Thomas led the squad up the stairwell with Phillip by his side, rifles raised.
At the top of the stairs, Thomas paused at the doorway that led to the lobby. He raised a clenched fist, signaling the squad to halt.
Phillip moved ahead, slowly cracking the door open to assess the situation beyond.
"Eyes on," Phillip whispered, peeking through the narrow gap. "Large crowd. We're talking at least thirty... no, maybe forty zombies scattered across the lobby."
Thomas tightened his grip on the M4 Carbine. "No visual on any mutations?"
"None spotted, sir," Phillip confirmed.
"Good. We move in slow and tactical. Controlled bursts. We keep this quiet until it's not." Thomas looked to the team. "Stack up."
The fireteams quickly organized along the walls, ready to breach.
"Breach in three," Phillip whispered. "Two... one..."
Phillip pushed the door open quietly, but one of the zombies, a former bellhop judging by its tattered uniform, immediately snapped its head in their direction. It let out a guttural wail, alerting the entire horde.
"Shit! Contact!" Phillip barked.
"Engage! Light 'em up!" Thomas ordered.
Phfft! Phfft! Phfft!
Suppressors hissed as the soldiers opened fire in controlled bursts, the 9mm rounds punching through decayed skulls with brutal efficiency.
"Keep the line tight!" Thomas shouted over the gunfire. "Advance slowly! Don't let them flank!"
"Reloading!" a soldier called, dropping back as another moved up to cover him.
"Multiple contacts, left side!" Phillip warned, switching to his M4's full-auto mode. BRRRRT! Several zombies crumpled under a hail of bullets.
Despite the squad's firepower, the sheer number of zombies quickly overwhelmed any sense of order. The horde surged forward, their grotesque forms closing the distance fast.
"Falling back position! Defensive line now!" Thomas shouted. "Phillip, pop smoke!"
"Roger that!" Phillip pulled a smoke canister from his vest and tossed it into the center of the advancing horde.
POP-HISS!
Thick, white smoke billowed out, disrupting the zombies' line of sight.
"Switch to NV!" Phillip barked.
The soldiers toggled their night vision goggles, green-tinted views cutting through the smoke. The zombies stumbled blindly, their snarls growing more desperate as they thrashed about.
"Now's our chance! Take 'em down!" Thomas ordered.
The squad resumed firing with renewed precision. One by one, the zombies fell.
"Frag out!" a soldier called, lobbing a grenade into a dense cluster near the reception desk.
BOOM!
The explosion sent limbs and debris flying across the lobby.
"Push forward! Keep up the pressure!" Thomas commanded.
"On your six!" Phillip shouted as he fired over Thomas's shoulder, dropping a zombie that had crept too close.
Finally, after several intense minutes, the last zombie's body hit the ground with a sickening thud. Silence fell over the lobby, broken only by the soldiers' heavy breathing and the crackling remnants of the smoke grenade.
Phillip scanned the area with his rifle raised. "All clear. No more movement."
"Status check!" Thomas called out.
"All good!" all operators reported.
"No casualties, no injuries," Phillip added with a nod.
Thomas exhaled, lowering his weapon. "Damn good work, everyone. Not a scratch on us. Keep sharp—there's still more of this building to clear."
"Copy that," Phillip acknowledged. "What's the next move?"
Thomas looked around, scanning the interior of the hotel. It seemed that they are inside a two-storey mall and atop it was a hotel, judging from the height based from his previous recollections, about six stories.
Also, the interior seemed luxurious compared to the malls he had been into, is this the mall of the rich?
Thomas knelt next to the zombie corpse, noting the faded Lacoste logo on the torn polo shirt. Definitely high-end. This place wasn't just a mall; it was a shopping complex built for the elite, with the hotel above likely catering to wealthy travelers and executives.
Phillip approached, rifle at the ready. "What are you thinking, sir?"
"This place might have exactly what we need," Thomas continued, standing and glancing around the marble-covered lobby. "Food, medical supplies, maybe even high-tech gear. And the hotel upstairs—it's perfect for accommodations. We can house survivors there and set up living quarters for our squad."
Phillip nodded, understanding the importance. "If we secure both the mall and hotel, we'll have a fortified base with supplies nearby."
Thomas turned to his squad. "Alright, listen up! We're going to divide into four teams. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta. Each team will clear and secure one floor of the hotel starting from the third floor upwards. Our objective is to sweep each level thoroughly—no zombies left standing."
The soldiers nodded in unison, the faint clinks of magazines being checked and rifles adjusted filling the lobby as they prepared for further action.
"Phillip, you're leading the Bravo Team. You'll take the fourth floor. I'll stick with Alpha and clear the third. Charlie Team, you'll handle the fifth floor, and Delta Team gets the top floor," Thomas continued. He pointed to one of the operators, and he named them. "Ramos, you're in charge of Charlie Team. Diaz, you're commanding Delta."
"Yes, sir!" Ramos and Diaz responded in sync.
Thomas scanned his troops. "Each team will have ten men. Maintain comms at all times. If you encounter a large horde or need backup, call it in immediately. Don't engage recklessly."
"Copy that, sir," Phillip acknowledged, stepping forward with Bravo Team already assembling behind him.
"Move in tight formation. Rooms can be traps, so breach cautiously. I don't want any surprises," Thomas emphasized, glancing between team leaders. "Any questions?"
"What's the evac plan if things go south?" Ramos asked.
"If the situation gets out of control, regroup at the main stairwell or fallback to the lobby," Thomas replied. "But our goal is to clear every floor today. No leaving half the job done."
"Roger that," Ramos nodded.
"Alright. Alpha, with me," Thomas said, leading his team toward the stairwell. "Bravo, Charlie, Delta—get to your assigned floors. Keep it coordinated."
The teams moved swiftly into position, splitting off at different stairwell exits. The eerie quietness of the upper levels began to settle in, interrupted only by the muffled steps of boots on tiled floors.
Thomas signaled a halt as they reached the third-floor entrance. He pointed to a soldier who stepped forward who opened the door.
"Move!" Thomas ordered, rifle raised as he led the charge inside.
The hallway was dimly lit, shadows stretching ominously across the floor from broken overhead lights. Rotting corpses littered the carpeted walkway, and the smell of death hung heavy in the air. Some of the doors to the hotel rooms were ajar, others still shut.
"Clear the hall," Thomas instructed. "Team one, take the left corridor. Team two, you're with me on the right."
The soldiers moved like a well-oiled machine, scanning each door and securing every corner. Thomas's heartbeat remained steady as his eyes darted from doorway to doorway.
"Contact—room 302!" a soldier whispered urgently over comms.
"On me!" Thomas responded, rushing toward the room. Inside, a zombie in tattered formal wear stumbled toward the soldiers, snarling. Before it could lunge, one of the operators dropped it with two precise shots to the head.
"Room clear," the soldier reported.
"Keep it moving," Thomas ordered. They continued their sweep, encountering a few scattered zombies along the way, each quickly dispatched without incident.
Above their floor, Phillip led his team through the fourth-floor corridor, maintaining a steady pace.
"Sir, movement ahead," one soldier called out, pointing toward the end of the hall. A shadow shifted behind a corner.
Phillip raised a clenched fist to halt the team. "Contact. Weapons free, but keep it quiet."
The team crept forward, rifles trained on the shadow. As they rounded the corner, a small group of zombies, likely former hotel staff, staggered in their direction.
"Engage," Phillip commanded.
Suppressors hissed as rounds punched through skulls. Within seconds, the zombies were down.
"Clear," Phillip muttered. "Stay sharp. There could be more."
Over the next half hour, each team relayed their progress. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta cleared room after room with minimal resistance, keeping casualties on the enemy side only.
Third and fourth floor are now cleared.
He tapped his radio. "Charlie, Delta—status?"
"Charlie Team reporting. Minor resistance on floor 5, but we've got it under control. Five more rooms to clear."
"Delta here. We're sweeping the final rooms on floor 6. No contact yet," Diaz reported.
"All stations, have you encountered any survivors?"
"Negative, sir," Phillip replied. "Just corpses and hostiles."
"Same here," Ramos from Charlie Team added. "Nothing but bodies and a few stragglers."
"Delta reporting," Diaz chimed in. "Top floor's quiet. No survivors spotted. We're finishing the last sweep now."
Thomas exhaled heavily. He had hoped to find someone—anyone—alive. Still, there was no time for sentiment. They needed to finish the job and secure their new base.
"Copy. Maintain vigilance. Everyone regroup at the main stairwell once your floors are fully cleared," Thomas ordered. He turned to his men. "Alpha Team, let's wrap up here and head back."
One by one, the teams converged at the stairwell between the hotel floors. Each operator reported in, confirming their sections were clear of hostiles.
"Report status," Thomas instructed.
"All rooms cleared on floor 4," Phillip confirmed.
"Floor 5 clear," Ramos added.
"Delta confirms floor 6 clear. No movement detected," Diaz finished.
Thomas nodded, taking in the reports. "Good work. No casualties and no survivors, unfortunately. We'll take that as a win given the circumstances."
Just then, a notification flashed on his system interface.
[Mission Complete: Establish a Base]
Objective Completed: Entire location secured and cleared of all hostiles.
Rewards:
100,000 Blood Coins
25,000 Experience Points
1x Special Ticket to Fortune Wheel
Thomas read the notification aloud to Phillip, who smirked. "Well, that's good news."
"Damn right it is," Thomas replied, glancing at the men. "We've got a solid foothold here now. Let's not waste it."
"Sir, what's next on the agenda?" Ramos asked, wiping sweat from his brow.
"We are going to clean up this place, it's a mess," Thomas replied.