"Finally, you're back! Is something wrong?" Bella asked upon seeing Sylvie's hurried entrance.
Sylvie wasted no time, urgency in her voice as she addressed the group, "Guys, we need to hurry! The first building has been breached! Also, Kalsie and John went downstairs to check everything by themselves! We have to move quickly!"
Her announcement left everyone shocked.
"What?!" came the collective response.
"We have to hurry! Don't waste time! Come on! Hurry up!" Sylvie implored.
"Shit! Why is he being so reckless again?" Noah muttered.
"Don't worry about him! He must have thought of something," Job replied.
"Yeah, for now, let's finish this work!" Jack else chimed in.
Without further delay, everyone increased their pace, grabbing their materials and heading toward the terrace.
"You three! Carry all the gas cylinders at the back and place them where we planned earlier! Everyone, hurry up! We don't have time to waste!" Bella instructed, quickly pointing to the gas cylinders for Jack, Job, and Nick to transport.
It was as if a ticking time bomb had been placed around their necks, and they worked with a sense of urgency, no words exchanged, simply executing their tasks. They gathered the essential materials for their plan and transported them upstairs.
******
[Thirty minutes later.]
"Now it's getting boring. I don't know how much longer we have to wait here," Kalsie remarked, his ears became tired from hearing all those growling. After the earlier serious discussions, the silence between them was becoming stifling.
"Are you asking an assassin about his patience level?" John replied dryly.
Kalsie persisted, attempting to lighten the mood, "Then... Then do you have someone you like?"
"Shush!"
"Hey, isn't that—"
"Shush. Do you hear that?" John interrupted, his face displaying a serious expression.
Curious, Kalsie made an effort to concentrate amid the growling of the Dead Walkers. After a moment, he too picked up on a faint sound.
Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway on the ground floor, growing nearer.
"GROOOOOWLLLL..."
Kalsie and John exchanged a knowing look and swiftly rose to their feet, their attention focused on the source of the approaching footsteps.
Within seconds, an unsettling yet different-looking Dead Walker, distinct from the ones they had encountered earlier, entered their line of sight. This creature appeared more ugly and seemed more responsive than the others.
"I'm not sure which area was breached, but let's deal with it first," Kalsie whispered as he picked up a sharp wooden piece that had been made earlier from the wooden chairs or tables by Nick.
"GrrrrOOOOOwwwwLLLLLLLLL!!!" The Dead Walker, upon sensing Kalsie and John, abruptly looked up at them and unleashed an earsplitting roar, drowning out even the growls of the monsters outside.
"What the...?" Kalsie and John exchanged bewildered glances, uncertain about what was happening.
"GROOOOOWLLL!!"
"GROWLLLLLLL!!"
"GRRROOOWWWWLLL!!"
...
The growling of the Dead Walkers from outside intensified, becoming deafening and nearly drowning out their voices.
Thump! John swiftly hurled a sharp wooden piece at the head of the Dead Walker that had entered. Although the attack was blunt, but the impact made on its head was great as it killed the monster instantly.
However, their situation remained dire as the relentless growling from outside continued.
"I've heard that same growl before when the first building was breached! It's happening to us now!" John yelled to Kalsie, his voice strained with urgency.
"What? That means—!!"
BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!!
Just as Kalsie spoke, they heard the sound of heavy objects crashing down. It was now undeniable that the main entrance had been breached.
"GROWLL!!!!!!!"
"Ah crap... I guess we don't have any other option now." Despite the gravity of their situation, Kalsie glanced at John with a little smile and proposed, "How about a little competition? The person with the fewest kills treats the winner to dinner once we get out of here."
John was taken aback by Kalsie's nerve, but a faint smile crept onto his cold face as he agreed, "Fine by me."
"GROWlll!!!!!!!!" Soon, a huge group of Dead Walkers came into view, heading directly towards the barricaded stairs.
***************
"Nicole! What was that??" Wendy inquired urgently, having returned with several others from the Chemistry Lab. They were alarmed by the loud growl emanating from below.
"I-I think some Dead Walkers breached the gate," Nicole responded with worry in her voice.
"WHAT!?"
"Have they breached it already!?"
Nicole nodded and pointed toward the thousands of Dead Walkers amassed outside the main entrance, slowly advancing inward.
"Shit!! I'll go and inform them!!! The rest of you, stay here!!!" Wendy's voice echoed as she sprinted down the stairs toward the chemistry lab.
****************
"Did you guys hear that?" Fred inquired with a concerned look.
"Yeah, I heard it! Did something happen outside?"
Bang! The chemistry lab door burst open, and Wendy rushed inside, breathless.
"Guys!!! Run upstairs!!! Dead Walkers have breached the main entrance!!!" she urgently warned them.
"!!!!" Everyone in the lab was struck by the gravity of the situation.
"Take all of this!! Hurry!!" Bella swiftly distributed items to everyone, and together, they rushed out, making their way to the terrace.
************
"Hump!!" With all his might, John hurled large wooden piece in his hand at a Dead Walker's head.
Splash!
"That makes ten for me," John stated after dispatching a Dead Walker.
"I'm at fifteen!!"
"…."