Two weeks later.
Atlanta suburbs, a residential area.
Leon crouched on the roof of an abandoned SUV, his compound bow drawn into a full moon.
Thirty meters away, a lone Walker was stumbling around on a family’s lawn.
It was wearing a floral nightgown, its long blonde hair disheveled; it must have been a middle-aged housewife in life.
Whoosh.
The arrow broke through the air, piercing the Walker’s temple with precision.
It collapsed onto the lawn like a sack of potatoes, twitched twice, and stopped moving.
Leon jumped down from the car roof and walked over to retrieve the arrow.
He wiped the blood clean on the corpse’s nightgown and slid the arrow back into the quiver on his back.
The compound bow was found at a sporting goods store two weeks ago.
Gunshots were too loud and would attract more Walkers.
Bows and arrows were quiet, suitable for his current wandering life.
Two weeks.
Ever since he was thrown out of the CDC that day, he had been wandering the outskirts.
But he wasn’t in a hurry.
What he needed to do now was wait.
Leon had scoured this residential area for two weeks, collecting quite a few supplies.
Canned food, bottled water, first aid kits, several changes of clothes, and this modified pickup truck—the truck bed was fitted with iron grates, the windows welded with anti-theft nets; it barely counted as a mobile fortress.
He even found a police station.
Unfortunately, the armory had long been looted, leaving only a few boxes of shotgun shells and a small box of pistol ammo.
It seemed that early in the outbreak, the local residents had thought of taking guns faster than the police.
Leon finished strapping on his quiver and was just preparing to continue his scavenging for the day— Footsteps.
Many footsteps.
Messy, rapid, accompanied by panting and screaming.
Leon looked up and saw a group of people rushing out from the end of the street.
Over a dozen of them, men, women, old, and young.
They held a variety of weapons—baseball bats, steel pipes, golf clubs—things clearly grabbed from their homes.
Everyone looked terrified, running for their lives.
They saw Leon.
But no one stopped.
They rushed past him one by one, as if they hadn’t seen him.
Leon frowned.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask, the last girl running past stopped for a moment.
She was a blonde girl, in her early twenties, her blue eyes filled with fear.
She was wearing a sports tank top and jeans, holding a softball bat.
“Run!” She shouted at Leon: “There are thousands of Walkers following us!” Leon looked toward the end of the street.
Then he saw it.
A solid mass of black.
Those things were pouring out from the corner, dense and packed, filling the entire street.
They were stumbling, stiff, but fast—much faster than an average person walking.
Their gray faces were full of greedy hunger.
“OMG, they’ve caught up!” The blonde girl’s face was deathly pale: “Run!” She turned and ran.
Leon didn’t run.
He walked slowly toward the pickup truck parked on the side of the road, opened the door, sat in, and started the engine.
The pickup roared out, quickly catching up with the group.
Those people saw the car, and their eyes lit up.
They waved frantically, shouting: “Stop!
Let us in!” Leon slowed down and rolled down the window.
Then he pulled out his piece, the muzzle pointing up so everyone could see.
“You.” He pointed at the blonde girl: “Get in.” The girl was stunned.
“Hurry up.” She came to her senses, pulled open the door, and jumped into the passenger seat.
Before the door was even closed, Leon had already stepped on the gas, and the pickup shot forward.
Angry curses came from behind.
“There are troops stationed one kilometer ahead.” Leon said without looking back: “Run faster, and you might survive.” He saw in the rearview mirror that those people had regained hope and were running desperately in that direction.
“What’s your name?” Leon asked.
“Amy.” The girl was still panting: “Amy Harrison.
Thank you for letting me in.” “You’re welcome.
You warned me, I warned you once.
We’re even.” Amy was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled: “You’re a really interesting person.” Leon said nothing.
The car drove fast, and in five minutes, they reached the roadblock on the outskirts of the CDC.
Two Soldiers saw the pickup and immediately raised their guns.
When they saw the face in the driver’s seat, one of them rolled his eyes.
“Why is it you again?” “I missed you guys too.” Leon stopped the car with a grin.
Another Soldier walked over and knocked on the window: “You’ve been blacklisted, you know that?
The Major said if he sees you approaching again, he’ll shoot on sight.” “I know, I know.” Leon waved his hand: “I’ll just stay here, I won’t go in.
But this girl—let her in for shelter.
There are thousands of Walkers following a group of people, and they’ll be here soon.” The Soldier looked into the distance.
Sure enough, at the corner a few hundred meters away, that group of people appeared.
They were running for their lives, and behind them— The Soldier’s face changed.
At the corner, a dense horde of Walkers was pouring out.
More and more, like a gray tidal wave.
A middle-aged man who fell behind was caught.
He screamed as he was grabbed by a dozen hands at once and dragged into the horde.
“Holy shit!” The Soldier shouted: “Sir!
Thousands more are coming!” The Major rushed out of the tent, raised his binoculars to take a look, his face turning iron-green.
“Everyone get in the vehicles!
Evacuate!” As the order was given, the entire camp sprang into motion instantly.
Soldiers abandoned tents and supplies, rushing toward military vehicles.
The roar of engines rose one after another.
Amy poked her head out the window and shouted: “Hey!
You can’t just leave them!” No one paid her any mind.
Three tanks lay there quietly—out of fuel.
Four military transport trucks also stood motionless—also out of fuel.
Only a few humvees and trucks were still operational, carrying two hundred Soldiers as they kicked up clouds of dust and drove away without looking back.
Amy stared blankly at the retreating taillights, unable to believe her eyes.
Leon had already pushed open the door and was rushing toward the CDC.
Inside the main building of the CDC, the monitoring room was in chaos.
Several researchers in white coats stared at the screens, watching the departing military vehicles, their faces deathly pale.
“They’re leaving?” “They’re really leaving?” “My God…” A middle-aged male researcher wearing glasses stood up abruptly: “What do we do?” No one could answer him.
At this moment, a middle-aged man in a white coat slowly stood up.
He was in his thirties, with a buzz cut and deep exhaustion in his eyes.
He was Dr.
Jenner, a senior researcher at the CDC.
He looked at the horde of Walkers getting closer on the screen, then looked at his terrified colleagues, opened his mouth, wanting to say something—but he said nothing.
Because he saw on another screen that a young Asian man was sprinting toward the main building.
That man was running too fast.
Too fast to look like he was fleeing for his life.
Too fast, as if he had a clear goal.
Dr.
Jenner frowned.
When Leon rushed into the main building, a group of researchers was running out.
They saw him and were all stunned.
“Who, who are you?” A young female researcher asked, stammering.
“If I were you, I’d lower the quarantine shutters right now.
There are thousands of Walkers walking toward your CDC.” After dropping that line, Leon ignored her.
He pushed through the crowd and headed straight for the stairs.
He was going to the basement.
Because there, the system prompt was flashing wildly.
[Host detected entering target area] [hive system first level unlock conditions about to be met] [Please proceed to the third basement level—] [Permission verification in progress…] When Leon ran to the third basement level, a thick metal door blocked his path.
There was a red logo on the door—an umbrella.
A red and white umbrella.
Umbrella Corporation.
Leon took out the ID card and swiped it on the access control.
Beep.
The green light turned on.
A mechanical female voice sounded: “Welcome back, Umbrella Corporation Regional General Manager Leon.” “Your clearance level: S-Class.” “hive system first level, unlocked.” The metal door slowly opened.
Behind the door was a long corridor, the lights turning on one by one, extending into the deep darkness.