Chapter 72
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"Roar!"
The infected opened its gaping maw, aiming to bite down on the neck of its prey below, but before it could sink its teeth in, a thin arm suddenly wrapped around its head from behind, pulling it back. Immediately after, a sharp knife stabbed directly into the infected's skull, ending its life.
Wilfred felt a slight weight lift off him as the force of the infected's attack suddenly disappeared. When he saw it was Brian, he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
Pulling the infected away, Brian also breathed a sigh of relief. If it weren't for his poor shooting skills and fear of injuring Wilfred, he would have shot it long ago. There would have been no need to run this far, let alone use a knife to deal with the infected.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Just then, from the direction of the park in the distance, faint sounds of gunfire and explosions reached Wilfred's ears, causing him to sit up abruptly from the snowy ground, asking, "Where are those explosions coming from?"
"Didn't you hear?" Brian looked at him somewhat surprised, pointing in the direction of the park. "Not long after the bald guy threw the grenade, gunfire and explosions erupted over there. Maybe you were too focused on these hunting infected to notice the commotion!"
After hesitating for a moment, he added, "It seems like the military inside must have noticed the explosion here. Those hunting infected won't be able to hide anymore, they've probably already started fighting with the military inside."
Then Brian stood up, scanning the surrounding corpses of infected. He extended his hand to Wilfred, saying, "The commotion here has been too loud. The infected must have heard it. Right now, they're just a few scattered ones nearby, but there will definitely be a large horde coming soon. We need to get out of here quickly!"
Wilfred grabbed Brian's hand and got up from the ground, then quickly unlocked Anna's handcuffs. The three of them hurried to meet up with Sarah and Alan.
During the journey, Brian informed the two about Sylvia's death. Despite their somewhat prepared hearts, their mood became even heavier.
When the three approached, they saw Sylvia's body lying inside the truck, while Sarah and Alan, with tears in their eyes, were saying something inaudible.
Anna knelt directly beside the body, tears falling silently as she looked at the gunshot wound and the blood-soaked ground. Wilfred stood in front of the body, hands covering his face, filled with guilt as he said, "She died trying to save me..."
Seeing the scene engulfed in sorrow, Brian couldn't bear to disturb them, but he still had to speak up. "We need to pack up and leave. We can't stay here any longer."
...
After burying Sylvia's body in the woods, everyone immediately scattered to search for useful supplies. There were five trucks parked on the road, three of which were empty, while the remaining two had some items inside.
One truck had four or five stripped male bodies, all with no gunshot wounds. They all died from a knife wound to the throat, a fatal blow. Seeing these bodies made Brian and the others shiver in fear.
The other truck contained some ammunition, firearms, and grenades, but the quantity was not large. However, it was more than enough to defend this camp. If the truck had been parked near the checkpoint, the bald man wouldn't have charged at them but would have gone to the truck to resupply with ammunition before attacking.
They also found the surviving infected hiding at the checkpoint. One of them, named Lev, had already died from several gunshot wounds. He must have been attacked by the two hunting infected who ambushed them.
Of the two hunting infected, one had half of his neck sliced off, while the other was covered in wounds, his face unrecognizable, likely beaten to death.
Only Lucy, the surviving woman, remained. When Brian and the others found her, she was covered in blood, sitting dumbfounded in the snow, holding the lifeless body of the young black man who had died long ago.
Next to her lay a sharp machete, its blade slightly curled, and her hands were bruised and scarred. It was obvious that she had dealt with the two hunting infected.
After a series of turmoil, Brian and the others finally loaded all the available items onto the truck. Wilfred climbed into the driver's seat and prepared to depart.
At this point, they had two choices:
1. They could head to Sweetwater Creek State Park to assist the military there. However, they had no idea what the situation was like there. If the military had the upper hand, it would be fine, but if the hunting infected were winning, going there might not end well.
2. They could avoid the park and continue along the interstate highway directly towards the Atlanta quarantine zone. With this truck, they had a great chance of safely reaching the quarantine zone, but just like the situation in the park, they were unsure of the current situation inside Atlanta.
After discussing, they decided to go to the park to find the military. After all, it was safer there, with the military's strength being undeniable. Plus, they didn't have to enter the park immediately; they could observe from the outside.
"Roar!"
Just as they confirmed their direction, they heard the roar of infected behind them on the road. Judging by the sound, there were probably many of them.
Hearing the commotion on the road behind them, everyone quickly climbed into the truck compartment. Once everyone was inside, Wilfred, not hesitating any longer, stepped on the gas pedal, turned the steering wheel, and drove the truck down the road.
The cold wind outside whistled, and Anna and Alan sat in the corner of the compartment. Sarah curled up in Brian's arms, and Lucy, the surviving infected, leaned against the side of the truck, staring at a photo in her hand, her eyes filled with tears.
"We were about to get married..."
Whether it was because the atmosphere was too oppressive or she wanted to confide in someone, Lucy stared at the photo in her hand, recounting her past, seemingly wanting to release all the sadness in her heart.
Her words immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the compartment, who sat quietly, listening silently to her story.
Lucy was originally from San Francisco and had found a job in San Antonio after graduating from college. That's where she met her boyfriend, Miles, the young black man who was killed by Ogden from behind.
When the cordyceps outbreak occurred, they had already decided to get married, but they never expected such a thing to happen. They immediately drove away from San Antonio, saving a lone survivor attacked by infected along the way, who turned out to be Lev, the young man who had already died from gunshot wounds.
The three of them drove northward, experiencing countless dangers and facing numerous infected attacks along the way. However, despite the crises they faced, their trust in each other only grew stronger, and they managed to overcome the hardships together. Lucy's relationship with Miles became even deeper, and they formed a deep friendship with Lev.
According to their original plan, they wanted to reach the Dallas quarantine zone, but unfortunately, they weren't selected and were instead assigned to
the most dangerous Atlanta quarantine zone. Whether it was intentional or not, the three of them ended up together.
They didn't anticipate that the quarantine zone's lottery was rigged, thinking it was just their bad luck. They reluctantly accepted the reality.
Thankfully, they were still together, able to look out for each other. They didn't feel afraid, no matter if it was the infected horde besieging Vasquez Town or the hospital's infection onslaught. They managed to survive through it all.
But they never imagined that after enduring countless hardships and escaping the infected disaster area, the three of them would meet their end at the hands of those disguised as soldiers, the hunting infected. If Brian and the others hadn't appeared, Lucy might have died there too.
This indirectly proved a saying from the apocalypse rule: compared to the infected, humans are each other's greatest enemies.
As for the surviving infected who was killed by the bald man, they met him on their way here, coincidentally encountering a lone survivor. Since they were heading to find the military and saw he was alone, they kindly brought him along.
But after Miles was killed, Lucy's mind was filled with revenge and anger. So, without any regard for the survivor's life, she shot at the bald man, showing no hesitation in taking his life.
After finishing her story, Lucy seemed to have unloaded all her pain, slowly closing her eyes without saying another word.
Listening to her entire story, Brian understood that besides venting, she was also expressing sincerity, letting them know she wasn't a bad person. After all, they might have to stick together in the future.
He glanced around the compartment and saw that everyone remained silent. Then he looked at Sarah in his arms, noticing she had fallen asleep at some point. However, even in sleep, her brows were furrowed, suggesting she wasn't resting peacefully.
Brian sighed inwardly, shaking his head slightly with a wry smile. He gently patted Sarah, trying to soothe her into a more restful sleep.
Meanwhile, sitting in the driver's seat, Wilfred glanced at the small window connecting the compartment, noticing the silence once again. He sighed quietly, then lifted his left hand, looking at the inconspicuous wound on his wrist. His eyes flickered slightly, lost in thought.
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