Chapter 66: Armed in the Rainy Night p1
“Rat-tat-tat-tat——”
“Pitter-patter——”
“Roar——”
“Boom——”
Gunfire, torrential rain, zombie growls, and the roar of grenades—the quiet highway had suddenly become a chaotic battlefield.
Lin Xiwan, carrying Lin Jiayao, ran towards the landslide, weaving between the lines of fire.
The young man who had warned them provided cover, his rifle taking down Sprinter after Sprinter.
He was clearly skilled with firearms, likely having spent a lot of time practicing.
Lin Jiayao, jostled on her sister’s shoulder, clutched the black cloak with her left hand and the rifle grip with her right.
“Fall back! Fall back!”
“Damn it, we can’t hold them! Retreat! Retreat! Xiao Liu, flare!”
“Those without guns, retreat first!”
Seven or eight armed men near the landslide, seeing Lin Xiwan approaching, made way for them.
Despite the chaos, they were disciplined, maintaining their formation even as the horde closed in.
“Bang—Whoosh—”
A red flare arced through the air, its aluminum and magnesium powder burning brightly.
“Grenades! Throw grenades! Retreat!”
After eliminating the fastest Sprinters, the eight ordinary people from the military base camp pulled out their grenades, primed them, and threw them.
“Boom—”
Without time to assess the damage, they quickly retreated, scrambling up the muddy slope.
The rain-soaked earth was incredibly slippery, making the climb even more treacherous.
Every broken branch and loose stone was a potential hazard. They had to keep moving, pushing upwards through the mud, like running through a swamp.
Their progress was slow, and Lin Xiwan, carrying Lin Jiayao, was even slower.
Not only was she carrying another person, but she only had one free hand.
And that hand held a rifle.
Her strength and agility were useless on this treacherous slope.
She had no choice but to discard the rifle, use both hands, and crawl upwards.
Lin Jiayao, on her sister’s back, held her breath and observed the horde.
They shouldn’t be pursuing them; the jeep had distanced them considerably.
Unless… there was a Hive Zombie directing them.
The only Hive Zombies in Yangzhou City were Wailers.
Wailers were slow; they couldn’t keep up with the horde. It must be riding on another zombie…
Ignoring her sister’s heavy breathing, Lin Jiayao scanned the horde.
The fastest zombies had reached the base of the slope and were starting to climb.
The four abandoned jeeps were overrun and overturned, Biters being pushed over the guardrails and tumbling into the raging river below.
No… the horde is too dense, and the rain… I can’t see clearly.
Looking down, Lin Jiayao felt a surge of panic.
The mindless Biters weren’t even trying to climb properly.
The slower ones were being trampled by those behind them, pushed into the mud.
The horde, using the bodies of their own as stepping stones, was ascending at an alarming rate.
Fortunately, Lin Xiwan reached the top first. She shifted Lin Jiayao into a princess carry.
Carrying or piggybacking her would risk injuring her legs; this was the safest way.
Holding her sister tightly, she said, “Hold on tight.”
Feeling her sister’s arms around her neck, Lin Xiwan took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on the illuminated convoy below.
Spotting a large boulder on the downslope, she jumped, landing steadily on it, and then leaped again, carrying her sister, back onto solid ground.
“It’s you? You were here this morning picking up a car? What’s happening back there?” As soon as she landed, several men in raincoats surrounded her, the bearded man in the lead asking urgently.
He seemed very worried.
“A horde on the highway. We abandoned the jeep and ran,” Lin Xiwan replied, catching her breath.
“A horde?” The man was clearly surprised. He took a few deep breaths, stepped back, and raised a megaphone.
“Stop digging! Stop digging! Get in the cars! Everyone get in the cars! And bring your guns! Now!”
He ran through the convoy, urging everyone to get in their vehicles.
More survivors were reaching the top of the slope, trying to descend.
One was lucky, managing to run down without incident.
But the others weren’t so fortunate. They tumbled down the slippery slope, their bodies battered by the rocks and branches.
Under the man’s direction, more than ten jeeps started up, everyone quickly loading the injured and returning to their vehicles.
“Roar—”
A Sprinter, having climbed over the bodies of other zombies, reached the top of the slope and roared.
Lin Xiwan, holding Lin Jiayao tightly, looked up at the growing number of zombies.
A wave of helplessness washed over her.
The jeep was gone… supplies, guns, fuel, clothes… everything was gone.
The jeeps around her started driving away. Lin Xiwan, drenched and disheveled, felt incredibly vulnerable on the wide, empty highway.
“You two! Hurry! Get in the car! What are you waiting for?! Come here!!!”
The man with the megaphone shouted from beside the lead jeep.
Without hesitation, Lin Xiwan ran towards the jeep and climbed into the open trunk.
There was no heating in the car, but just being inside made her feel safe.
“Thump—”
The trunk door slammed shut. The man put away the megaphone, ran to the driver’s seat, and started the jeep in one smooth motion.
Lin Xiwan noticed she was sitting on several military supply crates, and in front of her, a pair of twin girls peeked out from behind the front seats, looking at her curiously.
Carefully positioning her sister against the back of the front seat, Lin Xiwan leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine, Sis.”
Hearing her sister’s reply, Lin Xiwan relaxed, slumped against the back of the trunk, and looked at the rearview mirror.
She saw zombies tumbling down the slope. Only four of the eight men who had been providing cover remained, three of them injured.
She didn’t see the other four… they had likely been overtaken by the horde.
The young man who had been staring at her sister, the one who had helped cover their escape, probably hadn’t made it – he had been at the very back.
“Daddy, where’s Big Brother’s car?” one of the little girls asked the bearded man in a childish voice.
“Big Brother went ahead,” the bearded man said, his voice slightly somber.
“Oh.” The little girl nodded obediently.
Lin Xiwan didn’t know what to say. After a moment of silence, she whispered, “Thank you, Brother Gou.”
Wang Dongfeng, nicknamed Brother Gou, was the leader of the military base camp. He was an ordinary person – Lin Xiwan had only learned this a few days ago when she bought the jeep.
He had been a civil servant before the apocalypse. The military base camp had always been secretive; she didn’t know how he’d become their leader.
She only knew he had been the first to lead survivors to the military base’s underground storage facility and had actively recruited people in the early days of the apocalypse, even families.
Unfortunately, before Lin Xiwan could gather enough resources to take her sister to the military base camp, they had announced on the radio that they could no longer accept survivors.
The car wasn’t silent. The walkie-talkie in Wang Dongfeng’s hand emitted static.
But despite the constant “zzz,” he kept it on, seemingly waiting for something.
Finally, a clear voice came through.
“Brother Gou… zzz… they’re… just external injuries…”
“Four… didn’t make it… zzz… Zhang… zzz… Along…”
Lin Xiwan noticed that Wang Dongfeng’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel.
“What? Say that again? Which four are missing?” The heavy rain interfered with the walkie-talkie’s range. He accelerated slightly and asked again.
This time, he clearly heard the names of the four missing and exhaled slowly.
“Keep driving… We’ll stop before reaching Yutian Town.”
None of the names were Wang; his son had survived. He was likely among those who had tumbled down the slope.
“Team Leader Lin, is this your sister?” Relieved about his son, Wang Dongfeng became more talkative. “You’re taking this highway? Going to Xin City? Or Yumu City?”
Yangzhou City was at a major intersection, with highways leading to all surrounding provinces and cities. He didn’t know Lin Xiwan’s destination.
“Donghai City,” Lin Xiwan replied.
“Donghai… Survivor’s Light?” Wang Dongfeng seemed surprised. “Didn’t they stop broadcasting?”
Survivor’s Light’s daily radio broadcasts, sharing information about zombies and their weaknesses, had become a staple for every survivor. So, he was well aware of their sudden silence.
Everyone was speculating about what had happened to them.
“Yes,” Lin Xiwan replied, and the conversation died down.
“Sister,” one of the twin girls with pigtails, sitting in the back, suddenly said, holding out a slightly melted rock candy to Lin Jiayao. “Candy.”
Candy was a valuable commodity in the apocalypse. A child having it as a snack meant the rumors about the abundance of supplies in the military storage facility were likely true.
“Thank you.” Lin Jiayao smiled, took the candy, and gave it to her sister.
“Mmm—”
Lin Xiwan instinctively tried to refuse, but seeing it was Lin Jiayao, she accepted.
Her sister had exerted herself; replenishing her sugar levels was important.
“We’re planning to detour to Fuzhou City… They have the largest canned food processing plant in the province. Team Leader Lin, interested in joining us?”
Wang Dongfeng took advantage of the slightly relaxed atmosphere to extend his invitation.
“There must be other people there already,” Lin Xiwan said, shaking her head.
Besides, Fuzhou City was in the opposite direction of Donghai Province. They couldn’t detour with him.
“We have the largest military base in the province. We can negotiate with them,” Wang Dongfeng said, his meaning clear.
They intended to take the canning factory and warehouse, by force if necessary.
It was a matter of survival; Lin Xiwan couldn’t judge.
She remained silent, rubbing her temples, and glanced at her sister, biting her lip.
Lin Jiayao could sense her sister’s hesitation and guessed why.
Traveling with a convoy would be safer.
“We’re not going in the same direction,” Lin Jiayao said, declining the offer for her sister.
“Not the same direction… I see,” Wang Dongfeng nodded, not pressing further. “I can only take you to the town up ahead then. Take care.”
Dropping them off at the town was already more than he had to do. With any luck, they might find a working car there.
Lin Jiayao knew her sister well, especially after tonight’s events.
Her sister would rather face endless hordes of zombies than point a gun at ordinary people.
Lin Xiwan was clearly relieved by her sister’s response, but she took her hand and squeezed it tightly.
Lin Jiayao knew her sister was worried, both about her and about their future.
“Screech—”
A sudden stop interrupted them. Both sisters looked at Wang Dongfeng.
He was frowning, holding the walkie-talkie.
“Hello? What’s happening up ahead? Please respond.”
The convoy had stopped for some reason.
“Knock, knock, knock—”
Someone knocked on Wang Dongfeng’s window. “Brother Gou, there’s an accident up ahead, a lot of bodies… and an overturned truck, looks like it exploded, but there’s still some unsalvaged loot. We’re going to move the truck.”
Wang Dongfeng frowned.
He glanced back at Lin Xiwan. “You guys go ahead.”
After the man left, Wang Dongfeng stroked his daughters’ heads. “Be good, play with the two sisters for a while, okay?”
“Okay!”
“Yes, Daddy.”
The two girls nodded obediently. Then, Wang Dongfeng turned to Lin Xiwan. “Team Leader Lin, please keep an eye on them.”
He pulled up his hood, grabbed the megaphone, and went to direct the operation.
“Yaoyao, wait for me, I’ll go help too.” Lin Xiwan moved to the driver’s seat.
“Sister,” Lin Jiayao grabbed her arm and handed her the cloak. “Take this.”
“Okay.” Lin Xiwan smiled at her sister, took the cloak, put it on, and jumped out of the car, running towards the overturned truck.
They hadn’t spoken, but Lin Jiayao understood what her sister intended to do.
They had no car, no supplies. And up ahead was a potential source of both.
Even if it had been burned, there might still be something usable, like unscorched canned food or guns.
Lin Jiayao knew there might be canned food, but definitely no guns.
Because Mask had already taken all the working ones.
Lin Xiwan, braving the rain, reached the scene.
Wang Dongfeng was directing a group of men, trying to move the overturned truck.
A few women and thinner men were clearing debris that could puncture tires.
Wang Dongfeng, seeing Lin Xiwan, guessed her intentions and sighed inwardly.
“Team Leader Lin, please help clear the debris around the truck. Thank you.” He pointed towards the truck and then returned to his task.
Lin Xiwan didn’t reply but pulled down her hood and walked towards the truck.
She didn’t know if Wang Dongfeng was still trying to recruit her, but he was, at least, being kind.
Reaching the overturned truck, she saw that the supplies inside were charred beyond recognition.
And beside the truck were several rotting corpses, all headless.
Even those with heads had been shot in the forehead.
Lin Xiwan frowned, looking at the pale, decaying bodies.
Another massacre by some psychopath… a highway gang? The decapitations and the control shots suggested a gang or the Voodoo Cult.
Especially the fact that they hadn’t taken any supplies and had set the truck on fire; that was typical Voodoo Cult behavior.
Had those lunatics infiltrated this area too?
Leave a Reply