Escape from the Horde

"We need to move," Alexia said urgently. "Now."

Alexia had barely had time to process the warning before Damien's brother collapsed on the floor.

"Alex!" Damien dropped to his knees, gripping his brother's shoulders. He checked his pulse, his hands trembling slightly. "He's alive. Just unconscious."

Quinn crouched beside him, scanning Alex quickly. "Probably shock or exhaustion. We've got bigger problems--listen."

From below, the distant roars of the of the infected grew louder. The sounds of dozen---no, hundreds---of feet thundering against the floors echoed upward like an ominous drumbeat.

Alexia's system chimed in her mind:

[Horde closing in. Estimated arrival: 5 minutes.]

"Damien," Alexia said, gripping her katana tightly. "We only have minutes left to evacuate this building; can you carry him?"

Damien's jaw clenched, but he nodded. "I'll manage." He hoisted Alex over his shoulder in a practiced motion, though the strain was visible in his rigid posture.

Quinn scanned the room, his shadows flickering faintly around his feet. "We're not getting out the same way we came in. The main stairwell is a death trap."

Alexia opened her system map, her gaze darting over the faint blueprint of the building that the system had managed to get. "There's an emergency stairwell on the other side of the floor. If we can reach it, we might have a chance."

"Might?" Quinn asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.

"We don't exactly have time to debate," Alexia snapped, already moving toward the exit. "Come on."

The trio plus the unconscious human made their way through the cluttered office space, the sounds of the approaching horde growing louder with every passing second. Broken furniture and debris littered the floor, forcing them to move carefully despite their urgency.

"Almost there," Alexia murmured, glancing at the map again.

But as they rounded the corner, the sharp sound of glass shattering made them all freeze.

Quinn reacted first, raising his weapon as a smaller infected creature leapt through a broken window. Its emaciated body moved with unsettling speed, its claws raking the air as it lunged for Alexia.

She ducked, her katana slicing upward in a swift arc. The blade met flesh with a sickening crunch, and the creature crumpled to the floor.

"Nice work," Quinn said stepping over the corpse.

"Don't jinx us," Alexia muttered, wiping the blade clean against her sleeve.

They reached the emergency stairwell just as the first infected poured onto the floor behind them.

"Go!" Damien barked, holding the door open as Alexia and Quinn slipped through. He followed last, slamming the heavy door shut behind him.

The infected slammed into the other side almost immediately, their growls and snarls reverberating through the metal.

"That's not going to hold for long," Quinn said, already descending the stairs two at a time.

Alexia's system chimed again:

[Alternate exit detected: Roof access available via west stairwell. Probability of success: 60%.]

"The roof might be our best shot," she said, glancing at Damien.

He looked at her, then at Alex, unconscious over his shoulder. "Are you sure about this?"

"No," she admitted. "But the system says it's our best chance."

Quinn snorted. "Love those odds."

Still, he didn't argue, leading the way as they ascended the stairs instead of descending. The infected continued their relentless pursuit, the sound of the door behind them buckling under the pressure spurring them onward.

By the time they reached the roof, the late afternoon sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. The city stretched out before them, a desolate maze of destruction and chaos.

"Now what?" Damien asked, his voice taut with frustration.

Alexia scanned the rooftop, her mind racing. Her system pinged a nearby building, it's roof slightly lower than their current position.

"There," she said, pointing. "We can jump to the next building."

Quinn peered over the edge, his lips pressing into a thin line. "That's a long jump."

"It's doable," Alexia insisted. "But we have to hurry."

The infected were already clawing their way up the stairwell, their snarls echoing through the open door.

Quinn didn't wait for further discussion. He backed up a few steps, then sprinted toward the edge of the roof, leaping across the gap. He landed in a crouch on the other side, turning to wave them forward.

"Come on!"

Alexia went next, her heart hammering as she sprinted toward the edge. The wind whipped past her as she jumped, her feet hitting the other roof with a jolt that rattled her bones.

Damien hesitated, adjusting his grip on Alex.

"You can do this," Alexia called, her voice steady despite the fear clawing at her chest.

With a deep breath, Damien ran for the edge. For a moment, Alexia's heart stopped as he jumped, the extra weight of his brother threatening to drag him down.

But he made it, his boots skidding on the gravel of the rooftop as he landed.

"Move!" Quinn shouted, already scanning for the next path.

The infected began spilling onto the roof behind them, their grotesque forms silhouetted against the settling sun. 

Alexia's system chimed one final warning:

[Evacuation window closing. Immediate action required.]

"This way!" she shouted, spotting a fire escape on the side of the building.

They raced toward it, the infected hot on their heels. Quinn reached the ladder first, descending quickly before motioning for the others to follow.

Damien handed Alex down carefully before climbing after him, while Alexia brought up the rear, her katana ready in case any of the infected got too close.

The fire escape groaned under their combined weight, but it held as they reached the ground.

"We can't stop," Quinn said, his voice sharp. "They'll keep following us."

Alexia's system highlighted a potential safe zone a few blocks away. "There's a place we can go. It's not far."

Damien nodded; his face set with determination. "Lead the way."

They ran through the streets, the distant roars of the horde still echoing in their ears.

When they finally reached the safe zone---- a reinforced basement of an old bank--- they collapsed inside, barricading the entrance behind them.

For a long moment, the only sound was their labored breathing.

"We made it," Alexia said softly, her voice filled with relief.

But as she looked at Damien, cradling his unconscious brother, and Quinn, whose shadows flickered faintly around him, she knew their fight was far from over.