Survival in the last days of America

"Careful! Get down!"

Seeing the middle-aged man's insane actions, Brian's pupils contracted. Almost instinctively, he shouted, grabbing Sarah and Alan and forcing them to drop to the ground. Though the gun wasn't pointed at them, better safe than sorry.

Anna, hearing Brian's yell, snapped out of her shock instantly. She sprinted forward, grabbed Marlene—who was still dazed and hadn't reacted—and pulled her back into the dark alley they had just come from.

—Rat-tat-tat-tat!

Fingers squeezed the trigger. Bullets erupted from the rifle, striking soldiers in the chest and limbs, their eyes wide with terror. The man's own companions—those outsiders previously detained by the soldiers—were also hit by the indiscriminate gunfire.

Within seconds, several soldiers directly in the line of fire collapsed. Fortunately, the others reacted quickly. Those who hadn't yet exited the building turned and retreated inside, while those farther away dove behind the military trucks for cover.

—Hahaha!

The man clutched the trigger, his face twisted into a mask of pure madness, laughing hysterically. Knowing that once his bullets ran out, his life would end, he had chosen to lash out at the world that had taken everything from him.

Without hesitation, he swung the rifle around, aiming it at the civilians still watching from the street. He began firing in a sweeping arc, not caring how many innocent lives he would end.

—Aaah!

Blood sprayed across the pavement. Shrill screams filled the air. As the gun turned toward them, the crowd's faces twisted with horror. They scrambled backward, desperate to escape.

Some, like Brian and his group, immediately dropped to the ground. Others froze in terror, trembling, unable to move—only to be cut down by the flying bullets. In mere moments, over a dozen bodies lay scattered across the street. A thick, metallic stench of blood hung over the entire block.

At the same time, the guard posts along the quarantine zone wall noticed the disturbance. Hearing the gunfire, they didn't hesitate—they immediately triggered the alarm and reported the situation to higher command.

The piercing siren blared through every public address speaker across Zone A. All residents walking the streets at that moment sprinted back to their homes.

The checkpoints leading to other zones, upon hearing the alarm, automatically sealed all four metal gates. Every soldier in the area entered full combat alert.

After a full sweep of the street, the rifle's magazine emptied with a final click . The man knew his time was up.

Yet there was no fear on his face. He only looked toward his daughter's lifeless body, reached for the pistol at the soldier's belt, and whispered:

"Don't be afraid, daughter… Dad's coming to join you."

—Bang!

Without hesitation, he pressed the trigger. The bullet tore through his temple, ending his life instantly.

—Thud!

A heavy body hit the ground. Aside from the continuing blare of the alarm, everything seemed to freeze. The panicked crowd, crouched or lying on the pavement, remained motionless, stunned and unable to process what had just happened.

When no further sounds came, Brian slowly lifted his head. He looked at the man lying dead on the street and let out a long, shaky breath.

But when he turned and saw the line of bullet holes in the wall behind them, a chill ran down his spine. He silently thanked his instincts.

At first, he had only acted out of caution, pulling Sarah and Alan down just in case. He never expected anything serious to happen. He certainly never imagined that man would be so utterly deranged as to open fire on innocent civilians. By sheer luck, their precaution had saved them from what could have been a fatal mistake.

Brian slowly got to his feet, brushed the dust off his clothes, and stared at the dead man on the ground. Quietly, he muttered:

"Damn… what a madman."

Inside Anna's room.

Brian dragged his exhausted body through the door and entered first. Anna and the others followed.

"Ugh! I can't take it anymore! I'm dead!"

The moment she stepped inside, Sarah groaned, rushed to the bed, and collapsed onto it like a sack of bricks.

Brian found a spot to sit. Night had fallen outside, and the alarm had finally stopped. He wiped his face with both hands, replaying the morning's events in his mind—each moment still vivid.

Not long after the man's death, several more military trucks arrived. They quickly began cleaning up the scene and detained every civilian who had witnessed the incident, showing no intention of letting them go just yet.

Thankfully, the military didn't seem to be assigning blame. They held everyone not to punish them, but to confirm what they'd seen and to issue a strict warning: not a single word of what happened today could be spoken aloud. They recorded everyone's information—any leak would be traced back to them.

After several chaotic hours, the soldiers finally allowed them to leave.

But as they were departing, they found Tracy waiting for them at a street corner, still in her military uniform.

After a brief exchange of greetings, they learned why she was there. Besides wanting to see them, she explained that due to the incident, she had been temporarily removed from her duties and would face disciplinary action once the investigation concluded. She also gave them the full background of what had happened.

It turned out that after capturing several civilians who had illegally entered the quarantine zone, the military had not only destroyed the passage they'd discovered but also confiscated their supplies and imprisoned them for further processing.

But that very morning, one of the detainees, fearing execution, had confessed something crucial he'd done before being caught.

While scavenging for supplies outside the zone, he had encountered six or seven refugees. They knew about the quarantine zone and had come seeking shelter—but were denied entry due to overcrowding.

Seeing the supplies they carried, the man's greed took over. He pretended to be part of a larger group and offered them entry in exchange for all their belongings—without checking whether they were infected.

Once inside, under cover of night, he led them to a vacant apartment in a residential building, locked them inside, and abandoned them.

The next day, he was discovered by the military and thrown into prison.

Upon receiving this information, the military immediately dispatched a tactical team to apprehend the intruders—leading to the chain of events they had just witnessed.

As for the infected woman, she was discovered when a soldier kicked open a door. They found her strapped to the wall, hands bound behind her back, making muffled growling sounds.

At first, the soldier assumed she was a civilian held captive by the intruders. But when he released her hands, she slashed at him with terrifying force. Only then did he realize she was infected. Panicking, he kicked her and fired several shots—none fatal. The infected lunged at him, and both fell through the window.

—Sigh.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Brian let out a quiet breath. He suddenly realized that even within the seemingly safe quarantine zone, safety was never guaranteed.

Anna, the last to enter, closed the door behind her. Seeing the group's exhausted state, she set down her backpack and emptied its contents—food—onto the table.

"Come on, eat something."

"I'm in!"

Sarah, who had been lying on the bed like a lifeless fish, shot upright at the word "eat." She rushed to the table, eyes wide at the food—but didn't grab anything immediately. Instead, she began sorting through, picking out the items closest to their expiration dates.

Most were chips and snacks, but no one complained. Compared to those struggling to survive outside the zone, having food at all was a luxury.

Brian casually grabbed a bag Sarah had set aside, tore it open, and shoved a handful of chips into his mouth. After a moment, he looked at Sarah and Alan, who were eating eagerly, and said:

"We're going back to school tomorrow morning."

"What? Why?"

Sarah and Alan both looked up, mouths full, their voices rising in confusion and protest.

They'd been stuck all day under military watch. They hadn't even gotten to explore properly! How could they leave so soon?

"Why so sudden?"

Compared to Sarah and Alan's outburst, Anna remained calm. Though she didn't understand Brian's decision, she suspected it was tied to the morning's events.

Leaning back, Brian looked up at the ceiling and said:

"It's not that sudden. After what happened, the restrictions that were about to be lifted will definitely be extended—especially in Zone A. Security will be tightened, and we won't be able to move freely. Since we had to leave tomorrow afternoon anyway, leaving a few hours earlier doesn't make much difference."

Seeing Brian was determined, Anna didn't argue. With Zone A under heightened surveillance, leaving early was wise. It wasn't their only visit. There would be other chances.

After stuffing the last chip into his mouth, Brian tossed the empty bag onto the table, brushed off his hands, and stood.

"I'm full. I'm going to sleep. Don't stay up too late."

He walked slowly into the corner office, looked at the makeshift bed he'd assembled the day before, then closed the door behind him.

Standing by the office window, Brian gazed at the darkening sky and the increased number of soldiers patrolling the streets.

In his heart, he felt a premonition: what had happened today wasn't the end.

It was only the beginning.

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