Tyrus’s backyard breathed in the silence. Kimmy, Yunera, and all the soldiers momentarily stared at that super zombie that charged into the house faster than a dump truck.
Suddenly, the air whistled loudly, followed by a loud gunfire.
A .50 Cal bullet grazed its way through the vegetation and slope, arriving in front of the super zombie in no time.
At that inch of a moment, the zombie’s body tilted to the side.
The bullet struck its left shoulder, tearing the limb off its rotten body. The force sent it flying back for a couple of meters, hovering a few centimeters above the asphalt.
Then, another bullet came.
The zombie helplessly watched it land over its head, popping the living evil out of its body. Upon its death, everyone was pulled out of their stupor, and back to the threat in-front.
"Confirmed kill, Eagle One."
Eagle Two radioed, while firing their own shot. Another super zombie died, rag dolling its way to the underworld.
"Weapons free, weapons free."
Though Dmitri’s order came late, the Scouts and Army Soldiers quickly moved into action.
Ryan leaned out of cover, watching the targets move with unprecedented speed and agility.
"Contact, right. Near that white fence."
He raised his M16A4 and aimed at his first target. Sure, they were fast, but were they faster than his bullets?
With bated breath and eyes that followed like a magnet, he pulled the trigger five times.
The zombie, hearing the gunfire, turned its head and seemingly looked at the incoming bullets. Its torso arched backward, letting two brush past into the wall.
Yet the other three found their way and hit its shoulder, leg, and the left eye. The body instantly crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
"Target down!"
Ryan spoke and moved his aim, "Another contact, to the left!"
It wore a large sport vest, sprinting straight into the entrance where he was. Five bullets were dumped.
Three missed. Two hit the mark, yet the wounds were too light.
Ryan gritted his teeth and fired four more rounds, ending the zombie with a shot to head.
An endless hail of bullets continued for tens of seconds. Suddenly, one of the zombies leapt out of the kill zone, jumping into the bushes and vanishing from their sight.
The vegetation rustled from its movement, but the soldiers didn’t want to waste bullets guessing its position.
"Switching to thermal," Eagle One adjusted her sights.
Through her scope, the world turned black and white. Under the slightly dark hue of the foliage, a zombie’s body slowly sneaked their way close to the left entrance gate.
This behavior greatly warned Zolyah’s instincts, noting the drastic difference between them and the previous encounters.
It was as if they had become smarter and more aware of their surroundings, using terrain and features much to their advantage.
Unfortunately, her scope’s crosshair had long locked against the oblivious target. Her muscles tensed and held her breath, then fired a shot.
The large caliber tore a hole in the leaves and the stems, piercing straight into the zombie’s chest. With a loud thud, it crashed into the wall, its head drooped down, deader than before.
The area around became silent.
The Army Soldiers peeked from the wall cover, checking signs of enemy from time to time.
"Eagle One, what’s the status?" Dmitri called out.
"Don’t let your guard down," Eagle One warned. "This ain’t the end of it yet."
She remembered counting the shadows through her scope, their numbers way more than what had appeared.
"Check your ammo," Dmitri nodded and ordered to the team. "Watch those flanks, and repo—"
His words were suddenly cut when Kimmy suddenly yelled.
"Officer, get out of there, now! Something’s coming, and it’s big!"
The soldiers were confused, but soon, the answer came.
A large frame of the concrete wall appeared high in the air. It wobbled as it made its way down, arcing straight towards Dmitri’s position.
Mason’s eyes opened with, finding the scenario a little too familiar.
"Shit, incoming artillery," he hurried. "Get down!"
Now, with practiced motion, he scooped up his M249 SAW and rolled down the pathway. Grasses cycled in-and-out of his vision, but to him, it was better than being squashed to death.
The pair of Guardian GIs grunted as they carried the MK19 out of the wall’s landing zone.
With a loud thunderous boom, it crashed into the mound, spewing dirt, grass, and dead leaves around. Fragments of the debris hit the wall and the helmet of an Army Soldier, making him stagger under the concussive effect.
"Eagle One, did you see where that thing come from?"
Dmitri, flustered by the sudden artillery strike, radioed, his voice filled with fury. To think that these walls were once Pandora’s defenses now became weapons in the enemy’s hands.
"No vision! Eagle Two, respond!"
"Negative," Eagle Two calmly responded. "Throw should be half a click from your position, southwest. From that historical-looking mansion on the lower side."
Damn it, Dmitri cursed. Splitting up now wasn’t a good idea, nor was to let the enemy rain down fire into their position. Even if they used Tyrus’s mansion as a cover, how long would that hold against such an enormous wall section?
"Bulldog One, did you copy Eagle Two’s last?" He clung tightly to his final hope.
He wanted to use the Light APC to deter and punish these specials with quick bursts of large rounds, but now, it seemed plans needed to change.
"Copy, Echo Actual," Bulldog One responded. "Too risky to navigate this thing through the streets. Send me a squad to cover, and I’ll burst that thing down."
"Mason, Ryan, and Elise, Bulldog One needs assistance," Dmitri quickly phoned in while he evaded another wall being dropped from the air.
As the dust settled, he coughed, the echoes ringing loudly on the comms.
"Damn it, we need that thing to stop throwing these walls, or we’ll all going to die!"
"Roger that, Echo Actual. Strike team on the way."
Ryan sprinted into Mason and helped him stand back up with his gear. Inaudible curses left the MG’s mouth, wondering why he was so unlucky with artillery lately.
With a short exchange of glances, the two quickly made their way into the left entrance.
"Took you boys long enough," Elise laughed mockingly and led the way into the narrow street where the target was located.