My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 39: The Swarm Scatters

The explosion came without warning. It was so loud and deep that it felt as if the sky itself had torn apart. The shockwave rolled through the city, strong enough to be heard dozens of miles away.

Then, everything went dark.

All the lights died at once, plunging the entire city into blackness.

Jaxon shot up from his bed, his heart pounding. He grabbed his phone, turned on the flashlight, and rushed downstairs.

In the dining room, Natasha and the others were already there. They held up their phones, their faces pale in the dim light.

"That explosion... what was that?" Cindy asked, her voice trembling. "Are we being bombed?"

"If they were, they would have sent a warning. That blast must have only occurred from the center of our city." Natasha replied, her brow furrowed as she began thinking. "But why?"

"No point guessing," Jaxon answered, "I’ll send the drone to check. But everyone needs to get ready. We might have to leave tonight."

Without arguing, they nodded and began packing, their movements quick and frantic.

Meanwhile, Jaxon released the drone. It lifted into the air, vanishing into the night. He guided it toward the heart of the city, the same area he had marked as a death zone on his map.

The night was too dark, but he managed to find his way, following a faint glow in the distance.

Minutes passed as the distant light grew larger on the screen. As the drone drew closer, flames came into view. Entire buildings below were burning, the fire spreading like a living thing.

Some structures had already collapsed into rubble, while others were still falling apart. But the destruction was not everywhere, it was centered on some area where he had once seen the infected gather.

’Someone definitely fought them and knows of this place.’

’The military?’

Jaxon guided the drone in a slow circle. Then his breath caught.

Shapes were moving beneath the firelight.

’WTF!’

From the ruins, infected began to pour out. They crawled from shattered concrete and burst through burning doors and windows. Their skin was blackened and scorched, some still smoking, yet they moved as if nothing happened.

One became dozens, then hundreds, then thousands.

Jaxon felt a chill crawl up his spine. The variants they had been monitoring were scattering in all directions, like a nest of wasps that had been struck.

He saw jumpers leaping across broken buildings, and fast ones sprinting down alleys. And some were heading straight toward their area.

"Shit."

He pulled the drone back at once. There was no time to watch anymore.

"Natasha," he called out sharply. "Contact Burgors and Elena. We’re starting the escape plan now."

"I can’t." Natasha shook her head. "The signal’s gone. I tried earlier, but nothing went through."

"Then forget it. We’ll meet them at the designated location."

Their preparations did not take long. They had been preparing for this moment for days. Food and supplies were already packed inside the van. They only grabbed a few extra clothes and their weapons before moving out.

Soon, they gathered beside the black van parked near their gate. It was a vehicle they had scavenged earlier, since Natasha’s car was too small for everyone.

"I’ll drive. Cindy, Mom, get in the back," Natasha said as she climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

Jaxon paused for a moment. He turned back and looked at their house one last time. Then he sat in the front seat and closed the door.

The van pulled away and headed toward the public basketball court on East Street, their agreed meeting place. The tires screeched as they navigated the dark streets.

Minutes passed in silence.

"Where are they?" Natasha said, worry creeping into her voice as her leg bounced. "What’s taking them so long? Should we go get them?"

"Let’s wait a bit," Jaxon replied, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "There’s no way they didn’t move after that explosion."

"They’re here," Cindy said softly.

Another van rolled into view. Burgors was behind the wheel. Sitting beside him was Elena, her face serious as she gave a short nod in their direction.

No words were needed. The tires screeched as both vehicles took off at once. Their route had already been decided long ago.

While Natasha drove at the front, her brows furrowed. "It’s too dark. I can barely see the road, and I can’t use Google maps either."

The headlights were their only guide through the dark. Abandoned cars were scattered everywhere, forcing her to slow down and weave through narrow gaps.

Half an hour later, distant roars echoed from behind.

Everyone turned back at once, their faces stiffening.

"Natasha, in front!" Isabel shouted as a shadow suddenly appeared on the road.

Bam, the bumper slammed into something. Natasha slammed the brakes while Jaxon yanked open the window and shone his flashlight behind them.

The body on the road twitched. Then it stood up.

"It’s an infected. Go, go!" Jaxon yelled.

Natasha hit the gas. The engine roared as they sped forward.

"Brother," Cindy said, turning her head. "There’s a light in the distance."

Jaxon turned toward the direction she was looking, using his rifle’s scope he actually spotted another car driving off. The vehicle was barely visible in the darkness.

’A survivor? Maybe they’re escaping this place too.’

Minutes later, the van jolted again.

Everyone cried out as the wheels crushed over something.

Then, out of nowhere, another infected appeared on the road, rushing toward them.

"Run it over!" Jaxon shouted.

As they hit it, the infected was thrown aside like a rag doll.

Before they could breathe, another rushed out, then another. Natasha kept running over them.

The van jolted hard as bodies slammed beneath the tires. Metal rattled, and everyone was thrown around inside.

Up ahead, Natasha spotted more than a dozen infected pouring into the road.

"Jaxon, what do we do?" she asked, her voice tight.

"Go around them."

She swerved, the van turning sharply as Burgors followed close behind.