Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

The group I was with gave me weird looks at first but a few let out a faint smile since the actual reference took a bit of time to get processed to garner a proper reaction. At the same time, Mikhail and Katya had just finished securing both gates by using chains and a padlock in two different places for added security.

As soon as we were done, I just tapped on my radio a few times to signal Jared to drive my Raptor on this stretch of road we were on with Kaley.

-

*bzzt*

[Coming, bro.]

*bzzt*

-

Our two other vehicles parked like a 'V' with a gap in the middle slightly gave way, allowing Jared and Kaley to drive through. At the same time, my group with me continued to advance forward without waiting for them to arrive. We weren't as quiet as earlier because the deadheads we were preventing to spill out from the gates had been accounted for.

They wouldn't be able to get through the gates we secured unless they learned how to pick locks or vault over a 15-foot gate.

Our advance for the last half became faster because not only we could move unrestrained and shoot our guns, Kaley started popping off the ones from the distance. I could see the deadheads from all sides getting riled up because of the noise we were making but it was all according to plan to funnel everything coming from the public market right behind these two schools.

They might be a lot facing head-on in an open area but on this stretch of road diving the two schools, we would be facing 5 or 6 at most at the same time.

"Just give and take! Give and take!" I shouted.

I shot a couple of dead students down with my TX-22 but I refrained from shooting more to not bar us from advancing forwards. Too many bodies on the road would impede us from going back and forth the funnel because we still had to pull them to the side and doing that while there were still deadheads coming for us would require us to increase our tempo. However, a quick fix was to split our forces in half, having three on the right and three on the left.

"No one stays in the middle! That's for the Raptor! We'll take the right!" I shouted once more.

"Da! we'll get the left side then!"

"The next batch wouldn't be coming for a few dozen feet! Hurry!" Kaley exclaimed, giving us more time by shooting the ones further back.

I decided to hold my katana as I jumped forward but it seemed that everyone had the same idea. As soon as I split the head of one horizontally, Mikhail came from the left, swinging downward to crush the skull of a deadhead wearing mismatched flip flops. At the same time, Artem's machete cut through the bottom of a deadhead's nose, slicing upward, while Katya violently swung down, hacking a zombie's head off.

Tatiana and Ibarra were the ones to move the bodies this time but they were poking their weapons through the gaps of the school, clearing as much as they could.

The way this thing could work properly was to have enough space for the ones that we killed on the side evenly. Having too much on one area would break the funnel and we were mostly advancing compared to retreating to fill up just the right amount of space further in before filling up space further back. The road was enough for two vehicles to pass through and we only needed enough space for one in the middle with a little bit of allowance for the people walking on the side of it.

All of a sudden, Kaley started unloading shot after shot as she shouted, "BACK! BACK! BACK!"

Everyone immediately reacted by running back and drawing our guns but the threat wasn't coming from the front. We were confused for a split second but Jared suddenly reversed and raised the windows of the Raptor. Kaley had to stop shooting for a brief moment because she had to hold on tight but we were soon enlightened from her sudden outburst.

Blood and rotten bits just spilled and rained out from both sides, staining the road, as several sprinters tried to ram the steel bars keeping them from the other side.

A loud metallic clang was produced before we heard their bodies thudding horribly as their flesh got mangled and their bones got fractured to different places. Their bodies were like cutting up gelatin halfway because their bodies were stuck between the steel bars, digging a few inches through their skin. Jagged bones were jutting out, tearing through their flesh from a few places as darkened liquids were oozing out, staining the metal bars as well.

"MORE INCOMING!"

"WHERE?!"

"RIGHT AT US!"

"RUN BACK!"

"SHIT!"

We continued to retreat as these schools seemed to have produced a lot of them but we were actually nearing the gates we secured. I was sure that the number of chains we used and the quality of the locks we placed were adequate but I was adamant about the hinges giving out. So, I made everyone, as fast as they could, get inside the Raptor, as soon as it reversed for the second time, after running back a few feet.

Kaley even jumped down instantly as we crammed ourselves inside, throwing our melee weapons on the truck bed before doing so. Just at the same exact moment, blood and guts stained the Raptor from all sides because the next round of sprinters came crashing through the gates. I was unsure if it held up but I didn't hear it clanging down. However, visibility was almost zero and I tried to recall every bit of footage I've watched from this area.

'I hope this shit works...'

"THE FUCK DID YOU GUYS GET IN?! I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!!!" Jared exclaimed, unsure of what to do next.

"RAM EVERYTHING UPFRONT!!! JUST LISTEN TO ME!" I roared

"FUCK! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!"

"ARE YOU GUYS CRAZY?! YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND?! JUST HEAD BACK!!!"

"WE'RE GONNA RAM THEM IF WE JUST REVERSED!!!"

"JUST WAIT IT OUT THEN!!!"

"JUST FUCKING TRUST ME!!!"

-

*bzzt*

[Sir?! Where are you going?!]

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

"FOLLOW THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO GEN LUNA ST. AND THEN TURN RI- I MEAN LEFT TOWARDS RODRIGUEZ ST.!!! AFTER YOU PASS THE CONVENIENCE STORE WE WERE IN EARLIER, HEAD TO THE BUILDING WITH THE ORANGE PAINT THEN TURN RIGHT!!! YOU'LL REACH THERE FIRST SO CLEAR THE AREA!!!"

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

[Y-YES SIR!!!]

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

"IF ANYTHING MOVES, FUCK THEM UP!!! WE'D BE COMING SHORTLY!!! FOLLOW JAY, HE'S FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA!!! JAY, YOU'RE HEARING ME, RIGHT?!"

*bzzt*

-

*bzzt*

[LOUD AND CLEAR, I KNOW THAT PLACE!!!]

*bzzt*

-

At the same time the call was happening, Jared stepped hard on the gas pedal as we mowed down everything with the Raptor. This was one of the few times we used the metal plating we welded in front of the Raptor its intended purpose. However, the windshield was getting stained even more and the wipers weren't helping one bit. My head was going through different calculations as bodies were flying in front of us.

I had a rough idea of where we were currently but the saving grace was that the window behind us allowed a small area to be peeked at, making me confirm where we were based on the structures we were quickly passing by.

"LEFT!!!" I roared.

"HOLD ON! HERE GOES NOTHING~!" Jared roared as well as he turned abruptly.

We could feel the Raptor taking several hits from the dead but we luckily didn't crash into a lamp post or even a solid wall. Despite that, we still drove frantically and each turn was worse than a nightmare. Even driving straight was nerve-wracking to everyone but we actually pulled through by piecing out every information I could take in based on what I know and what I was currently seeing.

After a while, I told Jared to stop as we all jumped out with our guns and knives at hand. The Raptor was filled with darkened bits and viscous blood but the pressing matter was the small herd coming from behind us. The plan I was planning to execute was shattered by the unforeseen sprinters lurking inside the school but we still got to take care of the deadheads that came from the public market our way.

Everyone was so wired, they didn't wait for my signal as we unloaded shot after shot. It was a fascinating thing seeing their heads blew one after the other with each shot but as soon as we calmed ourselves, we picked up our handheld weapons from the back and started hacking them down. Even I started to use less finesse in dealing with them because it was actually a close one.

One tiny drop of blood getting into our system was game over but we pulled through. We just had to regroup and take into account if there were still more sprinters inside for the next time we would pass by that place.

We drove to the destination I shouted at the rest of our group went and they were still in the process of clearing the place. However, the state of our vehicles was vastly different because my Raptor just had a bloody texturization that comes with an infection upon contact.

"What is this place?" Katya asked, turning her shoulders around.

"Oh, a carwash." I replied with a straight face.