Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Silent Cover
From the edge of a rooftop, Jaxon crouched low and scanned the street below. The route ahead was filled with infected, while distant gunfire continued to echo through the collapsing safe zone.
The group had taken cover behind an abandoned vehicle while a cluster of infected wandered through the intersection. Most of them were facing away, but one suddenly stopped, its nose twitching as it caught something beneath the smell of infected blood.
The creature slowly turned toward the vehicle. Before it could take another step, THUP! Its head exploded, spraying dark blood across the pavement before its body collapsed.
"Clear," Jaxon said through the radio. "Everyone, move."
Natasha immediately waved the others forward. Thomas was the first to step out from behind the vehicle, followed by Haris, Bong-gu, Elena, and the rest of the group.
Thomas took several steps before instinctively glancing toward the rooftops where Jaxon was already moving. He sprinted toward the edge of the building and leaped across the gap. His boots landed on the next rooftop with barely a sound, and without slowing down, he continued running.
Thomas stared for a moment. ’So this is what Natasha meant when she said he’d be right behind us?’
He had assumed Jaxon would follow them through the streets. He never expected him to simply run across the rooftops as if the gaps between buildings didn’t exist.
"Thomas," Natasha called. He quickly looked away. "Right. Let’s go."
The group continued down the street, but it was difficult to ignore the figure moving above them.
Jaxon jumped from one rooftop to another, occasionally stopping just long enough to raise his rifle and eliminate an infected that wandered too close to their path.
Even Elena, now supported by Isabel as she struggled forward on her injured leg, occasionally looked up at Jaxon. "Has he always been like that?" she asked.
No one answered. Natasha, Na-rin, and his family already knew, but stayed quiet.
Thomas looked up again. ’He’s moving like one of the Special Units...’ But Jaxon wasn’t using a Dual Cable Launcher. He was doing all of it with nothing but his own physical strength.
"Don’t stop," Natasha ordered. "Keep moving."
They turned into another street, following the route Jaxon had given them.
A few seconds later, his voice came through Natasha’s radio. "Natasha, there’s a group of infected ahead near the apartment building. Turn left and go around it."
Natasha immediately looked toward the intersection. "Got it. Everyone, left."
The group changed direction without hesitation. They had only gone a few meters when Natasha pressed the radio. "Jaxon."
"Yeah?"
"The others can see you."
Jaxon glanced down from the rooftop. Sure enough, several members of the group were looking up at him as they moved.
He let out a quiet sigh. "Let them."
Natasha frowned. "You’re not worried they’ll start asking questions?"
"I’ll deal with it later." Jaxon turned his attention back toward the street ahead and raised his DMR. "Right now, I can’t afford to hold back."
THUP! An infected several buildings away dropped instantly.
"Don’t worry about what they’re thinking, Natasha. Just keep everyone moving."
Natasha was silent for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. "Fine. I’ll help you explain when the time comes."
A faint smile appeared on Jaxon’s face. "Sure."
He stepped back and disappeared from their view, already moving toward the next rooftop.
Bong-gu watched him disappear before glancing at Elaine. "So... we’re really just going to pretend we didn’t see that?"
Elaine gave him a small smile and shook her head. "He probably has his reasons. I’m sure he’ll tell us soon."
"Natasha, Na-rin, there are dozens of infected ahead. Move carefully while I take out as many as I can," Jaxon’s voice came through the radio.
"Got it." Natasha glanced at Na-rin before turning to the others. "Everyone, stay close and keep quiet."
The group moved cautiously through the streets, keeping close to the walls and using abandoned vehicles for cover. Every few seconds, the sharp sound of a suppressed shot echoed from somewhere above.
THUP! THUP! One infected after another dropped before the others even realized what was happening. The remaining infected growled and looked around, searching for the source of the shots, but Jaxon remained hidden somewhere above them.
They continued forward until Natasha suddenly raised her hand, bringing everyone to a stop. Too many infected were gathered farther ahead, blocking the street. Na-rin pointed toward a narrow passage between two buildings. It was tight, but it offered a way around most of the swarm.
Natasha nodded. "That way. Stay together."
The group quickly slipped into the narrow passage, with Elena and Isabel staying toward the back while everyone else followed Natasha and Na-rin through the cramped space.
They were almost halfway through when Bong-gu suddenly felt something cold drip onto his shoulder.
He froze. Slowly, he looked up.
A Crawler was clinging upside down to the wall above them, its pale eyes fixed directly on him. Then its mouth slowly stretched open. "KRAAAAA!"
"Get down!" Natasha and Na-rin reacted at the same time, immediately raising their pistols. THUP! THUP!
The suppressed shots struck the Crawler midair, making its body jerk as bullets tore through its flesh. Na-rin fired another round directly into its head, finally sending the creature crashing to the ground.
But its scream had already alerted the infected nearby. From the streets surrounding them, several infected suddenly turned toward the passage.
"Shit!" Thomas shouted. "They’re coming!"
"RUN!" Natasha yelled.
The group immediately pushed forward. Behind them, infected poured into the narrow passage, forcing Isabel and Elena to turn around and open fire. The first few creatures dropped, their bodies quickly piling up and partially blocking the path.
"Mom, Elena, stop shooting and move!" Natasha shouted.
"We’re right behind you!" Elena called back.
More infected appeared above them. Two grasshopper infected crawled onto a nearby rooftop and crouched low, preparing to leap.
THUP! THUP! Two bullets struck their heads before they could jump. Their bodies tumbled from the rooftop and crashed onto the street.
Jaxon’s voice immediately came through the radio. "Natasha, Na-rin, keep going straight. At the next corner, turn left. I’ll clear the path."
Natasha grabbed Elena’s arm and pulled her forward. "Got it! Everyone, keep moving!"
The group rushed toward the next corner as gunshots continued to echo from the rooftops above them. Behind them, the infected kept pouring into the passage, but Jaxon’s suppressed shots continued to cut them down one after another.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter