Story 540: The Inferno Ambush

The dying sun painted the city in hues of orange and crimson, while the undead moved with eerie determination. Their groans reverberated through the crumbling buildings, mingling with the crackle of flames and the distant roar of a burning tanker truck. Smoke and ash filled the air, suffocating and chaotic.

Captain Marcus Kane stood firm in the wreckage of the diner, his shotgun reloaded, his eyes scanning for a way out of their predicament. Lila “Huntress” Navarro crouched beside him, her pistols poised as the undead began to encircle them.

“We’re boxed in, Captain,” she muttered. “And it’s not looking good.”

“We’ve been through worse,” Marcus growled. He activated his comm. “Blaze, Shield—what’s your status?”

Jenna “Blaze” Hart’s voice crackled through. “Survivors are in the tunnel, but the entrance collapsed behind us. They’re safe for now.”

“That’s the only good news we’ve got,” Derek “Shield” Coleman added. “What’s the plan up top?”