Zombie Night Raid

The campfire's light flickered across Dale's face. The broken radio gave off nothing but static.

The entire camp was unusually quiet. No one spoke.

Firewood crackled in the heavy air. Far off on the horizon came the endless, low drone of the walker horde.

Lynn leaned against the Jeep's cold door, eyes closed, breathing steadily.

At the edge of his vision, the scarlet countdown ticked on the system screen: 71:22:17... 71:22:16...

A mission with such an imminent deadline brought an inexplicable sense of pressure.

He had already decided that if he still could not convince them when time was running out, he would take them by force.

After all, the mission required him to bring them back alive. It said nothing about whether they had to come willingly.

Davis stood in the shadows beside the vehicle, his shotgun slung across his body, scanning the darkness and keeping a particular eye on Shane and the brothers, Daryl and Merle.

Time passed in deathly silence.

Rick sat on a rock beside the fire while Min-seon checked the cuts that loose stones had left on his leg and bandaged them again.

Lori held the sleeping Carl and nestled beside Rick, her gaze occasionally drifting toward Shane, who sat alone in the RV's shadow a short distance away.

Shane kept his head down, unconsciously rubbing the barrel of his shotgun. There was no telling what he was thinking.

"Merle..."

Daryl's low voice broke the silence.

He and Merle were crouching in the shadows at the edge of camp.

"That place... the zoo. I remember it having high walls. Better than this rock pit."

Merle snorted, his eyes gleaming in the dark.

"Better? That kid's ruthless. Nearly blew Shane's damn foot off. And that big guy working for him isn't someone you mess with either." He lowered his voice, sounding amused. "But... he's got balls! Better than Shane's phony act. In a world like this, you only get meat if you run with ruthless people."

"He mentioned the woods... hunting."

There was a trace of something in Daryl's voice. Hunting was his hobby.

"I heard!" Merle licked his lips. "Walls, food, and room to cut loose... Fuck, stay here and wait to die? Not me!"

He abruptly stood and kicked aside some gravel, drawing everyone's attention.

Ignoring their looks, Merle sauntered over to the Jeep and grinned at Lynn past Davis. "Hey, boss! Count me in! I'm sick of this shithole!"

Lynn opened his eyes, his gaze calm, and merely nodded slightly.

Daryl looked at his brother, pressed his lips together, then rose as well. With his crossbow on his back, he silently walked over and stood beside Merle.

Glenn almost jumped to his feet, his face a little pale in the firelight, his eyes bright.

"I... I'm going too!"

His voice was quiet but firm. He hurried over to the Jeep and stood a little behind the brothers.

T-Dog looked at Glenn, then Davis, then Andrea.

Andrea held her rifle, her brow tightly furrowed.

T-Dog said nothing either. Tightening his grip on his machete, he edged half a step toward the Jeep.

Noticing T-Dog's movement, Andrea glanced at the silent Shane. She drew a deep breath and went over with her younger sister.

In the apocalypse, only by following someone stronger could they survive better.

Carol huddled in a corner, holding the soundly sleeping Sophia. Afraid of her abusive husband, she dared not make any rash moves.

If Shane had not saved her during the day, her husband probably would have beaten her to death.

Dale watched the split unfolding before him and sighed heavily.

He looked at Shane, then Rick and Lori, worry in his eyes. The group had already fallen apart, and he had no other choice either.

Shane jerked his head up. Seeing that Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea, and the others had all chosen Lynn's side, while Daryl and Merle had long since gone over, fury rushed to his head. His grip tightened on his gun.

"Have you all fucking lost your minds?!" Shane's voice was hoarse with rage. He stood and pointed at Lynn. "Just because he said a few words? Some guy from God knows where, with a mute thug and some bastard hiding in the woods taking potshots? And you believe him?!

"A zoo? Who knows if it's even still there? What if it's already packed with walkers?! Going with him is suicide!"

He turned his gaze on Rick. "Rick! Say something! You're just going to watch them get played?!"

Rick looked grim. He was grateful to Lynn for saving his life, but Shane's words had struck at his doubts. He opened his mouth to speak.

But Lynn spoke first, his voice quiet yet exceptionally cold. "Deputy Shane, the choice is yours. You can stay and guard your turf." He paused. "But don't block everyone else's way out. They just want to survive."

Shane's face flushed red, his teeth grinding.

Lori looked at him worriedly, then at Rick, holding Carl tighter without saying a word.

Just as the atmosphere grew tense again-

Strange sounds surged closer from the darkness beyond the camp.

It was no longer an indistinct drone, but a wave of countless shuffling steps, scraping sounds, and growls.

"Uhh... urgh..."

"Hhh... hhh..."

"Thud... clatter..."

Dense footsteps rapidly approached from the quarry entrance and beyond the low slope on the flank, mingled with snapping branches and tumbling stones.

"A huge wave of walkers!"

Dale sprang to his feet, his aged face deathly pale, the radio falling to the ground.

"Fuck!" Merle drew his machete, unable to keep from cursing under his breath.

Daryl cocked his crossbow in a flash, his gaze sweeping toward where the sounds were thickest.

Glenn and T-Dog turned ashen and instinctively moved closer to the Jeep.

Andrea shielded her sister behind her, raised her rifle, and worked the bolt.

Lynn pushed the door open and got out in one crisp motion.

"Davis, engage! Min-seon, get the women and children into the vehicle!"

His voice was decisive and brooked no argument.

Davis's massive frame shifted into a combat stance, his shotgun held level.

Min-seon grabbed Lori and Carol, who was holding Sophia. "Quick! Into the back seat!"

Carol's husband sneaked in after them. Min-seon felt some contempt but said nothing. She had no time to deal with him.

But a ruthless glint flashed through Carol's eyes. There was no telling what she was thinking.

The terrifying sounds doused Shane's fury, replacing it with horror. He immediately understood: the daytime gunfire, the engines, and the sniper shots had guided them like a beacon.

Or perhaps the black smoke from the crash toward the city had stirred the walker hordes in the wilderness.

"Fuck! Cock your weapons! Fight! Plug the gaps!" Shane roared, turning his muzzle toward the real enemy.

He bellowed at the terrified camp members, "Quick! Move things to block the way! Grab weapons! Get moving!"

Too late.

The first swaying, rotting figure emerged from behind the rubble at the entrance, followed by a second, a third...

"Urgh-!"

Hungry howls tore through the night.

"Left! They're on the low slope too!"

Daryl's voice was sharp, his crossbow pointing toward the flank.

Over there, indistinct figures clambered over the rocky ledge and tumbled into the camp's outer edge.

A corpse tide!

Not a scattered handful, but walkers pouring toward the camp's scent of living people and firelight from multiple directions, in numbers far beyond anything they had imagined.

"Open fire!"

Shane's shout was desperate and frenzied. His shotgun spat flame?

Bang!

Half a walker's head exploded.

Bang!

Andrea's rifle fired almost simultaneously, hitting another in the eye socket.

Daryl's bolt sank into the forehead of a walker that had just climbed over the ledge with a wet thud.

But the gunfire and killing sent the horde into a frenzy, bringing more howls.

The darkness seethed. Densely packed figures poured through the gaps, ignoring their fallen kind as they reached out and lunged at the living, moving none too slowly.

"There are too many! We can't hold them!"

T-Dog split an approaching walker with his machete, his voice full of fear.

A camp member beside him was seized by two walkers from the side, his screams drowned out by the sounds of flesh being torn apart.

"Fall back! Rally at the RV and Jeep!"

Lynn's voice cut through the chaos. He fired controlled shots with his pistol, dropping two walkers lunging at Min-seon and Lori.

"Davis! Clear the front of the vehicle!"

"Yes, boss!"

Davis's voice rumbled like muffled thunder. Instead of retreating, he advanced, shouldering his shotgun and pulling the trigger at the oncoming horde.

Boom!

Buckshot swept out, shredding three walkers packed together. Filthy blood and shattered bone sprayed out, and the recoil rocked his body slightly.

"Glenn! T-Dog! Andrea! Hold the left.

"Daryl! Merle! Right side! Don't let them surround us!"

Lynn's orders were short and clear.

Glenn gritted his teeth and raised his gun to fire left, slowing the horde; T-Dog roared and swung his blade to guard the flank; Andrea steadily worked her bolt, chambered rounds, aimed, and fired.

Daryl and Merle stood back to back. Daryl's bolts flew fast and true, driving into walkers' heads and eyes; Merle wielded both razor and machete, cutting down walkers that lunged close while cursing.

Shane led the remaining camp members in resisting from behind the RV and piles of supplies.

Shotguns, pistols, howls, and screams mingled.

But there were simply too many walkers, and they never tired. As one wave fell, more surged forward.

The camp's defenses were fragile. The tire barricade on the flank collapsed under the assault, and several walkers tackled a woman behind it.

"Sophia!"

Carol screamed from the Jeep's back seat. Seeing her husband use their daughter as a human shield, she could no longer endure it.

She abruptly kicked her husband out of the vehicle, watched him being bitten by zombies, then drew a pistol and shot him dead.

The entire process was cold and swift.

Lynn, who had been coming to help, showed an inscrutable smile. This was the merciful killing god's first transformation.

"Hold!"

Shane roared, his voice trembling with despair.

He had already emptied his gun and was fumbling to reload.

The horde was about to engulf the clearing at the center of camp. The firelight grew faint amid the swaying figures.

"Get in! Everyone, get in now!" Seeing this, Lynn shouted fiercely. "Abandon the camp! Rally at the Jeep!

"Davis, clear the road ahead."

As he spoke, he fired controlled shots from his pistol and knocked down a walker lunging onto the hood.

"Go!"

Davis pulled the trigger again. The blast sent several walkers blocking the way flying, clearing a gap through the flesh.

He planted his body in front of the vehicle, swinging a piece of deadwood he had picked up.

Glenn, T-Dog, and Andrea fought as they retreated, slowly drawing closer to the Jeep.

Merle hacked down one last walker just as he reached his position; Daryl fired his last bolt, killing a walker lunging at Rick, and likewise retreated to the RV.

Shane looked at the RV and the resisting camp members being engulfed by the horde, struggle and pain in his eyes, but his survival instinct overpowered everything.

He turned and shouted at the people reloading, "Go! Get in!"

He led the charge toward the Jeep, pulled open the rear door, stuffed Lori and Carl inside, and squeezed in himself. Rick climbed in with Min-seon's help.

Daryl grabbed Dale by the arm and brought him into the RV.

"Shut the doors! Drive!"

Lynn was the last to jump into the front passenger seat. The door had barely closed before several rotting arms slapped against the windows and bodywork.

Davis floored the accelerator. The Jeep's tires spun for half a second before it shot forward.

The heavy vehicle knocked aside the walkers in its path, crushed rotting bodies beneath its wheels, and jolted out of the camp engulfed by the horde.

In the rearview mirror, darkness swallowed the firelight.

The RV and several cars followed close behind.

Screams and howls mingled with the roar of engines.

Lynn leaned against the seat back and closed his eyes.

At the edge of his vision, the scarlet countdown ticked: 70:18:09... 70:18:08... Nearly three days remained before the mission deadline.

The camp's core members were all crammed into this bloodstained Jeep, with some in the RV. At least this group had suffered no real losses.

The night was still long, and the danger was not over.