LOGINHayley held her blade, still dripping with blood, and stared coldly at Preston.Preston met her eyes and spoke slowly, each word deliberate."Everyone stays behind the cabinet. No one goes over there."Only after hearing that did Hayley lower her blade.She glanced at the body on the floor, wiped the blood off her knife against it, then kicked the corpse back toward Preston's side before turning and walking away."Damn, she's ruthless," Preston muttered under his breath as he watched her go.He turned and ordered someone to drag the body farther off.The units in Clearwater Residences were huge. Even with Hayley forcing them to stay near the entryway, there was still space for them to move around.The body was dumped into a corner, and the group sat down on the floor.After a full day of running for their lives, they were exhausted and starving.Preston had them take out the food they had gathered.There were ten cans total.He kept two for himself. The other men each got o
"It's you guys."Preston spoke at last.He stared at Hayley with a twisted grin, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes sharp and feral.Hayley met his gaze without a word, then turned and walked toward the floor to ceiling window behind her.She pulled back a corner of the blackout curtain.Thud!A bloody handprint slammed against the glass.A zombie was pressed right up against the window, panting and snarling, its mouth wide open, saliva smearing across the glass.Rain poured down outside.The zombie was soaked through, its body twitching and jerking against the window, like it couldn't control itself. Its crooked teeth scraped against the glass, mixing with the rain, making a sharp, grating sound that made people's skin crawl.Hayley watched it coldly, then shifted her gaze outward.The building was surrounded.In the heavy rain, about 80 zombies crowded near the main entrance. There weren't as many outside their unit yet, but as she stood by the window
There was a lockpicker outside, too!A crowd suddenly rushed in."Shut the door!"Men and women poured through the entrance in a frenzy. Right behind them, zombies came charging, their growls closing in fast.One of them was speed-enhanced. Its pale gray eyes bulged and its mouth stretched wide open, its whole face twisting into something grotesque as it lunged forward."Raarh!"It threw itself at the last two people still trying to make it inside."Close it!"A man who had already made it in glanced back coldly at the two lagging behind, the ones who had drawn the zombie with them. He grabbed the solid wood door and started to slam it shut.At that exact moment, a woman in the middle suddenly shoved the person beside her and lunged forward, slipping through the doorway.Bang!The door slammed shut.The last person, along with the zombie, was left outside."Aaaah!"A scream tore through the air, sharp and desperate, followed by a barrage of heavy impacts against the door.
Tyler and the others hadn't had a sip of soda since the apocalypse began.The expired cola had lost its fizz, leaving behind nothing but sweetness and a faint off taste. But even that was enough to hit their taste buds hard. It gave them a sense of satisfaction they had never experienced."This is so damn good!""Man, this tastes amazing!""Boss, you should have some, too!"Tyler handed a couple of bottles over to Hayley and Griffin."We're good," Hayley said, glancing at the pile of food they had found on the floor. "You guys split it."She turned and walked off.The moment she said that, everyone's eyes lit up as they stared at the spread.So much good stuff.And Hayley didn't even want any of it.What kind of person would just give all that up without a second thought?"She's so generous!""You think? That's Ms. Reid we're talking about," Tyler said."Who even is she, really?"They couldn't help but think back to the first time they met Hayley.Back then, a whole gro
Hayley stood in front of a towering iron gate, easily over ten feet high, grand enough to feel like the entrance to a fortress. Even the guard booths looked like military-grade sentry posts.But there wasn't a single competent guard left inside.Her gaze settled on one of the booths with its door hanging open.The main gate was still locked, but the booth door was broken. Both the front and back booth doors had been wrecked, and one of them was hanging halfway off its frame."Through the guard booth!"Hayley jumped in first. Once inside, she made it into Clearwater Residences without trouble. She scanned the area, her eyes landing on a stalled car near the entrance.She ran over and grabbed the car door.Bang!A zombie's hand slammed against the window.There was still a zombie inside.It was a man in his 30s, dressed in a sharp suit and tie. Before the apocalypse, he had probably been one of the city's elite.Now, the zombie's face was corpse-pale, its cloudy eyes locked on
An hour later, everyone had caught their breath.Hayley had also finished setting up a small trap.It was around 2 p.m.The sky was overcast, the light outside dim. It looked like rain could come at any moment.Hayley decided they couldn't wait any longer. No matter what, Clearwater Residences would be safer than staying here. "Get ready. We're moving.""Got it!"Everyone snapped to attention, eyes sharp. They gripped whatever they had managed to find: chair legs, broken pieces of metal, anything they could use as a weapon.During that hour, they had all scavenged for something to hold onto.Hayley looked out at the clusters of zombies still wandering nearby and pulled on a thin line in her hand.The line stretched deep into the building. About 100 yards away, a gunshot cracked.Bang!The zombies outside turned instantly, rushing toward the sound.Hayley watched the crowd thin, waiting for the right moment.At the same time, a loud crash exploded from the lobby behind them
"Yes, Boss!"Leonard dropped his backpack on the floor. He pulled out a portable camp stove with a built-in alcohol burner. Then, he took out not one, not two, but three large metal lunchboxes.The first one was packed to the brim with sliced beef.The second box held golden-brown ribs, fried unt
Under the pressure of that crushing grip, Nadia struggled helplessly like a frightened chicken, staring at the woman in front of her in terror.Hayley was a reasonable person. Most of the time, her reasoning just happened to come in the form of her fists.Especially in the apocalypse, there was no
"Boss!""Boss!""Ms. Reid!"As soon as Hayley stepped out, Derek and the others swarmed around her.The way they looked at her was pure fan mania!Today, Hayley revealed a hidden water-element gift and took everyone by surprise. None of them had imagined she was a Gifted, let alone that her gif
"Countdown: 29 seconds!""Raargh…"Under the red alarm lights, a zombie in tattered patient clothes closest to them lunged forward with a gaping mouth.Bang!Just as the zombie leapt, a bullet tore through the center of its forehead. A charred pea-sized hole marked its forehead, and at the back







