SECURING WEAPONS

We tightened our masks and steeled ourselves for the mission. The narrow hallway stretched forward, ill-lighted with weird red LEDs that shed long shadows along the walls.

"Move carefully, everyone," I whispered, the voice muffled by the mask. "We can't afford to wake them up."

The team nodded, tight-fisted with weapons down at their sides. The air was heavy with the foul stench of decay; each breath with the mask was a fight.

The hallway spilled into a large, open chamber. Heaps of refuse and decaying matter topped the floor everywhere. Amidst all this filth, we saw them: Bloters. Their massive, rotting bodies sprawled everywhere, barely distinguishable in the dim light. Some were partially merged with the filth, their shapes grotesque and misshapen.

The bastards are sleeping for now...

"Watch your step," Ange whispered. "One wrong move and we're done for."

Jace took the point as he silently made his way through the bloters mess. Ange and I followed close behind, peering through the room for movement with our eyes.

At the far end of the chamber, we found an elevator. It was rusted, and just as I thought, down for good. It ain't going anywhere. So we took the stairs. Jace signaled his team as they began to climb the stairs.

"Good luck," I whispered after they vanished into the upper darkness.

Ange and I turned toward the descending staircase. Each step creaked under our weight. The metal went too rusty. Gotta be careful. The air grew colder and heavier, plus to make things even worse the stench increased with each step. Even with the mask on, it was too much. But, gotta move on.

The lower level was a maze of narrow corridors and abandoned rooms. The red LEDs flickered occasionally, casting a sporadic glow that made the shadows dance. We moved cautiously, avoiding the patches of foul-smelling slime that coated the floor. We had to use our flashlights since the hallway was getting darker than before.

"Storage should be down here," Ange whispered, her eyes darting around. "Let's find it quickly."

We followed the map's directions, walking through the hallway. The silence was broken only by the distant, unsettling sounds of the Bloters' labored breathing and the occasional drip of water from the ceiling. I aimed the flashlight at the ceiling. Eeww! That's not water, but a green slimy liquid. 

"What the fuck?!" Ange whispered and pointed up. "Those bloters from the upper floor... Argg! Their juices are leaking down. Be careful. These slimes are acidic!"

Great! A building filled with bloters, and slimes, their juices are all over the ceiling and floor, plus the added stench that's ignoring the gas mask filters... Well, what more could we ask for, an easy path? I wonder what's waiting for us in the storage room.

We reached the storage room. Ah, another metal door. I tried the handle, but it was locked, probably barred from inside.

"Damn it, it's locked," I muttered. "We gotta find another way in."

Ange scanned the area, her keen eyes spotting an air vent near the ceiling. She approached it, examining the size and structure. "It's small, but I can fit," she said, softly. "I'll go in and unlock the door from the inside."

I nodded, knowing she was our best chance. "Be careful. There might be a zombie inside."

"I know. Thanks for worrying," Ange whispered as she removed the vent cover very slowly and carefully to avoid making any unnecessary sounds. I gave her a little boost as she squeezed herself into the narrow space.

[3rd person POV]

Everything was in total darkness. Ange crawled forward, trying to ignore the increasing foul-smelling sludge coating the tunnel. She maneuvered around the pipes and ducts, hoping she could get in from a ventilation shaft. After going further, she reached the end of the vent and looked through the grating into the storage room. It was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of the LEDs outside through the reinforced glass windows.

Ange used the flashlight to look around. To her surprise, she found two skeletons and a bunch of empty food cans. There was a gun and two empty shells lying on the floor beside those skeletons.

'Ah! They must have locked when the virus spread through the base but ended up dying. Well, at least, they didn't get turned into zombies.'

She jumped down and looked around. She saw the door mechanism on the other side and began to work on the lock.

Ange's nimble fingers manipulated the lock. To survive in this world, lockpicking is something one must learn. After a few tense moments, she heard the satisfying click of the mechanism releasing. She pushed the door open slightly.

[Back to first person POV]

"Nice work," I whispered as I joined her in the room.

The storage room felt like an untouched tomb, the dust thick and undisturbed. Ange and I moved quickly but cautiously, aware that any loud noise could spell disaster. My eyes fell on two skeletons who killed themselves instead of becoming a zombies. Good choice.

"We need to prioritize the explosives and high-powered rifles," I instructed, my voice barely a whisper.

Ange nodded, her eyes sharp and focused. We began sorting through the crates, quickly identifying the most valuable items. The weapons were state-of-the-art, Shield's finest creations, designed to handle even the toughest of foes.

After loading our packs, I glanced at the remaining crates. "There's too much here to leave behind. We'll have to make multiple trips."

Ange agreed. "Let's get this first load out and then come back. We need to be quick."

I activated the radio. "Jace, this is Karl. We've got more weapons than expected. Gotta do another trip. Hold your position until further instructions."

"Roger that," Jace replied. "We'll be ready."

We retraced our steps, careful to stay silent as we exited the storage room. Once out, we locked the door from outside. No sense in risking any zombies coming in while we were away. We moved through the corridor towards the stairwell. The silence of the base was unnerving, punctuated only by the distant, unsettling sounds of the Bloters' labored breathing.

As we climbed the stairs, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. My senses were on high alert, every shadow and flicker of light scrutinized for hidden threats. Ange seemed equally tense, her grip on her weapon tightening with every step. Finally, we carefully walked past those bloters on the upper floor and walked out.

As we approached the exit, Tyger was there, her eyes scanning our surroundings. "You got the weapons? Where's Jace?" she asked, her voice low.

"Not yet," I replied. "We need to make multiple trips. There's a lot more down there than I thought. With those weapons, there's no one who will be able to stop us."

I glanced at Mom and sis and the others, they were relieved to see us alright.

Tyger looked at me with a mix of concern and determination. "Alright, let's get this done. Take who you need and be careful down there."

I nodded and turned to the group. "We need a few more people to help carry the gear. Silent feet only. Volunteers?"

Several hands went up, but I chose the ones who I knew could move silently and efficiently: Jake, Nina, and Cecil. All three were experienced and reliable, capable of handling the pressure and the potential dangers lurking below.

"Alright, Jake, Nina, Cecil, you're with us," I said, my voice firm. "Tyger, clear the town. Leave two cars for carrying the weapons and get everyone out of here."

Ange and I put down our backpacks, as Mia brought us empty backpacks. Our hands touched as she whispered, "Good luck." I gave her a little nod. Then I turned toward my team, "Let's move out."

We gathered our packs and weapons, then began our descent once more. The dank air and flickering lights greeted us again, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to rise.

"Watch yourselves," I whispered. "Keep the masks on and don't touch anything."

We returned to the storage room, gathering the rest of the weapons and armor, and quickly filling the bags.

Jake and Nina worked efficiently, their movements precise and practiced. Cecil kept watch, his eyes scanning the hallways for any signs of movement. The oppressive silence was only broken by the faint sounds of our breathing and the rustling of equipment.

Just as we were about to leave, we noticed an additional set of crates that seemed different. I approached it slowly and inspected the contents. I was stunned. Are these freaking lightsabers?! They look like lightsabers. There were four of them. I don't know, but, there's no way, I'm gonna leave these babies in here. Laser swords, hahaha... Could be interesting.

Well, let's not dream anymore, and load them. We can't leave weapons like that to rot in some hellhole. Besides, why would the shield engineers, the best of the best, have wasted their time on these toys unless it was for a damn good reason, right? Laser swords, or whatever these are, I'm gonna test them out later.

We left the room after packing up. As we moved through the corridors, the sense of being watched grew stronger.

"Someone, or something, is following us," Nina whispered.

"I know," I replied, my voice taut. "Stay close. We need to get out of here fast."

We began to climb the stairs. Halfway up, a faint noise caught my attention. It was a low, guttural sound, barely audible but unmistakable. I signaled for the team to stop, my hand raised in a gesture of caution.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered, my eyes scanning the darkness below.

Ange nodded, her expression tense. "Yes, it's coming from 3rd level, probably. We need to move faster."

"Jace, we are done. Activate the self-destruct and get the hell out of there," I whispered over the radio.

"Got it," Jace replied quietly, his voice tense with urgency. "Activating self-destruct now. Get out of there fast."

"Fuck!" Cecil aimed her flashlight downstairs.

Two massive, muscular, rotten, undead behemoths. The creatures were horrifying, their bodies warped beyond recognition as they bellowed and drooled, their claws extending as they advanced. They were massive, like something out of a horror movie.

"Mutated fuckers! Don't panic. They are slow. Just move silently as usual."

We picked up our pace a bit, trying our best to not stumble down on the slimy floor. Considering their size, they are the slow types. We have the advantage here.

The monsters were gaining on us, but they were no match for our speed.

As soon as we reached the main level, the explosions began, rumbling deep within the bowels of the complex. We ran toward the light. I could see Jace and the others, outside, ready in the car.

"HURRY!" Jace shouted as he revved the engine.

We stumbled out and threw out backpacks in the cars.

"Go, go, go!" Jace yelled as the driver gunned it. The cars raced through the dusty streets of the abandoned town, escaping just before the entire base detonated.

[Boooom!] A loud explosion roared behind us, sending shrapnel flying into the air as smoke billowed into the sky. A sense of satisfaction and triumph settled over us. Flames rose high up in the sky, followed by shockwaves and heatwaves, that made the cars shake.

"BOOO YEAH!" Ange yelled.

"Hell yeah! We did it!" I grinned, laughing with a feeling of triumph.

"Nice," Jace nodded with a wide grin on his face as he drove. "I'm gonna tell this insane story to my grandkids. Oh, how we spent hours inside a bloter's den and survived. Heck, we blew them all up too. Our Grand adventure."

I grinned in reply. "Yeah, this will be a good story."

"I almost pissed myself," Jake murmured with a wide smile, shaking his head, still recovering. "Let's not do that again."

"Pussy," Nina snorted.

"Whatever."

"Hey, hey... Not cool. Jack did great for his first den raiding rodeo. I knew he was silent outside, but seeing how he handled himself in there... Good job, man." I slapped his back.

"Yeah... Thanks, and thanks, boss..."

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[17 advance chapters] [No double billing. You get 1 month regardless of the date you join]

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Next Ch: 33 > Raiders or survivors

Ch: 34: New information

Ch: 35: Training before the hunt

Ch: 36: Spiders?! I hate Spiders