Daniel, Helen, and the old man cautiously arrived at the soldier's hideout. Daniel scanned the surroundings, witnessing a throng of people huddled nearby, their eyes reflecting a palpable sense of despair.
"Excuse me, soldier. Any chance we can reach the outside? I gotta call my family, check on them," Daniel inquired with a mix of concern and urgency.
The soldier shifted his gaze toward Daniel and responded, "Hmm, at the moment, no way."
Curiosity etched on his face, Daniel pressed further, "How bad's the situation here, sir?"
Then, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air, jolting Daniel and cutting through their ongoing discussion. His eyes quickly darted towards the source, revealing a man engaged in a heated conversation with one of the soldiers positioned up ahead.
"What are you blabbering about, that we can't hightail it out of here?" the man retorted, his voice fraught with anxiety.
"Sir, as I've been saying, we're stuck in a zombie siege. We're holding our ground, but our defenses are dwindling. It's urgent we find a safer spot before our ammo runs dry," the soldier explained, a sense of urgency in his words.
"That's a wild dream! We're surrounded by kids, grannies, and mostly wounded men. It's not a cakewalk, they won't survive the journey," the man argued, skepticism etched across his face.
"Waiting for the rescue team is our best shot," the man insisted.
The soldier stared ahead, his face etched with a sense of despair that screamed "all hope is lost." Witnessing this transformation, fear painted the man's face as he pleaded, "You can't make contact with anyone. Please tell me this isn't true, sir. Please answer me."
"All hope is lost. Even the army can't beat them," the man retorted, a tinge of fear lingering in his voice. "How can you be so powerless? You guys are soldiers meant to protect us."
"No, sir, we aren't powerless," the soldier replied urgently. "If we can find a way to get ammo, we can wipe all of them away. Our division made it all the way here; we killed a lot of them. But there were too many. No matter how many we killed, we couldn't beat them. We got pushed back and surrounded, resulting in our division being split."
"We've put together a sturdy stronghold for the survivors we rescued, but it won't hold up for long. We should scram before it's too late," warned the soldier.
"But why bail? It seems easier to hold our ground and defend ourselves right here," the man countered.
"Not a good call, sir. Our folks on watch noticed the infected human count keeps skyrocketing every day," explained the soldier.
An uneasy tremor ran through the soldier as fear crept into his voice, "The infected humans are closing in. We've got to make a run for it before they reach us. The rescue workers won't make it in time."
"Excuse me, sir," a timid voice broke through the tense air. Both Daniel and the soldier pivoted, their attention drawn to the source. There stood a small girl, one hand tightly grasping her little brother, the other extending a wrapped piece of bread towards the soldier.
"My daddy and mommy got taken by the people outside, please save them, sir," the little girl pleaded, her eyes reflecting a profound sense of despair. Her voice echoed with a heartbreaking emptiness.
Witnessing this heart-wrenching moment, Helen, Daniel, and the soldier felt an overwhelming wave of sorrow wash over them. Tears streamed down Daniel's face as he bit his lip, unable to contain the anguish. The poignant sight of the little girl triggered painful memories, reminding him of his own daughter.
"Shit" Screamed Daniel