Thomas clenched his jaw as the team advanced deeper into the building. Jason's final words echoed in his mind: They kicked out. That ant there were still survivors sowhere in this complex—possibly hostile ones. But Samantha could still be alive. He tightened his grip on his rifle, his eyes scanning every corner and shadow for movent.
"Keep your eyes peeled," Thomas ordered quietly through the comms. "We're dealing with more than just zombies here."
The soldiers acknowledged, moving with heightened caution. They cleared each hallway, their footsteps muffled on the dusty floors. Bloodstains, broken furniture, and makeshift barricades lined the corridors—evidence of the desperate fight that had taken place in this forsaken building. Every so often, they encountered stray zombies, but these were quickly dispatched with silenced shots to the head.
Phillip suddenly raised a fist, signaling the team to halt. "Hearing sothing. Far side of the hall," he whispered into the comms.
Thomas tilted his head, listening intently. Faint voices echoed from down the corridor. He could barely make out the words, but the tone was unmistakably aggressive. Laughter. Taunting. He felt a wave of anger rising in his chest.
"Shadow 1, take point," Thomas whispered. "We're moving in."
The team advanced silently, keeping low. As they approached the source of the noise, the scene began to co into view. Through the cracked glass window of a large classroom door, Thomas saw them: a group of six n, ard and ragged, surrounding a huddled figure on the floor. It was Samantha. Her clothes were torn, and she was struggling against two of the n holding her down. The others jeered and laughed cruelly.
"Son of a bitch..." Phillip muttered under his breath, fury flashing across his face.
Thomas's vision narrowed. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. "No rcy," he growled into the comms. "We're going in hot."
"Copy that," Phillip replied coldly.
Thomas raised his hand, signaling the breach. One soldier silently moved forward and wedged a breaching charge against the doorfra. The countdown in Thomas's head felt agonizingly long, though it was only seconds. With a muted pop, the door burst inward, and the soldiers stord the room with lethal precision.
"DOWN ON THE GROUND!" Thomas roared, his voice echoing like a gunshot.
The n inside froze in shock, their faces contorting in fear and confusion. One of them, ard with a knife, reacted too slowly. A soldier fired, the shot hitting him square in the chest and sending him crumpling to the floor.
The others scrambled for cover, but there was no escape. One man tried to pull Samantha in front of him like a human shield. Thomas didn't hesitate. His rifle barked twice, the rounds striking the man in both legs. He collapsed, screaming in agony as he released Samantha.
"Get your hands off her!" Thomas growled, stepping forward and aiming his weapon at the others. They dropped their weapons imdiately, raising their hands in surrender.
Phillip and the rest of the team moved swiftly, securing the hostiles and disarming them. One by one, the captives were forced to their knees.
Thomas knelt beside Samantha, his voice softening. "You're safe now. It's —Thomas. Are you hurt?"
Samantha's wide, terrified eyes gradually recognized him. Tears stread down her face as she broke into a sob, clinging to him.
"Y-You ca back... I thought... I thought we were all going to die..."
"Not on my watch," Thomas whispered. He gently helped her to her feet, guiding her toward one of the soldiers, who draped a blanket over her shoulders.
Phillip approached, his expression hard. "What do you want to do with these bastards?"
Thomas looked at the kneeling captives, hatred boiling in his veins. His finger tightened slightly on the trigger, but he forced himself to take a breath. Killing them here would be too easy.
"We will leave them here and let the zombies decide their fate," Thomas replied as he swept his gaze over to the remaining students. There were nine of them, six females, three n, Samantha included.
Thomas turned to Phillip. "Call Raven 1. We're extracting them now. Secure the periter until we're ready to move."
Phillip nodded, stepping aside to relay the orders through his comms. anwhile, Thomas addressed the remaining survivors, his voice calm but commanding.
"Listen up. We're here to get you out of this hellhole. Stick close to my team and follow every order I give. Do not stray, do not panic. If you do exactly as I say, we'll get you out alive. Understood?"
The students nodded shakily, their fear giving way to faint hope. Samantha, still clutching the blanket around her shoulders, managed to steady her breathing.
"What about us?! You shot at us!"
Thomas turned to face the student who spoke up—a scrawny young man, trembling yet defiant. He was one of the six captives kneeling on the floor, his face twisted in both fear and anger.
"You shot at us like we were animals!" the student protested, his voice shaking.
"You are animals," Thomas shot back coldly, his gaze hard. "You lost any right to rcy the second you tried to hurt one of your own."
The man swallowed hard but continued, his defiance faltering. "We—w-we didn't an for it to get out of hand! We were just trying to survive!"
"Survive? You call what you were doing survival?" Thomas stepped closer, the muzzle of his rifle just inches from the man's face.
What you did—what you were about to do—was sothing else entirely."
The room fell into an oppressive silence. Samantha shuddered at the mory of her ordeal and turned away, wiping tears from her face. The other rescued students glared at the captives with a mixture of disgust and rage.
Phillip approached from behind. "Sir we have to go, the zombies are approaching fast"
Thomas glanced at Phillip, nodding in agreent. The sound of approaching footsteps and guttural moans echoed faintly from the hallways. Ti was running out.
"Let's move," Thomas ordered. He turned back to the six captives kneeling on the floor. Their faces now showed pure terror as the distant growls of zombies drew nearer.
"You can't leave us here!" one of them scread in desperation, straining against the cable ties around his wrists. "Please, don't do this!"
"You made your bed. Now lie in it," Thomas replied icily, stepping past them. He motioned for his team to fall in. Samantha and the other rescued students were ushered toward the exit, flanked by soldiers in a protective formation.
"No! Don't leave us! Please!" another captive cried out, his voice breaking.
Thomas didn't look back as he and his team moved out of the room, the heavy door slamming shut behind them. The desperate screams of the captives faded slightly as they continued down the hall, but they were quickly replaced by another sound—a deep, guttural snarl.
Inside the classroom, the captives twisted and writhed in panic as zombies began to claw at the door and windows. The first of the creatures broke through, shattering the glass and tearing at the wooden fra.
"NO! Get away from us!" one of the captives shrieked as a decaying arm grabbed him by the neck and yanked him toward the broken window. He kicked and scread, but more zombies poured in, overwhelming him in seconds.
The remaining captives scread in terror as the horde surged into the room. The chaos was deafening—howls of agony, snapping jaws, and the sickening sound of flesh being ripped apart. The zombies showed no rcy, descending upon their prey in a frenzy.
By the ti Thomas and his team reached the stairwell leading to the rooftop, they contacted Raven 2.
"Raven 2, we are coming in hot with nine survivors, be prepared for extraction."
"Roger that, Eagle Actual, Raven 2 is on stand-by."
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