Chapter 9: Chaos Unfolds

Ethan crouched beside Ivy, his hands trembling as he gently cradled her motionless form. His voice cracked with panic, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Ivy! Ivy, speak to me! What happened? Say something, anything!"

His frantic gaze darted to Sarah Smith, and in an instant, his expression darkened.

"What did you do to her?!"

"Me?!" Sarah sputtered, blinking in disbelief. "How is this my fault? I was just running after her like the rest of you! If you're going to throw baseless accusations around, don't expect me to take it lying down!"

Ethan clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with fury. "You hate me, fine! Blame me all you want—I deserve it! But Ivy? She doesn't deserve this! She's innocent!" His voice dropped to a broken whisper, his gaze fixed on Ivy's pale face. "She's so young… she hasn't even had the chance to live her life fully."

Sarah almost gagged at the melodrama. You haven't settled down because you're too busy playing the tragic hero in your own story. She rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Let me spell it out for you, genius. I got here right before the rest of you! If Ivy's like this now, then I didn't even have time to do anything, let alone inject her with... whatever this is!"

"Liar!" Ethan barked, his voice rising. He glanced down at Ivy's neck, his sharp eyes catching a faint red mark. His face hardened.

"A needle mark," he hissed.

The soldiers accompanying Ethan stiffened at his words. They exchanged glances before stepping toward Sarah with suspicious eyes, their weapons shifting into more threatening grips.

"Oh, for heaven's sake…" Sarah muttered, raising her hands in exasperation. "Really? You think I stabbed her with a needle mid-sprint and then stood around waiting for you to show up? Use your heads!"

Her argument was met with silence, broken only by the faint shuffling of distant footsteps.

A New Threat

Unbeknownst to the group, Zach was already several steps ahead. Watching the confrontation unfold through his hidden cameras, he realized his earlier intervention had only added to Sarah's troubles.

His expression blanked for a moment, but he soon exhaled through his nose and began typing commands into the control panel. He released several containment units holding failed experimental subjects—fully zombified creatures with enhanced speed and intelligence.

The creatures were deposited close to the grove where Sarah and the others were gathered. With a faint hum, the containment units slid open, releasing the horrors inside.

The undead stirred, their grotesque forms sniffing the air before shambling toward the scent of living flesh.

Zach leaned back, folding his arms as he watched the scene unfold. "Let's see how long you last," he murmured to himself.

The Accusations Escalate

Back in the grove, Ethan's frustration boiled over.

"You're lying!" he shouted at Sarah. "If you didn't do this, then why are you dressed like that? Why are you carrying that vial? And why does this needle mark remind me of him?"

Sarah froze. It didn't take a genius to figure out who he referred to.

"Let me guess," she said, crossing her arms. "You think Zach did this. And because I had the misfortune of running into him first, now it's somehow my fault?"

Ethan hesitated, but his anger didn't waver. "You're wearing a lab coat," he said coldly. "You expect me to believe that's a coincidence?"

"Oh, come on," Sarah snapped. "This isn't a costume party! Lab coats are everywhere, especially in a research base like Quantum. Get a grip."

But before the argument could go any further, one of Ethan's men raised his weapon.

"Sir, we have movement!" the soldier barked, his voice sharp.

Everyone froze, their eyes darting toward the source of the noise. The faint shuffle of heavy feet and low, guttural growls reached their ears.

Ethan's expression hardened. "Something's coming," he said, quickly kneeling to scoop Ivy into his arms. "We need to move. Now."

The Battle Begins

The group set off, Sarah trailing behind as the soldiers formed a defensive perimeter. The sound of shuffling grew louder, accompanied by the occasional guttural snarl.

Sarah clutched the vial in her pocket, her mind racing. She wasn't armed, and her only protection was the serum that kept zombies at bay. But if she used it too conspicuously, she'd expose herself.

What now? she thought, her heart pounding.

The first zombie emerged from the shadows—a grotesque figure with elongated limbs and glowing, milky eyes. Its head tilted unnaturally as it let out a bone-chilling screech, alerting its companions.

The soldiers opened fire, their shots precise and practiced. The zombie's head exploded in a spray of blackened blood, but more emerged from the darkness, converging from all directions.

"These aren't normal zombies!" one soldier shouted.

"Watch the flanks!" Ethan ordered, his voice steady despite the chaos.

Sarah kept her distance, her mind running through escape scenarios. She noticed the zombies hesitating slightly whenever they got close to her, their instinctual revulsion to the serum evident. But they were still too numerous—and too intelligent—for her to risk separating from the group.

Zach Enters the Fray

Meanwhile, Zach was preparing his own entrance. He selected a sleek silver handgun from a cabinet filled with advanced weaponry, loading it with a vial of his signature solution.

Satisfied, he adjusted his white coat and pushed open the door to the outside. A breeze stirred his hair as he stepped into the open, his movements unhurried and precise.

As he approached the grove, he heard the gunfire and snarls in the distance. His dark eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.

A Sudden Ally

Back at the grove, Sarah was nearly cornered when a sharp, mechanical pop cut through the chaos. One of the zombies froze mid-lunge, a sizzling silver dart embedded in its neck.

Sarah spun around just in time to see Zach emerge from the shadows, his silver gun gleaming in the dim light.

He fired again, each shot precise and deadly, dropping zombies with unnerving ease. The soldiers faltered, stunned by his sudden appearance.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Ethan shouted, his voice filled with both anger and fear.

Zach didn't answer. His gaze flicked briefly to Sarah before he aimed at another zombie, his lips curling into a faint smile.

"Cleaning up your mess," he said, his tone calm and detached.