The corridor opened slightly as they moved deeper into the first floor.
What had once been an active newsroom now lay in disarray.
Desks were scattered unevenly across the open space, some overturned, others still cluttered with equipment, keyboards, wired office phones, computer monitors. Papers covered the floor in uneven layers, printouts of scripts and broadcast notes mixed with handwritten edits and coffee-stained pages.
A large wall-mounted television hung crooked, its screen cracked.
Andrew slowed the formation with a quick hand gesture.
Turning to the others he spoke, his voice just above a whisper."Movement ahead, stayalert."
A walker stumbled out from between two rows of desks, its clothing torn but still recognizable, the military camouflage faded and dirty.
Another two walkers shifted behind it.
Andrew raised a fist.
The group halted.
He pointed two fingers, then a downward motion.
Price and Ghost nodded in acknowledgement.
They closed the distance without hesitation, stepping around scattered chairs and debris with careful precision. Ghost came up behind the first walker and drove his knife cleanly into the base of its skull, catching the body before it collapsed.
At the same time, Price stepped into the second, bringing his blade up under the chin and into the brain.
Both dropped without a sound.
The third turned slightly, drawn by the movement.
Andrew was already next to it.
His hatchet came down in a controlled arc, splitting into the skull and dropping it instantly.
He pulled the blade free with a wet sound and stepped back.
"Clear."
Without wasting time, they moved forward again.
More signs of a failed struggle revealed themselves as they crossed the floor.
A row of desks had been pushed together near a hallway entrance, forming a makeshift barricade. Behind it lay spent casings, a few empty magazines, and dark stains that had long since dried.
Near the far side of the room, the stairwell door stood partially open.
Andrew approached slowly.
He pushed the door open wider.
The smell hit immediately, some gaging at the strong smell of rott.
Inside the stairwell, dim light filtered down from somewhere above, just enough to outline the concrete steps spiraling upward.
And the bodies.
One lay at the base of the stairs, on its back, the neck bent at an unnatural angle with only the head moved.
Slow, weak motions, jaw working uselessly as it stared up into nothing.
For a moment, no one moved, their flashlights checking every corner.
" Clear, let's move up." Price said in a hushed tone.
Ghost stepped forward, crouched, and drove his knife into the skull of the walker. Pulling the blade free, he positioned himself in the lead.
Then they began the ascent, slow and deliberate.
Each step placed carefully to avoid loose debris and spent casings scattered across the stairs.
Halfway up, another walker staggered into view from the next landing.
It moved sluggishly, one arm hanging uselessly at its side.
Andrew stepped forward and ended it with a quick strike of his hatchet, guiding the body down quietly against the wall.
They kept moving.
Passing the lower floors without stopping.
Doors stood ajar along the landings, some marked with smeared handprints, others dented or partially broken as if something had tried to force its way through.
No one stopped to check them.
Higher up, more signs of panic became visible.
A dropped radio.
A backpack torn open, its contents spilled across the steps.
A smear of blood trailing upward, thinner now, as if whoever had been bleeding had been slowing down.
Near the upper levels, they encountered two more walkers.
One emerged suddenly from a landing, forcing Cole to react. He stepped in, catching it by the shoulder and driving his knife through the temple before it could make a sound.
The second was taken by Rayes, his blade slipping cleanly into the side of its skull as it turned towards him.
They reached the final level before the rooftop access.
A door to the upper floor stood closed along the landing.
Andrew stopped beside it and tried the handle.
The handle turned but the door didn't move.
He applied a bit more pressure.
Still nothing.
Something on the other side was holding it in place.
Soap stepped in closer, placing a hand against the metal and giving it a careful push.
"It's not locked," he murmured. "Just… stuck."
He tilted his head slightly, listening, then gave a small shrug.
"Or something is blocking it. Either debris or people trying to keep the walkers out."
Price studied the door for a brief moment, his gaze lingering on the frame, then shifted his attention upward toward the final flight of stairs.
"Not our problem right now."
Andrew held the door a second longer, as if considering it.
Then he nodded in agreement.
"Rooftop first."
They moved past the blocked door and continued up the last stretch of stairs toward the rooftop, that ended at a heavy metal door.
Andrew slowed as he reached it.
He tested the handle, finding it unlocked.
Tightening the grip on his hatchet, Andrew pushed it open carefully.
The door gave way with a low creak, and daylight spilled into the stairwell.
Fresh, cool air followed.
They stepped out onto the rooftop one by one, weapons raised as their eyes adjusted to the brightness.
The wind was the first thing they felt. It wasn't strong, but it was steady enough to be felt.
The space was larger than expected.
Antenna arrays rose from the roof in clustered groups, satellite dishes angled toward the sky, metal frames supporting transmission equipment, cables running in thick bundles across the concrete surface.
Andrew moved forward a few steps, scanning the rooftop.
Without finding anything he gave the clear.
Price drifted to the edge, lowering himself slightly as he looked out over the city.
"Good vantage point," he said.
One by one, the others spread out just enough to get eyes on their surroundings.
From this height, the scale of the situation became clearer.
To their left, a nearby overpass cut across the city, a raised stretch of highway suspended above the streets below.
Dozens of walkers moved across the streets below.
They wandered aimlessly along the lanes, clustering near abandoned vehicles and drifting slowly in loose groups, their movement uneven but constant. Some leaned against guardrails, others stumbled along the edges, but the overall mass was impossible to ignore.
Gaz let out a quiet breath.
"That's… a lot."
Soap squinted slightly, scanning further along the overpass.
"And that's just what we can see."
Andrew shifted his attention downward, toward the loading bay.
From above, the service lane was partially visible between the buildings.
And it wasn't clear anymore.
Walkers had gathered at the entrance.
A dense cluster pressed around the loading door, drawn by the noise from earlier. Some struck against it in slow, uncoordinated motions, while others simply stood, swaying in place, their numbers steadily growing as more filtered in from the surrounding streets.
Andrew's jaw tightened slightly.
"They're piling up."
Price followed his gaze and nodded once.
"That door won't hold forever."
Ghost remained near the stairwell exit, watching their rear, while Novak stepped closer to the edge for a better look.
"They're not leaving either," she said quietly. "Not anytime soon, anyway."
The wind shifted slightly, carrying the low, distant chorus of groans up from the streets below.
Andrew looked from the overpass… to the loading bay… then out across the surrounding blocks.
They had their vantage point now.
"Alright," Andrew said, turning back to the group. "Let's get everyone up here."
Looking at Price, he added, "Contact Major Griggs and tell him we're in position."
Price gave a short nod and stepped aside, already reaching for the long range radio.
Andrew brought his own up radio, pressing the transmit key.
"Hale, this is Andrew. Come in."
A brief burst of static.
Then—
"Reading you loud and clear, sir."
Andrew glanced once toward the stairwell door before continuing.
"We've reached the rooftop. Area's clear for now."
"Copy that," Hale replied.
Andrew's tone remained steady.
"I want you to bring the rest up. Use the same route as us. You'll find the stairwell leading to the rooftop."
He let that settle for a second, then added—
"Stay sharp. The building isn't empty. We cleared what we could, but there are still walkers inside."
Hale answered without hesitation in his voice.
"Understood. We'll move slow and keep it tight."
Andrew nodded to himself.
"Good. Maintain formation and keep noise to a minimum."
"Copy that, sir. Moving now."
The radio clicked off.
Andrew lowered it slightly, his gaze drifting back toward the city below as the distant groans carried up on the wind.
···
Price stepped a few paces away from the others, bringing his radio up.
He pressed the transmit key.
"Overlord, this is Bravo Six. Radio check. Over."
A brief crackle of static.
Then a firm voice came through.
"Bravo Six, this is Overlord. Reading you five by five. Go ahead."
Price's gaze drifted briefly over the rooftop before he spoke.
"Overlord, Bravo Six is on station at objective Fox. I say again, on station. Rooftop secured."
A short pause on the line.
"Copy, Bravo Six. Confirm mission status."
"All elements accounted for. No casualties to report." Price paused slightly, then added, "Be advised, we encountered and secured multiple civilian survivors while transiting the subway. They are currently under protection."
There was a brief shift in tone from the other end.
"Good work, Bravo Six. Glad to hear it."
A moment passed before Griggs continued.
"Be advised, two demolition teams are on standby and awaiting your signal. Charges are prepped and ready for Phase One."
Price gave a small nod to himself.
"Copy all, Overlord. We're conducting final checks and preparing to initiate."
He adjusted his grip on the radio slightly.
"Stand by for my call. I'll signal when we're ready to proceed."
"Roger that, Bravo Six. Overlord standing by. Out."
Price released the transmit key and lowered the radio, turning back toward Andrew and the others.
"Demolition teams are ready," he said. "They're on stand by, waiting for our signal."
Andrew gave a small nod, taking the information in.
"Good," he replied. "That means we're on schedule."
He glanced briefly toward the stairwell door, as if measuring time.
"The drone operators are on their way up now."
A faint gust of wind moved across the rooftop, carrying distant noise from below.
Andrew shifted his attention back to the walkers in the streets.
"Once they're here, we can start clearing the way for the demolition teams."
Price gave a short nod in return stepping next to him.
···
The stairwell had settled into a tense kind of quiet.
Muted light filtered down from above, just enough to outline the concrete walls and the closed door on the landing.
Three Rangers held position there, spaced out just enough to cover the angles, their weapons lowered but ready, attention split between the stairs below and the blocked door beside them.
Cole shifted his weight slightly, adjusting the strap on his weapon.
"Funny thing," he muttered under his breath. "We spend all that time getting up here quiet… and now we're about to drop half the city on itself."
Wyatt gave a faint huff.
"Yeah. Subtle wasn't really the end goal."
Rayes leaned back just enough to rest against the wall for a second, eyes still scanning.
"Better than going street to street," he said. "I'll take one big boom over that any day."
Cole nodded slightly.
"Fair."
There was a short pause.
Then Wyatt glanced toward the blocked door.
"Do you think there are survivors in there?" he asked quietly.
Rayes followed his gaze towards the door.
"No idea," he said, then he shrugged. "It's possible. We did find people in a subway infested with walkers."
Cole tilted his head slightly.
"Or walkers."
Rayes pushed off the wall slightly and stepped closer to the door.
"Only one way to know."
He stopped just short of it, studying the frame, then slowly reached out and rested a hand against the metal.
He leaned in slightly, pressing his ear against the surface.
The other two instinctively shifted, Cole turning to cover the stairwell below, Wyatt angling himself to watch their rear.
They waited for a few seconds….
Hearing just the distant, muffled echo of the building.
Rayes stayed still, ear pressed against the door.
He didn't hear anything at first.
Then he heard something, it was faint but he heard it.
He frowned slightly, focusing.
"... I hear something." he murmured.
Cole glanced over.
"What is it?"
Rayes didn't pull away.
"Inside… sounds like—"
He paused, listening harder.
"Voices."
Wyatt shifted slightly, attention drifting toward the door.
"Voices?"
Rayes gave a small nod.
"It muffled. Can't make it out."
Before either of them could say more—
Footsteps echoed from the stairwell below.
A moment later, faint beams of light swept up along the concrete walls as flashlights climbed toward them.
Cole glanced toward the stairs and relaxed slightly.
"That'll be them."
Wyatt nodded once.
"About time."
Moments later, Sergeant Hale stepped onto the landing, followed by the rest of the Rangers. Behind them came the drone operators, moving carefully with their cases, and the civilians, kept close within the formation.
Hale's eyes moved quickly across the landing.
Cole gave a short nod toward him.
"The Lieutenant and the Captain are waiting on the rooftop."
Hale acknowledged it with a slight nod, then glanced at the three of them.
"You three holding this level?"
Cole shifted his stance slightly.
"Yeah. We were told to keep the route to the roof secure."
Wyatt added quietly, "Nothing moving out here so far."
Rayes gave a brief look toward the door before returning his attention to Hale.
"Aside from that, there might be survivors in there." He said, keeping it simple.
Hale followed the glance for just a second, then looked back at them.
"I will inform the lieutenant. Stay sharp. If anything changes, call it up."
"Copy that, Sarge," Cole replied.
Hale turned, raising a hand to signal the rest forward.
"Keep it tight. Watch your spacing."
Without hesitation, he led the group past the landing and up the final stretch toward the rooftop.
Rayes lingered for a second longer, eyes drifting once more toward the closed door.
Then he stepped back into position with Cole and Wyatt, the three of them resettling into their watch as the sound of movement faded above.