Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse With My Military System

August 28th, 2023. World's Resort Manila, seven o'clock in the evening.

Graves was alone in his suite, fitting his earpiece in his ear, and spoke.

"This is Specter-1. My associate and I were able to convince three hundred civilians. Requesting an update on your end, over."

"Eagle Actual to Specter-1, we hear you loud and clear, we have news for you to which you'll be excited," Richard responded. 

"Hoh? What is it, Eagle Actual?" Graves mused.

"The runway was completed six days ahead of its completion date. Therefore, we'll have the AC-130, the Predator and Reaper drone tomorrow." 

"That is indeed good news, sir," Graves mused. 

"True, that's why I need you to hold out tomorrow. Two hundred civilians is not enough, we need to extract as many as we can because you know how my system works." 

"For every survivor rescued, you'll gain gold coins, am I right, sir?" 

"You're damn right. So, tomorrow, we are going to use a tactic called 'show of force' since we can't extract you all covertly." 

"Copy that, sir. Tomorrow morning, I'll inform the survivors. May I know what time specifically you'll come here?" 

"Zero-eight hundred hours," Richard revealed. "Five minutes before the extraction, we will reach out to you to verify your status. If you do not respond at that time, we'll consider that your cover has been compromised and that we will have to force ourselves to get you out. Do you remember what I said to you a few weeks earlier? That even though you are easily replaceable, the bond we formed as we work along this apocalypse is invaluable." 

Graves nodded, remembering the stern tone in Richard's voice during their last face-to-face meeting. "Yes, sir. Loud and clear. Well before our communication becomes too emotional, I better get things ready here," Graves interjected, eager to maintain the professional demeanor that had been drilled into him.

"Affirmative, Specter-1. Eagle Actual out," Richard ended the communication.

Graves sat for a moment. Tomorrow was going to be a decisive day. The rescue of the civilians, the extraction, the show of force - everything. Once all that is complete, he can return home. 

Removing the earpiece, Graves rose to his feet and exited his suite. The first person he had to inform was Maria.

Her room was conveniently close to him so as soon as he got to her door, he knocked on it firmly. Maria, his associate, had been instrumental in rallying the civilians. Her ability to connect with people and instill hope was invaluable.

Maria opened the door, her gaze alert. "Graves," she acknowledged.

"I have some news for you. Rescue is going to arrive tomorrow at eight o'clock in the morning." Graves informed her. 

Maria heaved a sigh of relief and spoke. "That's good to hear. I can't wait to leave this place. Anyways, how were you able to contact them? Do you have some sort of communication device that you use to connect to them?" 

Graves nodded. "I do, I left it in my room. Anyways, I need you and the civilians to be ready." 

"What's the plan?" 

"The cavalry will arrive and demand the boss to let us out, that's all," Graves explained simply. 

"I see," Maria hummed in understanding and added. "Anyways, Graves, I have something to tell you." 

"What is it?" Graves queried, his tone becoming slightly more guarded. He could sense a certain heaviness in Maria's voice.

Maria hesitated for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "There's a survivor, a young woman, who has been through something horrific yesterday," Maria started, her eyes reflecting the painful empathy she felt. "I tried to convince her to join us, but she's adamant about a safe place, you told me."

"I need your help, Graves," Maria continued, her gaze imploring. "I believe if you talk to her, we might be able to get her out with us."

Graves nodded. In these times, the horrors people faced were unspeakable, and the trauma could make the idea of survival seem impossible. But he also knew they couldn't afford to leave anyone who had fallen into the pits of despair behind. Not when they had a real shot at getting out.

"Take me to her," he said. 

"Follow me," Maria led the way in silence, Graves trailing behind. The room of this woman Maria was referring to was quite far. They walked for about five minutes and once they arrived, Maria turned and faced Graves. 

"I'll enter first," Maria said. "I will call you when she's ready to meet you. Wait here." 

Graves simply nodded and watched as Maria knocked on the door.

The door slowly swung inward and Maria spoke. 

"Chloe, I'm coming," Maria announced before entering the room. 

Graves waited patiently for Maria's signal, and about a minute, he heard her voice.

"Graves, come in."

Graves entered a brightly lit room. Inside there was—Maria. He tilted his head to the side. 

"Where's the girl you are talking to?" Graves asked, visibly confused.

Maria's lips curled into a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Oh, Graves," she said with a mocking tone. The change in her demeanor was abrupt and disconcerting. The warmth and camaraderie that had characterized their interactions had vanished, replaced by a cold, almost sinister expression. 

"You're always so eager to play the hero, aren't you?"

Before Graves could process Maria's change in tone, before he could even consider a response, he felt an intense, sharp pain at the back of his skull. Something heavy and blunt struck him with force, his vision turned white with the sudden assault. He staggered, the room spinning as a wave of nausea and disorientation overcame him.

Graves tried to turn, to face his attacker, but his body refused to cooperate. The strength drained from his limbs and the floor rushed up to meet him. The last thing Graves saw before the darkness consumed his consciousness was Maria. 

"You didn't kill him right?" Maria asked the man who knocked Graves down. 

"Oh don't worry ma'am, he'll wake up with a sore head, but he'll be alive," the man replied, looking down at Graves' unconscious form. He was holding an M16 rifle. He used the rifle stock to knock Graves unconscious.

Maria stepped closer, looking down at Graves. There was no satisfaction in her eyes, only the cold calculation of necessity. "We will need to question him later about his friends who will come and 'rescue' us. Take him away."

The man nodded, grabbed Graves by the arms, and dragged him out of the room.