When the doomsday began, everyone fell into chaos. The police chief led dozens of nearby officers to flee from the crowded areas, seeking refuge in a small building used to detain criminals. Apart from the chief, none of them were armed.
There was no time to retrieve weapons from the armory, leaving the chief unwilling to release the remaining prisoners for fear of triggering an uncontrollable riot. To make matters worse, some prisoners in the cells had already turned into zombies, ready to attack the moment the cells were opened.
The situation grew even more dire with the presence of dozens of zombies wandering outside the small building. Additionally, for reasons unknown, most of the police dogs in the station had become infected with the zombie virus.
Though these infected zombie dogs lacked the physical strength of human zombies, they were far more agile and fast. During their retreat, the group initially had close to a hundred people, but nearly half were lost due to the relentless pursuit of more than a dozen zombie dogs.
Some officers fell because they were unarmed, while others couldn't bring themselves to attack their former companions. These police dogs had worked alongside them on countless missions, and many officers viewed them as comrades, making it hard to strike them down.
Aside from the group led by Police Chief Jace, a few other surviving officers had also hidden themselves, scattered across different parts of the A City Police Station.
Originally, the A City Police Headquarters had nearly a thousand officers. At the outset of the outbreak, about half were infected and turned into zombies, while a smaller number were bitten to death. The remaining officers had gone into hiding.
Chief Jace's group, chased by zombie dogs, had no choice but to barricade themselves inside the small building. They sealed all the doors and windows on the first floor, finally allowing themselves a brief moment of respite.
"Big Sister Mia, what are those monsters outside? They don't even recognize us and bite anyone they see. It's terrifying!" said a young officer with a slightly chubby face, addressing the woman beside him.
Mia rolled her eyes. "I told you to check the news, but you didn't. Those outside are zombies. They don't have self-awareness anymore, so how could they possibly recognize people?" she replied helplessly.
The young woman next to her was Jessica, a recent graduate from the Public Security University who had been working here for just two months. She deeply admired Mia, the Special Police Officer widely recognized as the most beautiful policewoman in A City.
Mia herself was somewhat of a legend. Highly skilled and competent, she had earned a spot in A City top special police squad. As a woman, her strength and ability were exceptional, and she had essentially followed in her father's footsteps. Her father had been a narcotics officer who died in the line of duty during a confrontation with drug dealers.
Instilled with a sense of justice since childhood and trained rigorously under the guidance of her father's friend, Police Chief Jace, Mia became a respected Special Police Officer. Her prowess gained her the admiration of many at the station. Women in law enforcement, particularly in such demanding roles, were rare—and someone as beautiful as Mia even more so.
Before Jessica joined, Mia was undoubtedly the station's most beautiful policewoman. However, with Jessica's arrival, the two were often compared: one was a heroic and resolute beauty, while the other was a cute and innocent young woman.
Despite her position, Jessica was rather timid, and her duties were usually limited to logistics and clerical work. Unlike Mia, she rarely faced danger directly. Even so, Jessica had managed to kill two zombies herself, though she was utterly terrified.
Standing near the detention center's cells, Jessica was so scared by the snarling, clawing zombies locked behind bars that she cowered behind Mia, clutching her head helplessly. Mia couldn't help but wonder how someone with such a timid personality had ever thought to apply to the police academy.
Fortunately, the criminals-turned-zombies were securely confined within their iron-barred cells. The sturdy structures made it nearly impossible for them to escape.
"Officer, could you let us out, please?"
"Yeah, the guy in the cell next to me has turned into some kind of monster. It's terrifying!" pleaded several detainees from their respective cells.
"Sorry, I can't do that. Besides, there are zombies swarming outside right now. They'll attack anyone they see, and no one dares step out there,"
Mia replied firmly. Even though she knew these prisoners were mostly petty criminals, she couldn't risk letting them out. Extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures.
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Not far from the police station, Ryan lowered his binoculars. He had thoroughly observed the situation: hundreds of zombies surrounded the police station's main gate, along with some unknown threats.
Even with his considerable strength, he wasn't confident enough to charge in directly.
After circling the police station for a while, he picked a spot with fewer zombies. Ryan climbed over the surrounding fence and landed quietly. Not far away, a few zombies in police uniforms shuffled around. He also spotted signs of car crashes nearby.
Carefully, he ascended the wide marble steps. Before long, he successfully slipped into the police station's main headquarters building. The building was tall, with over 20 floors. Ryan target was the chief's office, where he hoped to find a building layout that could lead him to the armory.
Wandering aimlessly wasn't an option—who knew how long it would take to find the weapons he needed? Fortunately, in the reception room near the front desk, he found the location of the chief's office: on the 17th floor.
Climbing the stairs, Ryan deliberately avoided using the elevator. Although the building still had power, the risks were too high. A sudden power outage or a horde of zombies waiting outside the elevator doors could spell disaster.
Step by step, Ryan silently made his way up the fire escape, a route that was rarely used even under normal circumstances. His progress was smooth; he didn't encounter a single zombie, only a few corpses lying on the stairs.
"This is it—the chief's office," he muttered, gripping the steel pipe in his hand as he cautiously opened the office door.
"Roar…" A loud growl erupted as a zombie lunged at him from inside the office. Its grotesque face sent chills down his spine, and the blood dripping from its mouth made it even more terrifying.
Luckily, Ryan was prepared. He kicked out forcefully, sending the zombie flying backward. It crashed into a second zombie, knocking it down as well. He swiftly swung his steel pipe, crushing the skull of a third zombie that had been lying in wait.
The stench of blood filled the air as Ryan rolled into the office. The two fallen zombies quickly climbed to their feet, snarling and charging at him again. Calm and composed, Ryan raised his weapon and struck them down one by one.
Three zombies hiding in such a small office—if it had been anyone else, they might not have survived the second attack. It was a stark reminder of the ever-present danger in this post-apocalyptic world.
Closing the door behind him, Ryan began searching the office. There were plenty of documents, but none were useful for his needs.
After rummaging through the room for a while, he finally found what he was looking for: the structural blueprint of A City Police Headquarters, tucked away in a cabinet.
After a quick review of the blueprint, he stuffed it into his backpack. Ryan then retraced his steps, leaving the office through the path he had entered. Strangely, throughout the entire building, he encountered only zombies—there wasn't a single living soul.
Once outside, Ryan moved stealthily toward the armory. It housed the best and most comprehensive weaponry in the entire A City Police Department—a treasure trove of tools he desperately needed.
Before he even got close to the armory, the snarling growls of numerous zombies filled the air. The sheer volume of noise confirmed that a large number of them were gathered nearby.
Surveying the area, Ryan set down a portable Bluetooth speaker in a corner some distance away. He programmed it to start playing music in three minutes and then climbed to the rooftop of a small building.
"You are my little apple…"
Before long, the cheerful ringtone blasted from the speaker. Zombies in the vicinity immediately turned toward the source of the noise, lured by the promise of fresh prey. Their snarls and shuffling feet created a cacophony as they moved en masse toward the sound.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Ryan climbed over the roof of the power supply building. Not long after, he reached the entrance to the armory.
Outside the small building, about a dozen zombies were wandering aimlessly, while several corpses lay strewn across the ground. The signs of struggle were evident—spent shells and discarded weapons littered the area, indicating a fierce resistance before these people fell.
Leaping down from the windowsill, Ryan movement caught the attention of the zombies near the armory entrance. Sensing the scent of a living human, they immediately turned and lunged at him, snarling with hunger...