My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 70: Stragglers

The group pressed on, moving fast but careful. The distant thrum of the helicopters had drawn most of the infected toward the heart of the city, but not all of them. Stragglers still lurked nearby, hiding in shadows and broken alleys.

"Get down. Hide, hide," Jaxon hissed, already dropping into a crouch. Ahead, a small group of infected shuffled into view.

Jaxon lay flat against the dirty ground and raised his rifle. Short, controlled shots followed. One by one, the infected fell without a sound.

"Go. I’m right behind you," he urged, eyes never leaving his scope.

This became their rhythm. Sometimes Jaxon cleared the path ahead. Other times, they pressed themselves into shadows and waited for danger to pass. When the numbers were too many, they turned back and took longer routes through broken streets and narrow alleys.

Suddenly, a rapid series of gunshots cracked through the air, echoing off the buildings.

He pulled Hae-in and the others into a nearby restroom, forcing the door shut as they pressed against the wall. Through the gaps from the windows, they peeked outside.

Shouting echoed from a rooftop nearby, mingled with the gunfire.

"Survivors," Hae-in whispered, eyes wide. "There are other survivors."

"So there are others beside us," Claire murmured.

"But why are they shooting like that?" Bong-gu whispered, his brow furrowed with concern. "Those guns are way too loud."

Na-rin’s expression turned somber. "The choppers. Ryan was not the only one who thought they came for rescue. They probably took the risk and came out of hiding, and most likely they got discovered by the infected."

Silence settled over the group.

"That’s... sad," Hae-in said softly.

Elaine hesitated, then leaned closer to Jaxon and whispered, "Are we going to help them?"

Na-rin lifted an eyebrow but stayed silent.

Jaxon shook his head. "With that much noise, a horde will swarm them soon. Do you want us to die with them?"

Elaine stiffened. "I... I’m sorry." Her hands tightened behind her back.

Jaxon looked at her, his voice calm. "I know you want to help. But you also have to think about your own life, and the lives of those with you."

"I’m sorry," Elaine repeated, her voice barely audible.

"I admire you for thinking like that," Jaxon said gently. "It’s not easy, is it? But we have to be smart."

Elaine nodded, unable to meet his eyes.

Jaxon turned to the group. "Let’s move. We can’t stay here."

As the group was about to move, Bong-gu, who was last in line, froze. He noticed something and looked up.

A girl stood inside one of the restroom stalls, staring at him through the half-open door with a wide, unsettling grin. Her face was pale, and her eyes pure black.

"What the hell!" Bong-gu yelped, nearly jumping out of his skin. His yelp echoing in the confined space, getting the attention of others.

Jaxon turned in a flash, his rifle already raised. He fired a single shot, and the girl’s head snapped back, a cloud of black blood spraying all over the grimy tiles.

When the body dropped, a chill ran through him. Had it been watching them the whole time?

Adrenaline surged through the group as they burst out from the comfort room door, but another infected lunged straight at Jaxon.

He swung his rifle hard, smashing the butt into its jaw. Bone cracked, and the creature flew back.

The noise was enough. From the nearby streets, shapes began to move. One, then many. A dozen infected turned toward them, drawn by the sound.

"Get out of here. Run, and don’t look back," Jaxon said sharply.

He stepped forward, firing again and again, forcing the infected back as the group fled into the streets.

Elaine and the students broke into a sprint, their footsteps echoing across the empty road. Thankfully, the gunshots from the other group fighting the infected drew most of them away, their howls shifting farther back as they chased the noise instead.

Jaxon soon caught up. He slowed and looked ahead. "We’re here," he said, looking at the familiar store where he left his family. The storefront was battered, the windows boarded up.

"I don’t see anyone," Bong-gu said, looking around nervously. The store stood open, its door hanging loose, but the inside was empty.

Jaxon frowned, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach. Then, the howls of the infected echoed behind them, growing louder with each passing second.

"Go, to that building," Jaxon said, pointing to an apartment building nearby. "Hide inside first and wait for me."

Elaine and the students hesitated, their faces filled with worry. But they knew better than to argue. They nodded and moved, understanding that they would only hold him back.

They hurried into the apartment building, moving as quietly as they could. Just as they reached the hallway, Claire stopped short and grabbed Na-rin’s arm, forcing her to halt.

The others noticed them and stopped, turning back with questioning looks.

"What’s wrong, Claire?" Elaine whispered.

Claire lifted a finger to her lips, signaling for silence. Slowly, she pointed down the hallway.

Not far from them stood a figure, stiff and unmoving, its back turned as if it were a statue.

But as they looked closer, they realized it was an infected.

The group froze, breath caught in their throats, hearts pounding so loud it felt like the creature could hear them.

Elaine leaned in and whispered, "We move. Slow and quiet."

The students nodded and began to step back, careful with every movement.

For a brief moment, it seemed to work.

Then the infected twitched. Its head tilted slightly, then slowly, it turned towards them, its eyes locking onto their terrified faces.

"Run!" Na-rin shouted.

They broke into a sprint down the corridor. Footsteps echoed as panic took hold, but the infected was fast, too fast. Each second, it closed the distance, its snarls growing louder.

Bong-gu glanced back, panic flooding his face as he saw it almost on top of them. He clenched his teeth, then suddenly stopped.

Turning around, he gripped the fire axe with both hands and planted his feet.

"Miss Elaine, go," Bong-gu said, forcing his shaking voice steady. "I’ll handle this."

"Bong-gu, no, just keep running!" Elaine cried her eyes wide with disbelief, but she was pulled forward by the others.

But Bong-gu stood his ground.

"Go," he said again. "This is what a man should do." His eyes turned fierce as he suppressed his fear, a spark of courage igniting within him.

The infected lunged, its decaying body propelled forward with surprising force. At the last second, Bong-gu stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding its grasping claws. He swung the fire axe from the side, aiming at the infected’s head with all his might.

But before the blade could connect, the creature twisted sharply, bones cracking audibly under the force. With a sudden swipe of its own claw, it knocked the axe clean out of Bong-gu’s hands, sending it flying across the hallway. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Bong-gu froze. The speed of it left him stunned. He never stood a chance. His legs gave out, and he fell hard to the floor, fear flooding his body as the infected staggered toward him, its feet bent at sick angles.

"Bong-gu!" Elaine shouted, stopping in her tracks and rushing toward him.

The creature lunged, jaws gaping wide, ready to tear him apart, when...

A muffled bullet shot through from the side, piercing the infected’s head with deadly accuracy. Its body convulsed violently, black blood spraying on Bong-gu who was still gasping for air on the floor. The infected collapsed on top of him, its weight crushing the air from his lungs.