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

"Hey, be quiet! 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 towards 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 neighbouring university have a safe lab, right?"

"Yes, their defense were still solid yesterday!"

Suddenly, the windows above them break. Hordes of zombie fell.

"AAAAHHH!"

"There are hordes crawling under us too!"

They reached the tunnel, barely dodging the attacks. Dominic looked back in panic. Were the zombies faster than before?

"James! Can you carry Camilla for me?"

"O-ok!"

Dominic swung his arm just as the nearest one lunged towards him, but another zombie bit him just as he landed his strike. His friends gasped.

"Daddy!"

James and the others threw stones, but the zombies wouldn't budge. He stepped forward, but Dominic pushed him back.

"DOMINIC!"

Dominic smiled bitterly. Guess this is it. They'd be in trouble anyways 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 fair, ok?"

They gritted their teeth. Dominic have been their friend since freshman year, but what else could they do in this situation?

"We promise!"

They sped off, Camilla's cries piercing in their ears.

***

"Another wave of hordes?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Pull back the patrols to the shelter entrance. As soon as the first horde crossed the pole, release the explosions."

He ran up to the balcony.

"Blare on 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 have been the tenth wave that night – is this shelter going to crumble too? The soldiers have not slept for days as it is. And this dang fog! The special ops – especially Cain – would have been a lot of help, but their unit is basically done now. The other special units – who knows what they are doing now.

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

10 minutes. 30 minutes. 1 hour. 2 hours.

The noises died off, leaving a low buzz.

Then the sound of a helicopter.

They looked at each other nervously. Is that a rescue helicopter? Does that mean that the soldiers have been wiped out?

The door creaked open.

They held their breath... then smiled 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 did try their best, the sole reason why their shelter hasn't fallen apart yet was probably Major General Kim. That man was beyond skilled in managing tactics, and now... what is he doing there? He's not going to leave, is he?

Major General Kim frowned, staring at the landing helicopter. The door opened.

"If you hate your superior, you shouldn't show it as 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 have been the tenth attack in one night, and you know they are barely surviving! Now you want me to leave them to all die?"

General Edwards lifted his eyebrow.

"You're underestimating your comrades, Major General? Commander Luann!"

"Would you be able to hold down the fort and ensure the survival of both the civilians and the soldiers, Commander Luann?"

Commander Luann hesitated. She may be a Commander, but everyone else here are mostly Privates. Her and the other higher ranked were just promoted weeks ago. Still.... Isn't the answer obvious?

She bit her lip.

"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 glanced at the helicopter. There were parliament members, prominent politicians, and governors. So, this was what the other special ops cared for.

"I don't need to remind you that it's only a matter of time before the fort fell apart, right?"

"General Edwards, the last time I had this kind of conversation with you, I regretted it deeply. And now you think I'd fall for it again?"

"Well, if you regret it, then you have to try to fix it, right?"

The man squeezed his fists. What he said isn't wrong... and if they are going to hunt down Cain, he better be on the inside.

"You're right. Count me in."

Luann was standing on the outside. She couldn't really hear what they are talking about. Are they going to take the VVIPs into a secured island? Maybe one of the untouched areas on the outskirts of the border?

The helicopter rose to the sky. Luann saluted, followed by the rest of the troops.

"Everyone, get back to work! Refill your ammunitions 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. The have flashlights, but the lights in the city had died out, and it was hard to monitor incoming hordes at night. When you can start seeing them, they'd have to be a few feet from the gate, and behind them would be an endless sea of zombies. Moreover, there are dark spots and limited light source.

"Tie wires and cans at that tree, that tree, and those buildings. Make sure they are heavy enough to not ring by a breeze, but loud enough to notify us of zombies. When you do shoot, make sure to use silencers."

"How if it turned out to be a human, Commander?"

Hmm, Sergeant Fields is right. Zombies act erratically and humans don't, so...

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

"Yes, Ma'am!"