrified she was, her body refused to tremble, afraid of startling what she was looking at, whatever it was.


    ¡®A-Ah¡­ W-W-What is¡­ t-that THING¡­?¡¯


    She remembered that iconic scene in Jurassic Park, were Alan Grant stated that the Tyrannosaurus wouldn¡¯t see them if they didn¡¯t move. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t a movie protagonist, and that thing wasn¡¯t a T-Rex. She almost wished it was.


    The hulking figure had emerged from the underground tunnel in the blink of an eye. Like fueled by a supernatural force, it leaped out of the darkness, bypassing the mechanical stairs in their entirety, and landing right in the middle of the concourse. The floor tiles cracked under the force of the impact.


    For several eternal seconds, it didn¡¯t move. Then, it¡¯s glowing eyes started scanning the surroundings. They went over Claire, almost making her piss herself, but it didn¡¯t seem to care about her at all.


    Then, alerted by something, the thing turned around.


    It looked up.

 CHAPTER 24 – MONSTER

    A shambler? No, more like a monster from a horror movie. With an imposing build, more than two meters tall, the humanoid creature towered over anything Marcus had seen before. Its body was covered in what could only be described as organic armor, with plates of osseous appearance covering every inch of its skin. Luminous, pulsating nodules grew on odd places all over its body. Its face was adorned with not one, but two pairs of eyes, keenly focused on something on the upper level of the concourse.


    ¡®Shit¡­! This thing¡­! It¡¯s as mentioned in the report¡­! I think my suspicions were correct, after all! This is bad¡­!¡¯


    The armed people upstairs no longer felt like a tangible threat. Not in the presence of that creature. Marcus knew he had to act fast. If his suspicions were truly on the spot, things would soon take a drastic turn. He left his cover, rushing towards the opposite side of the concourse, where Claire and the other two survivors were hiding.


    His steps were noisy and agitated, but the monster didn¡¯t care. Its attention was still fixated on the space above their heads. He was insignificant to it, trivial.


    ¡°M-Marcus¡­! W-What¡¯s¡­!?¡± muttered Claire. She looked scared as hell.


    A man and a woman were beside her, crouching down behind a pillar. The man seemed familiar, but Marcus was almost certain he didn¡¯t know either of them. They also looked terrified, and stared at him as if expecting him to shoo the monster away.


    He stopped for a moment and measured his words. He believed he knew what needed to be done. He had to stop that monster, somehow. And he¡¯d need as much help as he could afford. But the risks¡­ Those people looked up to him looking for help, but they might just find death instead. A very, very quick death.


    A sweet, chirpy voice resonated in his head again, a memory settled in the deepest corners of his heart.


    [You¡¯re like a superhero! Right!?]


    [I wanna be able to save people, just like you!]


    ¡®Save people, huh¡­?¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡°Leave¡­! You need to go away! Now! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡± he said.


    The red-haired woman sprung up from the floor. ¡°W-Wait¡­! Lilian is still up there!! And William¡­!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get them! I¡¯ll make sure they get out safely, I promise!¡±


    ¡°But¡ª!¡±


    A sudden outburst of noise interrupted their conversation. They all turned towards the center of the hall, just in time to witness the hulking beast sprinting towards the stairs leading up, taking huge strides of several steps at a time in its ascent.


    Whatever it was looking for, it had found it.


    ¡°Go!!!¡± yelled Marcus, before going for the stairs after the creature.


    ******


    William had heard them, loud noises coming from below, almost like explosions. He didn¡¯t know what to make of it, and he certainly wasn¡¯t going to abandon his cover to check them out. He thought they were strange; he hoped the others hadn¡¯t run into any unexpected issues. However, to have the noises run upstairs was even stranger. And the source of the noise? ¡°Strange¡± didn¡¯t have a strong enough superlative to describe it.


    It wasn¡¯t a shambler. No shambler was that big, no shambler could move that fast, and no shambler looked even remotely similar to that thing.


    The creature knew of William¡¯s presence. Somehow, he knew it did. But it didn¡¯t mind him. The monster immediately turned in the direction of the poor devils panicking at the other side of the hall, and charged right towards them.


    ¡°F-Fuck¡­!! What it that thing!!!?¡±


    ¡°Shoot it¡­!!! Aaah, it¡¯s coming!!! Shoooot!!!!¡±


    The following events might as well have been taken right out of a nightmare. A hail of bullets fell upon the monster, the deafening sound of the gunshots filling the air and making the eardrums vibrate as if they were about to explode. The projectiles hitting the body of the creature were as effective as a slingshot attempting to pierce a concrete wall. From William¡¯s perspective, it was a futile struggle; the bullets sounded like they were impacting stone rather than flesh. From the enemy¡¯s perspective, it was impending doom, quickly translating into terror.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on!!?¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not working¡­!!!¡±


    ¡°Oh god¡­!! Oh god!!! Aaaaaaarrrgh!!!!¡±


    William kept watching the scene, mesmerized and horrified on equal measure. There was no longer any risk of catching a bullet to the face, since they had run out of ammunition already. Their trembling hands insisted on pulling the triggers of their guns, despite nothing happening in response.


    With gigantic leaps, the hulking humanoid approached one of the men and grabbed him by the torso with a single hand. The feeble human was lifted in the air like a child would lift a plushie. The creature grabbed his right leg with its free hand, and pulled hard. Then, it grabbed the right arm. Then, the head.


    None of the men knew how to react at first. It was a horrific sight: their friend pulled apart limb after limb, his blood raining down on them, his lifeless body flung all the way across the hall¡­ When panic struck them for real, they tried to run, but it didn¡¯t help them in the slightest. There was no running away. Their bodies were folding like made out of butter, their bones breaking like twigs, their spilling entrails decorating the floor and the walls.


    That thing wasn¡¯t trying to bite, like other shamblers would. No, that monster was out to kill. And it was effective. Too effective.


    Marcus emerged from the stairs, nearly tripping in the process. He looked at the creature as it finished disemboweling what little remained of Julien¡¯s men, and then turned around and rushed at William¡¯s position.


    ¡°Marcus¡­!! What the hell is that thing!!?¡± asked William.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to explain¡­! I think it¡¯s going after the infected girl!! I need to stop it, somehow!! Run away!¡±


    ¡°What!!? Are you out of your mind!!? You don¡¯t stand a chance!! We both have to leave!!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Marcus, that thing is bulletproof¡­!! I saw them try, and they are in pieces now!!¡±


    Emitting a low grumbling noise, almost an incomprehensible muttering, the creature looked at a particular, nondescript store of the upper floor. It seemed to find it of special interest.


    ¡®Is that where the safe room is¡­?¡¯


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, William¡­! The girl must live, at all costs¡­! I¡¯m sorry¡­!!¡± Marcus¡¯ voice was hysterical. It was the first time William had seen that man losing his temper.


    He saw him lifting his pistol out of the corner of his eye. He tried to grab his arm, stop him from shooting, from dooming the both of them. But he wasn¡¯t fast enough. The handgun boomed, lighting up the entire hallway for an instant. The bullet traveled across the building on a clean, direct path towards the monster¡¯s head.


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    ¡°Bloody hell¡­!!! You fucking psychopath!!! Didn¡¯t you hear when¡ª!!?¡±


    He wanted to throw more expletives at him, but a sudden barrage of increasingly loud noises stopped him in his tracks.


    Both men reacted on pure, raw instinct. The imminent threat, crystal clear, made them forget about each other and seek their own survival instead. Marcus jumped back and retreated into a dark, abandoned store on the left side of the hallway. William lunged back as well, and fell through a door on the right side. A fraction of a second later, the creature charged past the spot where they had been standing just a moment ago, sinking its feet into the ground as it struggled to lose velocity.


    As big as the thing was, one would expect it to be slower. Much slower.


    ¡®Damn you, Marcus¡­! I¡¯ll kill you if we make it out of this one¡­!¡¯


    William was still in the middle of standing up, when a massive armored claw appeared from behind the corner and wrapped itself around the doorframe he had just entered through.


    ¡®Shit¡­!!¡¯


    His legs moved faster than his thoughts, and before he noticed he had already moved deeper into the darkness, turning a corner and reaching a dead end. Even though the lack of light was almost absolute, he could barely make out the outlines and shapes of a male restroom.


    ¡­


    He didn¡¯t bother closing the stall door. It would make unnecessary noise. As if a flimsy wooden door would be enough to shield him from that monster anyway.


    He felt truly defenseless. He could hear the armor plates of the creature scraping on the walls, as it was probably too big to fit into the narrow corridor that granted access to the restroom. Still, the sound of debris scattering on the floor made it clear that the entity wasn¡¯t willing to stop. He heard its heavy breathing noises, deep and cavernous, as it brute-forced its way into the stall area with physical strength alone.


    There was a moment of silence, then his stall was shaken as if hit by an earthquake. The vibrations propagated quickly, wooden panels and doors getting ripped to pieces and torn off like they were made of paper.


    He had no chances left. No human could fight that thing and avoid being ripped apart in the process. Wait for the monster to be busy destroying his stall, and somehow slip away; that was the only possibility he saw.


    William kneeled down. His entire body covered in dirt and sweat. The noise of splintering wood and bending metal deafening his ears. There was no need to fool himself, was there? He was scared.


    He waited for the critical moment. He¡¯d only have a single chance. If he missed it, he¡¯d be dead.


    ¡­


    Yet the critical moment never arrived. It took him a second to realize it, just how silent the restroom had suddenly become.


    Even the creature¡¯s breathing was gone. But it was still there, William could still perceive strange bodily noises, which reminded him of heartbeats and stomach growls. Yet nothing was happening. What was it waiting for? He was right there, within arm¡¯s reach. Why wasn¡¯t it doing anything?


    ******


    ¡°No¡­!! Nooo¡­!!! Stay away!!!¡± Claire opened fire, overcome by panic. Surprisingly, it was a clean shot, and the shambler fell down like a rag, with a fresh hole in its cranium.


    As if one less shambler made a difference.


    She had built up a lot of courage in the previous minutes, she was ready to take action, but where had all that determination gone? ¡°I¡¯ll save Lilian!¡±, ¡°I won¡¯t leave them behind!¡±, those were the kind of things she told herself.


    It was unfortunate that shambler hordes were damn efficient at deconstructing bravado.


    They started rising in troves from the underground tunnels. They were no longer interested in the outbreak site down below, but on the events taking place on the surface. Dozens upon dozens of them, on the thin line between walking and running, as hungry and angry as ever.


    Claire, Nora and Desmond had no way to contain them. They had blocked the access to the stairs. They had to go. They had to leave William and Lilian behind.


    ¡°Why is this happening¡­!!? Lilian¡­!! I just want my sister back¡­!!! Liliaaan¡­!!!¡± Nora was at her wits¡¯ end.


    With no other options at their disposal, the group burst out through the main entrance of the concourse. Early evening rays of sun greeted them outside, but they were too busy to care about them, climbing the entrance stairs towards the street.


    ¡°Wait¡­ W-What¡­? Why¡­?¡± Claire made an attempt to raise her gun once again, but gave up halfway through. There was no point.


    More shamblers approached the area. Both sides of the street were full of them. The alleyways leading into the street were packed full as well. They crawled over cars, they fell from the windows of nearby buildings, they surfaced from every possible corner. It was a wall of walking corpses, closing in on the subway station from every direction.


    She truly felt like giving up entirely.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    ¡®What have we done to deserve this¡­?¡¯


    ******


    Nora couldn¡¯t bear to focus on anything. She had seen the sea of shamblers getting closer, but her senses were suddenly confused. What was going on? Her knees failed her. She dropped down, grabbing her head with both hands.


    That headache had been present for a while, but over the previous minute it had intensified to an unprecedented magnitude. It had gone from mild discomfort to making her head feel like it was about to blow up. Her sight was blurry. She smelled weird things, which she shouldn¡¯t be smelling. Her hands had lost their sense of touch. Her hearing seemed impaired; she knew Claire was saying something by her side, but she couldn¡¯t tell what it was.


    ¡®W-What¡¯s¡­ happening to me¡­!?¡¯


    Then, her sight flashed white for an instant, a loud ringing noise drilled her brain, and she heard a voice. Distant, soft, and familiar.


    ******


    William physically flinched when the creature went from complete silence to a frenzied outburst of rage in a matter of seconds. But it wasn¡¯t directed at him. All he heard was a grave growl and an extremely loud breaking noise, followed by heavy footsteps getting away at a rapid pace.


    He took a look outside the stall. Shy rays of light shimmered through a huge dust cloud filling the room. His eyes fell upon the massive hole in the wall, leading back into the hallway.


    A wrecking ball would¡¯ve done less damage.


    ******


    ¡°Hurry the fuck up!!! Leave that shit behind, we don¡¯t have time!!¡±


    ¡°What the hell was that!!?¡±


    ¡°Get moving!! Hurry!!!¡±


    Logan heard a lot of noise at the back of the van. They were arguing among themselves instead of getting things done, as usual. He took a quick look at the mirrors. Julien was sitting in the back compartment, holding Lilian right by his side. He seemed calm, but the nervous drops of sweat on his forehead made it quite obvious that he was concerned. That Jacobs guy¡­ he was sitting calmly on the front seat, not even caring about the situation that much. He was difficult to read, but at least he was capable and coldblooded, which made him useful.


    All the rest were scaredy-cats that merely followed orders in hopes of not getting left behind. He couldn¡¯t care less about them. He knew they needed as many people as they could get, but they wouldn¡¯t really miss them if they lost one or two more. He kept his foot on the pedal.


    A loud crashing sound startled everyone in the van, with the exception of Jacobs. Logan watched the side mirror, just in time to spot a gigantic humanoid bursting through the wall of the subway station and jumping down to the street.


    ¡°Mr. Logan¡­!¡± Julien¡¯s voice was an order in itself.


    He didn¡¯t bother replying. He also didn¡¯t bother waiting for the people still on the ground, loading sacks of supplies onto the back of the van. They didn¡¯t have time for that.


    He stepped on the accelerator.


    ******


    Nora¡¯s head turned as if moved by an unseen force. For a while, she didn¡¯t control her own actions, it felt like she had become a spectator of her own body. She looked at herself in third person, like someone who watches a character in a movie or a videogame. She turned right, and she stared down the street, past the wall of shamblers, all the way to the nearby intersection.


    A vehicle emerged from behind the subway station building. Was it running away? It seemed like it. It ran away from the strange monster from before. But that wasn¡¯t important.


    She felt like time itself slowed down. In that period of almost ethereal consciousness, her vision travelled through empty space, up to the moving vehicle, then past its outer body, and into the back compartment.


    Those eyes again. Dark like an empty void, yet full of light at the same time. A soothing, relaxing light. A light that saw beyond all her inner turmoil, dispelling it away.


    [¡­ay¡­]


    [¡­way¡­]


    [¡­hi¡­ wa¡­]


    [¡­th¡­ ay¡­]


    Her voice was nothing but a distant murmur at first, but it kept repeating itself, looping again and again. It became easier to hear every time, until it was loud and clear.


    [This way.]


    ¡®L-Lilian¡­? I-Is that¡­ you¡­?¡¯


    Nora¡¯s vision retracted all the way into her physical body again, and time seemed to resume its usual flow. Her head didn¡¯t hurt anymore. Her senses came back to her. She was left with nothing but utter confusion. She had heard about people having out-of-body experiences before, but she didn¡¯t really believe in it. But that experience she just had¡­ It felt like a connection, a direct connection. A connection with her little sister, something that only she could comprehend.


    ¡°H-Huh¡­?¡± Claire also sounded confused. Had she seen something as well? Nora looked at her, but she wasn¡¯t staring in the direction of the van. Instead, she just looked around in disbelief.


    Nora¡¯s eyes combed their surroundings. The sea of shamblers were no longer approaching them. They were walking past them. Dangerously close, almost running into them, but ignoring them. They were heading somewhere else. They were heading in the direction the van had left.


    ¡®What¡­ what is going¡­ on¡­?¡¯


    Nora didn¡¯t even notice her eyes closing on their own, and her own consciousness fading into nothingness.

 CHAPTER 25 – RESENTMENT

    Her eyelids were heavy. She was tired, both physically and emotionally. She just wanted to let go and rest, but some kind of ruckus in her close vicinity stimulated her senses enough to prevent her from returning to unconsciousness.


    ¡°¡­at¡¯s eno¡­!!¡±


    ¡°¡­iece of sh¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­iam, sto¡­ eady¡­!!¡±


    Her head hurt. She knew they had recently gotten out of a complicated situation, but she had issues remembering the full extent of it. She forced her eyes open, and waited for the blurriness to go away.


    Nora saw herself resting on what seemed to be a sofa, in a living room. A deep orange sky was visible through the windows on the opposite side. It was about to get dark. The thought made her inner self shudder, but her body didn¡¯t showcase any physical reaction.


    There were more people in the room with her. Claire was on her left, sitting on the sofa with her and holding her hand. She looked freaked out by something. Nora dragged her vision around, until she spotted William. Desmond was right in front of him, on the floor, with a bloody nose. William was pointing a gun at his head. He looked angry.


    There was also another man she barely recognized. Long brown hair, cunning eyes, with his arms crossed and witnessing the scene from a corner. She did the same thing, she watched. She didn¡¯t have the strength to do much more.


    The ongoing argument became coherent and decipherable as her consciousness gradually came back to her.


    ¡°Give me one reason, motherfucker. One single reason to not splatter your fucking brains across the wall right now.¡± said William, in a threatening tone.


    ¡°There¡¯s still shamblers in the area! You¡¯ll put us all in danger if you shoot now!¡± Claire tried to reason with him.


    ¡°The girl is right, you know?¡± added the man on the corner.


    ¡°Shut up¡­ Especially you, Marcus! Don¡¯t tell me what to do! I haven¡¯t even started with you yet¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­p-please¡­ I¡¯ll explain everything, Will¡­ Please¡­ I c-can¡¯t deal with this anymore¡­¡± Desmond curled himself into a ball on the floor and started sobbing.


    William wasn¡¯t too impressed by his reaction. The gun moved even closer to his forehead.


    ¡°Why? Just¡­ why!?¡±


    ¡°Before I joined you guys months ago, I was with someone else¡­ J-Jacobs¡­¡±


    ¡°Jacobs¡­!? The hell¡­?¡± William looked at Marcus with an inquisitive expression on his face.


    ¡°I¡­ know nothing about this¡­ Months ago¡­ This might have happened before I arrived at the shelter¡­¡± he answered.


    William faced Desmond again. ¡°Go on¡­¡±


    ######


    ¡°Those bastards are growing quite quickly, aren¡¯t they¡­?¡±


    Jacobs fidgeted with a pocket knife, sitting on a ruined couch in a corner of the room. Everyone else watched in silence. They knew it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to open their mouths, unless they had a very good reason to do so.


    Desmond wasn¡¯t too sure why had he been called to that ¡°meeting¡±. They had never arranged a meeting before. Everyone minded their own business, grabbing whatever food and drink Jacobs and his goons left behind, while staying out of trouble.


    Why him, of all people? He analyzed the rest of the men in the room with him. None of them were trustworthy. Mostly thugs and delinquents, gathered under Jacobs¡¯ flag. And Jacobs himself was the worst of the bunch. A far as Desmond knew, he was convict that somehow managed to escape after the start of the pandemic.


    Desmond didn¡¯t fit in that group, he stood out like a sore thumb.


    ¡°It pisses me off, you know¡­? We¡¯re dragging ourselves underground like rats, and they get to live up there in their own personal fortress? Besides, the more people they get, the more food they¡¯ll eat. And I¡¯m fucking hungry.¡± he coughed and cleared his throat. ¡°Does any of you know why I called you here?¡±


    He waited for a while, combing the room with his eyes. He stared at Desmond for a particularly long amount of time.


    ¡°Nobody¡­? That¡¯s fine, I didn¡¯t expect an answer anyway.¡± his knife took a couple more laps around the fingers of his right hand, before aiming directly at Desmond¡¯s face. ¡°You¡­ I won¡¯t beat around the bush. You¡¯ll go and join their community. Make friends with them. Learn the layout of the place, their routines, their activities. You¡¯ll keep in contact with us, and you¡¯ll let us know of any meaningful developments. Refuse, and your wife and daughter will pay the consequences.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh¡­? W-Wait, what¡­?¡± Desmond¡¯s mind took a good deal of time to process what he had just heard. ¡°N-No, you can¡¯t¡­ Eh¡­!? W-What do you m-mean¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Did I fucking stutter? You¡¯re no good for anything, and neither are those two women. Well, you better believe I¡¯ll put you to good use. You¡¯re the perfect guy for the job: you¡¯re skinny, you don¡¯t stand out, you¡¯re forgettable in every sense of the word¡­ And you have two beautiful handicaps hanging off your ass.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ Aaahh¡­! P-Please¡­! Don¡¯t h-hurt them¡­! Not them¡­!¡±


    ¡°Damn right I won¡¯t, as long as you do as you¡¯re told. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to get¡­ creative with them.¡±


    Desmond¡¯s breathing got accelerated, his eyes open wide as if about to pop out of their sockets.


    ¡°¡­o-okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡± Jacobs looked at the others. ¡°You guys will go on the next looting trip. Take him with you and drop him off somewhere near that apartment building. Don¡¯t let them see you.¡±


    He gave the knife a couple more laps around his fingers before folding it and sticking back in his pocket. He stood up and started walking towards the door.


    ¡°He got devoured by the zombies. That¡¯s all you know. Keep everything else out of the story. In case you have any second thoughts, think of that sweet extra loot filling your pockets. We might end up hitting the jackpot with those guys.¡±


    ######


    ¡°Your wife and daughter¡­ What are their names?¡± asked Marcus.


    ¡°A-Alice¡­ and Eleanor¡­¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ They weren¡¯t here today. They have been moved to the hospital shelter in the west some weeks ago¡­¡± Marcus scratched his chin while talking.


    ¡°Hospital¡­? What are you talking about?¡± said William.


    ¡°As I said before, we¡¯ve been setting up safe rooms and shelters around the area. This one is located on the top floor of the Saint Marie Hospital, west from here. It¡¯s quite far away, but it¡¯s spacious, and the area is packed with resources and medical supplies. We¡¯ve been moving people to that particular shelter over time, and we were planning to move out entirely when¡­ well, you get the idea. I can confirm that his family was sent to the west.¡± Marcus frowned. ¡°If I had to make a guess¡­ I¡¯d say Jacobs knew Desmond would remain obedient as long as he didn¡¯t get the chance to reunite with his family and plan an escape.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The room was full of silence for a while, interrupted only by Desmond¡¯s sobbing and William¡¯s breathing, which got increasingly heavier over time.


    ¡°Is¡­ that it!? Is that it!? That¡¯s why!!? That¡¯s why you sold us!!? You just went and sold us out!!? Left us to die!!!?¡±


    ¡°¡­what would y-you have done¡­?¡± Desmond looked genuinely terrified to speak.


    ¡°Huh¡­!?¡±


    ¡°¡­what if A-Amanda was under similar circumstances¡­? ¡­w-what then, Will¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ mention her name¡­! Just¡­ Ugh!¡±


    William¡¯s hand trembled with agonizing anger; his trigger finger yearned to unload the entire weapon on his target. After a short, tense period of time, his facial expression got distorted with rage, and he turned around, venting it on a nearby table.


    ¡°Aaaaarrgh!!!¡±


    His arm swiped the entire surface of the table, pouring a myriad of objects onto the floor and sending them crashing against the wall.


    ¡°Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!! Damn it!!!¡± each scream came with a heavy blow to the table; his fist causing waves of dust and dirt to rise and float across the room. ¡°Fuck!!¡± he grabbed the entire piece of furniture and flipped it over, before resting his head against the wall.


    Claire cuddled Nora and closed her eyes tight, as if she wanted to avoid making accidental eye contact with William at all costs. She didn¡¯t say anything. Nobody said anything. Nobody dared.


    ¡°Am I supposed to hate you¡­? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you¡­? Am I supposed to forgive you¡­? What the hell am I meant to do¡­!? Bloody hell¡­ Amanda¡­¡± William¡¯s tone sounded distorted, twisted by all the emotions that boiled inside his head.


    He turned around to face Marcus.


    ¡°You¡­¡± he said, taking a couple of steps towards him and threatening him with the pistol. ¡°You¡¯re a doctor, aren¡¯t you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± answered Marcus.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt. With the help of Lilian, can you cure this¡­ disease, whatever it is? Can anyone do it?¡±


    Nora¡¯s body was shaken up upon hearing those words. She knew what they implied, and it brought her nothing but distress. She wanted to move, to speak, but she couldn¡¯t; she was still on the verge of unconsciousness.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not an easy question, you know¡­?¡±


    ¡°Easy or not, think of an answer¡­! Can it be cured or not!?¡±


    ¡°I might be a doctor, but this isn¡¯t exactly my field, I can¡¯t tell whether or not¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lying.¡± Claire¡¯s voice interrupted their conversation.


    Both William and Marcus turned their heads in her direction. She stared at Marcus intensely, with distrust painted all over her face. She reached for one of her pockets, took out a small brown object, and offered it to William.


    ¡°I found this in the nest. I¡¯ve been waiting for a good chance to show you¡­¡±


    William hesitated for a moment. He approached her and grabbed the object, which he unfolded to take a look inside. His head tilted and his eyes narrowed while he read its contents, his mouth twisting in disbelief.


    ¡°Hang on¡­! What the hell¡­!? Isn¡¯t this a military badge¡­!!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder he wanted to keep Lilian in check. He¡¯s with them.¡±


    William dropped the badge and turned back towards Marcus, this time aiming at him with clear killing intent.


    ¡°Alright, the jig¡¯s up. I¡¯m fucking tired of secrets. You better start talking now¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Okay, listen¡­ I¡¯m not your enemy.¡± Marcus had started sweating, and he stepped back, putting his back against the wall.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked. You surely don¡¯t expect me to believe you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, do you? I don¡¯t like you. I have resented you since the very moment I met you. And now this? Now it turns out that you¡¯re a soldier? What¡¯s the next thing I¡¯m gonna get dragged into? I keep watching my life turning into a twisted action movie, and I¡¯m done with it. Give me a clear answer, or I¡¯ll get rid of you. Right here, right now.¡±


    William looked frustrated. And anxious, and nervous, and stressed, and angry... All kinds of negative emotions were written all over his face.


    ¡°I... I can¡¯t tell you anything¡­! You don¡¯t understand, I cannot spread confidential information just like that¡­! I wish I could, my own judgement tells me to help you out, but I have a duty to fulfill¡­!¡±


    ¡°Fine. Alright, I get it¡­¡± William grabbed his gun with both hands, the barrel aimed steadily at Marcus¡¯ forehead. ¡°Fuck you, then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­! Wait!! You want a cure, right!?¡±


    William stopped. His finger was already exerting pressure on the trigger.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It might be possible. But we can¡¯t know until we get a chance to take a look at the girl. We¡­ have a base of operations within the city. It has a small laboratory with medical equipment. I know where it is. If we can take the girl there¡­ you¡¯ll have the answers you seek.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°This is all I can tell you.¡±


    After pondering for what felt like an eternity, William lowered his weapon. Then, without a warning, he buried his fist directly on Marcus¡¯ face, knocking him down and giving him a severe nosebleed.


    ¡°Aggh¡­!¡±


    William didn¡¯t say anything else. He turned around and abandoned the room, leaving both Desmond and Marcus on the floor, with bloody faces, deep in thought.


    ******


    Claire didn¡¯t have the courage to do anything besides watching the conversation unfold. William¡¯s attitude had seeded her with unease. It felt like he was now determined to find Lilian and bring her under military custody as well. Wasn¡¯t he pursuing exactly the same goal as Julien and Logan?


    [She will keep dragging people towards her, colliding interests with clash over her custody, and calamity will follow.]


    Marcus¡¯ voice bounced around in her memories. Was this what he was referring to? Perhaps he knew all along, he expected inner conflict to arise sooner or later. But why? Why William? What was the driving force behind his actions? He didn¡¯t sound like he wanted her as a way to escape the city. He wanted¡­ the cure?


    Claire¡¯s thoughts were suddenly interrupted. Something tightened around her hand. Something warm.


    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±


    Nora¡¯s eyes were trying to establish eye contact with her, but they seemed twitchy, as if they couldn¡¯t manage to stay still. The rest of her body was mostly immobile. Her left hand gripped Claire¡¯s right hand with all the strength she had, which wasn¡¯t a lot.


    ¡°Nora¡­! Are you awake!? Hey, Nora¡­! Can you hear me¡­!!?¡±


    ¡°Mmmh¡­ Nnngh¡­¡±


    ¡°W-What¡¯s going on¡­? Can you hear me¡­!?¡±


    ¡°May I take a look¡­?¡± asked Marcus.


    Claire turned her head to face him, drilling him with spiteful eyes.


    ¡®I don¡¯t trust this man, no matter what he says¡­ But¡­ h-he¡¯s a doctor¡­ right¡­?¡¯


    ¡°Okay¡­ But I¡¯m watching you¡­!¡±


    She didn¡¯t have any weapons with her at the moment. She didn¡¯t feel safe. She just hoped he wouldn¡¯t try anything malicious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I have no reason to hurt anyone here.¡± he said, as he slowly approached the sofa.


    He kneeled beside Nora, and started examining her. He inspected her eyes with a small flashlight he pulled out of one of his pockets, he took her pulse, he checked her joints, her reactions and reflexes¡­ Claire observed him in silence.


    ¡°Stiff joints, abnormally high heartbeat, mild nystagmus, pale skin, impaired verbal communication¡­ Her nervous system also seems to be displaying certain erratic behaviors I can¡¯t quite identify. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give a proper diagnose with just a basic examination. Do you know if she suffers from any particular illness?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­? N-No¡­ Not that I know of¡­¡± replied Claire.


    ¡°I see¡­ Let¡¯s let her catch some rest. Perhaps she¡¯s just freaked out from everything that happened today. Everyone is tired.¡±


    ¡°R-Right¡­¡±


    There was no way that statement was genuine. Marcus scratched his chin again. He seemed to have something in mind, something he couldn¡¯t manage to figure out. Claire hugged Nora. Her friend stared at her as if asking for help, yet there was nothing she could do.


    ¡­


    Minutes later, the two girls had been left alone on the living room. Claire didn¡¯t leave Nora¡¯s side even for a second.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nora. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m not leaving you, okay? We¡¯ll get through this. I promise.¡±


    She rested her head on Nora¡¯s shoulder, softly holding her hand. She didn¡¯t get to see the tears that slid down her cheeks, flowing from her tired yet restless eyes. Tears that carried all the conflictive emotions piled up inside her body, with no other way to get out.


    ******


    Nora woke up again. She had been waking up and falling asleep countless time throughout the night. Yet this time, it was morning. She hadn¡¯t moved from the sofa yet.


    Her entire body was sore. With a lot of effort, she brought her hand to her face and rubbed her eyes.


    ¡®Uggh¡­ Jeez, I feel horrible¡­¡¯


    She stopped to think for a moment.


    ¡®Wait¡­ I can move.¡¯


    Something bulky moved and stirred by her side, before bouncing itself straight on the sofa and letting out a soft squeal.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­! Nora¡­!? Nora! Are you okay!?¡± Claire was almost chirping, Nora wasn¡¯t sure if she was surprised, excited, agitated, or all at once.


    ¡°Claire¡­!? Well¡­ yeah? I think so? I¡¯m just¡­ numb. My entire body hurts¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh god, I¡¯m so glad! I thought you¡ª¡±


    One of the doors leading into the living room opened, cutting their dialogue off. William walked in. He gave Nora a look from top to bottom.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ I think I do.¡±


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯re leaving soon. We¡¯re going back to the apartments for the time being, we¡¯ll be safer there. Once we get back¡­ we need to have a talk. A serious talk.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°And¡­ There¡¯s something you should see. Both of you.¡±

 CHAPTER 26 – DECAY

    ¡°Nora, are you sure you¡¯re alright!? You¡¯re not dizzy, or anything?¡± Claire was unable to hide her concerns over her friend.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, really. I just feel tired, but I think I¡¯m getting better already.¡± said Nora. She gave Claire a tiny smile. ¡°Thanks for worrying. I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­ But make sure you let me know if you feel anything weird again. You had me really nervous yesterday¡­¡±


    Claire turned her attention towards the huge vehicle in the middle of the parking lot. Hidden underground, with all entrances locked and secured, Marcus had kept a big military truck on standby. As far as the other survivors knew, he found it abandoned and took it for himself. Of course, that was a blatant lie. He had the truck from the very beginning.


    Armored plates on all sides, bulletproof glass, and with a spacious cargo container on the back which allowed it to carry both supplies and people alike. It would be safer than any ordinary vehicle, even in the middle of a shambler horde.


    ¡°So¡­ We¡¯re riding this thing back to the apartments¡­ I wonder if¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nora cuddled her from behind, sinking her head on her back.


    ¡°Huh¡­!?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to apologize yet¡­ For rushing out the way I did, for putting everyone in danger¡­ I should¡¯ve thought about things better, more rationally¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey¡­¡± Claire turned around to face Nora, holding her by the shoulders. She was biting her lower lip, frowning in self-disappointment. Her eyes were wet. ¡°You did nothing wrong. You were worried about Lilian, and you were desperate to help her, that¡¯s all. Anyone would¡¯ve freaked out in that situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh god, Lilian¡­ I just want her back¡­!¡± she started sobbing. ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say¡­ They won¡¯t hurt her, they need her¡­ She¡¯ll be okay¡­ Right¡­? She will, r-right¡­?¡± her weeping intensified, hindering her speech. ¡°Please¡­ Please, tell me she¡¯ll be okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Blaming yourself and crying won¡¯t help her, will it?¡± William¡¯s voice emerged from underneath the truck.


    Claire faced the vehicle. She couldn¡¯t see him, but she knew he was crawling somewhere down there. Since he used to be the owner of a fairly busy car repair shop, it wasn¡¯t too surprising that he volunteered to give the truck a look and make sure it was ready to go.


    ¡°We¡¯ll ready ourselves, and we¡¯ll somehow find her. That¡¯s all you need to focus on right now. Keep your mind on the goal, it¡¯ll make everything easier.¡± he said, half-grumbling as he fiddled with some kind of tool underneath the truck.


    ¡°Um¡­ William, can I ask you something¡­?¡± said Claire.


    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, when Lilian disappeared¡­ You were so hesitant to follow Nora, to go after her¡­ But now, you seem to be okay with this. How come¡­?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t brough up that specific subject so far, but she had definitely noticed a change in William¡¯s behavior. Something was different about him, only a fool would be oblivious to it. The day before, his conversation with Marcus had displayed an aggressive obsession towards Lilian, towards the possibility of a ¡°cure.¡± If that compulsive behavior were to turn predatory¡­


    Curing the disease was what the military wanted to achieve. The concept of the greater good, at the expense of a few misfortunate people. But William didn¡¯t sound like he cared about saving the world. And if it wasn¡¯t that, then what was it?


    He kept tinkering with the truck¡¯s underbelly for a long time before he gave an answer to her question.


    ¡°I did say I wanted to have a talk with you, didn¡¯t I? I made up my mind about something. But now isn¡¯t the time. Besides, I¡¯m not sure talking would be of much use¡­ I¡¯d rather show you instead.¡±


    ¡®Huh¡­? He¡¯d rather show us¡­?¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this thing moving first, okay?¡±


    ******


    The humming sound of the truck¡¯s engine was somewhat comforting in Nora¡¯s ears. Lately, if it wasn¡¯t an ominous silence, it was either growls, screams or gunshots. The monotonous purring of the machinery, ugly and annoying for others, was a cleansing melody for her.


    She didn¡¯t let go of Claire¡¯s arm during the entire trip. Her body warmth helped soothe the turbulence deep within her mind.


    Her head hurt like hell. Then it didn¡¯t. Then it hurt again. Something wasn¡¯t right about her. Ironically, she was thankful, because it prevented her form focusing her thoughts too much. She¡¯d rather suffer from headaches than wallow in her own pessimism. Still, it reminded her of the strange experience she had the previous day, right before she blacked out.


    Was that phenomenon related? She didn¡¯t have a logical explanation for it, beyond a twisted hallucination caused by stress. But¡­ she couldn¡¯t get Lilian¡¯s voice out of her head.


    [This way.]


    [This way.]


    [This way.]


    ¡®Oww¡­! It hurts¡­ Am I really okay¡­?¡¯


    [This way.]


    ¡®Lilian¡­¡¯


    ******


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Desmond and Marcus had been locked up on the top floor, along with the rest of the survivors. William didn¡¯t trust any of them, he didn¡¯t want them to roam freely around the building. At least, not yet.


    They had things to do. They needed to gear up before attempting to find Lilian, figure out who was going with them, who was staying¡­ But before worrying about any of those things, there was something in particular he needed to get off his chest.


    Nora and Claire followed him quietly along the sewer corridors. Claire looked as uncomfortable and freaked out as she did the last time. Nora, on the other hand, seemed to be lost in thought, not minding the darkness, the moisture or the limited amount of space in the tunnel.


    He guided them corner after corner, intersection after intersection. It was a path he knew very well. A path he made sure to memorize, for a variety of good reasons.


    About ten minutes of walking later, his flashlight illuminated something at the end of a hallway. A set of concrete stairs, leading up to a door. Heavily rusted, it looked like it had seen vast amounts of wear and degradation over the years, most likely caused by direct exposure to the sewers themselves.


    William walked up the steps, pulled out a small key from his pocket, and slot it into the keyhole. The hinges made a clunky creaking sound as the door swung open. He gave the girls a signal with his hand, inviting them to follow him inside.


    ¡°Um¡­ Where are we¡­?¡± asked Claire. She sounded afraid to raise her voice too much.


    ¡°See for yourself.¡± said William.


    He aimed his flashlight at a small box-shaped object on the floor. A car battery, connected to some electric devices and wires. With the flick of a switch, the lights in the room flared up. The girls had to cover their eyes for a moment.


    ¡°Ah¡­!! B-Bright¡­!¡±


    Their frowning faces rapidly filled with awe when they laid their eyes upon the contents of the room.


    The place itself was the basement of a destroyed building. The entire structure above ground had collapsed months ago for unknown reasons, leaving the basement completely inaccessible from the surface. Inside, shelves, tables and boxes were organized neatly along the walls and in the center of the room, creating a layout meant for storage purposes.


    Most of the available surfaces were covered with weapons. Pistols, combat rifles, shotguns¡­ Ammo boxes and magazines filled the shelves. One particular table showcased many batons of different sizes, along with other tools and utility items. The place was pretty much an armory.


    ¡°My goodness¡­ So, the thing about a weapon stash was no joke¡­¡± Claire took some steps around, her eyes jumping from shelf to shelf. She looked both scared and fascinated. ¡°Is this what you wanted us to see?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s behind that door.¡± William pointed towards a door at the back of the basement. ¡°But first, I need to confirm something. Let¡¯s see¡­ Nora?¡±


    Nora looked at him in the eye, although she was visibly hesitant. ¡°Yes¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s informed you already, but we¡¯ve talked about some things. She told me what happened. I know what you¡¯re going through.¡±


    ¡°¡­yes, I know.¡± she shuddered as those words came out of her mouth. ¡°Um, I¡¯m¡­ ¡­ ¡­nevermind. What do you want to talk about?¡±


    William noticed how apathetic she looked. A blank expression, tired eyes that stared at him as if begging for release, yearning for even an instant of rest.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Lilian¡¯s condition¡­ Is it getting worse?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­! W-Well¡­ Um¡­¡± she was shaken up by his question.


    ¡°I had a talk with Marcus. The bastard wouldn¡¯t say a thing about himself, but at the very least I managed to convince him to talk about her. We talked about her behavior. I told him about the things I saw over the last week, and at a certain point in the conversation, he said something that made me think¡­¡± Nora fidgeted with her hands and avoided eye contact while listening. ¡°Resistance isn¡¯t immunity. That¡¯s what he said.¡±


    Claire held Nora¡¯s arm with both hands, stroking it with gentleness.


    ¡°Nora¡­¡± she whispered, looking at her with a worried gaze.


    ¡°For god¡¯s sake, be honest. You should be quite aware that lying will only bring further issues.¡± said William.


    ¡°¡­she¡­ was okay at first...¡±


    ¡®I knew it.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s getting worse, yes¡­ It is¡­¡± tears started sliding down her face and dripping down to the floor, by her feet. ¡°It keeps aggravating¡­! Shit¡­ S-She was¡­ s-so full of life¡­! S-She was¡­ such a s-sweet girl¡­!¡± her legs trembled, and eventually her knees failed her, causing her to drop on the spot.


    ¡°Nora¡­! Oh, Nora¡­¡± Claire crouched down beside her, getting teary-eyed.


    ¡°I k-kept telling myself¡­ that she would be o-okay in the end¡­! But¡­ But¡­! Aaahh¡­!¡± her intermittent sobs had escalated into sorrowful cries.


    William approached her and kneeled down in front of her.


    ¡°So? Do you really want her to keep getting worse? Instead of looking for a solution? Is that it? Is that your plan?¡±


    ¡°No¡­! Shut up¡­!! They¡¯ll take her a-away from me¡­!! God knows what kind of testing they¡¯ll perform on her!! They m-might hurt her¡­!! Kill her¡­!! I d-don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen to her¡­!! And w-whatever it is, once it happens, it¡¯ll be too late to take a step back¡­!!¡±


    ¡°I asked you, what¡¯s the plan!? For fuck¡¯s sake, Nora! This shit is degenerative, it¡¯s eating at her from within! She¡¯s literally withering away as we speak! And you¡¯d rather do nothing!? I thought she meant something for you!¡±


    ¡°Enough¡­!!¡± Nora lunged forward and shoved William away, making him fall back. She hunkered down on all fours and buried her face on the floor. ¡°She means everything for me!! I love her to death!! I d-don¡¯t want to live in a world where she¡¯s gone¡­!! If taking the risk means she could be taken away from me forever, I¡¯d rather let her wither with me instead!!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    ¡°W-What¡­!?¡±


    ¡°You have no fucking idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    William stood up. His facial expression no longer displayed anger or frustration; it was contorted with grief. He turned around and headed towards the door at the back. Along the way, he grabbed a nearby chair, which he later set down directly in front of the door.


    Then, after letting out a deep sigh, he turned the doorknob.


    ******


    William took a couple of seconds to sit in front of the open door, hunched over, with his elbows on his thighs. Claire let go of Nora and stood up. Her gaze was set on something inside that small room. Nora was also looking at it, confused, but she chose to remain on the floor.


    What was it? There was something there, a shadowy figure, practically immobile. Claire got a bit closer, to take a better look.


    She gasped once she realized what it was.


    A shambler. A female. Her ankles were tied together. Her arms were bound behind her back and chained to a pipe on the wall. She was wearing a sweater and a long skirt, both of uncertain color, dirty and decayed. Her long brown hair, which might have once been smooth and vibrant, was now in total disarray, all tangled and disheveled. Her bony face was emaciated, her nonexistent expression darkened by the gray color of her skin.


    She was in similar condition to the shamblers Claire had seen slumbering in the sewers. Starved, lethargic.


    The picture sent a shiver down her spine, shaking her to the core.


    ¡°N-No way¡­ William¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­ I-Is that¡­?¡± she muttered.


    For a long whole minute, nothing happened. Then, William looked to the side. He wasn¡¯t making visual contact with Nora, but his attention was clearly directed at her.


    ¡°You¡¯d rather let her wither away? Let me tell you something: you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    He stared at the shambler again.


    ¡°Hi, honey.¡±

 CHAPTER 27 – AMANDA

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I came to visit you, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought some acquaintances with me this time, I hope you don¡¯t mind them.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Have you been okay? I know, I know, you¡¯re hungry¡­ I wish I could feed you, but that wouldn¡¯t be too safe for me, would it?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Everyone has been dealing with a lot of difficulties lately, but we¡¯ve been pulling through, you don¡¯t have to worry about a thing.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°How I wish I could speak to you again, honey¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The basement was in complete silence, only broken by William¡¯s intermittent monologue. His voice came out in threads. He didn¡¯t expect a response. He knew there was no response to be had. In a way, he was only fooling himself. Desperately clinging to a phantom of the past, feigning conversation with a remnant of something that wasn¡¯t there anymore. He knew there was no point to it. But how else was he meant to keep his sanity in check?


    Amanda¡¯s vitreous eyes twitched in the relative darkness of the room, staring at him and piercing his soul. Was there anything left of her original self behind that lifeless gaze? Could that thing still be called Amanda?


    Her jaw made feeble attempts to open itself, emitting a faint wheezing in the process, almost impossible to even perceive. William looked at the ragged piece of cloth hanging from her neck. He had initially planned to gag her as an additional safety measure, but he gave up midway. He couldn¡¯t bear the thought of silencing her. Not her.


    A single tear dropped from William¡¯s eyes. What a surprise. He thought he didn¡¯t have any more of those left. Although, in all honesty, he shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. Even if he was a cold and composed man, always keeping his own emotions for himself, Amanda was able to see past his inner walls; she always had a special way of opening him up like a book, reading his contents page after page, and cherishing every single word within.


    It seemed like, even in undeath, she hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    After watching her for a prolonged period of time, memories of the recent past started making noise in his head. Painful memories he¡¯d rather had kept buried.


    ######


    The flare emitted a blinding light, enveloped by red smoke. The distant sirens blared endlessly, carrying a foreboding sense of doom. Desmond cried his heart out, crumpled on the floor. William¡¯s senses were overwhelmed, overloaded by that sudden influx of information.


    Not giving him a chance to collect his thoughts, gunshots came from the floors below, followed by multitude of screams. He didn¡¯t even try to apply rational thinking. His legs moved on their own, plunging him downstairs, as the realization of what might be going on started to sink in.


    ¡®Shit¡­! Shit¡­!!¡¯


    His partners, Richard and Elijah, equally flustered, chased after him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!? Where did those gunshots come from!!?¡± asked Elijah.


    ¡°Get your guns ready!! The meeting hall¡­!!¡± said William, unholstering his pistol.


    The trio hurriedly made their way down to the fifth floor, then to the fourth floor, then into the hallway. More and more screaming and yelling flooded the building, coming from the direction of the meeting hall.


    The three of them turned a corner. They froze in place, weapons ready. The hallway was full of people. Unknown faces. Most of them armed with either handguns or bladed weapons, in front of the door leading into the hall. Judging by the noise coming from within, they were inside as well.


    William was pretty sure many of his comrades in the hall were armed as well. Why weren¡¯t they fighting back? He collected himself and got ready to open fire. It was then that he noticed one of the invaders holding someone at gunpoint. During that instant of doubt, his little group was spotted.


    ¡°Over there!! There¡¯s more of them over there!!¡±


    The strangers turned in their direction. William got a clear view of the hostage.


    ¡®Is that¡­ Benjamin¡­!?¡¯


    Benjamin, a usually strong and hard-working man in his fifties, had gone down with a severe fever some days ago, and had ended up bedridden. The man holding him was unusual, to say the least. Fairly burly, half-bald, with messy beard and dirty clothes that made him look like a beggar. His face exuded nothing but ill intent.


    How? How had they managed to pull off something like that? It was like they knew exactly what to do, when to do it, who to target, where to go.


    [H-Have you ever done something you deeply regret¡­?]


    ¡®Desmond¡­! Is this your doing¡­!? What the fuck is happening!?¡¯


    ¡°Drop the weapons, boys; or his brains get blown out. You choose.¡± ordered the man holding Benjamin hostage.


    Benjamin¡¯s face was bright red, and it wasn¡¯t because of the fever. He looked like he was trying to fight back, but his captor was exerting too much pressure around his neck, enough to almost choke him.


    ¡°Fuck¡­! W-William¡­!? What do we do¡­!?¡± Richard was starting to panic.


    ¡°Damn it...! Alright¡­ I¡¯m dropping the gun¡­!¡± Elijah slowly crouched down, and placed his pistol on the floor.


    ¡®Come on, think, think¡­ How the hell do we get out of this one¡­?¡¯


    William¡¯s mind struggled to analyze the situation. Opening fire was not an option, not with the lives of his comrades at stake. The cries coming from the meeting hall unnerved him. There was a high possibility that someone might have gotten hurt already, and he¡¯d rather not think about it yet. Was surrendering his only choice?


    ¡°Too fucking slow. Just get it over with already.¡± said the thug holding Benjamin.


    As soon as he was done talking, a barrage of bullets rained down on William and his partners. He felt a stinging sensation on his left arm, like a jolt of electricity that went up to his head and then shook his brain. His hands spasmed, causing him to drop his weapon. He screamed in pain.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Richard howled as well, holding his right leg and losing his balance. His clothes gradually started to get a deep red tint around his abdomen, and he coughed up a spurt of blood. His leg wasn¡¯t the only thing that was hit. Elijah didn¡¯t even scream; he simply dropped, limp, like a rag doll.


    ¡°They¡¯re down!! Rush them!!¡±


    ¡°Aargh¡­!!¡± Richard¡¯s hand clumsily held on to his weapon, returning fire with abysmal accuracy. ¡°William¡­!! Run¡­!!¡±


    And he ran. Not because he was scared, not because he was a coward, but because even his most primal instincts were aware that staying would only lead to a meaningless death. Those people didn¡¯t care about survivors, they didn¡¯t care about hostages. It was war, and they only had eyes for the spoils.


    In the infinitesimal period of time he had before the enemy inevitably cornered him in his own home, he assessed the situation. The fourth floor was compromised, including the fire escape access. The fifth floor¡¯s exits were covered with big metal hatches he probably wouldn¡¯t have time to open, and even if he did, he would be a sitting duck while descending the ladders underneath. The rooftop was a dead end.


    The only place he could go was down.


    ¡­


    He rested his back against the heavy metal door. The sound of the gunshots was still ringing in his ears, made exponentially more deafening by the confined echo of the parking lot. He had no other choice but to seek refuge in the armory room. At least the door was sturdy and thick enough to stop a bullet.


    He couldn¡¯t see what was happening outside, but he could hear it. Many sets of footsteps, reaching up to the door and wandering around the parking lot. Several voices were talking among themselves. Someone started banging on the door from the other side.


    ¡°Open the door, asshole! Your friends will suffer if you don¡¯t!¡±


    William observed the shelves and cabinets in the room. All full of weapons and ammunition. It was no wonder that they wanted to get inside. That one place was probably their main target since the very beginning.


    It didn¡¯t really matter how much firepower that room had. He wouldn¡¯t be able to take them all on by himself, and certainly not without getting his comrades killed in the process. He kept his hands away from the lock.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s give him what he¡¯s asking for.¡± another voice coming from outside, a voice he had already heard before. It was the unhinged-looking man that held Benjamin hostage a moment ago. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Yeah, you¡¯ll do. Bring him here.¡± more footsteps got closer to the door. ¡°Alright, do you have anything to say?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, that¡¯s what!! William, don¡¯t open the door!! They¡¯ll kill you if you do!! Stay in there and¡ª!! Agh¡­! Guuh¡ª!¡± Daniels talked to him from outside, but not for long. The swish of a knife cut him off, followed by a wet slicing sound, and then gurgling.


    ¡°Well, he started giving bad advice quite quickly, didn¡¯t he? That¡¯s fine, there¡¯s still a few left.¡±


    William clenched his fists, his teeth, his heart, his soul. His friends were getting murdered in cold blood, but what was he supposed to do? If he did nothing, they would all die. If he opened the door, they would still all die, but including him as well. The agonizing hopelessness kept him frozen against the door, listening.


    ¡°Hey, Jacobs. Why don¡¯t you try with one of the kids? Don¡¯t you think that might shake him up a little bit more?¡± another man gave a twisted suggestion.


    ¡°Heh, you sick fucker¡­ Alright, bring the brat over here.¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t you dare¡­ Don¡¯t you dare¡­! Pieces of shit¡­!!¡¯


    William had always considered wishful thinking to be a waste of time. Ironically, that situation was making him look like a fool under his own principles.


    ¡°Stop!! You monsters, stop it¡­!!!¡± Emma started screaming. She sounded quite far away, as if she was being held at a safe distance. ¡°It¡¯s just a child!! At least spare the children¡­!!!! N-Noo¡­!!¡±


    A crying voice, blabbering unintelligibly in between hiccups, approached the door. It was a boy, so it had to be the little Alex.


    ¡®Why¡­? Just why¡­? What¡¯s the point¡­!?¡¯


    ¡°Still won¡¯t open the door? I¡¯d love to spend the entire night playing hide and seek with you, but we¡¯re kinda in a hurry.¡± said Jacobs.


    A couple of seconds of silence went by.


    ¡°Alright¡­ I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re understanding me correctly. Fuck, I¡¯m gonna kill this kid, you know?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Have it your way.¡±


    By the time he heard the knife slicing cleanly through the flesh, William was crying in silence. He felt powerless to do anything. His body was overrun with savage impulses, the impulse to grab the biggest gun in the room and go on a suicidal rampage, hoping to take at least one of those homicidal psychopaths to hell with him.


    ¡°Nooooo!!!! Let me go!!! Alex needs help!!! Oh my god¡­!!! How can you do this!!!? Aaaaah!!! Aaaaaaaahhh!!!¡± Emma kept screaming, overcome by maddening grief. Other people in the room joined her, crying and swearing at their captors.


    ¡°Okay, bring the loud woman over here.¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­!!! Noooooo!!!! Aaaah!! Not me¡­!!! H-Help¡­!!! Let me go!!! Somebody, help¡­!!!¡±


    ¡°William, is it? Alright, I¡¯ll tell you exactly what¡¯s happening right now. I¡¯m opening a plastic bottle with soma nasty red gunk inside. Do you feel like guessing what it is?¡±


    Jacobs waited for a while before continuing. William didn¡¯t say a single word. He refused to be coerced into speaking by that psycho, he wasn¡¯t willing to give him that pleasure.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you guessed it, congratulations. It¡¯s shambler blood. And now, I¡¯m dousing my knife with it. Do you know what will inevitably happen when this stuff pierces her beautiful skin?¡±


    A muffled stab was heard, and the entire basement of the building was filled to the brim with a desperate scream of pain. The picture William got from the other side was of nothing but excruciating agony.


    ¡°Aaaa-aaaghhhh¡­!!! N-Nooo¡­!!!¡±


    ¡°Take her upstairs and dump her outside.¡±


    Emma¡¯s wails got farther and farther away, as she was dragged towards her grim fate. Jacobs let out a sigh.


    ¡°You¡¯re one cold-blooded motherfucker, I¡¯ll give you that. But you know what? So am I. Next, that chick over there.¡±


    William had enough. He could no longer contain his rage. He turned around, his hand reaching the locking mechanism in a frenzy.


    ¡°Honey¡­?¡± a very familiar voice talked to him from the outside, stopping him in his tracks.


    His heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Amanda¡­?¡± he finally spoke. ¡°Amanda, is that you¡­!? No¡­ No, not you¡­!¡±


    ¡°Ooh¡­ Is this your wife? Man, this one will be good.¡± said Jacobs, almost chuckling.


    ¡°Amanda¡­!¡±


    ¡°Shhh¡­ You¡¯re doing what you need to do, honey. Like you¡¯ve always done.¡±


    ¡®Stop¡­! Please¡­!¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re going to survive, won¡¯t you? You¡¯re going to k-keep going! Just like you p-promised!¡± Amanda¡¯s words were irregularly cut off by her sobbing.


    ¡®I never promised that I¡¯d survive! I promised that ¡°we¡± would survive! We¡¯d get through this together¡­ Both of us¡­ Both of us¡­!¡¯


    ¡°H-Honey¡­? I love you. Please¡­ don¡¯t open the door.¡±


    ¡­


    William¡¯s memory was hazy after that moment. He remembered the sound of the knife plunging into her beloved¡¯s flesh. He remembered her cries of pain. He remembered his own screams, his hand closed tight around the door¡¯s lock, but unable to go any further.


    And there were more screaming afterwards. And more crying. And more screaming. Until the screams were no more. Until all that was left was silence, and the stench of blood and death.


    ######


    ¡°I almost gave up, you know? I was close. Very close.¡± William was sick of dwelling on his memories anymore, he started talking instead. ¡°Every day, I would go to that room¡­ our room. It still had her smell¡­ I could still hear her voice¡­ I could still see her face on the mirror¡­ I asked myself: what¡¯s the point? I pondered over the shotgun, more times than I can count. I would put the barrel under my chin, but I could never pull the trigger¡­ I guess I just wanted to fulfil her last wish. She wanted me to survive, to keep going forward. But¡­ Did I want to survive? Did I have a purpose?¡±


    William stood up from the chair, and turned around to face Nora and Claire. They were both staring at him and at Amanda, with shocked looks on their faces.


    ¡°When you all showed up out of nowhere, I thought I would give life another chance. Perhaps you¡¯d lead me to something worth living for. But I never stopped asking myself the same question, over and over again: what¡¯s the point?¡±


    He looked at Amanda over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed, almost closed in their entirety.


    ¡°This thing isn¡¯t Amanda. I know it very well. And I know she¡¯ll never be Amanda again. I cling to the possibility of a cure, even though I¡¯m fully aware it¡¯s a fool¡¯s errand. But if there¡¯s something in there, something left of what she used to be¡­ I want to fight to get it back. No matter what it takes.¡±


    He walked closer to Nora, who was sitting on the floor. He kneeled down in front of her and stared her in the eye. She opened her mouth with hesitation, as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.


    ¡°Listen¡­ Lilian might be Lilian right now, but what awaits you at the end of the road isn¡¯t Lilian. You said that you don¡¯t want to live in a world where she¡¯s gone, didn¡¯t you? Let me tell you something, that¡¯s a very precarious boat you¡¯re riding on¡­ and there¡¯s a bottomless waterfall ahead.¡±

 CHAPTER 28 – DECISION

    The basement had suddenly become colder than usual. The air felt heavy, stagnant. All sounds seemed muffled. It was like time itself had come to a full stop for a brief moment. Out of simple rationality, Claire was convinced it was nothing but an illusion within her mind, yet it didn¡¯t stop her from getting chills.


    Nora stared at the floor, with her eyes lost in the void. They were dry. She didn¡¯t seem to have any more tears to let out, no matter how much she might have wanted to keep drowning in them.


    Claire wanted to continue comforting Nora, but she abstained from doing it. She understood what William had meant. He had a point. She didn¡¯t want accept it, she wished things could take a different direction with all her might, but the reality was undeniable.


    If they kept running away and hiding from the truth, Lilian would be doomed. And if Lilian was gone, Nora would follow.


    She said nothing, she did nothing. It was a conclusion that Nora had to reach on her own. She wouldn¡¯t be able to move on otherwise. She just held back her own tears, and watched.


    ¡°I won¡¯t force your hand.¡± said William. ¡°Even if my own sanity is teetering on your final decision, that decision is yours to make. But, for your sake, and for Lilian¡¯s sake¡­ think carefully about this. Don¡¯t do something you¡¯ll end up regretting your entire life.¡±


    Nora didn¡¯t answer.


    William moved his chair aside, and approached Amanda¡¯s room.


    ¡°I have things to do, honey¡­ I need to leave. But I¡¯ll be back, I promise. Wait for me.¡± he said, before closing the door.


    After a moment of hesitation and thought, he locked it and walked away, towards the entrance of the basement, passing right beside Nora.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. No matter what your decision is, we¡¯ll have to find Lilian. Regardless of how severe her condition is, she¡¯ll be safer with us than with those lowlifes.¡±


    ¡°William¡­ Do you think¡­ Do you think Lilian can be saved¡­?¡± asked Nora.


    ¡°¡­the military are humans. Can you reason with a disease? You can¡¯t. But you can try to reason with humans. I¡¯d like to believe there¡¯s still some faith to be had in mankind. Even if the opposite has been proven to us over and over.¡± he let out a deep breath. ¡°So, to answer your question¡­ Yes.¡±


    William abandoned the room, leaving Nora weeping bitterly. Claire rushed to her side and hugged her again, in an attempt to help her bear the sorrow.


    ******


    William had finally let most of the survivors out of their confinement. He kept his eyes on Marcus as often as he possibly could, making sure he was never left alone for too long. The only person he left in isolation was Desmond. His mind filled up with turbulent emotions whenever he confronted him, he didn¡¯t even know what to do with him. He¡¯d rather not deal with him for the moment.


    Since many of the survivors would probably have to stay in the building, he spent some time giving some tips about the layout of the structure, as well as the current state of the surrounding areas, including the very few places where resources could still be found. Those people were going to have a rough time surviving in that place for a long period of time, but if they were planning to rescue Lilian, they couldn¡¯t bring everyone. Whoever came along had to be ready to get into a fight, and most of them weren¡¯t.


    ¡®Speaking of which¡­ Rescuing Lilian, huh¡­? Easier said than done. How?¡¯


    ¡­


    William approached Marcus, who observed the streets from the edge of the rooftop. He noticed him getting closer, but didn¡¯t shift his attention from the surroundings. As William¡¯s eyes peeked over the railing, he noticed many shamblers standing around down below.


    ¡°What do you even stare at them for?¡± asked William.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in hiding the fact that my research is related to them, is there? We can learn a lot of things just by observing, trust me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ Listen, about the girl¡­ ?How do we even know that she¡¯s alive? You surely haven¡¯t forgotten, have you? That¡­ monster, whatever it was, ran off after them. I¡¯d find it hard to believe that they managed to take it down.¡±


    ¡°¡­indeed, that creature is definitely still out there, somewhere. It¡¯s not something a group of untrained civilians can handle.¡±


    ¡®You crafty bastard¡­ Things wouldn¡¯t be so hard if you didn¡¯t keep all the details to yourself. Like, for example, what that fucking thing is. Bah¡­!¡¯


    ¡°But the girl is alive. That, I can tell you for sure.¡± added Marcus. William frowned in response. He wasn¡¯t too convinced. ¡°If the girl was dead, I¡¯d know. As I told you before, there¡¯s plenty of things you can understand just by observing.¡±


    ¡°If you say so¡­ I have no damn clue how the hell can you be so sure¡­ But it still doesn¡¯t tell us how to find her. We don¡¯t know where they took her, do we?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ working on that. Have you managed to convince her friends¡­? You said you would have a talk with them.¡±


    William took a moment to think before giving him an answer.


    ¡®Convince? No, this is not about ¡°convincing¡±, it¡¯s not so simple¡­ This is a conclusion they must reach on their own¡­¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, I hope I did.¡±


    ¡°I see. Alright, I¡¯ll need some more time to figure things out. I¡¯ll let you know when I have something.¡±


    ******


    The cracks of light seeping through the boarded windows fell on Nora and Claire, enveloping them within the dim environment of the apartment. Sitting on the floor against the wall, surrounded by soft shadows, the coldness of the room felt strangely comfortable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been selfish, haven¡¯t I¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that¡­?¡± Claire looked at Nora with concern.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been thinking about myself¡­ It baffles me, how I never actually thought about Lilian. Forever in denial, keeping her by my side in order to not lose myself¡­ But what about her?¡±


    ¡°Nora, I¡¯m sure she wants to stay by your side as well. Anyone would notice how much safer she feels around you!¡±


    ¡°And doesn¡¯t that make it seem like I¡¯ve been using her? I¡¯m not even sure she realizes what¡¯s happening to her body¡­ But I do know. And even though I know, she seems to be okay with it, so I do nothing. I keep running away. I keep dragging her down with me¡­¡± Nora made a long pause. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m a bad person.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­! Not even as a joke!¡± Claire got closer to Nora and held her hand. ¡°Please, just don¡¯t. It¡¯s not true, and you know it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Claire. I have to¡­ acknowledge things. Sooner or later, I need to come to terms with who I am, and the things I¡¯ve done. What I¡¯ve done to myself, what I¡¯ve done to her¡­¡±


    ¡°Nora¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times, about the kind of life I had before the pandemic, right? The only thing I did was work. Work, work, work. I needed to provide for her, I needed to do everything I could to ensure she had a bright future ahead. We had no contact with our parents or with our other relatives¡­ It all depended on me. And I wanted to make sure she could move on despite being stuck with me.¡±


    She held tight onto Claire¡¯s hand, and she brought her other hand to her chest, clenching it, as if a deep anguish was eating at her insides.


    ¡°It¡¯s bizarre to even think about it¡­ but as long as I keep walking down this path, she¡¯ll have no future, will she¡­?¡± Nora¡¯s voice started to tremble. Claire looked at her face, and it was pretty obvious how she was doing everything she could to stop herself from crying again. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll take her to them. I have to¡­ I have to do this¡­!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Please, Claire¡­ What I¡¯ve been up to so far has been nothing but a delusion¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t feed it anymore. If it hurts me¡­ let it hurt me. I must do this. After seeing William¡¯s wife, I think I opened my eyes a little bit. For Lilian¡¯s sake, I need to seek help. I know you understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Claire nodded. No more words were needed. She laid her head on Nora¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Can we stay like this for a little longer¡­? I¡¯m¡­ tired.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Hey¡­ Claire? Why do you care about me so much?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What do you even see in me¡­? Am I not¡­ exhausting to handle¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not! I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re going through, I just like you!¡± for a change, Claire¡¯s voice sounded chirpy. Nora gave her a smile of appreciation. ¡°I think we¡¯ve all lost something since this all started. I don¡¯t know what happened to my family, or my friends¡­ They¡¯re probably all dead. I was¡­ so lonely.¡±


    ¡°Is my company so valuable to you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes the company of a friend is all you need for everything to be okay. I¡¯m just so glad I¡¯ve met you. And I¡¯ll support you to the very end. I promise!¡±


    ¡°Pfff¡­¡± Nora couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle, followed by a soft, but heartfelt laugh.


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s so funny!? I meant that!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing¡­! It¡¯s just, it almost sounded like those clich¨¦ lines you¡¯d see in a movie.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on¡­ If we¡¯re gonna be like that, I¡¯d say everything that happened over the last week looks like taken right out of a movie.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that¡­¡±


    The two girls shared a sincere laugh for the first time in ages. It was their own moment of peace. A brief, but necessary peace.


    ¡­


    ¡°Thank you, Claire.¡±


    ******


    An entire day had passed, and Marcus still hadn¡¯t given them any clue on Lilian¡¯s whereabouts. He carried papers and documents everywhere he went, but he gave no answers.


    ¡°You just asked me this same thing a couple of hours ago, didn¡¯t you? I don¡¯t have anything yet. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to be so insistent¡­¡±


    Marcus didn¡¯t look too happy about being stalked within his own room. It was a pity that William didn¡¯t care. Since the building was now full of strangers, he was dedicating most of his time to patrolling the hallways and making sure nobody was up to anything weird. He intentionally paced around Marcus¡¯ apartment more often than usual.


    ¡°I follow you around because I don¡¯t trust you.¡± said William. He saw no need to hide his distrust towards him. ¡°And since I have the chance, it doesn¡¯t hurt to ask.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Light footsteps approached the room. Someone was walking down the hallway in their direction. Before William could reach the door to take a look outside, Nora showed up on the doorframe.


    ¡°Nora? Is something wrong¡­?¡± asked William.


    ¡°I, um¡­ I made up my mind.¡± she avoided his gaze while talking. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± she directed her eyes towards Marcus, who stared back at her with curiosity. ¡°I¡¯ll help you find Lilian.¡±


    Marcus sighed, as if a big pressure had just been released from his chest.


    ¡°You sure? You didn¡¯t seem so convinced yesterday when we had our little talk¡­¡± asked William.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. I can¡¯t keep this up anymore¡­ For her sake, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡®So, she¡¯s really made her choice, huh¡­? She¡¯s surprisingly quick to stand back on her feet after falling apart. Good.¡¯


    ¡°Well, then all we¡¯re missing is how to actually find her¡­¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ A-About that¡­ I think I know¡­¡± she added, in a shy tone.


    ¡°I see... Wait, what¡­!?¡±


    ¡­


    Nora took the two of them to the rooftop of the building. William wasn¡¯t even too sure about what the hell she was on, but Marcus¡¯ face was painted all over with curiosity and excitement. He almost seemed to be mad with anticipation.


    Nora went for the west side of the rooftop, took a look around, and then pointed in a particular direction.


    ¡°T-That way¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­huh? Are you kidding me? How!? Why!? Nora, this doesn¡¯t make any sense. It just looks like you¡¯re picking a random direction. Is this also how you tracked her when she ran away the last time?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡ª¡±


    Marcus rushed to Nora¡¯s side and was about to grab her by the shoulders, but he stopped at the last moment, choosing to simply stand by her side instead.


    ¡°How do you know? I need to you to tell me the details. It¡¯s really important.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­! Well, I just¡­ It¡¯s like¡­ No, no, you¡¯re gonna think I¡¯m crazy¡­! Damn, I shouldn¡¯t have said anything¡­!¡±


    ¡°Please, talk.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay¡­ I can¡­ hear her voice. In my head. It¡¯s like I keep hearing her voice, calling me over¡­ And it feels like it comes¡­ from that direction¡­¡±


    Nora¡¯s gaze jumped between William and Marcus, nervous to no end. Her face was a bit flushed. William wasn¡¯t taking her seriously. But Marcus didn¡¯t share the same opinion.


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Of course¡­! We can trust her! We can find the girl!¡± he said.


    ¡°Are you actually serious!? You¡¯re telling me the voices in her head will tell us where to find the girl!? Are you listening to yourself!?¡± William wasn¡¯t buying it, and any other rational person would be just as skeptic.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to trust her on this one, William. I have no way to give you solid proof. But I am confident she says the truth!¡±


    Marcus faced Nora, and he did grab her shoulders this time around.


    ¡°E-Eh¡­?¡±


    ¡°Your name was Nora Lamb, right? This is an extraordinary development. But it definitely makes sense. If we follow your directions, we can find Lilian!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll refuse to give us a proper explanation?¡± asked William, on the line between annoyed and infuriated.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have all your answers once this is over. Right now, we need to start getting ready to move out. Every second matters!¡±


    ¡®Yeah, right¡­ Let¡¯s get ready to move out, let¡¯s follow the voices in her head! Now I¡¯ve seen it all. This isn¡¯t an action movie, it¡¯s a fucking comedy.¡¯


    ******


    That was it. That was the piece he was missing. Out of all the possible outcomes, who would¡¯ve thought this was what would end up happening? Marcus was exhilarated, he felt like his research was finally reaching a logical result.


    In his room, he finished grabbing what little belongings he had. The briefcase was the most important one. The Lamb sisters, and the contents of the briefcase; those were all the hidden factors in the equation. The equation that would unravel the mysteries of that place.


    The anomalous cell was no longer an aberration. An atypical, unexplainable happening, now had a proper resolution at hand.


    But they needed to be fast. With his theory now closer than ever to being proven right, the potential death of Lilian would be catastrophic. And if she were to be removed from the city without the rest of the pieces¡­ no answer would ever be established.


    Time was of the essence.


    While he hurriedly walked down the hallway, he thought about how to report the situation to his superiors. Under normal circumstances, he would¡¯ve used the radio on the truck, but it had been sabotaged. Most likely Julien¡¯s doing. They knew what they were doing, that was for sure. Those guys were dangerous, and he¡¯d need to take proper measures if they wanted to succeed in taking Lilian back from their clutches.


    ¡®Without a radio, there¡¯s not much I can do. Once we manage to reach Saint Marie Hospital, I¡¯ll be able to use the radio they have over there¡­ For the time being, I¡¯ll start preparing a written report. Ah, this is both frustrating and exciting at the same time!¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡®Now that I think about it, the original report is no longer accurate, is it¡­? But rather than changing it, I¡¯ll supplement it with a secondary document. I think I¡¯ll label it as: ¡°Queen¡±.¡¯

 CHAPTER 29 – DEAD END

    The white, almost sparkling particles scattered randomly over the patch of dirt with each delicate swing of her hand, giving it an appearance that reminded her of powdered sugar icing. She grabbed the hand rake and proceeded to mix it all evenly into the soil. Once she was done, she inched forward a little bit on her knees, and repeated the entire process on a different patch of dirt.


    Claire had spent the last couple of hours working on the crops that covered the courtyard of the building. Her mind was so absorbed into it that she barely heard William approaching her from behind.


    ¡°We¡¯ve finished loading the truck with supplies and weapons. We¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± he said.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll try to hurry up. I¡¯ll join you as soon as I can.¡± Claire kept working the soil in silence for a while. ¡°I said you could count on me for this, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to do much after all, right¡­?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, I get the feeling we won¡¯t be back for a while¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to properly care for these plants until their next harvest. I can give them one last meal before I go, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You did what you could.¡± William took one last look at the courtyard before he turned around and started walking away, back towards the door he came from. ¡°Take your time.¡±


    Claire watched him as he disappeared into the darkness of the building.


    ¡®This place still reminds him of her, doesn¡¯t it¡­?¡¯


    ¡°Alright, come on¡­ You need to eat well¡­!¡± she said, while applying another handful of fertilizer.


    The leaves shined under the morning sunlight, thankful for still receiving love and care in a world that had none left to offer.


    ******


    ¡°Turn right¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Alright, um¡­ Go left.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Is that a roundabout ahead? Okay, take¡­ the second exit, I think?¡±


    ¡­


    Nora¡¯s directions came at irregular delays, full of reluctance and self-skepticism. However, she never had second thoughts once she decided on any particular direction.


    On most occasions, she¡¯d indicate the correct path to take right away. Sometimes, they¡¯d need to stop the truck momentarily, as she seemed to suffer from mild headaches when trying to focus too hard on her thoughts. Or visions. Or voices, or whatever they were.


    William watched her groan while she rubbed her forehead in the passenger¡¯s seat. He sighed. There were many things on his mind, but he chose not to bother her with them. He kept his hand on the wheel, and his foot on the pedal, awaiting her signal.


    ¡°Nora¡­ Are you okay¡­?¡± asked Claire, peeking from the cargo compartment trough the rear window of the cab.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine¡­ It just¡­ hurts.¡± she answered, resting her head against the headrest. Some moments later, with her eyes closed, she raised her right arm, pointing towards a nearby street. ¡°¡­that way.¡±


    William put up with the situation and diligently followed her instructions. And it wasn¡¯t because he believed in what was going on inside her head. No, the reason was a lot more tangible.


    Every so often, they¡¯d run into subtle, yet obvious hints along the road. Knocked-over cars. Shambler corpses scattered around, crushed under the weight of something big and heavy. Skid marks on the asphalt. When connecting the dots, the result was crystal clear: they were following a trail.


    ¡®Well, she¡¯s onto something. I can¡¯t deny that.¡¯


    ¡­


    The truck spent several hours following Nora¡¯s indications throughout the city, until midday. They drove a good distance north along the riverbank, until they were able to cross it by means of a still intact bridge. Then, they made their way along a swirly but well-defined path west.


    It wasn¡¯t a straightforward journey by any means. The shambler population in the western districts of the city was, unfortunately, quite healthy. The smaller groups proved to be insufficient to stop the truck, getting pushed away or trampled over with ease. When encountering particularly massive hordes, they had to take long detours in order to avoid getting surrounded or buried under the crowds.


    William¡¯s stress was building up fast. That kind of travelling was dangerous. He could think of many, many ways in which their safety could get compromised. In comparison to his usual practices using the rooftops, driving was reckless. However, in order to move a sizeable group of people over long distances, along with all the necessary supplies, it was the only option.


    It was pretty obvious that Nora and Claire wouldn¡¯t want to be left behind, William had assumed they¡¯d join Lilian¡¯s rescue operation from the very start. Marcus¡¯ intentions, however, were ambiguous. He seemed too involved with everything to even fathom the idea of him staying behind, but his involvement was a mystery in itself. He knew way too many things, and shared way too little. William hated it, but there was nothing he could do about it. Threatening him at gunpoint or beating the crap out of him would achieve nothing except discourage him from helping them. And they needed his help.


    Then, there was Desmond. Not a single one of the survivors from the subway shelter volunteered to go with them, but Desmond was eager. No wonder why, since they were headed west, and that¡¯s where his wife and daughter had been sent. There were no guarantees that their trip would lead them to the hospital, but William couldn¡¯t help but feel like all these coincidences were an augury of things to come.


    William still hadn¡¯t said a word to him, not since their exchange after the subway incident. He still didn¡¯t know what to say, or how to handle him. Claire was the one who talked to him. He was thankful for it; that way he was able to keep him out of his head and focus on more important, immediate matters.


    Like, for example, keeping the truck safe on the road. He turned the steering wheel, zig-zagging around crashed vehicles, following Nora¡¯s finger wherever it pointed.


    ******


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Is it an interesting read?¡± Claire was startled and brought out of her trance by Marcus¡¯ voice.


    Carelessness? Perhaps. There was nothing Marcus could say to earn her trust, but she had inadvertently lowered her guard by getting immersed in that book. It made her uneasy, especially given the fact that there were several weapons available on the back of the truck.


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­? Why do you care¡­?¡± she replied.


    Marcus took a look at the cover of her book, squinting his eyes a bit from the opposite corner of the compartment.


    ¡°That¡¯s an entomology book¡­ It¡¯s nothing, I was just curious.¡±


    ¡°Hmpf¡­!¡±


    Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she went back to the pages. Whenever she wasn¡¯t hanging out with her friends, studying or working out, Claire had always been a bookworm. She used to love reading, and she¡¯d constantly be looking out for more interesting books to consume.


    Despite how calm the last couple of hours had been, she knew the situation could take a drastic turn at any moment. Still, she¡¯d rather read than stare at the walls. She had chosen that specific book on a stupid hunch; she wasn¡¯t particularly fond of insects, but it gave her peace of mind nonetheless. She hadn¡¯t delved into the intricate delicacy of written words since a while ago.


    ¡­


    The truck came to a full stop, like so many times before. But it hadn¡¯t been because of Nora¡¯s headaches. If it was, William wouldn¡¯t have turned the engine off.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± William¡¯s voice came from the front of the vehicle. ¡°Something¡¯s not right. We should check this out.¡±


    Claire put the book down and rushed to the cab window.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is it about Lilian!?¡± she asked.


    William didn¡¯t give her an answer. He gave Claire a signal with his hand, pointing at Nora, who had a look of distress all over her face.


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t hear her voice¡­! I can¡¯t hear her anymore¡­!!¡±


    ¡°What¡­!?¡±


    ¡®What if she¡­? No, no, that couldn¡¯t be¡­! Please, Lilian, be safe¡­!¡¯


    ¡°Also, take a look at that.¡± William dragged her attention towards the windshield. ¡°Jesus Christ¡­¡±


    Right in front of the truck, Claire saw a disturbing scene. Destroyed cars piling on top of each other and scattered all over the street, cracks on the asphalt, signs of structural damage on the surrounding buildings¡­ But if she had to point something out, it¡¯d be the blood. The blood, and the meaty remains that littered the area, along with the corpses of several shamblers.


    ¡°Oh, dear god, is that¡­? Oh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± the sight didn¡¯t sit well with her stomach.


    In the middle of the road, flipped over on its side, there was a blue van.


    ¡°T-That van¡­!¡± said Nora, starting to freak out for real. ¡°They ran away in that van¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± asked William.


    ¡°I could recognize it anywhere, I swear¡­! That¡¯s their van¡­! No¡­ Lilian¡­!¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ You two, stay here.¡± William turned on his seat and faced directly towards the back compartment. ¡°Marcus, you¡¯re coming with me! We need to take a look around¡­¡±


    ******


    Just as William had suspected, trying to outrun that creature was a mistake, even with a vehicle. He was surprised they had even made it that far. And of course, that scenario spelled bad news for everyone. If they couldn¡¯t get away with a car, trying to do it on foot would be madness.


    ¡®Among these remains, maybe¡­ I hope it¡¯s not the case, but¡­¡¯


    There were blood and body parts everywhere. On the road, sprayed on top of nearby cars¡­ William paid special attention to the size of the remains. None of those arms or legs looked small enough to belong to Lilian. Those poor devils had been ripped to pieces with unfathomable ferocity, but the girl didn¡¯t seem to be among them. That, or she had been completely obliterated into smithereens.


    ¡®Nora says she can¡¯t hear her anymore¡­ Damn it, this looks bad¡­¡¯


    Marcus¡¯ footsteps approached him from behind, just as he spotted something peculiar among the bodies. Weapons. Some of the corpses still held tight onto their rifles, and their clothes had unmistakable camouflage patterns. Those whose bodies were still recognizable as human wore protective vests, along with all sorts of military-grade equipment.


    ¡°These guys are¡­¡±


    ¡°Soldiers.¡± said Marcus. ¡°There was a team stationed here¡­¡±


    ¡°And¡­? What does that tell us?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m afraid¡­ We have no radio. I can¡¯t contact them. I¡¯m not aware of their current situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­ Well, the girl doesn¡¯t seem to be here anyway. Somehow, she slipped away. What now?¡±


    ¡°Saint Marie Hospital is nearby. Perhaps it¡¯d be a good idea to go take a look? We sent enough people there to form a small, active community. Maybe someone heard or saw something?¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ Let¡¯s grab whatever we can use, and let¡¯s get going. This place is giving me the creeps.¡±


    ¡®So, we are going to that hospital after all. It doesn¡¯t even surprise me by this point¡­¡¯


    He looked at Nora, who observed him from the truck, anxiously biting her nails. He combed the area with his eyes one last time, then he looked at her again and shook his head. She got the message. She left her nails alone, closed her eyes and curled into a ball on the passenger¡¯s seat.


    ¡®I sure hope the girl is okay¡­¡¯


    ******


    Those people weren¡¯t soldiers, Marcus was absolutely sure of it. Even If their uniforms were similar to those of the Army, their equipment didn¡¯t meet any standard regulations. They were no ordinary soldiers, but special forces. Unofficial ones. And he had a pretty good idea of their identity.


    While William was busy gathering weapons and gear from the fallen ones, he performed a more detailed observation of the surroundings.


    On the floor, tucked against some debris, he spotted a small metal object. Shaped like a canister, it didn¡¯t take long for him to identify it as some sort of smoke grenade. He picked it up and inspected it. It was spent.


    He analyzed the bodies that were left relatively intact after the slaughter. One of them caught his attention. Maimed and thrown against one of the cars, the impact probably killed him on the spot. Something peeked from one of the pockets on his vest. A small object, rectangular in shape. Marcus grabbed it, and proceeded to open it. It was a small container, with a soft, cushioned interior which housed a syringe. The barrel was empty.


    ¡®Alright¡­ I think I have an idea of what happened here¡­¡¯


    Those findings did nothing but aggravate his suspicions. Those people were on the move. They were running out of time, and Lilian was in the eye of the storm.


    He needed to get in contact with the Army as soon as possible. He needed a radio. And Saint Marie Hospital had the closest one he knew of.


    ******


    ¡°HQ, do you copy? This is Prometheus-01, we¡¯re approaching the site of Hephaestus¡¯ last known transmission. Over.¡±


    ¡°We hear you, Prometheus. Proceed with caution. The situation in that sector remains unknown. You¡¯re going in blind.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    The soldier¡¯s eyes scanned the surroundings through the visor with pinpoint accuracy as he advanced towards the site, one careful step after another. His rifle followed the trail of his sight, ready to open fire at the slightest sign of danger. Behind him, another four soldiers followed after his steps.


    ¡°The target is about twenty meters ahead. Get ready for contact. PT-02 and PT-03, keep an eye on the buildings. PT-04 and PT-05, watch our six. We¡¯re moving in.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± four different voices gave their confirmation one after another, and the entire team walked as a single entity.


    As they advanced, their boots soon started to leave behind a line of bloody footprints. The scene was that of a gruesome massacre. A blue van rested on its side in the middle of the street, surrounded by debris and body parts.


    ¡°HQ, this is Prometheus-01. We¡¯ve reached the target. Hephaestus seems to have engaged in combat with unidentified hostiles. Over.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s their status?¡±


    ¡°In pieces.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged.¡±


    ¡°Given the state of the bodies and the surrounding area, this is unlikely to be the work of lower-class entities. It¡¯s viable to assume the presence of a praetorian in the city.¡±


    ¡°Report received, Prometheus.¡±


    ¡°Should we proceed with the operation as originally planned?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative. Should the aggressor¡¯s identity be confirmed to be a praetorian, avoid contact with it at all costs until we¡¯re able to provide you with further support. Otherwise, proceed as planned.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±

 CHAPTER 30 – CONTACT

    No matter how hard he tried to get some rest, Logan did nothing but toss and turn all night. The bed was uncomfortable, the room was smelly, and the painkillers he took had done nothing to alleviate the pain on his back and right arm.


    He left the bed. If he wasn¡¯t going to be able to rest anyway, he might as well make good use of the time he had. He abandoned the room and started walking down the eerie, empty hallway.


    The bandages somewhat limited his movements and pulled on his skin, making the wounds underneath sting and burn.


    ¡°Ow¡­!¡±


    ¡®This fucking sucks¡­ Although it could¡¯ve been worse, I suppose. At the very least, I¡¯m still alive¡­ Really, what the hell was that about¡­?¡¯


    ######


    ¡°Slow down, you fucker¡­! Like hell I¡¯m gonna die in a car crash!¡± Jacobs raised his voice from the passenger¡¯s seat.


    ¡°You¡¯d rather let that thing kill you instead!?¡± replied Logan.


    ¡°We both saw it crash into a building like a cannonball a couple of minutes ago! We haven¡¯t seen it since then, I say we¡¯ve lost it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure! Like hell I¡¯m gonna believe it¡¯s given up on us!¡±


    He yanked the steering wheel, causing the van to turn abruptly, almost to the point of overturning. It managed to remain stable, just in time to resume speeding down another street. Several complaining voices came from the back of the van, but he ignored them. Keeping the vehicle in motion while avoiding obstacles was already stressful enough.


    He took another sudden turn. Whatever it took to make that monster lose them for good.


    He wasn¡¯t paying attention to the speedometer, and he didn¡¯t need to. He knew they were going at dangerous speeds. On the back of his mind, he let out a chuckle. Driving at excessive speeds in the middle of the city was one of those things he never expected to end up doing.


    ¡®Who cares about speed? Not me, as long as it keeps me alive! Who¡¯s gonna stop me!? The cops!?¡¯


    He maneuvered around the cars in his way, with surprising skill given the wild speed of the vehicle. Then, as if mocking his inner thoughts, a cop emerged from behind a crashed sedan, stumbling right in the middle of the road. In the brief period of time before the inevitable collision, it was able to drag his eyes towards Logan, empty and lifeless.


    ¡°Fuck¡­!! You¡¯re kidding¡ª!!!¡±


    While attempting to avoid the shambler, Logan lost control of the vehicle. The back wheels started skidding on the asphalt, unable to get a grip. The van spun around, ran over the shambler, crashed against other vehicles, and slid on the road after flipping on its side.


    They should have worn their seatbelts.


    ¡­


    Numbness all over his body. Ringing in his ears. Blurry vision. Lack of balance. He found himself at the bottom of the van, with the sky visible through the open passenger¡¯s door above him. Jacobs had left already.


    With great effort, Logan was barely able to pull himself up and out of the vehicle. Before getting down onto solid ground, he looked at the surroundings.


    A couple of meters away, Julien crawled towards Lilian on all fours, with an obvious limp on his left leg. The girl wasn¡¯t moving; she was curled up in the fetal position, completely still on the ground. The other two men who came with them were strewn across the sidewalk. One of them grunted in pain, the other one was silent.


    *Bang!!* *Bang!!*


    Jacobs, standing right beside the van, had opened fire. The guy complaining on the sidewalk was swiftly silenced as soon as the bullet bore a hole on his head. A second later, a shambler dropped itself on top of his body, attempting to feast on the now deceased prey. More shamblers approached the scene from several directions, attracted by the noise.


    ¡°Hey, grab the fucking brat and let¡¯s get moving already¡­!¡± shouted Jacobs, as he aimed his gun at the nearest zombie.


    ¡°Mr. Logan¡­! Come down at once and help me lift her¡­!¡± Julien asked for help, seemingly struggling to make Lilian budge from her position.


    ¡®What the hell do you need my help for¡­!? Come on, she¡¯s not that heavy!¡¯


    With his senses finally springing into action after the shock of the accident, Logan leapt down from the van and rushed to Julien¡¯s side. He grabbed Lilian¡¯s arm and pulled, but she refused to uncurl. It felt like trying to make a stone statue change positions: it just wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    ¡°The hell¡­!? Oh, come on¡­! Move¡­!!¡±


    He crouched down, with the intention of lifting her off the ground and carrying her in his arms. However, he hesitated.


    ¡®Wait¡­ Wait, wait¡­ Is this worth it¡­? I¡¯ve been going along with it, but¡­¡¯


    *Bang!!* *Bang!!* *Click!*


    Jacobs unloaded his weapon on the nearby shamblers until there were no more bullets left in the magazine.


    ¡°Okay, fuck this shit! I¡¯m out of here! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m dying like this!¡±


    He scanned the surrounding buildings, and spotted an alley devoid of shamblers. Without even looking back at his ¡°partners¡±, Jacobs made a run for it.


    Then, more gunshots. Were they actual gunshots? They sounded strange, muffled. One after another, the shamblers in the area dropped lifeless, neutralized with deadly precision. Jacobs stopped running. He took some steps back instead, as a humanoid figure emerged from the shadows of the alley in front of him.


    Camo clothing. Armed to the teeth. His face covered by a sophisticated-looking helmet and visor. Logan wasn¡¯t too sure if he could believe his eyes, but that man definitely had the appearance of a soldier.


    ¡°Shit¡­ No way, really¡­?¡± he murmured.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another four soldiers walking into plain view from several directions, all of them as heavily armed as the first one. No shamblers remained standing.


    ¡°Are we¡­ safe?¡± Logan continued to mutter under his breath.


    The soldiers moved like a single unit, converging on the location of the crashed van from all sides. Silence took over the street, yet those men were somehow not silent. Even with the lack of verbal communication, they were transmitting a clear message. A threatening message.


    ¡°Ah¡­! It¡¯s the Army¡­!¡± Julien managed to get up from the ground, clumsily standing on his own two feet. ¡°Thank goodness! Listen, we talked over the radio a while ago¡­! We have the resistant girl! It¡¯s right here!¡± he said, pointing at Lilian on the ground.


    Two of the soldiers look at each other. After a brief moment, one of them gave the others a signal with his head. They all sprang into action with swift movements and unparalleled precision. In the blink of an eye, Logan found himself pinned against the ground, with his right arm twisted behind his back and his face kissing the asphalt.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°H-Hey, what the fuck¡­!? Aagh¡­!¡±


    Any kind of struggle or attempt to break free was met with painful jolts coursing through his arm and torso. He was unable to turn his neck to look around, but judging by the swearing, his partners had all met similar fates.


    ¡°Get your dirty hands off me, pig¡­!¡±


    ¡°No¡­! What¡¯s the meaning of this!?¡±


    Lilian was in clear view, right in front of him. One of the soldiers approached her, kneeled beside her, and pulled out a small rectangular container from his vest. He opened it, and retrieved a syringe from within. The tube was full of a strange transparent liquid.


    With little effort, the needle pierced the skin on Lilian¡¯s neck. At first, she showed no reaction to the foreign substance entering her body. However, no less than ten seconds after the injection, she started babbling.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Aaah¡­! Auh¡­! Auaua¡­!¡±


    Whether or not she was actually trying to convey something was unknown. For all Logan knew, she was simply letting out random noises of distress. Her rambling didn¡¯t last for long. Her limbs suddenly went limp; and her eyes became empty and devoid of light, as if all traces of life had been snuffed out of them. She was still breathing.


    The soldier stood up and reached for the tactical headset on his helmet.


    ¡°Target confirmed. Terminate the rest.¡± he said.


    One didn¡¯t have to be a genius to understand what those words meant.


    ¡®Shit¡­ Are you serious¡­?¡¯


    Once again, Logan tried to free himself from his captor, but the pain from the torsion on his arm and neck was overwhelming enough to override any attempt to move. He felt the cold touch of steel on the side of his head.


    How long would it take? It would be an instant, right? The bullet would pierce his skull and sink into his brain in a fraction of a second, no pain would be felt. What a wicked way to seek comfort, moments before his own death.


    ¡­


    A sudden noise startled him. It wasn¡¯t a gunshot. It was way louder than a gunshot. It sounded like a crash, followed by the noise of scattering debris. The grip on his arm loosened a little bit, but didn¡¯t let go entirely.


    ¡°What was that noise? You heard it too?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, 03. HP, watch your surroundings.¡± more loud noises filled the area, getting gradually louder over time. ¡°Get ready to engage. Something¡¯s coming¡­!¡±


    A particularly loud crash shook Logan¡¯s eardrums, and he could feel dust and gravel falling on his body and raining down on the street around him.


    ¡°Contact!! Northern building, second floor!!¡±


    The rifles of the entire team roared all at once, almost masking the sound of something heavy dropping onto the street, making the pavement tremble and crack.


    ¡°HQ, we have a problem!!! HQ, do you copy!!? This is Hephaestus!! We have encountered a¡ª!!¡±


    The voice of the soldier was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a blunt impact, followed by a crash against a nearby vehicle.


    ¡°Deploy the gas!!!¡±


    Some metallic clicks, small objects bouncing on the ground, and then a thick, white mist started enveloping the area and permeating the air.


    Everything had happened so fast that Logan needed a moment to realize he wasn¡¯t being immobilized anymore. He turned on his back, looked at the street, and saw nothing but shadows moving through the mist. He instinctively covered his mouth and nose with his hand, unsure of the nature of the gas. One of the shadows was way bigger than a human, and it moved way faster as well. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to guess what it was.


    The orchestra of gunfire flashed through the smoke, mixed with confused voices, screams, and other chaotic noises. The street had become a battlefield in a matter of seconds.


    He detected more movement at the nearby sidewalk. Headed towards the alley Jacobs had tried to use earlier, Julien was carrying Lilian on his arms.


    ¡®Sneaky rat...!¡¯


    Staying where he was wouldn¡¯t do him any good. He stood up, prayed to avoid the monster¡¯s perception, and made a run for the alley.


    ######


    Both Jacobs and Marcus had preached about how big the hospital shelter was, how many resources it had in store, how well-located it was¡­ But the thing neither of them mentioned was the disproportionate number of assholes that populated it. It wouldn¡¯t be too surprising if Jacobs had made arrangements for the worst of his thugs to take root on the hospital, with the intention of eventually keeping the entire building for himself.


    Since the very moment they arrived at the place, they had been treated like shit. The people in charge didn¡¯t give a crap about anyone but themselves, as usual. They let anyone wander around the building without a care, but they kept strong vigilance over the supply storage. They were free to feast on the food and drinks, but everyone else only got the bare minimum to avoid dying. And nobody dared to stand up against them; the hospital only had two or three guns at its disposal, and they were all hanging from their belts.


    There was no sense of order, no planned supply runs, no roles, nothing. It was an unstable system, bound to come crashing down as soon as supplies started to dwindle.


    Definitely safer than outside, but for how long? Logan couldn¡¯t manage to stay calm, not with a ticking time-bomb inside the building with them. Lilian was a problem.


    He sped up his pace. Julien was staying on the opposite side of that wing, along with the girl.


    From the very beginning, it took him a good deal of effort to stop those psychopaths from taking her away. One can only imagine what their intentions were. Julien insisted on being her father, imposing himself as her protective figure. Somehow it worked, but he had started shunning everyone since then, even Logan.


    Julien¡¯s usefulness in Logan¡¯s eyes kept fading away. Every hardship they came across did nothing but weaken it further.


    ¡®Is the girl even necessary anymore¡­? Come on, man¡­ I¡¯m already tired of this shit.¡¯


    ¡­


    He knocked on the door. Hurried, frantic steps could be heard from within the room. Some seconds later, someone fumbled with the doorknob. The door opened a little, just enough for a person to peek outside from within.


    Julien¡¯s face was covered in sweat. He no longer had that smug, proud look he used to wear everywhere he went. Instead, he had the face of a lunatic. He frowned, his almost bulging eyes darting up and down Logan¡¯s body, as if he was trying to make absolutely sure he knew who the person in front of him was.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­! Mr. Logan¡­!¡± he said.


    Logan saw him hunching over as he spoke.


    ¡°What the hell is the deal with you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean¡­? Hmm¡­¡± he looked aside, not even blinking. It was as if he was pondering very hard about something. ¡°Yes, yes¡­ It might be okay¡­ Come inside.¡±


    The door opened further, allowing Logan to step inside. He heard it close behind his back.


    ¡®I really need to start setting boundaries here. This dude is losing his shit.¡¯


    Attempting to compose himself and recover his usual arrogant posture, Julien approached the messy hospital bed he had been using, and grabbed something from underneath his pillow. In the meantime, Logan glanced at something in the corner of the room. Lilian was sitting on the floor, curled into a ball and still unresponsive.


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    ¡°Here¡­! Look at this¡­!¡± said Julien. Out of nowhere, his eyes were full of brightness, as if he had stumbled across something amazing. ¡°This could be just what we need!¡±


    He was offering him an envelope. Reluctantly, Logan grabbed it, and took a piece of paper from within. It looked like a letter.


    ¡°The hell¡­?¡±


    ******


    [We are aware of your circumstances.


    You mustn¡¯t trust them. They will take the girl, and nobody else. You mustn¡¯t let them fool you.


    We are willing to help you. Our interests share the same principles. We want to get the girl out of the city. You want to get yourselves out of the city. We both want to get something out of this place.


    You won¡¯t trust us at first. That is to be expected. To prove our intentions to you, go to the address written on the back of this note. It¡¯s close to your position. Tomorrow, when the sun reaches its zenith point. You¡¯ll find the proof you need.


    Gather your people. Get ready. We¡¯ll contact you again.]


    ******


    ¡°HQ, do you copy? This is Bravo team. We have visual contact with the suspected target. Over.¡±


    ¡°We hear you, Bravo. What¡¯s its status?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be a subway station. There¡¯re signs of heavy activity in the area. Something happened here very recently. It matches the report we received two days ago.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged. Teams Charlie and Delta are in position and watching for hostiles in your vicinity. You¡¯re safe to proceed.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. We¡¯re heading into the subway.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°HQ, this is Bravo. The underground tunnels show signs that consistently match those of a recent outbreak. There¡¯re no hostiles in sight. We¡¯ll keep moving on. Over.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Uh¡­ HQ, this is Bravo. I think we have a problem. Over.¡±


    ¡°We hear you, Bravo. Please, elaborate.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve found an open cocoon. But it¡¯s unlike any other cocoon we¡¯ve seen in the city so far.¡±


    ¡°How is it different?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ bigger. Way bigger. Whatever came out of this thing must have been at least three meters tall. It almost looks like¡­ one of those praetorian cocoons we¡¯ve seen in the reports.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°HQ? Do you copy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we got the message.¡± the voice on the other side of the radio went down in volume, as if the person on the other side had turned their attention towards someone else. ¡°Report this discovery to the commander immediately, it¡¯s important. And let Doctor Elizabeth know as well. This turn of events might change the entire picture for us.¡±

 CHAPTER 31 – HOSPITALITY

    ¡°Great¡­ Now what?¡± William let out a grunt, staring at the big, open space in front of the truck.


    From their perspective, the buildings seemed to open up in all directions, leaving room for an enormous square where many nearby streets converged and merged with each other. At its center, a statue of a woman on horseback kept watch over the city, a silent beholder of its tragic past. Her attire was of obvious religious nature. She held the reins with her right hand and a cross with her left hand.


    Past the square stood a massive building, dwarfing everything around it. A seven-story high building, colored with pretty patterns of bright blue gradients, reminiscent of clouds. On its front fa?ade, right beside an unmistakable cross symbol, there was a large sign:


    [SAINT MARIE HOSPITAL]


    They had finally arrived at the shelter, which was a good thing. The shambler army filling the square and surrounding the hospital, not so much. They were neither moving nor making a ruckus. They stood there. All of them facing the hospital, but with their heads pointed up towards the sky.


    ¡°Oh god¡­ We can¡¯t get into the hospital like this¡­!¡± said Nora, cowering on her seat.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say¡­ Marcus? Any ideas?¡±


    Marcus¡¯ face peeked into the cab from the back compartment.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± he squinted his eyes and scratched his chin, as if trying to make sense of the crowd of zombies in the square.


    ¡°And¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever seen them surrounding any particular building like that¡­ One way or another, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t do much until they move out of the way. There¡¯s just too many of them¡­¡±


    ¡®Great¡­ Under normal circumstances, they only move around during the night. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any other shelter nearby so we can wait them out¡­ Could we drag them away¡­? An alarm wouldn¡¯t work, not against something this big¡­ Perhaps a gunshot¡­? No, no, that¡¯d be a bad idea¡­ We could end up drawing even bigger crowds from neighboring streets into the area¡­¡¯


    He sighed, frustrated.


    ¡°Damn, we can¡¯t stand here all day. We need to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Step out of the truck!!¡± a female voice called out to them from the outside.


    Out of all the things William was expecting to hear out there, other people were pretty much at the bottom of the list. Acting on reflexes, he grabbed his rifle from on top of the dashboard. He rolled down the driver¡¯s window, and aimed the weapon at the person outside.


    It was a woman of strong physique and average height, with tanned skin and long black hair held back in a ponytail. Her attire lacked color of any kind, as if she had intentionally chosen darker tones in order to not stick out.


    She threatened him with a pistol. Her hands didn¡¯t show any signs of hesitation, her eyes pierced him with fiery determination. With a quick look at the side mirror, William spotted some more people sneaking behind the truck. None of them seemed to hold firearms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down¡­! They¡¯re surrounding us!¡± said William, prompting Nora to gasp and stir on her seat, turning her attention towards her own window.


    ¡°I said, get out of the vehicle! We don¡¯t want to kill you! We just want your supplies!¡± said the woman outside, with a threatening tone.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be threatening someone with a weapon you have no intention to use¡­¡± replied William.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m not capable of pulling the trigger on you?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, you won¡¯t have the guts to do it. Not with that crowd nearby. Nobody is that stupid.¡±


    ¡°Practice what you preach.¡± she momentarily broke eye contact with William, stared at his rifle, then went back to clashing with him.


    The air was heavy and full of tension. For what felt like an eternity, nobody moved a muscle. Judging by the silence coming from the rest of the truck, everyone else was in a similar stalemate. More people were likely to have approached the vehicle from several directions, and were now waiting for the signal to spring into action.


    Drops of sweat formed on William¡¯s face. His finger caressed the weapon¡¯s trigger. Thinking about it, he shouldn¡¯t have even rolled his window down. A bullet wouldn¡¯t pierce that bulletproof glass so easily. Those people didn¡¯t really have the means to stop that truck. But with the window down, there was a clear vulnerability. He regretted his decision to confront them.


    ¡®Crap¡­ I should¡¯ve thought twice about this¡­¡¯


    ¡°Wait¡­! I know these people¡­!¡± Marcus¡¯ voice broke the silence from the back compartment. ¡°Stella, is that you¡­!?¡±


    ¡°That voice¡­ Marcus!?¡±


    William heard the back door of the truck opening.


    ¡®What the hell is that idiot doing!!?¡¯


    ¡°Claire! What¡¯s going on back there!?¡± he shouted.


    ¡°M-Marcus just stepped out of the truck¡­!¡± Claire¡¯s tone was shaky. Her stuttering denoted stress. ¡°You¡­! Stop, s-stay where you are!! I¡¯ll shoot¡­!!¡± she threatened someone, most likely the men who had crept behind the vehicle, out of William¡¯s view. ¡°Desmond, grab a weapon, damn it!!¡±


    ¡°Guys, please stop!¡± William saw Marcus stepping into the scene through the side mirror, yelling at everyone.


    The woman gave him a befuddled look, then slightly lowered her gun.


    ¡°Marcus¡­ It really is you¡­! What the hell are you doing here!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I would like to ask you, too. I¡¯m pretty sure you were among the first people I entrusted with securing and occupying the hospital¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well, the folks you sent afterwards didn¡¯t exactly help! Seriously? You send us Jacobs¡¯ gang? What part of that sounded like a good idea to you, asshole!?¡±


    ¡°What? Jacobs¡­!? I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s in that truck!? Is he in there!? Is he coming to get his fill!?¡±


    ¡°Please, Stella¡­! You¡¯ve got it all wrong¡­! I never sent any of his men here! I couldn¡¯t do it to begin with, many of them were reported back as dead from routine looting trips¡­ Unless¡­¡±


    William observed the argument, without putting his rifle away.


    ¡®Come on, Marcus, you should have known better¡­ That bastard sure made a fool out of you.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot! We should have gotten rid of all those degenerates a long time ago!¡± Stella showed no intention to stop berating him. ¡°So, you still haven¡¯t answered me! What are you doing here? How come you¡¯re not holed up in your subway office!?¡±


    ¡°The subway is gone.¡±


    Stella looked at him for long while, without saying anything.


    ¡°¡­what?¡±


    ¡°What you just heard. There was an outbreak. The subway was overrun. We managed to escape, and the hospital was our best bet to¡ª¡±


    Stella grabbed Marcus by the collar of his jacket and smashed him against the truck.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°What the fuck do you mean¡­!!? If this is a joke it¡¯s not fucking funny!!¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking¡­?¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­!!! I had friends back there¡­!!! What happened to everyone!!?¡±


    ¡°¡­only a handful survived. They are in a safe location, we left them behind while we checked the hospital¡­¡±


    It was obvious he was leaving out the most important parts of the story, most likely to avoid confusing Stella more than necessary. How typical of Marcus, hiding everything but the bare minimum. William was already getting used to it, he didn¡¯t even find it annoying anymore.


    ******


    ¡°A handful!!? How can you have the guts to say that with a straight face!!? Shit¡­!!¡± Stella let go of Marcus, took several steps back, and covered her mouth with her hand, fighting to keep her tears from spilling out. ¡°Damn it¡­!! Fucking damn it¡­!!¡±


    Marcus didn¡¯t make any effort to defend himself or justify his actions. After all, he was well aware that he was directly involved in many of the factors leading up to the subway outbreak.


    ¡°I can¡¯t understand you¡­! It shouldn¡¯t have happened like this¡­! You sent me here because you wanted us all to have a better chance at surviving! I believed you! I wanted to help these people; I¡¯ve gotten to care about most of them as if they were family! But then you¡­ You fuck us over by sending those¡­ criminals¡­! And now you tell me you¡¯ve lost the subway, and almost everyone is dead¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I wanted all of this to happen¡­?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think¡­! Just¡­ Just give me a moment¡­ Shit¡­¡±


    ¡®Believe it or not, I also wanted to help these people, Stella¡­ I wanted to help everyone.¡¯


    She approached a nearby streetlight, rested her forehead against it and closed her teary eyes. She took several deep breaths.


    ¡°Um¡­ What do we do then¡­?¡± one of Stella¡¯s men peeked from behind the truck, looking with worry in her direction. ¡°T-They are way better armed than we are¡­¡±


    She raised her left hand and gestured him to stay put.


    ¡­


    ¡°E-Excuse me¡­?¡± a soft voice emerged from the truck¡¯s cab. It was Nora. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for interrupting¡­ but do you happen to know if a young girl has recently arrived at the hospital¡­? She¡¯s really small; with short, black hair¡­¡±


    Stella turned around and looked at Nora, who was observing the scene over William¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯ve left the hospital weeks ago. We had to leave. Those fuckers would¡¯ve given us all kinds of trouble if we stayed. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you¡­¡± she replied.


    ¡°Wait¡­ You left!?¡± Marcus was taken aback by that fact.


    ¡°And what did you expect!? They have everyone almost starving to death in there, while they eat their asses full! And let¡¯s not even talk about the disappearances¡­ They have something fishy going on. We had enough. I rallied those who weren¡¯t scared shitless of venturing outside, and left. Many stayed behind. I still regret leaving them in there¡­¡± she gave the hospital a grieving look.


    The huge building, once a symbol of healing and hope, didn¡¯t feel so hospitable and welcoming anymore.


    ¡®To think things would¡¯ve ended up like this¡­ I guess Jacobs worked behind my back to ensure he had a place to run away to in case the subway got compromised. I was so worried about keeping the boat afloat I ended up disregarding the crew, didn¡¯t I? I disregarded the one thing that keeps the boat over the water¡­¡¯


    As much as he wanted to help people, the more Marcus tried, the more he realized. Helping people wasn¡¯t easy. His memories rumbled on the back of his mind, once again making noise he didn¡¯t need to hear.


    ¡®I wonder¡­ How many times have I broken that promise already¡­?¡¯


    There was a sound of footsteps, as someone came out of the back of the truck and got into plain view. Desmond acted shifty. He walked hunched over as if he didn¡¯t want to be seen too much. However, his eyes were lit up with an unusual light.


    ¡°Is... Is Alice there¡­? A-And Eleanor¡­?¡± he asked, looking directly at Stella.


    ¡°Alice¡­? Eleanor¡­? Who are you and why do you care?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Alice¡¯s husband¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Stella didn¡¯t immediately give him an answer. Instead, she analyzed him from top to bottom. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it back and kept thinking for a while. ¡°¡­yes, they were at the hospital. But they didn¡¯t come with us. They should still be there¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I-I see¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Listen, how about we decide what to do somewhere else?¡± said William, with an impatient tone. His eyes were no longer set on Stella, but on the shambler crowd surrounding the hospital in the distance.


    ¡°¡­we have a place where you can stay. Let me be very clear about one thing, though: don¡¯t expect me to easily trust you. Not anymore. I¡¯ll be watching you.¡± Stella pointed at Marcus.


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s okay, I suppose I¡¯ve earned that distrust.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. Follow us, it¡¯s a building nearby.¡±


    While getting back into the truck, Marcus wondered about their next move. He had initially wanted to get into the hospital to access its radio equipment, but such an option might not be feasible anymore. It might be too dangerous. Considering Stella¡¯s description of its current status, a confrontation might be unavoidable. Of course, there was still a lot to gain in terms of commodities and resources. And they were definitely better armed than a bunch of random thugs. Possible? Yes. But, should they take the risk?


    ¡®I better think about it later¡­ Right now, we need to focus on getting to a safe place and resting. It¡¯s not like we can do anything until those shamblers move.¡¯


    ******


    Julien hadn¡¯t slept at all that night. He couldn¡¯t manage to sleep. He couldn¡¯t get the message out of his head. What did it mean? Who had sent it? How did they sneak it into his personal belongings? Why go to such lengths? He felt cornered, paranoid.


    Just when he thought Lilian was dead weight, something new shows up and relights the flame. It felt perfect. Too perfect to be true. He knew there was no way whoever was behind that note had any intention of lending him a helping hand. No, that chain of events felt fabricated, carefully manufactured for a very specific purpose.


    ¡®The girl¡­ She attracts the monsters, she attracts the Army, she seems to attract danger itself¡­ Are they doing this to keep the heat off themselves¡­? I might just be a scapegoat in this entire mess¡­ Yes, that must be it¡­¡¯


    He stopped in front of a particular door. It was no ordinary building. But it was the exact address specified on the note.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the place¡­?¡± asked Logan. He looked around at the street, suspicious of anyone following them or watching them. He held Lilian¡¯s hands behind her back, although the girl didn¡¯t seem to react to anything yet.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s here. Let¡¯s go inside¡­¡±


    Julien kept his cool. His nerves were about to explode, but he couldn¡¯t let Logan know. If he was to make a significant move, he needed to keep a significant fa?ade up. He swung the door open, and stepped inside.


    His flashlight dispelled the darkness, revealing what looked like a very ruined office. That place had been abandoned since a long time ago, probably since the very start of the pandemic. Right across from the entrance, there was another door. A big cross was painted on it with bright, fluorescent paint.


    ¡®Like marking a treasure, huh¡­?¡¯


    The duo walked towards the marked door, with Logan awkwardly pushing Lilian in order to force her to move. Julien took a breath, then swung the mystery door open as well.


    The room in front of them was massive. It wasn¡¯t surprising, since that building used to be a warehouse. The ceiling was riddled with skylights, which let sun beams rain down from the heights, illuminating the whole place with warm, uniform light.


    At the center of the warehouse, a big pile of objects stood out among the many rows of empty shelves. It was strange that the shelves were empty. It looked like the place had been swept clean on purpose, to make sure their attention was directed without fail towards the pile at the center.


    Upon getting closer, Julien¡¯s eyes started to open wider and wider.


    Boxes, upon boxes, upon boxes. Some of them green and small. Others were colored in different shades of gray. Some were massive, more akin to chests than actual boxes. It was a massive pile of heavy-duty supply crates, like the kind you¡¯d see the military carry around.


    In a daze, Julien started checking their contents.


    Canned food of all kinds and brands, military rations, cereals¡­ Some boxes contained bottled water, energy drinks, alcohol¡­ Others were full of medical supplies, including vast amounts of common necessities, like bandages, painkillers, disinfectants¡­


    When he opened the big chests, his eyes basked in the shiny glory of brand-new weapons of various calibers, along with a plentiful supply of ammunition.


    ¡°Woah, woah, woah¡­! Are you kidding¡­!? Who the hell would just drop this here and leave¡­!?¡± Logan was in awe, his eyes digging through the supplies in disbelief.


    Julien stumbled upon one last box. Or rather, a small briefcase. He opened it. Inside, he found a small supply of syringes.


    ¡°Wait, I know these¡­! Those soldiers injected the brat with a similar one the other day¡­!¡± said Logan, pointing at them.


    Julien squinted his eyes. Something wasn¡¯t right. He felt like something wasn¡¯t making sense, but he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it. Along with the syringes, there was another small note.


    [One dose every 3 days. Start tomorrow. At noon.]


    ¡­


    ¡°Mr. Logan, listen very clearly to what I¡¯m about to say. We¡¯ll go back to the hospital, and we¡¯ll take care of that couple of idiots in charge. We¡¯ll kill them. Every single one of them. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to earn everyone else¡¯s trust afterwards. Not with these resources at our disposal¡­¡±


    ¡°Hang on, hang on¡­ Are you seriously going to go along with this!? Are you nuts!? There¡¯s no way whoever is behind this has any good intentions!!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ But I still think this might be just the chance we need.¡±


    ¡°This is a bad idea, man. I say we ditch this crap and get the fuck out, away from here. Hey, are you listening¡­?¡±


    ¡®The Army can¡¯t be behind this¡­ They want the girl. We¡¯re just a bunch of nobodies with a couple of guns at most. We have no way to fight back. If the Army was behind this, why would they bother helping us? They could just take what they want and leave. No, it¡¯s someone else¡­ And they clearly have a lot of resources. If they also want the girl, why don¡¯t they just take her from us¡­? Something must be stopping them from doing so, and that¡¯s why they need us. Even if we are just a couple of pawns in their game, we¡¯re still necessary pawns¡­ I need to play my cards carefully.¡¯

 CHAPTER 32 – SOLIDARITY

    The boy grabbed the visor of his cap and tilted it forward, hoping that it would obscure his face as much as possible. He kept his eyes on the open double doors across the room. The hallway was empty, with the exception of the occasional person passing by. And he knew that sooner or later, the one he wanted to see would show up.


    Nobody seemed to mind his presence at all. With his face half-hidden by shadows, wearing dark clothes and standing suspiciously against a pillar, he expected to attract one or two pairs of curious eyes. In solitude or in small groups, some of them wandering around and some others sitting in their own corners; the hospital was bustling. There was a lot of activity, of the kind the place hadn¡¯t seen since ages ago. And yet, not a single soul gave a damn about him.


    To be honest, they were most likely thankful to be where they were. Too thankful to question anything. Most of those people had spent months living under horrible conditions or performing heinous atrocities just to survive. And, out of nowhere, that place opened its gates to anyone in need.


    Food. Water. Shelter. Safety. The humanitarian help everyone needed. Even if it was more than six months late, it became a new, renewed beacon of hope for those who were already scraping the bottom of the barrel. And he was no exception.


    He pondered about what he was about to do. Just days ago, it would¡¯ve been unconceivable for him to care about anything that didn¡¯t imply a spoonful of beans or a sip a water. It was almost funny, how the tables had turned.


    ¡®What am I even doing¡­?¡¯


    ¡­


    A man walked in front of the door.


    ¡®¡­!!¡¯


    It was the one he was waiting for. At last. Keeping his calm as best as he could, he walked towards the door.


    He peeked towards the right side. The man got farther and farther away, until he eventually disappeared behind a corner. Everyone has to urinate sooner or later. He looked towards the left side, focusing his attention on a particular door in the hallway. Nobody was guarding it now.


    He walked as fast as his legs allowed him, but making the conscious effort of softening his footsteps as much as possible. Getting caught would be problematic, if not outright dangerous.


    As soon as the doorknob was within reach, he turned it, swung the door open and slipped inside. He made sure to close the it behind his back. He didn¡¯t want any potential passerby to stick their nose into that room.


    After rummaging in the pockets of his coat in complete darkness, he pulled out a flashlight and turned it on. His heartbeats got louder and faster, and his nerves skyrocketed as his eyes crept over the many boxes and shelves packed with supplies.


    ¡®Come on, Ethan¡­! You have to be quick¡­!¡¯


    It didn¡¯t take him long to identify a box half-empty of canned food. A couple of missing cans would be too obvious in a brand-new box, but they might go unnoticed in that one, which made it the optimal target.


    His pockets weren¡¯t too big, but they were deep enough to conceal the smaller cans.


    ¡®Alright¡­! Let¡¯s get out of here¡­!¡¯


    As he turned around back towards the entrance, several footsteps approached the door from the other side, along with a faint, unintelligible murmur.


    ¡®Ah, crap¡­! Did he come back already¡­!?¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡°¡ªthe hell is Carson? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be watching the place? Did he go take a piss, or something¡­?¡± a male voice echoed within the room as soon as the door opened, followed by a couple of figures stepping inside. ¡°Ah, whatever. I¡¯ll report this to him later.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this¡­¡±


    ¡°Jeez¡­ You folks really need to be punctual when we share the rations for the day! It¡¯s already hard enough to keep track of everything and everyone! Man, so many things have been happening all at once¡­¡± the man kept speaking as he opened boxes and retrieved some items from within. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. Come on now, we all have things to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course¡­! Again, thank you!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go see if I can find Carson now. What¡¯s taking him so long¡­? Did he go to¡ª?¡± the dialogue was cut off and became undecipherable noise as the door shut again.


    Ethan stopped holding his breath and gasped for air. He slowly got up from behind the boxes at the back of the room, before turning his flashlight back on. Everyone seemed to have left. He took a deep breath.


    ¡®Damn, that was way too close¡­! I need to leave, now! But what is this thing I¡¯ve¡­?¡¯


    He aimed the flashlight down. When he hid behind the pile of crates, he had stumbled upon something metallic and small, something he couldn¡¯t quite identify by touch alone.


    By his feet was a small briefcase. He thought it was strange. It was almost as if whoever put that briefcase there had intentionally meant to keep it hidden out of view. He opened it. There were several slots for syringes. Three of them were missing.


    ¡®Holy crap¡­! Are these¡­ drugs!? W-Wait, I¡¯m really going to get in trouble if someone catches me messing around with these¡­! That¡¯s it, I¡¯m out¡­!¡¯


    ¡­


    Ethan reached the very top of the stairwell, and he approached the door. There was a small sign on it, which said ¡°STAFF ONLY¡±; words that had lost their meaning long ago. Inside, the darkness was almost absolute. He turned the flashlight on. The light flickered for a couple of seconds, but it eventually stabilized.


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    ¡®I wonder how long will these batteries last¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to ask them to recharge them again. What a pain.¡¯


    In front of him, the entire top floor of the hospital would extend as far as he could see, if rows of machinery weren¡¯t obscuring his view. Box shaped hunks of metal, riddled with pipes, grates, button panels and other electrical devices. He wasn¡¯t too sure of what those machines were, but they resembled big air conditioners.


    He didn¡¯t have to walk too far into that place. He followed a nearby passageway between the machines, crouched under some pipes, turned a corner and walked several steps further until he reached a well-hidden, small area enclosed from nearly every direction.


    He put the flashlight on the floor and sat down. Despite how dark it was, he liked it up there. It was calm, silent. There was nobody around to bother him, he had the whole floor for himself.


    Well, almost.


    ¡°¡­are you there¡­?¡± he asked, not raising his voice too much. ¡°Hello¡­?¡±


    A low rustling noise came from the shadows. To his right, under a cluster of pipes, something moved slowly in the dark. Ethan retrieved the stolen cans of food from his pockets and placed them down on the ground, close to where the noise came from. Then, he grabbed the flashlight and aimed it at the pocket of shadows.


    A pair of eyes stared at him, painted with fear and insecurity. The girl had barely moved since the last time he had seen her that morning. He grabbed a can opener, cracked the cans of food open, and pushed them closer to her.


    ¡°¡­come on, you need to eat.¡± he said.


    It took her a very long time to react, but she eventually reached for the cans, after which she snapped, starting to devour their contents with vicious vigor.


    ¡®Good grief¡­ She¡¯s still that hungry, huh¡­?¡¯


    The scene reminded him of the moment he met her for the first time, three days ago. He thought about it, while he opened his own can of food.


    ######


    At a first glimpse, he almost mistook her for a shambler. Something in his subconscious must have been able to see past that first impression, preventing him from screaming in shock.


    After a closer inspection, her human features, although emaciated, became more obvious. She must have been around eight or nine years old. Her bright brown hair was dirty and messy, curling in knots that didn¡¯t look intentional. She wore a tattered, yet still pretty blue dress; a sad attempt at beautifying her weak body. The little girl was skin and bones, and her lips looked dry, as if she had been famished and thirsty for days.


    What struck Ethan the most was her eyes. Wide open, watching his every move, sundered in what could only be described as overwhelming horror.


    ¡°W-W-What¡­!? W-Who are you¡­!?¡± he scurried back against the wall. He wasn¡¯t expecting to run into anyone in such a remote corner of the hospital, let alone a little girl.


    The girl didn¡¯t say anything, she simply continued to watch him. Ethan was unsure of what to do. He had already started to eat, not even noticing he was being watched. The girl¡¯s eyes dragged themselves down from his face, and stopped on the can he was holding.


    ¡°You¡­ you want food¡­!? T-This is mine¡­!¡±


    Her stomach proceeded to emit the most cavernous growl he had ever heard in his entire life.


    ¡°I-I said no¡­! I¡¯m hungry too¡­!¡±


    She continued staring at the food.


    ¡­


    ¡°¡­w-why don¡¯t you go get food d-downstairs¡­? They¡¯ll give it to you¡­¡± he asked.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± she stopped looking at the can and looked back at him instead. She wasn¡¯t even blinking, despite the flashlight hitting her directly in the face. ¡°¡­don¡¯t wanna.¡± Ethan was shocked upon hearing her voice. He wasn¡¯t really expecting a response. It was a raspy voice, one that hadn¡¯t been used in a while, but all that roughness masked a sweet and gentle tone.


    ¡°¡­why are you alone¡­? Do you have parents¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­don¡¯t have¡­ mommy went somewhere¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She refused to blink, her body refused to move, and her stomach refused to stop making noises, awakened from its slumber by the presence of delicious, precious food.


    ¡°¡­ugh¡­! Jeez¡­! O-Okay¡­! Stop looking at me like that¡­!¡± Ethan placed his can on the floor within her arm¡¯s reach, offering it to her.


    Like some kind of feral animal, she grabbed it and started consuming it very quickly.


    ¡®W-What happened to this girl¡­!?¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s your name¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± she didn¡¯t respond at first, focusing instead on the contents of her can. After several seconds of chewing, she muttered a single word under her breath. ¡°¡­Eleanor¡­¡±


    ######


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll try and get you something else to eat, okay?¡± Ethan finished his portion and stood up, ready to go back down again. ¡°You can keep hiding there, I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°¡­will mommy also be back?¡±


    ¡°U-Uh¡­ I d-don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I miss mommy.¡±


    ******


    Logan sat in front of the desk, completely occupied with a pile of old radio equipment, which he turned on. He grabbed a nearby headset, which was a bit small for his head, but he managed to make it fit nonetheless.


    The knob turned with ease, pacing through the frequencies. For the most part, it was all radio silence. He had managed to get in contact with some people over the previous days, but it wasn¡¯t exactly a common occurrence. Enough to draw small groups of survivors to the hospital, but not enough to gather a crowd like Julien wanted.


    At last, he settled on a particular frequency, and got ready to broadcast his message.


    ¡°This is Saint Marie Hospital. We have food, water, shelter and weapons. We have a stable community, and we are safe from the undead hordes. Help us, and we¡¯ll help you. We can get through this together. I repeat¡­¡±


    As he recited the message over and over, Logan was overrun by unease. Something was urging him to leave that place as soon as possible, and never look back. They were all fucked anyway.


    Staying anywhere near that girl would only speed up the inevitable. Jacobs had probably realized, and that¡¯s why he had left. Now, Logan was starting to see it too, clear as water. That huge creature was after her, and it¡¯d kill everything in its path. The Army didn¡¯t give a crap about their lives, and they¡¯d kill them all as soon as they secured her. If it was bad, it was coming after Lilian, and everyone else was in the way.


    And their mysterious benefactors? If he had to take a guess, they were nothing but puppeteers, taking advantage of their situation for whatever purpose they wanted to achieve.


    Julien was blinded by his own dogmatism, and clung to delirious fallacies. At that point, it felt like any tangible hope, no matter how fishy, would be enough to shift that man¡¯s beliefs.


    ¡®I think I do need to start looking after my own interests after all¡­ No matter how you look at it, none of this is worth the risk¡­ This whole mountain of crap will come crashing down on us sooner or later.¡¯


    ******


    The sound of the rain roared relentlessly across the city. After days without a drop of water, the sudden downpour was a welcome occurrence. Besides, the never-ending noise and the bad visibility provided the perfect conditions to move around unnoticed.


    Two humanoid figures followed the sidewalk, hugging the buildings under cover of the rain. Both of them wore black, hooded raincoats. One of them was noticeably taller than the other one.


    Upon reaching an intersection, the back of Saint Marie Hospital came into view. The taller of the two raised their right hand. About fifty meters behind them, the military truck recognized the signal, stopping the engine.


    ¡°Alright¡­ Remember everything we talked about?¡± asked William. ¡°This is probably going to be dangerous. Don¡¯t do anything reckless, and stick to the plan.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m ready.¡± replied Claire.


    ¡°Good¡­ I don¡¯t see anyone keeping watch here. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 CHAPTER 33 – INFILTRATION

    ¡°Are you sure¡­?¡± Claire laid her hand on Nora¡¯s shoulder, gently rubbing it. ¡°Is it just like before¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure¡­ I can hear her voice again¡­ It¡¯s very distant, faint. I can¡¯t even make out what she¡¯s trying to tell me. But it¡¯s definitely there¡­! And I can feel it going away already¡­! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening¡­¡± said Nora, with her face contorted by pain.


    William had already guessed what was happening before he even stepped into the room.


    Nora hadn¡¯t even left her bed yet. She had sent Claire, who was sleeping in the same room with her, to gather everyone. Her headache had come back for a moment, along with Lilian¡¯s presence within her mind, only to start fading away shortly after.


    When it first happened, it came as a surprise. A confusing surprise. Could they trust such a fleeting lead? Her ¡°ability¡± to sense Lilian was already weird enough, and having it pop up from nowhere only to disappear after a short while raised more questions than it answered. It might have been nothing but an unpredictable consequence of stress. Everyone, including Marcus, was skeptical.


    However, three times in a row? At regular intervals? Always pointing in the direction of Saint Marie Hospital? Way too suspicious to be a coincidence.


    Additionally, Stella¡¯s people kept a close watch over the hospital surroundings. The shambler crowd was gone. The building was no longer unreachable.


    ¡°So¡­ Are we gonna do something, then? She might actually be in the hospital, right?¡± asked William. ¡°Marcus?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, there¡¯s a high chance she¡¯s there. Although something is going on with her, that¡¯s for sure. This¡­ intermittence¡­ It¡¯s unnatural.¡± Marcus¡¯s words were slow and carefully measured.


    Like many other times before, he looked like he knew more than he was letting on. Something was different about him ever since they encountered the crashed van and lost track of Lilian. He was more careful. More nervous than usual.


    ¡°If¡­ If she¡¯s there, then¡­ Does that mean Julien and his men also made it to the hospital¡­?¡± Claire¡¯s face paled as she spoke. ¡°And didn¡¯t Stella say the place was pretty much Jacobs¡¯ hideout by now? Oh god¡­ We have to do something¡­! Who knows what¡ª!¡±


    Marcus raised his right hand, requesting a moment of silence. It didn¡¯t go unnoticed for anyone. They looked at him, and waited for a bit.


    ¡­


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll talk with Stella about what¡¯s going on. I¡¯ll let her know. About Lilian, about her captors, about everything.¡±


    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t expect you to be the one who suggested revealing secrets to other people.¡± said William.


    ¡°The hospital is a fortress. Even if we have superior firepower, they have overwhelming strategic advantage, they outnumber us, and they have a crucial hostage. A hostage which, for all we know, might be under unknown, unpredictable circumstances. Do I have to remind you all about what happened at the subway? By this point, I think everyone should have realized that Lilian can influence the behavior of shamblers around her. A single misstep, and it could be over.¡± he sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s face it, we need help.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ And you think she¡¯ll help? She was pretty damn mad at all of us when we found her. And I don¡¯t think she¡¯s gotten too fond of us over these last days.¡±


    ¡°Stella is a good-hearted person. Her apparent hostility is simply a defense mechanism. She honestly wants to help those around her, just like she¡¯d help her own family. I¡¯m guessing she had no choice but to toughen up, for their sake. But I promise, she¡¯s not the kind of person who would turn a blind eye to something like this. It¡¯s not about saving a few people. Lilian could save everyone. I know she¡¯ll listen.¡±


    William looked at Nora. She had her left arm over her forehead, trying to ease her pain. She looked back at him, and nodded. Claire gave him a nod as well.


    ¡°Okay¡­ We¡¯ll have to leave this to you, then.¡± said William, giving Marcus his approval.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡±


    ######


    The rain was merciless, and William wouldn¡¯t want it any other way. They were about to make some noise, and the constant hammering of the water would be the perfect cover.


    Claire followed him across the street, over a fence, down some stairs, and around several small buildings in the back perimeter of the hospital. A minute later, they arrived at the particular location they were looking for, a big structure connected directly to the back of the main hospital building. It had a single door, which was welded shut. Only one of its sides had windows, very small and narrow near the ceiling, and protected by thick metal bars bolted to the wall. Very secure overall, and very sturdy. But it had an important weak spot.


    [When you arrive there, look carefully around the eastern wall.]


    It didn¡¯t take him long to spot them. One at the bottom, and another one at the top of wall. Ventilation grates. The bottom one was too thin, but the one at the top looked big enough to allow an adult human to pass through.


    William reached underneath his raincoat, and retrieved the long, heavy crowbar he had strapped to his belt. He shoved the flat end into the grate, near one of the corners, and pressed on the opposite end with all his strength.


    ¡°Keep your eyes on the hospital windows. We can¡¯t get caught here.¡± he said.


    ¡°Right¡­!¡± Claire shifted her attention towards the imposing building, watching for any signs of movement.


    After a bit of struggle, the grate started bending and deforming. Eventually, the corner became warped enough to allow him to slip the crowbar underneath, right where the screw was. He pushed.


    *Clang!!*


    With a loud bang, the grate gave way as the screw broke apart. The rain did a great job at hiding the noise. It didn¡¯t take long for the rest of the grate to fail. Some more loud noises, and the way was clear.


    ¡°Phew¡­ Alright¡­ Can you climb inside?¡± asked William.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    Claire took off her backpack and handed it to William. She jumped and grabbed onto the edge of the ventilation hole. Her shoes slipped a bit on the wet wall, but she managed to get a grip and pull herself inside.


    ¡°All good¡­!?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­! Yeah, no problem¡­! It¡¯s just¡­ so dark¡­!¡± her stuttering voice echoed through the hole.


    ¡°Okay. Watch out, I¡¯m throwing the backpacks inside.¡±


    William threw both of their backpacks into the opening, then climbed it himself. It was tight, perhaps a bit too tight for him, but he managed to squeeze through nonetheless. His boots made more noise than he would¡¯ve liked once they hit the ground again.


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    He turned around and pulled out his flashlight, an action Claire imitated a moment later. As they waved them around, the light revealed a big room full of enormous cylindrical machines.


    [You should find yourselves inside the boiler room of the hospital. It¡¯s in the basement. Nobody goes down there, it¡¯s completely sealed off. Even the stairs are blocked.]


    The forest of machinery and piping obscured the view and cast shadows over the walls, giving the room a feeling of oppressive claustrophobia. Even William felt uncomfortable in that place. Claire had crept closer to him, and kept her eyes on the shadows with a concerned expression on her face.


    ¡°Hey, I know you don¡¯t like darkness and cramped spaces¡­ But it¡¯s only going to get worse. We need to deal with it and move on, okay?¡± he said. He wasn¡¯t really trying to comfort her, but rather encourage her to steel herself.


    ¡°I know, I know¡­ I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°Good. Alright, before we keep going, let¡¯s see if we can find something we can prop underneath that opening so we can easily reach it if we have to leave. We don¡¯t want to get in trouble without a quick way out¡­¡±


    ******


    The empty, concrete corridors of the basement were devoid of threats. Ominous sounds in the distant darkness, the faint humming of silence, and playful shadows were the only inhabitants of that place. Claire clenched her hand around the flashlight, supressing her unnerving thoughts. It reminded her of the subway nest. However, this time it wasn¡¯t the presence of shamblers that worried her, but the potential threat of something much worse.


    She dragged her feet after William, turning corners and wandering into the depths of the building, following the signs on the walls. Their target was a very specific room.


    As they advanced, Claire recognized some of the facilities they came across. She was by no mean an expert, but she had a vague idea of where they were. A small power plant connected to the boiler room, a water treatment facility, storage units¡­ They had entered through the management facilities of the hospital, which probably spanned through most of the underground area of the building.


    Several corners later, their destination came into view, just as Stella said.


    [You¡¯ll make it to an area loaded with the remains of the hospital¡¯s delivery robots. You¡¯ll know when you see it.]


    There was a wide opening in the wall of the corridor, leading into a peculiar room. In disarray among shelves and electrical devices, strange machines littered the place. Looking like big Roombas, many of them had been carved open and taken apart for their components and batteries, leaving their empty chassis behind.


    ¡®They had all these batteries available to them¡­ And if I¡¯m not mistaken, this hospital has its own set of solar panels on the rooftop. They weren¡¯t kidding, this place really has everything it needs to sustain a large community of people, huh¡­?¡¯


    One of the walls of the room had an elevator. Unlike most elevators in a hospital, wide and spacious enough to fit a stretcher along with several people, that one was very small, almost as if it was designed for a single person at most.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ll probably have to help me here.¡± said William, as he wedged the crowbar in between the elevator doors.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    They were considerably stuck in place from months of disuse. William pulled at the crowbar from one side, Claire pushed at it from the opposite side.


    ¡°Hhnnnggh¡­!¡±


    With an annoying creaking noise, the doors slid open. They didn¡¯t open all the way, but it was enough to slip into the elevator itself, which was sitting immobile at the bottom of the shaft in front of them.


    They shined their flashlights up towards the ceiling, and spotted an emergency trapdoor, which was already open.


    ¡°Alright, step on top of my shoulders and get up there.¡±


    She was easily able to reach the opening and climb on top of the elevator. She gave William a hand and helped him climb up after her.


    ¡®Ugh¡­! Heavy¡­!¡¯


    She took a moment to catch her breath, then looked to her right, towards the side of the elevator shaft.


    [Once you¡¯re inside the elevator shaft, you should see a ladder. This is the only elevator that has one.]


    Embedded into an alcove that went all the way to the top of the building, was a very convenient metal ladder, protected by a cage of safety bars.


    ¡°So far so good. I seriously hope we didn¡¯t alert anyone yet. The sound of the rain outside should¡¯ve been loud enough¡­ Come on, it¡¯s a long way up.¡±


    ¡­


    Occupied in its entirety by countless air conditioning units, the top floor of the hospital lacked windows, and therefore, it was just as dark as the basement they had climbed out of. However, through the gaps of the machinery, Claire spotted some form of light coming from a distant corner, most likely a door.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± whispered William. ¡°We¡¯re in dangerous territory now. Keep your eyes open, and don¡¯t make a noise. We need to figure out what¡¯s going on in this place¡­¡±


    Claire nodded. According to Stella, nobody used the top floor, since it lacked any natural light. They shouldn¡¯t encounter anyone up there. However, she couldn¡¯t ignore the feeling of dread eating at her subconscious. Those thugs could be nearby. Jacobs could be nearby. Julien and Logan could be nearby. Lilian could be nearby.


    She gulped, and started walking after William, zig-zagging around the machinery and down the corridors, in the direction of the light.


    ¡­


    Claire¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She froze. William also stopped moving, probably as surprised as she was.


    The figure standing on the doorframe seemed to freeze in place with them. With their back against the light, it was impossible to make out their features. They were, however, remarkably short.


    William snapped out of it and sprung into action. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed the mysterious person, pulled them past the doorframe and into the shadows, and held them against the wall. From underneath his raincoat, he had swiftly pulled out a combat knife, which he pressed against the abdomen of the stranger. His other arm blocked their mouth, preventing them from screaming or calling for help. A panicked, muffled yelp could be heard for a moment, but it shut up as soon as they felt the pressure of the steel blade.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make a single noise. I¡¯ll gut you alive.¡± said William. He kept his voice down, but the threat was loud and clear.


    ¡°Mmmhh¡­! Hhhhmpf¡­.!!¡± the stranger mumbled something unintelligible.


    ¡°W-Wait¡­! William, wait¡­! This person is just¡­!¡± Claire got closer to them, and aimed her flashlight directly at the stranger¡¯s face. The light revealed a teenager, wearing a black cap. His eyes were teary, and he was clearly terrified by the situation. ¡°It¡¯s just a kid¡­!¡±


    The boy was tightly holding a can of food, but his hands trembled so much it looked like he might end up dropping it at any moment. He avoided looking directly at their eyes, as if afraid of the consequences.


    ¡°Do you understand your situation? I swear, if you raise your voice, it¡¯s not going to be pretty for you.¡± threatened William.


    ¡°Hey¡­ We don¡¯t want to hurt you, I promise!¡± Claire attempted to calm him down. His fearful eyes met with hers. ¡°We just want to ask some questions.¡±


    He nodded. William stopped pressing his arm against the kid¡¯s face, and slowly stepped back. The boy gasped, and breathed frantically for several seconds.


    ¡°¡­w-who¡­!?¡± he muttered. He didn¡¯t sound like he was able to form a full sentence.


    ¡°Stella sent us.¡± replied William.


    ¡°¡­e-eh¡­?¡± the boy watched him in confusion, and tilted his head. ¡°I d-don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about, sir¡­¡±


    Claire and William shared a concerned look. They had feared something strange might be going on at the hospital. Over the previous days, Stella¡¯s people reported several groups of people headed for the hospital for some reason.


    ¡®Perhaps this kid is one of those newcomers¡­?¡¯


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name?¡± asked Claire.


    ¡°Um¡­ Ethan.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Ethan¡­ Can you tell us what¡¯s been going on around here lately?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Well¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Okay, this is completely different to what Stella told us. Something isn¡¯t right.¡± William paced in circles as he rambled. ¡°An abundance of food and drink? Are you telling me that lunatic¡¯s gang suddenly became good samaritans, just like that? No fucking way. I¡¯m not buying that crap.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps someone else took command¡­?¡± suggested Claire. ¡°Ethan, do you know who¡¯s in charge now?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. I don¡¯t care too much about people, I just know they give us all the stuff we need¡­¡±


    ¡®This whole situation¡­ It¡¯s giving me really bad vibes. I¡­ I¡¯ve seen this before¡­!¡¯


    Claire immediately thought about Julien. He had used fake goodwill and overflowing charisma to gain people¡¯s favour before. What was stopping him from doing it again, as long as he had the necessary resources? It was a possibility they needed to consider. He¡¯d have Lilian, he¡¯d have his own personal fortress to protect her, and he¡¯d have his own army to keep it secured.


    She shuddered. Was she overthinking¡­?


    ¡°I¡¯m going back with the rest. They need to know about this. We¡¯ll think about how to proceed.¡± said William. ¡°You, pipsqueak. Is this floor safe? Does anyone else come up here?¡±


    ¡°N-No, sir¡­ I have never seen anyone else walking up those stairs¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ Claire, you¡¯ll stay here and make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything funny. Do not take your eyes off him. And if you can figure out more about what¡¯s going on, do so. But¡­ for god¡¯s sake, don¡¯t take unnecessary risks, and don¡¯t let anyone see you. Got it!?¡±


    ¡°S-Sure¡­!¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

 CHAPTER 34 – BUGS

    Claire gasped.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness¡­! S-She doesn¡¯t look healthy¡­!¡± she said, stooping down to get a better look at her.


    The girl sat in a corner, tucked against the machinery, staring at Claire with mournful eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been feeding her over the last few days. She refuses to go down and get her own stuff¡­¡± Ethan approached her, and placed a can of sweet corn by her side. ¡°Here, this is for you.¡±


    Claire kneeled down to get to the girl¡¯s eye level.


    ¡°Hey, sweetheart¡­ Is that true?¡± she said, in a soft voice.


    The girl appeared to relax a bit. Her stiffness faded, and she stopped hugging her legs and burying most of her face into her arms. Claire got a clearer view of her features. Somehow, she felt familiar, as if she reminded her of someone. But she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it.


    She nodded, in response to Claire¡¯s question.


    ¡®This girl¡­ she¡¯s way younger than Lilian. How did she even make it this far!? Poor thing¡­¡¯


    ¡°Are you two related?¡± asked Claire.


    ¡°Huh¡­? N-No¡­ I just happened to stumble upon her up here. All she¡¯s told me is that her mum went somewhere¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡®And he simply decided to look after a complete stranger? You don¡¯t see that kind of kindness too often¡­ Should I trust him¡­?¡¯


    Claire had no intention to lower her guard. Untrusting by nature, she knew appearances could be misleading. However, her gut was telling her to be at ease. Those two youngsters might actually be the first strangers she had met since the beginning of the pandemic that didn¡¯t give her unsettling vibes.


    ¡°What do you usually do around here? Do you just keep her company up here¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, uh¡­ I guess? I don¡¯t like being down there with all the others. Too much noise¡­ I just hang around here, or explore the other floors.¡±


    ¡°Explore? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s lots of cool places down below. You can¡¯t really get there using the stairs, they keep them blocked at all times. But there are other ways to go down, like the elevator you guys came from.¡±


    ¡°Cool places, right¡­ For example?¡± any bit of information she could get about the hospital might be useful in the future. She encouraged him to talk, and listened.


    ¡°Most of it is just waiting areas and offices, but there¡¯s rooms full of strange machines and computers. I found one that looks like a bed, but it was inside some kind of cylindrical machine, like a tunnel. Weird. There¡¯s also a room with lots of shelves full of medicines and bottles full of liquid. Some of them smelled really weird.¡±


    ¡®You shouldn¡¯t be sticking your nose in bottles with unknown chemicals, jeez¡­ But a stash of medicine sounds useful. Did they not loot the entire place? Perhaps they didn¡¯t have time to do so? This hospital is massive, after all¡­¡¯


    ¡°There¡¯s also this other room with, like¡­ lots of glowing bugs in jars. I don¡¯t know what was the deal with that, it kinda creeped me out. Oh, I also found¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Wait, did you say glowing bugs¡­?¡± Claire interrupted Ethan¡¯s monologue. Her brain had stopped paying attention to his words, and was instead trying to make sense of what she had just heard.


    ¡°Eh¡­ Y-Yeah¡­?¡±


    She had something in mind. Nothing but an idea, a remote hypothesis that had been bouncing around her head for a while. And what Ethan had mentioned made that idea resonate with more intensity than ever before. Was the boy telling the truth? Why would such a thing be there? Was it relevant? Lots of questions, and lots of coincidences.


    [If you can figure out more about what¡¯s going on, do so.]


    ¡®William did say that, but¡­¡¯


    [Don¡¯t take unnecessary risks.]


    Her rational thinking made it clear that no crucial information would be obtained from some random bugs. But her gut feeling told her otherwise. And she was curious.


    ¡°Um¡­ is It dangerous down there?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I haven¡¯t found anything dangerous yet. It¡¯s just creepy as hell.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Uh, c-could you take me to that place?¡±


    ¡®I might as well check it out. If it¡¯s nothing, at least I know it¡¯s nothing. And if it turns out to be something important, I¡¯ll be glad I took the time to check it out. If anything, I might be able to locate some extra medical supplies, those are always helpful!¡¯


    ¡­


    Claire figured it would be highly unlikely that William missed a big piece of paper taped to the ladder, especially if it popped up in his face out of nowhere.


    [Ethan told me something interesting.


    I¡¯m checking it out.


    <=====]


    She made sure it was properly affixed to the ladder rung, and turned towards the open doors to her left, leading into the second floor of the hospital. Ethan offered her a hand for support, which she didn¡¯t hesitate to take.


    Those hallways were even creepier than the building¡¯s basement. It wasn¡¯t because of their utter darkness, or the murmurs behind the walls. It was a feeling of abandonment. Sorrow, death, ruin. Old bloodstains on the floor, walls and doors. Stretchers laying around in erratic positions, some of them still carrying desiccated human remains. Bags left behind, clothes strewn about, papers and documents sprayed everywhere¡­


    Every step Claire took was almost profane, disrespectful; as if she was dragging her feet over a mass grave, disturbing the rest of restless souls.


    ¡®Crap¡­ Okay, okay¡­ Calm down¡­ I¡¯ll just check what I came to check, and we¡¯ll get out of here¡­ Damn it, I should¡¯ve stayed still and waited for William to come back¡­!¡¯


    Ethan didn¡¯t seem to mind the gloomy scenery in the slightest, it actually looked like it piqued his interest instead. He navigated the corridors with bashful curiosity, stopping every minute to point his flashlight at something, and then proceeding towards their goal.


    Claire noticed how it felt like they were walking in circles. They were forced to keep taking turns, since most hallways eventually led them towards a dead end, in the form of sealed doors or elaborate barricades. The hospital seemed to have a ¡°hollow¡± core where they were allowed to be, with all the perimetral areas being isolated and off-limits.


    ¡®I guess they don¡¯t want anyone to get anywhere near the streets. Although, why here? I thought nobody stayed down here¡­ I wonder if the entire hospital is like this.¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± whispered Ethan.


    He stood in front of a glass door, in a narrow corridor perpendicular to the main hallway. He stepped aside to let Claire take a look inside. For some reason, he wasn¡¯t too eager to go into that room.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Claire gulped and pushed the door open. The hinges made no discernible noise. The interior looked like some kind of laboratory. The place was strangely well-preserved, with less notorious signs of decay than the rest of the building. As a matter of fact, those facilities gave the impression of having been operational not that long ago.


    Long rows of tables and cabinets filled the room, most of them covered with documents and all kinds of lab equipment: test tubes, beakers, measuring tools and devices, microscopes¡­ However, Claire immediately noticed something that stood out among all the clutter.


    It was just like Ethan had described.


    In the desk right in front of her, she spotted a strange jar. When she shined her light upon it, she noticed many holes all over the lid, allowing intake of oxygen for something contained within. The lids themselves were unusual, they had pins and slots around their outer edges, like they were designed to be connected to something else.


    There was an insect inside, immobile. A bee? It was quite big, with black and yellow bands along the length of its abdomen. Most of its body was covered in a spiky exoskeleton. Perhaps its most striking feature was the strange way it reacted to the flashlight beam. Upon being hit by the light, the exoskeleton plates absorbed part of it, and began to emit a faint glow. It was a blueish color, one that she thought was awfully familiar.


    And it wasn¡¯t just one jar. Other tables within the room had similar jars, all of them harboring the same species of insect. Claire aimed the flashlight at the cabinets lining the walls, and some of them were also stocked full with the same bottled insects.


    ¡®O-Okay¡­ This is¡­ weird. What¡¯s all of this doing here? It¡¯s not something you would expect to see in a hospital¡­¡¯


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± whispered Ethan. He was sticking close to her, eyeing the jars with apprehension. ¡°I think these bugs showed up in the news? You know, back when everything was normal¡­ No idea why they have them here, though.¡±


    ¡°The news¡­? Wait, now that you mention it¡­¡±


    ¡®He might actually be right¡­ But wasn¡¯t that several years ago?¡¯


    She remembered hearing something about a new invasive bee species, with unprecedented aggressiveness, spreading without control and posing a threat for the ecosystem. But as far as she remembered, a severe extermination campaign had been enforced in order to manage those pests. Nobody had paid too much attention to them. Weren¡¯t they dealt with back then? Why would they be relevant now? Why there, in that hospital?


    Something wasn¡¯t right, all of that seemed out of place. Her brain felt jumpy. Incoherent ideas danced in her head, like jigsaw pieces finding their place on the table, ready to be assembled.


    Her eyes flew over the documents on the desk. Microbiology, pathology, genetics, complex chemistry she couldn¡¯t even begin to comprehend¡­


    A particular document caught her attention, mostly because of its appealing visuals. There was a detailed picture of the insect in the jars, along with a description of its anatomy and biological systems, along with other information of interest. She skimmed it.


    [Apis heliotropha. A recently discovered species within the Apidae family, Apis heliotropha is a social insect, living in colonies ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of individuals.


    ¡­


    They display a notorious aggressive behavior. They are highly territorial, and they defend the surroundings of their hives with extreme ferocity.


    ¡­


    Their body showcases unique, unprecedented properties. Their genome contains traces of DNA belonging to a so far unidentified species within the Formicidae family. In a natural environment, such cases of interfamilial hybridization are exceedingly rare. Research on the origins of the Apis heliotropha is still ongoing.]


    ¡®Hybrids¡­!? Bees and ants¡­ Yeah, no wonder they look so strange¡­ Alright, what else¡­?¡¯


    [The Apis heliotropha possesses several methods of social interaction that allow it to establish complex two-way communication with other member of its species.


    ¡­


    Like many other species of the Apidae family, the Apis heliotropha can produce a wide variety of pheromones in order to relay information about current events, status, health, danger, and more. They are also able to exchange information with other colony members by visual stimuli, in the form bioluminescent patterns that form over their exoskeleton.


    ¡­


    The complexity of their pheromone trails and the layout and structure of their colonies is suspected to have been greatly enhanced thanks to the presence of ant genes in their bodies.]


    ¡®Pheromones¡­ Bioluminescence¡­ I don¡¯t like where this is going. I don¡¯t get it, what does this have to do with anything¡­?¡¯


    [Perhaps the most fascinating property of the Apis heliotropha is its ability to metabolize sunlight, similarly to how plants, algae and cyanobacteria fuel themselves by performing photosynthesis. Sunlight is absorbed through the outer layer of their exoskeleton, and is later metabolized and transformed into a wide variety of nutrients and chemicals. The organism seems to be solely reliant on sunlight, having no apparent need for any additional resource in order to survive and perform its usual activities. The processes behind this feeding mechanism are not yet understood.]


    ¡®Sunlight¡­!?¡¯


    The more Claire read, the more her suspicions took shape. She couldn¡¯t avoid noticing all the similarities. But why? Why were those insects and the shamblers so uncannily similar? Where was the connection?


    The pieces matched. They were social insects¡­ and the shamblers worked in hordes. They possessed bioluminescence¡­ and the shamblers lighted up in the dark. They used pheromones¡­ and the shamblers moved around through organized pathways, as if following pre-established trails. They fed on sunlight¡­ and the shamblers spent the whole day staring at the sun. She had all those pieces, but they were precarious, disconnected.


    ¡®Are these just coincidences¡­? Come on, tell me more¡­¡¯


    [The sting of the Apis heliotropha injects a venom that causes swelling of the afflicted area, itching, drop of blood pressure, and severe pain that lasts for several hours before disappearing. This venom, while deadly for most other organisms their size, isn¡¯t enough to cause significant damage to a human being, with certain exceptions (like allergic reactions).


    ¡­


    Contrary to widespread belief, the Apis heliotropha might not be entirely harmless to humans. These organisms are carriers of an unidentified pathogen of viral nature, which seems to coexist in a symbiotic relationship with their host. This virus, provisionally labelled as ¡°Sting¡±, has been observed settling into the nervous system of a human host, but causes no noticeable symptoms. Further observation is advised in order to assess the potential threat of this pathogen.]


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ Shit, are you kidding¡­? There¡¯s no way, right? Something like this? No, that couldn¡¯t be¡­ When was this document made¡­?¡± Claire backtracked to the beginning of the document, and she quickly spotted what she was looking for. ¡°Damn it, this was written more than a year ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you okay¡­? You¡¯ve been reading for a while, is it that interesting?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t talk right now¡­! Ethan, I think you found something amazing! This might be¡ª¡±


    *Bzzt*


    ¡°¡­huh?¡±


    It was a faint noise, barely more than a vibration. It could even be mistaken for ambient noise. But she knew what she heard. It was tangible, and it sounded very close.


    *Bzzt* *Bzzt*


    ¡°Ah¡­ L-Look¡­!¡± said Ethan pointing at the jar right in front of Claire. ¡°The bug¡­!¡±


    The insect¡¯s glow had intensified. And it was moving.


    *Bzzt* *Bzzt* *Bzzt* *Bzzt*


    The fluttering of its wings became agitated, and it began thrashing inside the bottle, tapping its walls with enough force to make it budge in several directions. Awakened by something, the insects within the other jars slowly started coming to life as well, filling the entire room with violent tapping and the fluttering of wings.


    The jar began cracking.


    ¡°Ethan, we need to get out of here!! Now!!!¡± shouted Claire.


    *Bzzt!* *Bzzt!* *Bzzt!* *Bzzt!* *Bzzt!* *Bzzt!*


    *Crack!!*


    The insects were breaking free of their glass prison, brimming with renewed anger after a long period of dormancy. Claire had no definitive proof, but she didn¡¯t need it. She had to avoid getting stung at all costs. She bolted for the door, which was two or three meters away.


    Ethan was faster than her. He reached the exit in an instant and scurried outside. His hand held the door open, anxiously waiting for the chance to shove it closed. He crossed eyes with Claire.


    ¡°Hurry!!!¡± he shouted.


    She launched herself through the open door, landing on the floor and almost hitting her head against the opposite wall of the corridor. She heard the door slamming shut, and countless insects tapping and fluttering against it less than a second later.


    When she took a look, all she saw was glowing dots filling the room and bouncing against the glass. The door seemed to be quite thick and sturdy, enough to contain the swarm inside the room.


    Her breathing was heavy.


    ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°For not leaving me behind¡­ I would¡¯ve¡ª¡±


    ¡°Claire!!?¡± a male voice emerged from the darkness of the main hallway behind her, along with a bright beam of light that enveloped her entire body.


    She almost had a heart attack. The sudden voice, added to the tension of the last couple of minutes, made her nerves escalate out of control.


    ¡°Aaah!!!¡± she let out a loud, terrified squeal and covered her head with her arms in a self-defense reflex.


    ¡°Shhh¡­!! Lower your voice, you moron¡­!! It¡¯s me, William!¡±


    She raised her gaze towards the source of the voice. William stood beside her, with a concerned look on his face.


    ¡°Ah¡­ W-William¡­!?¡±


    ¡°We saw your note on the elevator shaft. We came looking for you, when we heard a commotion... What¡¯s going on here!?¡± he asked.


    ¡®We¡­?¡¯


    She directed her eyes behind William, and she spotted Marcus. He was focusing exclusively on the glowing insects on the other side of the lab door. A moment later, their constant tapping on the glass also grabbed William¡¯s attention. When he saw them, he frowned and his jaw dropped a little. He was most likely confused, and understandably so.


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± he murmured to himself.


    Claire opened her mouth, with the intention to explain what she had learned, but some new source of noise interrupted her thoughts. It was coming from the very end of the corridor. There was a sealed door, covered from top to bottom in wooden boards, metal sheets and pieces of furniture. It was shaking. Soft bangs and weird sounds came from the other side.


    ¡­


    ¡°Everyone stay still, and don¡¯t make a single noise¡­¡± said William. ¡°I¡¯ll check it out.¡±

 CHAPTER 35 – DISEASE

    The shaking of the door continued at regular intervals as William tiptoed closer to it. It rattled in place, unable to move thanks to the webbing of obstacles keeping it shut.


    The noises were repetitive, but they weren¡¯t violent. They didn¡¯t even feel intentional, as if whatever was on the other side was accidentally bumping itself against the door, over and over.


    William gulped. In the back of his mind, he knew what to expect, but he couldn¡¯t manage to make sense of it.


    Upon closer inspection, the glass windows on the door were completely blocked by wooden boards. No matter how hard he tried, he found himself unable to see what was on the other side.


    ¡®This was done on purpose¡­ They specifically wanted to block the view, didn¡¯t they¡­?¡¯


    Despite how dense the barricade was, William noticed some small gaps in between the boards. Most of them were tightly overlapped on top of each other, but certain areas had room underneath. Not enough to look through, but enough to slide something thin through.


    He reached for his pocket, and pulled out a cellphone. He was glad he remembered to charge its battery before leaving the apartment building. The phone slid easily under the wooden boards. He made sure the camera flash was enabled, and snapped a picture behind the barricade.


    ¡­


    ¡®I fucking knew it¡­ What the hell¡­!?¡¯


    As he walked back towards the group, he was met with anxious gazes. One of them unsettled, another one curious, and the last one, nervous.


    ¡°W-What is it¡­?¡± asked Claire.


    ¡°You, pipsqueak.¡± he said, looking at Ethan. ¡°Go back to the elevator. You¡¯ll find someone there. Now.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, sir¡­!¡± replied Ethan, running away without protesting.


    Once the boy was gone, William raised his phone in their direction, exposing the picture he had taken. Nobody said anything, but their faces were painted with horror.


    ¡°I think you have some explaining to do, Marcus. I thought this place was safe, you told us it was safe¡­ but a shambler nest doesn¡¯t sound too safe to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Marcus¡¯ face was brimming with guilt. He refused to look William in the eye, and his mouth contorted in a twisted grimace.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna stay silent? Again!? You should be fully aware of all the things that can go wrong here, damn it. Because it fucking happened already.¡±


    ¡®This place is massive, and it houses an equally large community. If new people have been flocking to the hospital, by now it probably houses way more survivors than the subway ever did¡­ Shit, if there¡¯s an outbreak and this nest gets disturbed, those people will be cornered like rats! There will be no escape! It¡¯ll be that incident all over again, but worse¡­!¡¯


    ¡°Marcus¡­ You said you wanted to help people, right¡­?¡± said Claire. She stood up from the floor and beat the dirt and dust off her clothes. ¡°I think every bit of information we have will help all of us make better choices. Wouldn¡¯t that be the best way to help everyone right now¡­?¡±


    Marcus kept his silence for a short while, then sighed.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± he said. Was he finally agreeing to speak up? William sure hoped so. ¡°We¡­ The Army has been in this hospital before.¡±


    ¡°The Army¡­!?¡± William put away his phone and listened.


    ¡°Yes. It used to be our main command center in the city, until we ended up moving somewhere else. It had a big laboratory, it could hold plenty of resources and personnel, it was easy to defend¡­ And, as strange as it might sound, that shambler nest is the best defense this building has.¡±


    ¡°What¡­? Okay, you¡¯re talking nonsense now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just on this floor. The first three floors of the hospital have a big nest spread out around their perimeter, sealed and isolated from the rest of the building. You see, shambler hordes avoid nests. Even nocturnal ones. Unless they actually detect human presence in the area, they won¡¯t wander into active nests.¡±


    William pondered for a moment.


    ¡®That¡¯s¡­ unexpected. But it kinda makes sense. That¡¯s why the subway was safe¡­ The sewers surrounding it were infested! They discouraged the hordes from going underground. Clever¡­¡¯


    ¡°Claire, you saw what¡¯s inside that room, didn¡¯t you?¡± asked Marcus.


    ¡°You mean¡­ those bugs? Y-Yeah¡­¡± she answered.


    ¡°You¡¯ll end up telling someone about it sooner or later. Might as well do it now.¡±


    William looked at the lab door. The glowing insects were still flying around the room, although their frenzied attempts to escape had finally ceased.


    ¡°W-Well¡­¡±


    ******


    Marcus listened to Claire as she went over her discovery of the bees and their characteristics. He hated this outcome. It shouldn¡¯t have happened. He¡¯d rather keep the details in secrecy, if possible. But many of things the girl had learned were subjects of great concern and suspicion. If he were to stay silent about it, he might end up creating further distrust and division among them.


    Besides, Claire¡¯s words had hit him undeniably hard.


    [You said you wanted to help people¡­]


    ¡®So much for following the protocol¡­ I wonder if such a thing even matters at all by this point.¡¯


    Speaking of protocols, the fact that Claire was able to access the laboratory was a very bad sign. By protocol, the door should have been electronically locked, and the mechanism¡¯s battery should have lasted for a very long time. The entire room, door included, was heavily reinforced; impossible to break into without specialized equipment.


    Someone else had been there at some point after the place was abandoned. Someone with the necessary credentials to access it.


    ¡®I don¡¯t like this¡­¡¯


    He focused again on the ongoing conversation.


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­ Let me think for a moment¡­¡± said William. ¡°I don¡¯t get it, how are these hybrid things related to anything¡­? Are you telling me that Sting virus they carry is¡­ this!?¡± he swung his arms open, referring to everything around him. ¡°You surely don¡¯t believe such a thing! Marcus!?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ is actually true. The Sting is what ended up causing this disaster.¡±


    ¡°B-But how¡­!?¡± asked Claire.


    ¡°A long incubation period. As in several years long. No symptoms at first, until they suddenly kick in. After several iterations of infection, the virus mutates to adapt to its new hosts, incubation becomes gradually faster, and contagion rates grow exponentially. The result is¡­ this.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ Oh g-god¡­ But why does it create¡­ those things¡­!? Why do some weird bugs have a zombie virus!?¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. The prevalence of such things in popular fiction makes you think that way. But they aren¡¯t zombies. As a matter of fact, they aren¡¯t even dead. They¡¯re perfectly alive.¡±


    William¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    ¡°They are¡­ alive¡­? Then, she¡¯s¡­¡± he murmured.


    ¡°The Sting seems to be able to mix the DNA of the carrier with the DNA of the new host. When a human is infected, it becomes some kind of human-insect hybrid in itself. The body mutates and tries to adapt to its new features, but the required changes can¡¯t be properly enforced on an already formed organism, and therefore the end result is¡­ botched, so to speak. That¡¯s what a shambler is, in essence: a flawed hybrid organism.¡±


    ¡°Then, all the similarities in their behavior, in relation to the insects¡¯ behavior, those are¡­?¡± Claire kept asking questions, both horrified and full of curiosity.


    ¡°Those are to be expected, yes. They have inherited many of those behavioral characteristics from the previous carriers of the pathogen. They behave like a colony of social insects. But they¡¯re not. Not exactly.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Claire lowered her eyes towards the floor, looking somewhat disheartened. After some seconds of thought, she gasped, as if she had realized something important. ¡°Wait¡­! Then, does that mean¡­!?¡±


    ¡°I bet I know what you¡¯re thinking about. Listen, I think both of you might have reached this conclusion by now. If you haven¡¯t, you soon will. But I¡¯ll still mention it, just to be sure¡­ In the same manner they developed new behaviors, the shamblers have also developed a new social hierarchy. Their colony has a queen. And just like you might suspect¡­ Lilian is the queen.¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­ Okay¡­ I thought about this, but¡­ To hear it like that, it¡¯s¡­¡± Claire took a couple of steps back and her arms drooped a bit. ¡°I-I wonder if we should even tell Nora about this¡­ William, what do you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°You knew.¡± he said, speaking to Marcus. ¡°You guys knew this would happen, didn¡¯t you? Those documents were more than a year old¡­ There were no symptoms back then¡­? Bullshit. There¡¯s no fucking way you didn¡¯t see this coming.¡±


    ¡°And your point is¡­?¡± asked Marcus.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking what my fucking point is!? Seriously!? You were the only ones who knew, that¡¯s what my point is, motherfucker! You could have done something! You could have given us a warning! You could have handled things much better than you did¡­! You could have saved people, damn it¡­!!¡± William¡¯s hand was moving dangerously close to his pistol holster.


    ¡°When we found out about this disease, those bees were already being spotted across nearly the entire globe. What do you think was going to happen if we suddenly told the world that there was an insect carrying a potentially deadly disease, literally everywhere? A clueless society is much easier to manage. We placed our bets on being able to decipher this thing before it was too late. And we lost that bet. But the other alternative might have just ended with a similar disaster.¡±


    ¡®You think we didn¡¯t want things to end differently¡­? I get it, William. I get how you feel, I understand that frustration. But it¡¯s never that easy.¡¯


    ¡°Shit¡­!!¡± William walked away from the group, back towards the main hallway. ¡°Let¡¯s go... There¡¯re more important things to do than arguing right now. But mark my words, Marcus: I¡¯ll make sure to beat the crap out of you when this is over.¡±


    For some wicked reason, Marcus looked forward to that. If they both survived long enough to let that threat escalate into reality, it was a win in his book. A beating was a fair price to pay.


    ******


    Ever since entering the hospital, her subconscious was filled with mumbling. A voice that wasn¡¯t hers, but it wasn¡¯t Lilian¡¯s either. A shadow of her sister¡¯s voice, whispering endlessly without coherence or meaning. It had every intention of conveying a message, but it failed to do so. Instead, it conveyed emotions.


    I¡¯m lonely.


    I¡¯m sad.


    I¡¯m lost.


    Sometimes, Nora wondered if Lilian was also able to ¡°feel¡± her. Could she hear her thoughts? Could she tell if she was nearby? With no clear answers to be had, Nora clung to her own fabricated hypothesis. If her thoughts were somehow reaching Lilian, she had to make sure her mindset was as positive as possible.


    ¡®Hang in there, sweetie¡­ Big sis is coming to get you. It¡¯s gonna be okay¡­ It¡¯s gonna be okay¡­¡¯


    ¡­


    When she reached the location where the others had been piling up their supplies, she spotted a man sorting the items and doing inventory. She didn¡¯t even know his name, most of Stella¡¯s group were still strangers.


    ¡°Should I leave the bag here¡­?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Huh¡­? Oh, sure! Leave it there on the pile, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± he said.


    Nora nodded and placed her backpack on the floor. She walked away from the pile, and out into the hallway.


    They were somewhere in the hospital¡¯s basement. She¡¯d have a bad time just remembering how to backtrack to the exit, that place was an intertwined web of twisting corridors. It was extremely dark, forcing them to rely on handheld light sources, like flashlights, lanterns or candles; but she was getting used to that kind of thing already.


    She stood there, pondering what to do next, when she saw someone coming out of the shadows at the end of the corridor and approaching her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look good. Still suffering from those headaches?¡± asked Stella, who carried a big duffel bag overflowing with tools and various materials.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ Yeah, a little bit. I¡¯m getting better, though.¡±


    She kept saying that she was getting better, but it was a lie. The headaches weren¡¯t waning at all, they had simply been there for so long that she noticed them less and less as time went on.


    Stella stared at her for a while without saying anything. Nora looked away from her, not sure how to react.


    ¡°Hey, this person you guys are trying to rescue¡­ She¡¯s your little sister, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­? Y-Yes¡­¡±


    Stella took her eyes away from Nora, and instead looked around, at the people handling the supplies and wandering around the area.


    ¡°Look, I never had brothers or sisters, but I care about these folks with all my heart. I¡¯ve survived with them for a long time, I¡¯ve shared my life with them, I¡¯ve put my safety in their hands so many times¡­ To me, they are my family. And in the same way, to you, she¡¯s your family, right? I think I can understand you. I want to get the rest of my friends away from this place, but I won¡¯t be leaving anyone behind.¡± she placed her hand on Nora¡¯s shoulder, and gave her a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll get her back.¡±


    Nora felt conflicted. She was pretty sure Stella was helping them save Lilian because she could be the key to save everyone. The greater good, as always. But that wasn¡¯t the message Stella was delivering at the moment.


    ¡°Why do you¡­ bother with me? We barely know each other¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­we¡¯ve lost everything already, haven¡¯t we? Everything but our humanity. Empathy is one of the many things that make us human. If we lose all that, we¡¯ve got nothing left. You can be damn sure I¡¯ll proudly live the rest of my days treasuring those values. I¡¯d rather die a human than live like an animal. And that means we¡¯re on the same boat, strangers or not. Got it?¡±


    ¡°¡­thank you¡­¡± Nora¡¯s eyes got slightly wet, and her voice came out as a tiny whisper.


    ¡°Aw, come on! Lighten up! Right, the folks are waiting for me, we¡¯ll be setting something up to facilitate access to the upper floors. May I ask for an extra pair of hands?¡±


    ¡°S-Sure¡­!¡±


    ******


    ¡°Who are you¡­!? How dare you¡­!¡± shouted Julien.


    He was fuming. The last thing he expected when retreating back to the tranquility of his personal room was to find someone else inside. He had closed the door and walked to his desk, without realizing a man was waiting patiently in a corner of the room.


    The stranger stood between Julien and the exit. He wore a white tracksuit with red stripes, very worn and with holes on the knees and elbows. He looked like any other random survivor. But there was something unusual about his face. Strong features, various small scars and burn marks on his cheeks and jaw, and deep eyes filled with guile.


    ¡°Call me Donovan. You¡¯ve done well so far.¡± he said.


    Julien got a chill down his spine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ You¡¯re¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We thought we¡¯d get a bit more personal with you. It¡¯ll make communication easier.¡±


    ¡®So, they¡¯ve decided to show themselves¡­ Has this man been in the building the whole time¡­? Maybe he did, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve paid attention to everyone. What could be the meaning of this¡­? Are they getting confident? Is this a sign of trust¡­? No, that¡¯s probably what they want me to believe¡­¡¯


    ¡°W-What do you want?¡±


    ¡°They will be making their move soon. Sooner than you think.¡±


    ¡®Who¡­!? The military¡­!?¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯ll need all these people to truly be on your side when the time comes, but you don¡¯t have the means to do so¡­ yet.¡±


    ¡°S-So¡­? What¡¯s the plan¡­?¡±


    Donovan looked at him for a while. He said nothing. His emotionless expression didn¡¯t change. Nothing happened for a bit, and it was driving Julien nuts. Then, he pulled something out of his pocket. A cellphone. He played a video on it, and showed it to Julien.


    ¡­


    ¡°W-What is this¡­!? How¡­!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find this video on a USB drive hidden in the supply room tomorrow, along with the necessary equipment to make use of it. We believe it¡¯ll serve you well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Be ready.¡±


    Without saying anything else, Donovan turned around and left the room. The sudden silence left Julien bewildered, shaking with nerves, and covered in cold sweat.


    ******


    When he made sure he was in a secluded enough area of the hospital, away from curious eyes, he pulled out a small portable radio.


    ¡°[Donovan] speaking. The target took the bait.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Yes, as gullible as predicted.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll monitor his movements accordingly. He¡¯ll be more wary now that he knows we¡¯re on the building with him, but our presence might actually make him easier to push around.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Yes. If the plain fails, we¡¯ll follow protocol as instructed. Over.¡±

 CHAPTER 36 – ANOMALY

    The man opened the door, stepped inside and flicked the light switch. It was a rather empty room, containing only a table with some uncomfortable-looking chairs, a whiteboard on the wall and several filing cabinets full of documents and reports.


    He took a seat, placed the binder he carried on the table, and waited patiently.


    ¡­


    Eventually, he heard voices and footsteps coming from the hallway. He turned his eyes towards the door, right as the newcomers arrived.


    ¡°Dr. Elizabeth.¡± he said.


    In the doorframe stood a tall woman, wearing glasses and a white lab coat, with long blonde hair gathered in a bun. She had a distinct, elegant feel to her appearance, despite the dark bags under her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Rowan. It¡¯s rare to bump into you lately, with everything that¡¯s been going on.¡±


    ¡°I told you not to address me like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ Roger that, colonel.¡± she said, almost disregarding his words.


    A burly man in full military attire followed her closely from behind.


    ¡°Colonel.¡± he saluted him. ¡°Captain of Alpha team, Isaac Stone, reporting in.¡±


    Rowan returned the salute, and watched as Isaac took the seat in front of him. There was only one person missing. He showed up about thirty seconds later, a similarly dressed man with slimmer physique.


    ¡°Intelligence officer, Ronald Mason, reporting in, sir.¡± he announced, saluting him as well.


    He closed the door, and took the last remaining seat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the crucial points.¡± said Rowan. ¡°Regarding the discoveries on the subway underground¡­ Dr. Elizabeth, please.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ After analyzing the footage and samples Bravo team brought back from the tunnels, we¡¯ve confirmed that the unidentified mass of organic tissue they found is indeed the husk of a praetorian stinger cocoon. It¡¯s pretty recent, a couple of weeks old at most.¡± she explained, while reviewing some lab reports.


    Elizabeth¡¯s words were causing lots of concerning issues to build up inside Rowan¡¯s head, but he¡¯d rather not interrupt her.


    ¡°So far, this cell has displayed a rapid proliferation of new queens, that get immediately devoured by their own colony. Since no queen managed to survive for longer than a few hours, the colony couldn¡¯t establish a proper hive, which is, generally speaking, a prerequisite for the spawning of praetorians. Since we have now confirmed the presence of one of them, this can only mean a stable queen has arisen.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Rowan mumbled to himself. His voice caused Elizabeth to stop talking for a moment. ¡°If a hive shows up, it¡¯ll be catastrophic for our safety. We have taken a lot of risks coming here for the sake of research, but I won¡¯t throw my men into a deathtrap.¡±


    ¡°The emergence of a hive is not guaranteed. You see, that praetorian in itself is severely anomalous. The samples indicate that it was formed through the amalgamation of several flawed stinger drones. This shouldn¡¯t be possible. Praetorians have only been observed to spawn from special eggs laid by the queen. This kind of procedure is unprecedented¡­ Besides, there¡¯re no signs of a hive so far. If there¡¯s a stable queen running around, it¡¯s clearly not doing its job.¡±


    ¡°Is it safe to assume you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have a theory¡­ Since queen pheromones are tightly tied to their emotional state, it¡¯s possible this new queen has gone through severe distress, something that made her self-preservation instincts kick in with enough force to induce this unnatural spawning process. Praetorians are pretty much the queen¡¯s royal guards after all¡­ However, something¡¯s off about this theory. This queen isn¡¯t doing what the colony needs it to do, so the praetorian would try to kill her, not protect her¡­¡±


    Rowan directed his eyes towards Captain Isaac.


    ¡°Captain. Your report, please.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± he answered. ¡°My team was tasked with the investigation of a suspicious scene in the vicinity of Saint Marie Hospital. We found a large number of destroyed vehicles, and the surrounding areas had serious structural damage. No human being would be capable of inflicting that kind of damage without the aid of explosive devices. It would, however, be perfectly reasonable if a praetorian was involved.¡±


    He pulled out a bunch of photos and spread them on the table for everyone to see. They depicted the damage he had just described a moment ago, but there were also several of them showcasing bloody stains on the road.


    ¡°The scene was bloody all over, but no human remains were located. We also found bullet holes in the vicinity, but no trace of the weapons that caused them, no bullet casings¡­ Even the bullets themselves were missing from the holes. The entire area had been thoroughly cleaned of evidence, for unknown reasons.¡±


    ¡®I think I can picture the events¡­ A distressed queen¡­ A praetorian¡­ The creature tries to kill her¡­ She ran away until it eventually caught her? Why else would the praetorian show up in this other remote location, if it has a queen to murder? And then¡­ someone intervened.¡¯


    ¡°Officer Ronald.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ronald retrieved his own pile of documents and reports and sifted through them. ¡°We have reasons to believe there¡¯s some other organized group operating within the cell. Captain Isaac¡¯s report is one such example. The cleanup of the scene is unlikely to have been the work of ordinary civilians. There¡¯s also been sightings of supply airdrops from unidentified aircrafts, but they were all retrieved and their traces erased before we could arrive at their location.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Where were those airdrops deployed?¡±


    ¡°All of them in the vicinity of Saint Marie Hospital, sir. The timeline of these events matches a sudden convergence of survivors on the hospital. We¡¯ve caught a radio broadcast claiming to offer safety and basic necessities to anyone who makes their way to the building.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ Could you offer some subjective insight?¡±


    ¡°Pardon¡­?¡±


    ¡°Leave those papers and reports aside.¡± the colonel placed his hand on top of Ronald¡¯s documents, prompting him to let go of them. ¡°What do you, personally, think?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ The fact that these clandestine operations have gone nearly undetected and untraceable for us for so long leads me to suspect that we might have a mole, sir¡­ I believe it¡¯s a possibility we need to consider.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, officer. I despise having to suspect my own men, but I appreciate your honesty.¡±


    ¡°Do we have any news on Dr. Marcus?¡± asked Elizabeth, staring at Roland with an inquiring gaze.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°What a pity¡­¡±


    Rowan raised his hand, requesting silence for a moment.


    ¡­


    ¡°Captain Isaac, you¡¯ll report the news to the other teams. Everyone should be carrying heavy-duty weaponry, fit for handling a praetorian. If that thing is rampaging around the city, we need to be able to counter such a threat. Additionally, teams Alpha and Bravo will approach the hospital to recon. I¡¯ll deliver the exact details of the operation this evening.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s such a great idea¡­¡± added Elizabeth. ¡°After all, if you ask me, this whole deal with the hospital seems like a trap. I¡¯m sure you must understand what I mean, right, colonel? It¡¯s like they¡¯ve been laying down a trail of crumbs to grab our attention.¡±


    ¡°I understand your concern. But if it¡¯s true that there¡¯s an organized group operating illegally within the cell and possibly interfering with our duties, with who knows what intentions¡­ It¡¯s the kind of emergency we can¡¯t ignore. Which is all the more reason for all parties involved to proceed with extreme caution.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get it¡­¡±


    They couldn¡¯t afford to stay still. That cell was the only place in the entire world where humanity was still able to get close to the essence of the Sting. That anomaly might just hold the key to uncover its secrets. The key to take the world back from its clutches. If there was external interference, they would need to deal with it, quickly and decisively.


    ¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s move onto the next subject.¡±


    ******


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s the plan for now: we¡¯ll be staying in this basement. It really does look like nobody comes down here, ever, so it¡¯s our best option. Besides, if that nest on the upper floors keeps the hordes at bay¡­ that¡¯s one less problem to care about.¡± explained William. ¡°Stella went with a couple of her trusted comrades, and entered the hospital from the main entrance, like any other survivor would. Nobody knows she¡¯s associated with us, so nobody will suspect her. She¡¯ll be our eyes and ears in there. And since they know Ethan hangs around the top floor, he¡¯ll be our intermediary.¡±


    ¡®He seems trustworthy enough, although I¡¯ll have to keep an eye on him, just in case¡­ And Stella agreed. I sure hope he doesn¡¯t end up causing us trouble¡­¡¯


    ¡°Then¡­ we¡¯ll just wait¡­?¡± Claire¡¯s voice sounded disheartened.


    ¡°Yes. Until we know for sure what¡¯s happening up there, we should stay put.¡±


    She sighed and leaned back against the wall with a droopy posture. By her side, Nora listened in silence.


    Thinking about it, it was convenient that he had the audacity of returning Nora¡¯s cellphone to her at the apartments. She still had a couple of pictures of Logan from before the pandemic. If Stella confirmed his presence in the building, they¡¯d finally have solid evidence of Lilian¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡®I know she¡¯s ¡°sensing¡± her presence again¡­ But I¡¯d rather have some more tangible evidence.¡¯


    However, her main tasks were learning about the current status of the hospital, reuniting with her comrades, and if possible, finding out where was the girl being held. Until then, there was little they could without raising suspicion.


    If she was able to reach an agreement with her comrades up there, it would open up the opportunity to get in and out of the hospital unnoticed, when any of them happened to be stationed as lookouts. But, for the time being, they¡¯d have to survive with the resources they had managed to carry on their way in.


    In all honesty, the basement wasn¡¯t so bad once tidied up a little bit. They didn¡¯t have commodities like personal rooms, or even beds, but at the very least it was safe and spacious.


    ¡°Find a spot somewhere around here, and settle down. Help the others if you can. And make sure to rest if you need so. I¡¯ll go up to the top floor and have a small chat with that brat, Ethan. I¡¯ll make sure he really understands what we agreed on¡­¡±


    ******


    Claire watched as William disappeared behind a corner. Moments later, Nora sat down on the floor. She looked concerned.


    ¡°Are you alright¡­?¡± asked Claire.


    ¡°I... I can feel her fear. She¡¯s so scared¡­ Having to sit down and wait is just¡­ frustrating.¡±


    Claire sat down by her side and hugged her, trying to comfort her as she usually would. She still hadn¡¯t told her about Lilian¡¯s nature. A shambler queen. She figured she would let her know once they had managed to finally reunite. Once everything was over. Once she had no more reasons to worry about her sister¡¯s safety. At least, not this much.


    ¡®I wonder, though¡­ According to Marcus and those documents, shamblers communicate via pheromones¡­ Is Nora¡¯s connection with Lilian also based on pheromones? But Nora isn¡¯t a shambler¡­! I think it might be related somehow, but there¡¯s something missing¡­ I bet Marcus knows the answer¡­¡¯


    In the end, it didn¡¯t truly matter what the reason was. It didn¡¯t change anything. Lilian was still a part of their family. She was somewhere up there, alone, scared and confused. And they were going to take her back.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make it, Nora. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±


    ******


    Dark.


    Cold.


    She hated the pointy thing.


    The pointy thing was painful.


    Drooling.


    Can¡¯t control.


    Dark.


    ¡­


    It made her forget about things.


    It made her forget about sis.


    Sis¡¯s voice went silent.


    Silence.


    ¡­


    She couldn¡¯t hear brother¡¯s voice either.


    She didn¡¯t understand brother.


    Brother hated her.


    She thought brother didn¡¯t understand her either.


    She was afraid.


    Fear.


    ¡­


    Brother hated her.


    But brother was scared too.


    Brother was out there.


    Close but far away.


    Why was brother scared?


    Was he scared of her?


    No.


    ¡­


    Head hurts.


    Norie.


    Help.

 CHAPTER 37 – CHARISMA

    The projector turned on with a subtle humming noise. The big room was occupied by a crowd of people. All available seating places were taken, they weren¡¯t enough for everyone. The air was saturated with unintelligible murmurs and whispers.


    Something important must had happened for the head of the hospital to gather them all like that. Hopefulness, skepticism, curiosity¡­ With a wide variety of expectations, all eyes focused on the white screen. A video started playing.


    ******


    The camera is seemingly being carried by an unidentified female running down the street and zigzagging around idle vehicles. It swings heavily from side to side, as if hanging around her neck.


    A man is running ahead of her, holding her hand and pulling at her in a state of panic.


    ¡°Hurry!! Hurry!!!¡± he says.


    ¡°H-Hold on¡­!! Honey¡­!! W-What about¡­!!?¡±


    ¡°Audrey and Carter will be okay, forget about them!! Come on!!¡±


    The sound of sirens, screams and gunshots can be heard in the distance.


    The couple gets past the traffic jam and rushes through a gate in a fence wall. There are more people ahead of them, also running at full speed. The ground is littered with corpses, many of which showcase obvious gunshot wounds. The group passes a sign:


    [QUARANTINE CHECKPOINT]


    On the other side of the wall, a bridge comes into view. In the middle of the bridge there¡¯s a second wall, heavily reinforced and surrounded with razor wire. There¡¯s military vehicles and equipment in the area. Human figures can be seen on top of the fortification, but they are too far away to be identified.


    ¡°There!!! There¡¯s the checkpoint!!!¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­!! Honey, something¡¯s wrong¡­!!¡±


    The group rushes over more corpses.


    When the first ones get about half the way to the outer wall, several gunshots are heard, and they drop on the spot.


    ¡°They¡¯re shooting¡­!!!¡±


    ¡°Stop, we¡¯re not infected!!!¡±


    ¡°Please, we¡ª!!¡±


    The soldiers on the wall open fire indiscriminately. Among screams, the rest of the survivors start dropping one after another. The woman holding the camera lets go of her partner, and attempts to turn around and run away. The image is shaken up and turns sideways as it crashes against the asphalt of the road. The woman can be heard moaning in pain.


    The video is now sped up, showing no signs of movement over the span of one hour, until the camera battery runs out.


    ¡­


    The video now depicts a different scene. This one seems to have been recorded with a mobile phone.


    The cameraman is hiding in a narrow alleyway. There¡¯s barely any noise. The city is shown to be in a severe state of abandonment, signifying the depiction of much more recent events.


    Out in the open, in the main street, there¡¯s a small squad of half a dozen soldiers. Several bloody corpses lay around on the ground.


    A man is on his knees in front of one of the soldiers. It¡¯s too far away to clearly understand what he¡¯s saying, but he¡¯s crying and seems to be pleading with the soldier. The soldier ignores him and slashes his throat with a bladed weapon. The man drops, immobile.


    The soldier walks closer to one of the corpses. It looks like the person is still alive, and they lift their arms as if trying to cover and protect their face. The soldier finishes them off as well.


    The video ends.


    ******


    All eyes were now centered on Julien. Confused, nervous and shaken up by the disturbing footage they had just witnessed, the crowd¡¯s mumbling intensified.


    Julien cleared his throat before speaking.


    ¡°Ladies, gentlemen¡­ What do you think of this?¡± he said.


    More whispers.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that¡­ our Army?¡± asked a man from the crowd. ¡°Were they¡­ killing people¡­!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Army has no intention of saving anyone. All they¡¯ll do is purge the remaining survivors. And¡­ it¡¯s highly likely they know about our presence, here at Saint Marie Hospital.¡± explained Julien.


    The crowd soon began making questions.


    ¡°What!? So, will they come and kill us too!!?¡±


    ¡®Most likely, yes. We¡¯re in the way.¡¯


    ¡°That video has to be fake¡­!! How do we know it¡¯s real!?¡±


    ¡®Fake? Not too farfetched... But I need you to believe it¡¯s real.¡¯


    ¡°Can we even trust you!? It¡¯s literally the first time we¡¯ve seen you, and you come up with this bullshit!¡±


    ¡®Clever thinking.¡¯


    ¡°Where did this video come from!? How do you know all this!? Who are you!?¡±


    ¡®Too many annoying questions.¡¯


    ¡­


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    In a matter of minutes, the entire crowd had lost their composure. Screams, arguments... Some believed the footage to be real, some others believed it to be fake. Most were scared, with fear painted all over their faces, unsure of what to do with that new information they had been given. Julien was pretty sure the only reason they weren¡¯t questioning him with less civilized methods were the armed men guarding him at all times. And even those men were sharing nervous stares with each other.


    ¡®Alright¡­ Chaos has been seeded. Let¡¯s make the threat more tangible¡­ Come on, you need to speak with conviction. Confidence! Charisma!¡¯


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t the Army come to rescue us so far? Why didn¡¯t they use their power and resources to keep the pandemic under control? Can¡¯t you guess the answer? I say it¡¯s pretty obvious: placing the entire city under quarantine is way easier than dealing with the outbreak head-on.¡±


    ¡®I completely made that up. To be honest, I don¡¯t have the slightest idea about what¡¯s really going on¡­ But it should sound pretty convincing.¡¯


    ¡°They quarantine the city and lock everyone inside, let the storm calm down on its own, and then clean it up slowly and methodically. They don¡¯t get their hands dirty, they don¡¯t risk the lives of their men, and the problem gets solved. A few sacrifices for the sake of the greater good. Doesn¡¯t it sound logical?¡±


    ¡°B-But then, everyone inside dies¡­!! Shouldn¡¯t they do all they can to save everyone¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. But stop thinking about shoulds, or shouldn¡¯ts. Open your eyes and look around. What is it that you see?¡±


    ¡­


    There was a long period of silence. Julien could see the doubt in their eyes. Not all of them were buying it, a certain degree of dissidence was inevitable, but that was okay. Appealing to the majority was everything he needed.


    ¡°What have you been fighting for? Family? Friends? Yourselves? If you¡¯ve made it this far, you surely must have a purpose, don¡¯t you? Something that keeps you going, pushing through, adversity after adversity. Are you seriously willing to sit down and let them crush your last strands of humanity? Your hope?¡±


    The murmurs resumed.


    ¡°Think of it as one last trial. We can stand still and die a meaningless death, or we can fight to live another meaningful day. We aren¡¯t animals to be exterminated. We aren¡¯t zombies to be purged. We are human beings! We have a chance to make it out alive, but we need to work together to do so!¡±


    In all honesty, when it comes to inspiring speeches, that one was quite generic. If he had been the target audience, he might have even rolled his eyes. A bit clich¨¦, yes. But, in the face of such a looming and intimidating threat? He wouldn¡¯t need much more.


    However, he still had to watch out for his ¡°benefactors¡±. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he was creeping closer and closer to a trap. And the target wasn¡¯t him, but Lilian.


    He spotted Donovan in the middle of the crowd. The menacing aura he had during their first meeting was gone, replaced with the same puzzled demeanor that had taken hold of the rest of the room.


    ¡®Like pawns on a board indeed¡­ If I can¡¯t predict what they¡¯re going to do, I¡¯ll need to ensure my plan jeopardizes their entire operation. And to crush their operation¡­ I need to claim the girl as my own. Only then can I stop being a pawn, and become another player myself.¡¯


    ******


    After two days hiding and waiting in Saint Marie¡¯s basement, they hadn¡¯t discovered much. Stella had managed to confirm Logan¡¯s presence in the upper floors, as well as someone who matched Julien¡¯s description. However, she couldn¡¯t figure out anything related to Lilian.


    Jacobs seemed to be missing as well. Hopefully dead, although it was unlikely. The devil looks after his own.


    Furthermore, the hospital was no longer sending out messages to attract new survivors, and newcomers were getting rejected at the entrance, on Julien¡¯s orders. Everything had stagnated.


    However, as soon as he saw Stella herself emerging from the elevator shaft, William instinctively knew that his feelings of disappointment would soon come to an end. It would turn out to be a dangerous direction, but at least they were getting somewhere.


    ¡°Something happened. We need to talk. Gather the others.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°What¡­!? Hypocrite bastard¡­!¡± Claire was fuming upon hearing about Julien¡¯s speech. ¡°I knew it! I knew he would resort to this kind of trickery again¡­!¡±


    ¡°To be honest, the points he made were kinda solid¡­ If I hadn¡¯t heard your story first, I might have actually believed him.¡± said Stella.


    ¡°Did everyone else believe him?¡± asked William.


    ¡°No, not all of them¡­ I¡¯ve had a chat with the rest of my people up there. They¡¯re with us. As for the others¡­ Some trust him, some don¡¯t. Those who do have armed themselves, and they are now waiting for the military to¡­ attack us, or something like that. Everyone is fucking paranoid, damn it¡­ Marcus, you¡­ You were with the military, right? What¡¯s the deal with this!?¡±


    ¡°That video you speak of¡­ It¡¯s definitely fake.¡± he answered. ¡°And it more or less confirms my suspicion on Julien¡¯s situation. He¡¯s not working alone. Someone else is backing him up.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± William went straight to the point.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but they aren¡¯t ordinary people, that¡¯s a guarantee. How else would this man have access to such plentiful supplies, fabricated video files, and intel on current military operations?¡±


    ¡°But, is the Army coming or not? You should know, right? If the video is fake, does that mean they aren¡¯t coming? Is it all a ruse?¡± Stella was starting to get impatient.


    ¡°¡­it¡¯s not necessarily a ruse. They might be on their way, yes. But the context of their operation might not be what we think. If only I could access the radio and get in contact with them¡­¡±


    ¡®Might this, might that¡­ It¡¯s always the same, questions everywhere but not a fucking clear answer, damn it!¡¯


    ¡°We should get ready. If the Army does show up, things can get ugly really fast¡­¡± said Marcus.


    ******


    ¡°This is [Fox]. Alpha, do you copy? Over.¡±


    ¡°We hear you, [Fox]. What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°I can confirm the claims about suspicious activities taking place in Saint Marie Hospital. The man in charge of the hospital, an individual named Julien, has shown us footage associating the Army with inhumane activities, with the intention of raising an armed force against us. The contents of the video were as follows¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°[Fox], has the entire hospital witnessed this footage?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative. We should expect resistance.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged. We¡¯ll report this to HQ.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something else I need to report. I have evidence that an infected person resistant to the Sting might be here, at the hospital.¡±


    ¡°¡­[Fox], I¡¯m not sure I understood you right. Did you say there might be a resistant person at the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative. I managed to stick a hidden microphone to the clothes of Julien¡¯s bodyguards, and I caught a conversation where this particular piece of information was mentioned. He also kept referring to some unknown third party, expressing serious concern. I¡¯ll send the recording to HQ to be reviewed and analyzed.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, [Fox]. Good job. Keep us informed of any new developments¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡­


    He switched to a different frequency.


    ¡°HQ, this is Alpha team, do you copy? Over.¡±


    ¡°We hear you, Alpha. What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got news from our undercover officer. We have confirmation of a third party pulling the strings at the hospital. We also have confirmation of a subject who presumably shows resistance to the Sting at the hospital.¡±


    ¡°¡­acknowledged. Stand by, Alpha. You¡¯ll receive new orders soon.¡±


    ******


    A full day had passed since the video had been shown to the hospital¡¯s inhabitants. Julien stared through the window, as the early morning sunbeams washed over his tired face.


    So many sleepless nights, all for what? To play right into someone else¡¯s hands? No, not anymore. He had placed his bet. The stakes were high. And the roulette was spinning, fast and unpredictable.


    He noticed a ruckus outside his room. It looked like an argument. He rushed to the door with the intention to open it and take a look outside. However, someone did it before he had the chance. Startled, he took a step back as a very agitated man barged into his room.


    ¡°Boss!! T-They¡¯re here!!¡± he said.


    ¡°What¡­!? W-Who¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Soldiers!! Outside!!!¡±

 CHAPTER 38 – INTERVENTION

    A big group of people piled up around the windows of the hospital¡¯s north side, attracted by something in the plaza outside. However, only a few brave ones stood in plain view, holding weapons. The rest either took cover or stayed several meters away from any openings. They whispered among themselves, not daring to raise their voices.


    Julien made a conscious effort to stay calm, and approached the balcony in front of him. He immediately spotted the cause of the commotion. Two military trucks, parked at both sides of the statue of Saint Marie. The trucks¡¯ cabs had long metal poles pointed up towards the sky, adorned with white flags, which occasionally fluttered in the morning breeze.


    ¡®White flags¡­? That¡¯s usually a sign of peace and negotiation. They¡¯re being quite careful, aren¡¯t they¡­?¡¯


    Suspicious. Why would the military keep their distance and preemptively bring out white flags?


    ¡®They know. They know we don¡¯t trust them. Damn it¡­ Maybe there¡¯s one of them in here with us¡­!?¡¯


    ¡°B-Boss? What do we do¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ******


    ¡°Captain Isaac, someone is coming out to a balcony on the sixth floor.¡± said Connor, sitting on the passenger seat.


    ¡°I can see him. Keep your eyes peeled.¡± replied Isaac.


    He focused his binoculars on the target. Male, ordinary civilian attire, no visible weapons. His face expressed nervousness and insecurity. He didn¡¯t look like a threat.


    The man carried a big piece of cardboard, which he raised into the air, exposing a message written on it:


    [YOU¡¯RE NOT


    WELCOME HERE


    LEAVE]


    ¡°It seems like the intel we got from [Fox] is accurate. You¡¯d expect people to be happy to see us these days. But not them, huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°How should we proceed, captain?¡±


    ¡°Private Erik, tie a white rag around your arm and go out there, we¡¯ll send a message back to them. Keep your weapon down and don¡¯t show any hostility. We don¡¯t want to trigger a violent reaction.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± answered a voice from the back compartment of the truck.


    According to [Fox]¡¯s discoveries, someone was seeking to seed those people with hatred and distrust towards the Army, possibly attempting to ignite an armed conflict. However, hostile or not, they were still civilians.


    Isaac knew what they had to do; it was only a matter of making the right choices. All he saw were people they had to rescue, and a mystery they had to uncover. Nothing else.


    He spotted Erik on the side mirror, walking around the back of the truck, carrying a paper sheet and a sharpie. There were no signs of retaliation from the hospital.


    ¡®Does this mean they are willing to negotiate, after all¡­? That¡¯s convenient.¡¯


    ¡°Alright¡­ Erik, write this¡­¡±


    ******


    ¡°[Donovan], this is PT-01, do you copy? Over.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, Prometheus. I hear you.¡±


    ¡°Both parties have established peaceful communication. There¡¯s a possibility they might end up reaching an unfavorable outcome for us. Fix it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡±


    [Donovan] hid the radio back inside his tracksuit, and left the room. All things considered, that result was to be expected. The Army wouldn¡¯t charge recklessly into the unknown without assessing the threat first. And Julien wasn¡¯t stupid either. One didn¡¯t have to be a genius to realize that these events weren¡¯t happening out of random chance.


    Both sides were testing the waters. And a little bit of turbulence might be all that was needed to break that fragile stalemate.


    He walked in front of an open doorway, and he heard a sound. Out of the corner of his eye, something moved in the shadows, but he had no chance to jump out of the way.


    An arm grabbed him from behind in a chokehold.


    ¡°What the¡ª!!?¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck are you!?¡± asked a male voice, almost screaming in his ears.


    ¡®Who is this guy¡­!!?¡¯


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you fucking hear me!!? Who are you working with!!?¡± the arm tightened around his neck, strangling him.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡®A spy¡­!?¡¯


    He threw his elbow back, burrowing it into his attacker¡¯s stomach, and making him release his hold. Wasting no time, [Donovan] lunged forward, trying to get as much distance as possible with the unknown man while gasping for air. He grabbed his radio.


    ¡°PT¡­!! We have a problem¡­!! There¡¯s¡ª!!¡±


    A knife emerged seemingly from thin air, plunging into the radio and shattering it to pieces.


    ¡®Shit¡­!!!¡¯


    He threw his opponent back with a kick, and armed himself with his own combat knife.


    The two men, a couple of meters apart, observed each other in tense silence. [Donovan] knew he had no chance of getting away without putting up a fight. Judging by his posture and demeanor, the man in front of him was no amateur.


    He had made a critical mistake by reaching for his radio. Even an instant of distraction could have costed him his life. A trap his opponent hadn¡¯t fallen for.


    ¡®Strike first, ask questions later, huh¡­?¡¯


    ¡­


    With their five senses focused on their enemy, both of them jumped into action. Knives clashed. Fists were blocked, diverged or dodged. They grappled each other, quickly breaking free either by force or by technique. Some hits were landing, but the surge of adrenaline prevented them from feeling pain. The bladed weapons grazed their targets, shredding clothes and scratching skin.


    With a flurry of blows, the two veteran fighters engaged in deadly combat.


    ******


    ¡°PT¡­!! We have a problem¡­!! There¡¯s¡ª!!¡± *Bzzzzzzzzzzzzt*


    [Donovan]¡¯s panicked report was suddenly cut off, with only static remaining.


    ¡­


    ¡°Prometheus, this is PT-01. PT-03 might have been compromised, and is now to be considered killed in action until proven otherwise. We¡¯ll now proceed with the auxiliary plan. PT-04 and 05, you are to remain in position and report any abnormalities on your side.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± replied two different voices on the other side of the radio.


    Three building blocks away, the massive hospital was in plain view. From their vantage point on that rooftop, they could see the negotiator on the balcony. They didn¡¯t have line of sight with the military forces on the ground, but they didn¡¯t need to.


    Sitting on the floor beside him, PT-02 held a sniper rifle with a bulky silencer socketed at the end of the barrel.


    ¡°Get into position.¡± said 01. ¡°We need to fix this before whoever got 03 turns the tide against us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    PT-02 laid down on the floor, prepped the weapon, and centered his sights on the target.


    ¡°On your signal, sir.¡± he said.


    ¡­


    ¡°Fire.¡±


    With minimal noise, akin to that of an air gun, the rifle delivered its fateful message.


    ¡­


    ¡°Target down.¡±


    ¡°Alright, get ready to move. We¡¯re leaving the area.¡± said PT-01.


    The fuse had been ignited. All they needed to do next was wait. All outcomes would now play in their favor, one way or another. Their biggest obstacle would end up removed from the scene, and their most valued prize would be presented to them on a silver platter.


    ******


    ¡°They¡¯re saying they want to meet and talk, boss¡­¡± announced the man with the binoculars.


    Julien was growing more and more impatient. Meet and talk? Verbal communication would indeed be easier, and it might be convenient in order to reach a proper agreement; but it¡¯d also give them another potential avenue for deception. The suspicion of a spy within the hospital was already bad enough. The idea of establishing close contact with them didn¡¯t please him. He wanted them gone.


    ¡®They sure are persistent¡­¡¯


    He faced the negotiator, who stared at him anxiously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, write this¡ª¡±


    A dull, muffled noise was heard.


    ¡­


    At first, nobody really understood what had just happened. The man on the balcony was no longer standing. Instead, he had fallen sideways, crumpled like a rag. There was a hole the size of a tennis ball through his head. Blood pooled down on the floor below him.


    Screaming filled the room.


    ¡°T-They¡¯re shooting¡­!!!¡±


    ¡°Fuck, they killed him!!!¡±


    ¡°Oh god, nooo¡­!!! Honey, no¡­!!!¡± a woman rushed towards the balcony. Several others tried to stop her, but she brushed them off and approached the fallen body. ¡°A-Aaaah¡­!! Aaaaaahh¡­!!!!¡±


    ¡°Those bastards¡­!!¡± one of the armed men took cover beside one of the windows, aimed his weapon towards the soldier standing in the plaza outside, and opened fire.


    ¡°W-What are you doing!!?¡±


    ¡°What am I doing, you ask!!? They really are coming to kill us, damn it¡­!!! I¡¯m not gonna let some government dog blow my brains out without putting up a fight!! Hell no!!¡± he shot again in the direction of the trucks. ¡°Smoke those motherfuckers!!¡±


    ******


    ¡°Get back inside, Erik!! Now!!!¡± ordered Isaac. ¡°What the hell happened!?¡±


    ¡°The negotiator was shot, sir!!!¡± replied Connor, still watching through the binoculars. ¡°The shot definitely came from the east!! A sniper¡­!!¡±


    A rain of bullets fell on the trucks. Most of the shots missed, cracking the pavement. The ones that did hit their mark had little effect, bouncing off the vehicle¡¯s armor and bulletproof glass.


    ¡°Bravo, this is Alpha! Report your situation! Over!¡± said Isaac, glancing at the other truck on the square.


    ¡°This is Bravo! We¡¯ve seen what just happened! We¡¯ve redirected the drone in the direction of the shot, we¡¯re scouring the area!¡± replied Bravo.


    ¡°HQ, come in! This is Captain Isaac from Alpha team! We have an unexpected situation, over!¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. We¡¯ve heard what happened, Alpha. Stand by.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°HQ, this is Bravo! The drone has spotted two unknown individuals on a rooftop three building blocks away from our position! They¡¯ve just retreated back into the building!¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged, Bravo. These are your new orders: Alpha team will infiltrate the hospital at once, and secure the Sting-resistant subject inside. Avoid confrontation if possible. If you need to resort to violence, shoot to incapacitate, not to kill; unless you¡¯re left with no other choice. However, the safety of the target subject is of the utmost importance. Do whatever it takes to ensure they make it out alive. Bravo team will follow the trail of the enemy snipers. Apprehend them alive if possible, and extract them for interrogation. We can¡¯t allow¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is Delta, talking to all units!! We¡¯ve detected a large number of stingers moving in the direction of Saint Marie Hospital, following the sound of gunshots! What the hell is going on over there!?¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. Teams Charlie and Delta, keep your positions and report any further developments in your sectors. Alpha team, you must hurry. Not only will stingers soon surround the hospital, but it¡¯s also very likely the hospital¡¯s nest will be awakened by the noise. Expect stinger resistance.¡±


    ¡°Roger that¡­! Shit¡­!!¡± Isaac watched as the other truck¡¯s engine roared, speeding away from the square in pursuit of the enemy. ¡°Alright, boys! Check all your equipment, and make sure to gear yourselves with inhibitor capsules! We¡¯re moving in!¡±


    ******


    ¡°What¡¯s that noise¡­!?¡± said William.


    The other people around him were equally as confused. It came from above. Gunshots. Lots of gunshots.


    ¡°We need to go up!¡± yelled Marcus, barreling down the corridor. ¡°This is a very bad sign!¡±


    ¡°Up!?¡±


    ¡°All that noise will attract shamblers to the area! Also, the nest¡­!¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Marcus¡­! Do you know what¡¯s going on, at least!?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time¡­! We need to gather everyone and go up!¡±

 CHAPTER 39 – VOLATILITY

    Above her head, William and Claire were leading the ascent. The gunshots from above were gone, replaced by a tumultuous rumble of human voices, muffled as they traveled down the elevator shaft. Some kind of big argument was happening up there. And Lilian was in the middle of it.


    Nora could only imagine what her sister could be going through. Alone, surrounded by people she didn¡¯t know or felt comfortable with. Roaring firearms, violent screams¡­ It was a world of hostility, one where she didn¡¯t belong.


    Perhaps her mind wasn¡¯t even able to process any of it. The voice Nora was hearing inside her head kept fading in and out, incoherent and dizzy.


    She steeled her resolve, and kept climbing up, one rung at a time. Some seconds later, her forehead bumped against something. Claire had stopped climbing.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    ¡°W-What¡¯s that sound¡­?¡± asked Claire, looking towards the elevator doors by her side.


    ¡°I hear it too.¡± said William, further up.


    Nora noticed what they were talking about. Banging, coming from the deep darkness of the hospital, along with lethargic, sorrowful wails.


    ¡°It¡¯s the nest!¡± Marcus¡¯ voice came from somewhere near the bottom of the shaft.


    ¡°N-Nest¡­?¡± asked Nora, confused. ¡°What is he talking about?¡±


    ¡°Keep climbing up, hurry! The basement won¡¯t be safe for long!¡±


    ¡°I fucking new it!¡± William¡¯s voice sounded angry. ¡°I knew this would happen!¡±


    They resumed climbing, at an accelerated pace. A nest? There was a nest inside the hospital? Nora hadn¡¯t heard about such a thing, and for some reason, it felt like she was the only one who didn¡¯t. She felt her heart sinking with dread, beating faster and faster with every rung she climbed.


    However, she wasn¡¯t willing to sit down and cower. Not anymore. She had reached a conclusion, she had a goal in mind. It was too late to turn around.


    ¡®Sis, I¡¯m here¡­! I¡¯m coming. Don¡¯t listen to the noise. Listen to me instead. Focus on my voice. I¡¯m coming. It¡¯s gonna be okay.¡¯


    ¡­


    As the group reached the top floors, the ongoing argument became louder and clearer. They followed the source of the voices through the hallways, until they approached one of the hospital¡¯s many waiting rooms.


    William lifted his hand, prompting the group to stop just before reaching the doorframe. Nora watched as he pulled out his pocket mirror and used it to take a peek inside. Meanwhile, the altercation continued.


    ¡°Would you please lower your weapons already!?¡±


    ¡°Like hell I will!! Keep getting in the way and you¡¯ll get a bullet too!!¡±


    ¡°Enough!! This infighting will get us nowhere!¡±


    ¡°Matthew¡¯s head is in fucking pieces out there!!! And these retards want to stay still!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this has to be a misunderstanding!!!¡± Nora recognized Stella¡¯s voice among the bickering.


    ¡°T-The truck¡­!! One of the military trucks is headed right towards us!!!¡± another voice, which sounded more distant than the others. ¡°They¡¯re coming!!¡±


    Panicked screaming filled the room, followed by more gunshots.


    ¡°Aim for the tires!! Don¡¯t let them get closer!!¡±


    William withdrew the mirror and turned around towards the rest of the group, concerned.


    ¡°I could describe the scene to you, but I think you get the idea already¡­¡± he whispered. The sound of the firearms masked his voice. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough!! Stop!! You¡¯re putting us all in danger!!¡± shouted Stella.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare point that at me, bitch!!¡±


    ¡°Stop this¡­!¡±


    ¡°I said, don¡¯t aim at me!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me shoot you! You better believe I will, asshole!!¡±


    *Bang!!*


    ¡°Aaagh¡­!!¡± Stella let out a pained squeal.


    ¡­


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing!!? You shot her!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet she¡¯s with them! Fuck you!!¡±


    ¡°You motherfu¡ª!!¡±


    In a matter of seconds, all hell broke loose. With her back to the wall, Nora could feel the vibrations from the bullet impacts. People fled the area in droves, seeking safety. Stella¡¯s comrades abandoned all subtlety and stormed the waiting room, weapons in hand, driven by their fierce loyalty.


    ¡°You guys¡­! What¡­!?¡± Stella¡¯s voice could barely be heard over the noise.


    Marcus ran forward, stepping out of hiding and exposing himself. After a quick visual inspection, he saw something that made him enter the room in a rush. William made eye contact with Claire and Nora, and gave them a sign to stay put.


    ¡°Stella!! Are you alright!?¡± yelled Marcus.


    Nora kept listening.


    ¡°Marcus¡­! Damn it¡­ I¡¯ll be okay. Listen, the Army is here! One of our own got killed and a fight broke out, but something feels wrong about it¡­! Ugh¡­!¡±


    ¡°Shut it, we need to stop this bleeding!¡±


    ¡°Leave me be, I¡¯ll be alright!¡±


    ¡°No way! Hang in there for a moment!¡±


    Marcus came back out of the room, narrowly dodging a stray bullet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­! Why are they shooting each other!?¡± asked Claire, crouching behind Nora.


    ¡°They are in complete panic, that¡¯s why!¡± said Marcus. ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll stay here to try and get things back under control. You guys go on ahead, Lilian should be somewhere on this floor. Nora¡­ Can you find her?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Then go. She probably needs you, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Hurry!¡± he said, before rushing back into the waiting room.


    Claire and William stared at her. Neither said anything, but it was clear they were both waiting for her lead.


    ¡­


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡®Okay, breathe, focus¡­ Lilian, can you hear me? Please, say something¡­¡¯


    [*mumbling*]


    ¡®¡­that way.¡¯


    ******


    ¡°Graaaah!!!¡± with a decisive kick to the chest, [Donovan] pushed his opponent away.


    The man was sent flying by the force of the impact, towards the elevator doors behind him. Not meant to withstand such forces, they gave way.


    He stared as the man disappeared into the darkness of the shaft, with a distressed scream that faded away into nothingness in less than a second. There were some echoing noises as his body plummeted down, ending in a loud, distant thud.


    [Donovan] was panting. With the fight over, adrenaline was quickly replaced by exhaustion. He held his damaged left arm, bleeding from a deep gash. He was bruised all over, but his arm had taken the worst beating.


    ¡®Shit¡­ I need to apply first aid¡­¡¯


    He sat down in a nearby room, and grabbed some bandages from one of his pockets. While he worked on the wound, he got to thinking.


    He had heard the gunshots coming from the other side of the hospital. PT-01 had given the order, which meant they now took him for dead.


    His loyalty to the mission was unwavering. As mercenaries, they had a job to do, and they had been paid an absurd amount of money for it. In that sense, their lives held little to no meaning. However, that didn¡¯t mean he was willing to give up on living for no reason.


    ¡®I¡¯ll finish my part of the plan, and then I¡¯ll meet up with PT-04 and 05. They should still be on standby in the vicinity¡­¡¯


    He finished treating his injuries, stumbled back up, and hurried in the direction of Julien¡¯s quarters.


    ¡­


    He pushed the door open. There was nobody inside, at least not in plain view. Julien himself must had gone somewhere else, which was actually a good thing. His absence would make everything easier.


    He walked into the room, and soon spotted what he was looking for. Laying on the bed, in a visible daze, covering her ears with her hands.


    ¡®She seems to be overwhelmed and stressed, and it¡¯s no wonder why. She must be hearing the crowds approaching her from all directions. Things we can¡¯t even comprehend or perceive¡­¡¯


    ¡°It sure sucks to be you¡­¡± he said, sitting in a nearby chair.


    ¡­


    Before long, the door opened again, and a very anxious Julien barged in.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± he said as soon as he saw him.


    ¡°You seem to be having a rough time.¡± replied [Donovan], which was ironic, since he was covered in bruises himself. ¡°We told you this would happen, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°¡­what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°My job, as simple as that. The girl must remain safe at all costs. I thought you¡¯d understand that already.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but I¡¯m afraid that responsibility doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­excuse me?¡±


    Julien composed himself, and almost looked unsettlingly arrogant and confident when he grabbed something from the pocket of his jacket. A mobile phone, clearly modified with electric components.


    ¡®¡­!?¡¯


    [Donovan]¡¯s eyes opened wide, and he lunged towards the girl. He lifted her hoodie, revealing a belt of tubular containers strapped around her abdomen. The tubes were crudely interconnected with wiring.


    ¡®This is¡­ an improvised explosive device¡­!? Is he insane!?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯d advice you to step away from her. Hand her over.¡± ordered Julien.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°You were right, you know? We all share similar goals. I want to get out of this mess alive, and you want to get the girl out alive. I¡¯m just making sure you keep your end of the bargain. Now, I hope you can read the situation. It¡¯d be a shame if something startled me and I accidentally turned this phone on¡­¡±


    Without breaking eye contact, [Donovan] stepped back, away from Lilian, allowing Julien to approach her. The girl let herself be pulled out of the bed, then out of the room, offering no resistance.


    He followed them outside, keeping a cautious distance.


    ¡®Shit¡­ This is a problem. I need to find an opening to get him¡­¡¯


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re aware there¡¯s nowhere to go right now. You¡¯re trapped in here, like everyone else.¡± said [Donovan].


    ¡°Nonsense. You people surely have a way to get the girl out of the city. And if you can get her out, you can get me out as well. We¡¯ll leave this hospital, then you¡¯ll lead the way.¡±


    Wrong. There was no way they would be able to escape the hospital without the Army noticing. The whole idea behind the operation was to thin their forces as much as possible and then let the girl fall into their hands, along with the remaining survivors. Everything else would go smoothly from that point onwards.


    Julien played no role in the final outcome. He wasn¡¯t meant to survive the incident in the first place. Unfortunately, he had taken preventive measures.


    Julien walked backwards towards a nearby lobby, headed towards the hospital¡¯s entrance. He didn¡¯t take his eyes off [Donovan] for even an instant.


    There were some people around, but nobody intervened. Scared gazes, keeping a low profile in order to stay away from the ongoing spree of violence. They weren¡¯t a threat, which was convenient.


    As Julien was halfway across the lobby, a new group of people emerged from one of the doorways.


    ¡°You¡­!!! Stop right there!!¡± screamed a male voice. Short black hair, beard, decent physique. He wore civilian clothing, but [Donovan] was able to spot a protective vest under his jacket. He carried an assault rifle.


    He was followed by two women, one of which was also armed.


    ¡®Those are a threat.¡¯


    Julien gasped when he saw them, and he raised his cellphone. At the same time, he lifted Lilian¡¯s hoodie, exposing her explosive belt.


    ¡°Wha¡ª!?¡± the newcomers seemed to get the idea.


    ¡°Aaah¡­ Mr. William, was it? And of course, the ladies as well¡­ Somehow, I figured you¡¯d still be around. It was too good to be true. But it makes no difference. I¡¯m out of here.¡± said Julien.


    ¡°C-Coward¡­!!! Let her go, you sick bastard!!¡± one of the women, the smaller one of the two, aimed a gun at him. Her shaking limbs indicated severe hesitation. She didn¡¯t look willing to open fire.


    ¡°Lilian!! Sis, I¡¯m here¡­!!! Can you hear me!!? Leave her alone, please¡­!!!¡± said the other woman.


    Julien momentarily let go of Lilian, and reached under his clothes, pulling out his own gun. With his other hand still threatening to detonate the explosives, he opened fire on the group. His aim was disastrous.


    ¡°Watch out!!!¡±


    The group took cover behind nearby furniture.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I couldn¡¯t care less about your requests at this point. As I said, I¡¯m leaving this place.¡±


    ¡°Do you even understand what¡¯s going on!? There¡¯s shamblers converging on this building from all over the place! And you plan to go out there on your own!?¡± yelled the man from behind his cover. ¡°Besides, if the shamblers don¡¯t get you, the soldiers will! You have no chance of getting out of this one, Julien! And if you kill her, you¡¯re dead too! You¡¯re fucked no matter what you do! Stop this bullshit already! What do you hope to accomplish!?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in reasoning with him!¡± one of the women attempted to peek over her cover, only to be met with more gunfire.


    Julien was still keeping an eye on [Donovan], but his attention was now more focused on those strangers. They were a blessing in disguise. At some point, that gun was going to run out of bullets. That single moment might be all he needed to get his hands on the detonator.


    ¡°¡­nnnnhng¡­¡± a subtle moaning was audible among the rest of the voices.


    Lilian was starting to groan, as if in pain. She stared at the floor, with a scared look on her face.


    ¡°¡­mmmngh¡­! ¡­mmnnmmh¡­!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with her now¡­?¡± Julien was confused. Without letting go of the gun, he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a slight shake.


    With languid movements, she turned around to face him, and went directly for his hand.


    ¡°Ah!!!¡± Julien reacted quickly, barely avoiding her bite.


    His retaliation was immediate. He bashed her head with the back of his hand, with additional inertia thanks to the pistol¡¯s weight, knocking her down to the floor. She began weeping bitterly, without moving.


    ¡°Little shit!!¡± he cursed.


    ¡°S-Stop!!! Leave her alone!!!¡± ¡°Lilian, no¡­!! Please, don¡¯t hurt her¡­!!!¡±


    ¡°Silence!!¡± he opened fire again.


    ¡®This¡­ is bad news.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t aggression, but self-defense. The girl¡¯s negative reaction had probably been caused by the stressful situation she was being exposed to. However, no matter how badly she reacted, there were lines that shouldn¡¯t be crossed.


    Of all the instructions Prometheus had been given, there was one rule that stood above all others: never harm the queen.


    ******


    The voice of the queen was loud and clear.


    For what seemed like an eternity, they yearned for her attention. They yearned for her guidance. They yearned for her love.


    But what they heard was none of those things.


    It was pain. Fear. Distress.


    [Help. It hurts. Help. It hurts. Help. It hurts.]


    The colony was drawn to the disturbance, slowly dragging itself towards it. Disturbances in the order of the hive wouldn¡¯t be tolerated. However, this wasn¡¯t a disturbance anymore. The threat was now tangible, more real than it had ever been.


    The sun shined down on them with full force, but the colony didn¡¯t care. Feeding could wait.


    The queen was in danger. The queen was suffering.


    The colony screamed in silence, as their veins lit up in ominous blue.


    ******


    ¡°Prometheus, this is PT-04!! This is an emergency!! Do you copy!!?¡±


    ¡°This is PT-01, what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°The praetorian is acting up!! What¡¯s going on over there!!?¡±


    ¡°We have the enemy following our tracks, and we¡¯ve got no intel on the hospital. PT-04 and 05, you were supposed to keep the praetorian on standby, under sedatives and inhibitors.¡±


    ¡°W-We did! But they aren¡¯t working anymore!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean they aren¡¯t working¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit!!! It¡¯s breaking free!!! 05, r-retreat!! Fuck!!! Aaaaa¡ª!!!¡±


    All that remained was radio static. PT-01 sighed.


    ¡°HQ, this is PT-01. We have an issue.¡±

 CHAPTER 40 – AMATEURS

    ¡°Sir, I can¡¯t get in contact with [Fox]¡­!¡± said Private Connor.


    ¡°Something might have happened to him... We need to get up, and quickly!¡± replied Captain Isaac, while reaching for his radio. ¡°HQ, this is Alpha team. We lost contact with [Fox]. We¡¯ve managed to get inside the hospital through the basement. All stairs are blocked, but we¡¯ve found an elevator shaft that seems to have been used to access the upper levels. The area has recent signs of activity.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Alpha. Charlie and Delta teams are reporting hordes of stingers approaching the hospital, expect contact in a matter of minutes. We¡¯ll get everything ready for your extraction, you need to finish the mission as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    Isaac heard gurgling sounds coming from the elevator shaft.


    ¡°Shit, the stinger nest must have broken through the barricades¡­ Inhibitors out!¡± he said, prompting all the team members to reach for their belts.


    All of them had a belt lined with small metallic canisters, about the size of a hand grenade. As soon as the pin on the top was pulled, a thin, white mist began oozing from the canister and spreading into the air.


    ¡°Alright, come on, come on! Everyone up!¡± ordered Isaac. ¡°Watch out for hostiles! We¡¯re sitting ducks on this ladder!¡±


    The entire team flew up the shaft, with the gas cloud masking their presence. As he ascended, Isaac took note of the elevator doors. Some of them were wide open. The dark hallways were clear of stingers, but he could hear them wandering around the vicinity. They were most likely following the most straightforward path up, the stairwells.


    The clock was ticking. Hibernating stingers would only wake up from their slumber under powerful influences. A severe enough disturbance that pushes them to retaliate, a fresh outbreak that drives them into a feeding frenzy¡­ Regardless of the reason, once awakened, they¡¯d spend every remaining ounce of strength in their bodies in order to subdue the threat; with no regards for self-preservation, until they withered away for good.


    ¡®The blockages in the stairwells will hold them off for a while, but they¡¯ll eventually push through. We have to hurry the hell up¡­!¡¯


    ¡­


    The team found itself on the top floor of the hospital. It was quiet. Almost too quiet. No gunshots, no screaming. Everything Isaac could perceive were faint groans and voices, coming from somewhere below their feet.


    ¡°T-This is Delta, talking to all units!! The stingers just lit up! I repeat, the stingers lit up! They started sprinting at full speed!!¡±


    ¡°This is Charlie!! Our sector is overrun! They are coming from all directions! HQ, what the fuck is going on!!?¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. Teams Charlie and Delta, deploy inhibitor gas and retreat to safe positions. Disregard your previous tasks. Teams Alpha and Bravo, you need to fulfill your orders and evacuate the area immediately.¡±


    ¡°This is Alpha!¡± said Isaac. ¡°We¡¯re at the top of the hospital, we should encounter the target soon, over!¡± he faced the rest of the team. ¡°Come on, boys!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Be wary, Alpha.¡± HQ continued talking as they traversed the forest of machinery that occupied the top floor. ¡°This phenomenon strengthens our suspicions about the presence of a potential stinger queen in the hospital. Should you be able to confirm this hypothesis, her safety must become a paramount concern.¡±


    ¡°Understood¡­!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess why they¡¯d suspect such a thing. So far, the emergence of a stable queen was nothing but a theory. It made sense, it seemed necessary for the rest of the pieces to find their place, but they had no proof. However, this changed everything.


    The only thing that could make flawed stingers light up in the middle of the day was the influence of queen pheromones. And it was never a good thing. Isaac knew it very well.


    ¡®Is this¡­ a Convergence event¡­? No, that can¡¯t be. If it was, we¡¯d be receiving news from the outside. I hope I¡¯m just overthinking things¡­¡¯


    The team moved swiftly towards the exit door and headed downstairs, with their weapons ready.


    ******


    ¡°Contact!! Stingers ahead!¡±


    Before they had the chance to go indoors, a group of stingers spotted them. They ran towards them in a frenzy, screeching, climbing and jumping over vehicles and obstacles in their way. No matter how much inhibitor gas they used, it¡¯d be useless if those things made visual contact with them.


    ¡°Fire!!¡±


    Their rifles, equipped with noise suppressors, sang in unison. Only a handful of bullets missed their targets. The zombies were downed, with quick and accurate headshots.


    ¡°Hurry, get inside! They¡¯ll come to investigate!¡±


    The team rushed into the building, located the closest staircase, and ascended to the second floor. They made a quick stop to deploy another inhibitor canister.


    ¡°This is Bravo! We¡¯ve followed the enemy into a building block about five hundred meters east from the initial sighting! The streets are infested! We¡¯re trapped in here, and so are they! We¡¯re going silent! Over!¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. Understood, Bravo. Proceed with extreme caution.¡±


    Captain Evans was nervous. He was well aware of how dire the situation was. One single mistake and they¡¯d become stinger food. If they were to have any chance of making it out alive, they had to neutralize the enemy, take cover on the top floor, and wait for the hordes to calm down. As long as they stayed close to the ground, they were living on borrowed time.


    The team activated their night vision goggles. On Evans¡¯ signal, they advanced further into the building.


    A clothing store, in surprisingly good shape. Rows upon rows of racks, most of them still full of clothes of all kinds and sizes, worn down after months of abandonment. It provided plenty of hiding spots. If they wanted to find their targets, they¡¯d need to clear the entire area quickly and methodically. The enemy wouldn¡¯t be as stupid as to expose their location or make unnecessary noise.


    Animalistic roars and screams could be heard behind the walls around them. With the surrounding streets teeming with crazed stingers, firearms would spell doom for everyone involved. No amount of firepower would stop a rampant horde in a close-quarters environment. On Evans¡¯ command, they switched their rifles with silenced pistols and combat knives.


    Without making a noise, the team spread out, each member walking down a different aisle. They almost held their breaths, with all their senses scouring their surroundings, looking for the slightest sign of movement.


    Nothing.


    They reached the far end of the store, and gave each other a sign to indicate their area was clear. The team rearranged yet again. Evans and two others proceeded towards the back of the store; the remaining two members headed for the fitting rooms.


    ******


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    He turned left, towards the changing cubicles. They didn¡¯t have doors, but curtains. Most of them were closed. He immediately took notice of the third one on the right side of the corridor.


    A thin mist emerged from the cubicle, seeping underneath the curtain.


    ¡®There¡¯s someone there¡­! Is it only one of them¡­?¡¯


    No matter who the enemy was, they had to be using inhibitor gas as well. The stingers would be swarming the building otherwise.


    He communicated with his partner using hand signals. They positioned themselves at both sides of the cubicle curtains. They needed to act in the blink of an eye, not giving him any time to react. Their breathing was heavy, and their clothing and gear made unavoidable noise, but it was easily masked by the roars of the crowds outside.


    3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ 0.


    His partner pulled the curtain, and he rushed inside, ready to subdue the target.


    ¡®¡­!!¡¯


    There was nothing inside, except for a single inhibitor gas canister strapped to a hanger on the wall.


    He turned around in time to see the curtain of the cubicle on the opposite side of the hallway opening. A shape emerged from the darkness and grabbed his partner from behind. One hand covered his mouth, while the other plunged something into his back. A muffled scream of pain was heard.


    He readied his knife and retaliated, slashing at the attacker¡¯s arm in an attempt to free his partner.


    ¡°Gah¡­!¡± the cut made the enemy let out a slight grunt.


    Wasting no time, he started trading blows with him, while his partner fell down to the floor, clearly wounded.


    His opponent managed to land a solid blow on his side, followed by a knee directly into his stomach. His body armor mitigated the impact, but the force still made him bend and cough. Then, he felt a twist in his arm, and he was forced to the floor, face up.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the sinister glint of a steel blade, ready to sink into his body. Reacting on pure survival instinct, he used his free hand to grab his pistol, pressed it hard against his opponent¡¯s leg, and pulled the trigger.


    ¡°Agh¡­!¡± his enemy grunted again, losing balance and falling on his knees.


    He kicked him down, then took the chance to jump back up and get the upper hand on him.


    He was panting, yet he was now on top of his target, holding a pistol right against the side of his head.


    ¡°Got you, fucker¡­¡± he whispered.


    ******


    Evans rushed into the fitting room area, followed by his two teammates. He had heard the noise, subtle but fierce at the same time. Something had happened.


    He arrived in time to see the scene of a fight. One of his men laying on the floor; the other one still standing, with an unknown soldier pinned underneath.


    *Click*


    Evans froze for an instant. That clicking sound. It was so familiar.


    ¡°Fuck you.¡± said the pinned man on the floor, before extending his arm and opening his hand, revealing a metallic ring around his index finger.


    All Evans could do was grab the two men by his side and pull them back, diving towards the main store area. Merely one or two seconds later, he heard a loud bang, followed by nothing but ringing in his ears. His eyesight was blinded by a flash of light, and then obscured by a cloud of smoke and dust. The shapes of his men became fuzzy, blurry. His head was spinning.


    ¡°Up!!! Everyone up!!!¡± he shouted. At least, he thought he shouted, but he couldn¡¯t hear his own voice.


    He signaled up with his hand, while shaking the bodies of his men, who struggled to stand back on their feet. One of them looked roughed up, but he was still in good shape. The other one was missing an arm. He wasn¡¯t going to make it unless he got emergency first aid, but they couldn¡¯t afford such a luxury at the moment. In a way, not being able to hear anything was a blessing. Evans would rather not hear whatever hell was coming their way, attracted by the explosion.


    They rushed the stairs without a second thought, stumbling upwards towards the faint possibility of finding a safe spot.


    Several pieces of furniture blocked the stairs leading to the fourth floor. They had to look for another way up. With ringing still in his ears, Evans ran into the third floor¡¯s store. He didn¡¯t even pay attention to his surroundings. He was starting to panic. He knew he was, he felt it growing out of control.


    None of the three men heard the new clicking sound. In an instant, a cloud of gas was released around them.


    ¡®W-What¡­!? What is this¡­!? Inhibitor gas¡­!?¡¯


    *Cough!* *Cough!*


    It wasn¡¯t inhibitor gas. The inhibitor had no real effect on the human body. It didn¡¯t induce crying. It didn¡¯t cause irritation on the skin and the lungs. It didn¡¯t cause you to cough uncontrollably. If he had to make a guess, he¡¯d identify it as some sort of tear gas, but worse.


    Losing strength on his legs, he coughed.


    Once again, the tinnitus in his ears was a blessing. It prevented him from hearing his men coughing behind him. It prevented him from hearing the avalanche of death crawling up the stairs, looking for prey. It prevented him from hearing their screams when ravenous teeth sunk into their flesh.


    ******


    He felt them running and jumping all around him, trashing the store. He heard the soldiers scream in agony as their lives were snuffed out. However, he didn¡¯t hear the characteristic tearing of flesh and the bubbling caused by the Sting mutation. Perhaps their bodies had been damaged beyond repair before the virus could take hold of them.


    Which could only mean one thing: those stingers weren¡¯t trying to spread the disease. They were fighting with killing intent. And slaughtering the soldiers hadn¡¯t been enough for them. They searched the entire building from top to bottom, making sure no corner was left untouched, before leaving as fast as they had arrived.


    ¡®Someone has been messing with the queen, huh¡­?¡¯


    Long after the scene had gone silent, PT-01 let go of the cord he had pulled to trigger the gas trap, and got up. His body broke through the thin layer of inhibitor gas hovering above him. He proceeded to stretch his limbs, sore from standing still for an extended period of time.


    After ensuring his gas mask was still properly attached to his face, he approached the location where the soldiers had died.


    Just as he suspected, they had been torn apart. What remained was a gruesome spectacle of flesh and blood. PT-01 crouched down and grabbed something from the remains. A bloodstained brown wallet, which he unfolded to reveal an ID.


    Captain Evans Ridley. 27 years old.


    ¡®Young. Way too young to be doing this shit. What a pity¡­¡¯


    For someone like him, it didn¡¯t matter. He literally didn¡¯t give a crap about whatever mess he¡¯d get himself involved with, as long as the money was good. Perhaps all the things he had done in the past had desensitized him. However, those men were nothing but amateurs, youngsters enlisted by the Army and sent to die.


    ¡°The world never changes, I suppose. As cruel as ever¡­¡±


    He let go of the ID and went for the stairs, headed towards the rooftop. When he was a safe distance from the ground level, he grabbed the radio.


    ¡°HQ, this is PT-01. Do you copy? Over.¡±


    ¡°This is [ZEUS]. We hear you, Prometheus.¡±


    PT-01 stayed silent for a moment. If they were contacting him directly, it could only mean one thing: the mission was nearing its conclusion. For better or for worse.


    ¡°Situation report.¡± they said.


    ¡°Prometheus has been wiped out. I¡¯m the only survivor. The situation at the hospital is unknown. The queen has been harmed, causing a stampede of stingers. It has also caused the praetorian to break free of its constraints, and presumably head towards the hospital as well. We know the Army is on the scene, but it¡¯s difficult to predict the outcome.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged. This course of events still falls within the predicted possibilities. You are to stand by and watch. Make sure the final stage of the Saint Marie operation resolves successfully. Afterwards, you¡¯ll be issued new orders. Expect to receive support from a new team.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ******


    Just by itself, any floor of the hospital was big. If they wanted to find the Sting-resistant target, they¡¯d have to split up to cover more terrain.


    ¡°Connor and Paxton, with me on the north hallway!¡± Isaac began shouting orders. ¡°Erik and Jameson, you two take the south hallway! We¡¯ll sweep the area from side to side! Watch your backs, report anything you find, and remember the briefing!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± replied the rest of the team.


    The soldiers rearranged themselves into two groups and headed in different directions. Isaac led his group along the agreed path, on the watch for potential enemies.


    After turning a corner, they stumbled upon a man and a woman. They were unarmed. When they spotted the incoming soldiers, their faces were twisted with horror.


    ¡°Aaah¡­!! S-Stay away!!!¡±


    The man began yanking at the woman, who stood completely still.


    ¡°On the ground!! Now!!¡± ordered Isaac, with a thundering voice. ¡°You won¡¯t be harmed as long as you cooperate! Get down!!¡±


    They hesitated.


    ¡°I said get down!!!¡± Isaac aimed his rifle at them.


    Overwhelmed, they collapsed under the pressure. They slowly got on their knees, with their hands up. It wasn¡¯t exactly what he had ordered, but it was good enough.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way any of them is the resistant target. They would certainly be keeping such a valuable asset under surveillance, especially if they¡¯re aware of their nature.¡¯


    ¡°What happened here!? Explain the situation!¡±


    ¡°W-W-We don¡¯t know anything¡­! Everyone started fighting among themselves, and we ran away! P-Please, we don¡¯t have anything to do with this¡­!¡± the man was a ball of nerves as he tried to blurt out an explanation.


    ¡°Where is this fight happening?¡±


    ¡°It started in one of the w-waiting rooms ahead¡­!¡±


    ¡°You two hide somewhere, and don¡¯t get in the way!¡± he said, before turning to face his two partners. ¡°Get ready for potential human hostiles. Paxton, watch our six. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

 CHAPTER 41 – REINFORCEMENTS

    The commotion in the waiting room had subsided. They had stopped shooting. They were no longer beating each other up, arguing among themselves, or throwing threats and insults. Some were wounded, groaning in pain. Others weren¡¯t so lucky, their still warm bodies resting lifeless on the floor. However, nobody paid any attention to them. Instead, they stared at one another, bewildered.


    ¡°D-Does anyone else hear that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Where is it coming from!?¡±


    A rumbling noise in the distance. Unrecognizable at first, it quickly sent a chill down everyone¡¯s spine when the realization hit them. It was nothing but a reminder of the harsh world they lived in.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t¡­? Aren¡¯t those screams!?¡±


    ¡°It sounds like shamblers!!¡±


    ¡°Is it coming from outside¡­?¡± a man approached one of the windows.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Marcus yelled at the man. ¡°Everyone, get away from the windows!!¡±


    ¡°What¡­ is going on¡­?¡± mumbled Stella.


    She was still resting in his arms, breathing heavily. The gunshot wound in her abdomen was a nasty one. No vital organs were hit, but the blood loss was significant. She insisted on putting up a tough front, but it was to no avail. She wouldn¡¯t survive without proper treatment. Marcus had done everything he could to stabilize the wound and stop the hemorrhage, yet it wasn¡¯t enough. All his medical expertise was useless without the right tools.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk, please.¡± said Marcus.


    ¡®Damn it, the hordes have reached the hospital already¡­!? They must be piling up down on the street. It won¡¯t be long until they climb all the way up here¡­! Usually, the nest would prevent this from happening, but it won¡¯t work if it¡¯s agitated!¡¯


    ¡°Listen up, everyone! We need to leave this place at once!! We¡¯ve got to move somewhere deeper, away from the outside walls!¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck are you to be giving us orders!?¡± almost immediately, someone stood against him.


    ¡°A-And what about those soldiers¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Listen to those sounds, for god¡¯s sake!¡± said Marcus, giving them a frustrated stare. ¡°Do you really think this is the time to be having an argument?¡±


    Nobody disagreed.


    ¡°Help the wounded! Come on!¡± he ordered, while helping Stella stand up.


    They seemed to listen to him, assembling around the fallen ones. Marcus couldn¡¯t say he wasn¡¯t surprised. The shambler threat must have unearthed some specks of common sense.


    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Stella let out a pained grunt. ¡°Fuck¡­ And I was the one who wanted to keep things under control¡­ A goddamn idiot, that¡¯s what I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Seriously, stay quiet.¡±


    Lending her his shoulder for support, Marcus walked out of the room and followed the hallways towards the inner areas of the hospital, with everyone else behind him.


    The group was met with a new source of noise, this time coming from inside the building. A noise that grew louder and louder as they got closer to the stairs ahead. The big barricade blocking the stairwell seemed to be breathing. It swelled and bulged, shaking back and forth as if something was pushing it rhythmically from the other side. A symphony of banging and scraping seeped from the gaps in the blockage, paired with familiar cries and squeals. A blue aura surrounded it.


    ¡°Shit! Everyone, go back! This way is¡ª!!¡± Marcus¡¯ words were cut short by the crushing sound of the barricade falling apart, with pieces of wood and metal spilling around the floor as a wave of dozens of shamblers forced its way into the corridors.


    ¡®Already¡­!? I knew they would reach the upper floors at some point, but isn¡¯t this too fast¡­!? Damn!!!¡¯


    As the crowd following him was overcome by panic, Marcus noticed something. The shamblers¡¯ veins glowed furiously, as if they were ready to burst into flames at any moment. Their movements were faster and more fluid than one would expect after several months of confinement.


    ¡®This reaction¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Has something happened to Lilian!!?¡¯


    If the queen had indeed been harmed in any way, the hospital wouldn¡¯t just be a shambler hotspot. No, it would become the target of an angry tide of drones, potentially dragging the population of the entire cell towards it.


    He needed time to think, but he could afford no such thing. Not with a mob of shamblers about to feast on him. They needed to fight back now that they could, but doing so while caring for the wounded would be a difficult task. Most of the survivors were running away without looking back, leaving their wounded comrades behind. The ones who were still carrying their weapons were hesitant to open fire.


    With his free hand, he reached for his pistol. However, before he could pull the trigger, a metallic sound caught his attention.


    A small object came flying into view from one of the corridors that split off the main hallway. It bounced on the floor several times, before stopping in front of Marcus and Stella.


    With a soft bang, a cloud of white mist burst out of the object, quickly flooding the hallway. Everyone still on the scene covered their eyes and mouth, caught by surprise by the smoke.


    ¡®What¡­!? Smoke!? No, wait¡­ I know this gas, this smell¡­!¡¯


    Pheromone inhibitor.


    A group of three shadowy figures emerged from the mist. Marcus heard the familiar sound of suppressed gunfire, uninterrupted for an entire minute.


    As the smoke started to clear, three soldiers became visible. In front of them, the crowd of shamblers had dropped dead, neutralized with deadly efficiency. He recognized one of them. His heart skipped a beat. This was his chance. A risky move, but necessary.


    ¡°Captain Isaac!?¡± he asked.


    The soldiers turned around. One of them opened his eyes wide as soon as he saw his face.


    ¡°Dr. Marcus¡­!!?¡± said Isaac. He immediately pointed his rifle at him. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this!?¡±


    ¡°HQ! Do you copy!?¡± said another soldier, speaking on his radio. ¡°We¡¯ve found Dr. Marcus! Over!¡±


    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t shoot!¡± begged Marcus. ¡°You must hear what I have to say!¡±


    ¡°You expect me to sit tight and listen to whatever a traitor like you has to say!? Drop your weapon! We¡¯ll do the questioning later!¡±


    ¡°Listen to me, damn it! There¡¯s a queen here!¡±


    ¡°¡­what did you just say¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your objective here is, but it¡¯s imperative that you pay attention to this! She¡¯s a small girl, short black hair, very shy and reserved. And not only is she a stinger queen, but she¡¯s resistant to the Sting herself! You understand what this means, right, Isaac¡­?¡±


    After several seconds of hesitation, Isaac grabbed his radio.


    ¡°HQ, this is Alpha. We¡¯ve got a lead on the queen. She might be here, and she might be the resistant target we¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡­ ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡­ ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ ¡°Understood.¡± he let go of the radio, and focused his attention back on Marcus. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere on the eastern wing of this floor. Some of my partners were headed that way, they should be keeping her safe.¡±


    ¡°Erik, Jameson, this is Captain Isaac!¡± he grabbed the radio again. ¡°Get to the eastern wing as fast as you can, that¡¯s where the target is! A small girl, short black hair, should be easy to identify. Be quick!¡±


    Another wave of shamblers poured from the stairwell. The soldiers opened fire on the horde, dropping them in quick succession.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Connor! Stay with these people and protect them! Rally everyone and get them ready for evacuation at the exit!¡± ordered Isaac.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Marcus threw a quick glance behind him over Stella¡¯s shoulder. Although initially skeptical and scared of the soldiers, the survivors had settled down. A sense of relief had been left floating in the air, after witnessing the soldiers mowing down an entire crowd of shamblers without much effort. Of course, Marcus knew it wouldn¡¯t always be that easy. Ammunition wasn¡¯t infinite, and the worst was yet to come. Still, it was enough to inspire those people to stand their ground and think rationally.


    ¡°Dr. Marcus¡­ I don¡¯t trust you at all, but apparently Colonel Rowan does. If you can help get everyone out of here, do so. Leave the rest to us.¡± said Isaac. ¡°Paxton, with me! We need to reunite with the others!¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­! Do you happen to have an inhibitor shot!?¡± asked Marcus.


    Isaac, who was about to bolt away, stopped for a moment.


    ¡°¡­we don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°The level of aggression these stingers are displaying is abnormal! I believe the queen must be in some kind of distress! Without an inhibitor injection to hide her presence, they¡¯ll never stop coming until we¡¯re all dead!¡±


    ¡®Unless¡­ No, no, we can¡¯t rely on something like that! The shot is the only surefire way of getting out of this mess!¡¯


    ¡°They must have a supply of them around here, somewhere. The hospital wouldn¡¯t have been safe otherwise!¡± he added.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to search the entire building for something so small.¡± Isaac handed him a small radio. ¡°Take this, we¡¯ll be in contact. For now, our first priority is to secure the queen. We¡¯ll devise a plan later. Hurry, we¡¯ve wasted enough time already!¡±


    Not wanting to lose another precious second, Isaac and his teammate turned around and left the area in a rush.


    ¡°Alright, listen up, everyone!¡± Private Connor began giving orders to the survivors. ¡°We¡¯ll head towards the exit! We need to stay away from stairs and outer windows! Follow my lead and stay calm! Anyone able to use a weapon, get ready in case we encounter more of those things! We¡¯re getting out of here! Come on, come on!¡±


    With renewed encouragement, the survivors started moving as a group.


    ¡°Seems like your friends weren¡¯t as evil and heartless as that Julien described them to be¡­ Your gut feeling was right, as usual, huh¡­?¡± huffed Stella.


    Marcus ignored her, since giving her an answer would only drive her to keep talking.


    As he followed the rest of the group, he spotted a small person walking towards him. He recognized him. Was his name Ethan? Marcus thought it was impressive that he hadn¡¯t run away at the first sign of danger.


    ¡°Um¡­ Excuse me, sir¡­?¡± said the boy.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Well, I k-kinda overheard your conversation with that soldier, sir.¡±


    ¡°¡­and?¡±


    ¡°I know there¡¯s a tiny briefcase with syringes in the storage room. I ran into them by chance while stealing food. It looked weird, and it was kinda hidden.¡± he stared at the floor, probably trying to hide the embarrassment and guilt painted all over his face. ¡°I don¡¯t really get it, but I just realized it could be, well¡­ important?¡±


    Marcus¡¯ jaw dropped a bit.


    ¡°Listen, are you sure of what you saw? What did they look like? Do you remember if they had any labels on them? Anything!?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t. I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.¡±


    ¡°I think I grasp what this is all about¡­¡± said Stella. ¡°I¡¯ll find some other shoulder to lean on¡­ Go!¡±


    He knew what he needed to do. It didn¡¯t matter how much Alpha team struggled, or how much support they got from HQ. They didn¡¯t have the resources to stop the call of a distressed stinger queen.


    ¡°Can you lead me to this storage room?¡± he asked.


    ******


    ¡°What¡¯s that sound!?¡± asked Claire.


    William had been hearing it for a while. Ever since they left the basement, to be precise. A faint rumbling, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. But now it was getting closer, and louder.


    It was the sound of dozens of footsteps, the sound of a wailing crowd, of furniture toppling over, of glass cracking and breaking. It reminded him of a nocturnal horde, only lacking its violence and brutality.


    The blue glow emanating from a doorway on the opposite side of the lobby signaled its arrival. Slowly but relentlessly, the corridor began spewing out shamblers into the room. Their entire bodies were covered in fiery blue veins, and their faces were twisted with a mix of horror and pain.


    ¡°Ah!! No¡­!! Stay away!!!¡± screamed Julien.


    He grabbed Lilian and yanked her back on her feet, before quickly dragging her away from the shamblers. He still held the detonator in his left hand. Once his back was nearly against the wall, he grabbed his pistol and started unloading it on the zombies.


    A couple of seconds later, the weapon stopped responding. He kept pulling the trigger in disbelief. Having wasted or missed most of the shots, he was left with nothing to defend himself with. His panic outburst was, however, very effective at catching the attention of the entire crowd.


    ¡°Claire!!!¡± William raised his voice and took aim with his rifle.


    She looked at him, and seemed to understand without needing further explanation. She grabbed her pistol and mimicked him.


    William centered the sights as accurately as he could on the nearest shambler head, and pulled the trigger. He was tempted to go full auto, but he was aware of how useless such a thing would be against zombies. He took single shots in quick succession instead.


    He heard Claire firing her gun by his side. He hoped she remembered something about the couple of shooting lessons he had given her. At the very least, she seemed to have gotten over her reluctance towards handling a weapon.


    Despite taking losses, most of the shamblers insisted on crawling towards Julien and Lilian. William screamed at the top of his lungs in an attempt to shift their attention. To some extent, it worked, and a large chunk of the horde looked in their direction, suddenly finding them more appetizing.


    ¡°They¡¯re with us!! Fall back!!¡± said William.


    ¡°O-Okay¡­!! Nora, get out of there!!¡± replied Claire.


    ¡°But¡­! Lilian!!!¡± Nora followed them as they retreated into a nearby hallway, with her worried eyes focused on her sister.


    ¡°That bastard still has the detonator! All we can do for now is prevent him from getting them both killed!¡±


    More shots were fired as the horde closed in on them.


    ¡°Ah! I don¡¯t have bullets left¡­!!¡± yelled Claire.


    ¡°Reload! I¡¯ll keep them at bay!!¡±


    She began fiddling with the pistol, and her trembling hands managed to eject the magazine. She pulled a new one from one of her jacket¡¯s pockets, and it almost slipped out of her hands as she struggled to slot it into the weapon.


    She attempted to fire again, but the only thing that came out was an awkward clicking noise.


    ¡°Huh¡­!? It¡¯s not working!?¡± she said.


    ¡®Shit, did it jam!? This is the worst fucking moment to have a jam!¡¯


    William¡¯s own weapon stopped responding as the magazine emptied. The floor in front of them was littered with corpses, but more kept creeping out of the lobby. From somewhere in the distance, he heard Julien¡¯s voice whimpering.


    ¡®Do not panic. Follow the steps. Eject the magazine. Insert a new one. Take aim. Fire.¡¯


    One man alone couldn¡¯t possibly overcome such a big crowd, he knew it wasn¡¯t possible. But what else could he do? He kept screaming and pulling the trigger.


    A metallic sound rang in his ears as a small object rolled across the floor next to his feet, coming from somewhere behind him. Then, a cloud of white smoke filled the hallway. The three of them started coughing.


    ¡°Step aside!! Everyone, step aside!!¡±


    He looked back, and he saw two figures advancing towards them. Instinctively, he hugged the wall.


    ¡°Claire, Nora! Get out of the way!!¡± he yelled.


    The muffled sound of automatic fire flooded the air, as the unknown newcomers plowed through the horde with unbelievable ease.


    ¡°Reload! Cover me!¡±


    ¡°Watch your nine! Stingers coming from the northern corridor!¡±


    ¡°This side is clear!¡±


    When the smoke thinned out, William spotted the pair of soldiers, with the weapons still ready, surrounded by dead shamblers.


    ¡®Seriously¡­?¡¯


    He rushed back into the lobby, followed by the girls. As soon as they did, one of the soldiers pointed his rifle at them. In shock, they stopped.


    ¡°Halt! Stay back and keep your hands in the air!¡± ordered the soldier. ¡°We¡¯re looking for someone! A small girl, with short, black hair! If you have information about her whereabouts, speak!¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­!? She was just here a moment ago!¡± said William. He took a look around the lobby. There was nobody in sight. ¡°She¡¯s a hostage! She has been strapped with an explosive belt!¡± he tried to deliver the most crucial information first.


    In all fairness, he didn¡¯t really trust those soldiers. To him, they were no different than any other stranger. But he had vowed to cooperate with them since a while ago.


    ¡°What did you say!? Explosives¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Her captor might try to get her out of the hospital! They can¡¯t have gone far!¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­! Captain Isaac, this is Erik! We¡¯ve got a lead on the target!¡±


    ******


    So close. It was so close. He could see the exit already. He just needed to step outside and leave that wretched hospital behind. Those people wanted the girl at all costs, they wouldn¡¯t just give up on him. They¡¯d send someone else. They¡¯d find him. And he¡¯d make them save him as well.


    So close, yet so far away.


    Sitting on the floor, Julien gritted his teeth and tried to grab his left arm. An unfathomable jolt of pain shook him to the core. It was broken. Or, at the very least, dislocated.


    Donovan stood beside him, with the detonator in his hands. Lilian was a couple of meters away, crouching down and covering her ears.


    ¡®Why¡­? Why!? How did I end up like this!?¡¯


    ¡°There!! I spotted them!!!¡± a voice came from the end of the hallway.


    The two soldiers, followed by the other three fools, emerged into the outer corridor and began sprinting in their direction. Donovan had the detonator now, so they¡¯d have to abide by his command. However, Julien no longer played a role.


    Donovan stared at him for a moment, and his face contorted in disgust. He pulled out a knife, and approached him.


    ¡®So, that¡¯s it? Haha¡­ Not even gonna say anything, you goddamn asshole!?¡¯


    Just as Donovan was preparing to lunge for the kill, he raised his eyes and looked outside through the window. Julien realized it too. A peculiar thumping sound, rhythmical, getting gradually louder.


    There was an instant of silence.


    A second later, the entire world seemed to spin and fall to pieces.


    A powerful crash threatened to rupture his eardrums. Julien witnessed Donovan get engulfed by an avalanche of debris and dust, an instant before a piece of rubble hit him right in the head.


    He dropped like a rag. His sight was blurry; he felt dizzy. He could barely recognize anything in front of him. All he perceived was the cloud of dust, moving in winding patterns.


    Moments before blacking out completely, he thought he noticed something strange within his field of vision. Something big.

 CHAPTER 42 – BOND

    Nora¡¯s legs wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. Failing to hold herself up, she fell to her knees, grabbing her head with both hands. She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes tight, trying to endure the pain. Her never-ending headache, which she had begun getting used to, had suddenly intensified to an unbearable magnitude.


    [Scared. Help. Scared. Help. Scared. Help.]


    Pounding from the depths of her mind, every perceived word caused a burning sensation; like a parasitic signal frying her brain.


    ¡°Aaah¡­! Aaaah!!¡± she was unable to keep her voice down.


    ¡®Stop¡­! Please, make it stop¡­!!¡¯


    She vaguely opened one of her eyes, in an attempt to remain aware of her surroundings. As much as she struggled to keep up with the current events, she knew they were in trouble. The loud crash. Debris flying in all directions. A bright blue brilliance coming from somewhere within the dust cloud. That thing''s breathing.


    Someone rushed to her side and grabbed her shoulders.


    ¡°Nora! Nora, what¡¯s wrong!!?¡± said Claire.


    ¡°You two, get back!! Quick!!!¡± William grabbed both of them and pulled them back, away from the cloud.


    ¡°Contact!! Captain Isaac, this is Erik! We¡¯ve found the target! The praetorian is here as well!! At the exit, in the southern outer hallway! Switching to armor-piercing munitions! Requesting immediate reinforcements! Over!¡±


    Lilian cowered against a wall, about three meters ahead. Nora felt her distress call, looping over and over; yet her sister didn¡¯t seem to realize how close to her she was. She didn¡¯t even attempt to look in her direction.


    ¡®I¡¯m right here! Right here!! Lilian!!¡¯


    Behind the girl, the dust started to settle down, exposing the creature hiding within. It was too big to stand upright in the corridor. The monster¡¯s eyes were fixated on Lilian. The glowing cysts over its body pulsated with wild spasms, reminiscent of beating hearts, emitting enough light to illuminate the entire hallway.


    [He¡¯s coming. Help. He¡¯s coming. Help. He¡¯s coming. Help.]


    After emitting a low-pitched growl, it began moving its hulking body towards her, ignoring everyone else on the scene.


    The noise of gunfire interrupted the monster¡¯s advance. The soldiers, after deploying another canister of white gas, opened fire indiscriminately. Against all odds, it caused a significant reaction. Each bullet lifted splinters of skin and bone from the creature¡¯s body. Several glowing nodules were hit and burst open, oozing a disgusting, brown substance. Instead of charging its opponents, the thing flinched and growled, in apparent pain.


    On the opposite side of the hallway, somewhere behind the monster, Nora saw a flash of light. A flashlight? She heard someone coming up on the radio of one of the nearby soldiers.


    ¡°This is Captain Isaac! We have visual on the target! Cease fire, Erik, Jameson! We¡¯ll grab his attention; protect the queen!¡±


    The soldiers stopped shooting. At the same time, a barrage of bullets rained on the monster¡¯s back. Now enraged, it turned around among shrieks. Finding itself cornered, it roared and bolted towards the newcomers. Its body scraped the walls and the ceiling in the process, leaving a trail of rubble and dust behind.


    The soldiers attempted to approach Lilian, but they stopped in their tracks, alerted by something outside.


    ¡°C-Contact!! Stingers!!!¡± said one of them, raising his rifle and opening fire.


    A shambler had climbed all the way to the sixth floor from the outside, before getting shot down. In the distance, Nora heard the noise of windows shattering, coming from many directions at once.


    ¡°Shit, we need to get out of here! Now!!¡± shouted William. ¡°Nora!! Move!!!¡±


    ¡°We need to get Lilian too!¡± said Claire.


    ¡°That monster is gone, and the soldiers will be busy! Just grab her and go! We can¡¯t stand here doing nothing!!¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± Claire left Nora¡¯s side and ran towards Lilian.


    William grabbed his rifle and took aim at a shambler creeping through a nearby window. The soldiers took positions at the hole the monster had made on the wall, fighting to stop the hordes from getting inside.


    ¡°HQ, this is Alpha!! We¡¯re getting overrun! We can¡¯t secure the target like this! Where¡¯s our support!!?¡±


    ¡®What am I doing¡­? Why am I still on my knees? I was supposed to get her back. I was supposed to help her. So¡­ why?¡¯


    The pain, seeded deep inside her head, made it difficult to form coherent thoughts. Her limbs were numb, they struggled to respond at all. Lilian¡¯s call didn¡¯t convey words anymore. She whimpered, like a wounded cub, begging for protection, begging for aid. And every single cry aggravated Nora¡¯s own suffering.


    The flow of time appeared to slow down. Lightheaded, she saw things she shouldn¡¯t be seeing.


    She saw herself writhing on her knees. She saw Claire trying to get Lilian to move, unsuccessfully. She saw William taking shots at the shamblers diving through the windows. She saw the two soldiers running out of ammo in front of the hordes, resorting to their sidearms. She saw the hordes themselves, creeping up the fa?ade of the hospital from all sides. She saw that hulking creature driving its arm directly through a soldier¡¯s torso.


    Her ears began ringing.


    ¡®Is this it¡­? It has to be, right?¡¯


    She predicted what was going to happen in a matter of seconds. It happened before, so there was no reason it wouldn¡¯t happen again. She¡¯d faint, and this time she wouldn¡¯t wake up again. At the very least, she¡¯d get torn to pieces in her sleep. It wouldn¡¯t hurt that way, would it?


    ¡®I don¡¯t want it. I don¡¯t want it to end like this. Not yet. I wanted to reunite with you. I wanted to hug you one more time. I wanted to at least say goodbye. To be there for you. To die with you.¡¯


    She was right there. Almost within arm¡¯s reach. Was she asking for too much?


    ¡®Move. Come on. Please. Please! Move!¡¯


    Nora¡¯s brain stopped registering pain. Otherwise, her limbs would¡¯ve felt like they were being ripped away from her body. Barely holding on to consciousness in one last bout of strength, she lunged towards her sister.


    Claire was caught by surprise when she saw her falling upon Lilian. ¡°N-Nora!!?¡±


    Nora ignored her. She wasn¡¯t able to do anything else. She wasn¡¯t able to stay conscious anymore. She blacked out, with her arms around Lilian.


    ¡®Please, let me wither away with you.¡¯


    There was a pit of eternal darkness, and then, a light at the bottom. A light that gradually intensified, until the shadows vanished into thin air, leaving only whiteness around her.


    ¡­


    She found herself sitting on her knees, on a white surface she couldn¡¯t even distinguish from the surreal space surrounding her. She tried to get up, but nothing happened. Her body didn¡¯t seem to acknowledge the will to move.


    A girl rested her head on Nora¡¯s lap.


    ¡°L-Lilian?¡±


    Her sister opened her eyes and looked up at her. She smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you again, sis.¡± she said. ¡°I kept calling out to you, over, and over, and over¡­ It scared me so much, to think I might never get to talk to you again.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Lilian¡­! What¡­!?¡±


    Something was odd. Where was that articulacy coming from? Nora hadn¡¯t heard her talk like that since a long time ago. Since the dreadful day it all began. Since she got bitten before they could get to safety.


    ¡°What do you mean, sis?¡± said Lilian, as if reading her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve always talked like this. It¡¯s just¡­ you were never close enough to hear my voice. But you are now, so it¡¯s okay!¡±


    Nora noticed her headaches were gone. Completely absent, as if they were never even there. Instead, her brain was filled with a feeling of peace and comfort, so good it was almost addictive.


    Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn¡¯t know whether they were tears of grief, relief, or joy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­! Lilian, I¡¯m sorry! I¡­ I tried! I swear I tried, but¡­!¡± she began having hiccups. ¡°I wanted to protect you so badly, to shelter you from harm, to make sure you could get out of this place alive and have a future ahead of you; and look what I achieved instead¡­! This is it, isn¡¯t it!? It¡¯s over! I failed you, I failed myself, I failed Claire, and William, and¡ª!!¡±


    ¡°Shhhh.¡±


    As she was about to start hyperventilating from her emotional outburst, Nora¡¯s breathing calmed down. The turmoil building up in her heart was washed away in an instant. The tears sliding down her cheeks dried up and evaporated.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Nora. It¡¯s not your fault. You know it isn¡¯t, right? You keep loading all the burden on your shoulders, but you can let others take some of it instead. Me included.¡± Lilian¡¯s smile widened, brighter than Nora had seen in years. ¡°Please, don¡¯t be so harsh on yourself.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    If she could actually move, she¡¯d be hugging Lilian as tightly as possible. However, it wasn¡¯t necessary. Her sister¡¯s presence embraced her with so much intensity she felt like she could let herself loose and bask in her warmth.


    ¡­


    ¡°Is this even real? I can¡¯t wrap my head around what¡¯s happening anymore.¡± asked Nora.


    ¡°Of course it is! What else could it be?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, we¡¯ve been here for a while, haven¡¯t we? If this is indeed real, I wonder what¡¯s happening outside right now¡­ Everything might go dark at any moment. And then, I won¡¯t be able to be with you anymore. I won¡¯t be to talk to you, or hear your voice¡­¡±


    Lilian averted her eyes from Nora and looked towards the empty white space above their heads.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t be mad at brother. He doesn¡¯t like me, but he¡¯s not a bad guy. None of them are. They¡¯re just doing what they¡¯re meant to do. They worry too much about me, just like you do.¡±


    ¡°What¡­!? But, Lilian, you don¡¯t have a brother¡­ What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really get it, but he kinda feels like a brother.¡±


    Nora had an idea.


    ¡°Um¡­ Can you talk to them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Until now, I was scared. Since I was separated from you, all I could think about was¡­ well, you. I wanted to be close to you again, Nora. I couldn¡¯t collect my thoughts over anything else. But now¡­ I might be able to listen to their voices a little closer. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Can you tell them to¡­ stop? Can you tell them you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­I can try.¡±


    ******


    It didn¡¯t matter how many doors, walls, or obstacles he put in its way. The praetorian was relentless in its chase. Isaac rolled over to the side and lunged through the closest door, barely avoiding the monster.


    He vaulted a desk and approached the door on the other side of the room. He heard the creature squeezing itself through the doorframe, tearing the wall to pieces in the process.


    He switched the empty magazine of his rifle for a new one while the thing was busy. That was the last of his piercing ammunition. As if that was going to make a difference.


    He turned around and took aim at the praetorian. Its carapace was riddled with bullet holes, but none of those wounds were deep. With a bit of luck, some internal damage had been inflicted, but it was clearly not enough to stop the beast. He opened fire.


    Further enraged by this, the praetorian finished pushing itself through the doorframe, scattering a cloud of dust and debris all over the room. It bolted towards Isaac, obliterating the furniture that stood in its way.


    ¡®Come on¡­! Come on, motherfucker!!¡¯


    Isaac prepared to jump out of the way, when the monster stopped in its tracks.


    The veins and cysts covering its body lost their fiery luminescence and started blinking in an irregular pattern. The creature raised its head and looked around, apparently confused.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on!? Why is it doing that!? It doesn¡¯t matter, this is my chance!¡¯


    He grabbed a grenade from a pouch on his vest. It was about to get really noisy, but how much worse could things get? He pulled the pin and threw the explosive between the creature¡¯s legs.


    He ran through the door behind him and covered his ears. Moments later, the deafening explosion went off, followed by an anguished growl. He heard heavy footsteps and another wall getting busted down.


    With his rifle ready, Isaac left his cover and went back into the room. There was a new hole in the outer wall, leading directly into the street. Among the blanket of debris scattered on the floor, he saw copious amounts of blood, flesh, and other unidentifiable substances.


    ¡®That did some damage, huh? Finally, something makes a decent dent in that bastard. Still, it ran away¡­!¡¯


    He wasted no time and backtracked his steps at full sprint. He crossed hallways and turned corners, stopping by some remains on the floor. He kneeled beside them, and pulled an ID from a pocket.


    ¡°God damn it, Paxton¡­!¡± he muttered.


    Grinding his teeth, he left his grief aside, and returned to the hospital¡¯s exit, following the sound of gunshots.


    As soon as he had a clear view of the exit, he noticed a lot more people than he expected to see. The rest of his team was posted on the outer windows, taking shots at the stingers crawling up the walls. Connor was there too, and he had brought a sizeable group of survivors with him. Some of them were armed, also taking shots at the stingers peeking outside the windows or emerging from nearby hallways.


    Private Erik spotted him.


    ¡°Captain Isaac¡­!! Where¡¯s Paxton!?¡± he asked.


    Isaac shook his head.


    ¡°¡­fuck!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± said Isaac.


    ¡°Something¡¯s going on with the queen, sir¡­! As soon as that red-haired woman touched her, the stingers ceased their aggression and went back to their usual daylight behavior! Additionally, we¡¯ve got support from the rest of the survivors! We should be able to keep this position now, but we can¡¯t leave. Those things just keep coming! Just look at the streets outside!¡±


    Isaac took a look at the queen and the red-haired woman embracing her.


    ¡®What the hell¡­? Is this related to the praetorian¡¯s behavior from earlier?¡¯


    ¡°HQ, this is Captain Isaac!¡± he grabbed the radio. ¡°We have secured the target, but we can¡¯t leave the hospital. What are our orders!? Over!¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. Charlie team has met with your reinforcements, and they¡¯re leading a convoy towards Saint Marie. However, we¡¯re still devising a method to disperse the crowd. Stand by, and keep protecting the target.¡±


    ¡°Still devising a method!? You¡¯ve got to be joking¡­ Connor!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Marcus was with you. I received a communication from him some minutes ago, stating that he might be able to get us an inhibitor shot to suppress the queen. But I haven¡¯t been able to get in contact with him ever since! Do you know something?¡±


    ¡°Negative, sir!¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­! That shot could be our only chance to get those hordes to calm down. Where the hell is he!?¡±


    A young woman with glasses, who had been sitting by the queen¡¯s side the whole time, stood up and approached him.


    ¡°U-Um¡­ Excuse me?¡± she said.


    ¡°What is it, lady!? Unless you¡¯re willing to help us fight, stay where you were!¡±


    ¡°I think there might be a way to make the shamblers flee the hospital!¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± he paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    She was almost definitely an ordinary civilian. Isaac was highly skeptical about whatever she was about to come up with.


    ¡°Technically speaking, the shamblers behave like a colony of bees¡­ Smoke. When most bees detect smoke, they go into panic mode, since they think their hive is on fire! If we could somehow fill the hospital with smoke, it might cause the shamblers to follow their instincts and flee the area!¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting we set the hospital on fire?¡±


    ¡°W-Well, not exactly, but¡­¡±


    ¡®But what else can we do, honestly¡­? Even if Dr. Marcus does show up and we shut the queen down, those stingers outside are still attracted to the commotion we¡¯ve caused. If we kill them, their deaths will keep drawing them in. Killing them only stalls for time, but we¡¯ll never be able to clear the way. Charlie team will get here with the convoy, and they¡¯ll be forced to fight them off from all sides while we get the survivors on board. Too risky¡­ Smoke, huh?¡¯


    ¡°Alright, Erik! I want you to go and gather any textiles you can find, there should be plenty around! Set them on fire and throw them down an elevator shaft! It should act as a chimney, flooding all floors with smoke and ash! Let¡¯s hope that it works, and it opens an escape route for us!¡± he turned to face the survivors grouped up in the hallway. ¡°If there¡¯s any volunteers to go with him and lend him a hand, step forward!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll go!¡± said the glasses girl.


    ¡°Hey, are you sure¡­?¡± a black-haired man with a beard questioned her. ¡°It¡¯ll be best if I go instead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay, William. I can do this.¡±


    Several more people from the crowd approached the soldiers, offering their help.


    ¡°Good. Get going!¡± ordered Isaac. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see if I can locate Dr. Marcus, I have an idea about the location of the storage he was headed towards. Everyone else, stay here and keep the exit safe! This is our only way out!¡±


    ******


    The syringe was light, much more than he expected.


    ¡®Well, that was easy. You should always watch your back, man. You can¡¯t be hoping for somebody else to do it for you. It never works.¡¯


    Marcus grunted in pain on the floor. Was he still conscious? Perhaps he didn¡¯t hit him hard enough. Logan knew he should finish him off before leaving the area.


    Leaving might only be possible thanks to that syringe. Everyone else would die, that hospital was already a lost cause. It was perfect. Nobody would be left to follow his trail, nobody would know about him, and nobody would tie those events to him. He¡¯d be out, safe and clean, ready to move somewhere else and start anew.


    ¡°W-Why are you d-doing this!? Who¡­!?¡± said the boy.


    The kid looked like he was about to piss himself, his legs were shaking. Logan aimed his pistol at him.


    ¡°Bang.¡± he said, jokingly faking the gun¡¯s recoil.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to shoot him. He couldn¡¯t afford to drag any unnecessary attention to the area. And the kid likely knew this too. No matter, he didn¡¯t need the weapon for this.


    ¡°Alright, little shit¡­ It¡¯s nothing personal.¡± he said, approaching him.


    ¡°S-Stay away from me!!!¡±


    ¡°Or what? Huh!? Come on, what are you going to¡ª?¡± a surge of pain pierced his left leg, caused by a bladed object sinking into it. ¡°Aaaaaagh!!!¡±


    His leg lost strength and gave way, dropping him to his knees. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the barely conscious Marcus letting go of the knife handle. Giving him little time to compose himself, the boy gave him a mighty kick to the chin, shaking his brain and launching him out of the storage room and back into the hallway.


    ¡°Gah¡­!! S-Shit¡­!!!¡±


    On both sides of the corridor, he saw moving shapes. Hungry shapes, attracted by the delicious sound of his recent scream. The boy closed the door, leaving Logan no available shelter.


    ¡°Fuck¡­! No way¡­!! No fucking way¡­!!¡±


    The syringe was still in his hand.


    He had overheard Marcus¡¯ conversation. Lilian was a shambler queen, and all those shamblers were attracted to her. The injection renders her invisible to them. The chances of such a thing working on a normal human were slim. Most likely dangerous too. He had no damn idea about what that liquid actually was. It was supposed to be a last resort, just in case he really found no way to slip away by his own means.


    Was this it? Already?


    ¡°Ah, damn¡­! Damn it all¡­!!!¡±


    He put the syringe to his neck, and pressed the plunger.


    ******


    William took his eyes away from the windows and glanced over at Nora and Lilian: cuddling together in mutual embrace, with their eyes closed, oblivious to what was happening around them.


    Eventually, they¡¯d have to move. However, William didn¡¯t feel any urge to break them out of their trance. Whatever Nora had done to the girl, it worked. None of them would be alive otherwise.


    While thinking, he spotted something that caught his attention. A man wandered around the group of survivors, nervously asking questions.


    ¡°Has anyone seen them¡­!? Nobody¡­!? H-Hey, excuse me, I¡¯m looking for my wife and daughter, do you happen to know something!? Has anyone seen Alice or Eleanor!?¡±


    ¡®Desmond¡­¡¯


    ¡°You¡­ won¡¯t find them¡­ here¡­¡± Stella answered him. She was lying on the floor, being taken care of by another woman. Her voice was weak, and she was out of breath.


    ¡°D-Do you know something!? Please, tell me!¡±


    ¡°If that child is¡­ still alive¡­ she¡¯ll probably be hiding¡­ somewhere on the upper floor¡­¡±


    ¡°W-What!!? W-Why didn¡¯t you s-say anything earlier!!?¡± Desmond walked up to her with an aggressive stance, uncharacteristic of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. My head has been¡­ spinning for a while¡­¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­! Eleanor, h-honey¡­!!¡± Desmond mumbled to himself, moments before bolting off down the hallway.


    ¡°Wait, Desmond!¡± yelled William. ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless, you¡¯re just going to get yourself killed!!¡±


    Was he worried about him? Did he feel pity? Regret? Empathy? Who knows.


    ¡°A friend¡­ of yours¡­?¡± asked Stella.


    ¡°Not really¡­¡±


    ¡°His wife, Alice¡­ She knew something¡­ about Jacobs¡­ That piece of shit had his men¡­ get rid of her¡­ to silence her¡­!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not know¡­ what they actually did to Alice¡­¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­ Shit!¡±


    He ran. Leaving everyone else behind, William sprinted after Desmond. Was he willing to put his life on the line for him? For the girl, perhaps? Or was he doing it for himself? If there was an answer to those questions, he¡¯d figure it out later.


    All he knew was that he needed to hurry. Panicked, Desmond would probably go for the stairs. Not exactly the safest idea at the moment.


    ¡®God damn it, Desmond¡­!¡¯

 CHAPTER 43 – SMOKE

    ¡°This is the one! Come on, help me pry it open!¡± said Connor. ¡°The rest, bring something to burn! If it¡¯s burnable and not glued to the floor, bring it here! And don¡¯t make unnecessary noise!¡±


    Claire watched as he deployed what seemed to be the last of his white gas canisters, and then searched for something to wedge into the elevator doors. If her mental image of the hospital¡¯s layout was correct, that was the same elevator shaft they had used to move up and down the building. Two men stayed to help Connor with the doors, while the other three volunteers wandered off into nearby hallways.


    ¡®Okay¡­! Let¡¯s get to work!¡¯


    The echo of her footsteps was her only company as she ventured down those corridors. She wondered at what point had she overcome her fears. At any given moment, she could turn a corner and run directly into a crowd of wandering shamblers, which now occupied several areas of the current floor, mainly around the stairwells. Still, she was somehow willing to face the danger by herself.


    The image of Nora and Lilian embracing each other came to her mind. They both smiled. Surrounded by conflict and unrest, it was an image of peace. A moment of respite after years of abuse and torment.


    ¡®I won¡¯t sit back and watch you struggle. I refuse. Nora, you made me realize something. I¡¯ve lost my family, my friends, everyone¡­ But thanks to you, I think I can move on. You¡¯ve filled that void, even if only a little. I don¡¯t care if I have to put myself in danger anymore. You made it this far, and I¡¯ll make sure you make it even farther!¡¯


    She reached the patient room wing, a long hallway full of doors. After taking a quick peek into some of them, she spotted at last something that caught her attention. One of the rooms was full to the brim with boxes, torn mattresses, and random junk. Among all the trash, there was a laundry cart loaded with very dirty bed sheets.


    ¡°Ah! This should do nicely!¡±


    She kicked the rubbish out of the cart¡¯s way and pulled it out of the room. The wheels, rusty and stuck in place after being still for so long, dragged themselves along the floor making a grating noise until they finally began spinning.


    After backtracking her steps, Claire saw the elevator doors wide open. She pushed the laundry cart towards the opening, where a man was using a lighter to set a pile of clothes on fire, before kicking them down into the depths.


    ¡°I brought something!¡± she said.


    ¡°Oooh, nice one, lady!! Leave it here, go look for more!¡± said the man as soon as he saw her haul.


    Connor came running around a corner, carrying a hefty tower of documents and folders, which he immediately dropped into the shaft.


    ¡°Someone needs to go gather some wood! Any wooden furniture will work! We need the fire to last long enough!¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t plastic be convenient too!?¡± said Claire. ¡°It should produce lots of fumes¡­!¡±


    ¡°Right! Plastic is lighter than wood, can you handle it, lady!?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡±


    Before turning around and leaving in search of more materials, Claire noticed a faint orange light creeping up from the bottom of the hole.


    ¡®Come on, come on¡­! Looking good!¡¯


    For the next couple of minutes, she did nothing but run back and forth. Office chairs. Trash cans. Bags of gloves, syringes, and other medical supplies she found in a cabinet. An unopened box of face masks. A stretcher she had to drag across the floor. Thankfully, hospitals had plenty of plastics lying around.


    With every trip she made, an increasing sensation of heat emanated from the elevator shaft, carrying the pungent smell of smoke with it.


    ¡°H-Help¡­!!¡± a man stumbled out of a hallway, with a look of fear on his face.


    A group of shamblers emerged from the corridor after him.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± said Connor as he raised his pistol and opened fire on them.


    He looked at the floor, at the gas canister. It was no longer emitting that thin, white mist.


    ¡°Damn it, we can¡¯t stay here any longer! What¡¯s done is done! Everyone, we¡¯re going back to the exit!¡± another crowd of shamblers poured into the hallway. ¡°This side is blocked! Go for the other one!¡± as he directed the survivors, he grabbed his radio. ¡°Captain Isaac! This is Connor! We¡¯ve ignited the fire, but we¡¯ve encountered stingers in the inner hallways! We¡¯re going back! Over!¡±


    One of the men broke out running in the opposite direction and disappeared behind a corner.


    ¡°N-No!! No no no stay ba¡ª Aaaaahh!!!¡±


    Claire saw his body falling backwards into the hallway again, buried under more shamblers.


    ¡°You, you have a weapon!! Shoot!!¡± said Connor, talking to another of the survivors, who carried a rifle. ¡°We can¡¯t let them corner us!!!¡±


    They both began unloading their weapons on the incoming wave of shamblers. Bodies hit the floor, magazines were emptied, with no extra ammunition to be had; yet not enough damage was done. Despite their efforts, the wall of zombies drew itself closer with every breath they took.


    ¡°Use fire!!¡± yelled Claire.


    ¡®There¡¯s not enough smoke in the air yet, b-but maybe direct contact with fire¡­!!¡¯


    A flaming sheet was thrown over the first row of shamblers. They swung their arms and screeched, visibly freaked out under the burning cloth. However, the others behind them didn¡¯t seem to care. The horde didn¡¯t stop pushing forward, following the sweet scent of human prey.


    ¡°What do we do now!!?¡±


    ¡°Aaaah, this is it!! We¡¯re dead!!!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, s-stay calm!! Keep lighting them on fire!!¡± said Connor.


    The soldier attempted to keep the situation under control, but even he himself was now showing signs of panic. One of the men let out a horrified scream and went for the elevator, grabbing onto the ladder and beginning to climb up. Upon seeing this, all the others abandoned everything and bunched up on the elevator as well.


    Claire wasn¡¯t even aware of when she joined them. Her mind was lagging behind, letting her survival instincts take over her body. She thought she heard Connor still attempting to lead everyone to safety in an orderly manner, but the rest of the screams were way more notorious.


    ¡°Get out of the way!!¡±


    ¡°I got here first, fuck off!!!¡±


    ¡°H-Hey¡­! Stop¡­!!¡± said Claire, struggling to not get pushed down into the pit.


    A man occupied the ladder in front of her. Another one was midway through to the upper floor, but he wasn¡¯t climbing any further. He seemed to groan in pain. The man below him grabbed his pants and yanked on him, fuming.


    ¡°Fucking move!! I¡¯ll pull you down!!!¡±


    ¡°S-Shut up!! I¡­ can¡¯t¡­!! It burns!!!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a crap!!!¡±


    The two began scuffling, irrationally exchanging kicks and punches on the ladder.


    ¡°Stop fighting, you two¡­! Just go up!!¡± yelled Claire. ¡°What are you¡ª!?¡± with a loud bang, the entire upper segment of the ladder got dislodged, and leaned towards the other side, carrying one of the men with it. ¡°Oh my god!!¡±


    When the ladder segment made contact with the opposite wall of the shaft, it shook wildly and got wedged in place, causing the man to lose his grip and fall, howling, into the fiery depths. The other man stopped for a full second before changing directions, descending instead of ascending.


    Claire got shoved towards the shaft.


    ¡°Move, come on, move, move!!!¡± screamed a voice behind her.


    ¡°S-Stop¡­!! Aaaah!!!¡±


    She leaped inside and grabbed the ladder. Almost immediately, she understood why climbing up was an impossibility. It was the heat. Unbearable, suffocating, searing heat accumulating at the top of that chimney.


    She looked down. At the bottom of the shaft, a fiery inferno had formed. Fueled by the giant pile of clothing, wood, plastic and paper, the mound of flames burned with terrifying ferocity, sending streams of ash and smoke upwards like a geyser. Claire held her breath and hugged the wall as much as possible, in a futile attempt to escape the heat. There was a stinging sensation building up on her hands, in painful contact with the metal ladder, whose temperature was quickly rising.


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    ¡®Don¡¯t think. Just do it. Don¡¯t think. Go down. You¡¯re going to die. Come on, Claire, go down. Go down!¡¯


    Her body moved on its own, following the man below her. As soon as he was about to jump to the safety of the fifth floor, a set of arms emerged from the hallway, pulling him inside. His screams resonated up and down the shaft.


    ¡°Why did you stop!!? Keep going!!¡± the individual above her stepped on her hands.


    ¡°Ow!! B-But¡­!!!¡±


    From above, more blood-curdling screams were heard, followed by several shamblers plunging into the void, flailing their arms and legs. One of them managed to grab the man, dragging him down towards the flames below.


    What would happen if another one came down? Would it grab her too? Would she also end up falling to her death? Would she be lucky enough to hit something hard on her fall, killing her instantly? Would one of those things manage to bite her? Would she burn to death, agonizing until the very end?


    ¡®I¡¯m dead. I¡¯m dead. I¡¯m so dead. This was a mistake. I don¡¯t mind putting myself in danger? No, no, no, no¡­! I do mind! I was wrong! I don¡¯t want to die!¡¯


    The nauseating smell of burnt flesh filled her nostrils. She noticed her hands felt sticky, it was becoming harder and harder to hold the ladder rungs. Her lungs were running out of air, and taking another breath felt like a death sentence.


    She kept climbing down. Maybe the fourth floor was safe? Anything lower would be impossible to reach, she¡¯d cook to death. She got closer to the fifth floor¡¯s opening.


    ¡®Please, don¡¯t grab me¡­ Please, don¡¯t grab me¡­ You¡¯re still eating that guy, right!? Please, tell me you are! Oh, god¡­ please!¡¯


    Above her, another pile of shamblers got squeezed into the shaft. She saw their faces, their dead eyes scanning her position, their chattering teeth craving her flesh.


    ¡®No¡­!¡¯


    Something grabbed her arm. It didn¡¯t come from above, but from the opening by her side. Time froze for an instant, and she could swear she felt her heart stop.


    Claire was pulled into the darkness just in time to avoid getting swept down to her death by the shambler rain. Whatever it was that grabbed her, it dragged her over several bodies before forcing her down to the floor. She was covered by something big and light, sinking her vision into complete blackness. A blanket? She perceived a strange smell in the air, something she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on.


    ¡°If you want to live, don¡¯t make a single noise. They¡¯re coming.¡± whispered someone by her side.


    ¡®I¡¯m¡­ alive¡­? What happened? Who is this? Who¡¯s here with me?¡¯


    The body beside her wasn¡¯t a shambler, its human warmth was unmistakable. Acting on impulse, she cuddled the stranger. She didn¡¯t care who they were. Her hands still burned. Her entire skin still felt sore from heat exposure. Her respiration was rapid and irregular. She kept her voice down, but she couldn¡¯t control the tears running down her face. Tears of fear, pain, and relief.


    Despite the fire¡¯s crackle, Claire heard footsteps. There were many of them, dragging their feet, walking in unpredictable patterns. They tripped on the bodies lying on the floor and bumped against the walls. She felt their feet touching her back. She heard their chilling wails.


    Covering her mouth and nose with her hands, she closed her eyes and prayed.


    ******


    William opened fire and took out the small group of shamblers ahead, whose hands were mere centimeters away from Desmond. Had he chosen not to shoot, he got the feeling Desmond might have simply attempted to ram through them.


    ¡°Desmond, wait!! Listen to me!!¡± he said.


    Ignoring him, Desmond ran upstairs, tripping and dropping to his knees as soon as he reached the landing. He pulled himself up and headed for the top floor. For a brief moment, William got a glimpse of his face. It was nothing like the Desmond he knew. Bulging wide-open eyes, his teeth biting deep into his lower lip, sweat covering every inch of skin¡­ He looked demented, mad with anxiety and distress.


    ¡®Is this idiot even thinking at all!?¡¯


    The barricade blocking the stairs down was in pieces, and sinister noises announced the imminent arrival of more shamblers, attracted by his gunshots.


    He could leave. He could forget about Desmond and his daughter, and go back with the others. He could avoid putting himself in danger like a damn fool. And yet, he ran upstairs. Was it because it was the ¡°right¡± thing to do? When did he start caring about that bullshit again? As ironical as it was, he understood Desmond¡¯s actions better than his own.


    ¡®What the hell am I doing¡­!?¡¯


    Desmond disappeared into the door at the top of the stairs. William noted how it was already open beforehand.


    ¡°Stop rushing ahead!¡± he ran to the doorframe and took a peek inside. ¡°Desmond, for fuck¡¯s sake!!¡±


    ¡°A-Alice!? Honey!!? Eleanor, sweetie, a-are you here!?¡± William heard Desmond¡¯s voice further into the darkness, along with his frantic footsteps.


    His loudness wouldn¡¯t have bothered him that much if it weren¡¯t for the other voice. Low, raspy, and sorrowful, somewhere amidst the machinery. Inhuman.


    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­! There¡¯s a shambler in here!¡¯


    He pulled out a flashlight and ran deeper into the shadows, with his weapon ready.


    ¡°Desmond!! Desmond!!!¡± he called out.


    Desmond continued shouting his wife and daughter¡¯s names. William followed the voice as best as he could, but the echoes made it almost impossible to either understand or pinpoint the sound. Suddenly, Desmond¡¯s calls became screams.


    ¡°Hey!! Desmond, what¡¯s going on!!? Answer me!!¡±


    How could he have run so far ahead so quickly? He turned corners around the machines and jumped over pipes, fearing the worst. Desmond¡¯s screams made it seem like he was fighting something.


    He turned one last corner, and finally spotted him.


    Desmond dropped a bloody metal pipe. Laying on the floor by his side, William saw the body of a shambler. He approached him, with cold sweat dripping from his forehead.


    ¡°Desmond¡­!¡±


    Ignoring him, Desmond kneeled down and gestured to something tucked underneath the machinery, as if trying to welcome it into his arms.


    ¡°H-Here, sweetie¡­! It¡¯s me, it¡¯s d-daddy! Come¡­!¡± he said.


    As William got closer, he saw the terrible state he was in. Scratches, cuts, one nasty bite on his right arm, and an even nastier one close to his neck, bleeding abundantly.


    ¡®Bloody hell.¡¯


    Something crawled from beyond the shadows and stopped in front of Desmond. The girl was difficult to identify as such. Skinny and dirty from head to toe, her facial expression was locked in a bizarre grimace of incredulity, yet somehow lacked emotion altogether. Desmond caressed her messy hair and gave her a shaky hug, sobbing bitterly.


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s here, daddy¡¯s here¡­ I-It¡¯s okay, sweetie¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­¡± not letting her go for an instant, he looked at William¡¯s feet. He seemed afraid to make eye contact with him. ¡°W-Will¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I-I¡­ Aaaah¡­¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s even aware of what¡¯s going on¡­¡¯


    ¡°Listen, Desmond, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Aaah, my head hurts, Will¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­ Y-You¡­ I¡­ Ah¡­ Eleanor, sweetie¡­ I love you¡­ We¡¯ll be okay¡­ Daddy is gonna get you out¡­ O-Out¡­? Out¡­ A-Alice¡­ Honey, where¡­? W-Who¡­? Aaah¡­¡±


    ¡°Desmond¡­!?¡±


    His body went limp. With his arms still holding the girl in a tight hug, his entire body weight fell on top of her. She fell backwards, buried under the body of her father. William rushed to their side and shook him.


    ¡°Hey¡­! Hey!! Can you hear me!?¡±


    *Gurgle* *Gurgle*


    Desmond¡¯s body was ravaged by spasms. Muscle was torn, bone was twisted and snapped, skin became an effervescent blanket of virulence. He sat upright for a moment, howling to the skies, his body revivified by the blue glow of undeath.


    ¡°Crap! Desmond! Stop it!! Don¡¯t lose your shit!! Damn it, not now!! Desmond!!!¡± William screamed at the thing Desmond had become, trying to push him away from the girl, aware of the futility of such efforts. The shambler exposed his teeth and dropped down, yearning for the fresh blood of his own offspring. ¡°Jesus Christ¡ª!!!¡±


    *Bang!!*


    The girl didn¡¯t blink even once. She didn¡¯t look at the body of her deceased father lying by her side, nor the weapon that killed him, nor the man that wielded said weapon. She didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t cry. She didn¡¯t do anything but stare at the ceiling.


    ¡®Shit¡­ You¡¯re kidding¡­ You¡¯ve got to be kidding¡­ Just like that¡­? And right in front of¡­¡¯


    William felt nausea crawling up from his stomach. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. A second later he coughed violently, gasping for fresh air. He hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but the entire top floor reeked of smoke.


    ¡®Right, Claire had suggested making a fire to fill the place with smoke¡­! Is it coming from the elevator shaft?¡¯


    It would soon be impossible to breathe in that enclosed place. As harsh as it might have been, it wasn¡¯t the moment to ponder about what he had done.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ll have to bear with me for now¡­!¡± he said, crouching down to grab the girl.


    She didn¡¯t respond. With no resistance from her, William lifted her and sprinted off, carrying her in his arms.


    After backtracking his steps, he saw something outlined in front of the exit. A fragile-looking humanoid, drifting from side to side, like a dog sniffing the scents floating in the air. William placed the girl down on the floor and charged the entity. With a mighty kick to the chest, the shambler went rolling through the door and down the stairs.


    ¡®Is it only one!?¡¯


    He approached the stairs and looked down. To his horror, the entire stairwell was infested with more shamblers, slowly but relentlessly dragging themselves up, following the trail he and Desmond had left behind.


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    Shooting would be useless. He didn¡¯t have enough ammunition to kill all of them, even if he was somehow lucky enough to not miss a single shot. He went back inside and slammed the door. Looking around with the flashlight, he spotted a small tool cabinet. Not big enough to cover the entire door, but enough to be wedged under the doorknob.


    While pushing it in place, he considered his options. That floor had no other exits. No windows, no escape routes, nothing. Could he perhaps get out through the elevator shaft? Judging by the increasing amount of smoke polluting the air, the shaft was probably a building-sized oven by that point. He wasn¡¯t too eager to roast himself to death.


    Many blows shook the door. His only choice was to fight. He prepared the rifle, aimed at the door, and clenched his teeth.


    ¡®Come on¡­! Come on, bring it on¡­!¡¯


    *Cough* *Cough*


    The smoke thickened by the second.


    The cabinet blocking the door began rattling and sliding across the floor. The door creaked open, and countless arms slithered inside. A slit of light penetrated the darkness from the outside, blurred and obscured by the smoke.


    His trigger finger was ready.


    But no shambler dared come inside. Instead, the arms retreated. He heard the sound of shattering glass, and the choir of gurgles slowly becoming more and more distant.


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    Cautious, he waited several seconds. However, the lack of fresh air was already giving him headaches and clouding his thinking. Struggling to contain a new coughing fit, he picked the girl back up and sprinted towards the exit.


    As soon as he got to the door, he saw there were no shamblers outside. After kicking the cabinet out of the way with great effort, he slipped into the stairwell. The window on the landing was broken from the inside out, as if something had forced itself out through the glass. The shattered edges were painted red with blood and gory remains.


    ¡®Did they¡­ jump out!? Is it because of the smoke!? Holy shit, it actually works!?¡¯


    He¡¯d have to remember to give Claire a pat on the back when he saw her again.


    He ran downstairs, headed for the exit.

 CHAPTER 44 – EXTRACTION

    [Happy. Safe. Happy. Safe. Happy. Safe.]


    Nora opened her eyes and looked down, at Lilian, who rested her head on her chest. She was unsure when had she fallen out of that dreamlike experience; the line between real and unreal was thin, almost imperceptible. She could recall every single word, but for some reason, they didn¡¯t manifest in the shape of memories, but emotions, seeded deep in her heart.


    ¡®Lilian¡­ I¡¯m not imagining things, am I?¡¯


    As if answering her thoughts, Lilian tightened her grip around Nora¡¯s waist, creating a tingling, warm sensation in her brain. Nora smiled and reciprocated the gesture.


    ¡®I understand.¡¯


    While caressing her sister¡¯s hair, she glanced around the hallway. Much of the noise had gone away over the previous minutes. The constant hammering of gunfire had dropped to occasional shots with long periods of silence in between. She also noticed a slight smell of smoke lingering in the air.


    There were several familiar faces around, but Claire and William were missing. She vaguely remembered Claire sitting by her side, then saying something and going away. William¡¯s absence was a mystery.


    ¡®Oh, dear¡­ How long have I been out of the loop!? I hope everyone is safe.¡¯


    Something moved within her peripheral vision, catching her attention. A group of people were approaching them.


    Amidst several unknown faces, she recognized the young boy, Ethan. With a contorted facial expression and taking huge leaps towards them, he looked both scared and relieved at the same time. She also recognized Marcus and another one of those soldiers. They were both carrying an apparently unconscious person. Nora¡¯s heart froze, overcome with fright as soon as she laid her eyes on him. She felt her heart rate and breathing accelerating.


    ¡®No¡­ Not again¡­ Why? Why!?¡¯


    Something warm touched her face. She looked back at Lilian. Her sister was now staring at her, drilling her with those shining black eyes of hers. The sight evoked a complex set of emotions in her mind, manifesting into words.


    [He can¡¯t hurt us anymore.]


    Nora took a deep breath and averted her eyes from Logan. Over several seconds, she continued taking one deep breath after another, focusing on Lilian¡¯s presence, clinging to it, letting it scare the bad memories away.


    ******


    ¡°Attention, everyone! Get ready, we¡¯ll be leaving soon!¡±


    ¡°Captain Isaac!¡± said Jameson. ¡°The stingers have ceased in their efforts to climb the building, sir!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed! I¡¯ve seen them jumping out the windows. That young woman¡¯s idea worked; the smoke is driving them away!¡± Isaac helped Marcus lay the unconscious man on the floor and grabbed his radio. ¡°Charlie team, this is Captain Isaac of Alpha team! Do you read me!? Over!¡±


    ¡°Captain Isaac, we hear you! What¡¯s the situation over there!?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve managed to start a fire, and the smoke is clearing the building of stingers. However, we aren¡¯t safe yet! If the fire dies, they¡¯ll begin swarming us again. If it persists, the entire hospital will go up in flames. Where are you!? We need an extraction now!¡±


    ¡°We have visual contact with Saint Marie, but we can¡¯t get any closer! All those stingers are piling up on the streets, there¡¯re probably thousands of them! HQ, this is Charlie! Should we engage the hordes!? We have no means to¡ª! Huh!?¡±


    Charlie¡¯s transmission was unnaturally interrupted, as if something within their perception had caught them by surprise.


    ¡°Charlie!? What¡¯s the matter!? Respond!¡± said Isaac.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with the hospital! Look down at the street!¡±


    Isaac rushed to the closest window and peeked outside. The entire street was occupied to the brim with stingers, to the point where it didn¡¯t seem possible to fit another one anywhere. And they were confused. They screeched in unison, falling into a collective panic when surrounded by the thing pouring out of the hospital¡¯s lower floors.


    Smoke? Unlikely. Way too dark, way too dense, and way too heavy. The massive cloud of black gas erupted from the broken windows of the ground floor, flooding the street in a matter of seconds and spilling onto all adjacent streets and alleys. It swirled and meandered in mesmerizing patterns, almost like an amorphous living organism.


    ¡°HQ, this is Captain Isaac! Some kind of black gas has emerged from the hospital and is covering the streets! Do we have any data on this!?¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. Negative, Alpha. Tread with caution.¡±


    ¡°This is Charlie! The convoy has been hit by the gas¡­! It smells¡­ acrid, like smoke! But it isn¡¯t smoke!¡±


    ¡®If it¡¯s not smoke, then what¡­!? And where is it coming from!?¡¯


    ¡°Captain Isaac, look! It¡¯s up here too!¡± said Erik, pointing at the sides of the hallway.


    The black chemical came from the inner hallways, although lacking the ferocity and speed of the cloud covering the street. A breeze entered through the windows, dragging the gas towards the group.


    ¡°Everyone, cover your mouth and nose! Don¡¯t breathe that gas!¡± ordered Isaac.


    If that thing happened to be some kind of chemical weapon, covering the mouth and nose wouldn¡¯t do much to stop it from fulfilling its intended purpose. As expected, despite pressing his hand tightly against his face, Isaac was immediately hit by a pungent, disgusting smell. However, his body didn¡¯t seem to react in any noticeable way. Not yet, at least.


    He turned his eyes back towards the street. The blanket of stingers was dispersing. They fled the area, trampling each other in an effort to get away from the gas.


    ¡°Charlie, are you guys okay over there!? Are you keeping an eye on the streets!?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, Alpha! The horde is moving away!¡±


    ¡°This place will only get more dangerous, and we don¡¯t know if there¡¯ll be consequences after prolonged exposure to this gas! We need to take this chance! Commence the extraction, Charlie!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    ¡°Alright, everybody! Get in line at the exit! Erik, Jameson, get ready for ground contact! You¡¯ll be in charge of clearing a safe path to the convoy!¡± said Isaac, approaching the exit platform.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The lift looked surprisingly sturdy, considering it was built with scraps and scavenged materials. It was a wide platform, hung by several sets of ropes and operated by a pulley system, which was attached on several spots to the outer wall of the building.


    Isaac turned around and glanced at the group of survivors. He estimated about twenty of them. Was that everyone? Many might have died during the initial scuffle, or scattered around the building and fell prey to the stinger nest. Perhaps some of them were still in there, hiding, hoping for a rescue that wouldn¡¯t come.


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    ¡®Is this the best we can do¡­!?¡¯


    He was tempted. Tempted to go take another lap around the hospital, in hopes of saving even one more person. But any further delays might put everyone else in even more danger. Chances were there wouldn¡¯t be a second eruption of black smoke to disperse the crowds again.


    ¡°We can¡¯t overload the lift! We¡¯ll do this in two trips. That little girl and the red-haired woman have priority! The same goes for that lady over there, she¡¯s in critical condition! As for the rest, the wounded will descend in the first batch, everyone else will go in the second batch. Erik, Jameson, you¡¯ll be the first ones to touch the street, make sure everyone gets on board safely!¡±


    ******


    [Smell. Weird.]


    As soon as the lift penetrated the black cloud, Lilian tightened her grip around Nora¡¯s waist once more. Nora noticed her puzzled eyes combing the street below.


    ¡°Are you okay¡­? Does it smell weird?¡± she whispered.


    [Can¡¯t see. Can¡¯t hear. Hate it.]


    ¡®I see¡­ Is the same thing happening to those shamblers? Is this black smoke messing with their senses!?¡¯


    The masses had retreated to other streets and alleys, seeking refuge from the mysterious gas that invaded their bodies and numbed their senses; but many stray individuals stayed behind, wandering aimlessly. Their moans and growls intermingled with one another, creating a background noise that pierced the ears of the survivors, and caused the lift to overflow with nervous murmurs. Nora felt a growing anxiety, stronger the closer they got to the sidewalk.


    As the shamblers began taking visual notice of the box full of humans descending to the street, a distant roar dispelled the cacophony of groans and became louder and louder, as if whatever it came from was approaching the scene at vertiginous speed.


    ¡®That sound¡­! Is that¡­ an engine!?¡¯


    Visibility inside the smoke was very limited, but the gas had already begun to settle and thin out, allowing Nora to have a somewhat clear view of the road. Three military trucks emerged from the blackness of the cloud. Running over the shamblers in their way, they came to a full stop directly in front of the lift. A barrage of small objects fell around the vehicles, releasing a curtain of white mist that enveloped the entire convoy.


    ¡°Come on, move! Focus only on the vehicles, ignore everything else! Go!!¡± yelled one of the soldiers as soon as the lift touched the ground.


    The two soldiers stepped out with their weapons ready, and opened fire on the approaching shamblers. Drawn to the noise coming from the trucks, many stray shamblers also showed a great deal of interest, causing a shower of gunfire in response.


    Nora held Lilian¡¯s hand and ran, towards the violent, flashing lights.


    However, as encouraging as it was to finally walk towards a ray of hope with Lilian by her side, she couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that Claire and William were still missing.


    [Alive.]


    ¡®Huh!?¡¯


    [They deaf. They mute. But alive.]


    ******


    ¡°Come on, everyone! Get on the lift, come on!¡± said Isaac.


    As he was getting ready to send it on its way down, he heard hurried footsteps.


    ¡°Heeey!!¡±


    He spotted a black-haired man sprinting down the hallway in his direction. He carried a young girl in his arms. He was sweaty, and panting heavily.


    ¡°Hurry, to the lift, we¡¯re already leaving! Is there nobody else!?¡±


    The man stopped for a moment. His eyes bounced around, as if he was unsure of what to answer.


    ¡°¡­no, it¡¯s just us.¡± he said, before joining the rest of the survivors on the platform.


    ¡°Alright! Get ready! Just go for the convoy as soon as you touch the ground! Leave those monsters to us!¡±


    He released the lock on the pulleys and watched as the lift slowly descended, sinking into the already translucid cloud of gas. He could see his comrades fighting down on the street. It looked like the first batch of civilians had successfully reached the convoy.


    ¡°HQ, this is Captain Isaac! All the survivors have left the hospital, they are currently boarding the convoy, including the queen! We¡¯re encountering severe stinger resistance! Over!¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. Acknowledged, Alpha.¡±


    As soon as he saw the lift reaching ground level, he got a hold of one of its suspension ropes and proceeded to slide down. Row after row of windows flew in front of him as he felt the heat building up in his hands and thighs. He slowed down near the bottom, jumped off the rope, and readied his weapon.


    The black smoke had dwindled to a thin fog. The convoy was fully visible, both for humans and stingers. Although the stingers seemed to be confused by the smoke, their sight and hearing were still functional. The hordes were slowly returning to the area. Isaac¡¯s comrades fired their weapons nonstop, buying time for the last civilians to get on board.


    He eliminated three stingers blocking his path to the convoy and ran towards the back of the middle truck.


    ¡°Captain!¡± a soldier saw him coming. ¡°We¡¯re ready to leave! Get up!¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­! Wait, please!!¡± the red-haired woman from before, who happened to be in that same truck, overheard them. ¡°M-My friend is still there, somewhere! I know she¡¯s alive! Please!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, lady, but we can¡¯t wait anymore!¡± replied the soldier. ¡°Even if your friend is somewhere in there, that lift is the only way out, and there¡¯s nobody left to operate it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m begging you! J-Just one more minute!¡±


    Several other civilians watched her in silence. Some were saddened by her pleas, fully understanding her worries. Others looked annoyed, stabbing her with disdainful eyes. Perhaps they considered her request selfish? That woman was unlikely to be the only one who had to leave a friend behind.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Captain Isaac! This is Charlie!¡± Charlie team came up on Isaac¡¯s radio. ¡°Are you still on foot!? Look at the hospital, second floor, the window behind the exit lift!¡±


    Isaac followed the directions with his eyes, and quickly spotted the oddity. The window was shattered like all the others, but something was hanging from it. A long rope reaching all the way down to the sidewalk, made from interconnected bed sheets. Someone showed up in the window. A man, dressed in civilian attire, and looking badly beaten up. Although he was quite a good distance away, Isaac recognized his face.


    ¡®That¡¯s¡­ [Fox]! He¡¯s alive!?¡¯


    [Fox] began climbing down the rope, and a second person approached the window, following his steps. A young woman with glasses, which Isaac also recognized. At ground level, several stingers took notice of them and swarmed the spot below their feet.


    ¡°Charlie, keep the convoy safe for another minute!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up!! We¡¯ve got our hands full here!!¡± their transmission was barely audible under the constant gunfire.


    Stinger corpses were starting to form mounds around the trucks. Isaac dodged the bodies and sprinted at full speed towards the hospital. He opened fire on the group of stingers swarming the rope.


    As he cleared the area, [Fox] completed his descent.


    ¡°Captain Isaac¡­!¡± he said. ¡°My radio was damaged! I couldn¡¯t talk to anyone, but I could listen to your transmissions!¡±


    ¡°Forget about explaining anything! Grab my sidearm, quick! Is that girl the only one with you!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll open a path back to the trucks! Don¡¯t let these assholes corner us!¡± Isaac shot some more approaching stingers, then looked up at the woman, who was midway in her descent. ¡°Lady, can you hear me!? Once you touch the ground, run like hell! We¡¯ll cover you!!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, sir¡­!!¡± she replied.


    Almost back to back, Isaac and [Fox] chewed through the ammo they had left. The stingers dropped one after another, but for each one they killed, a handful of silhouettes emerged from the fog.


    The girl touched solid ground and started running with everything she had.


    ¡°[Fox]! Move!!¡± said Isaac.


    The convoy was nearly surrounded. As they got closer to it, their weapons went dry. Gunfire from the trucks covered their approach instead. Isaac noticed how there were fewer muzzle flashes than a minute ago.


    ¡°Get on board! Quick!!¡± he jumped into the back of the truck and dragged the girl inside.


    He was rougher with her than he¡¯d have liked to, almost throwing her inside, but they didn¡¯t have a single second to waste. Those guns could go silent at any moment.


    [Fox] stopped beside the truck. He watched the girl as she got on board, with a look of relief on his face, but he made no effort to climb inside himself.


    ¡°[Fox], what are you waiting for!? Come!!!¡± yelled Isaac.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡± he retrieved his ID from a pocket and threw it to Isaac.


    He lifted his right trouser leg, exposing a bite mark. Afterwards, he made the military salute. His right hand was still holding Isaac¡¯s sidearm.


    ¡°It was an honor to serve by your side, sir!¡±


    For a single instant, Isaac closed his eyes tight.


    ¡®Shit. Shit¡­! Shit!!¡¯


    ¡°This is Captain Isaac, talking to all units! Everyone is on board! Let¡¯s get the hell out of here!! Come on!! Move, move!!!¡±


    A second later, the engines of the convoy roared in unison, the war cry of cornered prey, fighting back against a swarm of predators. The trucks plowed through the hordes, tunneling through the fog until they were again bathed by sunlight.


    *?Bang!*


    A single gunshot was heard from the hospital¡¯s direction.


    Many stingers were hanging from the sides of the vehicles, which were picked off with the very last scraps of ammunition left. For the first time in a long while, everyone was able to enjoy the taste of fresh air again.


    However, for Isaac, every breath had a bitter aftertaste. He opened the ID he was holding. Officer Andrew Miles.


    ¡®Got it.¡¯


    How many? The weight of how many names was he carrying already? And how many more were to come? He dreaded the answer.

 CHAPTER 45 – ANSWERS

    Nora was lost in thought. Sitting on that uncomfortable chair, she had lost track of time. In front of her was a sliding door leading to the laboratories, with an armed soldier on watch by its side. That door would open anytime, and with a bit of luck, it wouldn¡¯t bring bad news. The wait felt like an eternity.


    She had already memorized all of the room¡¯s features. A row of chairs lining the wall, some abstract paintings, a still working coffee machine, a water dispenser¡­ Everything was clean, immaculate. The flooring tiles reflected the ceiling lights as if they were mirrors. The Army had obviously protected and taken good care of that place.


    She heard it was an old research center. Active during most of the pandemic, it was heavily guarded by the military, who took time and effort to build numerous defenses and fortifications in the area. It had an independent power supply based on solar energy, its own rainwater purification system, and the soldiers were in charge of providing food and safety to the research teams. Everything to find a solution to the disease.


    A solution for which Lilian was key, something they didn¡¯t take long to make clear.


    As soon as they entered the underground parking lot, Nora and Lilian were the first ones to be led into the facilities. They weren¡¯t granted a single moment of rest.


    They started with a physical examination and a blood test. Then, it quickly diverged from anything that could be considered an ordinary medical checkup. They placed a strange device on Lilian¡¯s head, and they began questioning her. She was exposed to both light and sound stimuli, she was pinched, she was selectively deprived of her senses¡­ All of it while their machines beeped and gathered data without rest.


    During the process, Nora could sense Lilian¡¯s anxiety growing. However, she wasn¡¯t allowed to comfort her.


    An entire day had passed. Nora was permitted exit, and assigned a place to stay the night. Lilian remained at the laboratory.


    She could hear her whispers. Restless, nervous whispers. She didn¡¯t seem scared, but she wasn¡¯t comfortable either. ?Was she okay? They wouldn¡¯t hurt her, ?right? Nora¡¯s initial hesitation in placing Lilian in the Army¡¯s hands revolved around that one fear: harming her.


    ¡®Come on, Nora, calm down¡­ Breathe. Trust. It¡¯ll be okay. She¡¯ll be okay.¡¯


    Eager to drive her mind away from those bad omens, she looked to her left.


    William¡¯s eyes were also lost, even more than her own. Nora had arrived at the waiting room an hour ago, but he had been there for longer. She greeted him upon seeing him, but received no answer. He didn¡¯t seem to be in good spirits.


    ¡­


    The lab¡¯s sliding door vibrated and opened with a soft humming, revealing a blonde woman with glasses and a white coat. With inquiring eyes, she studied everyone present before walking through the door. On her left hand, she carried a folder full of documents.


    The woman stared at William for several seconds. She looked puzzled, as if she didn¡¯t expect his presence.


    ¡°Can I do something for you, sir?¡± she asked.


    William reciprocated her stare. ¡°You have the girl now. ?Can you cure this thing or not?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my¡­ That¡¯s a peculiar question. Not exactly something you hear every day.¡±


    William didn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t seem interested in chit-chat.


    ¡°Is that what Dr. Marcus told you? He lied to you. The Sting is incurable. During the infection process, the organism is irreversibly transformed. This process is especially destructive for the brain, since some of its regions are left in an unusable state. I don¡¯t know why you seek this information, but a stinger can¡¯t be reversed back to a human being.¡±


    Without uttering another word, William got up from his seat and headed for the exit.


    ¡°Are you alright¡­?¡± asked Nora.


    A stupid question. She shouldn¡¯t have even thought about pronouncing those words.


    ¡°I want to be alone.¡± he said, moments before disappearing behind a door.


    Nora had no time to be sad for him. The woman in the white coat approached her and took a seat by her side.


    ¡°Dr. Elizabeth.¡± she introduced herself. ¡°I¡¯ve personally requested you to come here, Miss Nora. Given your relationship with the girl and your importance for this project, I¡¯ve considered it appropriate to inform you about what we were able to discover.¡±


    ¡®My¡­ importance?¡¯


    ¡°How¡¯s Lilian¡­?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be able to see her soon.¡± Elizabeth leafed through her documents and reports, on which Nora could glimpse countless numbers and strange diagrams. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ The girl possesses the necessary organs to produce and receive pheromones, her skin is capable of partially absorbing sunlight, she shows evidence of bioluminescent communication, mostly manifested through her eyes¡­ Perhaps the most important piece of information is the fact that the pheromones she produces are queen pheromones, which confirms the theory of her being, indeed, a stinger queen.¡±


    Nora swallowed. She hadn¡¯t yet fully assimilated the fact that Lilian was, in those monsters¡¯ eyes, a queen.


    ¡°Honestly, we already had empirical evidence for nearly all of these statements. However, what we didn¡¯t know was that she can produce two different types of pheromones. The Sting¡¯s infection wasn¡¯t capable of taking complete control over her brain, which caused¡­ a double identity, so to speak. And that¡¯s where you come into play, Miss Nora.¡±


    ¡°W-What¡­? I think I¡¯m not following¡­¡±


    ¡°Part of the girl is human, but she¡¯s influenced by the insect-like instincts induced by the Sting. This grants her organism the ability to produce and receive a special type of pheromones: human pheromones. Have you felt anything strange lately? Sensations you wouldn¡¯t know how to describe? Voices, perhaps?¡± Nora shuddered. Was that it? Was that the nature of the voices in her head? Was that how Lilian communicated with her? ¡°We still don¡¯t understand how she¡¯s doing this, but we believe most of the human pheromones she produces to be targeting you in particular.¡±


    ¡°W-Well, it¡¯s true that I can¡­ hear her voice? I wouldn¡¯t know how to put it into words, they aren¡¯t even voices¡­ They¡¯re feelings, kinda.¡±


    ¡°I see. Are you feeling something right now?¡±


    ¡°¡­she¡¯s¡­ nervous. Sad. I think my presence calms her down, and she does the same for me.


    Dr. Elizabeth pondered for a moment and wrote a long paragraph on the report she was holding.


    ¡°Miss Nora, we suspect that as a stinger, the girl emits queen pheromones; but as a human, she emits something more representative of a drone. Within her subconscious perception, she isn¡¯t the queen. You are.¡± she adjusted her glasses and continued glancing through the documents. ¡°Your influence over the girl is much stronger than you think. It¡¯s like a switch, your proximity selectively turns her instincts on and off.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°I-I see, but¡­ What happens now? Where is all of this taking us?¡±


    ¡°We need to get the two of you out of this place. You could be as important as the girl, perhaps even more important. The body of the girl is naturally resistant to the Sting, her immune system has antibodies capable of standing up to the virus. This brings us a weapon we can use against the disease. However, if we take you into consideration, what we have isn¡¯t a weapon, but an interpreter. It¡¯s long and difficult to explain, but¡­ think about it like this: we could be able to communicate with the stingers. This is why we¡¯re going to need your cooperation until the very end. Do you understand?¡±


    Nora nodded. She didn¡¯t know what to think. The situation was beyond her. She went from dipping her feet to being dragged by a turbulent stream. Why was everything so complicated?


    Dr. Elizabeth got up and headed back towards the lab door, but she stopped before going in.


    ¡°I should also let you know that we could be able to treat her infection once we manage to get out. We don¡¯t have the means or the time to synthesize the necessary medicines here.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s her condition!?¡±


    ¡°Without intervention, her body will lose that fight, sooner or later. The mutagenic and unstable nature of the Sting makes recovery extremely unlikely. Her instincts will intensify, and her humanity will fade more and more. You must have surely observed these changes in real time over the last months, am I wrong?¡±


    Nora¡¯s expression darkened.


    ¡°Do not worry. We¡¯ll soon arrange for an air evacuation. She¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    The doctor took a keycard to an electronic pad beside the sliding door. The device beeped, opening the door. Elizabeth abandoned the room, leaving Nora alone with her thoughts.


    ¡®Did you hear, Lilian? You¡¯ll get better! You¡¯ll get better¡­ You¡¯ll get better¡­¡¯


    The restlessness in Lilian¡¯s presence disappeared.


    ******


    ¡°Mind if I join you?¡± asked Marcus.


    William didn¡¯t answer. He didn¡¯t bother looking at him either. He didn¡¯t care.


    He sighed, and his eyes continued getting lost in the overgrown gardens visible from the balcony, in the empty streets surrounding the research center, in the rows of buildings delimiting them.


    Marcus walked up to him and leaned on the handrail beside him, imitating his posture. He took out a packet of cigarettes and offered him one. William accepted it.


    ¡°It has been a long time since I last smoked¡­ Oh well, nothing wrong with doing it one last time. Tobacco won¡¯t be the thing that kills me.¡±


    He lit the cigarette with a lighter and offered fire to William as well. Over a long, silent minute, none of them did anything but take occasional puffs.


    ¡°I talked with one of those scientists.¡± said William.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°I was a fool. I knew exactly what I was going to hear. I guess that¡¯s why I kept my cool.¡± he took another puff. ¡°I wanted to bring my wife back, you know? I kept clinging to that possibility, even though I knew it was an absurd goal¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand. Should I have told you the truth back then?¡±


    ¡°No. I would¡¯ve shot you if you did.¡±


    Another minute of silence passed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing but wander around aimlessly. What for? With what purpose? Save myself? Help Nora and the others? What¡¯s the point of all that, if the one thing that matters the most to me is lost? I¡¯m not even sure I want to keep on living. I jumped headfirst into this mess hoping to find an answer, but all I find are questions. Questions and more fucking questions.¡±


    ¡°In a way, I share your grief, William. I¡¯ve also lost something very precious since all of this started¡­¡± said Marcus, with a dull tone. ¡°Her name was Evelyn. She was the sweetest, most loving girl I¡¯ve ever known. And she admired me. A lot. Sometimes I told her things about my job. It was a complicated subject, all about pathology and microbiology; but in her eyes, I was like a hero, creating special potions to defeat the monsters.¡± a slight chuckle slipped out of him. ¡°Back then, I was already involved in shady businesses¡­ But her smile was everything I needed to forget it all and move forward.¡±


    ¡°What happened¡­?¡± asked William.


    ¡°A direct sting from the insect, the original vector of the disease. After several months investigating the Sting, my own daughter fell into its clutches¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand. I don¡¯t need any more details.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to live the rest of my life honoring her memory. I was her hero. However, until very recently, my actions haven¡¯t been exactly heroic¡­ The least I can do is redeem myself. Help whoever I can, fight so that this madness can end; be the hero Evelyn always imagined.¡±


    Marcus took another puff and turned his back on the handrail, looking sideways at William.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you been following a similar philosophy? I heard you saved a child at the hospital. When I met you, you didn¡¯t look like the kind of guy who¡¯d risk their life for something like that.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right¡­¡± William sighed. ¡°Amanda loved children. She was so excited to create a family, and I was absolutely willing to walk that same path by her side. She was sterile, and we had decided to go for adoption, although we never got the chance to actually go and do it¡­¡±


    As he talked, William asked himself why was he telling him all that. It was uncharacteristic of him to confide in anyone regarding his personal life. Amanda was the only exception to that rule. But Amanda wasn¡¯t there anymore. That memory had been definitively torn apart, leaving a bottomless void in his heart. There was nothing to cling to anymore. His emotions flowed without restraint, but they no longer revolved around anything. Maybe they just needed a purpose. Maybe they just wanted to get out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you: I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll survive this shit. You¡¯ve seen everything that happened so far, right? To still be alive is a fucking miracle. We¡¯ll get in trouble again, and we¡¯ll be face-to-face with death again. I might not be so lucky next time. As a matter of fact, I¡¯m already expecting it to happen. I could die right now, I wouldn¡¯t give a crap. But, on a second thought¡­¡±


    William needed a good deal of time to make sense of his thoughts. Marcus didn¡¯t interrupt him.


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to die, I don¡¯t wanna do it as an asshole. If I¡¯m going to die¡­ I¡¯d like to do it as someone Amanda would be proud of. I¡¯d like to die as the same man she fell in love with. I¡¯ve never been able to lie to her. If I¡¯m going to reunite with her up there, the last thing I¡¯d want would be to disappoint her.¡±


    Marcus finished his cigarette and took some steps away from the handrail, towards the balcony door.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good man. Loss brings change, it twists your views. It brings questions indeed¡­. I hope you can find your answers, William. I believe you deserve them.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± William turned towards the door before Marcus could leave. ¡°Why did you come talk to me?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? I wouldn¡¯t know myself. I guess I was just looking for some company. We might not get another chance to talk like this.¡±


    ¡°You know¡­? I still don¡¯t like you, asshole.¡±


    Marcus snickered. ¡°I know.¡±


    William saw him entering the building, closing the glass door behind him, and disappearing into a hallway. In solitude, he finished his cigarette. He couldn¡¯t help but think about that encounter as some kind of premonition.


    ¡®Answers, huh¡­?¡¯


    ******


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Dr. Elizabeth?¡± asked Colonel Rowan as soon as he saw her entering the meeting room.


    He had a bad feeling, and Captain Isaac seemed to do so as well. They both watched the doctor as she took a seat. Rowan had no memory of Elizabeth having such a worried expression on her face. Behind her laid-back appearance and her bad manners, she was a pragmatic and methodical person, facing her duties with excellent discipline. Very rarely had she dealt with something she couldn¡¯t keep under control. What could have happened that caused her to request an emergency meeting? What had she discovered?


    ¡°Captain Isaac, if I remember correctly, during the operation at Saint Marie, you considered the possibility of injecting the queen with a new dose of inhibitor serum.¡± said Elizabeth.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± replied Isaac.


    ¡°The pseudo-queen, her own sister, ended up suppressing her instincts and discarding the need for the injection. We¡¯re very lucky for that outcome. A new dose would¡¯ve killed her.¡±


    ¡°Explain yourself, doctor¡­ I thought the inhibitor serum wasn¡¯t dangerous¡­¡± said Rowan.


    ¡°It¡¯s not dangerous for a pure stinger. But the girl isn¡¯t pure. A big part of her physiology is human. Although the serum can also suppress pheromone production in humans, it quickly becomes a toxin that the immune system can¡¯t purge. In summary, the queen¡¯s body can¡¯t survive prolonged exposure to the serum. We can¡¯t administer her with any more doses. And once the effect of her last dose dissipates, she¡¯ll become a magnet for all the stingers in this cell¡­ and also for those in the frontiers with other cells.¡±


    ¡°You said the pseudo-queen can suppress her instincts, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t anymore. I¡¯ve tried to put the pseudo-queen in a stable emotional state to strengthen her bond with the girl, but¡­ that bond exists on borrowed time. The queen¡¯s condition is critical. The Sting progresses in gigantic steps within her organism. Once the effect of the serum goes away, it¡¯s very likely her sister¡¯s influence won¡¯t be enough to appease her.¡±


    ¡°Good god¡­¡± Isaac had begun grumbling.


    ¡°What do you suggest? I¡¯ll believe in your judgment, doctor.¡±


    ¡°We need to leave the cell. Now. We have no other choice.¡±


    ¡°How long do we have?¡±


    ¡°At most¡­ two days. If we¡¯re not in the air by then, we¡¯ll be buried under a stinger ocean.¡±

 CHAPTER 46 – BURIED IDENTITIES

    Marcus leaned back on the chair, deep in thought. Nothing seemed to have changed in the laboratory. It wasn¡¯t the first time they fought back against a lethal disease. It wasn¡¯t the first time the team worked under pressure. It wasn¡¯t the first time they were forced to pack everything up and evacuate the building. Neither the asphyxiating, oppressive countdown nor having a potential enemy within their ranks appeared to disturb the team¡¯s discipline too much.


    He turned a bit on his seat and took a look at the lab. Immersed in their screens and documents, his teammates had no time to worry about anything unrelated to the task at hand. Especially Elizabeth. She hadn¡¯t even looked at him since he came back.


    ¡®I guess it was to be expected¡­¡¯


    He sighed and, for the umpteenth time, went over his conversation with Colonel Rowan.


    ######


    ¡°You know why you¡¯re here, don¡¯t you, Dr. Marcus?¡± said Rowan.


    Seconds before, the colonel had ordered the armed guards to abandon the room. It hadn¡¯t even been fifteen minutes since Marcus had set foot in the research center, and he had already been left alone with the head of the entire operation. What pushed the colonel to be so overconfident? Those keen eyes scrutinized him, reading every inch of his facial expression, every twitching muscle.


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of what happened. After escaping Saint Marie, you requested that the convoy take a detour in order to retrieve a certain item, which I assume you had previously hidden to protect it during the incident¡­ A briefcase.¡± the colonel leaned sideways and grabbed a metallic briefcase from the floor, placing it on the table. ¡°This one, to be precise. You know what¡¯s inside, correct?¡±


    Obviously, Marcus knew what was inside the briefcase. It was easy to understand the rhetoric in that question. Rowan didn¡¯t seek to obtain information, but to raise Marcus¡¯ awareness about said information.


    ¡°You are perfectly aware of how much we¡¯ve had to sacrifice in order to obtain these samples. Do you think we¡¯ll have another chance to get our hands on a stinger queen¡¯s remains? The last time we tried, we triggered a Convergence. This was only possible thanks to that girl¡¯s existence. A queen with partial immunity? What are the chances of something like that? Go on, run to your lab. Do the calculations. But keep them to yourself. I don¡¯t need to see them.¡±


    He set the briefcase aside and crossed his arms on the table. He was still staring at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re the odd piece, doctor. We know there¡¯s a spy among us. We know someone is working behind our backs. We don¡¯t know about their goals, but don¡¯t you think it would¡¯ve been smarter to keep a low profile? Why steal the samples? Why cooperate with us now? I want answers, Doctor Marcus.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, colonel: I never intended to come back, or return the samples. But the course of events ended up leading young Lilian here. I¡¯m out of options. We¡¯ve placed several valuable targets within their reach, and the idea of us forever snatching those prizes away is keeping them on their nerves.¡±


    ¡°Them¡­?¡±


    ¡°ZEUS. That¡¯s how they call themselves. I was one of them. There wasn¡¯t a spy, colonel; but two.¡±


    He said it. He had openly admitted his treason. He hoped the colonel¡¯s common sense was strong enough to deter him from executing him right there. At least, Marcus expected him to not do it until hearing what he had to say.


    ¡°On which side are you on right now?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯d be here if I wasn¡¯t on your side?¡±


    ¡°I have no reason to believe you, doctor. Any information you can provide will be of interest, but don¡¯t forget I¡¯ll be the one to judge your credibility.¡±


    ¡®Skeptic until the very end, huh? Typical of him.¡¯


    After a tense moment of silence, Marcus continued. ¡°ZEUS¡­ An organization using various pharmaceuticals as a fa?ade, with powerful bonds within the Army and other government agencies. Behind the eyes of the public, they had a thriving business in the market of illegal weapons and substances. Organized crime, one step away from terrorism.¡±


    ¡°You knew all that, and yet you worked for them?¡±


    ¡°No. I was in a research team of one of the pharmaceuticals that supported them. NeuroSphere Dynamics, ever heard of it?¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°Our job commonly implied¡­ unethical practices. But everything took a twist for the worst when the Sting showed up. It all started as rumors, but before anyone could notice, ZEUS had openly taken the reins of the business, and nobody could do a single thing about it. They knew our families; and they had the power to extort us however they wanted. At first, we restricted ourselves to animal experimentation, but it wasn¡¯t long until we began working with human subjects. We never asked where they came from¡­¡±


    ¡°What did they want, exactly?¡±


    ¡°To understand the Sting. We figured out its capability to transfer DNA and recombine organisms long before any symptoms appeared. It was innovative, strange, never seen before. However, once the pandemic started, ZEUS¡¯ goals changed drastically. They no longer wanted to comprehend it. Now they wanted to use it.¡±


    ¡°Biological terrorism¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ We¡¯ve taken great steps towards controlling the Sting. Inhibitor gases, serums that suppress the production of pheromones¡­ But the queen samples would¡¯ve allowed them to take it all one step further. If they figure out how to utilize queen pheromones, they could direct the stinger swarms. Imagine a Convergence event, directed at will towards any designated target. I couldn¡¯t allow it.¡±


    ¡°I find it difficult to believe they wouldn¡¯t take good care of the research teams on which the entire operation relied so much. Weren¡¯t they ensuring your safety? Why reject them? Why are you telling me all this, doctor?¡±


    ¡°Because I have principles, colonel. And those principles have limits. Fighting the Sting, even if I have to leave morality aside? I get it. But¡­ this? What these people intend to do? I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Rowan¡¯s eyes continued analyzing him. His facial expression was illegible. ¡°The armed forces my men have encountered¡­ Are they from ZEUS?¡±


    ¡°No. They are most likely mercenaries. ZEUS would never get their hands dirty like that. They might have armed them to the teeth, and left the success of the operation up to them; but in the end, they are just pawns, expendable tools.¡±


    Rowan got comfortable in his seat and closed his eyes for several seconds, after which he looked at Marcus again.


    ¡°How do I know I can trust you, doctor?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t prove anything with words, but I can do it with actions. We have everything we need to put an end to this crisis.¡± Marcus placed a hand on the briefcase. ¡°These samples, and that girl, Lilian. The puzzle is complete. But any of these pieces on their own would be catastrophic in ZEUS¡¯ hands. We need to keep them busy, and I think I know how to do it. I know what I need to do.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°¡­alright. You may leave.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything else you want to know¡­?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk again soon. It¡¯s imperative that, for now, we get in contact with HQ on the outside and put them up to date.¡± said the colonel as Marcus got up from his seat and shook off a bit of dirt from his coat. ¡°Anyway, keep in mind we¡¯ll keep you under surveillance. Nobody trusts you here.¡±


    ¡°I understand, of course.¡± he dragged his eyes towards the briefcase on the table. ¡°Would it be outrageous to request permission to take the samples back to the laboratory? There¡¯s still much to study¡­¡±


    Rowan nodded. Marcus grabbed the briefcase, saluted the colonel, and headed for the door. Before he could twist the doorknob, Rowan¡¯s voice stopped him. ¡°Doctor¡­ Since you didn¡¯t even mention it, should I assume you don¡¯t know the other spy¡¯s identity?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Do you take me for a fool?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me, no matter what I say, am I wrong?¡±


    After pondering for a while, the colonel gave him a gesture, prompting him to leave.


    ######


    Marcus sighed again. He wasn¡¯t absolutely certain about the spy¡¯s identity, but it was plain as day he had plenty of suspicions. And he¡¯d be damned surprised if those suspicions turned out to be wrong. The more he thought about it, the more reasons he found to act with caution.


    Considering what ZEUS was capable of, they had eyes and ears everywhere, the opposite was unthinkable. The room where he met the colonel had no cameras, but they had probably eavesdropped on their conversation somehow.


    During the meeting, Marcus had delivered a certain piece of written information to the colonel, something they both made absolutely sure to avoid mentioning in the slightest. A risky move, but there were no available safe moves. Not with ZEUS involved.


    It was all one big Russian roulette, with too big of a drum, with more than one lurking bullet.


    ¡®Well¡­? What are you going to do now?¡¯


    ******


    {UPLOADING FILE}


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    {50%}


    {75%}


    {100%}


    {FILE UPLOAD COMPLETED}


    {INITIATING COMMS}


    The fingers flew over the keyboard. With every soft sequence of taps, a conversation took shape on the screen.


    [Dr. Marcus has spilled the beans. They¡¯ll be onto us soon.]


    [WE KNEW IT WOULD COME TO THIS. THE DOCTOR BECAME AN OBSTACLE LONG AGO. THE OPERATION MUST CONCLUDE. IMMEDIATELY.]


    [The operation should have concluded at Saint Marie.]


    [TOO MANY FACTORS AT PLAY.]


    [Factors you caused yourselves.]


    Too many factors at play? Was that a joke? The queen shouldn¡¯t have even gotten to Saint Marie. They should have intercepted them as soon as they received Hephaestus¡¯ final transmission. They could have pulled it off. Prometheus was ready to jump into action.


    But no, they believed Marcus to be involved. They believed Marcus to be after her. And, of course, they wanted both. Their avarice and arrogance were baffling, on the verge of stupidity.


    [FOCUS ON PREPARING THE FINAL INTERVENTION. SECURE THE SAMPLES AND THE QUEEN BEFORE TOMORROW¡¯S EVACUATION.]


    [What¡¯s the plan afterwards?]


    [HADES WILL TAKE CARE OF THE REST. ADDITIONALLY, PT-01 IS STILL OPERATIONAL. THEY WILL BE YOUR REINFORCEMENTS. WE ARE COUNTING ON YOU. DO NOT DISSAPPOINT US.]


    {CLOSING COMMS}


    ******


    A large map was spread out on the table, covering it almost completely. Forming a small crowd around it, the soldiers listened to Colonel Rowan¡¯s briefing. Isaac had a glance at the personnel.


    He knew every single face there, but not every face he knew was there.


    Saint Marie had taken too high of a toll. Bravo team had fallen in combat. Charlie team had lost half of its members. On their way to the research center, he found out that Delta team was gone in its entirety, having fallen to the stinger wave caused by the young queen. Even half his own team had died. He clenched his fists. The gloves were the only thing stopping his nails from sinking into the skin.


    He took a deep breath and focused again on the colonel¡¯s voice.


    ¡°¡ªthat each team¡¯s duties are clear, we¡¯ll talk about the evacuation plan. I¡¯ll be clear and concise.¡± Rowan pointed at a certain spot on the map. ¡°Right now, we¡¯re here. Since we¡¯re way too close to the cell¡¯s border, this location is unsuitable for the evacuation.¡±


    Around the city, a hexagonal shape had been drawn with a marker. There were other hexagons adjacent to it, extending in all directions, forming a grid reminiscent of a honeycomb. The point the colonel was pointing at was close to the hexagon¡¯s border.


    ¡°As you might know, each individual cell houses a stinger colony. Even though these colonies don¡¯t tend to interact too much with each other, tens of thousands of stingers patrol the frontiers and exchange information. Both the queen¡¯s influence and the commotion caused by the helicopter will draw the attention of these frontier swarms. They¡¯ll come to investigate. I think I don¡¯t need to remind you that the stingers of adjoining cells have completed their evolutionary cycle long ago, and are nothing like the ones we¡¯ve seen in the current cell. We don¡¯t have the resources to survive an encounter with these creatures.¡± he took a second to clear his throat. ¡°Besides, we can¡¯t carry out the evacuation at street level. The helicopter will attract entire districts. We¡¯ll need an elevated, secure position beforehand.¡±


    He slid his finger over the map, to a point in the central area of the hexagon.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do it here. We¡¯ve located a suitable building downtown. It¡¯s tall, there¡¯s a helipad on the rooftop, and our air recon has indicated the presence of a community at the location, although they have been inactive for weeks. The building might have some kind of fortification already in place. We¡¯ll make use of it.¡± Rowan made visual contact with the soldiers, one by one. ¡°Any questions?¡±


    Isaac could tell what was going through his comrades¡¯ minds. They had questions, but not the kind of questions the colonel could answer. Perhaps the word ¡°questions¡± wasn¡¯t the best fit. ¡°Doubts¡± sounded more appropriate.


    That mission felt destined to be the one where everything would be settled. They knew what was at stake. They knew how much humanity could lose the following day. They knew how much it could win. And they knew how fleeting their own existence would be within the incoming whirlwind.


    Nobody said anything.


    ¡°Good. Next, we¡¯ll discuss how¡ª¡±


    ¡®Will I have to add more names to the list¡­?¡¯


    Isaac¡¯s heart felt like jumping out of his chest.


    ******


    Claire curled up against the wall on the bunk bed, with her arms around her knees, and with a knot in her stomach. She watched her hands, covered in bandages. They still burned.


    As soon as they arrived, she was immediately taken to an area set up for medical assistance, along with the other wounded. She was told the burns she suffered were severe, but they¡¯d heal without further issues, although her hands would be crippled for days, if not weeks. At least, her life wasn¡¯t in danger. Many others had suffered harsher consequences, especially Stella. She seemed to be recovering at a good pace, but she was very lucky to have survived.


    However, her thoughts weren¡¯t with the ones who survived, but with the ones who were left behind. With the ones who gave their lives to open up a path for them. With the bodies she had to step on to make it that far.


    She felt lonely.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think I deserve to be here¡­ It¡¯s not fair. But, who do I want to fool? What am I doing, consuming myself from within, because others have died and I haven¡¯t?¡¯


    She huffed. She would¡¯ve been very thankful if she had anyone to share her worries with, but such wasn¡¯t the case. They were keeping Nora in a different part of the building, William seemed to be sulking and didn¡¯t feel like talking, and everyone else was pretty much a bunch of strangers.


    She squirmed over the bed sheets, uncomfortable, when a soldier entered the room. From the other bunk beds, the survivors stopped murmuring among themselves and looked at him.


    ¡°Attention, everyone! We¡¯ll head for the evacuation point tomorrow! When the time comes, do as you¡¯re told and everything will be okay. Our destination will be Kurtis Tower, downtown. It¡¯s a long way there, make sure you rest properly!¡±


    Those words made Claire¡¯s blood run cold. By the time she realized, the soldier was already gone. Her body began trembling. Of all the news she could have received, that one was among the least expected to hear.


    ¡®Kurtis¡­ Tower¡­? You¡¯re kidding, right¡­? We have to¡­ go back there¡­!?¡¯


    Almost all the places she had been during the previous months had left her with a bitter aftertaste. They all harbored death, all inhabited by old ghosts, memories of those left aside for someone else¡¯s sake. Out of all of them, the old shelter where she met Nora was the one she condemned the most.


    Not even in her wildest predictions did she expect to have to visit it again.

 CHAPTER 47 – VENOM

    Nora was unable to sleep throughout the night. She was told to rest, since the journey to the evacuation point would be long and dangerous. But, how was she supposed to sleep at all? That place brought her nothing but bad memories. It was one hell of a bad omen. And, in the sparse moments she was able to leave her worries aside, Lilian¡¯s presence bewildered her. A presence that lost its warmth and gentleness at an alarming rate.


    Nora¡¯s words were no longer reaching her, they seemed to get lost along the way, as if her sister stood on the opposite side of an infinite glass wall, isolated. The thoughts she perceived were disjointed, cryptic.


    [They¡¯re coming.]


    [Family is coming.]


    [They wanna be with us.]


    When the soldiers brought Lilian before her, she looked fine on the surface, and didn¡¯t show additional signs of physical deterioration. However, there was something in her eyes. A blue sparkle, bordering on iridescence. There was nothing human about it.


    Nora approached her and gave her a hug.


    ¡°Lilian, sweetie¡­!¡±


    Her sister reciprocated the hug and locked eyes with her, but her facial expression was brimming with inexpressiveness.


    ¡°Get ready, miss, we have orders to accompany you to the convoy. We must leave.¡± said one of the soldiers.


    ¡°R-Right, I get it¡­ Give me a moment, please.¡±


    ¡°Try to stay optimistic.¡± said the other soldier. ¡°You¡¯ve gone through lots of trouble, but you¡¯re in good hands now. Today you¡¯ll finally be able to rest peacefully, far away from here.¡±


    That sudden display of empathy caught Nora by surprise. Did she look so grim? To be honest, that man wasn¡¯t looking very bright either. She couldn¡¯t help but think it was a fa?ade. Nobody was safe. Not yet. She wouldn¡¯t rest assured until she saw those safety promises becoming a reality in front of her own eyes. And even then, she¡¯d be doubtful.


    She let go of Lilian and grabbed what little belongings she had, before abandoning the room, following the soldiers closely.


    ******


    ¡°You doing okay?¡± asked Claire, with a hesitant voice.


    William patiently waited for the military to give the order to board the convoy. He appreciated anything that allowed him to keep his mind occupied, anything but think. He had entertained himself watching the military personnel loading supplies and weapons in the vehicles, while the other civilians arrived in dribs and drabs. However, he did not feel like talking.


    ¡°I talked with Nora this morning, they allowed me to see her.¡± continued Claire.


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    William looked away from her. He already knew what she was about to say.


    ¡°She mentioned what you were told at the lab¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want to talk about it, okay?¡± he answered. His tone was abrasive, making Claire shudder.


    She nodded. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to bother you. I¡¯m just a little worried, that¡¯s all. I¡¯ll shut up now.¡±


    Worried? About him? He supposed they had spent enough time together for them to develop some sort of bond. It was natural to be worried about friends, family, or close acquaintances. At least she still had a tangible bond with someone, one that wasn¡¯t self-destructive. He envied her.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know how to describe how I¡¯m feeling right now. We¡¯ll have time to talk later, when we get out of here; if we do.¡±


    Claire¡¯s eyes were fixated on him for a while, somber and melancholic.


    She took a couple of steps around him and looked at something beside him.


    ¡°Is that¡­?¡±


    The little Eleanor wouldn¡¯t stay away from him. She pinched his jacket with her right hand, and refused to let go if she could avoid doing so.


    The medical team had evaluated her health. She was malnourished, but wasn¡¯t hurt in any significant manner. She¡¯d get better. At least, physically. Her mind was a different story. She no longer had that horrified expression painted on her face, but it might have actually been better if she did. Her appearance was that of a porcelain doll; inert, lifeless. Why did she cling to him? He had killed her father in front of her eyes. Maybe she associated William with him, somehow. Maybe that bond was the only thing left for her. A bond with no meaning, even if she wasn¡¯t aware of it.


    ¡°What will you do with her?¡± said Claire.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± he grumbled.


    Everything took him back to Amanda; Claire¡¯s question had unearthed that memory again. He couldn¡¯t blame her, she might not put two and two together without the right context. But that didn¡¯t stop him from feeling bothered.


    He looked sideways at Eleanor. After saving her, he couldn¡¯t abandon her. She had become his responsibility. Nobody else had the time or the resources to take care of her in his stead.


    Desmond¡¯s legacy seemed destined to torment him until the very end. Because of him, he lost Amanda. Now, his daughter became barely a remnant of those painful moments. On the one hand, the kid reminded him of the family Amanda would¡¯ve liked to build. On the other hand, she reminded him that such a family would never exist.


    Eleanor needed none of that internal conflict. She needed someone she could trust, someone who provided her with affection and protection, someone who helped her recover both physically and mentally. William wasn¡¯t that person.


    He closed his eyes and cursed himself.


    ¡°Attention everybody! Form a line and head to the convoy, we¡¯ll leave soon!¡± a soldier¡¯s voice dragged him away from his thoughts.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    A group of soldiers approached the vehicles. Among them, he recognized that captain, Isaac. He also recognized the one who seemed to be the head honcho, with a flamboyant insignia on his uniform, which William couldn¡¯t identify.


    The civilians flocked to the vehicles, and William saw several familiar faces. Stella was almost at the front of the line, with two others helping her stand up. The young Ethan also wandered around, as well as the vast majority of the hospital¡¯s survivors.


    Two individuals in particular caught his attention.


    Julien was covered in bruises and dirt. They had him handcuffed, and a soldier held his arm tightly. They had obviously found out about the activities he had involved himself with, and it didn¡¯t seem like they appreciated it too much. On the other hand, that thug who used to accompany him, Logan¡­ He looked bad. He had an escort as well, in this case, a soldier and a member of the research team. His face was sunken, as if he was suddenly down to skin and bones, and he was disoriented, lost.


    It was comforting to know that those two miscreants were now under surveillance, but instead of being glad about it, William had a bad feeling. His intuition told him those two would still mean trouble. Besides, someone was missing. Jacobs was still out there, doing God knows what.


    An image of Jacobs¡¯ face materialized in his mind. He shook his head, trying to avoid getting infuriated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± he said, walking towards the vehicles, with Eleanor and Claire following him.


    ******


    ¡°Everything ready, captain?¡± asked Rowan.


    ¡°Yes, sir. The civilians have boarded the convoy, distributed across the designated vehicles. We¡¯ve also loaded all the non-expendable supplies. All that¡¯s left is loading the lab materials.¡± replied Isaac.


    ¡°Excellent. Have you updated the other teams with the info we got from Dr. Marcus this morning?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, sir.¡±


    Rowan still had doubts regarding the doctor, but if that info turned out to be true, it¡¯d be a relief for his men. Their supplies were running dry. If they meant to defend the evacuation point, they¡¯d need every resource they were able to collect. If Marcus told the truth, and there really was a stolen military truck near Saint Marie, loaded with weapons and ammunition, it could give them the slack they so much needed. Besides, he mentioned an apartment building where several survivors had been left behind. The transport helicopter had its limits, they couldn¡¯t afford to save everyone, but at least they could try and save a few more.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me¡­? Sir, we can¡¯t leave without the laboratory samples¡­¡±


    ¡®By now, Dr. Marcus should already be here. That means¡­¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of what I just said, Captain Isaac. We¡¯ll leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°¡­yes, sir.¡±


    ******


    The laboratory door emitted three rhythmical beeps before sliding aside, allowing them passage. Everyone was busy with the evacuation preparations. The vast majority of the military was assembled at the underground parking lot, leaving the rest of the building unguarded. If there was to be a golden opportunity, that was it.


    They just had to secure the queen samples and get in contact with Hades. PT-01 would ensure their safety, while Hades team secured the young queen and neutralized Rowan¡¯s men, who would be unable to respond accordingly due to lacking resources and personnel.


    The operation was one step away from its conclusion.


    They made their way through the multiple glass doors of the laboratory, heading for the sample room where Marcus had left the briefcase. Only two people remained at the lab, the ones tasked with gathering the last relevant documents and materials. They wouldn¡¯t be an obstacle.


    One of them emerged from the analysis wing. He wasn¡¯t carrying the briefcase, but a small box with hard drives, papers, and other items.


    ¡°Huh? What are you doing he¡ª?¡±


    *Bang*


    The silenced gun was barely audible. With a hole in his forehead, the man dropped like a rag, scattering the stuff he carried all over the place and causing a noisy ruckus. Heated steps were heard, and another man burst from a different door, with a worried look on his face. He didn¡¯t have the briefcase either.


    ¡°What was that!? R-Robert¡­!? What¡ª!?¡±


    *Bang*


    ¡®Marcus hasn¡¯t shown up to collect the briefcase yet, he¡¯s still in his office. Having access to the security cameras is a really convenient perk. I¡¯ll handle him later.¡¯


    ¡­


    The temperature dropped drastically when they entered the refrigerated environment of the sample room. On a table surrounded by shelves with hundreds of vials, they spotted the prized briefcase.


    As soon as they took a step forward, an arm coiled around their neck, and another one immobilized the hand holding the pistol.


    ¡®What¡­!? Who is it!?¡¯


    They immediately threw their elbow back, sinking it into the stranger¡¯s stomach, but it wasn¡¯t enough to break them free. They threw themselves towards the wall, crashing the back of their opponent against it. The grip around the neck weakened, allowing them to twist around and escape the chokehold, finally facing the attacker.


    It was a man. A kick to his right leg forced him on his knees. They saw him drag his hand towards his waist and bring out a pistol. With their own pistol, they opened fire, hitting their enemy¡¯s hand and making him drop the weapon. The man ran, attempting to find cover outside the sample room.


    *Bang*


    The bullet pierced the left side of his abdomen from behind. He stumbled and collapsed a few meters away from the doorway, in the middle of the lab, moaning in pain.


    Once their attacker was defenseless on the floor, they were able to calm down and identify him. It was Marcus. Something wasn¡¯t right. Marcus wasn¡¯t meant to be there. Starting to panic, they grabbed the briefcase from the table and rushed back towards the laboratory entrance. Their intuition told them to get the hell out of there. But not without finishing the job first.


    They aimed their gun at the whiny Marcus, when he pulled something out of his coat and flung it at the ceiling. It was a small glass vial, which shattered into pieces centimeters away from a gas detector. The lab lighting turned crimson red, and a security alarm resonated throughout the entire area.


    [WARNING: CHEMICAL SPILL DETECTED. INITIATING QUARANTINE LOCKDOWN. PLEASE, FOLLOW THE SAFETY PROTOCOLS.]


    The feminine voice of the emergency system looped over and over, hammering their head without rest. Without delay, they headed for the exit, ignoring Marcus. They could feel their heart rate accelerating.


    The card reader let out a beep, and a red light began blinking, refusing to accept their ID. The door didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all, that¡¯s for sure¡­¡± murmured Marcus behind them. ¡°You can¡¯t leave anymore¡­ I think it¡¯s an ideal occasion to have a chat, Elizabeth.¡±


    ******


    ¡°Marcus¡­! What have you done!?¡± said Elizabeth, pointing her gun at him. Her face was twisted in an irascible expression.


    ¡°Hydrogen cyanide¡­ Don¡¯t bother looking for the safety equipment¡­ I made sure to get rid of it.¡± while Marcus talked, Elizabeth covered her nose and mouth, left the briefcase on a nearby desk, and ran to a locker where they kept protective gear for the personnel. It was empty. ¡°Fuck¡­ I was hoping I didn¡¯t have to get this far, but I have no other choice¡­ I can¡¯t allow you to leave.¡±


    ¡°The cameras¡­! How did you get here!?¡±


    ¡°The colonel gave me access to the CCTV system. We injected false footage¡­¡±


    ¡°But, then¡­¡±


    Elizabeth went back to the desk with the briefcase. She inserted her ID card into the electronic lock, and it released an electric whistling, before unlocking with a sequence of clicks. She opened it, and her wrathful expression was replaced with incredulity.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always trusted your pragmatism and discipline too much, always expecting to have everything under control¡­ It made you vulnerable, Elizabeth.¡±


    She smacked the briefcase to the floor, and it landed some feet away from Marcus¡¯ position. As planned, there was nothing inside.


    ¡°You knew from the very beginning, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I had no way to be sure. How could I? Not all of us were involved with ZEUS, after all¡­ But, the more I think about you, the more obvious it gets. Let me guess, our marriage was a lure. ZEUS knew about my reputation, and they wanted me on board. Am I wrong?¡±


    Elizabeth looked away, and didn¡¯t answer his question.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity it was already too late by the time I noticed your venom.¡±

 CHAPTER 48 – CLEANUP

    The laboratory alarms had finally gone silent. However, the room was still sealed and bathing in crimson light.


    With great effort, Marcus crawled to the closest wall and laid his back against it. His head felt heavy. With all the ventilation systems blocked, the room was isolated from the outside. The gas couldn¡¯t get out. It wouldn¡¯t be long until the first symptoms of poisoning appeared.


    Elizabeth walked in circles. She wasn¡¯t stupid. She had probably reached the same conclusion as he did. Her pistol was no longer in her hands, since killing him would serve no purpose anymore.


    She sighed, approached an office chair, and sat down.


    ¡°You look quite calm for someone who¡¯s about to die¡­¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡±


    ¡°I admit it wasn¡¯t difficult to accept. I¡¯ve done bad things. Things I shouldn¡¯t have allowed¡­ I think I deserve to end like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­Evelyn, I suppose?¡± Marcus nodded. ¡°What were you even thinking? Your department tried everything they could on her, didn¡¯t they? Even after the Sting transformed her irreversibly. To turn your own daughter into a guinea pig¡­ And I¡¯m the monster here? Don¡¯t make me laugh, I don¡¯t feel like it.¡±


    ¡°I was desperate. Blind. I couldn¡¯t let her go. You wouldn¡¯t understand, Elizabeth¡­ After all, she wasn¡¯t your daughter.¡±


    ¡°I understand it, but I don¡¯t share the same opinion.¡± she made a long pause. ¡°This is precisely why I never bothered with emotional relationships. What for? They might be able to make you happy, but they can also corrupt you to the core. I¡¯ll pass. Let me tell you something: in comparison, I had it quite easy. A stable, balanced life, more money than I felt like spending, a job that allowed me to do something in humanity¡¯s benefit¡­ and zero familiar or emotional drama. What else could I ask for?¡±


    ¡°In humanity¡¯s benefit¡­? The cyanide must be affecting your brain already¡­¡±


    ¡°We just see things from a different perspective, Marcus. You¡¯re only taking the negatives into consideration. Controlling the Sting could change everything, and not necessarily for the worse. We could overcome those things forever. No need to eradicate them; we could coexist. With all the associated implications.¡±


    ¡°And you trust ZEUS to take such responsibility? You¡¯re out of your mind. Grant power to any single group or individual, and we¡¯ll self-destruct as a species. The stingers will be the least of our problems.¡±


    ¡°I never said I trusted ZEUS. However, the path they¡¯ve taken is headed in the right direction, even if the end goal differs.¡±


    ¡®Everyone is the hero of their own story, huh¡­?¡¯


    Elizabeth slid her hand into her coat and took out a mobile phone. Her fingers tapped on the screen, then stopped after a while. She brought the device to her mouth and began talking.


    ¡°To whoever is listening: we¡¯re carrying out an evacuation at Kurtis Tower, downtown, this evening. We have a helicopter, with vacant seats. If you¡¯re looking for help, this might be your last chance.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing¡­!?¡±


    ¡°And¡­ done.¡± she tapped some more on the phone, then left it on the table. ¡°Transmitting on loop, until this thing runs out of juice. Any radio in the city should be able to receive the message.¡±


    ¡®The more people show up, the more complicated the evacuation will be¡­ and the easier it¡¯ll be for ZEUS¡¯ mercenaries to carry out an infiltration. Seriously? You didn¡¯t have enough yet?¡¯


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? What did you expect, a last-minute redemption? I¡¯ll be consistent in my ideals. You placed a bet on your partners. I¡¯ll place a bet on mine. As simple as that.¡±


    Marcus clenched his teeth and pressed hard on the bullet wound on his left side, with jolts of pain coursing through his body. His head was spinning. He didn¡¯t have much time left.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve put an end to this when I had the chance¡­¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I wonder why you didn¡¯t. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I understand why you guys did nothing until the very last moment. You needed to buy time. But, now? Having both a weapon and the element of surprise? Are you stupid?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it¡­ I guess I did feel something for you at some point, Elizabeth. Something real, even if it ended up being completely one-sided. And Evelyn¡­ she also liked you, despite your rejection. Yes, maybe I am stupid indeed.¡±


    Elizabeth sighed and got up from her seat. After opening a cupboard, she rummaged around numerous boxes and containers and pulled out a whiskey bottle, already started. No matter how diligent she was, she clearly never abandoned her bad habits. Marcus didn¡¯t bother asking how had she managed to sneak it past the lab¡¯s security.


    She approached him and sat on the floor by his side. After taking a gulp directly from the bottle, she offered it to him. Marcus accepted it. The liquid burned down his throat, inducing a sudden coughing fit.


    ¡°Too strong for you?¡±


    ¡°A bit, yeah¡­¡±


    Elizabeth let out a snicker. Marcus couldn¡¯t help but notice her hands, something in them caught his attention. They were trembling.


    ¡°You know what¡­? It¡¯s ironic for me to say this, but I like your honesty. In the end, I suppose I do find something attractive in you¡­¡±


    ¡°Save the sarcasm¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary¡­¡±


    ¡°Sarcasm, huh¡­? Come on, pass the bottle¡­¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Marcus handed it to her. His own limbs had begun shaking as well. He felt nauseous, and his lungs slowly started gasping for air.


    The alcohol continued exchanging hands, over and over, until those hands were no longer capable of holding the bottle.


    ******


    ¡°Colonel! Has that transmission been authorized!?¡± exclaimed one of the soldiers accompanying Rowan.


    ¡°No, it hasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Sir, that voice¡­ It¡¯s Dr. Elizabeth, right!?¡± asked Isaac. ¡°She was the spy!?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it, captain. And it looks like she¡¯ll be an obstacle up until the very end. The worst might be yet to come! Focus, gentlemen! I want to see everyone back home in one piece!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!!¡±


    The prized briefcase vibrated on Rowan¡¯s lap with every pothole or curve the truck took.


    ¡®Marcus¡­¡¯


    Something had gone awry in the doctor¡¯s plan. Otherwise, that transmission would¡¯ve never seen the light of day. However, all the crucial pieces had safely abandoned the research center and were on their way to the evacuation point. The spy¡¯s identity had been revealed. ZEUS had lost precious time.


    The plan was working, for now.


    ¡®No, we can¡¯t let our guard down. Not until we¡¯re up in the air. Not with unpredictable factors at play.¡¯


    ¡°Hand me the radio, soldier.¡±


    ¡°Here, sir.¡± replied the man, giving him the device.


    ¡°This is Colonel Rowan. HQ, do you copy? Over.¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. We hear you, colonel.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re headed for the evacuation point, but it looks like ZEUS still has assets in the area. We should expect enemy resistance during the operation. How¡¯re the transports?¡±


    ¡°Understood, colonel. The transport squadron is already on its way, they¡¯ll reach the target position in approximately four hours. We¡¯ve also sent combat units to provide you air support, as agreed.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Four hours. That was the time they had. All they needed to do was reach the helipad of Kurtis Tower and wait. Conceptually, it wasn¡¯t a difficult task. They had the situation under control, right?


    Some decades back, he¡¯d have convinced himself of such a thing.


    ******


    The smell of fresh blood permeated the entire room around him and inundated his nostrils, causing his brain to shudder. The experience was liberating, aphrodisiac.


    ¡°You fucking wretches¡­ You had no other hole to hide in? Really? Have you learned nothing in all this time? Shit, there were better places, I¡¯m telling you¡­ You should have expected the puppy you kicked out from home to eventually find his way back¡­¡±


    Jacobs walked erratically around the room while monologuing. The cries of a man resonated against the walls, mixing intermittently with his own voice. Music to his ears.


    ¡°Such wild months they must have been, huh? Squirming around like rats just like everyone else¡­ Although you lot got high as kites on coke while doing it.¡±


    As he walked, he tripped on a body lying on the floor.


    ¡®Ricky, old bastard¡­ I should have stabbed you more, while you could still scream¡­¡¯


    Scornfully, he spat over the corpse that once was his boss, before facing the man whimpering nonstop in the middle of the room, tied to a wooden chair.


    Before approaching him, he turned his head around and looked at the entrance door. The sorrowful cries of the shamblers could be heard in the distance.


    ¡°I see you liked the spectacle so far.¡± he murmured, as if they could hear him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have more. But I won¡¯t be riddling this one with bullets¡­ No, I¡¯ll make this one sing instead.¡±


    ¡°P-Please¡­ M-Mercy¡­ Please¡­¡± begged the man.


    Jacobs stared at him, frowned, and crouched down in front of him.


    ¡°Mercy? Are you kidding me, asshole? Do you have any idea how much you guys gross me out? I spend god knows how many years dealing with drugs for you, you kick me in the balls by putting me behind bars, and now you expect me to have mercy?¡± Jacobs tapped the side of his own head with his index finger. ¡°This one doesn¡¯t forget nor forgive, man. There are some loose ends you just can¡¯t leave untied.¡±


    He slipped his hand under his jacket and pulled out some rusty pruning shears.


    ¡°Me, for example.¡±


    The shears closed over the flesh with a dull, wet sound; and the finger fell by Jacobs¡¯ feet, along with a splatter of blood.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaargh!!!¡±


    ¡°Screaming won¡¯t make it less painful. I¡¯d save the screams for later if I were you. You¡¯re still packing another nineteen fingers.¡±


    ¡°P-Please, no¡­!! Aaaagh¡­!!! I¡¯ll do anything¡­!!¡±


    Jacobs wished he could¡¯ve enjoyed the moment a bit more. The man¡¯s pleas awakened something addictive within him, a feeling of control, of being able to do whatever the hell he wanted with nobody to stop him.


    Unfortunately, for the shears, the pleas fell on deaf ears.


    ¡­


    After slipping away from the building, Jacobs headed for his next target. He knew the gang stored relevant supplies in a warehouse in the vicinity. Since those guys had managed to stay alive the entire time, the warehouse was also likely to still be up and running. If that was the case, they would no longer need its contents.


    It had been surprisingly easy. If he hadn¡¯t done it before, that was because the old world would¡¯ve never allowed it. But times had changed. There was no longer an organized system keeping people under control, there were no longer any laws stating what could and couldn¡¯t be done, there was no longer a barrier separating moral from immoral.


    That oppressive past had left a scar on his mind, the shadow of a hierarchical parasite keeping him at bay like a shackle. But now he felt free, freer than ever.


    However, that freedom could easily be ephemeral.


    The backdoor of the warehouse was locked. He kicked it several times, until the lock gave in, revealing a dark interior. As soon as he inspected the area with the beam of the flashlight, his eyes lightened up with enthusiasm.


    ¡®Yes¡­ This¡¯ll do.¡¯


    There were still parasites to get rid of. And if he let them roam freely, they¡¯d reproduce. They¡¯d thrive. They¡¯d return order to a world better off without it.


    ¡®An evacuation at Kurtis Tower¡­ It must be the military. Who¡¯s it gonna be otherwise? Only the military would have the necessary resources to set up an aerial evacuation in this place. And, if they¡¯re evacuating, that can only mean two things: either they are leaving with their tail between their legs, or they got what they wanted and they¡¯re triumphantly returning home¡­ What do I do? Stay put and watch? Go with them and end up behind bars again? Fuck all that. I¡¯m thinking of a much more entertaining option.¡¯


    ******


    ¡°[ZEUS] here. Over.¡±


    ¡°Hades here. We hear you, [ZEUS].¡±


    ¡°Nyx has failed. The transmission coming from the research center is proof of that. The samples must now be on their way to the evacuation point, and the enemy will be wary of future operations. Start the cleanup protocol.¡±


    ¡°Cleanup, sir¡­? We might still have time to attempt an infiltration at Kurtis Tower.¡±


    ¡°That task belongs to Prometheus.¡±


    ¡°Then, that means¡­?¡±


    ¡°You already have your instructions.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir.¡±


    The radio went silent, and HA-01 squirmed a bit on his seat. The cleanup order wasn¡¯t something they could take lightly. He would¡¯ve preferred to take a different approach, but he wasn¡¯t going to bite the arm that fed them.


    ¡°Get ready to jump into action, Hades.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± replied two voices behind him.


    He operated a series of switches and controls, and the vehicle¡¯s engine turned on, with a noisy roar that increased in volume until becoming deafening.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 CHAPTER 49 – BURDEN

    For most of the journey, the truck zigzagged and took sharp turns without rest. Occasionally, heavy objects collided with its sides, followed by hoarse cries, which sounded muffled and distant from within the vehicle. Although the back compartment lacked windows, they weren¡¯t needed in order to guess what was happening. The streets were surely infested with shamblers.


    Nora held Lilian¡¯s hand firmly. So small, so fragile¡­ Her sister¡¯s gaze was lost in the wall ahead, her head swinging from side to side following the vehicle¡¯s movement, making no effort to stay upright. Nora looked her in the eyes, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t find anything pleasant in those dark pits.


    The bond that united them was falling apart. Lilian didn¡¯t seem to be aware of her presence anymore. It was like trying to speak with an unconscious person. ?What could she possibly achieve? Perhaps all she hoped to do was comfort herself. She was right where she wanted to be: on her way home, with Lilian by her side, and surrounded by people willing to fight for their safety. However, she felt more vulnerable than ever.


    ¡®Lilian¡­ Can you hear me? Are you there?¡¯


    [*whispers*]


    ¡®Lilian, sweetie?¡¯


    [*whispers*]


    Holding the tears was no easy task, and her face must have contorted in a strange manner, since it caught the attention of the soldier accompanying them. ¡°Are you okay, miss?¡± he asked, observing her from the opposite side of the compartment.


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Must be the nerves.¡± replied Nora.


    ¡°Try to stay calm. You¡¯ll be safe soon. Is the girl alright? If I¡¯m not mistaken, you understand her better than anyone.¡±


    Nora shook her head.


    ¡°I see¡­ Come on, don¡¯t worry, I promise you¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is Captain Isaac, from Alpha team, talking to all units.¡± a voice emerged from the radio in the truck¡¯s cab. ¡°We have visual contact with the evacuation point. Charlie team, initiate the distraction maneuver. All the other units, stay in formation and get ready to secure the perimeter. Over.¡±


    ¡°This is Charlie.¡± said the vehicle¡¯s driver. ¡°Understood, Alpha. Initiating distraction.¡±


    Seconds later, the truck took a notorious turn to the left, after which it kept going in a straight line. They had changed direction.


    ¡®What¡¯s happening? Distraction¡­?¡¯


    ¡°Excuse me, is everything okay?¡± asked Nora.


    Something wasn¡¯t right, it hadn¡¯t been right ever since they left the research center. The other trucks carried a large number of civilian and military personnel. However, the only other people in Nora¡¯s truck were Lilian, and two soldiers, driver included. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence, that was for sure.


    She couldn¡¯t help but think that those soldiers had no reason to give her an explanation. Communication with those people was uncomfortable, as if they stood on the other side of a wall; but she had nothing to lose by asking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything¡¯s okay, so stay calm. We¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    ¡°You can tell her, Quinn.¡± said the driver, from the front of the truck.


    ¡°Are you sure, captain¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. What does it matter? It¡¯s better if she knows what we¡¯re doing. She¡¯s directly involved after all.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ You see, miss, we¡¯re going to take several laps around the perimeter of Kurtis Tower. We¡¯ll be the last ones to get there.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°The girl attracts those monsters. If we take her directly to the tower, our comrades won¡¯t have any time to secure the area before things start heating up. So, we¡¯ll take laps around the perimeter, and let them follow our trail.¡±


    He pointed at the truck¡¯s back door. Nora followed the finger with her gaze and saw what looked like a ventilation grate, across the entire upper section of the door.


    ¡°Ah¡­ T-Then, we¡¯re¡­ bait¡­?¡±


    As she spoke, the truck continued zigzagging, without slowing down, the inertia sometimes making them wobble on their seats.


    ¡°Hey, listen to me. We won¡¯t let you get hurt, okay? If we¡¯re doing this, it¡¯s to keep danger away from the others. But don¡¯t forget that you two are our main priority, we won¡¯t put you in danger either. We¡¯re all going to make it out of this, understood?¡±


    Shaking, Nora nodded.


    ¡°Good. Hang on tight and look after the girl. We¡¯ll be there soon, I promise.¡±


    She took her attention back to Lilian. Her hand, small and delicate, was frigid to the touch. She held it with both hands, in an attempt to heat it up.


    ¡®Lilian¡­?¡¯


    [*whispers*]


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    ******


    ¡°You heard that? We¡¯re close.¡±


    ¡°How long until they get us out? Is a helicopter coming?¡±


    ¡°Honey, it¡¯s over, it¡¯s over¡­¡±


    The compartment was cramped, there were too many people in there. At least, too many for William¡¯s liking, although he wouldn¡¯t even think of complaining at this point. They were all thrilled after hearing Captain Isaac¡¯s message, which made sense; the light at the end of the tunnel was finally visible.


    William, however, didn¡¯t feel relieved. He didn¡¯t bother keeping track of all the possible things that could still go wrong, it wasn¡¯t worth it. Whatever needed to happen, it¡¯d happen, and he¡¯d worry about it only when it did.


    Besides himself, another two people in the truck stayed in impassible silence. To his left, permanently glued to his jacket, Eleanor drew circles with her finger on the metallic surface of the seat. Her gaze was still lost, but at least she was doing something, no matter how trivial it was. To his right, Claire curled up in the compartment¡¯s corner, biting her nails.


    ¡®What¡¯s up with her? She¡¯s been doing weird stuff since yesterday¡­¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s got you so jittery?¡± whispered William.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Claire glanced at him, and left her nails alone. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t in the mood for talking¡­¡±


    ¡°Those nerves of yours are contagious.¡±


    Claire avoided looking at his face, and made a long pause. ¡°¡­have you ever thought that you don¡¯t deserve to be alive¡­?¡±


    ¡°What¡­? Are you actually asking that for real?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°Where is this coming from? You¡¯ve been sulking since we boarded the truck. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I feel like a burden, William. I can barely do anything useful for anyone. What¡¯s more, I end up causing trouble, but I somehow manage to slip out of every dire situation ever. I-I haven¡¯t earned it, I don¡¯t deserve it¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on, what the hell are you talk¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I-If I hadn¡¯t suggested the smoke idea, maybe the people who came with me wouldn¡¯t have died in that elevator; a-and if I had performed better when we were attacked at the apartments then maybe I could¡¯ve stopped that infected bastard from going back to the subway, and we wouldn¡¯t have needed to risk our lives in that nest, and we wouldn¡¯t have had to leave all those people to die; and¡­ and i-if I hadn¡¯t done what I did at the tower¡ª¡±


    William placed his hand on Claire¡¯s shoulder and shook her up a bit. ¡°Hey¡­ Hey!¡±


    As if taken out of a trance, her teary eyes finally decided to look back at him. They were overflowing with fear, but William wasn¡¯t sure what it was they feared. She hadn¡¯t noticed, but she had raised her volume as she rambled on, attracting curious and bewildered gazes from everyone else in the compartment. One of the soldiers approached them, swinging from side to side due to the vehicle¡¯s shaking.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ Yes, everything¡¯s fine.¡± said Claire.


    The soldier didn¡¯t look very convinced, but he accepted her reply and went back to his post at the front of the compartment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she continued, lowering her voice. ¡°There¡¯s a lot going on in my head.¡±


    William sighed. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not about being deserving or undeserving of living, okay? Life isn¡¯t a prize you have to earn. We all deserve to get out of this. You fucked up once or twice? Okay, you fucked up, can¡¯t do much about it now. We all make mistakes, damn it. I better not tell you about all the regrets I have. But you can¡¯t fall apart because of it. Especially now, you get it?¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±


    ¡°Focus on what you want to achieve. You have a goal in mind, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Claire nodded. ¡°Of course I have¡­ To go back to a normal life. I don¡¯t wanna keep going to bed fearing that I might not wake up the following day. I don¡¯t wanna keep watching the people I care about suffer. I don¡¯t wanna be left alone again¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep your eyes on all that. Until we¡¯re out of this city, don¡¯t think about anything else, alright?¡± William laid back against the wall and made a pause. ¡°At least you¡¯re clear about it¡­ Take advantage of it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind¡­¡±


    ¡®It¡¯d be great if I could lecture myself the same way I just lectured her. A goal¡­¡¯


    He looked at Eleanor by his side. Any shred of affection he might have towards her was fake, hypocritical. Maybe that kid could somehow occupy the void in his heart, become a purpose to follow; but he¡¯d be fooling himself. He was driven by self-preservation, by the desire to protect his own sanity, and nothing else. A personal interest that had nothing to do with her.


    Once again, he cursed himself.


    ******


    As soon as the truck¡¯s back door opened, Claire regretted having tucked herself at the back. The last thing she wanted was to be the first one stepping out of the vehicle, but she couldn¡¯t disobey the soldier urging her to get out. With a small jump, she got down to the asphalt. She stepped aside to leave room for the others, and faced the front of the truck.


    Kurtis Tower stood like a monolith in the middle of the city. Row after row of windows, too many to count, all the way to the skies above. Claire shuddered before the imposing structure.


    ¡°You¡¯re shaking again.¡± said William, beside her. ¡°It¡¯s obvious you don¡¯t like this place.¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­ I-It¡¯s just¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, everyone out!¡± Captain Isaac began yelling, jogging among the trucks. ¡°All civilians, regroup in front of the building¡¯s main entrance! Everyone else, prepare a defensive perimeter as agreed! Everything must be ready before Charlie team arrives!¡±


    The soldier who opened the door for them gave several taps on Claire¡¯s shoulder while pointing at the tower¡¯s entrance. ¡°You heard the captain! Come on, come on, we have no time to lose!¡±


    Claire¡¯s legs moved on their own. Forming a disorganized line, the civilians marched towards the tower, while the military ran all over the place, carrying all kinds of boxes and equipment.


    After going up a ramp, Claire had a better visual of the entrance. The path to the building was bordered by flowerpots and gardens long ago consumed by weeds. Sunlight twinkled through the grass, reflected off innumerable glass shards from the ground floor windows. There were barely any intact glass panes in the entire perimeter, and the main doors were no exception.


    Nothing had changed.


    A group of soldiers had gone ahead of the rest, and stood in front of the dark opening that was the entrance. They seemed to be looking at something, and debating about it, but they were too far away to discern what it was. One of them separated from the group and began running in the direction they came from.


    Someone passed by Claire¡¯s side, going up the ramp in long strides. It was Captain Isaac.


    ¡°Captain!¡± said the soldier approaching from the entrance. ¡°Trouble!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡±


    ¡°We found this, sir! Looks like a diary. It was placed right in front of the entrance door, the person behind it must have left it as a form or warning.¡±


    Claire¡¯s blood ran cold.


    ¡°What kind of warning¡­?¡±


    ¡°Look here, sir¡­ And here¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go inside¡­ Infested with shamblers!? Shit¡­! It¡¯s a nest!?¡±


    ¡°Damage to the area is severe, sir. It¡¯s feasible that a horde might have entered the building at some point.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s why we stopped detecting human activity here¡­! Damn it, this makes everything harder! I¡¯ll put together an additional team in order to clear a path to the rooftop! Soldier, report to Colonel Rowan at once!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Great¡­¡± whispered William, who also heard the conversation. ¡°I knew there¡¯d be more trouble ahead of us.¡±


    Claire grabbed his arm. William looked at her, frowning in confusion.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m scared¡­¡± her words came out in an almost imperceptible voice. ¡°W-William, I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    He took a deep breath. ¡°If you don¡¯t speak clearly, I won¡¯t get a thing. Scared of what? Is it related to what we discussed before? About being a burden?¡±


    ¡°¡­c-can¡¯t go in there¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I d-did this.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±


    ¡°The shelter¡­ I-It¡¯s my fault¡­¡± Claire began sobbing, which gave her hiccups, interrupting her words. ¡°The s-shamblers¡­ I let them in¡­!¡±


    The people surrounding them, already worried about the current situation, must have heard some of what she just muttered, since they gave her puzzled looks and started whispering among themselves. William noticed and yanked at her, pulling her aside.


    ¡°Hey¡­! Lower your voice!¡± he said. ¡°The hell are you saying¡­!? Is that true!?¡±


    Unable to contain the tears sliding down her face, Claire nodded.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what to think¡­! There were m-many innocent people there¡­ They¡¯re all d-dead¡­ because of me¡­! I d-didn¡¯t want to come back here¡­!¡±


    ¡°You did it for Nora and Lilian, didn¡¯t you¡­?¡±


    She nodded again. ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of a-anything else¡­!¡± her cries intensified.


    ¡°Attention, all civilians! This way! We need to go up at once!¡± shouted a soldier from the entrance, waving his arm.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s not the time for this. You¡¯ll think about it later, we need to move!¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­! I can¡¯t! I don¡¯t wanna go in there! What if something happens again because of me!? W-What if¡ª!?¡±


    He grabbed both of her shoulders and shook her vigorously, causing her to gasp in surprise.


    ¡°Focus, damn it! You¡¯re not alone¡­ okay!? You¡¯re not the only one responsible for whatever happens! If something goes awry, we¡¯ll all be at fault¡­ And we¡¯ll all work together to overcome it. Understood?¡±


    Her wide-open eyes were fixated on William¡¯s face. Somehow, she had stopped crying.


    ¡°Understood or not!?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Hey, you two! Hurry, there¡¯s no time!!¡± the soldier yelled at them.


    William gave her a gesture, prompting her to accompany him, and began jogging towards the tower¡¯s entrance. Without hesitation, Claire went after him. She didn¡¯t have to make the conscious decision of walking; her body had gone on autopilot. To be honest, it was better that way, her mind was in no condition to be making decisions.


    She couldn¡¯t get it out of her head: she was a murderer. She had killed innocent people. Not accidentally, not indirectly¡­ but in an intentional, direct manner. To save Nora and Lilian? To save her own skin? To stop Julien and his goons? It didn¡¯t matter. She couldn¡¯t find a reasonable justification for what she had done.


    She wished she could¡¯ve found a better solution. Over and over, she had tried to forget what happened, to sweep that awful memory under the rug and never uncover it again. However, she knew she¡¯d eventually have to face her deeds.


    To her dismay, that moment had arrived.

 CHAPTER 50 – ANARCHY

    ¡°Be careful with her, watch the step.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry.¡± said Nora. ¡°Come on, Lilian. Get down.¡±


    Lilian dropped her entire weight on top of Nora, making her stumble backwards. With a slight huff, Nora got her down from the truck.


    A dense mist flooded the streets, almost completely hiding anything more than three meters away; it was the same kind of white smoke she had seen back at the hospital. Beyond the fog curtain, the gigantic black silhouette of Kurtis Tower stood out in the sky.


    ¡°Come on, we have no time to waste! There¡¯s no going back now!¡± said the captain as he got out of the vehicle. ¡°Watch your step, miss! Our comrades have placed explosives on the streets leading to the tower. Follow our steps, and stay away from any suspicious object you spot on the ground.¡±


    ¡°U-Understood¡­¡±


    The captain grabbed the radio while giving signs to his partner. ¡°This is Charlie! We¡¯ve reached the boundary of the explosive field! We¡¯re approaching the evacuation point on foot! Over!¡±


    Nora advanced blindly, dependent on the soldiers leading the way. Her left hand didn¡¯t let go of Lilian for an instant, pulling at her with gentle determination, prompting her to follow her closely. If she lost sight of her, it might as well be impossible to find her again in the mist.


    From time to time, they passed in between small square-shaped objects fixated on the road¡¯s asphalt. Packages with numerical codes, with several wires protruding from them and laid out on the ground, disappearing in the tower¡¯s direction.


    Although Nora was unaware of the exact nature of those objects, she knew the slightest spark could cause a disaster down there. The military had spared no expense.


    There were some steps nearby. Soft, timid. Both soldiers raised their weapons and scanned their surroundings, spotting a lone shadow approaching them.


    ¡°H-Hello¡­!? Anybody there!?¡± said a female voice from the mist.


    ¡°Halt!! Identify yourself or we¡¯ll open fire!!¡± shouted the captain.


    ¡°N-No¡­! Wait, please, don¡¯t shoot!! I heard something about an e-evacuation¡­!¡±


    ¡°Stay where you are!¡± the captain grabbed the radio again. ¡°This is Charlie! We¡¯ve found a survivor in the area, she¡¯s been lured by the evacuation transmission! Over!¡±


    ¡°This is Alpha. Let her in, Charlie.¡± said a voice on the other side of the radio. ¡°She¡¯s not the only one, others have arrived. We¡¯re grouping them up on the middle floors, we¡¯ll perform a quick inspection before letting them ascend to the rooftop.¡±


    ¡°Can we even get them all out!?¡±


    ¡°Colonel¡¯s orders.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Alpha.¡± he got his attention back to the silhouette. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Stay close!¡±


    Swift on her feet, the figure of a woman joined the group. ¡°T-Thank you!¡±


    The closer they got to the building, the more visible its crystalized fa?ade became, but Nora couldn¡¯t stop to contemplate it. She had other things in mind, like the strange noises she was perceiving in the distance. Many voices in unison, as if the entire city mourned the departure of a loved one.


    ¡®How much time do we actually have¡­?¡¯


    ******


    ¡°Contact! A group in the corridor on our nine!¡± said Isaac, opening fire on the stingers.


    ¡°Reloading!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more ahead, watch out!¡±


    ¡°This is Echo, floor forty is clear! We¡¯ll seal it up and ascend to your position, Alpha!¡± said another soldier on the radio.


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    The sound of gunfire boomed around the hallways, along with the weapon¡¯s clatter, the clanking of bullet casings on the floor, and the stingers¡¯ mumbling.


    There was no time to clear the entire building. They had left the civilians in a safe zone on floor thirty-four, and they focused on clearing only the upper floors. Unfortunately, that was where most of the stingers were concentrated. The commotion would agitate the nest, but it¡¯d be a gradual process. They had to take advantage of the surprise factor and sweep it clean in one go.


    He pulled the trigger, and neutralized the last targets remaining in the hallway. There was silence. With the rifle¡¯s barrel still steaming, he sharpened his hearing. No footsteps were heard, and no movement was detected.


    He lowered his weapon and went back with the rest of the team.


    ¡°That seemed to be the last one. Jameson, seal the stairwell¡¯s door, block it with whatever you can find! Erik, with me! We¡¯ll keep going up!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± they replied.


    The team retraced their steps to the stairwell.


    ¡°This is Alpha! We¡¯re ascending to floor forty-one! Echo, forty-two is yours!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Alpha!¡±


    There were still ten more floors to go. They advanced at a good pace, but any setback could jeopardize them. The transport helicopters would arrive in barely an hour. They had to hurry.


    Isaac heard a voice on the radio. ¡°This is Captain Ray, from Foxtrot team, talking to all units! Stingers approaching Kurtis Tower from all directions! I repeat, stingers approaching Kurtis Tower from all directions!¡±


    ¡®Shit¡­! Already!?¡¯


    ******


    He could see them already. Beyond the cloud of inhibitor gas, a myriad of silhouettes dragged their feet towards the tower. Counting them was an impossible task. Dozens, perhaps hundreds. Ten minutes later they¡¯d be innumerable.


    ¡°This is Colonel Rowan. Foxtrot, initiate the defense protocols.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir!¡± replied Ray, before switching frequency. ¡°Attention, Foxtrot! Everyone get into position and get ready for combat!¡±


    He headed to his post on the window. Three different streets converged on Kurtis Tower. Three sides to defend, and hundreds of targets drawing closer on each of them. They might¡¯ve been able to keep the position if they had more available personnel and resources. However, with just three soldiers per side, all they could do was buy time, delay the inevitable.


    He fixated his gaze on the road. The flood of shadows began filling it up, leaving not a single gap in sight.


    ¡°Ready for detonation¡­ Hold it¡­ Hold it¡­! First line, now!!¡± he said, ducking behind cover.


    A second after giving the order, a sequence of deafening explosions shook his eardrums. The resulting shockwave pushed a large gust of inhibitor gas inside the building, making every single window rattle violently.


    Ray got up and assessed the situation. The explosion had dissipated some of the mist in the street. The asphalt had disintegrated from side to side, creating a severe pothole, and spreading corpses around the area. The explosives were loaded with flammable material and, in consequence, fierce flames devoured the detonation point and belched a thick black smoke. Ray soon perceived its acrid smell.


    The first rows of stingers refused to penetrate the fire, but the horde preceding them pushed without rest, making them trip on the pothole, covering it with their bodies and mitigating the flames. In a matter of minutes, the stingers resumed their advance.


    ¡°Attention¡­! Second line, now!!¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    He ducked, and there was another round of explosions, closer than the previous ones, followed by the sound of shattering glass on the lower floors.


    He got back up. A new pothole had appeared from side to side, but Ray noticed how it was getting covered with bodies faster than the first one.


    ¡®They¡¯re speeding up!¡¯


    Alarmed by the mass murder of their own kin, the stingers began getting irritated, and their lethargic moans became a plethora of growls and gurgles. Many kept tripping over, but some of them were now reacting in time before getting buried by the others, and stood back up, ready to resume the march.


    ¡°All units, fire at will!!¡±


    With cold sweat running down his forehead, Ray took position at the outer wall, along with the other two soldiers. High-caliber machine guns had been mounted on the windows. They had several boxes of ammunition, and he doubted they had enough time to burn it all. He took aim, and pulled the trigger.


    The weapons roared all together, and their thunderous, rhythmical thumping suppressed all other sounds.


    Aiming at the stingers in the front wasn¡¯t a necessity. Any casualty would slow down the horde. Burst after burst, a rain of fire fell on the crowd. Limbs got torn from their bodies, heads shattered, entire groups stumbled under the powerful blows and took others down with them.


    ¡°Captain, they¡¯re approaching sector three on the southern side!!¡± said one of his men on the radio.


    ¡°Attention, get ready for detonation of the third line¡­!!¡± ordered Ray.


    He located the last line of explosives on the road, barely some meters away from the ramps leading up to the building. The horde would reach it in seconds.


    ¡°Hold it¡­! Hold it¡­!!¡±


    ¡°S-Sir!¡± shouted the soldier to his right. ¡°Is that¡­ a truck!!?¡±


    ¡®What!? A truck!? What¡¯s he talking about!?¡¯


    He raised his gaze. Speeding down the street, plowing through the stingers in his way, a large vehicle was headed for the tower. A massive tanker truck. What was a tanker doing there? Where did it come from? Ray needed a second to react, and his heart skipped a beat as soon as he sharpened his sight through the smoke and the mist.


    There was no driver inside the cab.


    ¡°S-Stop that truck!!¡±


    The truck hit the tangled mess of bodies covering the potholes, shuffling from side to side and losing control.


    ¡°S-Sir, we can¡¯t¡ª!!¡±


    It trampled the low stone walls bordering Kurtis Tower, skidding over blood and guts, up the ramp. It tilted dangerously to one side, overturning towards the building, without losing speed.


    ¡°Retreat!!! Everyone get back, retr¡ª!!!¡±


    ******


    He couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter, he was overjoyed beyond belief.


    Jacobs accelerated, closely following the trail of destruction the gas tanker had left behind. All those shamblers were agitated, swinging their arms in his direction, attempting to grab him. However, the motorbike was small and fast enough to maneuver among them. Many had been knocked down by the explosion¡¯s shockwave, and those standing seemed to be confused, perhaps even scared.


    The fireball still remained, illuminating the city with an intense yellow light. The fa?ade of that side of the building fell apart, enormous pieces of rubble detaching from the heights, spilling onto the road like a landslide. Every piece of glass in the lower half of the tower and in the nearby buildings had shattered to pieces.


    The spectacle was daunting, mind-boggling. He couldn¡¯t have asked for a better result. It was a shame he couldn¡¯t enjoy it properly.


    He zigzagged around corpses and rubble, heading towards the cloud of burning fuel. The plan had gone swimmingly, but there were more things he needed to do. He wasn¡¯t satisfied yet.


    ******


    The building rattled from top to bottom, and chaos took hold of the room in the blink of an eye. William fell on his knees, surrounded by screams and unintelligible cries. The two soldiers escorting them found themselves overwhelmed.


    ¡°Foxtrot, come in!! Do you copy!!? What the fuck happened down there!!? Foxtrot!!!¡± shouted one of them on his radio, receiving no response.


    Come on, we have to go down!! Charlie¡¯s still down there!! The queen was with them!!¡±


    ¡®Nora¡­! Lilian¡­!¡¯


    ¡°B-But, the civilians¡ª!!¡±


    They ceased their bickering and listened to the radio. They must¡¯ve gotten some kind of transmission, but William was unable to hear it.


    ¡°Attention, calm down!! Calm down!!!¡± said the soldier, gesticulating wildly to catch the attention of the scared crowd. ¡°Everyone up!! We need to go up, now!! Come on, come on, come on!!!¡±


    Everyone piled up around the exit door leading to the stairwell, almost fighting each other to break through. The tremors shaking the building only aggravated the situation. The entire tower seemed to be on the verge of collapsing.


    ¡®What the hell was that explosion!?¡¯


    As he got up, Claire stumbled in his direction, open-mouthed and wide-eyed.


    ¡°W-William! Nora¡¯s still¡­ d-down there!!¡± she said.


    ¡°I know! Come!!¡±


    They rushed the door. The crowd had formed a giant mass, arguing among themselves and ignoring the soldiers¡¯ efforts to maintain order. William and Claire joined the group, shoved their way through, and accessed the stairwell. They intended to descend, when a shadow emerged from the lower floors and flew upstairs. For an instant, it made eye contact with them, before resuming its heated ascent with remarkable agility.


    It was those unmistakable eyes. Small, dark, and possessed by an inhuman glow.


    ¡°L-Lilian!!? Wait!! Lilian!!!¡± screamed Claire. She tried to grab Lilian¡¯s arm, but the girl scurried away before she had the chance.


    ¡®Shit! What¡¯s she doing up here, on her own!?¡¯


    ¡°No, no, no, no¡­! N-Nora would never let Lilian go alone!! We need to go down!! B-But¡­ we can¡¯t Lilian go like this!!¡± Claire¡¯s eyes began flooding with tears again, and she vigorously rubbed her head with one hand, about to pull her own hair out in nervousness.


    ¡°Calm down!!¡±


    ¡°How do you expect me to calm down!?¡±


    ¡°Go after Lilian, and take Eleanor with you!¡± ordered William. The kid was still clinging to him. She didn¡¯t seem to mind the explosion at all. ¡°I¡¯ll go down and look for Nora!¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­!¡±


    ¡°Listen to me!! What did I tell you before!? If something goes awry, we need to cooperate if we want to deal with it! Let me take care of Nora! Besides, you¡¯ll handle Lilian better than me!¡± Claire stared at him, trembling like a jelly. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her back safe and sound, I promise¡­! You hear me!?¡±


    After some seconds of hesitation, Claire nodded.


    ¡°Take Eleanor and go up! I¡¯m counting on you!¡±


    Claire crouched beside the kid and grabbed her hand.


    ¡°C-Come on, sweetie! You can¡¯t go with him now, come with me! It¡¯ll be much better up there! Come!¡±


    Eleanor didn¡¯t resist, and let go of William¡¯s jacket. As soon as she did, William ran downstairs. Luckily, none of the soldiers saw him go down. They must¡¯ve been too busy keeping the panic under control.


    It came as a surprise, but he didn¡¯t hesitate to jump into action. He thought he couldn¡¯t find a reason to move forward anymore, but his hot-headed side didn¡¯t share the same opinions. To be honest, it was a relief. Those impulses were everything he needed.


    He shook his head, cleared his mind, and plunged towards the lower floors, into the smoke column ascending up the stairwell.


    ******


    Nothing could drag Claire away from her internal conflict. Not the tremors coursing through the building, not Eleanor¡¯s weight on her arms, not the stale, bitter air coming from below faster than she could ascend. She didn¡¯t want to stop; she knew that, if she did, she might not have the courage to get moving again.


    With every step she climbed, a new memory came to mind. She remembered placing the alarms on the lower floors in order to lure the shamblers. She remembered the moment Liam noticed what she had done. She remembered pushing him down the stairs because he wouldn¡¯t let her go. She remembered the background screams while she attempted to convince a very confused Nora.


    Eleanor looked at her inexpressively, but Claire couldn¡¯t bring herself to reciprocate. Although William had trusted her with getting that child to safety, she lacked any kind of self-confidence. How did Eleanor and Lilian end up depending on her? Wasn¡¯t there a better choice?


    With those questions bouncing around in her head, she found herself in front of a door leading outside. It was open wide, and sunlight created a blinding curtain obscuring the outside. Without barely realizing it, she had reached the rooftop. A sudden painful sensation ran through her legs, almost making her lose balance, and all of the exhaustion took its toll at once.


    Panting, sweating, and fighting to catch her breath, she walked outside.


    ¡°Come on, this way, everyone!¡± one of the soldiers yelled from the metal stairs leading up to the helipad, a massive, elevated space occupying most of the rooftop. ¡°Stay away from the stairwells and stay calm!¡±


    Claire¡¯s gaze scoured the area. She found the person she was looking for, fairly hidden behind one of the air conditioning units scattered around the roof.


    ¡°L-Lilian!!¡± she said, rushing to her side. ¡°Lilian! Lilian, what happened!? Why are you here!?¡±


    Lilian stared at the floor, trembling, with teary eyes. She was terrified. Claire let Eleanor off her arms and, with caution, crouched beside Lilian.


    ¡°Lilian, sweetie¡­ Is everything okay? Where¡¯s Nora!?¡±


    In response, Lilian pinched the sleeve of her shirt.


    ¡®Shit, I think Nora might be the only one who can talk with her at this point¡­¡¯


    She stood up and hugged her. Lilian cuddled her and buried her face into Claire¡¯s chest.


    ¡®Oh god, she¡¯s so frightened¡­ Is it because of that explosion from earlier?¡¯


    While caressing her hair, she took a deep breath and scoured the rooftop again. The soldiers didn¡¯t seem to notice their presence, they were too occupied managing the civilians crowding around the helipad, shouting stuff on their radios, and running all over the place.


    ¡°Come on, Lilian, let¡¯s head that way. They must know you¡¯re here.¡± she said, giving her small, gentle pushes to prompt her to walk. ¡°Eleanor, you come as well, you can¡¯t sta¡ª¡±


    She saw something out of the corner of her eye, something disturbing. A new group of people had gotten to the rooftop. Most of them ran towards the helipad, but an unknown man stood still. He was looking at them. He had raised his arm in their direction. He was holding something. A small, dark object, overflowing with bad vibes. For a fraction of a second, Claire¡¯s perception appeared to slow down, and she felt her heartbeat hammering inside her head.


    It was a pistol. That man was pointing a pistol at them.


    ¡®Eh? What is it? W-Why is he¡­?¡¯


    Her body reacted on pure instinct. Holding Lilian with everything she had, she jumped aside, hoping to take cover behind the machinery.


    *Bang!*


    It had been quite some time since she last heard Lilian¡¯s voice.


    That wasn¡¯t how she expected to hear it again.

 CHAPTER 51 – SPARK

    The girl¡¯s reaction had been exceptional, he had to give her credit. The queen would be dead otherwise. A red stain spread quickly from her right shoulder, as her entire body convulsed. She opened her mouth as if to scream, but her organism seemed to shut down in response to pain, limiting the movements of her limbs and facial muscles. By her side, the girl with glasses yelled in distress.


    ¡°Over there!!¡±


    A rain of bullets fell on his surroundings, forcing him to take cover behind a ventilation unit. The military had taken positions around the helipad access point, and they wouldn¡¯t be making questions until he was either dead or incapacitated.


    They outnumbered him. Balancing the scales was a necessity.


    He took off his sweater, revealing a protective vest with several pockets. After checking the wind¡¯s direction, he extracted a small, metallic object from one of them, pulled the pin, and threw it overhead, towards the location where the soldiers were gathered.


    ¡°Grenade!!!¡±


    ¡°Take cover!!¡±


    Barely a second after the grenade hit the floor, a soft burst shook the rooftop. He took a quick glance at the enemy positions. A gas cloud, of a sickly yellowish color, had enveloped the area. A strong wind swept the heights, scattering it rapidly towards the opposite side of the roof.


    He readied his pistol, peeked from behind cover cover, and spotted the soldiers. At least four of them in sight, either on their knees or crawling on all fours, coughing. One of them clawed at his neck, struggling to breathe. Another one tried to cover his mouth and nose, in vain.


    *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*


    Their movements ceased.


    Among the corpses, oblivious to the gunshots, several civilians wandered aimlessly. The vast majority of them had fled towards the other side of the rooftop as soon as the shooting began, precisely where the wind had taken the gas. They stumbled around, overcome with powerful coughing fits. He didn¡¯t even bother opening fire on them.


    He turned on his radio. ¡°This is Prometheus. Cleanup initiated. Over.¡±


    ¡°This is [ZEUS]. Understood, Prometheus.¡± answered a voice on the other side. ¡°Hades is on its way.¡±


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    He could¡¯ve formulated the question he had in mind, but he chose not to do so. The absence of new orders was unsettling, and PT-01 could guess the reason.


    Something caught his attention. The queen stood on her feet and ran towards the stairwell. The girl with glasses followed her closely, dragging a small child with her. He raised his weapon, intending to finish the job, when a new volley of bullets forced him to take cover once again.


    ¡®Where is it coming from!?¡¯


    He looked up. In the helipad platform, two figures had taken positions on the floor. One of them was an arbitrary private. He recognized the other one: Colonel Rowan.


    He glanced at the stairwell door again. The girls had managed to slip away.


    ¡®With a wound like that, the Convergence signal must be spreading like the plague. Even so, I¡¯d rather finish what I started¡­¡¯


    Following the girls, other survivors who managed to escape the gas ran for the stairs, seeking refuge. Among them was a handcuffed man, dressed in a ragged suit.


    ¡®Julien¡­¡¯


    They had monitored him so much over his stay at Saint Marie that he ended up being too predictable. Selfish, impulsive, obsessive. PT-01 wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the stairs without catching a bullet or two, but maybe he didn¡¯t have to. With his left hand, he reached for the left side of his vest and pulled an unusual pistol out of its holster.


    He only needed a single instant. With his ordinary pistol ready, he emerged from his cover and opened suppressing fire on the helipad, forcing the military to hunker down. In that brief moment of respite, he aimed the other gun, and pulled the trigger.


    *Tac!*


    A second before Julien disappeared into the inner darkness of the building, a dart sank deeply into his back. PT-01 watched him fold in pain and attempt to reach the dart, although his handcuffs prevented him from doing so. PT-01 retreated behind the machinery again, just in time to avoid a new rain of bullets.


    ¡®Done.¡¯


    Concentrated inhibitor serum, designed for praetorian suppression. Although harmless for stingers, ZEUS¡¯ tests proved its toxicity for human beings. Cognitive degradation, which caused a lack of rationality and self-control, and the strengthening of impulsive behaviors. With such a high dose, the effects would be immediate.


    If Julien didn¡¯t kill the queen, he¡¯d at least wreak havoc.


    He watched as another two soldiers stepped out onto the rooftop, quick on their feet, and took positions close to the door.


    ¡®Reinforcements, huh? Clever dog.¡¯


    Those privates didn¡¯t worry him too much, but Rowan did. The colonel¡¯s reputation preceded him. It was well known he had ample years of experience before climbing the ranks. He wouldn¡¯t be an easy opponent.


    PT-01 waited patiently until the enemy made the first move. That crisis was too big for them. They were nervous, and more cornered than he was. After all, their stakes were much higher.


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    There were some long minutes of calmness, but not silence. The thunderous rumble coming from down below was a permanent reminder of the countdown reaching its end. The spark had been lit, and it propagated faster than anyone could handle.


    ******


    The red-haired woman collapsed in Isaac¡¯s arms as soon as he bumped into her in the stairwell landing. She was out of breath and caked in dirt. He recognized her instantly: Nora, the pseudo-queen.


    ¡°Hey! Are you okay!? What happened!?¡± asked Isaac.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ I d-don¡¯t know¡­¡± *cough* *cough* ¡°An explosion¡­ L-Lilian¡­!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the queen!? Where¡¯s the girl!?¡± the girl¡¯s absence was alarming.


    ¡°S-She went up¡­ Scared¡­¡± *cough* ¡°H-Help¡­¡±


    ¡°Jameson!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!?¡±


    ¡°Escort her to the rooftop, and look for the girl! If you find more civilians along the way, take care of them! And keep your eyes open, you heard the colonel¡¯s transmission! There¡¯s trouble up there!¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir!¡± Jameson approached Nora and offered her his shoulder as support. ¡°Come on, miss! We need to move!¡±


    ¡°Head for the stairs on the other side of the building! I don¡¯t know what happened down there, but I get the feeling this side is compromised¡­!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡®Damn it, Charlie, where are you guys¡­!?¡¯


    ¡°Come on, everyone else with me! Stay alert!¡±


    Isaac plunged downstairs, with the rest of the squad after him. With every flight of stairs he descended, a new gust of smoke blew in his face, and a new bad omen assaulted his mind.


    An unknown enemy had started a fight on the rooftop. There were casualties and wounded, but nobody knew exactly who was okay and who wasn¡¯t. They had lost track of the queen. Charlie and Foxtrot weren¡¯t responding. Something had exploded on the street and shaken up the entire building. The screams of a furious crowd could be heard coming from below¡­ In a matter of minutes, the situation had gone out of control.


    Isaac was taken aback by a suffocating feeling all the way up to his brain, and he held his breath when an abyss opened up by his feet. In front of him, half the stairway had collapsed along with the outer fa?ade, offering an unwelcome view of the city. The other half was covered with rubble, from which protruded a human arm. Military, judging by the clothes.


    ¡°Fuck¡­! Hey, hey!! Hang on!!¡±


    Isaac went down to the pile of debris and began unearthing the soldier, throwing concrete and steel fragments into the abyss. He managed to partially uncover the body, although both torso and head were trapped under a bulky boulder. No matter how much he pushed, it didn¡¯t budge an inch.


    His teammates observed him, sharing uncomfortable glances among themselves.


    ¡°C-Captain¡­¡± murmured one of them.


    ¡°I know. Fuck, I know! Damn it¡­!!¡±


    ¡®Charlie¡­ Foxtrot¡­¡¯


    He rummaged inside the corpse¡¯s pocket, and retrieved an ID badge. It¡¯d probably be the only one he¡¯d manage to recover.


    ¡®Private Quinn Bennett¡­¡¯


    He punched the wall and let out a frustrated scream.


    Taking a look outside, he assessed the extent of the structural damage. The fa?ade of that entire side of the building had plummeted down, and a flaming inferno consumed the lower levels, generating a column of smoke and hot air soaring upwards through the building. Below his feet, the stairwell was unusable, it had fallen apart almost in its entirety.


    Isaac stood up. He knew they had to leave as soon as possible, every second they stayed there was an unnecessary risk. However, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes away from the streets down below. He knew what he was witnessing. He had seen it before.


    He felt his heart sinking.


    In contrast to the intense orange light emanating from the tower, the city pulsated with that sickening blue color he so well knew. Thousands upon thousands of bright dots sped through streets and alleyways, climbing buildings and throwing themselves off rooftops and windows, in a frenzied dash on a beeline towards Kurtis Tower.


    ¡°Dear god¡­¡±


    He had found the crowd letting out all those screams. But it wasn¡¯t a mere crowd: it was the entire city.


    ¡°Shit¡­! Shit, shit, shit! Come on, we need to stop them from coming up!! To the other stairwell, hurry!!!¡±


    ******


    ¡°Uh¡­ This is Lucky-02. We¡¯re seeing unusual activity on the ground. Are you guys seeing it too?¡±


    ¡°This is Lucky-03. Affirmative, 02.¡±


    ¡°This is Lucky-01! We see it!¡±


    The pilot switched frequencies. ¡°HQ, this is Lucky-02. We¡¯ve got visual on the evacuation point, estimated contact in less than five minutes, but we¡¯re detecting unusual activity levels on the stingers¡­! Do we have any information on the status of our comrades down there?¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. We¡¯ve received a report about an active conflict at the tower, but the details are unknown. Lucky, what¡¯s the scope of the stinger activity?¡±


    ¡°The whole city is bright blue, sir¡­ Do you think¡­?¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged, Lucky. We¡¯ll try to re-establish contact with Colonel Rowan and his men, and obtain a situation report. It looks like we might be up against a new Convergence event. We¡¯ll proceed to mobilize all aerial assets in the region to bring you additional support. Hurry up, Lucky.¡±


    ¡°U-Understood, sir!¡±


    ¡°This is Jay-01!¡± said another voice on the radio. The pilot glanced at the combat helicopter following them on the left flank. ¡°Did I get that right!? Shit¡­! A fucking Convergence!? Seriously!?¡±


    ¡°This is Lucky-01! Isn¡¯t this a golden opportunity!? The boys won¡¯t believe it if we actually survive this crap and end up saving the world!¡±


    ¡°This is Lucky-03. Try not to shit yourself from the excitement, 01.¡±


    ¡°This is Jay-02. Stop with the nonsense and focus on the mission. Contact in three minutes. Jay-01, keep your eyes on the ground, those damn monsters must be climbing the building¡¯s walls. Lucky, get ready to¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is Jay-01! Unidentified objects approaching from the east!! Evasive maneuvers¡ª!!¡±


    The radar hadn¡¯t detected a thing. Guided only by his senses, the pilot looked at the left flank, in time to spot several brilliant objects drawing closer at high speeds. Jay-01 plummeted down, leaving behind a cloud of decoy flares. The pilot imitated them with sweaty hands, initiating a vertiginous descent.


    One of the objects collided directly with Lucky-01. Through the front window, he observed the transport helicopter getting devoured by a fireball. Shards and metal fragments flew in all directions, impacting his own Lucky-02 aircraft and destabilizing it.


    ¡°Aaaagh¡­!!¡± his teeth were grinding as he tried to keep the vehicle under control.


    ¡°This is Lucky-03!! We¡¯ve been hit!! I repeat, we¡¯ve be¡ª!!¡±


    As the helicopter spun around over and over, the pilot saw a new explosion over one of the nearby buildings. The Lucky-03 helicopter¡¯s propellers scattered like a shrapnel bomb, annihilating a large portion of the street, and burning debris fell onto the stinger flood sprinting restlessly down the road.


    ¡°This is Jay-01!! HQ, we¡¯re being attacked with missiles by an unidentified aircraft!!¡±


    ¡°This is Jay-02!! Lucky-02!! Are you okay!!?¡±


    ¡°This is Lucky-02¡­!!¡± the helicopter began stabilizing, dangerously close to the buildings. ¡°We¡¯re stable!¡±


    ¡°Take cover among the buildings and head to the evacuation point!! Take a detour, stay out of the enemy¡¯s reach!!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Jay!!¡±


    ******


    ¡°This is Hades. Enemy contact, initiating combat. Over.¡±

 CHAPTER 52 – IMPULSES

    Nora entered the cubicle and curled up into a ball underneath the desk, holding her head with both hands. With needles stabbing her brain, she could pass out at any moment. Her vision turned blurry, and she had chills all over her body.


    After the explosion that almost made her plummet down into the void minutes before, she was overcome by intense dread. A primitive, feral, and most importantly, foreign fear. Lilian¡¯s emotions invaded her consciousness and made her feel things she shouldn¡¯t be feeling.


    Now, that fear had turned into unbearable pain. She was still gripped by terror, but this time it was her own. Something terrible must have happened to Lilian.


    She wanted to go up after her. She had to do it. It was a shame she couldn¡¯t.


    The commotion finally subsided, and with it, the screams. All that was left behind was deep, raspy panting. A voice reeking of hostility. Nora covered her nose and mouth as soon as she perceived the disgusting smell of freshly spilled blood.


    Who was it? Where did they come from? All she remembered was walking up the stairs along with some more people, following a soldier. Then, someone opened fire on them. Her clouded senses could only distinguish a sudden fuss, and her legs ran on their own.


    ¡°I saw you coming in here¡­ Stay where you are, it¡¯s better that way¡­¡± said the stranger¡¯s voice, followed by a chuckle.


    That man¡¯s voice sounded familiar, although she didn¡¯t need to identify him to understand she mustn¡¯t let him spot her under any circumstances. His steps, heavy and calculated, reverberated around the office, stopping every so often at regular intervals. Nora felt her own heartbeat inside her head. Barely breathing, she waited.


    ¡°Aaaaah¡­!!! No, please!! Noooo¡ª!!!¡± a man¡¯s screams filled the room.


    A dull sound cut the screams short, and the smell of blood intensified. Whatever it was that happened, it was close by.


    ¡°There was another one, huh? Doesn¡¯t matter, I know you¡¯re around here¡­¡± said the stranger. His steps approached Nora¡¯s position, somewhere behind her back, and passed her towards the other side of the office. ¡°I know who you are, bitch. I always remember faces. You¡¯re the one sticking with that brat. Just as I imagined, you guys are here. Fuck, you have no idea how much you made my day.¡±


    ¡®I can¡¯t stay here¡­ I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯ve got to run¡­!¡¯


    The building shook again. The explosion at the street must¡¯ve significantly weakened the structure. Furthermore, a strange ruckus boomed nonstop from below. She could make use of that background noise to mask herself.


    With a knot in her stomach, and fighting to not faint from the pain, Nora left the cover of the desk and peeked outside the cubicle. Both sides of the corridor were clear. She gulped, and began dragging herself on all fours in the direction opposite to the steps, which continued drifting further away from her position.


    Not stopping to think or hesitate, she crawled, leaving behind a cold trail of sweat drops. The cubicles should keep her hidden as long as she didn¡¯t stand up.


    She reached the office wall and got out of the corridor separating the cubicles, seconds before those ominous steps began coming back in her direction. Was she still safe? Had he seen her? She had no way to know. Looking forward, she spotted the office exit door, wide open, some meters ahead. She kept crawling.


    ¡®Come on, come on, come on¡­¡¯


    She was close. Two meters. One meter. Within arm¡¯s reach. Nora¡¯s fingers closed around the doorframe and, for an instant, she took a breath before continuing.


    The steps stalking her accelerated, increasing rapidly in volume and proximity.


    Acting on instinct, Nora stood up and leaped through the exit door, slamming it on her way out. A moment later, an arm holding a bladed weapon pierced the door¡¯s glass window, shattering it, and missing her face by an inch.


    She screamed and bolted down the corridor.


    On both sides, numerous shelves full of books and folders adorned the walls. As she knocked one of them down, blocking the hallway, she saw the office door swinging open, revealing an unhinged-looking bearded man.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, damn it! Fight! Struggle!¡± he said, walking towards her.


    ¡°Stay away from me¡­!! A-Aaah¡­!! Help!!!¡±


    Her entire body hurt, and the stabs harassing her brain made her lose balance after every step. She stumbled towards the stairs. She needed to get to safety, she needed to find someone. Was she going in the right direction? Her vision was blurry, unclear.


    The steps behind her drew closer and closer.


    She saw what she thought was the doorway to the stairwell, when an acute burn manifested in her left arm, followed by sharp pain, and the feeling of something cold and hard diving into her flesh. Something metallic. Her body twisted by reflex, a chance the burly man used to ram her, easily knocking her over.


    Nora yelled in pain. It was the only thing she could do, no actual words came out, nothing she could use to beg for her life. As if such a thing would do her any good.


    The man crouched beside her and extracted the knife, intensifying her agony.


    ¡°Not bad, not gonna lie. Let¡¯s see, for you, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    Another set of steps rushed them. Nora squinted, in time to spot a dark shadow looming over. Something crashed directly against her aggressor¡¯s face, throwing him a good distance away.


    ¡®W-Who¡­!?¡¯


    Battling her pain, Nora sat up. The newcomer had fallen on top of her attacker and, while attempting to get a hold of the knife with one hand, delivered punch after punch to his face with the other hand.


    ¡°Nora!! Leave!! Lilian is upstairs, Claire is with her!!¡± said a very familiar voice.


    ¡°W-William¡­!?¡±


    The man on the floor grunted and clawed at William¡¯s face, as if intending to gouge his eyes out. William caught the hand and continued struggling.


    ¡°Aaah¡­! W-Wait, I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said get the fuck out!!¡±


    Despite loathing the idea of leaving William alone, she ran. Lilian needed her.


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    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­! Please, be careful!!¡¯


    The environment passed in front of her eyes like a blurry fog, but she managed to reach the stairwell. With trembling steps, she began her ascent.


    How far had Lilian gone? Was she at the rooftop? What happened to her? Ever more negative thoughts crossed her mind as she anxiously observed the plaques with the floor numbers. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty¡ª


    A figure emerged from the shadows of floor thirty and stood in her way.


    ¡°Aaah, Nora¡­¡±


    She felt that voice gripping her heart and squeezing it with rabid violence, draining it dry of blood.


    ¡®N-No¡­ No, please¡­¡¯


    ¡°Fuck, m-my head hurts¡­ Come, w-we¡¯ve got things to do¡­¡±


    The man grabbed her hand. Nora failed to react until those cold fingers closed tightly around her wrist. They were hurting her, as they had done many times before. Panic gripped her.


    ¡°N-No¡­!! Let me go!! Let me go!!! Stay away from me!!!¡±


    The man grabbed her neck with the other hand and stepped closer to her, staring at her face. What a stinking breath. His pupils had dilated, and they didn¡¯t seem capable of focusing on anything in particular, they spun around, driven by involuntary twitching.


    However, Nora didn¡¯t find him any more disgusting than usual. Logan¡¯s appearance was now as monstrous as his own soul.


    The hand tightened around her throat, causing her to wheeze.


    ¡°Nora, bitch¡­ W-What did I say about complaining¡­? Huuh¡­? C-Come on¡­ This way¡­¡±


    Nora¡¯s breathing began failing and becoming unstable once again, as the clearly deranged Logan took her out of the stairwell and dragged her towards the floor¡¯s insides.


    ******


    The walls pulsated and whispered things in his ears, things he didn¡¯t want to hear, things he didn¡¯t want to think about. The steps vibrated under his feet, threatening to shrink or sink into the stairs to make him lose balance. One of them succeeded, and Julien stumbled, rolling downstairs until coming to a full stop at the landing, in front of an open door.


    Several people came out to meet him, murmuring things in an unfamiliar language. Their faces contorted in apparent disgust, and they kept shaking their heads. Some of them screamed.


    Why were they screaming? What gave them the right to scream? They had no idea.


    Thinking hurt.


    Nobody could be suffering as much as he did. It wasn¡¯t possible. They had no idea.


    ¡®Curse you¡­ Silence¡­ Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up¡­¡¯


    They grabbed him from the floor and took him somewhere. Everything spun around, too fast to see it clearly. A sharp cramp went down his back when one of those people pulled out something he had been stabbed with.


    How dare they? It didn¡¯t matter he was stabbed with it, it belonged to him. Was it envy? He was fed up, fed up with everyone envying him. Everyone wanted to take away what was his. Everyone wanted to take advantage of him. Everyone wanted to benefit from that which was rightfully his.


    ¡®Fucking opportunists¡­¡¯


    They helped him stand up. Was he standing up? He was unsure. For a moment, the wall seemed to be the floor, and the floor was the ceiling, and the ceiling was the wall. He gulped. His saliva had a revolting taste. He looked at the people surrounding him, attempting to make sense of their faces.


    ¡®Hold on¡­ Those two¡­ I know them¡­¡¯


    They were the only faces he recognized in the entire room. Small, scared, and treacherous. The one with the glasses stared back at him, with bloodshot eyes. Why would she get in the way? Why wouldn¡¯t she leave him alone? Everything was her fault.


    The little one was all he needed. Was that too much to ask? Why was she over there? Why wasn¡¯t she by his side? He needed her. Everything hurt. He needed her urgently. It wouldn¡¯t stop hurting until she belonged to him. He needed the girl. He needed her blood. He needed her entrails. He needed her skin. He needed her. He needed her. He needed her. He needed her¡ª


    ******


    Horrified, Claire took several steps back as soon as Julien began screaming. He howled like a savage animal, all while keeping aggressive visual contact with her, taking long strides in her direction.


    ¡°H-Hey¡­!! Hey!!! Take it easy!!!¡± said one of the survivors, standing in his way and grabbing his arm.


    Julien snapped in his direction, and his whole face became beet red, as if all of his blood decided to rush up to his brain. Not saying a word, he lifted both hands, still connected by handcuffs, and smashed the man¡¯s head.


    Surrounded by panicked screams, Julien yelled maniacally while mauling his victim with the handcuffs, soon tinted in blood red. The man had fainted. Another two individuals approached Julien from behind and tried to hold his arms, but he continued assaulting the fallen one as if they weren¡¯t there.


    ¡°What are you doing!? Enough!!¡±


    ¡°Stop!!¡±


    Julien lunged at the man underneath him head-first, his teeth chomping on a big chunk of his face. The screams grew louder, and those trying to hold him let him go, stunned and confused.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s a shambler¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Help!! Where are the soldiers!!?¡±


    Claire was petrified. Julien stood back up, staring at her again. He was tinted red from top to bottom. His hands looked bad, several fingers had bent in angles they shouldn¡¯t have, one of them even had an extra joint. His mouth dripped blood nonstop, and Claire saw an unidentifiable piece of meat falling from between his teeth.


    However, nothing was as unsettling as his eyes. Not the eyes of a shambler, but those of a madman. Both human and inhuman. His pupils were unnaturally dilated, bottomless pits of blackness occupying almost the entire eyeball.


    ¡®S-Stay away from us¡­ Damn lunatic, stay away from us¡­! Leave us alone!¡¯


    Claire would¡¯ve wanted to yell those words to his face, but she couldn¡¯t speak. Her body had stopped trembling, as if all her strength was focused and on standby, aware of the danger.


    They began sprinting almost simultaneously. Claire pulled at Lilian with everything she had, and she followed her without resisting, while Julien tumbled from side to side along the hallway, showing his teeth and growling.


    ¡°M-Miss¡­ Claire¡­ Stop¡­ running¡­! S-She¡¯s mine¡­! The g-girl¡­ is mine¡­!!¡±


    Claire turned corner after corner, never letting go of Lilian¡¯s hand. She¡¯d rather not look back. She knew he was right behind them; she could hear him breathing and chattering.


    ¡®Come on¡­! I have to lose him¡­!¡¯


    She turned another corner and ran directly into a wall, with a single door on one side of the hallway.


    ¡®Shit! There¡¯s no exit!?¡¯


    With no other options, she headed inside, shoving Lilian along. She locked the door an instant before Julien crashed against it, making it shake on the hinges.


    A quick glance at the room, illuminated only through a tiny window, revealed it to be a storage for office supplies. Her ignorance about the upper floors had taken its toll. They were trapped.


    ¡°S-She belongs to me¡­!! Miss C-Claire¡­!!!¡± shouted Julien while pummeling the door.


    ¡°Go to hell!!¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­ U-Ungrateful meddler¡­ I-If it weren¡¯t for you¡­!¡±


    The blows became more and more savage with every word slipping from his lips. They were powerful and blunt, as if he were headbutting the door.


    ¡°I k-know what you¡¯ve done¡­!!¡±


    Those words made her blood run cold. She knew what he was talking about. He couldn¡¯t be talking about anything else.


    ¡°Shut up!! Leave me alone!!¡± Claire pushed her back against the door and secured her feet on the floor, with hopes of preventing Julien¡¯s ramming from tearing it off the hinges.


    ¡°You r-ruined everything¡­! Gone to w-waste¡­! B-Because of you¡­! You wretch¡­!!¡±


    A massive blow shook the door. The wood began giving way, and numerous splinters stood out from its surface. Another blow. A hand peeked between the splinters for some seconds, desperately looking for a way inside. Claire ducked in time to avoid a third charge. Julien¡¯s shackled arms burst a hole into the room, pulling a scream from Claire¡¯s lips, and waving in multiple directions before pulling back out.


    ¡°A-Almost done¡­ Done, done, done¡­ Y-You¡¯ll see¡­ It¡¯ll all be o-okay, I¡¯ll g-grab the g-girl, and it¡¯ll a-all be okay¡­ O-Okay¡­ Okay¡­¡± Julien¡¯s guttural grumbles seeped in through the hole.


    ¡®Oh, god¡­! What do I do!? I need something to fight back! W-What could I¡ª!?¡¯


    An even stronger blow rattled the door, and Claire was thrown forward. She yelled and covered her face with her arms, collapsing against a bookcase.


    The door was open.


    The lock had been twisted and torn by force from the doorframe. On the floor, bloody and beaten up, Julien made great efforts to regain his balance and stand back up. He wouldn¡¯t stop staring at her.


    ¡°I g-got you, m-miss¡­ I g-got you¡­! Don¡¯t you dare l-look at me with those eyes¡­! D-Don¡¯t look at me like that!!¡± he said, lunging in her direction. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare¡­!!!¡±

 CHAPTER 53 – RESOLVE

    ¡°I-I hate you¡­ Fuck, I hate you¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me go!! I don¡¯t want anything to do with you!! Let me go!!!¡±


    With a yank that nearly dislocated her shoulder, Logan knocked Nora down and proceeded to perch on top of her waist. He pinned her arms down with both hands. Nora squirmed and shuffled her legs, trying in vain to get him off her.


    She was terrified. Her body resisted on its own volition, but her reasoning had frozen. What options did she have left? Would someone else show up to rescue her again? Did anyone know she was there?


    ¡°W-Why¡­?¡± murmured Logan. ¡°Why did I have to end up like this¡­?¡±


    With strength bordering on inhuman, he put Nora¡¯s arms together over her head and held them down with his left hand, leaving the right one free. He caressed her hair, then her forehead, then he began touching her face. She shrieked and looked away, causing Logan to grab her cheeks and force her to stare at him. He squeezed tightly, pulling tears of pain from her.


    ¡°I t-thought this was everything I needed¡­ I had you good, you k-know¡­? Easy cash, without worries; and thanks to that lil¡¯ sis of yours, you were d-docile like a puppy¡­¡±


    His hand slid down Nora¡¯s body, towards her torso and waist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, you pig¡­!!¡±


    ¡°No, I see it now¡­ I was blind¡­ H-How did I not notice before¡­?¡±


    His hand climbed back up Nora¡¯s body, and stopped by her neck. Those icy fingers closed around her skin, and began gradually squeezing tighter.


    ¡°H-Had I never met you¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡®Oh, god¡­!! Help¡­!!!¡¯


    ¡°Had I never met you, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved with that b-brat¡­ And I wouldn¡¯t have gotten into this mess¡­ Fuck, I could¡¯ve been somewhere else, in a different city, a different country¡­¡±


    His fingers tightened up, sinking deep into Nora¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­you¡­ disgust me¡­!¡±


    Nora lost the strength in her arms and legs. Her struggles were pointless. Logan remained firm as a slab on top of her body, with his eyes piercing hers. He wasn¡¯t blinking, or breathing, he merely continued squeezing. Her head was spinning, and her vision became blurry, as a painful burning sensation flooded her lungs, growing stronger over time.


    ¡®¡­h¡­el¡­p¡­¡¯


    A new tremor shook the building, and Logan began murmuring to himself, whispers that in a matter of seconds escalated in magnitude, until they became anguished screams.


    ¡°¡­it hurts¡­ It hurts! M-My head hurts¡­!¡±


    The pressure immobilizing Nora¡¯s arms vanished, and her throat was able to take a breath, causing her to cough violently. Logan grabbed his own head with both hands, swaying it from side to side.


    She wouldn¡¯t have another chance. Mustering all of her remaining strength, she pushed Logan off her and kicked him in the chest, making him grunt and fall on his back.


    She wouldn¡¯t stop coughing. Using a table as support, she stood up. Her trembling legs seemed to lack the necessary strength to stand on their own without something to hold on to.


    Logan squirmed on the floor, still grabbing his head. For an instant, Nora¡¯s mind went blank. That man, who had so much tormented her, who for so long made her suffer, was now defenseless, exposed.


    Vulnerable.


    She dragged her gaze towards the objects on the table she was leaning on. There was a metallic desk lamp. It looked heavy. Breathing with difficulty, fighting the coughing fits, she wielded the lamp by the neck and faced Logan.


    Why was it so difficult? He was right by her feet. She could feel the lamp¡¯s weight on her hands. She only had to do one simple movement.


    ¡®W-Why¡­? Shit¡­! Why!?¡¯


    Her entire peripheral vision blurred out, she only had eyes for Logan. He was busy writhing on the floor, but somehow, his mere presence was crippling. Her limbs trembled, a chill travelled down her spine, her eyes became teary.


    ¡®Come on. Come on! Do it, you idiot!! Please!!¡¯


    ¡°N-Nora¡­ Noraaa! B-Bitch¡­!!¡±


    In an instant, Logan had stood up and jumped her. He knocked her over the table, with both hands on her neck, squeezing tight like he had never done before. In seconds, Nora¡¯s consciousness became cloudy again. She grabbed Logan¡¯s arms and attempted to free herself, but they were unmovable.


    ¡®Ah¡­ It¡¯s not worth it. I can¡¯t do anything.¡¯ She struggled to continue thinking. ¡®I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ Lilian¡­¡¯


    ¡­


    [Hurts.]


    ¡®Lilian!?¡¯


    [Fear. Hurts.]


    She was supposed to comfort her somehow, wasn¡¯t she? The same way she always did. But, what could she possibly tell her? What lie was she going to make up this time? Everything would be okay? She¡¯d soon be by her side? Who was going to believe that?


    [I know it hurts. Hang on. I¡¯m here.]


    ¡®¡­Lilian, I know you¡¯re suffering. Why are you worrying about me?¡¯


    [Norie also matters.]


    ¡®I also matter¡­?¡¯


    Perhaps she was right. She had gone out of her way to fight for others, but never for herself. Perhaps it was worth giving it a shot, at least once. If she didn¡¯t, she¡¯d be ignoring the only request Lilian had ever made to her directly in her entire life. Unforgivable.


    Yes, she had to give it a try. There was only a single obstacle in her way, whose weight remained on top of her, crushing her. Its claws still gripped her neck. How dared he? What gave him the right to get between the two of them?


    ¡®Let me go. Stay away. Get out of our lives!¡¯


    Nora¡¯s conscience was revitalized for a second, and she felt again the intense pain oppressing her chest. Instead of struggling with Logan, she felt around the table. Her hand closed around something solid. She crashed it against his head. The keyboard¡¯s keys flew in all directions, and Logan groaned in response, drooling.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    More. She needed more. She smacked him with some folder. Then with a pencil holder. He still wouldn¡¯t let her go. She grabbed one of the pens scattered over the table and stabbed his eye with it.


    ¡°Aaaaaagh!!!¡±


    Logan let her go and grabbed his face, crumpling against a filing cabinet and collapsing on his knees.


    Nora¡¯s perception became unfocused, disjointed. She saw herself kicking Logan and knocking him over face down. She saw herself holding the lamp again, and climbing on top of him. She saw something red.


    The sensation was familiar. She had done it before. She no longer remembered the context, but she remembered the force of those blows, the sound of shattering bone, the stench of blood.


    However, this time there was nobody to pull her out of her trance.


    ******


    Julien fell on top of Claire like a rabid animal, drooling a foamy mixture of saliva and blood. Claire grabbed the first thing she found on the floor, a plastic archive tray, and put it between Julien¡¯s face and her own. She kicked him in the stomach without mercy, in hopes of pushing him away.


    Ignoring the blows, Julien grabbed the tray and easily got it out of the way. He growled nonstop, and each growl pulled a new panicked squeal from Claire¡¯s lips. He placed his shackled hands on her torso and showed his teeth.


    Claire knew what was coming, and grabbed his face. She pushed with all her strength, but Julien¡¯s head drew closer and closer, unstoppable. He opened his mouth, eager to bite.


    ¡®Oh, god. He¡¯s gonna kill me. He¡¯s gonna kill me. I don¡¯t wanna die. I don¡¯t wanna die, I don¡¯t wanna die, I don¡¯t wanna die, IdontwannadieIdontwannadieIdontwannad¡ª¡±


    A burning pain interrupted her thoughts and made her shriek. Her gaze, now clouded by tears, perceived a splatter of blood. Julien¡¯s dark eyes stared at her without blinking, and he had something in his mouth. Two things, bloody, unidentifiable, and fleshy.


    Claire looked at her left hand. Her middle and ring fingers were incomplete. She screamed. She writhed, pushed, kicked.


    Julien remained still like a statue, with his eyes fixated on her. After some seconds, as if having lost interest, he looked away and stood up, a chance Claire took to slip back, crying in pain and holding tightly what remained of her fingers.


    Julien¡¯s attention was now with Lilian, who had curled up on the floor in a corner of the room.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ Y-yyouu are whho I n-nneedd¡­¡±


    Claire glanced at the exit door. The road was clear.


    She could leave. She could flee, save herself. That was her chance. In his current state, Julien was dangerous, too dangerous. She had nothing to defend herself with, nothing to fight with.


    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s it¡­ I¡¯ll go look for help¡­ Then I¡¯ll come back, okay? That¡¯s it! That¡¯s what I need to do¡­¡¯


    She stood on her feet, making sure she didn¡¯t catch the attention of the enthralled Julien, who dragged his feet little by little in Lilian¡¯s direction.


    If she bolted off running now, she could get to safety.


    ¡®Come on. Go. Move. You¡¯re a fucking coward, you¡¯ve always been. Come on, move. Move!¡¯ tears ran like waterfalls down her cheeks. ¡®Why don¡¯t you fucking move!? Get the fuck away already!¡¯


    She crossed eyes with Lilian. The girl wasn¡¯t paying any attention to Julien, only to Claire. Her expression was unfathomable, none of her facial muscles moved in the slightest, and her eyes looked as mysterious as ever, possessed by that unnatural flickering. However, she perceived a certain humanity in them, a humanity speaking to her directly; she felt a connection she wouldn¡¯t know how to describe.


    Her head hurt.


    ¡®Fuck¡­ I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t leave her. I can¡¯t!¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t forgive herself. Not again. She couldn¡¯t live again at the expense of others. Not Lilian. Never.


    She scanned the room. On a shelf, she spotted a desktop printer. She lifted it and smashed Julien¡¯s nape with it.


    ¡°Stay away from her!! Son of a bitch!! Bastard!!¡±


    She continued delivering blow after blow with the printer, until it slipped from her hands and crashed on the floor, breaking apart. Julien still ignored her. She threw folders and trays to his head. She grabbed a monitor and bent it on his face. She kicked him in the balls. It didn¡¯t matter what she had to do; she was determined to stop that animal.


    ¡°¡­mmmmisss C-Claiire¡­¡± babbled Julien, turning towards her. ¡°¡­youu¡¯re a-annoyyinggg¡­!¡±


    With rigid but swift movements, Julien grabbed her right arm and threw her against the wall. Claire crashed sideways onto a metallic shelving unit, and she heard a loud crack before falling down by Lilian¡¯s side. An agonizing electric current ran up her right arm and drilled her brain. One quick look at it, and it became obvious it had bent in the wrong direction.


    She howled in pain.


    ******


    Noise.


    Family comes.


    A lot of noise.


    Screams.


    Sad.


    Hurts. Wound hurts. When it hurts, can¡¯t think.


    Sometimes I think okay, sometimes not.


    Norie needed help. I helped? I think so. I hear her, but she can¡¯t hear me.


    Clairie also needs. Can¡¯t help. Dunno how to help.


    Alone.


    Alone?


    No.


    Not alone.


    Family bad, but you aren¡¯t.


    ¡­


    Thanks for coming.


    Here, brother. I¡¯m here.


    ******


    Claire was petrified. She stopped screaming, and crying, and squirming. Strong crashes, shattering glass in the vicinity, massive steps, and an instant later, something had stopped outside the doorframe, in the hallway. Something gigantic and stinky.


    The creature emitted a roar that made the floor tremble, and proceeded to destroy the wall, forcing its way into the storage. Plasterboard, wood, and plastic splinters covered the room, along with a thin cloud of dust.


    Its four eyes stared intently at the humans in front of it, as if analyzing them before jumping into action. Its bioluminescent cysts shined in accelerated patterns, although some of them displayed errors in the pattern, covered by wounds and scars. A great portion of its lower body was beaten up and disfigured, and appeared to be made of scar tissue.


    Julien faced the monster, and for the first time since he went mad, his face seemed to contort in fear.


    ¡°¡­d-did you ccomme after the b-bbratt¡­? D-Donn¡¯t you darrre¡­! I-I¡¯ll kiiill her i-if you ssstep any closser¡­!! You hear!? I¡¯ll k-kill¡ª!¡±


    Claire pounced without hesitation. She had to do it. She hugged Julien¡¯s waist with her healthy arm and charged towards the creature. Both of them landed abruptly by its feet.


    ¡°W-What are yyou dddoingg!? Lllet me go, you c-cann¡¯t do tthiss! I neeeed, the g-girlll, I nneed¡ª!!¡±


    Julien couldn¡¯t finish complaining. The creature¡¯s claw closed around his head. Was it just blood? Was it his brains? Claire was unable to tell the difference, and she didn¡¯t care. The creature wasn¡¯t pleased with crushing Julien¡¯s head, and proceeded to rip one of his arms apart. Then the other one. Then a leg. Then he split the torso in half. Was it Lilian? Did Lilian call that sinister savior? For an indefinite period of time, it continued mutilating the body with untold savagery.


    Strangely, the gruesome spectacle didn¡¯t bother Claire. She didn¡¯t feel disgust upon the rain of innards and gore. On the contrary, it was almost satisfactory.


    It was her turn now. The monster¡¯s eyes focused on her. Its enormous silhouette occupied nearly the entirety of her peripheral vision. Its claws moved in her direction, open wide, ready to rip her to shreds as well. Attempting to run would be pointless. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to do so.


    Didn¡¯t matter. It was probably deserved. She was ready. She closed her eyes, and waited.


    Waited.


    Waited.


    Why was it taking so long? She didn¡¯t want to open her eyes again. She didn¡¯t want to see it.


    ¡®Come on. Do it quick. What are you waiting for?¡¯


    Nothing happened.


    She perceived a sequence of strange noises, definitely coming from that monster. Clicks, heartbeats, bubbling. The curiosity was too strong, she looked.


    The entire surface of the monster¡¯s body had lit up, and its luminous patterns had undergone some kind of frenzy. In front of it, Lilian had stood on her own feet. She kept a strong visual contact with the creature, and her eyes shined more brightly than ever, flickering and flashing in a maddened pattern as well.


    As fast as it had arrived, the giant stepped out into the corridor and disappeared, followed by a series of crashes and explosions in the distance.


    Lilian tiptoed closer, with timid but serene steps, and kneeled down in front of her.


    ¡°L-Lilian¡­?¡± said Claire.


    ¡°Clairie.¡±


    Soon after hearing her voice, Claire suffered an intense headache, strong enough to overwhelm her broken arm or her missing fingers.


    [Clairie.]


    She had just heard Lilian¡¯s voice inside her head.


    ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯


    [Okay. All okay.]


    All her pain vanished into nothingness, replaced by a warm feeling. The very air she breathed wrapped her up, caressing her mind and soothing the anxiety eating at her from within.


    [Thank you.]


    On an impulse, she sat up and hugged Lilian, gripping her tightly with her healthy arm. Tears burst out in waves, and what started as a tiny weep soon became bitter bawling. She didn¡¯t cry out of sadness, or pain, or stress. She had no idea what she cried for. Acceptance, comfort, comprehension? It was the feeling of having reunited with a family she had missed since long ago, despite having just met them.


    Collapsed in Lilian¡¯s arms, Claire let everything out, tear by tear.

 CHAPTER 54 – CONVERGENCE

    ¡°This is Hawk-01 talking to all units! We have visual on the main Convergence wave! Estimated contact with the evacuation point in fifteen minutes! Over!¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. Understood, Hawk. All aerial squadrons, take positions along the perimeter of the cell as agreed, and begin the suppression operation. Gentlemen, do everything you can to slow down that wave!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Row after row of buildings passed like a blurry mirage under the helicopter, and the deafening noise of the propellers muffled the tumult coming from the streets. The other vehicles in the squadron got separated from the formation, extending in multiple directions.


    He felt the sweat drops falling from his face and dirtying his uniform. No human being in their right mind would be able to witness such horrific spectacle and still keep their cool.


    Attracted by the queen from neighboring cells, the stingers had congregated into a homogeneous, organic mass, in a frenzied sprint towards the signal¡¯s epicenter. More than two meters tall, legs with multiple joints, osseous exoskeletons covering their bodies, mandibles instead of mouths¡­ Those creatures were abominations, which had abandoned all traces of humanity.


    The wall of monsters, whose bodies emitted a bright blue light, advanced at terrifying speeds, passing through buildings and trampling all obstacles in their way. Anything not made of reinforced concrete or steel collapsed under the horde¡¯s power, leaving only devastation in its wake.


    Wherever he looked, the horizon gleamed in azure tones. And a mere handful of those monsters would spell doom for his comrades at Kurtis Tower.


    ¡®This is madness.¡¯


    ¡°Initiating suppression!¡± shouted the pilot on the radio. ¡°Fire at will!¡±


    The helicopter¡¯s weapons roared in unison, along with those of the other combat helicopters positioned across the perimeter. A barrage of missiles fell on the stinger wall, while the gunners neutralized the ones who managed to survive the explosions. The pilot was forced to constantly fly backwards, following the stinger front advancing through the offensive.


    Something crossed the skies over the helicopter squadron in the blink of an eye, leaving a vapor trail behind. Barely some seconds later, the sound of a distant explosion reached the pilot¡¯s ears, and a long, dense cloud of black smoke manifested on the horizon.


    ¡°This is Silvergull, fire blockage deployed in sector 3, returning to base. Over.¡± said a voice on the radio.


    Afterwards, a second aircraft flew over the area. Then another one. And another one. Exactly as they¡¯d been informed, the bomber fleet had jumped into action to cover the ground access to Kurtis Tower with a napalm ring.


    A new volley of missiles fell on the stinger wall. Would all that effort achieve anything? Maybe they¡¯d be able to buy one minute or two for their comrades.  Maybe it¡¯d be nothing but a couple of extra seconds.


    ¡°This is Hawk-01, the wave has covered almost the entirety of sector 5, retreating to 12! Over!¡±


    Maybe it was a lost battle. Didn¡¯t matter, mankind¡¯s future was at stake. Facing that destiny was no madness. Surrendering to it was.


    ******


    Isaac¡¯s arms were numb due to the rifle¡¯s constant vibration. With every passing second, the corpse mound at the bottom of the stairs multiplied in size, and more hysterical stingers climbed and crawled over the fallen ones, with their eyes fixated on the group of soldiers.


    ¡°How the fuck are they still coming up!? It¡¯s just fire and smoke down there!¡± shouted Erik.


    ¡°Stop talking!¡± replied Isaac. ¡°Focus!¡±


    Fire wouldn¡¯t work this time around. Many of the stingers coming up the stairs were in flames, or displayed severe burns all over their bodies. The pile of corpses was steaming, and looked like it could burst into a fireball at any moment.


    Usually, the presence of smoke would urge them to evacuate the area. However, the queen¡¯s call was formidable, impossible to resist. Those bastards only had eyes for her.


    ¡°This is Isaac!¡± he said, holding his weapon with a single hand while grabbing the radio with the other one. ¡°Where is the evacuation, damn it!!?¡±


    ¡°This is Lucky-02! We¡¯ve encountered enemy resistance in the tower¡¯s airspace, we¡¯ve been forced to perform evasive maneuvers! We¡¯re on our way! We¡¯ll get you out of there!!¡±


    ¡®Enemy resistance!? What the hell is going on!?¡¯


    The corpse mountain already covered half the stair flight. The horde pushed the bodies without rest, getting dangerously close to the landing.


    ¡°We can¡¯t hold this position much longer! Erik!¡± said Isaac.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready, captain!¡±


    ¡°Hurry, everyone up! Come on, come on, come on!!¡±


    The soldiers ran upstairs, with the stingers hot on their trails.


    ¡°Now!¡± ordered Isaac, as soon as the last of them reached the relative safety of the upper landing.


    The explosive charge detonated, releasing a deafening blast that shook their eardrums despite wearing earmuffs. Not bothering to check if the explosive had been effective, they continued ascending, until taking positions on the next floor¡¯s landing.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Get ready!¡± said Isaac, seconds before new groups of stingers emerged from the stairs. ¡°Fire!!¡±


    The weapons roared again, taking those monsters down by dozens, and creating a new pile of corpses that, like the previous one, advanced upwards step after step.


    ¡°Attention, contact on our nine! Stingers in the hallway!!¡± said one of the soldiers.


    Isaac glanced at the stairwell door and spotted a small group of stingers sprinting in their direction.


    ¡®Where are they coming from!? They must¡¯ve gotten up the other stairwell! Have they climbed all the way up there!?¡¯


    ¡°Kenneth, Alan, cover the hallway! The rest, keep the heat on the horde on this side!¡± he ordered.


    The soldiers repositioned themselves following his orders and continued fighting.


    Isaac¡¯s mind was divided. A part of him was focused exclusively on the battle. On the weapon¡¯s rattling, on counting the number of magazines he had left, on the sound of bodies dropping dead, on the splatters of blood painting the walls, on the tumultuous screams and growls coming from seemingly all directions at once, on the sweat sliding down his forehead.


    His other half was pensive. He had gone through this before. They say that when your mind feels like it¡¯s about to die, your entire life flashes in front of your eyes. In his case, the only thing going through his head was a single, specific memory.


    A memory he refused to relive no matter what.


    ######


    It was cold, and a dense fog covered the city as far as the eye could see. With the sulfurous smell of the inhibitor gas seeping up his nostrils, Isaac continued watching over the panorama with the binoculars.


    Among the buildings stood the ruins of a car factory. The vast majority of the expanse of warehouses had collapsed, revealing an alien scenery within. What once were production lines were now covered in some kind of solid substance, akin to wax, forming a jungle of arches, tunnels and domes branching towards the outside and covering the entirety of the industrial park. It was like a furious, turbulent stream of muddy water frozen in time.


    Activity levels were extreme. Skittering among the corridors and corners of that labyrinth, the stingers numbered thousands, if not tens of thousands. Among them, a small handful of enormous creatures could be discerned. The praetorians, the size of an adult African elephant, patrolled the bigger hallways of the hive, taking turns to converge at the core before once again wandering towards the outer perimeters.


    There was at least one of them at the structure¡¯s heart at all times, watching over a very special entity. Almost the entire ceiling had fallen apart, leaving the head of the hive¡¯s hierarchy exposed and in plain view.


    He couldn¡¯t see her too well past the fog, but Isaac knew what he was seeing. Elongated arms of brittle appearance, an almost skeletal body in comparison to the other stingers, and two articulated protuberances jutting out of its head.


    ¡®There it is¡­ The queen.¡¯


    ¡°Nelson, situation report.¡± he said.


    ¡°Almost all teams are in position, captain.¡± answered a voice to his left. ¡°We¡¯ve got visual on the target from multiple sides. We¡¯re still awaiting confirmation from Delta.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­¡± he said, with a dull voice.


    Nelson made a short pause. ¡°Everything okay, captain?¡±


    ¡°Yes, focus on the mission.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t okay. That mission meant bad business, and all his men were probably aware of it. Eliminate the queen and watch the hive¡¯s reaction? Seriously? What the hell were they thinking?


    It had been a long and thorough operation, with endless resources at their disposal. The higher-ups were anxious to know more about the enemy, to understand what they were fighting against; and it was obvious that results were the only thing that mattered to them. Everything else was a bunch of tools. Human lives included.


    The journey through the city had been slow, tedious, and dangerous. And despite all that, despite everything they had risked to make it that far, he dreaded the moment he¡¯d have to give the final order. He wished it never came.


    ¡°This is Delta, we¡¯re in position and we¡¯ve got visual on the target. Over.¡± said a voice over the radio.


    ¡°All marksmen are ready, captain.¡± said Nelson. ¡°Your orders?¡±


    Isaac looked away from the binoculars, and let his eyes get lost in the cloudy skies above for several long seconds.


    ¡°Captain?¡±


    ¡°¡­this is Captain Isaac¡­¡± he said, before dragging his attention back to the binoculars. ¡°All marksmen, get ready to shoot. In three¡­ two¡­ one¡­¡±


    ¡®May God have mercy on our souls.¡¯


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    *Bang!*


    ¡­


    Nelson Brown. Aiden Lee. Carter Tremblay. Addison Clark. Samuel Stewart. James Mitchel¡­


    Cursed be the moment he decided to comply with those orders. The weight of that list would remind him for the remainder of his life. How many? How many more would he have to add?


    ######


    ¡®Not one more. Like hell I¡¯m gonna allow my men to die here. Not again.¡¯


    ¡°Captain, they¡¯re closing in on us again!¡± said one of the soldiers.


    ¡°Erik!?¡±


    ¡°Charges ready, captain!¡±


    ¡°Hurry, everyone up! Come on, come on!!¡±


    They repeated the whole process again. The blast resounded throughout the entire stairwell and shattered nearby windows, while the squad rushed upstairs towards the next floor.


    ¡°There¡¯s no more explosives, captain!¡± shouted Erik.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to keep them at bay with the ammo we have left!! Take positions and get ready to¡ª!!¡±


    A new outburst made the walls tremble, and a dust cloud expanded from the top of the stairs, making Isaac and his team freeze and stop in the middle of their ascent. A rain of debris and gravel scattered down the steps, as something large and bulky moved within the dust.


    ¡°Watch out!!!¡±


    ¡°Contact ahead! What the fuck is it!!?¡±


    Isaac was petrified for an instant. His survival instincts jumped into action and took control as soon as that silhouette took a step forward.


    ¡°E-Everyone step aside!! Take cover!!!¡±


    The squad hugged the walls, seconds before the hulking shape charged downstairs, crashing on the landing below and cracking the floor in the process. The image of the praetorian rising on its back legs until almost scraping the ceiling with its head made all of Isaac¡¯s nerve endings send danger signals.


    The stinger horde reached the praetorian¡¯s position and began struggling against its imposing body, which blocked the way. One of them scurried between the monster¡¯s legs, and howled as it jumped up towards the bewildered soldiers.


    The massive claw of the praetorian sank into the stinger¡¯s back. The creature entered a state of rage and, among blaring roars, charged the crowd bunching around it.


    ¡®W-What the hell!?¡¯


    Isaac looked at the rest of his men. Some stared at him directly. Some others couldn¡¯t take their eyes away from the maddened creature. They needed orders. Orders that didn¡¯t get them all killed.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving!!¡±


    ¡°C-Captain!?¡±


    The walls, floor, and ceiling of the stairwell were getting covered with blood and entrails at vertiginous speeds. With a devastating impact, the praetorian opened a hole in the fa?ade, ejecting a dozen stingers into the void outside. Still roaring, it plummeted downstairs, dragging the horde with it.


    ¡°That thing will keep them busy!! Let¡¯s gather the others and head to the rooftop!! Hurry!!¡±


    ¡®I just hope it buys us enough time! Enough to regroup and secure the rooftop! Come on, Lucky¡­! Where the hell are you!?¡¯

 CHAPTER 55 – CLASH

    His taste buds drowned with the taste of blood. Was it his own? His opponent¡¯s? Did it matter? No. Landing another blow was the only thing that mattered.


    William spat out another gob of spit and blood, and threw his right punch at Jacobs¡¯ face. He managed to block it, but the impact was strong enough to stagger him. Again, this time with his left. Jacobs reacted faster than him, and his punch shook William¡¯s head from top to bottom.


    He couldn¡¯t slow down. If he did, he felt like he would collapse at any moment.


    They grabbed each other, and Jacobs¡¯ knee sunk into his stomach, and his fist crashed against Jacobs¡¯ chin, and they collided with the office furniture, and they attempted to strangle each other; like animals, entangled in a savage brawl, blow after blow.


    A new tremor coursed through the tower, stronger than the previous ones, making them stumble and lose their balance. Each one rolled in a different direction, interrupting the fight for a brief moment.


    Still on the floor, William had a strange feeling. Was it a slight tilt, or was it his mind playing tricks on him? Some small objects slid along tables and fell to the ground all over the office. It wasn¡¯t his imagination. The building was tilting sideways.


    ¡°Fuck, I love it¡­¡± mumbled Jacobs, some meters away, using a chair as support to stand back up.


    He couldn¡¯t remain on the floor. He couldn¡¯t give that motherfucker the slightest advantage. William jumped back up and observed his opponent.


    ¡°Do you hear them screaming down there, man? Do you feel how it¡¯s all falling apart? Do you feel the sweat on your forehead, the pain in your bones? The taste of blood in your mouth? Pure adrenalin! Without law, without order, without any of that bullshit!¡± as he talked, a sickening grin appeared on his face. ¡°I missed this crap so much.¡±


    All of a sudden, he decided to start blabbering? William continued observing, and waiting. Despite all the chattering, Jacobs wasn¡¯t distracted at all. He kept his posture, and his eyes were fixated on William, and on every single movement he made. One could almost say his monologue was effective, it was driving him nuts.


    ¡°Are you gonna stay quiet?¡± he added. ¡°I thought you¡¯d at least bark some mo¡ª¡±


    ¡°Go fuck yourself. You¡¯re insane.¡± neither William¡¯s words nor his tone were able to express his resentment towards that man.


    ¡°Insane? Insane!? Shit, of course I am!¡± he let out a snicker.


    ¡®Shut the fuck up.¡¯


    ¡°You know, William¡­? You¡¯ve been a fucking pain in the ass since you crossed ways with me. You¡¯ve got me pissed off as all hell, you have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you shut up¡­? I don¡¯t wanna hear you!¡¯


    ¡°And now that you¡¯re here in front of me, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    Another tremor. Books, folders, and other objects fell from shelves and tables, and Jacobs staggered again. William dove towards him without hesitating.


    Entwined in a violent hold, they continued stumbling and crashing against the furniture in the room, exchanging blow after blow. They panted, growled, shouted. Why did it look like Jacobs was enjoying it?


    ¡°Come on¡­! Come on¡­!!¡± he screamed, before receiving a punch to the jaw and giving it back to William in the face. ¡°Keep going¡­!! You got anything else!?¡±


    A powerful kick to William¡¯s chest sent him flying backwards, over some tables, until he dropped down at the other side. With his head spinning, he saw light a few feet away from his face. He had fallen quite close to the outer wall, which had fallen apart in its entirety. A column of smoke and ash ascended towards the heights, behind which the city¡¯s panorama could be discerned.


    Jacobs rushed to his position and, before he could manage to get back up, kicked him in the stomach. For an instant, William was out of breath.


    ¡°Fuck, look at you. You know¡­? I¡¯m fed up already¡­¡± Jacobs climbed on top of him and brought out a small pocket knife. ¡°And to think you gave me trouble¡­ Motherfucker, it¡¯s not funny if you¡¯re not going to defend yourself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not¡­ funny¡­?¡± muttered William. ¡°Is this¡­ a fucking game¡­ to you¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± he said, raising the knife and dropping it on William¡¯s face. With all the strength he could muster, he grabbed Jacobs¡¯ arms and resisted. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t care anymore whether I live or die. I don¡¯t give a crap. But whatever happens, it¡¯ll be with my own rules. Fight for the future? Save the world? Protect others? You¡¯ve got to be kidding¡­! Who the fuck gives a shit about any of that!?¡±


    ¡®And what do you know? You¡¯re the last one I wanna hear that from. What do you know about protecting anyone!? Fucking psychopath, do you even know what it¡¯s like to have something to fight for!?¡¯


    The incandescent ash from the exterior reflected on the knife¡¯s blade, barely some centimeters away from his face, giving it a crimson gleam. As it drew closer, millimeter by millimeter, Jacobs¡¯ grin grew wider and wider, as if he enjoyed every single second of it.


    ¡®It¡¯s your fault¡­! It¡¯s your fucking fault¡­!!¡¯


    He wouldn¡¯t allow it. He wouldn¡¯t give him that pleasure. Not to him. With each glance at the unhinged glint in his eyes, he remembered that fateful moment. He remembered those last words.


    [You¡¯re going to survive, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ll keep going!]


    That son of a bitch was smiling? He was having fun? William had had enough.


    With his right hand, he felt around his pockets in a hurry, leaving only the left hand to hold his enemy back. The knife almost grazed his skin, right between the eyes. Did he have any weapons? A lighter. A mobile phone. Some trash. There was nothing? He checked another pocket of his jacket and felt something hard and circular.


    The pocket mirror. He took it out and crashed it against the floor by his side, releasing a multitude of glass shards. He grabbed one of them tightly, and warm blood ran through his fingers.


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    He aimed directly at Jacob¡¯s neck.


    ¡®Go to hell, bastard!!¡¯


    The mirror shard sunk into the flesh, making Jacobs howl. With a befuddled expression, he stopped pushing the knife, and grabbed his own neck, feeling around the shard in disbelief. William took the chance and kicked him away.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ Seriously?¡± said Jacobs, among giggles, holding the wound.


    William stood up. His opponent lay now on the floor, with the searing abyss behind, and blood fell in streams from his neck.


    ¡°So¡­? What¡¯re you gonna do now, huh¡­? Will you grow a pair, hero¡­? Huh¡­!? Do you have the balls to finish what you¡ª!?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The kick, powerful and decisive, right in the chest, threw Jacobs backwards, headfirst into the column of ash ascending from the void.


    It had been only a second, and that man was gone. He hadn¡¯t even heard him scream. He couldn¡¯t even see his face as he fell.


    ¡®Amanda¡­¡¯


    Would she have approved such act of vengeance? Absolutely not. It was the first, and perhaps the last time in his life he would contradict her.


    He¡¯d have plenty of time to apologize later.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, honey¡­ I think you¡¯ll have to wait for me a bit more.¡¯


    ******


    The air burned. The more he approached the ground, the more it burned, it seared his clothes, it skinned him alive. But he felt no pain. All he felt was emptiness. That was the last remaining thorn in his side, and he¡¯d have to die with it.


    ¡®You motherfucker.¡¯


    Was the ground very far away? He could see almost the entire tower, covering the skies. It looked too big. Why?


    ¡®Ah, right¡­ It¡¯s tilted. That fire is sure doing its job. I nailed it, didn¡¯t I?¡¯


    An intense blue light penetrated the smoke and the inferno. The shamblers, most likely. Numerous columns of them clung to the tower¡¯s sides, climbing over one another, in flames. How far up were they? Half-way? A third of the way?


    ¡®You know what¡­? I¡¯m satisfied. Fuck, what else can I ask for? These guys are screwed. You¡¯re screwed! You hear me!? Fuck it all! Fuck William, fuck that damn brat, fuck the Army dogs, fuck your shitty justice, fuck everything! I love it, damn it!! I¡¯ll greet you in hell, motherfuckers!! And I promise I¡¯ll¡ª!!¡¯


    ******


    ¡°There¡¯s someone here!!¡±


    William heard a series of hurried steps behind him, followed by a voice. He turned towards the office¡¯s door, and saw a soldier at the doorframe.


    ¡°What are you doing down here!? We¡¯ve got to go up, come on!¡± he said.


    As if stepping out of a trance, William shook his head and nodded. Staying still and deep in thought wasn¡¯t the best idea at the moment. He approached the soldier, but his gaze was focused on the hole in the wall, leading outside. His eyes were squinting, trying to make out something through the smoke curtain.


    ¡°C-Captain¡­!¡± he shouted.


    More steps approached from the corridor, and a small group of soldiers piled up around the door.


    ¡°Alan!? What¡¯s going on!?¡± William recognized Captain Isaac among the soldiers. ¡°What¡¯s a civilian doing here!? Hurry, there¡¯s no time to¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Captain, over there! Isn¡¯t that¡­!?¡±


    The soldier pointed at the hole. What was he pointing at? There was nothing on the other side of the column of smoke, besides the expansive city. The skies above were clear, without a single cloud in sight.


    William narrowed his eyes. No, it wasn¡¯t completely clear. There was something, an unusual dark spot. He hadn¡¯t noticed before, but the ambient was brimming with background noise. The screams of the shambler crowds down below, the soldier¡¯s gunfire, and the crackling of fire, but there was something else. Explosions in the distance? Perhaps. And, what was that annoying whirr? It grew stronger with time: it was getting closer.


    ¡°A helicopter!!¡± the soldiers arrived at the conclusion first.


    ¡®The rescue!?¡¯


    ¡°This is Alpha!¡± Isaac grabbed the radio. ¡°Lucky-02, we¡¯ve got visual on you! We¡¯re heading to the rooftop, hurry up!!¡±


    The captain received a reply on the radio, and his expression quickly contorted in confusion.


    ¡°What¡­!? What does that mean¡­!? You couldn¡¯t approach the tower yet¡­!? Then, who¡­?¡±


    A sequence of devastating blasts rattled William¡¯s eardrums, followed by a new tremor. There was no warning. As if caused by an earthquake, dust and gravel detached from the trembling walls, the false ceiling collapsed in pieces, and every glass surface in the area shattered.


    The soldiers immediately dropped to the floor. The one closest to him grabbed him and knocked him over as well.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on!!?¡±


    ¡°An explosion!?¡±


    ¡°Shit, the damn building will fall apart at this rate!!¡±


    ¡®Damn it¡­! Now what!?¡¯


    ******


    In barely an instant, the soldier dropped like a rag, with his neck snapped. A distraction was all it took for him to lose focus on the battle. Amateurs until the end.


    PT-01 kept his guard up and responded to Colonel Rowan¡¯s imminent grab. The missile attack hadn¡¯t bothered him at all. Despite being the last man standing, he showed no signs of fatigue or indecision. With precise and calculated movements, he began a wild choreography of blows, blocks, and holds with PT-01. He aimed specifically for the most vulnerable areas of the body. Neck, stomach, groin, knees.


    Whoever made the first mistake would be the first one to fall. And they wouldn¡¯t be standing up again.


    The sound of the helicopter¡¯s propellers drew closer and closer, and one minute later, the dark figure rose into the skies, above the rooftop of Kurtis Tower. PT-01 and Rowan kicked each other away and got separated for a moment, with their gazes set on the vehicle.


    The missiles had been the unnecessary confirmation of something he already knew. From the very moment Nyx had been exposed, PT-01 knew with absolute certainty that ZEUS would initiate the cleanup protocol. They wouldn¡¯t risk the queen falling into military hands and producing a cure as a result. They¡¯d start over with a clean slate, and wait for a new opportunity.


    Picking him up? Another risk they wouldn¡¯t be willing to take, by no means. That¡¯s what the cleanup was for: getting rid of all the trash they had left behind. Prometheus had followed orders like a bunch of lap dogs, but ZEUS wouldn¡¯t fulfill their end of the deal. And that pissed him off.


    He grabbed the radio. ¡°Satisfied, Hades?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal, Prometheus, you know how it goes.¡± replied a voice on the other side. PT-01 kept his gaze on the helicopter¡¯s dark cockpit. He had a feeling the pilot was looking back at him. ¡°We¡¯re just doing our job, like we¡¯ve always done. Tough luck, buddy.¡±


    ¡°Conspiracy, biological terrorism, without guarantees, with betrayal right around the corner¡­¡± said Rowan. ¡°Why the hell is an old fox like you deep in such a pile of shit?¡±


    The colonel, not letting go of his firm combat posture, observed him with inquiring eyes.


    ¡°Save your words. I¡¯m way too rotten to appreciate them.¡±


    ¡®More importantly¡­ Hades¡­!¡¯


    Not saying another word, PT-01 dove behind the rooftop¡¯s machinery and rolled to cover. An instant later, the Hades helicopter spat a volley of machine gun fire on their position. Metal splinters, gravel, and dust flew all over the place, passing centimeters away from his body.


    The helicopter moved sideways; he knew thanks to the directions the propeller¡¯s roar came from. It was very unlikely he¡¯d survive a second volley. He needed a moment of distraction, and he needed it now.


    He heard a new round of gunfire, but it wasn¡¯t hitting the rooftop.


    ¡®¡­?¡¯


    He sat up and took a quick look.


    ¡®There it is. The opportunity I need!¡¯


    A second helicopter approached the tower and opened fire on Hades. He saw one of their gunners fall down into the void, while they attempted to use the building as cover.


    He had no idea where Rowan was, he couldn¡¯t see him. Definitely still alive. Didn¡¯t matter. The path to the stairwell was clear. Without hesitating, PT-01 bolted off running.


    His job wasn¡¯t finished yet. He still had one last score to settle.

 CHAPTER 56 – WARRIORS

    With hurried but calm steps, PT-01 crossed the corridor between cubicles and approached the lockers at the back wall.


    Outside, the dogfight between the two helicopters continued without rest. The rumble of the rotors took repeated laps around the tower, and moved up and down on several flanks, accompanied by machine gun fire. Occasionally, projectiles passed close to the office he was in, even getting to shatter some of the windows.


    None of it stopped him from remaining calm. He opened one of the lockers and grabbed a bulky case from within. He huddled among the cubicles to stay as covered as possible, and proceeded to retrieve its contents.


    The military had gotten into one hell of a mess, it was too big for them from the very start. Any speck of order and security had crumbled apart, which was quite convenient. Nobody could afford the luxury of investigating that place and interrupting him.


    He carefully placed the rifle components on the floor, and began the assembly process.


    ¡®You know, Nyx¡­? I should thank you. At least, the tip on Kurtis Tower was useful for something.¡¯


    Who did they intend to fool? ZEUS had power, resources and connections all over the place, but that didn¡¯t stop them from being a bunch of morons. Nyx was the last bullet in their magazine, a bullet they knew wouldn¡¯t hit its mark. Not with Dr. Marcus and Colonel Rowan working against it.


    ¡®I wonder how long ago they actually decided to get Hades ready for cleanup. Bah, doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡¯


    He had everything ready. He had used Nyx¡¯s information to infiltrate the tower and prepare the weapon before the military arrived in the area. He had followed orders until the very end, seeding chaos, triggering the Convergence. Everything so ZEUS would continue with the cleanup as agreed, everything so Hades showed up.


    Everything to settle the score with those bastards.


    ¡®Hades¡­¡¯


    For how long had they been working together? They used to be more, the members of the group dropped like flies, and all of them knew their time could be up at any moment. They knew what they were getting into. Ares, Persephone, Hephaestus¡­ And now, Prometheus was hanging by a thread. A dying pack of dirty dogs, which Hades intended to finish off for their own convenience.


    ¡®Fuck that.¡¯


    The rifle was ready. A modified Barrett M82, that beast was capable of perforating a pure praetorian all the way through. It¡¯d do a nice job.


    PT-01 crawled towards the outer wall. The battle taking place outside had left a hole under one of the windows. Keeping a low profile, he placed the rifle on the opening, and waited.


    The military helicopter passed in the blink of an eye in front of the tower. A trail of smoke emerged from the tail rotor; they had taken some damage.


    He kept his gaze fixated on the panorama. A couple of seconds later, there it was, the Hades helicopter, flying over the area some meters below his position.


    A moving target, strong winds in the heights, interferences due to the spinning rotor blades¡­ Not an easy shot. But he might not have another chance.


    He breathed in, held his breath, and sunk all his senses into the rifle scope.


    ¡­


    *Bang!!*


    He couldn¡¯t spot the pilot through the dark glass to confirm the kill, but the aircraft¡¯s sudden change in direction was all the confirmation he needed. The vehicle destabilized and began spinning in circles, descending fast towards the ground.


    Before it reached the rooftops of neighboring buildings, it seemed to stabilize. Had the copilot taken control? PT-01 prepared to take a second shot. It was unlikely that Hades was able to pinpoint his location.


    He focused the scope on the helicopter cockpit, when a barrage of bullets fell onto the vehicle. He left the scope aside, and watched in great detail how the military helicopter took advantage of the situation, annihilating the enemy with everything at their disposal.


    Surrounded by smoke and traces of fire, Hades plummeted into the void. PT-01 took shelter inside the office, closed his eyes, and calmly listened to the ensuing crash.


    He sighed.


    ¡®That¡¯s it, then.¡¯


    In a way, he wondered about what drove him to make that choice. Honor? At that point? Spite, perhaps? He didn¡¯t know for sure, and he didn¡¯t give a damn. The score was settled.


    He sat against the wall and waited. Waited for nothing in particular. He simply waited.


    ¡®A mangy old dog until the very end, huh? Maybe it¡¯s time for old dogs to stop pissing on the path others have to walk. I¡¯m done here. Now figure it out yourselves.¡¯


    He was tired.


    ******


    ¡°This is Hawk-01! We¡¯re dry, I repeat, we¡¯re dry! We¡¯re returning to base!! Over!¡±


    ¡°This is Sparrow-03! Sector 17 is lost!¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. All units, hold the line!¡±


    Hold the line? How? The wave was too fast in its advance. Kurtis Tower was already in sight. And with all units running out of ammo one after another, the resistance they could offer was minimal.


    The pilot put the helicopter on a path towards the outer cells. They had no juice left, and fuel dropped at a dangerous pace. They had to leave.


    Other members of the squadron joined him.


    The more they distanced themselves from the Convergence epicenter, the denser the wave looked. They couldn¡¯t even see the asphalt of the road down there anymore, and the blue bioluminescence was almost blinding.


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    ¡®My goodness¡­ Where the fuck do they come from!? So many!¡¯


    Several long seconds passed. His ears were ringing, and his heartbeat was off the charts.


    ¡°This is Sparrow-07. We¡¯re detecting unusual activity down there.¡± said someone on the radio.


    The pilot looked ahead. Some members of the other squadrons had gone ahead of them, leading the formation. Sparrow-07 was one of them.


    ¡°This is Hawk-04. You mean the light patterns¡­?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, Hawk.¡±


    He looked down. Scattered around the wave, there were spots whose brightness stood out among the rest, and they blinked frenetically.


    ¡°This is Sparrow-07. HQ, we¡¯re witnessing an unknown phenomenon. Requesting¡ª¡±


    The pilot detected movement. It was fast, exceedingly fast. Something emerged from the ground and launched towards the Sparrow-07 helicopter, crashing against it with devastating force. It happened again; this time headed for a different helicopter.


    Something bright clung to them. Bright, bulky, and with wings similar to those of a cockroach.


    ¡®H-Holy fuck¡­! Warriors¡­!!?¡¯


    ¡°T-This is Sparrow-07!! Shit¡­!! We¡¯re under attack!! W-Warrior caste!! They¡¯re coming from the wave!!!¡±


    ¡°This is Hawk-12!! I-It¡¯s inside¡­!! It broke in!!! Requesting¡ªAaaaarghhhh¡ª!!!¡±


    He saw one of the helicopters shaking violently under the wild onslaught of the warrior stinger, losing altitude until it crashed into the buildings.


    ¡°This is HQ! What¡¯s happening!? Sparrow! Do you copy!? Hawk!?¡±


    ¡°This is Hawk-01! The warrior caste is in the area! They¡¯re hiding within the main Convergence wave!!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Hawk! To all units! The enemy is employing unprecedented tactics! Fall back to the evacuation point! I repeat, fall back to¡ª!¡±


    The pilot stopped paying attention to the radio.


    The Convergence wave had risen. At least, part of it. A mantle of blue luminosity had taken flight, covering the skies above the helicopters, overshadowing the sun, covering the horizon in all directions. Hundreds? Thousands? The exact number didn¡¯t matter. They were more than enough.


    The squadron had no ammo to fight with, but the end result would¡¯ve been the same.


    The deluge of winged stingers fell on the helpless metal flies, clinging to them from all sides. The pilot didn¡¯t even attempt to perform evasive maneuvers. One of the warriors held onto the cockpit¡¯s windshield, and one of its claws, whose fingers rather looked like sharp blades, effortlessly pierced the reinforced glass and tore the copilot out of his seat.


    He closed his eyes, and prayed for it to be quick.


    ¡°T-They¡¯re onto us!! Requesting reinforcements¡­!!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re falling¡­!!! We can¡¯t¡ªAaaagh!!¡±


    ¡°W-We¡¯re losing control¡­!! Mayday, mayday¡ª!!!¡±


    ******


    It felt pain. Physical pain, but also psychological. Why was it fighting against its own flesh, against its own blood? Each blow splattered them by dozens, but more kept coming. They attempted to ignore it, but wouldn¡¯t hesitate to fight back when encountering resistance. Bit by bit, their teeth managed to reach it.


    Its armor began falling apart, chunks of meat were missing, and the inevitable signs of fatigue numbed its limbs.


    The queen¡¯s word was absolute. If he had to fight its own blood, it¡¯d crush them without hesitation. If it had to protect her, it¡¯d do it as long as it had the strength to keep standing, as long as blood coursed through its veins, as long as its muscles were bound to the bones, as long as its bones didn¡¯t shatter.


    However, it was exhausted. Confused. Lost. Frightened.


    The little ones didn¡¯t understand its confusion, they couldn¡¯t. They only had ears for the primordial call, which drove them into never-ending rage.


    So exhausted. Its blood dripped without rest, covering the floor, dirtying its feet.


    [Rest.]


    Could it? Did it have permission to rest?


    [You did lots. Sleep.]


    ¡­


    Before the compassionate voice of its kind queen, the praetorian rested.


    [Thank you, brother.]


    ******


    ¡°This is Colonel Rowan! Lucky-02! You still in the area!? The tower is secured! I repeat, the tower is secured! Over!¡±


    Claire held Lilian¡¯s hand tightly as she observed the scene from the base of the stairs leading up to the helipad.


    That man had rallied the few survivors left around the higher floors, and now shouted things on the radio. His uniform, earlier spotless and covered in awards, was torn and dirty.


    Corpses decorated the entire rooftop. Only a few civilians remained alive. Miraculously, Stella and young Ethan had survived, along with a bunch of unknown faces. Almost all soldiers had died. Claire didn¡¯t know what to think. Would they make it? Would a new inconvenience happen, reaping even more lives?


    She looked at the city, past the rooftop¡¯s edge. The horizon glittered with that sickening blue tone. Its meaning was unknown to her, but the phenomenon made her heart sink, as if she instinctively understood what a terrible omen it was.


    A slight turmoil came from the stairwell, seconds before a group of soldiers stepped outside.


    ¡°Colonel¡­! You¡¯re okay!¡± exclaimed the one leading the group.


    ¡°Captain Isaac, I¡¯m glad to see you! The rescue helicopter is on its way! Everyone take defensive positions, we merely need some additional minutes! Block that door!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Isaac noticed the bodies decorating the floor. ¡°Hold on¡­ What happened here!? Where¡¯s everyone!?¡± he began running all over the place, looking for vital signs. ¡°No, no, no, no¡­ Damn it, no¡­!¡±


    ¡°Captain¡­¡± said Rowan.


    ¡°Why is everyone dead, colonel!!?¡±


    ¡°Isaac! Focus, soldier!! Do you want to save those still alive and kicking, or do you want to put them at further risk!?¡±


    ¡°Fuck¡­! Fuck¡­!! Let¡¯s get to work, everybody!! Bring the other survivors up!! Come on, come on, come on!!¡±


    More people poured out of the stairs, most of them military, although they brought with them some survivors. Claire¡¯s eyes moistened and opened wide as soon as she spotted Nora sprinting in her direction.


    ¡°N-Nora!!¡±


    Nora dove straight into Lilian and hugged her. The girl cuddled in her arms and pinched her clothes.


    ¡°Lilian!! Lilian, sweetie¡­!!¡±


    Claire gave them some seconds of respite before talking. ¡°Are you okay, Nora!?¡±


    Nora nodded at her, with teary eyes. Her entire body trembled, although Claire wasn¡¯t sure if it was out of excitement, or something else. A large dark-red mark decorated her neck, and she was covered in blood.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m okay. Claire¡­ you¡¯re hurt!¡±


    Nora had noticed Claire¡¯s state. Colonel Rowan had applied first aid to her, stopping the hemorrhage and bandaging her amputated fingers, and putting her broken arm into an improvised cast. It hurt like hell, but the pain was bearable.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    William emerged from the group of newcomers and approached them, also worn out, full of bruises. He didn¡¯t say anything, but his eyes seemed relieved to see them alive. The relief was mutual.


    The tower was shaken up once again, and Claire felt the floor under her feet moving. The tilt, initially imperceptible, aggravated by the second. A myriad of shrieks and roars came up from the streets, and some of them sounded close. Way too close.


    A small group of maddened shamblers rushed out of the stairwell, tripping and clumsily dropping to the floor, before springing back up and sprinting towards the survivors.


    ¡°Everyone to the helipad, hurry!!¡± shouted Isaac, while the soldiers took down the shamblers. ¡°Alpha, take positions on the stairs!! Don¡¯t let them come up!!!¡±


    The tremors throughout the building were now persistent. One of the soldiers approached the edge of the rooftop, looked down, then turned around with a horrified expression on his face.


    ¡°C-Captain!! The wave is here!!! They¡¯ve reached the tower!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic!¡± said Colonel Rowan. ¡°There!¡±


    The colonel pointed at something in the sky. A dark shadow stood out in the panorama, over the shining mantle covering the horizon. The sound of a helicopter hummed in the distance, getting closer.


    ¡°The rescue helicopter is here! Stand your ground, gentlemen!! We¡¯re going home!!¡±

 CHAPTER 57 – HERO

    The metal stairs of the helipad rattled violently under the weight of several people. With the weapons of the military roaring behind her back, Claire flew upstairs, following Nora and Lilian.


    All civilians bunched up close to the border of the platform, which was about fifteen meters in diameter and decorated with a large, white letter H.


    As if welcoming them, the rescue helicopter, now clearly visible in the sky, approached the tower. It was a gigantic vehicle, much bigger than conventional helicopters, driven by two enormous rotors that emitted a deafening sound.


    ¡®Is that thing going to fit up here!?¡¯


    On the back of the helicopter, the access ramp was open, and two soldiers observed the situation from above. The vehicle positioned itself over the helipad, and one of the soldiers pulled out a megaphone.


    ¡°Watch out!! Stay away from the center of the platform!!¡± he announced.


    The strong winds produced by the rotors made hearing difficult. Claire saw several soldiers working together to push something that looked like a chest, until they dropped it into the void, towards the helipad.


    The box impacted the concrete with a dull sound, creating a thin dust mist, and it slid some meters in the direction of the stairs. Colonel Rowan ran to the box and opened it, revealing a stash of weapons and ammunition.


    ¡°Attention! The rescue team needs some minutes to land the helicopter! Everyone who¡¯s able to fight, arm yourselves!! Hurry!!¡±


    Only a few dared to grab the weapons, but those who did showed no hesitation, taking position near the edge of the helipad and opening fire on the shamblers emerging from the stairwell. The soldiers had lost their ground, and got farther and farther away from the stairwell, while the corpses piled up by dozens.


    William rushed to Claire¡¯s side, and almost grabbed her by the shoulders, although he didn¡¯t do it, perhaps upon noticing her wounds.


    ¡°Claire¡­! Where¡¯s Eleanor!?¡±


    Claire felt her heart sinking. She had completely forgotten. She had lost sight of her when they were forced to evacuate the area due to the gas attack.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­! I don¡¯t know¡­!!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean!? Are you kidding!? You were supposed to¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Down there¡­!¡± said a female voice by their side.


    Stella, armed with a rifle, pointed at something. Following her finger, Claire spotted her. Very hidden among the air conditioning units of the rooftop. Very close to the place the shamblers were pouring from.


    ¡°Fuck¡­!¡± mumbled William, bolting towards the helipad stairs.


    ¡®N-No, she was my responsibility¡­! Not again!¡¯


    Claire pounced on the weapon box. Most of it was combat rifles, which she had no idea how to use. She rummaged among the supplies, and laid her eyes on a pistol.


    ¡®Ah!¡¯


    Unconsciously, she found herself back on the lower area of the rooftop, following William¡¯s steps. It didn¡¯t matter she was wounded. It didn¡¯t matter she was tired. She had to make that last effort.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing here!? Go back to the helipad!!¡± shouted one of the soldiers as soon as he saw them.


    They could barely hold the shambler wave back. The bodies piled up in front of the stairwell door, but that didn¡¯t slow them down in the slightest. They erupted outside en masse, pushing and climbing over the corpses.


    William scurried between the machinery where Eleanor was hiding, with the shamblers dropping dead barely some meters away. Claire stopped and raised her pistol, but she didn¡¯t even know what to do with it. Her right hand was useless, and the left one mutilated. She couldn¡¯t aim like usual, or hold the weapon properly.


    ¡®Oh god, oh god¡­ What do I do!?¡¯


    After some seconds that felt like an eternity, she saw William emerge from behind the machinery, with Eleanor in his arms. Some feet away from them, a new group of shamblers rose over the corpse pile, looking for prey.


    Bullets rained on them from the helipad, dropping them among spasms and squeals, yet one of them remained standing and lunged towards William with its mouth open wide.


    *Bang!*


    The pistol¡¯s recoil tore it away from her hand. The shambler fell like a rag on top of William and knocked him over, emitting one last gurgle before staying still, with a hole in its head from which viscous blood spilled.


    ¡°Jesus¡­!! Claire!¡± William squirmed under the shambler¡¯s corpse while hugging Eleanor, shielding her with his own body.


    Claire rushed to their side, breathing heavily, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw more shamblers stumbling in their direction. She didn¡¯t stop, despite fear gripping her soul, and yanked the corpse away from them.


    ¡°C-Come on!!¡± she yelled, with a shaky voice.


    ¡®I don¡¯t wanna leave anyone behind ever again! We¡¯ll get out of this one! All of us¡­!¡¯


    With William closely behind her, she ran back to the helipad, while the soldiers continued pulling back, one step after another, exhausting their last magazines.


    ******


    ¡°The helicopter is ready! Come on, everyone on board!!¡± shouted Colonel Rowan from the helipad.


    Isaac looked back for an instant, and saw the enormous silhouette of the rescue helicopter perched on the platform.


    ¡°Hurry, get back! Pull back!! Pull back to the stairs!!¡± he said.


    Some of his men had already abandoned their rifles out of lack of ammunition, resorting instead to their pistols. They couldn¡¯t spare a single extra second.


    ¡°This is Jay-02!!¡± said a voice over the radio. ¡°The Convergence wave is almost at the rooftop! You¡¯ve gotta get out of there now!!¡±


    Isaac defended the bottom of the stairs until the last of the soldiers retreated to the helipad, from where several civilians took shots at the horde. Its advance was unstoppable, the rooftop was covered in bodies, and a scandalous cacophony of shrieks and shattering glass approached from underneath, along with ever more violent tremors.


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    He ran upstairs to the helipad. The unarmed civilians had already boarded the helicopter.


    Colonel Rowan met him by the stairs, opening fire on the stingers. ¡°Hurry, captain! Everyone on board, come on!!¡±


    The soldiers rearmed themselves and pulled back to the helicopter¡¯s ramp. The sound of boots tapping on the metallic surface was the most comforting thing Isaac had heard in a long time. Weapons steamed, shaking as if they were about to fall apart, spitting a constant rain of projectiles on the furious horde, which now climbed the helipad stairs.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s inside!¡± shouted the colonel at the front of the helicopter. ¡°Take flight, go, go, go!!¡±


    The crowd¡¯s rumble seemed to come from all directions already, and its inhuman squeals could be heard with chaotic clarity.


    ¡°Get the fuck out of there!!!¡± said the voice on the radio.


    The Convergence wave crept over the rooftop railings like a fluid. Isaac wished he didn¡¯t have to face those creatures ever again. What a fool he was.


    The metallic railing was compressed by the weight of their exoskeletons, the concrete floor cracked when their claws sank into it, their multiple insect-like eyes tracked the helicopter down, their mandibles opened in anticipation.


    ¡°Close the fucking hatch!! Hurry up, close it!!¡±


    ¡°Open fire, don¡¯t let them get close!!¡±


    The vehicle began taking flight, and the creatures seemed to notice. They rushed towards the helipad in the blink of an eye. One handful after another, dozens of those monsters climbed the tower¡¯s walls and flooded the rooftop, crushing the inferior stingers that got in their way. Bullets rained incessantly over them, but all they did was aggravate their anger.


    They overwhelmed the helipad stairs, and then the helipad itself. They extended their arms in the helicopter¡¯s direction, but it was already beyond their reach.


    ¡®Shit, that was fucking close¡­!¡¯


    The monsters climbed one on top of another at vertiginous speed, rapidly increasing in height and reach, and forming a living tower that in mere seconds managed to cling to the helicopter¡¯s cargo ramp, which hadn¡¯t been able to close yet.


    The entire vehicle was shaken up, and the civilians piling up towards the front began screaming and panicking.


    ¡°Bloody hell¡­!! They¡¯ve caught us!!¡±


    ¡°O-Open fire¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Move this fucking junk, hurry!!¡±


    A tremendously loud noise filled the atmosphere around them, overshadowing even the roar of the helicopter¡¯s rotors. Struggling to keep his balance, Isaac looked outside one of the windows of the compartment.


    Kurtis Tower was crumbling apart.


    The structure was covered by a dense grid of bright blue spots, with smoke and dust belching out in waves through them. The imposing building tilted more and more to the side, until its structural integrity completely gave up. The tower collapsed over the neighboring buildings, creating a colossal dust cloud that rose high over the helicopter, and taking those creatures down with it.


    However, one of the monsters was still clinging to the back ramp of the vehicle. It couldn¡¯t shut closed, the creature¡¯s body blocked the way, wedged against the upper area of the compartment. It shrieked and roared, throwing its claws in all directions, denting the metal and creating a multitude of crevices that let puffs of dust into the compartment.


    The helicopter rotated in circles, destabilized by the creature¡¯s thrashing.


    ¡°Fire¡­!! Kill that bastard!!!¡± yelled Isaac.


    Riddled with bullets, the stinger squirmed even more, trying to break free from the metallic ramp pinning him up. Those weapons weren¡¯t meant to fight such an enemy. Its osseous shell splintered, but didn¡¯t break. Some shots hit the joints between plates, causing wounds that splattered a dark brown liquid. The luminous web of lines coursing through its entire body blinked frantically, as if each impact, each bullet, further increased its desire for freedom.


    Over several seconds, the squad maintained uninterrupted automatic fire on the monster, only stopping to switch magazines.


    The creature¡¯s strength was victorious. The closing mechanism of the ramp gave in upon the repeated convulsions, breaking apart, and causing the ramp to open up all the way, freeing the monster.


    The helicopter wobbled up and down, making almost everyone lose their balance.


    ¡®Shit¡­!¡¯


    Isaac felt like he was out of breath. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion in front of his eyes.


    For a single ephemeral instant, the stinger stood still. Its eyes scoured the helicopter compartment. They stopped over something at the end, towards the front of the vehicle. There it was, visible, vulnerable. The young queen. The source of the Convergence. The only thing those bastards cared about. The red-haired woman hugged her, with an expression of pure terror on her face.


    ******


    The queen suffered.


    The queen needed help.


    The queen was calling them.


    Those feeble creatures were in the way.


    It hated them.


    It hated one of them in particular.


    Why was it so close to the queen?


    Blasphemy.


    The queen was theirs.


    Unforgivable.


    Unforgivable.


    Unforgivable.


    ******


    He wouldn¡¯t add more names to the list. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a stinger queen. Or a pseudo-queen. It didn¡¯t matter if they were the last hope for mankind¡¯s salvation. At that point, he didn¡¯t care about any of that.


    They had a name. A life ahead of them. Dreams, expectations, a priceless existence. An existence whose weight he¡¯d forever carry if he let them die there.


    The slab on top of his shoulders was already heavy enough.


    ¡®Not one more.¡¯


    He had no plan, he had no time to formulate it, but his body moved on its own, getting in the creature¡¯s way.


    The stinger advanced through the compartment at high speed, running over the other soldiers, who barely had a way out within that claustrophobic space. Isaac knew he couldn¡¯t stop it. The beast charged him, grabbing him with its claws and easily pushing him back.


    He felt something sharp in his stomach. Adrenalin blocked any feeling of pain, but the sudden warmth running down his abdomen was enough warning. He didn¡¯t have much time.


    The stinger opened its mandibles wide. They were big enough to envelop his head whole. Isaac wielded his assault rifle with both hands and shoved it all the way down its throat.


    ¡®Choke on this, motherfucker!¡¯


    He pulled the trigger, and didn¡¯t let go until the weapon stopped shooting.


    What happened next manifested as a series of blurry images in front of his eyes. He was looking at the helicopter¡¯s ceiling. He felt heavy, something big laid on top of his body. Was it the stinger? Had he made it?


    He was cold. He still felt no pain at all, but the warm sensation in his abdomen was replaced with constant shivers.


    ¡®I think¡­ I get an idea¡­ of what¡¯s going on¡­¡¯


    A figure kneeled beside him. He knew that face.


    ¡°C-Colonel¡­¡± he muttered. Colonel Rowan observed him with one of the most serious expressions he could remember. ¡°T-The list¡­ colonel¡­ D-Do I have to a-add¡­ more names¡­?¡±


    Rowan shook his head.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ G-Good¡­¡±


    ¡°Rest, soldier. We¡¯re going back home.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, home¡­ Some r-rest¡­ w-won¡¯t hurt¡­ A b-beer, a cold one¡­ A soft b-bed¡­ I-I kinda m-miss it already¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­ You need to save your strength now.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ¡®G-Go back home, huh¡­? You¡¯re a bad l-liar, colonel¡­¡¯


    Isaac closed his eyes. Thinking was a struggle.


    ¡°You¡¯re a hero, Isaac Stone.¡±


    ******


    Rowan stood up. His eyes combed the area.


    The walls were dented, cracked, and covered in blood. Most of that blood was human. Several soldiers lay dead close to the ramp, while those still alive struggled to remain standing. They most likely had broken bones, deep cuts, and numerous bruises.


    Many heroes had risen, and died, on that day.


    ¡®At least the civilians are unharmed¡­¡¯


    He looked at the stinger¡¯s corpse, in the middle of the compartment.


    ¡°Somebody help me kick this thing out of the helicopter.¡± he said.


    He was furious. Throughout the years, his heart had hardened under a thick shield, but no shield was indestructible.


    ¡°C-Colonel¡­!! We¡¯ve got trouble!!!¡± said one of the pilots, from the front of the helicopter.


    It was no time for grieving. Not yet.


    ¡°The horizon is shining!!!¡±

 CHAPTER 58 – STILLNESS

    The tide of shining dots seemed to vibrate on the horizon, growing in size and intensity. They were close. They¡¯d soon be right on top of them.


    Rowan took a quick glance at the helicopter pilots. Underneath their visors, he could see sweat dripping from their faces. Their hands trembled on the vehicle controls.


    ¡°Keep our position.¡± he said.


    ¡°D-Do we have a plan, colonel¡­?¡± asked one of them.


    ¡°Do I have to answer that question, soldier?¡±


    The pilot didn¡¯t insist.


    Rowan turned towards the back compartment of the helicopter, where both civilians and wounded soldiers stood, anxiously observing him.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, our situation is critical.¡± he cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt. That bright light covering the horizon is a swarm of monstrous creatures, similar to the one we killed a moment ago. They¡¯ll corner the helicopter, and they¡¯ll bring it down. Running away isn¡¯t an option. Neither is fighting.¡± ha made a brief pause. ¡°Any suggestions?¡±


    They all stared at one another, frightened. They began babbling. A woman broke down and cried. They argued among themselves.


    At that point, it didn¡¯t matter if everyone panicked. If a life-saving idea arose as a result, it¡¯d be worth it.


    ¡°¡­ld be¡­ ay¡­¡±


    His attention was caught by a timid voice among the group. It was a young woman with glasses, the one he had to apply first aid on due to a broken arm. She bit the nails of her healthy hand, muttering something, while sitting on one of the seats of the compartment. Her voice was barely audible over the roar of the rotors.


    ¡°¡­there could be¡­ a way¡­¡±


    Rowan rushed to her side and crouched down to her eye level.


    ¡°Miss, speak clearly.¡±


    The woman flinched and glanced at the floor.


    ¡°W-Well¡­ Um¡­ At Saint Marie Hospital¡­ Didn¡¯t a similar thing happen at the hospital?¡±


    Rowan tried to remember. Captain Isaac had mentioned something in his report. The stinger hordes converging on the hospital had suddenly abandoned their state of aggression, although he didn¡¯t understand why. Did that young woman know about it?


    ¡°Miss, if you know something, speak up!¡±


    ******


    ¡°Nora!¡± yelled Claire.


    She jumped up from her seat and lunged towards the front of the helicopter, passing by the colonel¡¯s side, headed for Nora and Lilian, who cuddled each other on the floor.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­?¡± mumbled Nora.


    ¡°Nora, can you speak with Lilian¡­? Can you ask her to stop those things!? You pulled it off at the hospital!¡±


    Nora shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°N-No!? Please, you¡¯ve got to try! This is some kind of pheromone signal, there has to be something we can do!¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t answer. What do you think I¡¯ve been doing this whole time? I¡¯ve tried, over, and over, and over¡­ But she doesn¡¯t respond.¡± tears pooled up in Nora¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®But she talked to me earlier¡­!¡¯


    Lilian¡¯s stare was lost, she looked like a porcelain doll, inert and lifeless. Anyone would think she was dead if it wasn¡¯t for the blue glitter in her eyes.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sure Lilian is still in there, somewhere, okay?¡± she held Nora¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Give it one more try. Please.¡±


    After some seconds of hesitation, Nora nodded.


    ******


    ¡®Lilian.¡¯


    ¡®Lilian.¡¯


    ¡®Lilian.¡¯


    ¡­


    There was no answer. Nora closed her eyes and tried to ignore the helicopter¡¯s loudness, and the wind gusts blowing in her face, and the uproar caused by the people arguing around her.


    ¡®Lilian.¡¯


    ¡®Lilian.¡¯


    ¡®Lilian.¡¯


    ¡­


    As much as she called her name, nothing happened.


    ¡®Please, Lilian¡­ Where are you?¡¯


    She missed her voice. Not the aberrant, unnatural voice of the queen, but her real voice, soft, sweet. She missed her radiant smile. Her delicate but energetic personality. The warmth of her embrace. Anything that reminded her that her sister was still alive, that she was still herself.


    [*whispers*]


    ¡®¡­?¡¯


    A distant sound reached Nora¡¯s ears; and all the other noises in her environment quieted down, muffled as if someone had covered everything with a pillow, until they completely vanished.


    She couldn¡¯t open her eyes. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of something beyond her control, or out of fear of losing her focus, of letting that remote hint slip from her hands. Her body felt light, floating in the vacuum of space.


    ¡®Lilian¡­?¡¯


    The whispers intensified. They weren¡¯t whispers. It was buzzing. The buzzing of flapping wings. A strange, oppressive sensation coursed through her body, and she felt asphyxiated, as if underwater.


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    Nora gasped and opened her eyes. She took a copious gulp of a cold, bitter liquid. She couldn¡¯t breathe. However, her feet and her backside touched solid ground. She was sitting down. On a reflex, she stood up and broke through the liquid¡¯s surface, coughing and panting.


    She couldn¡¯t manage to make sense of her surroundings. The water reached up to her waist. Was it actually water? Of a greenish color, with azure glints, it had a thick consistency, and it was so turbulent nothing but blackness could be seen under its surface. Throughout that swampy wasteland stood dark, pointy structures of osseous appearance. The lack of lighting made it difficult to distinguish them, but they looked like limbs. Articulated limbs, like those of insects, gigantic and lifeless, intertwined together in knots and arches. High above, the sky was nothing but a pit of bottomless darkness.


    ¡°H-Hello¡­?¡± said Nora. ¡°Lilian?¡±


    Her entire body trembled. Something in that place pressured her consciousness and made her blood run cold. A presence. Hostile, violent.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t real. It couldn¡¯t be. We¡¯re in a helicopter. Focus, Nora, it¡¯s not real. It¡¯s like that time¡­¡¯


    ¡°Lilian!? I know you¡¯re here! Please, answer me! Lilian!¡±


    The tangle of legs in front of her twitched for an instant and opened up, moving aside and revealing something beyond. It shined in an intense blue color, and seemed to pulsate, although Nora couldn¡¯t make out what it was.


    She gulped and began walking in its direction. Moving her legs entailed an immense effort, the liquid offered a great deal of resistance. There was something down there, her feet bumped into some kind of obstacle, they disturbed something hiding under the waters. It was alive.


    She felt many things grabbing onto her legs and moving upwards, and saw several insects, the size of fists, climbing her body, tearing her clothes in the process. Nora closed her eyes and screamed.


    ¡®It¡¯s not real¡­! It¡¯s not real!!¡¯


    She opened her eyes again, and she now stood right in front of the shining structure. It was an insect. Atrophied wings, a grooved body with black and yellow tones, a disproportionately big abdomen¡­ A queen bee, perhaps? Her features were too deformed for a bee.


    Nora looked at her sides, and both her arms and legs were trapped by numerous articulated limbs, while countless insects grabbed onto her skin. Trails of blood covered her body, but she couldn¡¯t see the wounds. She didn¡¯t feel any pain either. All she felt was overwhelming terror. The gigantic creature loomed from up high, observing her, with its mandibles wide open, like a hunter contemplating its prey before the feast.


    However, it wouldn¡¯t move. It showed signs of hostility, but no aggression. It protected something. An egg, well secured on the ground in front of it. The membrane covering it was translucent, revealing a person inside.


    ¡°Lilian!!¡± shouted Nora. ¡°Lilian! Can you hear me!? I¡¯m here! Lilian!!¡±


    Lilian didn¡¯t seem to be able to hear her.


    ¡®I think I get it¡­ This isn¡¯t real, it¡¯s all in my head, and in Lilian¡¯s head! If this is a manifestation of her psyche¡­ are these her instincts!? The thing consuming her from within!?¡¯


    There was something else, something she hadn¡¯t noticed before. High in the sky, darkness wasn¡¯t absolute. It was riddled with tiny bright dots, growing bigger and bigger with every passing second. They looked like stars, but stars don¡¯t talk. Stars don¡¯t convey emotions. Stars don¡¯t carry a frightful presence.


    [Family.]


    [Union.]


    [Family.]


    [Union.]


    She had no time to waste, and she was quite aware of it.


    Nora fell into an adrenaline high. She fought, ignoring the dread invading her mind, resisting the twitches and shivers shaking her body. The articulated limbs immobilizing her broke apart with surprising ease, although those blood splatters couldn¡¯t be a good sign. The insects held tightly onto her body, devouring her with increased yearning.


    ¡®I won¡¯t leave you here. You won¡¯t end like this. I won¡¯t let them take you!¡¯


    Almost on all fours, splashing in the nebulous bog, she advanced towards the egg. The insects emerged from the water in waves, anxious to stop her. The gigantic creature shrieked and howled, as if attempting to scare her away.


    ¡®I won¡¯t let you do whatever you want with her! She¡¯s not yours! She doesn¡¯t belong to you!!¡¯


    Blood covered her entire body. Chunks of flesh were missing. At some points, she could see bone, completely exposed. She didn¡¯t know if there¡¯d be any real consequences, and even if there were, she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡®Give Lilian back!! Give me back my sister!!!¡¯


    Her hands pierced the egg¡¯s membrane, which offered no resistance. It didn¡¯t break, it simply let her inside. Nora dove through its surface, and for an instant, her eyes crossed Lilian¡¯s. She stared back at her.


    There was a flash of light, and everything around her disappeared under a blanket of whiteness. It was blinding, but it didn¡¯t appear to damage her sight. All noises died down. The atmosphere was warm, welcoming.


    She knew that place. She¡¯d been there before.


    ¡°Lilian¡­?¡±


    ¡°I missed you.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t see her, but she heard her clearly. Her voice came from everywhere at once, resonated within her head.


    Lilian let out some shy sobs. Her emotions were an open book for Nora. Those weren¡¯t tears of sadness, but relief.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here, okay? Lilian, sweetie¡­!¡± Nora began sobbing as well.


    For several seconds, both of them rejoiced in the emotional exchange; emotions they had bottled up for too long. They were supposed to be in a hurry, but somehow, Nora knew it didn¡¯t matter. Time seemed to have frozen still.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± said Lilian.


    ¡°Of them?¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­ They scare me. Lots! They come to me, they need me, they wanna take me with them¡­! They feel my pain, they think I¡¯m uncomfortable here, they think I need help¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you¡­ refuse?¡±


    ¡°But, how!? I can¡¯t even speak up to them. They won¡¯t stop screaming, they¡¯re so quick to get carried away by their impulses¡­ Whenever I try to speak with them, I¡¯m out of words. And¡­ a part of me doesn¡¯t wanna talk to them. It wants to go with them. I¡¯m scared. Norie, I¡¯m so scared¡­!¡±


    ¡°Listen to me! Nothing¡¯s gonna happen to you, okay? I¡¯ll make sure of it, I promise. I won¡¯t hide, or bail out, ever again! Lilian, you held my hand all the way here, let me do the same for you this time. I think it¡¯s about time.¡±


    ¡°Y-You promise it¡¯ll be okay¡­?¡±


    ¡°I promise! No matter how scary they are, I won¡¯t let them lay a finger on you! We¡¯ll do this together, okay?¡±


    ¡°S-Sure¡­!¡±


    ¡°Trust me! On the count of three! One, two¡­!¡±


    ¡®We¡¯re going home, Lilian. You have my word.¡¯


    ******


    ¡°Steady, soldier.¡± said Rowan. ¡°Keep the direction stable, no abrupt movements. Try to gradually gain altitude.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, sir.¡±


    It was a miracle the rotors weren¡¯t agitating them. The helicopter advanced among the stinger warriors, looking for viable gaps through the swarm.


    Like flipping off a switch, the creature¡¯s luminescence was gone, leaving in full display the dirty, brownish color of their carapaces. They turned their heads in the vehicle¡¯s direction, but they maintained their positions with surgical precision, as if frozen midair.


    The sound of their flapping was deafening, and Rowan could feel the winds they raised, a gale swinging the helicopter from side to side, hindering its maneuverability.


    ¡®The pseudo-queen¡­ That woman did it. I don¡¯t know what she did, but she did it.¡¯


    Over many long minutes, they advanced through the swarm, until its density began dwindling, until they were able to appreciate the color of the sky, until they left their devilish flapping behind.


    Everyone onboard the helicopter stayed tense and silent, until the dark cloud of stingers was but a stain on the horizon. One of the pilots was the first one to break the silence. What started as some awkward panting became a snicker.


    ¡°Are we¡­ safe?¡± he said. ¡°Colonel¡­! Are we safe!?¡±


    Rowan sighed. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, good job.¡±


    Those words unleashed an explosion of joy that coursed throughout the helicopter from end to end. He took a quick glance at the back compartment. His men wiped the sweat off their foreheads. They hugged one another. Some laughed, others cried. Others were too busy tending to their wounds, or the wounds of their partners.


    The civilians shared similar sentiments. The woman with the glasses had leaped onto the two queens, and they sobbed together. Even the young one shed tears.


    He sighed again, and grabbed the cab¡¯s radio.


    ¡°This is Colonel Rowan. HQ, do you copy?¡±


    ¡°This is HQ. We¡¯re glad to hear from you, colonel! We¡¯ve lost contact with almost every unit out there. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°The mission is over. We¡¯re going back to base.¡±


    There was a long pause. ¡°¡­understood, colonel!¡±


    Laughs could be heard on the other side of the radio.


    ¡°Get the research teams ready. They¡¯ll be quite busy. And make sure there¡¯s plenty of food, drink, and commodities for the survivors. They¡¯ve earned it.¡±

 CHAPTER 59 – THE PATH AHEAD

    Claire¡¯s fingers rummaged around the weeds, revealing a plump, brownish mushroom.


    ¡®Edible.¡¯


    She pulled out a pocket knife and carefully cut the base of the stem. She added the mushroom to the bag hanging from her left arm, making sure she didn¡¯t crush the rest of its contents, mostly wild berries and some culinary herbs.


    Stopping for a moment, she closed her eyes, and listened. Birds chirping from the heights, tree tops fluttering in the wind, some kind of small animal stirring sticks and fallen leaves in the distance¡­


    It had rained the previous night. With each breath, her nostrils filled up with the fresh, moist aroma of wet dirt. It was chilly, but nothing too unbearable.


    Everything looked normal, mundane, as if nothing had ever happened. It was almost difficult to believe. How much time had passed? Two years? That new reality was so focused on day-to-day survival that counting time had lost most of its relevance.


    After the rescue operation, authorities finally shed some light on the true magnitude of the issue. Humanity was no longer the dominant species on the planet; the ¡°stingers¡±, as they called them, had stolen that spot.


    The military focused all their efforts on stopping the expansion of those monsters, but it was a war they couldn¡¯t win. Sunlight is, after all, an inexhaustible resource. They couldn¡¯t hope to compete against something like that.


    Claire continued making her way through the thicket, with her eyes on the ground. After some more foraging, she raised her gaze to the sky and analyzed the sun¡¯s position.


    ¡®I should be getting back.¡¯


    ¡­


    She glanced at the meadows and the houses decorating the landscape here and there, on both sides of the road. It was a rural area, far away from big centers of population. In such isolated communities, survivors of the pandemic had gone back to the old ways. The military provided them with supplies from time to time, but a large portion of their sustenance came from nature itself. Agriculture, cattle, hunting¡­


    A peaceful life, for those able to forget the horrors of the past, and ignore the danger lurking past the horizon.


    Claire exchanged greetings with the few people she crossed paths with, but she wasn¡¯t in the mood for talking. She remained caught up in her thoughts the entire walk back.


    At the town center, she turned a corner and spotted a big building of rustic appearance, in front of a square. It used to be the town hall, and after lots of remodeling and rebuilding to repair the damage caused by abandonment, it had returned to its functions as a community center.


    Claire¡¯s eyes opened wide as soon as she saw something dark and big on the road, directly in front of the building¡¯s entrance. A military truck. Their last supply visit had been recent, it should¡¯ve been weeks until they were back.


    ¡®Maybe¡­!?¡¯


    She crossed the road with long strides and ran all the way to the entrance. A group of soldiers discussed something in front of the door. One of them saw her coming, and stared at her with a confused look on his face.


    Out of breath, she tried to say something, but no words came out. Among the soldiers, she saw a familiar face, who stared at her as well.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­.! Stella!¡±


    ¡°Claire! Where are you going in such a hurry!?¡± said Stella, patting Claire¡¯s back. ¡°Come on, breathe.¡±


    Stella had turned out to be a blessing for the community. The way she had taken leadership and established roles among the survivors was admirable. At least she had gotten something positive out of her experiences during the incident.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, just go inside.¡± she added. ¡°He¡¯s back.¡±


    Claire lunged through the door. There was a man in the middle of the building¡¯s lobby, with several pairs of curious and nervous eyes fixated on him.


    ¡°All good?¡± he said.


    In front of him was a girl with light brown hair. She was wearing a blue dress with flower patterns, and she looked at him with her head down. He had kneeled down to be at her eye level.


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Eleanor let out a mumble of affirmation, keeping a prudential distance from the man.


    Claire approached them, until she was barely a couple of feet away. The man stood up and turned towards her, allowing her to have a clear vision of his face. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but doubted at the last second. Had he changed so much during those months? His facial features were the same, but something was off.


    William¡¯s eyes carried a very different message than what she remembered, and they had an unusual radiance, irradiating a soft azure light.


    ¡°Um¡­ W-William¡­ What¡¯s¡ª?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done. It went okay.¡±


    ¡°You sure? What about you? Are you okay?¡±


    William nodded.


    Without a second thought, Claire hugged him, a gesture that he reciprocated. A feeling of relief coursed through her body.


    ¡®Thank goodness¡­ I don¡¯t have to lose anyone else.¡¯


    ¡°Come on, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s time for reunions. I¡¯m guessing many things must have happened while I was gone. Bring me up to date, would you?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡± replied Claire. She let go of William and wiped the tears off her eyes, with a smile on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s see, where do I begin?¡±


    ******


    As he listened to Claire, a part of William was deep in thought. He glanced sideways at Eleanor, always following him closely. He realized she no longer pinched his clothes, but she rather walked some centimeters behind him, without taking her eyes off him. A sign of recovery, perhaps?


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    To be honest, everyone needed to recover. They should let their wounds heal, look ahead, and take the new chance life had given them.


    What¡¯s done is done. It made no sense to look back anymore.


    ######


    The first time those monsters walked by his side, it was a terrifying experience. The second time felt strange. A couple dozen times later, he began getting used to it. Once an hour had passed, he no longer cared.


    The shamblers who previously infested those streets had disappeared. Only those creatures remained in their place. ¡°Stingers¡±, as they called them. Apparently, some time after Lilian was removed from the city, a new queen had emerged in her place, and the shamblers got disposed of, allowing a new colony to thrive.


    They wouldn¡¯t stop running all over the place, traversing the streets in all directions. The majority of buildings had suffered catastrophic damage as a result of the Convergence, but the roads were relatively clear, since the constant activity had pulverized the rubble and flattened the vehicles. To be fair, they didn¡¯t even look like streets.


    The stingers passed right by his side, turning their heads in his direction, staring into his eyes; yet ignoring him.


    Nora and Lilian had made it. With their help, they had managed to find a viable solution. A new strain of the virus. William didn¡¯t understand the details, but the fundamental idea was that it allowed him to camouflage as another member of the colony, something about pheromones. This new strain was also supposed to have almost no side effects on the body and mind of the host, thus avoiding the violent process of degradation that led to the creation of shamblers.


    The risks were noteworthy, but William didn¡¯t care in the slightest. He had offered himself as a test subject as soon as he had the chance. He knew exactly what he needed to do if he wanted to move on. He was willing to take any risk.


    After hours of walking, he arrived at his destination. When he got out of there, he¡¯d have to personally thank that Colonel Rowan, for allowing the field trials to take place at that location in particular.


    The old apartment building stood in front of him. Or rather, its ruins. The access door to the underground parking lot had been torn apart, exposing the dark interior.


    ¡®Well, this makes things easier.¡¯


    Under the surface, not much had changed. He pulled out his flashlight and headed into the sewers, walking down that same path he had walked so many times before, until he reached that closed door. That basement under a collapsed building. That dark room.


    He took a seat in front of the open doorway, and laid his eyes on the immobile figure on the other side.


    ¡°Hi, honey.¡± he said. ¡°A lot has happened. I wanted to see you one last time.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°We managed to get out of this place, you know? Everyone is safe now, far away from here. It¡¯s a beautiful place, surrounded by nature, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d have loved it.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I adopted a kid. Her name is Eleanor. She¡¯s¡­ had it rough, and I¡¯m somewhat at fault. I¡¯ve been taking her to therapy, we have a psychologist in our community. They also organized some sort of school, where she¡¯s been learning things along with a couple more kids. Bit by bit, I hope her wounds end up healing. I don¡¯t think I can become the fatherly figure she deserves, but I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡­


    She was cold. The carcass that once was Amanda was appalling to touch, and her skin was falling apart in pieces, as if disintegrating into dust. However, there was still a speck of life in there. He could feel it. He could hear a soft, unintelligible whisper inside his head, something he had never heard before.


    He didn¡¯t want to try and decipher it.


    ¡°Honey, wait for me. I promise I¡¯ll see you again, when the time comes. I love you¡­¡±


    William hugged Amanda tightly, holding back his tears. He knew what was coming. He didn¡¯t want to hear it. For the last time, he let his bottled emotions get out, allowing his own cries to flood the room.


    ¡®Forgive me.¡¯


    ¡­


    The cigarette tasted bitter, much more than usual. He took some last puffs while bathing in the rays of sun that reached the inner courtyard.


    The crops no longer existed, but in their place, a flower bed of intense colors had grown, intertwining with the vines and bushes that started to reclaim the ruins.


    He finished the cigarette, threw the butt away, and observed the packet. There were at least a dozen more cigs inside. He sighed and crumpled it up, dropping it to his feet along with the lighter.


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ******


    Nora looked at the door and saw a man with a white coat peeking into the room. He seemed hesitant to step inside, and stared back at her with an inquiring look on his face.


    [It¡¯s okay, Nory, I¡¯m alright. He can come in.]


    Nora nodded at the doctor, prompting him to approach them. They were being quite cautious, not taking any unnecessary risks. It was to be expected, considering the kind of experimental treatments they were putting Lilian through.


    ¡°Doctor¡­¡± said Nora, getting up from her seat to greet him.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Lamb. I have good news.¡± the man¡¯s face lit up with a smile.


    ¡°R-Really!?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed that the Sting in her organism has stabilized, the new strain is now dominant. She must remain under periodic observation, but everything seems to indicate the degenerative process has stopped.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank god¡­!! Did you hear, sweetie!?¡± yelled Nora.


    Lilian was sitting by the window, looking at them inexpressively. Her physical transformation had aggravated more and more over the last two years, but it was a relief to know it wouldn¡¯t get any worse.


    Her face had lost all trace of emotion, she was like a porcelain doll; the only shred of life she had left was the light emanating from her eyes. Although it kept its soft, delicate appearance, her skin had turned gray, and two hard, articulated antennae had sprouted from her skull. In addition, she had lost the capacity to speak.


    [I heard! See? You told me everything would be okay. I knew you were right!]


    Nora gave her a warm smile. She knew Lilian wouldn¡¯t be able to smile back, but she felt a comforting sensation deep within.


    ¡°What now, doctor?¡± asked Nora, focusing her attention back on him.


    ¡°I was about to say. We¡¯ll relocate you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Where to?¡±


    ¡°The new variant of the Sting has produced satisfactory results, so we no longer need you to stay here at the hospital. We have the samples we need; our efforts will now focus on the application of these results. We¡¯ll take you to a military checkpoint in a rural area, far away from the stinger colonies, to get you ready for integration into a civilian community, where you¡¯ll be able to reunite with your comrades. In other words, we¡¯ll try to help you go back to a normal life, Miss Lamb.¡±


    Nora¡¯s breathing became irregular, and a wide smile appeared on her face, along with tears of excitement.


    ¡°A-Are you serious¡­? Will we, at last¡­?¡±


    ¡°Keep in mind you¡¯ll have to be under permanent armed escort. After all, Lilian is still a stinger queen. We¡¯ll have to monitor her, her influence on the environment, and her reaction towards other people.¡±


    ¡°Right, I understand. Doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m so glad to hear all this!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll inform you when everything is ready for your relocation. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡±


    As soon as the doctor left the room, Nora rushed to Lilian¡¯s side and grabbed her hands.


    ¡®Lilian, sweetie¡­!¡¯


    [It¡¯s been a long time since I went outside. I can¡¯t wait.]


    ¡®We¡¯ll do that and much more! You¡¯ll see!¡¯


    [Something isn¡¯t right, Nory. What¡¯s up? Tell me.]


    Their hearts were an open book for one another.


    ¡®¡­I¡¯m sorry. I could have done better. All those times I doubted we¡¯d make it through all this, all those times I doubted myself, or I doubted the others¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    [It¡¯s no biggie. It¡¯s over, right? Now we keep walking, one lil step at a time.]


    Nora let out a chuckle.


    ¡®Of course. Back then, I would¡¯ve been okay with dying by your side, with us dying together¡­ Never again. The path ahead is still long. So, please¡­ walk with me.¡¯