My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 33: Seconds from Death

The second arrow flew and pierced another infected’s head.

Jannah stepped onto Elena’s shoulders, but her arms trembled as she struggled to pull herself over the wall.

Then the last infected burst forward.

It leaped from behind the falling body, its jaws wide open, closing the gap in an instant.

Elena had no choice.

She raised her bow and shoved it straight into the creature’s open mouth, stopping it just as its rotten breath washed over her face.

"Get off me, bastard!" Elena shoved with all her strength, her arms shaking as she pushed the bow forward.

But the infected didn’t even budge.

Instead, its jaws were getting closer and closer, its rotten breath spilling over her face.

Up close, these creatures were monsters. Once they reached you, escape became almost impossible.

"Hurry up, Jannah," Elena shouted, her voice tight.

She was ready to die here if she had to, but she would not let the girls die with her.

But her words only made it worse.

Jannah froze.

The shouting, the growling, the fear, and Elena’s desperate voice crushed her all at once. Her mind screamed to move, but her body refused to listen.

"Hiromi, pull her up!" Elena shouted, realizing that the girl had frozen in fear.

The infected’s mouth opened wider near Elena’s face. Its teeth were right there. So close she could see the black stains between them.

Then...

Bang.

A violent shock slammed into Elena, like someone had smacked her with a solid punch. At the same time, black blood sprayed across her face, followed by bits of flesh.

The head in front of her exploded.

The blast stunned her, like a flashbang going off right in front of her face. Her ears rang, her vision blurred, and for a brief moment, she did not know if she was alive or dead.

At the same moment, the blast jolted Jannah awake, feeling her strength return. Her limbs burned as adrenaline flooded her body.

With a cry, she pushed with everything she had, and with her sister’s help, she finally pulled herself up.

More infected poured out seconds later. And the sound snapped Elena out of her daze.

Before she could even breathe, more heads exploded one after another. Each shot came fast and precise, stopping the infected before they could get close.

Elena turned toward where the shots came from. From a distance, she saw two familiar figures, one of them holding a rifle.

She did not hesitate. Using the cover they gave her, Elena backed away from the wall, then ran and leaped.

The wall was taller than her, but her hands caught the edge. With sharp, practiced movement, she pulled herself up and rolled over the top.

An infected lunged after her.

Its fingers almost managed to grab her ankle.

Bang.

Its hand burst apart just inches from her foot.

.....

More infected were drawn by the noise. They poured out from houses and dark corners, ones the drone had missed.

That was the danger of these creatures. If they were not dealt with quietly, they gathered fast, like ants drawn to food.

Soon, more than a dozen were closing in.

Elena grabbed the twins and ran.

The infected followed at once. The wall only slowed them for a few seconds before they climbed and dropped over it, landing hard and rushing after them.

Jaxon did not allow them to close in. From afar, he kept firing, each shot bursting a head and thinning their numbers.

Elena ran with the girls, pulling them along as she searched for shelter. She tried door after door, but each one was locked. Breaking one open would take time, and time was something they did not have.

"Sister Elena, they’re catching up," Hiromi cried, her voice shaking.

Jannah was already in tears, her breath coming in short gasps.

"Don’t cry. We will make it," Elena said, forcing calm into her voice as she tried another door. But it did not budge.

The growls were closer now.

She clicked her tongue and yanked the twins toward a narrow alley, disappearing just as the infected rushed past.

On the balcony, Jaxon saw their situation clearly and sped up his shots. Even under the pressure, he forced himself to stay calm. If he lost focus now, someone would die.

Soon, Elena and the twins turned a corner and vanished behind the buildings. The infected chasing them disappeared as well.

"Shit," Jaxon muttered, clicking his tongue. He lowered the rifle and turned to Natasha.

"How many are still after them?"

"Five," Natasha answered. Her grip tightened around the binoculars.

"Let’s go. Now," Jaxon said.

Normally, he would play it safe when it came to helping strangers, but today, he absolutely didn’t want to see those kids turn when he saw them again.

Natasha did not argue. She moved with him at once.

Minutes later.

’Faster. Move faster.’ Jaxon ran hard, pushing himself, no longer checking every corner like he usually did. Speed mattered more now. Natasha even struggled to keep up as he rushed ahead.

Seconds passed. None of them spoke, but both of them knew. Every second that passed was another step closer to death for Elena and the twins. Being chased by those fast-moving monsters while protecting two kids was nothing short of a death sentence.

When Jaxon and Natasha finally reached the street corner where they had vanished, they saw blood on the ground. Jaxon slowed at once, slipping back into caution. His rifle was ready as they followed the trail.

A corpse came into view, a zombie pinned to the ground with an arrow through its head. A few steps later, there was another. Then another.

Jaxon glanced back at Natasha. Their eyes met, and no words were needed. There was a good chance the group had survived.

They moved on and reached a backyard behind a house. When they turned the corner, they finally saw them.

Elena and the two girls were alive. Two zombie bodies lay nearby, while Elena sat on the ground beside them, breathing hard.