Weapon System in Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 24: Not Giving Up

The team exited the first building, moving swiftly across the open courtyard toward the second structure. Zombies littered the grounds, many of them aimlessly wandering after the earlier assault from the Apache. As they approached the entrance, several undead turned toward the sound of boots on concrete.

"Hostiles inbound. Ten o'clock," a soldier reported.

"Take them out," Thomas ordered.

Gunfire echoed through the courtyard as controlled bursts of 5.56mm rounds tore through the approaching zombies. The team moved in formation, securing the main entrance and breaching the double doors with a loud CRACK. Once inside, Thomas signaled for everyone to stay alert.

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"Clear every room. Stay in pairs. We need to find those survivors," he instructed through the comms.

"Copy that, Eagle," Phillip responded, splitting off with a fireteam.

The building was eerily similar to the first—dim corridors, classrooms filled with overturned desks, and the occasional shambling figure. As the team advanced, more zombies emerged from dark corners, drawn by the noise of their footsteps. Each encounter ended swiftly, the soldiers maintaining strict fire discipline.

"Second floor clear," one soldier reported after a sweep of the upper level.

"Move to the first floor," Thomas instructed.

The team descended cautiously, the smell of decay growing stronger. They cleared hallways and classrooms one by one, the repetitive nature of the task weighing heavily on everyone. Thomas was in a room near the eastern wing when he heard the familiar, guttural snarl of a zombie. He turned and fired, dropping one that lunged at him. As he stepped further down the corridor, he froze.

A figure staggered toward him—a young woman with long, matted hair and tattered clothing. Her face, though gaunt and pale, struck a chord of recognition. Anna.

Thomas felt his stomach drop. It was her. One of the classmates he had promised to save. Her eyes were clouded with the mindless hunger of the infected, but something about her movements felt almost hesitant, as if some trace of her consciousness lingered deep within.

"Anna...?" Thomas whispered, lowering his rifle slightly.

Anna let out a guttural snarl and lunged at him with surprising speed. Thomas reflexively stepped back, raising his weapon but hesitating to fire. He couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger.

"Sir! What are you doing? Shoot!" Phillip's voice echoed in his ear.

Thomas didn't move, still caught in the moment. He gritted his teeth, unsure of what to do, until suddenly, a gunshot rang out.

Anna's head exploded in a spray of dark blood and brain matter, her body crumpling lifelessly to the ground. Phillip stood a few meters behind Thomas, lowering his rifle with a puzzled expression.

"Why didn't you shoot sir?"

Thomas remained silent for a moment, staring at Anna's lifeless form. His hands trembled slightly as he finally spoke.

"It was her... She was the reason we came here. We were too late..."

Phillip's expression softened. He glanced at the body on the floor, then back at Thomas. "I see... I'm sorry, sir. Does that mean our extraction operation failed?"

"You could say that," Thomas sighed deeply. "Ah—shit...I told them not to leave that room and they didn't listen."

"Maybe sir...they thought you weren't going to return. Also, they might have thought you were dead."

"But still—they had supplies that could last them for a week," Thomas muttered, his voice laced with frustration. He clenched his fists, unable to shake the sense of failure. "They were supposed to wait for me."

Phillip placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sir, in a world like this, fear can push people to do irrational things. Maybe they panicked, or maybe they were forced out by something. We'll never know for sure."

Thomas exhaled slowly, releasing some of the tension in his body. He glanced at Anna's corpse one last time before giving a firm nod.

"We have to keep searching. There's still a chance the other one might be alive. We're not leaving empty-handed. It's only Anna, Samantha could be alive."

"Understood, sir," Phillip replied. He motioned for the rest of the team to regroup. "Let's sweep the rest of the building."

The soldiers moved, , clearing the remaining rooms on the ground floor. Bloodstains, discarded belongings, and occasional barricades hinted at the desperate fight for survival that had taken place here. Each door breached brought a fresh surge of anticipation, but every room revealed the same grim truth: empty spaces devoid of life.

As they neared the final wing of the building, one of the soldiers on point raised his fist, signaling the team to halt. "Got movement," he whispered into the comms.

Thomas took a position beside the soldier and peeked around the corner. A lone figure stumbled through a broken doorway at the far end of the hall. It wasn't moving like the other zombies—they weren't aimlessly wandering or snarling. Instead, it staggered, as if injured or disoriented.

"Hold fire," Thomas ordered quietly. He advanced cautiously, weapon raised but finger off the trigger.

As he approached, he noticed more details. The figure was dressed in a torn school uniform, and there was no sign of decay or infection. When it turned to face him, Thomas was slightly taken aback as he saw the face being bruised and battered, as if someone beat the shit out of him. Still, he recognized the face.

"Jason?" Thomas said it was his classmate Jason.

"Thomas? Is that you..." Jason replied weakly.

"Yeah it's me...what the hell happened to you? And why are you wandering alone?"

"They kicked me out..."

"Who kicked you out?"

Suddenly, Jason groaned and clutched his stomach. His body began to shudder uncontrollably.

"Jason?" Thomas said with urgency, stepping closer. "Hey—what's going on?"

Jason's eyes widened in panic as convulsions overtook his body. He let out a choking gasp, and in the blink of an eye, his demeanor shifted violently. He lunged at Thomas, teeth bared, snarling like a rabid animal.

"Shit! He's turning!" one of the soldiers yelled, raising his rifle.

Thomas instinctively pushed Jason to the ground, pinning him with his boot. His mind raced, piecing together what must have happened. Jason had been bitten at some point—he had lied or didn't realize it himself.

But that doesn't matter now, he already turned, and once turned, there's nothing that can be done. He fired one round on his forehead, ending his suffering.

He recalled his last words. "They kicked me out."

That meant that there are still survivors, and Samantha could be among them.