The military inside the quarantine zone finally spotted the two groups nearly a kilometer away. However, they couldn't leave the safety of the perimeter fence to offer direct support — doing so would expose them directly to the infected and likely result in heavy casualties.
Instead, they provided fire support from within the safe zone. Because the distance was too far for small arms, they deployed tanks and began firing artillery rounds at the horde, buying time for the survivors to escape.
"Roarrr—!"
As shells slammed into the ground with thunderous force, the entire earth trembled. The explosion also awakened every infected hiding in nearby ruins, instantly turning the area around the safe zone into chaos.
All the infected that had been lurking in surrounding buildings poured out, howling with excitement when they saw the fleeing humans. With bloodthirsty screams, they charged forward like a wave.
"Damn it! What a day to be alive!"
Seeing infected suddenly burst from the ruins on both sides, Brian roared in frustration. He yanked the short-barreled shotgun from his backpack and blasted the nearest charging infected into pieces.
The other soldiers and survivors quickly followed suit, pulling out their weapons. They couldn't afford to be slowed down now — not with a massive horde closing in behind them.
"Ahhh!"
Just then, Sarah, who had been firing beside him, stumbled. Her foot caught on a protruding rock, sending her crashing painfully to the ground with a cry of pain.
Hearing her scream, Brian immediately stopped and turned back. Seeing her sprawled on the ground, he didn't hesitate — he rushed over, pulled her up, and asked urgently:
"Are you okay? Can you run?"
"Ss—"
Gritting her teeth, Sarah leaned on Brian's arm and slowly stood up. Pain shot through her knee as she gave a weak smile and said:
"I'm... I'm fine."
She tried to start running again, but as soon as she took a step, another sharp cry escaped her lips. If not for Brian holding her up, she would have fallen flat on her face.
Realizing Sarah could no longer run, Brian furrowed his brows. He glanced behind and noticed that Anna, Lucy, and Wilfred had somehow been separated and were now far ahead in the crowd.
Looking at the approaching infected and the second group catching up fast, Brian quickly crouched down in front of Sarah.
"Climb on. I'll carry you."
"No way! You can't carry me — I'll just slow you down!"
Seeing Brian crouch before her, ready to carry her, Sarah's eyes filled with gratitude. But she shook her head firmly, refusing outright. She knew carrying her would make them an easy target for the infected. She didn't want to be a burden.
"You!"
Knowing they couldn't waste any more time, Brian tossed his backpack and shotgun to Alan, who was waiting nearby.
He crouched again, grabbed Sarah's legs, and hoisted her onto his back despite her startled cry. Then he turned to Alan:
"Alan, I need you to cover us from here on out."
"Got it! Leave it to me!"
Alan tightened his grip on the shotgun and nodded sharply. He threw aside his messenger bag, slung his backpack onto his back, and switched to his pistol instead.
It wasn't that he didn't want to use the shotgun — it was because the recoil was too strong for his strength. If he fired it repeatedly, his hands would go numb in seconds, leaving him helpless.
The trio resumed sprinting. After the delay, they had fallen to the very end of the group.
Sarah, still clinging to Brian's back, wanted to get down at first, but after struggling a few times without success, she gave up. Instead, she drew her pistol and aimed it toward any approaching infected, ready to shoot at a moment's notice.
Wilfred had considered stepping in to help, but seeing his own deteriorating condition, he hesitated. Instead, he gripped the grenade in his pocket tightly — if things got desperate, he'd find a way to buy them time.
Running through the thick snow, Brian carried Sarah forward. Fortunately, the constant training and recent food intake had given him enough strength to keep going. If this were earlier, he would've collapsed by now.
But most of the other survivors hadn't eaten in days. Exhausted and gasping for breath, they couldn't match the speed of a child carrying someone on his back.
"Grrraaaahhh—!"
At that moment, an infected lunged unexpectedly from the side straight at Brian.
"Watch out!" Alan shouted, raising his pistol toward the infected's head — only for his hands to shake uncontrollably, unable to pull the trigger.
Sarah, still clinging to Brian's back, raised her pistol too, aiming at the infected. But due to the bouncing movement, she couldn't steady her aim properly and instead fired wildly at its body.
Bullets struck the infected's chest, slowing it slightly, but it kept coming, roaring fiercely.
"Damn it!"
As the infected closed in, Brian saw Alan frozen in place and realized what he had feared all along — the boy just wasn't ready yet. He released one hand from Sarah and pulled out his knife, ready to deal with it himself.
"Ahhh—!"
But just then, seeing the infected about to strike his friends, something snapped in Alan's mind. The image of his mother and Sylvia dying flashed through his thoughts. His expression twisted with rage as he finally broke free from his fear, screamed, and squeezed the trigger.
Bang!
Dark, sticky blood sprayed from the infected's skull as the bullet tore through its brain. Its momentum sent it stumbling forward a few steps before it collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Brian froze mid-motion, his knife halfway drawn. Seeing the infected drop, he blinked in surprise and lowered his weapon.
He turned his head to look at Alan — still gripping the smoking pistol, his face pale with shock and fear.
"You did it," Brian muttered, giving Alan a thumbs-up. "Good job."
Then he adjusted Sarah on his back and resumed running with renewed determination.
Alan instinctively followed, staring at the gun in his hand. As he stepped over the dead infected, a strange sensation rose within him — killing wasn't as hard as he had imagined.
With a grim smile, he lifted the pistol again and fired without hesitation at another incoming infected.
...
By now, the group had covered five or six hundred meters. Behind them, all the survivors from the second group had been slaughtered. Only the soldiers remained, desperately trying to catch up with the main group.
"We're almost there!" Tracy shouted, glancing back as the infected finished off the second team and surged toward them.
Her voice urged everyone forward, but even with death chasing them, the pace barely increased. The deep snow made movement difficult, and hunger drained their energy. Most had already used up their adrenaline reserves — pushing further was nearly impossible.
"Huff… huff…"
Gasping for air, sweat pouring down his forehead, Brian pushed himself harder, never once slowing his pace.
Sensing his exhaustion, Sarah whispered:
"Brian, put me down. Carrying me like this… we're both going to die."
"Don't say that," Brian replied firmly, tightening his grip on her legs. "We will make it to the safe zone."
"Ahhh!"
Just as the group stretched into a long line, the last survivor at the rear was tackled by an infected. Hearing the scream so close behind them, everyone turned in horror.
Countless grotesque faces loomed closer, and panic swept through the group. Some sped up, fueled by pure adrenaline. Others simply lost control of their legs and collapsed in terror.
As Brian ran, his peripheral vision caught sight of a woman with short blonde hair subtly shifting toward his position.
Though she moved carefully, Brian's sharp instincts detected her immediately.
Without changing his expression, he shifted slightly to the left, keeping his eyes fixed on her feet from the corner of his vision. Sure enough, she was inching ever closer.
Watching her feigned indifference, Brian smirked coldly.
He understood exactly what she was thinking. No doubt, some among the group had panicked and decided to sacrifice weaker individuals to buy themselves a chance to escape. And three children were the easiest targets.
And now, one of them was moving in for the kill.