Chapter 5

• The pounding woke me up before the screams did. Someone was yelling for help outside.
• I was on my feet instantly, my bat in hand. Ash was already running too, crossbow slung over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. “Sounds like they’re at the front,” he said.
• “Yeah,” I muttered, pushing past him. “Let’s hope they’re still human.”
• We reached the garage bay where the others were already gathering. The shaved-head woman…Reese, I’d learned her name was, was barking orders at two guys to hold the barricade in place.
• The pounding grew louder. “Let us in! Please!” a male voice screamed from the other side.
• I could hear moaning behind him.
• Shit.
• “They’ve got company,” I said.
• Reese glared at me. “So what? You want to open the door and let the biters in?”
• “Better than leaving someone out there to die when we might still save them,” I shot back.
• The system chimed in my head:
• > New Mission: Rescue survivors outside the safehouse.
• Reward: +150 SP, +1 MP.
• Failure: Survivors lost permanently.
• I looked at Ash. “Can we save them?”
• He looked unsure for a second before he nodded. “Let’s try.”
• Reese stepped in front of the door. “You open that, you doom all of us.”
• I stepped closer until we were almost nose-to-nose. “Or I let them die when we could’ve done something.”
• Her jaw tightened. “You take responsibility for whatever happens.”
• I nodded. “I will.”
• I motioned to the guys at the barricade. “On three. One… two—”
• We yanked the door open just enough for two people to stumble inside — a man and a teenage girl, both bleeding, both wild-eyed.
• The moaning outside surged forward, and I caught a glimpse of hands reaching through the gap before we slammed it shut again.
• Reese and the others threw the barricade back in place, grunting with effort.
• I turned to the newcomers. “Did they bite you?”
• The man shook his head, panting. “Scratches, that’s it. We ran into them two streets over and lost our group.”
• The girl was shaking so hard she couldn’t speak. Her jeans were torn at the knee, blood smeared on the fabric.
• I crouched, meeting her eyes. “Is that your blood or theirs?”
• She hesitated. “Mine. I…fell.”
• The system’s voice popped in my head:
• > Alert: Subject “Unknown Female” — infection status uncertain. Monitor closely.
• Great.
• Reese didn’t even try to hide her glare. “This is why we don’t open the door.”
• I ignored her. “What are your names?”
• “Mark,” the man said, gesturing to the girl. “This is Lily.”
• “Alright, Mark, Lily, you stay put for now. Don’t go near anyone else until we’re sure.”
• They both nodded, though Lily’s eyes kept darting toward the door like she expected it to burst open any second.
• When things finally settled, Ash found me near the back wall, checking my pack.
• “You’re reckless,” he said.
• “Reckless gets people killed,” I responded. “Calculated risk saves them.”
• “Sure,” he said, smirking. “Still, you’re making enemies in here fast. Reese is really against you being here.”
• I glanced toward Reese, who was still talking to her little circle like she was already planning something. “She just wants to survive alone. If we can save people, let’s save them.”
• The system pinged again:
• > Passive Objective Unlocked: Maintain control over safehouse leadership for 48 hours.
• Reward: +200 SP.
• Failure: Loss of influence and reduced negotiation options.
• ***********
• The pounding started again. It was not at the door this time but at the walls.
• I was on my feet before I was fully awake. Ash was right behind me, already loading a bolt.
• Reese’s voice cut through the noise, “We’ve got movement all around! They’re trying to push through!”
• The system appeared in my vision:
• > Emergency Mission: Defend the safehouse for 10 minutes.
• Reward: +300 SP, +2 MP.
• Failure: Safehouse breached.
• The barricades shook as the infected slammed into them. One of the side windows splintered, wood cracking.
• “Jaze!” Ash called. “Left side!”
• I bolted across the room, swinging the bat hard into the first head that pushed through the gap. Blood splattered on my clothes.
• Another came through right after, faster than I expected. Its nails raked across my jacket, tearing my clothes but not skin. I smashed its knee, then its skull.
• Screams echoed from the other side of the room. Mark was wrestling with one that had gotten through near the back.
• I sprinted, slammed my bat into its spine. It went down, but its hands still clawed at the floor, dragging itself toward him until I finished it.
• The system’s timer ticked down in my vision: seven minutes left.
• We kept moving, closing holes, shoving furniture against the wall, striking anything that got through. My arms ached from the constant swings, my breath coming hard and fast.
• At four minutes, Lily screamed. I spun to see her backed into a corner, an infected almost on top of her.
• I crossed the distance in three strides, bringing the bat down with everything I had. The infected’s bone cracked, the thing dropped, and Lily pressed herself against the wall, trembling.
• “You okay?” I asked, scanning her for bites.
• She nodded shakily, tears streaming down her face. “Y-Yeah… I think so.” Her lips quivered. “Thank you….”
• “It’s okay.” I said, rubbing her shoulder to calm her.
• When the last of them was down and the street went quiet again, I collapsed onto a crate, my chest heaving.
• The system chimed:
• > Mission Complete: Defend the safehouse.
• Reward: +300 SP, +2 MP.
• Ash sat down beside me, wiping his crossbow with a rag. “This place is not safe anymore.”
• “More of them will come,” I responded.
• He gave me a look. “You’re thinking about moving, aren’t you?”
• I nodded. “This place won’t hold forever. It’s to get out before we’re trapped.”
• Reese must have heard us because she was suddenly there, arms crossed. “You take one step toward that door with my people, and I’ll stop you myself.”
• I stood slowly, meeting her glare. “Your people? They’re just trying to survive, same as you. You want to stay here and die, fine. But don’t try to chain the rest of us to your grave.”
• The room went quiet.
• For a moment, I thought she might actually swing at me. Instead, she turned and walked away, muttering curses.