As they neared the alley exit, Allen suddenly raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop.
He listened carefully, his brow furrowing slightly as the sound of metal scraping reached his ears.
The noise was intermittent, like some kind of mechanical device in operation, or perhaps the claws of zombies scraping across steel.
It wasn’t close, but in the silence, it was eerily sharp.
He signaled for everyone to stay quiet, then slowly crouched down, carefully peering around.
The street ahead was in chaos—overturned vehicles, a few torn-apart corpses, resembling a post-apocalyptic scene.
Not far off, the engine of a truck was still running, attracting the attention of several zombies.
Alan took a deep breath and spoke to the group in a low voice, "The situation is still under control; the zombies are fairly scattered. But if we get too close, we’ll definitely attract their attention."
Ethan observed for a moment, then calmly analyzed, “The truck’s noise will keep them occupied for a while. We need to move quickly.”
Allen nodded, quickly scanning the surroundings, then proposed a plan:
“We’ll move in two stages. First, we head for the overturned car in the middle of the street to take cover. Second, we find the right moment, then sprint straight into the alley on the other side. Understood?”
Eli and Ethan nodded silently, while Landon muttered, “Got it.”
His face was still pale, but his stance was noticeably more tense.
“Let’s move. Remember, stay quiet.”
The team crouched low, trying to step lightly as they swiftly crossed the first open stretch of street and took cover behind the overturned car in the middle of the road.
Through the cracked car window, Eli saw the bloodstained interior, broken seats, and scattered personal items, silently telling the story of the chaos and struggle the car owner had gone through before their death.
Just then, a sharp scream suddenly echoed from the other end of the street.
The group instinctively held their breath and looked toward the source of the sound. A survivor was surrounded by a horde of zombies.
His screams were desperate and heartbreaking, but soon, they were replaced by the sickening sound of gnawing.
The scene made Landon’s face turn even paler, his breath quickening.
Ethan coldly warned him in a barely audible voice, “Don’t slow us down.”
Landon swallowed hard, nodding desperately, trying to calm himself.
Just as the group was about to move again, Landon accidentally stepped on a shard of glass, making a faint "crack" sound.
A zombie nearby immediately stopped, lifted its head, and its hollow eye sockets turned toward the group''s direction.
Stop!
Allen raised his hand, signaling everyone to freeze, his eyes locked on the zombie.
Eli quickly grabbed a rock, flicked his wrist, and threw it toward the distance.
The rock hit a car door, making a faint metallic sound.
The zombie''s head slowly turned toward the new source of noise, and it sluggishly walked toward the car door.
Allen seized this brief opportunity, giving a low command: "Now, move in batches. I''ll go first."
He sprinted toward the alleyway on the opposite side, then gestured for the next person to move.
Eli quickly led Landon across the distance, though Landon''s movements were a bit clumsy, the zombie didn''t notice them.
Ethan followed closely behind, his movements swift and silent.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
In the alley, exhaustion was written all over the group''s faces.
Landon slumped to the ground, his hands trembling uncontrollably. He whispered, "I''m sorry... it was my fault."
Ethan glanced at him but said nothing.
Allen didn''t chastise Landon. He stood up and said, "Keep moving. Be more careful from here on."
Under his leadership, the group quickly fell into motion again.
They exited the alley and proceeded along a relatively wide street.
The area here was more open than the alley, but it was also much more dangerous.
The air was thick with the nauseating stench of decay, and the occasional breeze stirred up the odor, making it even more intense.
The street was littered with abandoned vehicles, and the ground and walls were stained with blood. In some places, entrails and chunks of flesh were scattered around, making it hard to look at.
On either side of the street stood rows of tall buildings, their glass facades gleaming under the sun, reflecting blinding light.
However, the glass facades were covered in bloodstains.
Under the sunlight, the blood appeared even more glaring, creating an oppressive feeling that sent chills down one''s spine.
Allen walked at the front, his eyes constantly scanning every corner ahead.
His steps were steady, occasionally signaling the group to stop or move.
Every time he halted, it was like a silent warning: zombies ahead.
Ethan gripped his metal rod tightly, his eyes quickly sweeping both sides.
Eli stayed silent, walking in the middle of the group, keeping an eye on everything around him.
Landon seemed particularly anxious, glancing back frequently, as if he feared pursuers might suddenly appear behind them.
The group turned a corner, and their view opened up. In the distance, a corner of Times Square finally came into view.
The square was a mess, with abandoned vehicles and bodies scattered everywhere.
Some zombies were crouched over the corpses, chewing on them. Limbs and bones were scattered all around, creating a gruesome scene.
The group paused in the shadow of a sedan, carefully peering out to observe the situation in the square from a distance.
Allen''s eyes focused in one direction. "The police station is over there, but there are a lot of zombies."
The group followed Allen’s gaze toward the police station.
Several abandoned police cars were parked on the street, their markings and sirens destroyed by the zombies'' violent assault.
The walls of nearby buildings were covered with visible gunshot marks.
Broken glass and a web of bullet holes seemed to testify to a fierce clash.
The street nearby was littered with corpses and severed limbs, the scene incredibly brutal.
The number of zombies in this area far exceeded that of other zones—at a glance, there were at least thirty or forty of them.
Some zombies, like packs of wild beasts, wandered through the scattered limbs.
Others crouched by the bodies, swallowing chunks of flesh and intestines, making low, guttural chewing sounds.
Ethan didn’t speak, but his brow furrowed, as if weighing something in his mind.
Eli said without hesitation, "The police station has fallen. We can''t go there."
Landon’s face grew even paler, his hands trembling slightly as he tightly gripped the lid of a trash can, unable to offer any opinion on the situation.
Allen’s gaze lingered on the police station for a moment, his expression growing increasingly serious.
He gripped his crowbar tightly and muttered, "Let’s find a safe place, take a breather, and discuss a plan."
Ethan nodded, his gaze shifting to Landon. He spoke in a low voice, "Be careful, don''t make any noise."
Landon nodded nervously, whispering, "Got it."
Alan looked toward a narrow alley ahead and whispered, "That way."
The group quickly sprang into action, using the nearby vehicles for cover, moving cautiously forward.
The air around them felt suffocating, every step felt as though they were walking on broken glass, heightening their nerves.
At the far end of the alley, two zombies were hunched over a corpse, gnawing on it with grotesque, disturbing sounds.
The sight sent a chill down their spines, and Eli’s eyes quickly darted to the left side of the alley.
He noticed that the back door of a building appeared intact, with no signs of being broken or scratched.
He raised his hand, pointing with the steel pipe toward the door, signaling to the others: over there.
Allen immediately glanced over, nodded quickly, and gestured for the group to continue moving forward.
They proceeded carefully, trying to avoid alerting the two zombies nearby.
Soon, the group reached the back door of the building.
Eli stepped up to the door and tested the handle, finding it unlocked.
He cautiously opened the door, making sure it made no sound.
Allen quickly signaled for Ethan to go in first and make sure it was safe inside.
Ethan moved without hesitation, entering the building and surveying the area. He then signaled back: Safe!
After seeing Ethan’s signal, Allen gestured for Landon to enter.
Landon quickly stepped inside and let out a sigh of relief once he was in.
Then, Alan stepped forward, cautiously surveying the interior of the building.
Finally, Eli followed closely behind, quickly entering the room and gently closing the door.
The hallway was dim, with all the lighting fixtures turned off, clearly indicating that the entire building had lost power.
There were no bloodstains or scratch marks on the floor, which made the group breathe a little easier.
"Ethan, keep an ear out for any noise at the door. Eli, take out a light source, we need to see clearly in here."
Allen gave a low command.
Eli froze. In that instant, he suddenly noticed something unusual: there wasn’t a hint of darkness in his vision.
The propaganda posters on the wall, every letter and number, stood out with astonishing clarity, as though illuminated by an invisible light.
"What’s going on?"
Despite the turmoil within, this was not the time to dwell on it.
Eli’s expression remained calm. He pulled out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and used its faint glow to feign examining his surroundings.
Allen’s gaze fell on a heavy wooden door with a sign indicating it was a conference room.
He approached, opened the door carefully, and scanned the room.
The conference room was spacious and tidy, with the table and chairs still arranged neatly.
Most importantly, the room was near the back door, making it easy for the group to retreat if necessary.
Allen turned to the group and said, "This room is usable."