"Alright, first, bring that person wrapped in bandages from inside,"
came the command. Suddenly, several middle-aged men wielding axes burst into the room. They immediately seized the girl covered in bandages, dragging her outside like a lifeless body.
"What do you think you're doing?" People in the room were filled with fear and wanted to intervene, but the axes in their hands kept them at bay.
"What are we doing? Is it any of your business, old man getting in our way?" The leader of the men kicked Charles, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Lynn clenched her fists. Over the past few days, both Charles and her uncle had taken care of Clark. If it weren't for everyone rationing their food to give some to Clark, his condition would have worsened further. It was just that the situation forced them to avoid conflict for now.
"Damn it, we should have killed Augustus directly back then!" Lynn suddenly felt regret, beginning to understand why Clark was so cold toward people.
The tattooed man sneered, paying no attention to Lynn's reaction, and left with his group. "Bang." The door closed, and the sound of chains being fastened could be heard from outside.
"They locked the door?" Charles hurried to the door, where people outside were securing it with chains in circles.
Lynn remained silent, her once determined expression now replaced with a sense of helplessness.
In her arms, Clark's once robust body had become emaciated, his face pallid, and his condition deteriorating day by day.
"Please wake up soon, Clark. I really don't know what to do anymore..." Lynn silently fed the portion of food she had reserved for Clark into his mouth, carefully covering his right hand.
Currently, all five people in the room were giving their food to Clark and Arnold, enduring hunger themselves.
Everyone was well aware that if either Arnold or Clark woke up, the situation would change.
As for the bandaged girl lying in the corner, she had awakened on her own the next day. However, no matter what the others asked her, she remained unresponsive, simply closing her eyes like a corpse every day. It was unclear where the people outside had taken her and what they intended to do with her.
"Lynn, you haven't eaten for two days. How about you have mine?" Marlene wiped away tears from her face and approached Lynn, holding half a piece of chocolate with teeth marks on it.
Lynn shook her head slightly, touched her and smiled, "No need, you keep it for yourself."
"Is Clark going to make it? I've noticed his complexion getting worse and worse," Marlene inquired.
Marlene cast a timid glance at Clark, whose cheeks were sunken, her face filled with worry.
"No," Lynn firmly shook her head, her fingers gently caressing Clark's cheek. "He will wake up very soon!"
Eighth floor of the hotel, Room 808.
"Arnold might wake up soon. The people we had watching him yesterday saw him move a few times," Craig said with a grim expression, his gaze fixed on the chaotic scene in the room.
"Sigh, damn it, cry again, and I'll throw you out to feed the zombies!" Augustus wiped sweat from his forehead and cursed vehemently at the crying woman in front of him. Getting older had left him somewhat exhausted.
Augustus leisurely lit a cigarette, the flame flickering. After resting for a while, he sat breathlessly on the edge of the bed.
"What do you suggest we do then? If it weren't for you making noise that day, Arnold and the others might not have come up. They're scared now," Craig sneered.
"At that time, it was only a few days into the apocalypse. These people didn't have the guts back then," Craig replied coldly.
"But it was you who got caught by Lynn and used as leverage."
Augustus looked displeased and shot a cold glare in return. Damn it, what's this kid trying to prove in front of me? If it weren't for Craig providing a few decent suggestions, he wouldn't have agreed to cooperate with him.
"So, what's your plan?" Craig chuckled, pulling out a transparent bag from his pocket. "I made sure your people reduced their water and food supplies these past few days."
Craig tapped the plastic bag, revealing a half-filled bag of white powder.
"Add some 'good stuff' to their water and food. Then, take care of Clark! I won't rest until he's dead for good."
Clark had to die, and Craig wanted to be the one to do it. Those two pieces of equipment were a must-have for him. Originally, he had planned to interrogate Clark for information about the awakened ones before killing him when he was weak. However, since Arnold showed signs of awakening before Clark did, there was no time to wait.
Augustus curiously took the bag and then viciously kicked it toward the two crying women on the bed.
"Noisy as hell, didn't you hear that we're discussing important matters here?"
"Kill Clark? Don't you have any plans for dealing with Arnold?"
Craig furrowed his brow, keeping a close eye on Augustus. Killing Arnold? If he did that, what about the potential dangers that might follow? Dealing with the big oaf wasn't difficult.
Augustus glanced at him mockingly and said, "What are you pretending for in front of me? You've been with women these past few days too. Do you think you'll have it easy when Arnold wakes up? That guy is a do-gooder with justice on his mind!"
Craig remained silent and didn't respond to Augustus's comments. He deliberately acted confrontational in front of outsiders, making it seem like he and Augustus were at odds.
Even if Arnold woke up, he would only think that Craig was one of the few willing to rescue Clark. For this reason, he hadn't even touched any of the women in Arnold's group.
Augustus saw Craig's silence and guessed his thoughts. He couldn't help but sneer, "I'll tell you this, Arnold must die. If he wakes up, don't think you can wash your hands of it!"
"You don't need to worry about safety either. With my connections, I can guarantee that the higher-ups will come to rescue us within a few days."
Craig stood up and headed for the door. He was getting tired of Augustus's rhetoric. Someone coming to rescue? He had seen multiple gas leaks and explosions in the city center last night! If there were any functioning organizations left, they wouldn't allow such things to happen.
As he reached the door, Craig turned around and said, "Don't bother telling me about your connections anymore; it's the apocalypse now!"
"I know what you want to do, and if you really want to kill Arnold, that's fine. But Clark must be handed over to me personally for disposal! Also, give me Lynn. I'll help you get the person you want too."