Eight hours later.
We finally arrived at Zone 12. The journey from Zone 3 had been long, and everyone was tired.
"Man, I'm so tired," Michael groaned, stretching his arms and letting out a big yawn.
"Shut up, you fool," Kayla snapped. Her voice sounded annoyed, but I could tell she felt just as tired.
"Come on now," Michael said, pretending to be offended. "Don't you miss the old days? Phones, Netflix, video games?"
"Can someone hit his head already?" I said, half-joking.
"I'll do it!" Kayla replied quickly, with way too much excitement.
"You two are so mean," Michael muttered, folding his arms like a child.
Before the conversation could go on, the vehicles slowed down and stopped.
"We're here," I said, stepping out of the car.
The first thing I noticed was how quiet everything was. Zone 12 was filled with tall, crumbling buildings—convenience stores, factories, and apartments. They stood like ghosts from the past. There were no zombies. No growls. No screams. Just silence.
"Hey," I said, looking at Michael. "Don't you think it's… too quiet?"
Michael shrugged. "Who cares? At least we're not fighting zombies right now."
"Sometimes I want to punch you," I muttered.
"But he's not wrong," Kayla added. Her voice sounded uneasy. "Isn't quiet better than a fight?"
I wasn't so sure. The silence felt wrong, like it was hiding something.
I grabbed my radio. "All units, exit the vehicles. Stay on alert."
Our team moved like professionals. Boots hit the ground, weapons were checked, and helmets were adjusted.
"Alright," I said, speaking to the squad. "Stay in your groups. Watch each other's backs. Be ready for anything."
"Got it, Captain Obvious," Michael joked.
Kayla gave him a sharp look.
"Michael, focus," I said, my voice serious. "We'll check the convenience stores first. The factories can wait. They're too dangerous right now."
"Too dangerous? What could be worse than zombies?" Michael asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Let's not find out," I said, tightening my vest.
The team split into smaller groups, each heading to a different building. My group included Michael, Kayla, Private William, Corporal Lee, Sergeant Conrad, and four other soldiers.
We walked toward the first convenience store. The windows were broken, and dried blood streaked the pavement outside. Inside, the shelves were knocked over, and garbage was everywhere.
"Looks like someone's already been here," Kayla said, her eyes scanning the room.
"Stay sharp," I replied, stepping over broken glass.
Michael went to the cash register and searched inside. "Empty. Of course."
"Forget the money," I said. "Look for food, water, or medicine. Focus on what we need."
Michael sighed. "Fine, but I still think it's funny money doesn't mean anything anymore. At least we don't have to barter with jerks."
As the others searched, I felt uneasy. It felt like someone was watching us.
"Alan," Kayla called out, holding up a can. "Peaches. Still sealed. Lucky find."
I nodded but didn't take my eyes off the back of the store. The stockroom door was open, swinging slowly.
"Stay here," I said. I motioned for Michael to come with me.
"Why do I always get the creepy jobs?" Michael complained, following me anyway.
The stockroom was dark, and the air smelled like something had died. I turned on my flashlight, sweeping it over the empty shelves.
"See anything?" I whispered.
Michael shook his head. "Just—wait." He stopped and gripped his rifle tightly.
A soft scraping sound came from the far corner of the room.
"Is it a zombie?" Michael asked, his voice low.
"Maybe," I said, walking forward carefully.
The sound got louder. Then we saw it—a figure crouched in the corner.
"Shit," Michael whispered.
I signaled him to stay calm. Slowly, I moved closer.
"Hello?" I said softly.
The figure froze, then turned. It wasn't a zombie. It was a man. He was skinny and pale, with wild eyes. He held a knife in his shaking hands.
"Don't come closer!" he shouted, his voice rough and scared.
"We're not going to hurt you," I said, lowering my weapon.
"You're not with them?" he asked, looking at us with fear.
"With who?" I started to ask, but a loud gunshot outside made us both jump.
"Shit!" Michael yelled, running for the door.
I followed him, heart pounding.
Outside, chaos had erupted. Raiders were shooting at our team from the surrounding buildings. Bullets smashed windows and tore through walls.
"Ambush!" someone shouted.
"Take cover!" I yelled, firing back.
The man from the stockroom stumbled outside, looking panicked.
"You brought them here!" one of our soldiers shouted at him.
"I didn't! I swear!" the man cried, hiding behind a car.
"Save it!" I snapped, focusing on the raiders.
We were outnumbered, and our ammo was running low.
"Damn it!" I grabbed my radio. "All teams, we're under attack by raiders! Repeat—raiders!"
"Roger that! Hold your ground! Backup is on the way!" came the reply.
Conrad ran up to me. "Sir, I've got grenades. Want me to use them?"
"Do it!" I ordered.
Conrad threw five grenades. The explosions shook the ground, tearing the raiders apart.
Michael grinned. "Conrad, you genius!"
One of the raider body flew toward us. The flesh was so gory, his body was mangled like it's not considered humans anymore. Body part splattered across the wall and blood showering us.
Kayla, meanwhile, turned away and threw up.
But the fight wasn't over. The raiders were still attacking, and reinforcements were minutes away.
This battle was just getting started.