"Zz… Help! Send help, we're being attacked by numerous people, they're coming in helicopters, damn it, send reinforcements…" After that radio message, communication was lost, and the room where Teddy was fell into dead silence.
No one said a word. Teddy himself just smiled slightly, then touched his chin as he pondered what to do.
"Well, looks like they're all dead," Mike said as a cold sweat ran down his jaw.
"No big surprise. Their base was a place even dogs could walk through without being noticed—they're a bunch of damn fools." Teddy stood up, and just as he was about to speak, the sound of gunfire echoed outside the mall.
"What the hell is going on?" A guard in the room, hearing the shots, peeked out and saw the chaotic scene unfolding outside.
Just as he was about to say something, a metallic explosion rang out from the sky, and suddenly, numerous groups of walkers from within the mall began attacking the armed guards who had been patiently awaiting the assault.
…
Unknown location…
Just minutes earlier, several helicopters, each carrying a specially-prepared container packed with walkers inside, were flying over the area. Each container was secured with cables attached to all four corners.
These containers were to be dropped inside the mall, falling through its fully-glass ceiling. The purpose of this attack was to draw attention to Teddy's refuge and launch a full-scale assault from the outside.
"Zz… We have visual. Proceeding as planned."
"Zz… Dropping the package and then circling around to deal with minor threats."
"Zz… This is ground. Proceed with your established mission. You are green-lit."
Upon hearing that, the helicopter pilots simply confirmed and flew swiftly until they reached the top of the mall. Amid the chaos, it happened quickly—several containers were dropped into the center of the mall, and some landed outside.
These containers, falling from a significant height, held hundreds of intelligent walkers who soon emerged through the shattered doors. Some dragged themselves across the floor with broken limbs, slowing their advance, and it didn't take long for the bored people inside to notice something was off.
"Walkers!"
Jason and his group halted, and when the building shook, they realized the main assault had begun.
Now that they'd been exposed, there was no need to remain hidden. Jason gave a signal, and everyone raised their weapons, tactically entering and launching a direct assault on the enemy.
Bang! Bang!
Cold bullets fired from their guns as Jason and his team reached the fourth floor. The first shot was aimed at a guard in the hallway, followed by others targeting the panicked guards running away.
Aside from the guards in the corridor, most of the people were drawn by the sudden noise of the air defense and gunfire, and failed to notice the intruders within.
But before the corridor guards could send a warning message, a bullet went straight through one of their heads, killing him instantly on the spot.
Jason turned to one side, reloaded his weapon, and along with his team, shot at the alarmed guards. After a few precise shots, the situation became clearer.
"Quick! Upstairs!"
"Damn it, those are changers!"
"The enemy's breached the refuge—we need to be careful!"
At that moment, loud shouting and a rush of hurried footsteps came from the lower stairwell. Clearly, the guards downstairs had heard the commotion above and were rushing up.
Seeing this, Jason signaled, and a soldier pulled out a grenade, removed the pin, and threw it down the stairs.
The glass shattered, and shrapnel pierced the walls. Some incendiary grenades covered the stairway for a short time, blocking the people below from advancing.
After clearing this obstacle, Jason moved quickly toward the room at the end of the corridor. But when he approached the door, he didn't immediately open it.
Though the door in front of him was tightly shut, he could clearly hear the sound of heavy breathing behind it.
With the corners of his mouth slightly raised, Jason stood to the side of the wall, grabbed the doorknob, and yanked it violently.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The moment the door opened, bullets roared from within, hitting the floor and walls.
Jason quickly stepped aside and locked eyes with a bulky, tattooed man inside the room. He aimed his weapon at the man's hand and pulled the trigger.
"Ah!"
The bullet struck the shirtless man's palm with near-perfect accuracy. The pain made him cry out involuntarily, and the gun slipped from his hand as he could no longer hold it.
After disarming the man, Jason lunged forward and delivered a powerful kick to his chest, not giving the opponent a chance to react.
The man took the full force of the kick, and before he could even cry out, he was thrown backward, landing face-down on the glass coffee table behind him, which shattered under the impact.
Looking at the man with bare shoulders and glazed eyes, Jason noticed the lower half of his body was wrapped in a bath towel. The broken glass had cut into his skin, and blood dripped from his wounds.
The soldiers behind Jason wasted no time, taking positions and exchanging fire with others ahead. Some entered the room directly, hoping to find something valuable inside.
Lowering his weapon, Jason now had time to examine the room. In the rather spacious room, four naked women were huddled on the bed, and next to them was a stash of food and drinks, as if the people here existed solely to enjoy what little they had.
Seeing this, Jason sneered and turned his gaze back to the shirtless man lying on the floor, only to find him now awake and glaring at him with resentment.
Jason didn't care in the slightest and coldly said, "You only know how to enjoy trash. I really don't know how you've survived this long."
Bang!
While he was speaking, Jason didn't wait for a response. He raised his hand and shot the man in the thigh.
"Ah!"
The severe pain made the shirtless man scream again. Ever since he'd joined Teddy's cult, he hadn't suffered like before. His endurance and survival skills had grown soft. How could he handle this much pain? Cold sweat poured down his forehead and his face turned extremely pale.
Turning his head slightly, Jason could sense a large number of people gathering in the stairwell behind them. He signaled to his team to prepare to eliminate them.
Knowing time was running out, Jason crouched in front of the shirtless man and said, "Answer one question and I'll spare your worthless life."
Maybe it was hearing he could still live, or maybe the pain had gotten to him—either way, the man's resentful gaze turned flattering as he said, "You… you ask!"
Jason didn't rush. He dragged a chair over, pulled the shirtless man into it, and leaned him against the door before asking, "I want to know where Teddy is. Where is he hiding?"
Hearing this, the bare-armed man immediately realized these people were here for Teddy. He pointed at the wall beside the door and said, "Fifth floor. His office is there. There's a map on the wall—you can follow it to find Teddy."
As he said this, he secretly smirked. He didn't care whether Teddy lived or died; the supplies should already be on their way, and by the time these people realized, they would all be dead.
Seeing the man give up his only bargaining chip so easily, Jason raised an eyebrow in surprise.
But after thinking for a moment, he realized what was going on. Instead of taking the radio, he pulled out his prized revolver and aimed it at the shirtless man.
"You… what are you doing?" Seeing the barrel pointed at him, the man's pupils shrank as he shouted, "You said you'd let me go!"
"Oh, don't worry—it won't hurt," Jason said with a sneer. He slightly lowered the revolver, now aiming at the door. "If you don't die by my hand, the walkers will."
And with that, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!!
The thunderous shot was deafening, and the soldiers in the room opened fire at the same time, killing a dozen guards who were just about to storm in, not giving them a chance to shoot.
"Damn it! Fire!"
Facing the sudden hail of bullets from within the room, the remaining guards screamed and fired in panic.
Boom!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Ahhh!"
The roar of weapons was joined by piercing screams, and in the blink of an eye, the room's door was riddled with holes, blood flowing slowly through the cracks.
"It's done…"
After wiping everyone out, Jason looked at his team and signaled them to move up to the room where Teddy was.
"Let's go!"
"Yes, sir!"