3#Hiding with Other Survivor

Bang!

A bullet pierced the head of the man who had lunged at Alexander. Blood spattered, soaking the shirt he was wearing. The man fell instantly right in front of him.

The people around them immediately scattered, fearing more shots would follow. Meanwhile, a few who had lost their wits actually ran toward the sound of the gunshot.

In the distance, several more gunshots rang out, and the people who had been running in that direction began to fall.

Alexander gasped for breath. He hadn’t expected the man he’d helped to suddenly attack him and die in an instant.

"Frost!" A familiar voice called out to him from the right side. He turned and saw a figure he knew well, Argan Donovan, his former colleague who had now chosen to become a detective. Emerging from the corner of the street leading to the apartment parking lot.

Argan was clad in a dark jacket and clutched the automatic pistol he always carried.

"Argan?" Alexander laid the body of the man—who now lay lifeless on the ground—on its back, then approached with quick steps. "You’re here too?"

"I just moved into the apartment right behind this block. I heard a commotion. Then I saw this chaos."

"Is he dead?" Argan asked, nodding toward the man who had almost pounced on Alexander.

"Yeah."

"Thank goodness," Argan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Alexander was a little confused by Argan’s reaction. Those guys were acting like crazy people, but there’s no need to go so far as to kill them, right? he thought.

Although, to be honest, he was a little relieved to see the man who had tried to attack him taken down. Alexander looked at Argan with an expression that was a little hard to read.

"Why?" Argan asked, then slowly realized something. "Hey, don’t tell me you haven’t heard the news yet?"

"What's news?"

"Those people aren't human anymore! They're the living dead! A new type of virus has spread widely throughout this city. Those infected with the virus turn into predators. They lose their minds and act purely on instinct! Even the dead among them rise again and attack!"

"Really? The living dead... like zombies?" Alexander furrowed his brow.

"That’s right! Zombies!"

Alexander fell silent. No wonder the man had looked strange, his eyes completely white, and he’d been growling constantly.

Wait, does that mean someone can become a zombie from being bitten? Or is there something else? he wondered, recalling that the man who’d attacked him had a large bite wound on his shoulder.

Alexander shook his head, brushed off his dirty pants, and looked at his shirt, which was beyond saving. "Do you have any other weapons?" he asked.

"Just this. I rushed over here and only had time to grab this gun from the car. But I know where the weapons are stored at District 5 headquarters. We can go there later," Argan suggested.

Alexander nodded in agreement. He scanned his surroundings. The place was now deserted, with only a few motionless bodies lying on the ground. Most of the people who had been there earlier had turned into zombies, while the rest had hidden themselves inside the apartments.

As for Alexander, he had no desire to hide. If this really was a zombie virus, then he couldn’t stay here long. He had to leave, find his mother, and check on her.

Alexander walked back toward his car, which was parked on the side of the road, with Argan following him. As he passed another car, he spotted a metal bat. Alexander noticed that the car’s door was open. It had been left unattended. He hurried over to the car and grabbed the metal bat to use as a weapon. Alexander didn’t forget to leave some money in exchange for the owner.

"I have to go to Haven city. Do you want to come along?" he asked Argan.

Argan nodded. As it happened, his family also lived in Haven. But before they could discuss their plans further, a scream rang out from the end of the street.

A young woman was running from the café across the street, calling for help. Behind her, coming from the opposite direction, several creatures—once human—were chasing her viciously.

Alexander and Argan exchanged glances for a moment. This virus was spreading quite quickly. In just a few minutes, they’d already seen people turn into zombies again.

"We have to help her! You go left, I’ll go right!" Alexander gave the signal. They dashed toward the screams, attacking simultaneously. Argan shot two zombies with precise headshots, while Alexander used a metal rod to crush the skull of one of the zombies.

From inside the café, three young men also ran out, joining the attack on the zombies with wooden sticks and pipes. One of the young men fell and was almost bitten, but a single shot managed to take down the creature.

However, the sound of Argan’s gunshot actually caused the zombies to close in on them. Zombies were coming from all directions.

Fortunately, the young men didn’t just stand by. They helped Alexander and Argan fend off the zombie attack. With their help, the zombies were successfully taken down.

They rescued the woman, as well as two others, a mother and her son, who were hiding behind a large trash bin in a narrow alley.

"Th… Thank you," the mother said, her voice trembling.

“Yes, ma’am. Can you still walk?” Alexander asked.

The mother nodded and walked, supported by her son.

"We’d better go find a safe place to hide. More zombies are bound to come," said Alexander.

They walked through the apartment complex; a few zombies tried to attack them, but Alexander and the young men quickly took them down without causing much of a commotion.

Along the way, the three young men who had helped them introduced themselves. The tall, thin young man with slightly disheveled curly blond hair was named Robert; his friend, who was a bit shorter but stockier, was named Mike; and the third one was named Alan.

They were students from Ashford University who had been working on an assignment at a café when the chaos began.

They finally reached the underground parking garage of the apartment complex where Alexander lived. Alexander suggested they hide there. He thought it was fairly safe since the door could be locked manually from the inside.

"Thank you…" Alan muttered as he slumped down weakly. Cold sweat drenched his face. He looked pale, and he was gasping for breath.

"Are you okay?" Alexander asked, checking on Alan.

Alan shook his head. "I don’t know… I thought… I just had a fever. I’ve been shivering for a while now."

Argan frowned. "Maybe he’s just in shock."

"Let me check," said Alexander, rolling up Alan’s sleeve. At first glance, there were no visible wounds, but from beneath the collar of his shirt, Alexander spotted a small bite mark on his shoulder.

"He was bitten," Alexander whispered, his expression hardening.

"What…?" Argan leaned in. "When did this happen?"

"That… that…" he stammered. "That wasn’t a bite from that creature," he is so nervous that he keep glancing towards Alexander and Argan.

"Huh?" Argan didn’t understand what he meant. If it wasn’t a bite from that creature, then what?

Alan’s face suddenly flushed red.

"Oh…" Seeing Alan’s face, now as red as a tomato, Argan finally understood what he meant.

"How long has it been since then?" Alexander asked.

"Four hours ago…"

Alexander and Argan immediately exchanged glances without saying a word. They already understood what was on their friend’s mind. If the bite had indeed occurred four hours ago, the wound should have already begun to heal and the blood should have dried. It wouldn’t be as fresh as the wound on Alan’s shoulder.

Argan took half a step back. The people inside the shelter began to realize something was wrong.

Before they could question Alan further, he screamed. His body convulsed, his pupils constricted, and he slammed hard onto the floor as if having an epileptic seizure. Within seconds, he sprang up with a low growl, his eyes already rolled back.

"Stay away from him!" Alexander warned.