Chapter 112: 112
*click*
I drew my katana and I entered first. Almost immediately, a figure was spotted in the short hallway leading to the huge portion of the building. The lights are flickering on and off but the huge windows helped in illuminating the area.
I slowly crept towards it and I thrusted my blade on the back of its head.
*shhck*
*plop*
It fell down silently and I tried to look at the surroundings. It was a huge hall with several tables and a few rooms on the right side. The left side is the wall where the huge glass windows are. The stairs up is located at the front door at the side of it. I pulled the body in the hall we were in first in case something happened in the open area. Last thing I want is us tripping on it when we start on maneuvering around.
“Let’s clear this floor first. We’ll go room by room; we don’t want any surprises if we directly head to our goal.” I said.
“Do you know the way to this whole place then?” Matthew whispered.
“Yeah, I went here once and I saw the directional map in the portrait just above the glass door.” I replied.
“Wait, what? Did you just memorize it?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I replied nonchalantly.
“This place is huge though; you must be kidding.” he said.
“Heh, only need to see it once.” I replied.
“Impossible.” he said.
“Don’t taunt him dad. You’ve been burned before.” Kaley interjected.
“I bet he just trying to make himself look cool…” he trailed.
*twitch*
My eyebrow twitched and I let my tongue out.
“Your plate number on the camper is RTG 239, you have your wife’s initials on your Remington 870 just above the handle, you always hold your spoon right between your middle finger and ring finger and you had a trophy for 3rd place in a 3-gun competition back in 2002.” I said in a single breath.
“What the f.u.c.k?!” he exclaimed.
“Shh! Dad! Be quiet! I told you you’d get burned.” Kaley shouted quietly.
“Damn.” Mark said.
“It was 1st place!” he rebutted.
“Nope the 1st place was a medal from 2005.” I replied.
“F.u.c.k!” he quietly exclaimed.
*snarl*
I heard a faint snarl from the second floor and I hushed everyone. It disappeared after a while and we slowly headed to where the rooms are. Matthew and Kaley guarded the small hallway that leads to where the rooms are while Mark and I started to open the room that says ‘1 – APPLICANTS’. I looked through the small glass pane just above the knob and found nothing amiss. I turned the knob and slowly opened it as Mark readies his fire axe.
*creak*
Nothing. Aside from a pile of paperwork, the only thing worth taking is a small fire extinguisher at the side of a table. There’s a body on the floor but it’s already taken care of. I checked the hole in its head and I noticed a huge hole the size of the bottom of a bottle.
“Sledgehammer? Wait… it’s much smaller.” I said to myself.
Mark closed the door after we left the room and then we proceeded to the next room that says ‘2 – RETURNING’. It’s in the same condition as the first room and the only difference from this room to the first one that we entered is that there’s a TV mounted to the wall. I was checking one of the drawers and I found a small pocket knife. I slid it in one of my pockets and we left the room after.
We searched each room on the floor and what’s left is the bathroom.
*psshew*
I heard the AR-15 firing and I looked back. Kaley fired a shot to the 2nd floor while her dad is pointing a flashlight above it. We continued towards the bathroom and we found a first-aid kit above the mirror. There are a few packets of hand sanitizers in a corner so I took them as well.
“You guys done?” Kaley asked as we moved closer to them.
“Yeah, I found a few things. What was the shot earlier?” I asked.
“A zombie was about to walk down the stairs so I shot it. It might stumble on its way down so, you know, less noise the better. Are we heading up?” she said.
“Yeah, let’s head there now. The 2nd floor will be a few rooms but there is an equipment area, armory, and a nurse’s office there.” I said.
“Oh! Will there be guns there?” Kaley asked.
“I hope there’s still some left.” I replied.
We made our way upwards and just as when we were about to reach the 2nd floor I dropped low and signaled everyone to do the same.
“What is it?” Matthew asked.
“I spotted eight in the hallway at a corner, not sure if there are more. We should be qui-”
*bzzt*
“Bro! We found the admin office; Tatiana is opening it now! We found a lot of stuff too!”
*bzzt*
Three heads almost immediately locked to our direction.
“Damn it.” I said to myself.
“Get ready.” I said as I reached for the Tavor on my back.
*bzzt*
“Bro?”
*bzzt*
*bzzt*
“Shut up for a moment you just attracted a few towards us. I told you to radio in if you’re done, not when you reached the office. And stop f.u.c.k.i.n.g yelling.”
*bzzt*
*bzzt*
“F.u.c.k, my bad.”
*bzzt*
“Make the shots count yeah? Matthew and Mark, let us shoot them for now. Let’s be quiet as possible. Kaley?” I said.
“Sure.” she replied as she raises her rifle.
The short call ended and then I moved forward with my team. Lights and suppressed fire followed as the ones in the vicinity are killed. They were gnawing on a figure that might be wearing a service uniform. I stabbed my katana toward its head to make sure that it won’t rise up even though it’s already mangled.
*shhck*
*tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap*
Suddenly, I heard quick footsteps from the other side of the hallway and Kaley immediately turned her head towards me. We all tensed and we four readied our guns from where the sound was coming from. It’s about several feet ahead of us and we all pointed our guns toward it.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Mark exclaimed.
“Don’t lose your shit here, them being in an enclosed space helps us too. We have just to shoot forward and if they maneuver, it is hindered by the walls.” I replied to calm them down.
*tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap*
The sound continued and then one slammed to the wall.
*SPLAT*
Nasty bits and pieces splattered the wall. It hit the wall so hard, its body got stuck to it and a few of the portraits hung on the wall fell. Blood flew out and it’s not moving anymore.
“They really couldn’t turn that well.” I said to myself.
*SPLAT*
It was followed by another one and it also hit the wall hard but it bounced off and fell down twitching. The walls they are crashing onto gets dyed by their blood. A normal zombie came after but it suddenly got caught up in one coming from behind.
*SPLAT*
*THUD*
Another one crashes to the wall but it survived. Its speed grinded to an immediate halt but it’s now disoriented and holding its head. It shook its head violently and it snapped towards us.
*psshew*
I immediately shot that one while Kaley aimed for the one crawling on the ground. They appeared to not be irregulars since they never avoided the bullet like last first two on the squatter area. The one crawling immediately stopped moving as the shot went through its head and the one slowly gaining speed plopped for a few steps before it stopped moving.
“I’m sure as hell not gonna wait for them to pile up, this is not a cinematic of a game.” I said to myself.
But what surprised me is there were several more sprinters running straight towards the wall and getting banged up. Seven more followed and after hitting the wall, their heads would snap towards us and would immediately sprint straight towards us.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Why are there so many?!” Matthew exclaimed.
“SHOOT!!!” I shouted.
The distance is slowly getting closer so we unloaded on them. One is running straight to us while his right side is scraping towards the wall and his arm in that side is torn off. Some of them are running where their whole body is tilted forward while a few is almost skittering about where their hands would flail into different directions. Several zombies would come from that corner and I could still here the moist tapping sound of the others coming from that side.
*tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap*
“Oh boy. Why did I even say it earlier.” I said to myself.