The rooftop door opened with a dull metallic clang.
One by one, Sergeant Hale and his group stepped out into the open air.
The wind hit them immediately, carrying the distant, ever-present chorus of the city below.
Hale emerged first, his gaze sweeping across the rooftop before he moved toward Andrew. Behind him, the rest of the Rangers fanned out, maintaining proper spacing as the civilians and drone operators followed.
Andrew turned as they approached.
Hale stopped in front of him.
"All personnel accounted for," he reported. "No contact on the way up. Stairwell's secure. Cole, Reyes, and Wyatt are holding the level below."
Andrew gave a short nod.
"Good."
"There's something else," Hale added. "Private Cole reported voices coming from behind the door on the last floor."
Andrew exchanged a brief look with Price before replying.
"It can wait. The door's blocked, nothing we can do about it right now. We focus on the task at hand."
Hale nodded and stepped aside, already shifting his attention outward as the Rangers repositioned along the rooftop perimeter.
Nearby, the drone operators moved with practiced efficiency.
They set their cases down near the edge of the building, angled toward the overpass. Latches snapped open, revealing foam-lined compartments filled with drones, spare batteries, controllers, and signal equipment.
One of the operators dropped to a knee, quickly checking connections, while the other lifted out a bulky drone and began unfolding its arms.
"Give me a minute," one of them muttered, more to his teammate than anyone else. "Let's make sure everything's good."
Cables were connected. Systems checked. Screens flickered to life.
The operators adjusted their controllers, angling them to cut the glare from the sun.
"We've got line of sight from here," one of them said. "We're good to go."
Andrew watched them for a moment before shifting his gaze back toward the city.
Price stepped up beside him, already pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. The smoke was quickly carried off by a breeze.
"How long?"
Andrew glanced back toward the operators.
"Not long. We should let Major Griggs know we're ready."
He turned slightly, raising his voice just enough to carry.
"Once those drones are up, position them to draw in as many walkers as possible."
"Copy that," both operators responded in unison.
In a single motion Price pulled the long-range radio from his vest. He adjusted the frequency with practiced ease, turning slightly away from the wind.
He pressed the transmit button.
"Bravo Six to Overlord, we're set and ready. How copy?"
For a brief moment, only static answered.
Then the radio crackled to life.
"Overlord to Bravo Six, reading you loud and clear."
A short pause followed, faint background chatter bleeding through the transmission.
"You can proceed with the next phase. We'll notify the demolition teams."
" Copy that. Bravo six out."
Price released the transmit button, lowering the radio.
"We can begin," he said, glancing toward Andrew.
···
The first drone powered up with a low, rising whine.
Its rotors spun slowly at first, then faster—blades blurring as the pitch sharpened into a steady hum.
"Drone one, spinning up," one of the operators called out, eyes fixed on his screen.
Beside him, the second operator mirrored the process.
"Drone two, ready."
A brief glance passed between them.
Then—
"Send it."
The first drone lifted cleanly off the rooftop, hovering for a moment as the operator stabilized it. The second followed a heartbeat later, rising into the air with a heavier, more deliberate motion.
The added weight was noticeable, but the drones held steady.
"Controls are good," one of them said. "No drift."
"Copy. Begin descent."
On the screens, the rooftop fell away as the drones moved forward, gliding over the edge of the building.
From above, the city stretched out in broken lines, abandoned streets, scattered vehicles, and the slow, wandering shapes of the dead.
"Dropping altitude," the operator murmured.
The drones descended gradually, their hum fading from the rooftop as they pushed outward. Wind currents tugged at them, but the operators compensated with small, precise inputs.
"Keep them low," Andrew said from behind them. "We want them close to street level."
"Understood."
The walkers drifted through the streets in loose clusters, some turning aimlessly, others standing still.
"We are in position," one of the operators said quietly.
"Good," Andrew replied. "Hold them just outside the overpass."
The drones leveled out, hovering at a controlled distance from the structure. Their cameras adjusted automatically, locking onto the area.
"Position set."
On the rooftop, everyone watched from the rooftop edge that gave them a clear, unobstructed view of the overpasses below.
The operators initiated the audio.
The silence of the streets was instantly shattered by the first guitar chords—a dry, jerky riff that seemed to echo. It wasn't a gradual increase in volume, but an explosion. As the signal carried through the drone speakers, it bounced off concrete and steel, amplified across the streets.
Price's posture changed slightly as the sound hit.
"…There it is."
The drums entered next, settling into a steady, defiant marching rhythm that carried a sense of momentum through the distorted speakers.
Andrew remained focused on the overpasses, his tone calm.
"Keep the output steady."
Price glanced briefly toward the operators, then back to the streets below.
"Good choice," he said dryly. "It's not subtle."
The singer's voice cut through the mix, filling the space between the buildings as the audio projection stabilized.
🎶 Livin' easy
Lovin' free
Season ticket on a one way ride
Askin' nothin'
Leave me be
Takin' everythin' in my stride. 🎶
Soap tilted his head slightly, a faint, almost disbelieving smirk forming.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Gaz gave a quiet, almost amused huff. "Well. It works."
Below them, the first walkers began to react, subtle at first, then more clearly as the sound carried across the streets.
Price rested his forearms lightly on the edge of the rooftop, watching the overpasses while listening to the track echo across the city.
"…Didn't expect that one," he muttered.
Andrew's eyes stayed forward. " Seemed fitting."
The operators adjusted their controls, maintaining the drones' positions as the signal continued to project outward.
Then the chorus hit.
🎶 I'm on the highway to hell! 🎶
The line erupted through the speakers with force, louder and more defined than anything before it, echoing sharply between buildings and across open space.
Soap blinked once, then shook his head slightly.
"Yeah… alright. That's one way to put it."
Gaz glanced sideways at him. "Appropriate, given the plan."
Price gave a faint, almost approving nod.
"Let the music do its job."
Below, the sound continued to roll across the city as the drones held steady.
And as the walkers converged toward the drones, the operators began to guide them away from the overpasses.
Each drone moved in a slow, controlled arc, maintaining just enough distance to keep the dead engaged without losing their attention. The speakers continued to blare, the sound echoing through the streets as the horde followed.
What started as scattered movement quickly became something more organized.
Two separate masses began to form—each drone pulling its own growing trail of walkers deeper into the city.
From the rooftop, Andrew raised a pair of compact binoculars to his eyes.
He tracked the movement carefully.
At first, the walkers had moved in their usual sluggish, erratic manner. But as the sound persisted, their behavior shifted.
Their pace increased.
Their movements sharpened.
Heads locked forward. Bodies aligned. The horde began to flow with a crude sense of direction, drawn by the constant pull of noise.
Andrew lowered the binoculars slightly, watching with quiet focus.
"They're going into the frenzy state," he said.
Below, the drones continued to lead the masses farther away, clearing the area around the overpasses.
After a while as the walkers have been lead further into the city and streets began to clogg with bodies, movement appeared at the cleared overpasses.
Two troop transport Humvees came into view.
One rolled onto the overpass itself, moving cautiously along the empty stretch of road. The other approached from below, navigating through debris and abandoned vehicles until it reached the base of the structure.
Both vehicles came to a stop almost simultaneously, their doors opened and the demolition teams stepped out.
On the ground level, the team moved quickly toward the supporting pillars, spreading out as they began assessing structural weaknesses. Hands ran along cracked concrete, eyes tracing stress lines and load points.
"Mark those joints," one of them called out. "We hit the base, it'll cascade."
Above them, the second team advanced along the overpass, scanning the roadway and guardrails.
"Charges need to be set along the span," another voice came through the comms. "We want full structural failure."
They moved with efficiency and purpose.
Bags were opened. Equipment laid out. Explosives prepared.
Back on the rooftop, Andrew watched it all unfold through his binoculars.
"Demolition teams are in position."
Price stood beside him, gaze fixed on the overpass.
"Let's hope they're quick."
As the specialists worked, additional vehicles began to arrive.
Heavy trucks and buses, driven by soldiers, rolled into position beneath the overpass.
One by one, they were maneuvered into place, angled and tightly packed to form a barrier.
Metal and mass forming a containment line.
When the walkers will be drawn back toward the overpass, they will be held there, trapped beneath the structure with nowhere to push through.
Gaz narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched the formation take shape.
"They're boxing them in."
Soap gave a low whistle. "Once they start coming back, they're not getting out."
Andrew lowered the binoculars.
"Exactly."
In the distance, the sound of the music still echoed through the city, the drones continuing their controlled retreat.
With the growing hoard behind them.
···
Andrew kept his gaze on the overpass for a few seconds longer, watching the demolition teams move with steady precision as they placed the charges along the structure.
Beside him, Price followed the same line of sight, tracking the specialists below as they worked against the clock.
"Looks like they're making good time," Price muttered.
Andrew gave a small nod, then lowered his binoculars.
"Let's check the herd."
Both of them turned from the edge of the rooftop and walked back toward the drone operators.
The low hum of equipment and the faint echo of the music still filled the air.
Andrew stopped just behind them.
"Status."
One of the operators didn't look away from his screen as he answered.
"We've pulled the herd several streets out," he said. "Both drones are maintaining control, but we're nearing the edge of our effective range."
The second operator adjusted his controller, eyes scanning the feed.
"Any further and we risk losing signal," he added. "Connection's still stable for now, but it won't hold if we push deeper."
Andrew listened without interrupting.
On the screens, the drones were hovering, with one seeming to be in an intersection and the other in a parking lot, with the mass of walkers below them grasping at the drones what their arms.
"There's something else," the first operator continued. "We've noticed an increase in their numbers, we are attracting the walkers from deeper within the city. The music is pulling them in from multiple directions."
Gaz stepped closer, glancing over the operator's shoulder.
"How many are we talking?"
The operator shook his head slightly.
"Hard to say exactly. But it's increasing."
Soap folded his arms, watching the feed.
"All of them, hopefully."
Andrew gave a thoughtful nod, his expression unchanged.
"Good. That's as planned."
Price glanced at him briefly, then back at the screens.
"Bigger the crowd, the better the result."
Andrew's eyes returned to the live feed, tracking the movement of the growing horde.
"Hold current position," he said. "Don't push the drones any further. Maintain control and keep them engaged."
"Copy that."
The operators made small adjustments to their controls, keeping the drones steady as the music continued to echo through the city, with the next song ready.
A short distance from the edge, the civilians sat together on a ventilation unit, the metal surface warm beneath them.
Iris had her arms wrapped loosely around herself, eyes drifting between the city and the soldiers. Eleanor sat beside her, quiet, watching everything with careful attention. Nia leaned forward slightly, elbows on her knees, gaze fixed on the distant movement below.
Diego and Leonard exchanged a brief look before getting up.
They approached Andrew and Price cautiously, stopping just short of few feet from the drone operators.
Diego spoke first.
"What's going on down there?"
Andrew turned his attention from the screen toward them.
Leonard gestured toward the drones in the distance, then the overpasses beyond.
"You've been watching that area this whole time… what are you doing?"
For a moment, neither Andrew nor Price answered.
Then Andrew spoke, his tone calm, matter-of-fact.
"We're drawing them in."
Diego frowned slightly. "Drawing them in?"
Price shifted his stance, glancing out over the edge before answering.
"Drones draw them in. Keep them moving. Keep them grouped."
He paused just a fraction, then added flatly—
"Then we drop the overpass on them."
Leonard's expression tightened as he followed Price's line of sight.
Silence settled for a brief moment.
Diego blinked once, processing it. "You're going to collapse the overpass?"
Price gave a slight nod.
"On as many of them as we can gather."
Leonard let out a quiet breath, running a hand over the back of his neck as he looked back toward the city.
"That's… a lot of walkers."
"That's the point," Andrew replied evenly.
Behind them, the faint echo of the music still carried through the air, distorted but persistent.
Leonard looked back at the overpasses, where distant movement was beginning to shift more noticeably.
"And after that?"
Price answered this time, voice steady.
"After that, we'll deal with what is left."
Diego gave a slow nod, stepping back slightly.
"…Alright."
Andrew had already turned back toward the edge, binoculars raised again.
The conversation was over.
Below, the demolition teams moved with increased urgency.
Charges were already in place along key sections of the overpass, mounted against support pillars, wedged into structural seams, and secured along the roadway above.
One of the specialists stepped back from a pillar, giving it a final look before turning to his team.
"Last charge set. Check your lines."
Around him, the others moved quickly, confirming placements and connections. Hands ran over detonators, cables were secured, and final checks were made with practiced efficiency.
Above, on the overpass, the second team worked just as quickly.
"Span charges are in position," a voice came over the comms. "We're good on this end."
At the base, the lead demolition specialist reached for his radio.
He keyed it.
"Demolition One to Overlord, charges are set on all designated points. Structural weak points confirmed. Ready for detonation."
There was a brief pause.
Then the response came through, steady and controlled.
"Overlord to Demolition One, copy all. Stand by. Await detonation signal from Bravo Six. Maintain this frequency."
"Copy, Overlord. Standing by," the specialist replied.
He lowered the radio slightly, then turned to his team.
"All teams, fall back. Move, move."
The shift was immediate.
Specialists grabbed their remaining equipment and began pulling back at a controlled pace, moving away from the pillars and off the overpass.
Above, the second team broke contact just as quickly, retreating toward their vehicle.
Doors slammed shut.
Engines roared to life.
The Humvee on the overpass accelerated first, turning sharply as it headed back along the cleared route.
Nearby, the soldiers who had manned the buses and trucks moved quickly, abandoning the vehicles and regrouping with the demolition teams.
They climbed into waiting troop transport Humvees, packing in with practiced speed.
"Go, go!"
Engines revved as the Humvees pulled out in sequence, joining the withdrawal and creating distance from the overpass.
From the rooftop, the movement below was unmistakable.
A controlled withdrawal.
Every unit pulling away from the overpass in coordinated motion.
Price watched the retreat, arms resting lightly on the edge.
"They're moving."
Andrew tracked the last of the teams as they cleared the danger zone.
"Almost clear…"
Below, the final Humvee pushed out from beneath the structure, accelerating as it joined the others pulling back down the street.
A few seconds later, the area beneath and atop the overpass stood empty.
Andrew lowered the binoculars.
"All teams are clear."
Beside him, Price glanced toward the operators, then back at the overpass.
"Bring the horde in."
The operators nodded and began adjusting the drones controls.While in the distance, the sound of the music still echoed through the city.