Zayn and his friends killed the zombies that flocked near the entrance and allowed the three survivors to enter.
"Thank you, big brothers. You saved us." The little boy in the pot and pan armor thanked the soldiers with a big smile.
"This isn't the first time we've crossed this area to look for survivors who happen to be left behind in this city. However, why are you still here?" Zayn frowned. He felt that these three people were not from this city.
"You saved us, soldier. Yeah, we came from Baltimore a week ago. We intended to go to New York by detouring through New Jersey, but the situation was bad. We separated from our entourage and somehow got lost in City W." The bearded old man heaved a sigh of relief and went to sit down on the sofa.
"This afternoon, the bombardment of the bombs that fell on the city really scared us. That's why we went west and arrived at City X. This city is insane! The zombies are so abnormal. But, the number is much less than the zombies at City W, and that's a bit strange." The skinny man adjusted his glasses while peeking out through the window.
"That's because we often clear the path. Their numbers are still huge, though. However, City W seems to have fallen and is unsalvageable, huh... North is the worst, the south seems less favorable, and the east is the danger zone. Only the west seems safer than the rest." Alex muttered as he rubbed his chin.
"My name is Andy. Cleveland should have a strong military base. We're going there. Will you take us there, big brothers?" Andy asked with a beaming face.
"Sorry, we can't escort you there even if we want to. However, this city's last batch of survivors will flee to the west two days from now at dawn. We'll take you there later, and you can go with them. " Zayn shook his head. His team would go north, after all.
"Eh? The last batch? You're not going with the survivors and us?" Andy asked in surprise.
"There's still something I need to do in this city." Zayn heaved a sigh and observed the situation outside through the window.
"Shit. Those zombie's corpses will attract the attention of other zombies. We can't stay in this old mansion for too long. It's half past three. Let's take them to that place and find a new temporary base." Frankie clicked his tongue.
"Then let's go now." Zayn understood the situation and prepared to leave. It would become unfavorable if they were surrounded by hordes of zombies.
Everyone loaded their belongings into the hummer, then Frankie drove the car away at full speed.
"Hey, you have so many great weapons. May I have one for self-defense?" The bearded old man looked at the trunk in shock.
"Don't you dare touch our goods, friend." Alex pointed his rifle at that old man.
"Oh, haha... Peace, I was just asking." The bearded old man raised his hand.
"You are soldiers, but why do you still look so calm after facing the zombies in the most dangerous city? All the soldiers we met looked depressed and desperate even though they had tanks and heavy weapons." The spectacled young man raised his eyebrow.
"Tanks are slow and are easily surrounded by the powerful zombies. It's less effective for urban battles." Alex rolled his eyes.
"That's because we believe in hope. We pray to God for safety and peace of mind. So many people die or mutate into zombies, but it all has to end someday. We will find the cause and stop it." Zayn stated his aim with confidence.
"That sounds like suicide to me. Even the government and military keep urging everyone to stay away from City X and its surroundings. Maybe, they will drop some nuclear bombs to destroy this area." The spectacled young man folded his arms.
"Hmm, they would do that? Did the military try to find Lab X and check the situation?" Zayn frowned.
"We don't know the details. It happened during our trip with the military to New York a few days ago. None of the soldiers ever came back when assigned to check City X's situation. The zombies also become smarter and stronger. They also can destroy passing jets now." The spectacled young man shook his head.
"I see... We'll keep that in mind and get out of this town immediately before they drop a nuclear bomb." Zayn nodded in understanding. He didn't know if it was good or not, but he could only hope for the best.
A few moments later, they arrived at the prison base. Alex threw a walkie-talkie at the old man. "Use it to communicate with the guards inside. They will help you. I spoke to them earlier."
"Oh, okay." The bearded old man caught that walkie-talkie and watched the car leave smoky dust on its track.
"..." Zayn looked back. The sun had already risen, and the situation was clearly visible. The gate was opened, and the three survivors entered.
"Shall we try going north via the suburbs and alternative roads, Zayn?" Frankie took a deep breath.
"Yeah, I'm counting on you for directions." Zayn nodded and readied his rifle.
"All right." Frankie spurred the car to drive north.
They stopped once at a new temporary base to carry out their dawn prayer and prepare their operations with the planned strategy.
After successfully passing hundreds of zombies on their way to the northern area of City X, Zayn and his friends arrived at a dense forest area almost completely covered the road. They had managed to find an alternative route with minimal risk of ambush and encirclement, but now it was a dead end.
"This tropical rainforest is really unnatural. These trees grow so thick and lush, but they shouldn't be like this. Could it be that they got a growth boost from something mysterious? Lab X's explosion caused this?" Zayn got out of the car and inspected the forest.
"Hm, this northern region should be a valley with an ordinary urban forest. However, this is just like the Amazon forest. Is it possible that animals can also be affected by zombification and become terrible monsters?" Alex pursed his lips while looking to the right and left.
"Yeah, there must be some powerful territory overlord. There aren't any zombies roaming around here. What are we going to do? Keep going to find Lab X and take on high-rank zombies with only three people? Firearms aren't very effective in jungle battles." Frankie narrowed his eyes to see far into the dim forest. Only some of the sunlight could seep through.
"Yeah, we're so close. Cars can't go any further. We'd better put our hummer in a safe place. The following event is an exploration jungle with guerrilla combat tactics. We'll uncover the mystery before the government and military get desperate. " Zayn looked up at the sky and prayed. He then stood up and instructed his friends.
Their hummer car was placed in an underground garage in an abandoned house. Zayn and his friends took the weapons they could carry into the forest and rushed into the most dangerous territory. It was the place where the most potent zombies nested and also the place where the catastrophe came from.