Kapitel 23: No room for weakness

Bang!

Kia was still tied up to the floor, trying to get his rope undone when he heard the sound of fired gunshots. Sofie shrieked in fear and moved closer to him while he looked up to listen more closely.

"What is that?" Sofie whispered, but there was no answer to that as they were still trapped.

Scared for both their lives, Kia frantically started to move the fork at a faster pace, hoping to get the rope loose enough. Thankfully, he could feel the rope finally giving way.

It was about time!

In another part of the building, the rest of the group also paused in their respective duties, wearing puzzled expressions.

"Did you hear that?" One of the men asked another.

Bang!

They heard it again, and this time loud murmurs broke out among themselves with all thinking just one thing: their barricade was breached.

Panic erupted. It didn't take long for the rest to regroup, each wearing an expression that said they had also heard the unmistakable sound of gunshots.

Logan, being the last to join in, wore a grim expression as he observed the rest. They were all huddled together in fear of the unknown. Logan carefully observed every one of them slowly, with an unsatisfied look. He asked, "Is this everyone?"

The group exchanged nervous glances, and the mother, Claire, who held her two children close, was the first to speak up.

"My husband! Michael was assigned to reinforce the service corridor. He's still out there!" She exclaimed, her voice trembling.

Logan's face hardened. He was sure the sound of the gunshot came from that exact direction, which only confirmed his suspicion. This wasn't good.

"Alright, we need to move out," he barked and pulled out his weapon, signaling the rest to do the same as they had practiced.

Just as he was about to lead the way, a loud crash echoed through the corridor, followed by the sound of shattering glass and crumbling concrete.

The group's heads snapped towards the noise, their eyes wide with fear. "What was that?" someone whispered, but Logan just gestured for them to follow him. They moved out, their weapons at the ready, as they made their way towards the source of the noise.

As they turned a corner, they were met with a chilling sight: Alexander standing soaked in a pool of blood, wearing a horrific expression. He frantically covered his right ear with his hand, his eyes darting around the corridor as if expecting an attack from all sides.

Claire had to cover her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

Maya's eyes narrowed as she looked at the scene before her. "What happened?" She demanded.

Alexander's eyes flickered among each of them. "It's Michael," he said with a strained voice.

Hearing her husband's name, Claire panicked and pushed her way past the rest to stand in front of Alexander.

"What happened to him? Where's my husband?" She said, pulling his shirt.

Alexander's eyes locked onto her, he gulped down nothing and shook his head. "He's...he's gone."

Claire's eyes widened, and she felt her legs buckle beneath her. "No," she said, trying to fight back the tears.

"No," her breathing became difficult, and she began to stumble back.

"No! No! No!" She shook her head. "Not my Michael! Tell me it's not true!" The tears streamed down her face as she collapsed to the ground, her body shaking with sobs.

The fear in the group heightened as they stood frozen in shock, unsure of how to react.

May quickly walked past her. "What do you mean?" she demanded.

Alexander's gaze dropped to the floor, and he took in a deep breath before speaking. "We were trying to reinforce the service door when we had a malfunction with the door. I tried to go get something to help hold it in place, but by the time I returned..." he paused as he recalled the event. "Michael...he was attacked. There were zombies on the other side of the door. I... I couldn't save him."

"I am so sorry, Claire, I couldn't save him." Alexander's voice cracked as he spoke, his eyes welling with tears.

"How many were there?" Maya proceeded to ask the important question.

Alexander's eyes darted back to her, and he shook his head. "I don't know... I..."

"Answer the question, Alex! We don't have all day," Don barked. The more time they wasted trying to gather information, the more danger they were in.

"I couldn't see. It was dark, the light went off...but...but there was more than one. It all happened so fast..."

"Fuck!" Lain cursed, running his hand through his hair. He turned to Logan. "What are we going to do now?" He asked.

"There's only one thing to do," Logan said and everyone's eyes fell on him. "We have to get rid of them."

"What!" Georgina's eyes widened in disbelief as she made her way to the front so she could be seen. "What do you mean get rid of them? Are you suggesting we go out there and fight a horde of those creatures? Have you lost your mind?"

"Hey!" Liam tried to hold her back by grabbing her hand to stop her from moving any further, but she smacked his hand away with a flick of her wrist.

"Get that filthy hand off me!" She snapped. "I refuse to risk my life for this nonsense. You lot can go play hero if you want, but count me out!"

Not moved by her sudden outburst, Logan pulled a lighter from his pocket and a pack of cigarettes. He lit one and took a step forward. "If you are not willing to contribute to our survival, then you are a liability." Each word that left his mouth was followed by the sound of his cigarette burning, the ember glowing in the dim light of the corridor.

Georgina's eyes widened in shock, her face pale with fear. "You can't be serious, surely?" she whispered, her voice trembling a little but still holding its sass.

Logan's expression remained cold, his eyes fixed on Georgina. "I'm dead serious," he said, his voice firm. "We can't afford to have anyone holding us back. If you're not with us, then you're against us."

"That is… you… that's quite a harsh ultimatum, Logan," Georgina said, her voice still trembling but with a hint of defiance. "You're saying we have to fight or die."

Logan's expression didn't change. "That's exactly what I'm saying. We can't afford to carry dead weight."

Georgina's eyes narrowed. "And what makes you the boss, huh? Who put you in charge?"

Just as she said, his eyes flashed with anger, causing her to shriek and take a step back; even Maya couldn't intervene, but he kept his voice calm. "I'm in charge because I'm the only one who's been keeping us alive so far. And if you don't like it, you can always leave." He said and took a drag from his cigarette, puffing the smoke her way.

"The door is that way," he said, nudging his head down the corridor in the direction of the main exit. "Go ahead, we won't stop you."

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