Dümped

"So, what now?" Moses asked, still kneeling on the ground.

The man kept his gun trained on them. "You've been feeding their herd."

Sandra frowned. "What?"

"When I first got here, there were only three of them. Now they're everywhere." His tone was sharp, accusing. "Whatever you've been doing, you've made it worse."

Sandra and Moses exchanged a look but said nothing.

The man sighed, lowering his weapon slightly. "It's late. Spend the night. Leave in the morning."

He turned and walked a few steps back, then reached down and pulled open a well-hidden hatch.

A tunnel stretched below them, dimly lit and narrow.

"Move."

Sandra and Moses hesitated, then climbed down. The man followed, closing the hatch behind them.

They made their way through the tunnel until they reached a metal door. The man unlocked it, revealing a well-stocked survival bunker.

Shelves lined the walls, filled with canned food, bottled water, and even medical supplies. A couch and a bed sat in the corner, looking surprisingly well-kept.

Sandra's eyes flicked to two other doors. One was reinforced steel, like the entrance. The other was an ordinary wooden door.

Whatever was behind them, she had a feeling they weren't meant to find out.

"I'm Jeff. What are your names?" he asked, handing them an open can of fruit.

Sandra and Moses introduced themselves.

Jeff nodded, then casually stripped off most of his gear, leaving only his underwear on.

"You guys would've called me crazy in the old world," he said, stretching. "Now you're sitting in my house, eating my food."

Sandra and Moses exchanged a glance but kept eating.

The next morning, Jeff sent them off with a few cans of food.

When they arrived back at camp, Ray was the first to greet them. "Where the hell have you two been?"

"We found a guy living out in the woods," Moses said. "A prepper. He's got a whole bunker stocked with supplies."

Ray raised an eyebrow. "A bunker? That's a damn goldmine these days." Then he snorted. "Figures. Preppers always seemed crazy—bet the whole place is booby-trapped up the wazoo."

Sandra glanced at Moses. Neither of them had thought about that.

Maybe Jeff wasn't as alone as he seemed.

Later that night, Sandra was tending to the fire when she heard a rustling in the trees.

Her hand went to her gun.

Moses and Ray were talking nearby, but they stopped when they saw her tense up.

Then—a shadow stepped into the firelight.

It was Jeff.

He was fully geared again, rifle slung over his shoulder, sidearm strapped to his hip. His eyes scanned the camp before landing on Sandra and Moses.

"You didn't tell me you had a whole crew," he said.

Ray stood up. "And you didn't tell them you'd be paying a visit."

Jeff smirked. "Didn't think I needed an invite." He tossed a small bag onto the ground. Cans of food. "Consider it a gift."

Sandra narrowed her eyes. "Why are you here, Jeff?"

His smirk faded. "Because I thought about what you said—about clearing out the Gensengs. And I realized something."

Ray crossed his arms. "Yeah? And what's that?"

Jeff looked at them, his face unreadable.

"You're not the only ones hunting them."

Jeff crossed his arms. "There's a supermarket I've been trying to clear out. Fully stocked, but it's overrun with Gensengs. I say we team up—split the loot."

Ray leaned back, thinking. "How about this—you take 70 percent, and we get 30. Plus, you throw in some of your best weapons and armor."

Jeff smirked. "Fair deal."

The next day, he returned with a stash of guns and protective gear.

Ray handpicked the team for the raid: Isaac, Big Mike (formerly just Mike before Genseng Mike happened), Vasili, and himself. With Jeff leading the way, they set off toward the supermarket.

Just like Jeff had said—the place was crawling with Gensengs.

Isaac took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's give these bastards something to chase."

He stepped forward, raised his rifle, and fired into the air.

The Gensengs turned in unison. Then, they shrieked.

And charged.

Isaac led the Gensengs away while the rest of the team slipped inside. They moved fast, grabbing supplies from the shelves.

Then—the front door creaked open.

Everyone froze.

They spun around, guns raised.

A woman stood in the doorway. Early twenties, dressed like a tennis player. Her pleated skirt and visor were pristine, as if she hadn't been living in the same nightmare as everyone else.

Some of the guys hesitated, lowering their weapons.

Ray and Jeff did not.

She walked in like she owned the place, her hips swaying, fingers trailing over the shelves as she picked out items one by one.

Big Mike and Vasili exchanged glances. She was beautiful, but something was off.

She drifted toward Vasili, eyes locked on him. Then—her hand brushed his cheek.

Before he could react—SNAP.

His neck twisted violently, his body crumpling to the floor.

Aisles away, Big Mike turned the corner—and saw her crouched over Vasili, teeth tearing into his flesh.

He screamed and opened fire.

The first shot hit her in the shoulder.

She hissed. A sharp, unnatural sound.

Then—she moved.

Fast.

Mike fired again and again, but she weaved between the bullets like she could see them coming.

Then she lunged.

Before he could react, she slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

And then—she bared her teeth.

Ray and Jeff stormed in, guns raised.

The woman's head snapped toward them.

For a split second, she locked eyes with Ray—and grinned.

Then, she bolted.

She sprinted toward the storefront, crashing through the glass without hesitation. Shards rained down as she vanished into the night.

Jeff rushed to Vasili's body, but one look told him everything. Neck snapped. Dead.

Ray knelt beside Big Mike, who groaned as he pushed himself up. "You good?"

Mike wiped blood from his mouth. "That thing… wasn't normal."

Jeff reloaded his rifle, eyes fixed on the broken window. "No. It wasn't."

Silence hung in the air.

Then Ray said what they were all thinking.

"What the hell did we just run into?"