For some reason, James's subordinates urged Zayn's vanguard team to leave the prison base that very night. Behind their actions was fear because it seemed like Zayn's vanguard team had caught the attention of a high-rank zombie. They just didn't want that monster to come there.
They literally kicked Zayn's vanguard team out of the prison base.
Zayn didn't make a fuss about it. He went out with Alex and Frankie. Arnold simply sent Zayn's team away and reminded them to return in three days because everyone would immediately flee to the far west region.
"Sigh, this might be our first time going out at night, and we won't be back in that place for a few days." Alex rested his head on his hands.
"That's because Zayn purposely said we had been targeted by a high-rank zombie. They were obviously scared, but we also purposely didn't tell them that we killed that red devil." Frankie sighed, but he didn't mind this arrangement.
"Now it's just the three of us. We must act very carefully, and it's best not to go alone. Our destination is to check Lab X in the north." Zayn looked around; it looked like an abandoned, dead city.
"Regardless, we need to find a place to rest. Somewhere safe with a small population of zombies. I know a good place in the west." Frankie turned the steering wheel.
"Good." Alex prepared his rifle.
They came to a western suburb after almost an hour's drive through swarms of zombies and a detour.
It was an old three-story mansion surrounded by a three-meter-high concrete fence. The gate was closed and locked, but that residence was just like the house in a horror movie.
*Clack*
Zayn opened the padlock and the gate's lock with his little trick, and they went in there after the gate was locked again.
Even though everyone assumed the place was empty, they still had to be vigilant and prepare themselves in case something unexpected happened.
*Clack* *Creak*
The entrance door opened, making a creaking sound that broke the silence.
"Peace be upon you." Zayn whispered and motioned for Alex and Frankie to come in after him. He would guide the front through the dark room without lighting and only relied on his inner eye.
After checking all the rooms, Zayn turned on the flashlight and spoke in a whisper-like voice. "This place is completely empty. However, this residence has been abandoned for more than a year. Beware of the ghosts and evil spirits."
"Haha, that's a good joke. Then, we'll spend the night here. You found a great place to be our temporary base, Frankie." Alex looked out the window. He could see the situation outside from the third floor well.
"Yeah, the housing here is only one or two stories high, but this one is three stories high and still has an attic space. It's a good monitoring and sniper spot there." Frankie checked into the attic. There was just an empty room with a lot of cobwebs.
"Let's have dinner and do our prayer. That way, no ghosts or evil spirits will disturb us. After that, we will rest with alternate night watch arrangements." Zayn invited his friends and put his bag on the floor. He brought food supplies for the three of them.
Zayn turned on a portable stove to boil hot water, then brewed some instant noodles for everyone.
After performing the evening prayers, Alex volunteered to be the first person on the night vigil. "You two get some rest. I will protect your sleep and monitor the situation outside using this nice sniper rifle. Just don't sleep like a buffalo, haha."
"Okay, I'll come the next. Please wake me at midnight. Three hours watch for each person." Frankie lay sleeping on the attic floor and covered himself with a blanket.
"Then I'm from three o'clock until sunrise. All right, we're in your care, Alex." Zayn used his bag as a pillow and immediately lay down to rest.
"..." Alex heaved a subtle sigh. He approached the window and inspected the surrounding area using his sniper's telescope.
The attic room had four windows in the four cardinal directions. Alex occasionally switched spots to each window, in turn, to ensure there was no danger around.
*Creak* *Tap* *Tap*
An odd crackling sound came from nowhere. The footsteps also seemed to be coming closer from a corner of the attic room.
Alex just mumbled softly in reply. "Whoever you are, whether you're a ghost or an evil spirit... please don't disturb us. We're just stopping by to take a break from the threat of zombies out there. We don't mean to bother you, so please leave."
Silence then returned to the attic. Alex sighed at that. He never expected the ghost to leave if politely asked.
"However, those zombies really drive me crazy. Is it true that the government and military are on the verge of collapsing? If the super zombies had the capability of combat weapons of mass destruction, perhaps humanity would be extinct quickly. Humans must act quickly before those monsters evolve due to mutations again." Alex observed the movement of the zombies outside but found nothing unusual.
"Those zombies really never sleep, huh... If I didn't meet Zayn and do routine prayers, would I be as crazy and desperate as those inmates? They're drowning in drunkenness and ecstasy to escape the harsh reality."
Alex glanced at Zayn briefly. He felt his sanity was intact for some reason. Even though the situation was crazy and almost made people despair, he could still take things in stride. It was strange, but he felt it was all God's help.
"Ambitious, heroic, and a bit stubborn. For some reason, I saw the figure of my late son." Alex whispered to himself after seeing Zayn's face one more time.
Perhaps, the main reason that attracted him to Zayn was that he saw the figure and shadow of his late son from Zayn, but Zayn actually came beyond his expectations.
Alex stays up at night watching the zombies' movements until midnight. The moonlight looked so bright in the starry night sky. The source of light that illuminated the dark land.
Alex woke Frankie carefully, and then he went to rest.
"!?" Frankie observed the behavior of some of the zombies near the alley. He finds them eating the zombie animals and even their comrades.
He knew very well that zombies never sleep and obviously need a lot of energy to stay alive. However, they weren't just attacking humans now?
"Zombies were once humans, but why do they look like rotten, empty bodies after zombification? Undead need to eat too, huh... Anything they can devour as long as it's meat." Frankie studied the behavior of the zombies as a new discovery.
More than hours passed in that observation. Several zombies tried to get into the old mansion's territory but gave up after several failed attempts. They then walked like undead with no clear purpose.
"Hmm?" Frankie seemed to see a few flashes of shadows in the dark. It was like a child's shadow and some adults.
It was as if they were already familiar with the surrounding area and moved to avoid encountering zombies.
"They're headed here? Are there still survivors here?" Frankie could guess where the people were going.
*Clang!*
The survivors in question tried to open the gate, but it was locked. The noise was so clear and loud in the silence of the night. The zombies' attention was instantly drawn to the source of the sound. Their red-green eyes immediately turned to the source of the sound and rushed over there.
"Hiek!"
"Why is it still locked? How did those people get in?"
"Whoever's in there, help us!"
The survivors exclaimed clearly. They knew there was a group of people in that old mansion.
"Tch, they're so stupid! Alex, Zayn, there's a bunch of survivors trying to get in!" Frankie shouted and opened the window. He fired a shot into the head of the zombie who was about to pounce on the little child.
*Bam!*
It was a headshot and killed the zombie instantly.
The noise instantly woke Alex and Zayn. They immediately prepared their weapons by reflex.
"A group of survivors trying to get in, but they caught the zombies' attention." Frankie explained the situation in short sentences. He then shoots some more zombie heads.
Hearing that, Zayn and Alex rushed downstairs to save the survivors in question.