Chapter 2

The helicopter closed its hatch swiftly. We watched helplessly as it flew away. The zombies roared as they surged forward, and we opened fire immediately.

"Damn it!" A hot-tempered squad member, Tom Gardner, lost it. He spun to shout at Ryan and Clara.

"Are you happy now? We're all going to die because of you two! You said she was going to get the reagent, right? Where is it?

"All I see is a damn makeup bag! And you got yourself dolled up? For what? Are you getting your face ready for lying dead in your casket?"

Clara had never seen any of them lose their temper.

Tears welled up in her reddened eyes as she stuttered, "I-I really found it. It's in the bag! B-But I can't show you yet. It loses its activity if it's exposed to light. Once we get back to the base safely, I-I'll show you!"

Ryan pulled her behind him and shot me a warning glance.

I heard his thoughts again. "Tch, there's no such reagent. But Clara kept insisting and begging that she had to go get it…

"I thought it'd be something important. Whatever. It's normal for young women to be vain. I'll reprimand her when we get back."

My squad grew angrier at her fake tears. Matt even lunged forward to grab the bag.

"Save the arguing until we're somewhere safe!" I snapped in a stern voice.

Matt looked at me and swallowed his anger.

Heavy disappointment filled his eyes as he said to me, "Alice, in the five years you led us, you've always been the most rational. So, we never questioned your calls. But you've really let us down today."

I didn't argue and just responded with a solemn nod. I said, "I'm sorry, everyone. I should have figured Clara only went back for a makeup bag."

I then glanced at Ryan, whose expression had soured dramatically, before continuing, "And I should have considered how close you two are and that you might lie for her. That was my oversight."

Ryan's face flushed crimson, and he ground his teeth. "What are you implying, Alice? That's an insult! You're slandering me!"

I turned away as if I hadn't heard him and ignored how he was shaking from head to toe with anger. I lifted my arm to show my squad the tracker I was wearing on my wrist.

"Don't worry, everyone. I found an underground safe house in the airfield. It's only 20 minutes from here."

My squad breathed a sigh of relief.

Ryan sneered contemptuously and mocked, "I thought you guys were brave, seeing as you kill zombies for breakfast every day. It turns out you're uneducated and can't even remain calm.

"Why are you freaking out over something so minor? We can just catch the next helicopter if we miss this one."

"You son of a bitch!" Tom cursed and lifted his gun at Ryan.

I quickly pressed down on the cool metal and said firmly, "Calm down. Gunshots will attract more zombies. Our primary objective is to get to the safe house."

Tom lowered his gun begrudgingly. The man who stood nearly six feet tall looked wronged as he stared back at me. We sprinted at full speed toward the safe house.

Ryan and Clara were the slowest. They were both wearing lab coats. The zombies snagged at their coat hems, which led to Clara constantly screaming in fright. Each scream drew more of them.

The 20-minute walk stretched into 40 minutes thanks to her. When we finally arrived at the safe house, we rushed in and collapsed to the floor.

"I'm dead tired… This is even more tiring than clearing that level-seven nest last time," Matt complained while slumping against the wall.

He pulled out his comm to see if he could contact rescue. But in the next moment, his face went completely pale as the latest news report came in.

"Fynora will have continuous heavy rain for the next month. As rain increases zombie mobility and attack strength, the safe zones will not send rescue teams to this state…"

The news reporter chirped on, "But do not worry, residents have already been relocated and there are no new zombies…"

Clara clutched her makeup bag to her chest and shrank into Ryan's arms as my squad trained their hateful gazes at her. Ryan held her tightly.

His face had gone a bit pale, but he still raised his chin and said arrogantly, "What's there to be afraid of? We have water and food here in the safe house.

"It's not like you'll starve to death here. We'll just ride it out for a month. Rescue will come in a month, right?"

Those of us who frequently dealt with the higher-ups knew those were merely comforting words. I wasn't about to leave my squad in danger, though.

I reached into my backpack and pulled out a microcomputer. I assembled it and attached a high-energy-density battery to power it on. Then, I placed a video call to General Louis Rosenthal.

The call connected quickly. I reported the crucial details succinctly and then looked up with a smile.

"General Rosenthal said we're valuable talents. He promised to send the best military aircraft to pick us up. The soonest it will reach is in three days, and the latest is a week. You must all be exhausted. Take this time to rest up," I announced.

The members of my squad relaxed. Ryan hugged Clara happily but let go of her in an instant.

He stole a glance at me. He thought he was being subtle, but his thoughts had already stripped him bare before me.

"Alice is useful, after all. How I wish I could be valued like that, too," he lamented inwardly.

His expression shifted multiple times as Clara said some soothing words to comfort him. Soon, they were joined at the hips again. My squadmates watched them coldly.

Matt lowered his voice and asked, "He's so disgusting, Colonel Ashford. How are you not mad? Just give the word or a nod, and we'll make sure they disappear without a trace!"

I listened to his vicious words and smiled faintly. I didn't really answer his question, but said, "There are seven people on our squad. If you count them in, there are nine of us in total. But the military plane I requested only has eight seats."

Feeling confused, Matt murmured, "I thought we had a ten-seater… Oh!"

I snapped my fingers and winked. The smile on Matt's face widened with meaning.

There were nine of us, but only eight seats. My squad and I were military talents that the government specifically wanted to recruit, so we would all be guaranteed seats. But Ryan and Clara had tagged along simply because I allowed them to. They didn't realize that crucial fact.

Clara reached into her bag to pull out a hand cream. Then, she rubbed it tenderly on Ryan's hands.

His satisfied thoughts drifted into my ears. "This is how a woman should be. How soft. How delicate! When we get back to the base, I'll teach Alice how to be a woman."

I looked away, and my heart became filled with anticipation. When it came to a choice between life and death, would Ryan cling to his pride, or would his rotten soul fully reveal itself?