Captain Jack sensed something was wrong the instant the air shifted.He raised his Glock 19, firing three shots in rapid succession—"Bang! Bang! Bang!"The bullets slammed into the zombie's head and shoulder, tearing through flesh.
But… it didn't fall.
The creature staggered, its skull cracked open and black ichor spilling down its face—yet it didn't stop.Instead, it screamed—a guttural, distorted howl that rattled everyone's nerves.
Then it moved.
"Jesus Christ—!"The thing lunged forward, impossibly fast—three times quicker than a normal walker, and its movements were disturbingly fluid.
Jack tried to reload, but it was already on him. Too close.He swung his baton with all his strength—Crack!
The blow barely staggered the creature.It roared and slammed into him, pinning him to the ground, its claws raking the air inches from his throat.
Jack kicked hard, rolling away, adrenaline surging through his veins."Fall back!" he barked.
Officer Elsa was next to react.She grabbed her steel baton and charged, striking the zombie across the temple.The impact made the creature flinch just long enough for Jack to get back on his feet.
But around them—panic.
The other officers weren't so lucky.Without guns, without combat instincts, they were quickly overwhelmed.Screams filled the hall as the undead surged forward.
Elsa's eyes burned with fury. She wanted to fight—but her weapon was useless against something that fast.Jack's revolver barked twice more, but even he could barely track its movements.
Worse—The other corpses began reacting to the chaos, drawn by the sound, and now a tide of zombies surrounded them on all sides.
"Dammit—fall back!" Jack shouted. "Retreat—now!"
They were unlucky.They'd just cleared the station's main floor, only to run straight into a second-stage infected—faster, stronger, smarter.And now, they were being forced to retreat, bleeding and shaken.
Elsa grabbed Jack's arm, half-carrying him as they ran for the exit.By the time they reached the police cruiser, only four of them were left—Elsa, rookie officer Yana, Jack himself, and their driver, Tyler.
Jack slumped in the back seat, pale and sweating.Elsa's heart twisted when she saw the claw marks on his arm."Uncle Jack—don't say that. The government must be sending rescue units—"
Jack chuckled weakly, shaking his head."No, kid… you know as well as I do. Infection spreads fast. I've got half an hour… maybe two hours tops."His voice cracked. "Don't let me turn into one of them."
The cruiser sped down the cracked highway, past overturned cars and fires that hadn't gone out since the first night.
"Tyler," Jack said quietly. "Pull over."
"Sir?"
"That's an order."
Tyler's hands trembled, but he did as told, pulling the vehicle to the curb of an abandoned intersection.
Jack smiled faintly."Elsa, remember what I told you. Find weapons. Find shelter. Survive long enough for the country to fight back."
"Uncle Jack—"
He raised his pistol, pressed it against his temple—
Bang.
The sound echoed through the empty streets.
Elsa's lips quivered, but no tears came. Not now. Not yet.She and Yana buried him quickly by the roadside, marking the spot with a cracked street sign.Then they climbed back into the car and drove off into the silence.
Meanwhile, several blocks away, Ethanlowered his binoculars.He'd seen everything—from the fight to the burial.
"Level Two infected, huh?" he murmured. "Fast one, too. Guess they're evolving quicker than I thought."
He glanced toward the direction the women were heading."Hmm… one's that serious-faced cop with the long braid, and the other… a petite rookie. Not bad."He smirked, starting the armored engine. "Let's see where this goes."
The Saber-X Armored Vehicle roared to life, its reinforced frame plowing through the wreckage of downtown Atlanta.
Elsa's group didn't get far.A dozen wrecked cars blocked the highway ahead, forming an impassable wall of metal.The road behind them was crawling with scattered infected.There was nowhere to turn.
"We'll have to go on foot," Elsa said.
"Captain, are you okay?" Tyler asked, noticing the stiffness in her movements.
"I'm fine," she replied sharply, gripping her baton. "Let's move."
Yana stuck close to her, her face pale and trembling, but she said nothing.
That's when they heard it—A deep, rumbling engine.
The group turned around—A black armored vehicle was tearing through the street, crushing corpses under its wheels.
Tyler looked hopeful, but Elsa's expression hardened.Something about that engine… she'd heard it before.The same one from the police station earlier.
The Saber-X stopped in front of them with a hiss of hydraulics.A figure rose from the open roof—A tall man in black tactical gear, eyes calm, confident, almost too relaxed for this hellscape.
"Who the hell are you?" Elsa demanded, gun raised.
The man smiled. "Name's Ethan Miller."He jumped down from the roof, landing lightly on the cracked asphalt.
Tyler blinked. "Never seen you at the precinct before…"
"Didn't work there," Ethan said easily. "But I was close enough when things went south."
Yana stepped forward, eyes bright with hope."Mr. Miller—are you here to save us?"
Ethan tilted his head, amused. "That's right. I'm here to save you."
Elsa didn't buy it.When they'd escaped earlier, she'd heard gunfire and engines—if this guy had survived that chaos, he was no ordinary survivor.
"Stay behind me, Hannah," she said quietly.
Ethan watched them carefully.The rookie was naïve—easy to convince.The man, Tyler, looked loyal but not bright.The only one to watch out for was the sharp-eyed brunette in the SWAT vest—clever, wary, not one to be fooled.
"Let's skip the small talk," Elsa said coldly. "What do you want?"
Ethan smiled faintly, spreading his hands."Straight to business. Fine. I've built a shelter a few miles out of the city. Safe walls, supplies, water, power. I'm offering you two a place there."
"Two?" Elsa narrowed her eyes. "What about him?"
"You heard me right," Ethan said calmly. "Just you and her."His tone hardened slightly. "My shelter has rules—strict ones. I'm the only male resident. Everyone else follows my orders, no questions, no exceptions."
Yana blinked in surprise. "Wait… that's not fair! That sounds like—like some kind of dictatorship!"
Tyler scowled. "You kidding me, man? You're running a harem in the apocalypse?"
Ethan sighed softly, smiling again—but this time, it didn't reach his eyes."I call it survival with structure. You call it what you want."
He stepped closer, boots crunching on glass, his calm gaze locking with Elsa's wary one."So," he asked quietly. "What's it going to be?"
[Yo, you guys can check out my patrion, where I will post 2 chapter daily.]
patreon.com/EroSensei108