I Have a Modern Weapon Gacha System in the Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 24: Clearing up the Base

"Sir, are we currently hovering over the sky? Where are we going to land?"

Adrian, who was still slightly frustrated from the complaints of the survivors, answered through the radio.

"Just stay in the air for a moment. I’m moving the survivors down. The building isn’t secured yet, so keep your eyes peeled for those flying zombie birds."

"Copy that," the pilot replied. "Holding altitude."

The Black Hawk continued circling slowly above the Bayshore Residential Resort 1 building. The second helicopter maintained distance nearby, keeping formation.

Adrian lowered the radio and looked back toward the group of civilians.

Most of them were still standing near the stairwell structure, talking among themselves. Some were still unhappy, whispering complaints to each other.

Ryan noticed it too but didn’t comment.

"Alright," Adrian said. "Listen up."

The group looked at him again.

"The helicopters are staying up there for now. We’re not landing them again until we’re sure the building is clear."

The middle-aged man who had questioned him earlier frowned.

"So we’re just staying here?"

"For now, yes."

Adrian pointed toward the stairwell door again.

"My team is going to start clearing the floors below."

Ryan stepped forward and checked his rifle magazine.

"Mason, Jake, Noah," he said.

The three operators moved closer.

"We start from the top floor and work down."

Noah nodded.

"We have to secure all the main entrances and exits to make sure that there are no zombies coming in now..." Adrian paused as he walked over to the parapet and peeked down.

From the edge of the rooftop, the view of the lower floors and the ground level came into sight.

His eyes narrowed.

Several infected were already pushing through the main entrance of the building below.

The glass doors had been shattered earlier. The barricade they had placed earlier during the first sweep had collapsed.

A small stream of zombies was now wandering into the lobby.

"Shit," Adrian muttered.

Ryan immediately stepped beside him.

"What is it?"

Adrian pointed down.

Ryan leaned forward slightly and followed his line of sight.

The infected were slowly gathering inside the lobby area.

Some were already moving toward the stairwell corridor.

"They’re getting in," Ryan said.

Adrian nodded.

"Looks like the entrance didn’t hold."

Mason walked over and glanced down as well.

"That’s at least twenty already."

"And more coming from the street," Jake added after spotting movement near the parking entrance.

Adrian straightened up.

"Alright. Change of plan."

The operators turned toward him.

"We can’t clear from the top down anymore," Adrian said. "If we do that, they’ll keep flooding the lower floors."

Ryan understood immediately.

"We secure the ground level first."

Adrian nodded.

"Exactly."

He turned toward the stairwell door.

"We go down fast. Clear the lobby. Seal the entrances."

Noah checked his rifle sling.

"What about the civilians?"

Adrian glanced back at the group on the rooftop.

"They stay here."

Ryan nodded.

"Cole will stay with them."

Cole gave a short nod from where he was standing near the stairwell structure.

"Copy."

Adrian stepped toward the civilians again.

"Listen," he said firmly.

"Zombies are entering the building from the ground floor. We’re going down to deal with it."

Several people stiffened.

"But you said the rooftop was safe," one woman said nervously.

"It still is," Adrian replied. "As long as nobody opens that door."

He pointed at the stairwell.

"No one touches it."

The middle-aged man nodded quickly this time.

Chandrika pushed her glasses up slightly and looked at Adrian.

"You’re going down there now?"

"Yes."

Ryan stepped beside the door.

"Mason, Jake, Noah. With me."

They formed up quickly.

Ryan took point.

Mason stacked behind him.

Jake and Noah covered the sides.

Adrian moved behind them.

Ryan grabbed the handle of the stairwell door.

"Alright," he said quietly.

"Let’s go deal with the welcome party downstairs."

***

Minutes later, they were already on the lower floors.

The stairwell door burst open and Ryan stepped into the corridor leading to the lobby.

"Contact front!" he called immediately.

Gunfire erupted.

Two infected rushed down the hallway. Ryan fired first—two quick shots dropped the nearest one. Mason stepped past him and fired a short burst that tore through the second.

"Push!" Ryan ordered.

They moved fast.

The team advanced down the corridor toward the lobby entrance. The sound of infected came from every direction—shuffling feet, bodies slamming into walls, broken glass crunching under boots.

Jake kicked open a side door.

Three zombies staggered out.

Noah fired first, dropping one instantly. Jake finished the other two with controlled shots.

"Hallway clear," he said.

"Lobby ahead," Mason warned.

The shattered glass entrance came into view.

Outside, a crowd of infected was already pushing through the broken doors.

"At least twenty," Ryan said.

"Hold them at the entrance," Adrian replied.

Ryan stepped into the lobby and opened fire.

The first zombie dropped immediately, its body collapsing across the broken doorway. Mason moved to the right side of the lobby and fired controlled bursts toward the incoming group.

Jake and Noah took the left flank.

Bullets cracked through the open space as the infected poured in.

One lunged over the counter near the reception desk.

Adrian fired once.

The heavy round slammed into its head and dropped it instantly.

Another zombie pushed through the glass door.

Ryan shot it before it took two steps inside.

"More outside!" Noah shouted.

Through the shattered entrance, more figures were visible in the street.

Adrian looked around the lobby quickly.

"Block this entrance once we clear them!"

Ryan nodded.

"Keep firing!"

The team continued cutting down the infected at the doorway, bodies piling across the lobby floor as the fight to secure the building began.

Moments later, they finally cleared the floor of zombies, leaving the ground littered with their dead bodies.

Ryan wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his glove as he looked around the lobby.

The floor was covered with bodies.

Some lay near the shattered glass entrance. Others were piled near the reception desk where they had fallen during the gunfight. Blood streaked across the tiles and pooled around the corpses.

The smell was already starting to rise.

Mason nudged one of the bodies with his boot.

"Shit... don’t tell me we are going to clean this up, Adrian..."

Adrian looked around the lobby slowly.

There were easily more than fifty corpses scattered across the floor.

Some still twitched slightly as their nervous systems died out.

Ryan followed Adrian’s gaze.

"Yeah," he muttered. "That’s going to stink."

Adrian slung his rifle across his chest.

"We have to."

Jake looked at him.

"You’re serious?"

"Yes."

Adrian pointed at the bodies.

"If we leave them here, they’ll rot. The smell will spread through the building."

Noah grimaced.

"And that’s bad for health," Adrian continued. "Bacteria, insects, disease. We don’t even know how one becomes zombies...like if it’s only through bites. It’s best that we clean them up."

Ryan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, there’s nothing we can do but do just that."