Dominic carefully barricaded the door. His friends jumped in through the window.

“You’re going to draw the zombies here!”

“It’s too late! The floors above and below us have all turned, and a Level 7 horde is heading toward your room!”

A Level 7 horde would be more than enough to break through the barricade.

“Camilla, come on!”

He carried his two-year-old daughter and jumped down the building with his friends.

“To the right! To the right!”

“The neighboring university has a safe lab, right?”

“Yes! Their defenses were still solid yesterday!”

Suddenly, the windows above them shattered.

Hordes of zombies fell.

More crawled underneath them.

The group barely dodged the attacks, but as they entered the tunnel, the zombies were already inches behind.

“James! Can you carry Camilla for me?”

“O-okay!”

Dominic swung his arm just as the nearest zombie lunged toward him.

He struck it.

But another zombie bit him just as he landed his blow.

His friends gasped.

“Daddy!”

James and the others threw stones at the zombies, but they wouldn’t budge.

Dominic stepped forward, but pushed James back.

“DOMINIC!”

Dominic smiled bitterly.

Guess this is it.

They would be in trouble anyway if the zombies reached the university's entrance.

“Go! I’ll hold them off as long as I can!”

“B-but dude—”

“Search for the guy named Faisal. Keep Camilla safe, and we’re square, okay?”

They gritted their teeth.

Dominic had been their friend since freshman year.

He had a daughter.

But fear grew stronger, almost justified by survival and the knowledge of Dominic's inevitable death.

“We promise!”

They sped off, their cries filling the air.

“Another wave of hordes?”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Pull back the patrols to the shelter entrance. As soon as the first horde crosses the pole, release the explosives.”

He ran up to the balcony.

“Blare the lights and speakers too. And place more snipers on the middle tower.”

The commander saluted and ran back.

Major General Kim held his pulsing forehead.

This has been the tenth wave tonight.

Is this shelter going to crumble too?

The soldiers had not slept for days.

And this damn fog!

The special ops, especially Cain, would have been a lot of help, but their unit was basically gone now.

Damn the General.

The other special units...

Who knew what they were doing now?

Civilians gathered inside the building. The familiar sound of explosions and gunshots rang through the air amongst sirens and shouts.

Ten minutes.

Thirty minutes.

One hour.

Two hours.

The noises died off, leaving only a low buzz.

Then came the sound of a helicopter.

Everyone looked at each other nervously.

Is that a rescue helicopter?

Does that mean the soldiers have been wiped out?

The door creaked open.

They held their breath.

Then cheered in relief.

A tattered sergeant opened the door.

“We survived the tenth wave, everyone.”

They applauded.

“Thank you, Sergeant Fields!”

Sergeant Fields nodded tiredly.

Everyone had tried their best. The sole reason their shelter had not fallen apart yet was probably Major General Kim.

That man was beyond skilled at managing tactics.

He’s not leaving, is he?

Major General Kim frowned as he stared at the landing helicopter.

The door opened.

“If you hate your superior, you shouldn’t show it so much, you know?”

“What are you doing here, Sir?”

“Taking you with us. We need to search for Cain—or whoever is immune—to develop a cure.”

“General, you’re crazy! This has been the tenth attack in one night, and you know they’re barely surviving! Now you want me to leave them to all die?”

General Edwards raised an eyebrow.

“You’re underestimating your comrades, Major General?”

He turned.

“Commander Luann!”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Would you be able to hold down the fort and ensure the survival of both the civilians and the soldiers?”

Commander Luann hesitated.

She might be a Commander, but everyone else here was mostly Privates. She and the other higher-ranking officers had only recently been promoted.

Still...

Isn’t the answer obvious?

“Yes, Sir! It’s my responsibility to protect the civilians and my fellow comrades!”

The General chuckled.

“See? So what excuse do you have now?”

Major General Kim glared at the General.

As if this whole thing didn’t happen because of you.

He glanced at the helicopter.

There were parliament members, prominent politicians, and governors.

Hah.

So this is what the others care about.

“I don’t need to remind you that it’s only a matter of time before the fort falls apart, right?”

“General Edwards, the last time I had this kind of conversation with you, I regretted it deeply. You started the whole experiment—”

General Edwards stepped toward him so suddenly that Kim flinched.

“Keep it down, Kim,” he said, his voice hushed but threatening. “You think this would have happened if you had kept your men under monitoring like I told you to?”

“That’s—”

“And don’t you see the urgency here? Our focus should be on handling the situation, not bitching and moaning about the past, right?”

Kim squeezed his fists.

What he said wasn't wrong.

And if they were going to hunt down Cain...

He better be on the inside.

“You’re right.”

He exhaled.

“Count me in.”

Luann was standing outside. She couldn't really hear what they were talking about.

Are they going to take the VVIPs to a secured island?

Maybe one of the untouched areas on the outskirts of the border?

The helicopter rose into the sky.

Luann saluted, followed by the rest of the troops.

“Everyone, get back to work! Refill your ammunition and fix the facilities. Make sure we’re ready for the next horde attack.”

“Yes, Ma’am!”

“Will we use the same tactic, Commander?”

Luann looked around.

They had flashlights, but the lights in the city had died out, and it was difficult to monitor incoming hordes at night.

By the time they could see them, the zombies would already be a few feet from the gate.

And behind them would be an endless sea of zombies.

Moreover, there were dark spots everywhere and only limited light sources.

“Tie wires and cans to that tree, that tree, and those buildings. Make sure they’re heavy enough not to ring in the breeze, but loud enough to notify us of zombies.”

She paused.

“When you do shoot, make sure to use silencers.”

“What if it turns out to be a human, Commander?”

Hmm.

Sergeant Fields was right.

Zombies acted erratically.

Humans didn't.

“Shoot if they act erratically, but don't if you are unsure. Report to the medics immediately, and don't proceed down until you're sure there are no zombies in their surroundings.”

“Yes, Ma’am!”