Hunt in the Dead City

Raka walked in front, his assault rifle gripped tightly in his hand. The afternoon sun hung low in the orange sky, the shadows of the collapsed buildings creating an eerie atmosphere in the once lively city. Behind him, Bayu and Nadia followed warily, while Vina remained silent at the back, her finger ready on the trigger of her sniper rifle.

They had left the Green Zone two days ago, avoiding patrols from troops who wanted them dead. Now, they were heading to District 12, a place that was said to store intact food and medicine supplies. However, there was a reason why no one had made it back from there.

"Something's not right," Nadia whispered, her eyes sweeping around. The streets here were too quiet, no zombies roaming around like usual. There wasn't even a sound—only the wind blowing through the ruins.

"Let's continue," Raka answered shortly. He too felt something was wrong, but they had no choice.

They slipped through narrow alleys, avoiding open streets. Raka knew full well that it wasn't just zombies they had to worry about—sometimes, humans were far more dangerous.

When they reached the front of a large supermarket, Bayu raised his hand. "There's movement inside."

Vina quickly climbed to the roof of a nearby building, looking for a shooting position. Raka signaled the others to get ready.

"Ready to go in," Raka whispered.

They slipped through a half-collapsed side door. Empty shelves were strewn about, several rotting bodies lying in the corner of the room. A musty smell filled the air.

Then, footsteps were heard.

Raka immediately crouched down, signaling the others to stay still. From behind the shelves, three armed men emerged—their faces covered by masks, their bodies thin but their movements full of alertness.

"Another group," Nadia whispered.

One of them raised his hand, signaling his colleagues to stop. Then, without warning, he raised his rifle and fired at them.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets hit the shelf near Raka, shattering glass bottles and sending shards flying. Bayu immediately returned fire, while Raka ducked and slid to the side, seeking cover behind the counter.

From the roof, the sound of Vina's sniper shot echoed. One of the enemies fell with a hole in his head. The other two quickly took cover behind the shelves and returned fire wildly.

Raka took a deep breath, then signaled Nadia to move. Nadia circled to the left, knife gleaming in her hand. In an instant, she disappeared among the shadows.

One of the enemies was too focused on shooting Bayu, not noticing a figure approaching him from the side. In one swift movement, Nadia's knife pierced his throat.

There was only one left. He knew he was defeated, and dropped his weapon.

"Don't shoot! I surrender!"

Raka stepped forward, raising his rifle. "Who are you guys?"

The man swallowed. "We… we were just looking for food. I didn't know you were here."

Bayu approached and kicked the weapon away from him. "Nonsense. You're clearly preparing to attack."

Before Raka could ask further, Vina spoke over the radio.

"We have a problem," her voice was calm but firm. "Zombies. Lots of them."

Suddenly, from outside the supermarket, a low growl was heard.

Then, a shrill scream filled the air.

Raka felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. That was no ordinary zombie sound.

"Prepare yourself. We're about to be surrounded."