Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

392 What did they say?(Chapter preview)

I was speaking through my radio and I tapped Jared because he was about to miss the turn. We even sped up eventually because there was no way the SUV's earlier would be able to plow through the dead chasing after us earlier. Not to mention they also have a horde on their back to worry about.

Driving for a few meters, I told Jared to park in an alley right next to a wall where a tree was providing shade. It was just almost an hour past noon and the sun was about to dry our throats up from the heat and our constant shouting. I made Jared park here so we could catch our breaths for a minute to check on ourselves and because we already lost the other half on the horde when we sped up.

This was also the time when Oscar returned my call.

*bzzt*

"Kid? You there yet?"

*bzzt*

"Negative, we encountered a horde after passing under the expressway."

*bzzt*

"You guys okay? I could send one of the jeeps there."

*bzzt*

"We're good and I just called to give you a heads up."

*bzzt*

"What happened?"

*bzzt*

I began to tell him the story and he listened attentively. When I mentioned the SUVs, he was also confused about their behavior but I gave him the color, make, and plate numbers in case they drove inside the Intercity. It could be anything as to why they were like that but it was better to let others know about their existence.

When I placed the radio down, Tatiana and Mikhail just finished creating a very small perimeter. Kaley was still in the process of reloading our magazines so I started to pick up the brass casings on the SUV's flooring. Jared then gave Lois a call while Jomarro said that his ears stopped ringing. It was an unfortunate accident but he should've informed Kaley and Mikhail when they started firing.

It took us a few minutes to get everything ready and I was back on the driver's seat when we drove off.

"Hey, was it already like this when it started? I didn't see much earlier but I didn't think their numbers would reach that many? How did it even happen?" Jomarro asked.

"It's different from each place. It slowly encroached in my place but there were some places that were hit hard from the get-go. I'm not even sure if each country was hit at the same time. Well, the difference could be hours or days but unless we have someone who managed to track everything completely, we'll never know." I explained as I turned right on a bowling alley.

"We're still going to my place? I thought we'd come back when it's dangerous?" Jomarro asked.

"We're always in danger while on the road but we've faced a horde in much larger number compared to that. The thing that's dangerous is the unknowns and this time, those were the SUVs. We don't know what they might do so we pulled out of that scene." I replied as I stepped on the gas a bit more.

The rest of the trip to Jomarro's house was relatively safe and we even managed to loot a lot of snacks and carbonated drinks from the vending machines of an LTO office. I made sure to duct tape the glass first before smashing the glass partition so we wouldn't make as much noise. The SUVs we encountered earlier didn't show up a second time but we always kept our guard up just in case.

Jomarro's house was inside a gated community much like Woodlands but it was significantly smaller.

Like any other place, it was roaming with the dead. Jomarro was wearing a saddened expression because even I recognized some of them when we drove inside. However, there was not much left to do but put them down and make sure they don't come back the second time. Jomarro's house was near the entrance but we still decided to clear this place completely.

The system was that we need to take care of everything on the streets first before we start to go house to house. It would take us a bit of time but an itch of not clearing the horde completely earlier was starting to affect me. I let Jomarro drive the SUV around slowly while my team took their positions. Kaley and I were at the front, Tatiana and Mikhail were at the back, while Jared was on the SUV as our lookout.

I drew my katana while Kaley was a few feet behind me using her new TX22. We both only had an extra magazine for the TX22 in person so I gave her my extra so she could familiarize herself with the gun more. It wasn't as powerful as our usual loadout but it could still get the job done though in a much shorter range. The sound it produced with the suppressor on was super quiet and it was even possible to use it without hearing protection.

Kaley would only fire on the clumps exceeding three or more since I could take care of the dead easily with my katana. I was holding it with both of my hands too so my cuts were more consistent and powerful.

We looped around twice to make sure none would randomly pop out and we eventually cleared the road relatively. Jomarro was getting impatient but he held up his end of the deal. He drove the SUV consistently and he never exited the vehicle even if his house was right in front of him. Mikhail and Tatiana started clearing a house while I helped Kaley reload the .22 LRs that she used.

Kaley and I were reloading the magazines for the TX22 when Tatiana tapped me.

"Come with me." Tatiana motioned for the house right next to Jomarro's house.

The house was as large as Jomarro's but there were party decorations inside and outside the house. The dead inside the house was already being dragged outside by Mikhail but Tatiana let us peek through the window where the backyard was located.

Kaley and I were wearing solemn expressions.

As the decorations suggested, a party was being held in this house when it hit. There were only a few adults at the backyard but there were a lot of small figures wearing party hats or swimsuits for the small pool just before the wall.

Their bodies were all discolored and torn up and their bodies were rotting the same way as the food prepared on the table. The ones on the tables were still feasting on each other but the ones on the pool were in a much worse condition.

Aside from their bodies being bloated from being inside the pool for a long period of time, the water... or the more accurate description was the muck where they were in was thick and a mix of their rotting innards. The number of them inside made the muck overflow and send their guts and flapping skin just over the edge of the pool. Not only that, the dead being bloated and being mushed together tightly made their appearance as if they were melded together.

Despite that, their hands were still grasping onto anything it could and whatever it had would be immediately placed on its own mouth. They were trying to chew every bit of rotting flesh they grasped from the dead next to them but their teeth were loose or have fallen off. All they managed to do was just to chew with their gums flowing with pus, staining the chunk they were chewing.

We were silent for a moment but we need to continue on.

We drew our weapons and we suppressed what we were feeling inside. My slashes were lower compared to normal and their aims with their guns were lower as well. The few times I aimed normally was when I killed a figure nursing an undead toddler. Its left breast was devoured completely by the little one on its arms but its mouth was clogged by an arm which was missing from the one it was carrying.

It was nearing sunset when we cleared this gated community from the undead.

Jomarro's house was looted but like the other houses, not everything was taken. However, we found out that his hidden stash was well-hidden and it provided us with an ample amount of food and other supplies. Not only that, but he also had a Colt 1911, a S&W Model 19, a Remington 870, and a Remington 700 with a few hundred mixed rounds.

There was also a small bag he pulled out from the floor but when we saw a couple of wedding rings he put on with a solemn expression, we understood what the rest of the items inside were.

Since the gated community was relatively secure, we formed pairs and we looted every single house. There were forty houses all in all and we found varying degrees of supplies. We took several trips from hauling everything but I was delighted when I discovered that a few houses have solar panels attached to their roofs.

I was in the process of removing them all but the others came in with a Toyota Hilux and an H2 Hummer. I was shaking my head helplessly but I placed the panels and the other components at the back of the Toyota Hilux.

Before we settled in, I blocked the gate with another vehicle just to be sure while we boarded up the doors and windows with wooden planks. It was a bit overkill because we would have turns guarding the roof but I would rather be tired than regretful I didn't take the extra steps.

Kaley and I were able to share a room with each other but Oscar contacted me.

*bzzt*

"Kid, are you close? It's getting dark."

*bzzt*

"It took us a bit of time getting here and securing the place but we'll be coming back tomorrow with good items and an extra vehicle or two. We could trade some of the items we found but I want to keep most of them for our use. I detached a few solar panels with their inverters and batteries but we didn't find any guns."

*bzzt*

"No guns? Must be idiots living there. You're staying there for the night?"

*bzzt*

"Yeah, stay at Jomarro's shop too. I already asked him and he said you could sleep in his office."

*bzzt*

"Already am and Lois was already about to fall asleep. I gave him the bed while I'm here at the rocking chair."

*bzzt*

"Heh, that suits you old man. What happened on that side while we're gone?"

*bzzt*

"Not much but the owners of Angelica and J & E came by looking for you. Your uncle and I talked with them for a brief moment."

*bzzt*

"What did they say?"