The man named Joseph was a hulking figure of brute strength. Yet, even his imposing frame seemed to shrink in the presence of Sini's delicate yet commanding demeanor. A shiver ran through him as he obeyed her orders without hesitation.
Before long, a mother and her young son were brought forward.
Sini waved her hand dismissively, her expression as impassive as stone.
To her, these two living, breathing humans were no more than livestock, a pair of sacrificial lambs.
The mother and child had clearly been starving for days, their emaciated bodies trembling with exhaustion. Resistance was a luxury they could no longer afford. They were dragged to the waiting zombie without so much as a struggle.
For a fleeting moment, Anthony's eyes betrayed a hint of unease. But just as quickly, the emotion vanished. He yanked the gag from the zombie's mouth and took a few steps back.
Freed from its restraint, the zombie lunged forward with a guttural snarl, tearing into its prey without hesitation.
In mere moments, the mother and son were unrecognizable, their faces reduced to mangled flesh.
"That's enough!"
Anthony swung his rod, striking the zombie squarely on the head and rendering it dazed. Taking advantage of its stupor, they bound it tightly once more.
Though Sini had devised the idea of using zombies to propagate more of their kind, even she wasn't entirely sure how far the infection could spread.
The crowd watched in tense silence.
The mother and son lay in a bloody heap on the ground, their labored breaths faint but steady. After a few agonizing minutes, the mother stirred first. Her once lifeless body jerked violently, her eyes turning a deep, bloodthirsty crimson. Her skin took on an ashen hue, and her veins bulged visibly beneath the surface.
"Restrain her!"
At Sini's command, the group sprang into action, quickly subduing the newly turned zombie.
Moments later, the young boy began to convulse. But before he could lash out, they had already bound him tightly, ensuring no chance of attack.
"One for each of us," Sini declared coolly, signaling for her men to take the boy while leaving the mother to Anthony.
Anthony sneered. "Don't think I'm stupid. How do I know this freshly turned zombie can infect others?"
"If you don't believe me, test it on someone," Sini said with a cold smirk, her gaze shifting toward the men behind Anthony.
"Boss…"
The men immediately recoiled in fear, stepping back in unison.
Anthony's eyes swept over them with disdain before barking out an order. "Go find someone alive. And don't let anyone see you."
Relieved to escape their predicament, the lackeys scattered in all directions.
Meanwhile, outside Villa 104, Ryan stood staring at the seven restrained zombies before him, a look of disbelief etched across his face.
"When the hell did so many of them show up?" he muttered.
Just yesterday, they'd found over a dozen zombies in Zone F, but now seven had been brought here in a single day. Something didn't add up.
Anthony approached with an obsequious grin. "Ryan, you wouldn't believe the losses we suffered capturing these six. Out of ten men, only seven of us made it back."
Ryan glanced at the group behind Anthony. The fear in their eyes was palpable, and indeed, there were fewer of them than before.
Sini, observing from the sidelines, cursed Anthony inwardly.
Idiot.
Does he not understand subtlety? Bringing in so many zombies at once is bound to raise suspicion.
She clenched her fists, regretting her decision to ally with him. If only she'd eliminated him sooner.
Ryan reported the situation to Miles.
Back at the villa, Miles reclined half-naked on the sofa, a glass of wine in hand. Lisa knelt before him, diligently attending to her "duties."
"Seven?" Miles echoed, shifting slightly in his seat.
Lisa gagged and shot him a reproachful glare.
"Sorry, sorry… carry on." Miles gave a sheepish smile before speaking into the radio. "Weren't the zombies supposed to be scattered? How did Anthony's team of ten manage to capture so many?"
Ryan sighed on the other end. "That's what I'm wondering. But they brought six, and Sini's team caught another one. They're all the same as the one in your yard."
Miles' expression darkened as he processed the information. He absently ran his fingers through Lisa's hair, his gaze growing cold.
This… this was human nature at its ugliest.
Someone must have intentionally farmed zombies, sacrificing the living to create more of the undead, all for the sake of food.
Lisa, sensing the change in his demeanor, looked up. "What's wrong?"
Miles tilted her face toward him, his grip firm but not rough. "Tell me, Lisa. Do you think the human heart is made of flesh?"
Though Miles had resolved to harden himself against the cruelties of the apocalypse, he couldn't suppress the wave of disgust rising within him.
Lisa hesitated, then offered a wry smile. "From a medical perspective, all hearts—human or otherwise—are made of cells. So yes, technically, they are made of flesh."
Her playful tone was an attempt to lighten the mood, though she could see the weight of Miles' thoughts.
Miles chuckled softly. "You're a doctor. Of course, you'd give me a clinical answer."
"But even the best doctor," Lisa said gently, "can't cure human nature."
Miles exhaled deeply, his eyes fixed on the restrained zombies outside. "It seems they've found a way to survive."
"By trading human lives for roast chicken?" Lisa murmured bitterly.
Miles shook his head. "Not human lives. Zombies. Those people out there… they're not human anymore."
Lisa leaned against him, her voice barely above a whisper. "You should care, Miles. If you lose your humanity, then what's the point of surviving?"
Her words hung in the air like a gentle plea. Miles stared at her, his hand trailing down her back with deliberate purpose. "You're a clever woman, Lisa."
"No," she replied with a faint smile. "I'm just your servant, doing whatever you ask."
And with that, she sank to her knees once more.