The Zombie Bait
"I'm sorry, brother. If we both run, neither of us will make it. I'll owe you one in the next life."
The overweight man didn't hesitate. With a savage kick to his companion's stomach, he sent the tall man sprawling into the oncoming horde.
"You bastard! I treated you like a brother, and you—"
The words were cut short by a sickening thud. A female zombie had clamped her jaws around his throat. Blood gurgled from the wound, choking his final scream.
The feeding frenzy began.
Bones cracked, flesh was torn. The sound was enough to send chills through anyone's spine.
Meanwhile, the overweight man was nearly at the apartment door.
Safety was just within reach. He reached for the handle, but before his fingers could grip it, pale, dead hands yanked him backward.
He was thrown to the ground, buried under a tide of rotting corpses.
...
Lucas Kane had just finished a peaceful lunch—seared steak, perfectly seasoned.
Recharged, he picked up his riot shield and axe, heading out of Building 3.
Most of the nearby zombies had already been dealt with. According to his map, only the small garden and the front gate remained infested.
His progress to the next level stood at 18/100.
He needed about 82 more energy cores.
With an average drop rate of six cores per ten zombies, that meant eliminating at least 137 more.
A daunting number.
Still, he pressed on.
He advanced carefully through the neighborhood, scanning for danger. Any suspicious area was examined thoroughly before moving on.
Just before reaching the front gate, a sharp scream pierced the air.
"Help! Someone, please!"
A woman's voice. And it sounded familiar.
Lucas frowned.
It was the same woman from yesterday. The one who had screamed loud enough to summon every zombie in range.
She'd been rescued. How was she in trouble again?
As he rounded the corner, the answer became clear.
Zombies were feasting on two mangled corpses. Nearby, a group of ten circled a tree.
Perched on a high branch, the woman shrieked again.
How had she gotten up there?
Lucas blinked. From being too scared to jump from a second-floor ledge to climbing a three-story tree? This woman was full of surprises.
Her screams echoed across the complex.
The two feeding zombie packs didn't even glance up. They were too busy tearing flesh.
Perfect.
Lucas knew it was his best chance. If he moved quickly, he could take them out before more arrived.
He gripped his axe and riot shield.
Deep breath.
Go.
He sprinted toward the first group.
Whack. Splatter. Slice.
Three zombies lost their skulls before they even registered his presence.
A fourth looked up—too late. Its head exploded under Lucas's axe.
One zombie remained. Lucas slammed it with his shield, toppling it. The axe came down hard, ending it.
He delivered a mercy blow to one of the mangled corpses. The cowardly fat man didn't deserve it—but Lucas wasn't taking chances.
One cluster down.
He turned to the next group.
Some had noticed him. They rose slowly, groaning.
He dashed forward, swinging.
Two went down instantly.
Four remained. They lunged.
Lucas hurled his shield at them, knocking three off their feet.
He met the fourth mid-charge with a brutal strike.
With both hands gripping the axe, he tore through the remaining three like paper.
Blood splashed, limbs flew. One zombie was cleaved diagonally, still twitching as its upper torso gnashed at the air.
Another swing ended it.
He spared a final strike for the tall man's corpse.
Second group eliminated.
Lucas stood, chest rising and falling with steady breath. The woman still screamed above, oblivious to how close she had come to becoming lunch.
He wiped the blood from his blade, eyes scanning ahead.
Just another day in Aquaria's apocalypse.