47
We reached the ground floor.
I heard the sound of a backpack zipper opening.
After a while, he pushed me toward the front entrance.
Through the shattered glass, I saw that the first floor was empty. All the zombies had gathered towards the rooftop.
The rain hadn't lessened.
In the distance, I saw two black vans parked at the main entrance, starkly visible in the white fog and mist.
We stopped at the supermarket entrance.
Any further, and we'd be within the rooftop's shooting range.
I glanced at the two vehicles in front of me.
They were entirely black, with windows covered in dark anti-peeping film.
If the interiors had been similarly modified, bullets might not pose a threat.
Lowering my gaze, I suddenly noticed that all the tires seemed to have melted, adhering to the ground.
I immediately understood. In the few minutes Chris and Anne had gained, Zenith Franklin had already been here. He had deflated the tires.
Lucas Westwind stood still, watching for a moment. "Is this all you've got?"
"You, open the trunk and take out the items." He pressed the car keys, and the headlights of the van blinked.
Was he planning to change the tires here?
I walked into the rain and opened the trunk.
But then, I froze.
The back seats of the van had been entirely removed, replaced by a medium-sized motorcycle.
"Drag it out," his voice came from behind.
I stood still.
"I said drag it out," Lucas Westwind raised his voice.
It's hard enough for one person to escape a hail of bullets on a motorcycle, let alone with a burden.
I knew he had given up on taking me with him.
Or maybe he never planned to take me along.
Once this was done, I'd lose the last bit of my usefulness.
My eyes suddenly caught sight of the SUV we had arrived in, parked across the street, only about twenty meters from the entrance.
The car…
I heard my heartbeat pounding.
"I have a car," I turned around, the rain blinding me. "Only in the car can you escape Zenith Franklin's bullets."
It was the truth.
He looked at me meaningfully.
"Only with the car can you take me. I don't want to die here. Whatever happens next, at least now, I don't want to die."
"Don't try anything funny,"
Lucas Westwind finally dropped his smiling facade, warning coldly.
He holstered his handgun and took the rifle from his back.
I didn't know where he got his firearm training, but his accuracy was impressive. The only thing I knew was that if I made any sudden moves, he wouldn't hesitate to kill me.
I tilted my head towards the rooftop and shouted, "Chris, throw me the car keys."
Soon, something was thrown down.
I picked up the keys and walked towards the SUV across the street.
Lucas Westwind couldn't leave this shooting blind spot; I had to bring the car back for him.
"Once more, don't try anything funny," he warned.
The twenty-meter street was empty, without any cover or hiding spots.
For this reason, Lucas Westwind allowed my actions.
Sitting in the driver's seat, I buckled up and started the car.
Right in front of me, the dark gun barrel never left my head.
It had been too long since I drove; my palms were sweating.
I recalled my driving lessons and released the handbrake.
Pressing the accelerator, the car finally started moving slowly.
Feeling the car's sluggish acceleration, I realized something was wrong.
This SUV was too cumbersome.
Twenty meters wasn't enough to gain speed.
I was racing against bullets.
The car couldn't threaten him… what to do?
My mind was blank with tension.
At that moment, the supermarket's rear door suddenly shattered.
Someone was coming down.
I quickly realized the rooftop guards had seen my entire drive.
My position was also Lucas Westwind's position.
After confirming the fire escape was safe, they had rushed down!
But I hadn't anticipated that Lucas Westwind would tamper with the door first.
Before I could react, he had jumped into the back seat.
Firing three shots towards the corner, he pulled out his handgun and pressed it to my neck. "Drive!"
I slammed the accelerator, and the car shot forward.
Both of us were violently thrown against the seats by the inertia.
In the rearview mirror, I saw Chris rounding the corner.
But at this high speed, his figure quickly shrank.
Now!
Gritting my teeth, I sharply turned the steering wheel.
"Bang!"
The car crashed into the roadside steps and rolled violently.
Amid the chaos, something struck my face hard.
Everything went black.
---