"Damn it!"
If a second ago Sean was still struggling internally over whether to save the man, the moment the man shouted "I see you!", the last shred of his compassion as a policeman was completely crushed.
That idiot!
Sean's gaze immediately turned cold.
In this predatory world, stupid and selfish living people were far more lethal than brainless Walkers!
He knew exactly what his shouting meant! Yet, to save his own life, this man hadn't hesitated to drag both of them down with him.
Save him? To hell with that!
Now the only problem was how he was going to survive the disaster this idiot had brought upon them while protecting a Child!
Sure enough, before the man's shout had even faded, scalp-tingling roars erupted one after another from all directions of the street.
"Urrgh... urrgh..."
Like sharks scenting blood, the Walkers that had been aimlessly wandering suddenly seemed to receive a command, all turning in unison to converge on this office building.
Their footsteps quickly changed from sparse dragging sounds to a dense, chaotic shuffling, sounding like hundreds of cockroaches crawling across the floor, making one's hair stand on end.
The injured man also realized something was wrong, and the hope on his face was instantly replaced by boundless terror.
"No... no! Open the door! Please, open the door!"
He pounded frantically on the glass door that had already been barred, making loud bangs, unaware that this only accelerated his death.
"Bang!"
A Walker lunged forward, pinning him against the door. The man turned back in terror, coming face-to-face with a rotting visage that exposed its gums.
"Ahhh—!"
A shrill scream echoed through the street, but it was soon drowned out by the nauseating sound of chewing coming from the Walker's throat.
In an instant, blood stained the shattered glass.
This scene happened less than ten meters away from Louis.
Even through a layer of grimy glass, he could clearly see the bloody and cruel scene, enough to make any normal person have a mental breakdown.
His stomach churned, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.
But his adult soul forced him to suppress the urge to vomit, because he knew clearly that now was not the time for fear!
As the man was torn apart and eaten, more and more Walkers were drawn by the scent of blood, surrounding the office building until it was completely blocked off!
"Bang... bang... clang..."
Rotting, bloated palms began to pound on all the glass doors and windows on the first floor, making heart-stopping sounds. Several windows, already riddled with cracks, began to groan under the strain of the impact.
They were completely surrounded!
"Louis! Come help!" Sean growled, his voice filled with anxiety.
He gave up further observation and turned to rush toward a heavy solid-wood desk in the center of the hall.
Louis immediately snapped back to reality; he knew they were in the same boat now, and any slight negligence could lead to both of their deaths.
He rushed over immediately, using his small body and every ounce of strength he had to help Sean push the desk, which weighed at least two or three hundred pounds.
"One... two... push!"
Veins bulged on Sean's forehead, and the muscles on his arms knotted. Louis also gritted his teeth, his small face turning red from the effort.
With their combined effort, the heavy desk was finally pushed bit by bit behind the main door, which was already blurred with blood, bracing it firmly.
"It's not over yet!" Sean panted, pointing to several floor-to-ceiling windows on the other side. "Push those filing cabinets over there!"
"Okay!"
Without a moment to lose, the two turned to push the metal cabinets filled with documents. Although these cabinets weren't as heavy as the desk, there were many of them.
"Crash!"
With a loud crash, the glass of one window finally gave way under the impact and shattered completely! The upper body of a Walker instantly squeezed through the opening, swinging its claws and reaching for Louis, who was closest!
"Watch out!"
Sean was quick and pulled Louis behind him, while unhesitatingly raising the revolver in his hand. But after just one look, he abandoned the idea of firing.
No! Firing now would only attract more Walkers, even from further away!
In the split second that Sean hesitated, Louis behind him moved!
Louis had keen eyes; he immediately spotted a broken metal crowbar next to a collapsed filing cabinet in the corner. The Walker was trying to step its leg through the opening, its movements clumsy and slow.
Now!
Louis's body erupted with speed and reflexes unbefitting his age.
He lunged forward, picked up the heavy crowbar, and with all his might, slammed it hard against the back of the knee the Walker was trying to lift!
"Crack!" A crisp sound.
The Walker's knee was broken clean through, causing it to lose its balance, and its upper body fell heavily onto the office floor!
Louis didn't stop for a second. He raised the crowbar high, a cold glint flashing in his clear blue eyes, and with all his strength, he slammed it down onto the Walker's rotting back of the head!
"Thud!"
A dull thud, like a heavy hammer hitting a watermelon.
The Walker's head instantly caved in; it twitched twice and then went completely still.
Louis panted heavily, the heavy crowbar nearly slipping from his hands, his arms trembling from the massive recoil.
Sean was dumbfounded by this sudden scene; he never expected this seemingly frail boy to have such a decisive, even ruthless side.
But being a trained policeman, he only froze for a second before immediately reacting.
"Good job, kid!"
He growled, and taking advantage of the opening, he exerted a sudden burst of strength, working with Louis to block the breach with a massive filing cabinet!
"Quick! To the second floor!"
After confirming that all doors and windows were blocked with heavy objects, Louis picked up his case, and Sean grabbed Louis's arm, rushing toward the stairs without looking back.
Downstairs, the sound of Walkers pounding and slamming against the doors and windows grew louder, like a death-knell drumbeat striking their hearts.
They could even hear the constant crack of glass shattering and the continuous creak of the furniture blocking the doors groaning under the impact.
The two sprinted to the second floor in one breath. Sean quickly scanned the area and pointed to a room at the end of the corridor with a "Manager's Office" sign.
"That one!"
Rushing into the room, Sean immediately locked the door and then directed Louis, and together they pushed a heavy sofa in the room to brace the door firmly.
Having done all this, the two finally managed to catch their breath, leaning against the sofa and slumping onto the cold floor.
Sweat soaked their clothes, their chests heaved violently, and neither spoke.
The room was deathly silent, with only the tireless pounding and roaring from downstairs highlighting their dire situation.
After a long time, the terrifying sounds seemed to lessen slightly, leaving only sporadic bangs like death summons.
Sean and Louis exchanged a glance and simultaneously let out a long sigh, their voices filled with the exhaustion of survivors.
"Ha..." Sean managed a smile that looked worse than crying. He turned to Louis and said half-jokingly, "Looks like we're staying here tonight, kid."
He patted Louis on the shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of helpless black humor.
"I hope you don't have a curfew at home, otherwise you'll be in trouble."
Louis looked at Sean's feigned ease and also twitched the corner of his mouth, though the smile was full of bitterness.
"Don't worry, Officer," he replied softly. "I don't have a home."
"..."