Adrian and Rex sprinted down the ruined highway, their breath ragged, the guttural howls of the infected growing closer. The creatures were relentless, some leaping over wrecked cars with unnatural agility, their bloodied hands reaching out like claws.
"Left!" Rex shouted, pointing toward an overturned truck.
Adrian veered sharply, leaping over shattered glass as he pressed his back against the vehicle. The wreck provided a momentary shield, but the infected were everywhere, swarming like a pack of starving wolves.
"Too many!" Adrian gritted his teeth.
Rex's eyes darted around before landing on a toll booth up ahead—its security room door slightly ajar.
"There!" He pointed.
Without hesitation, Adrian bolted toward the booth, Rex right behind him. Just as they reached the entrance, two infected lunged from the shadows.
One came straight for Adrian, its decayed hands clawing toward his throat.
Adrian raised his rifle on instinct—
Bang!
The shot blasted through the creature's skull, blackened blood splattering against the booth's wall.
Rex had his own problem. A second infected lunged at him, but he sidestepped, slamming the butt of his shotgun against its skull before stomping down hard on its neck.
Boom!
The creature's body convulsed before going still.
"Inside!" Rex shoved the security room door open, and they stumbled in, slamming the door shut behind them.
The pounding began almost immediately.
Adrian backed away, rifle aimed at the shaking door. "That won't hold for long."
His eyes scanned the small, trashed security room—broken monitors, an overturned desk, and a locked storage door in the corner. He rushed to it, twisting the handle—
It opened into a narrow maintenance tunnel.
"This way!" he called.
Rex didn't hesitate. They ducked into the passage, barricading the door behind them with whatever they could find.
"Where does this lead?" Rex asked.
Adrian pressed forward through the dimly lit space. "Should connect to the commercial district behind the toll station."
The growls faded as they crawled through the tunnel. After a few tense minutes, a faint light appeared ahead.
Adrian quickened his pace, pushing open a rusted metal hatch. A gust of cold, damp air greeted them.
They were out.
The street was abandoned, lined with burned-out cars and ruined buildings. In the distance, a flickering light glowed faintly—perhaps a survivor outpost?
"Let's hope it's still standing," Rex muttered.
Adrian adjusted his gear, taking a steadying breath.
"Let's move."
They disappeared into the night, two figures navigating the ruins of a dead world—still fighting to survive