"Damn it!"
If, just a second ago, Shane had still been hesitating over whether to save the man, the moment that idiot shouted "I see you!", the last shred of compassion he had left as a police officer shattered completely.
That idiot!
Shane's gaze turned ice-cold.
In this predatory world, stupid and selfish living people were far more dangerous than brainless Walkers.
He knew exactly what that shout meant.
To save his own life, the man hadn't hesitated to drag both of them down with him.
Save him?
To hell with that.
Now the only question was how to survive the catastrophe this idiot had just unleashed, while still protecting a kid.
Sure enough, before the man's voice had even faded, scalp-tingling roars erupted from every direction along the street.
"Urrgh… urrgh…"
Like sharks scenting blood, the Walkers that had been wandering aimlessly suddenly seemed to receive a silent command. One by one, they turned and converged on the office building.
The sparse, dragging footsteps quickly multiplied into a dense, chaotic shuffling, like hundreds of cockroaches skittering across the floor, sending chills straight down the spine.
The injured man finally realized something was terribly wrong.
The hope on his face collapsed into sheer terror.
"No… no! Open the door! Please, open the door!"
He slammed frantically against the barricaded glass, each desperate strike only hastening his death.
"Bang!"
A Walker lunged forward, pinning him against the door.
The man turned in horror, staring straight into a rotting face with exposed gums and milky eyes.
"Ahhh!"
The scream echoed briefly before being swallowed by the wet, nauseating sound of tearing flesh.
Blood splattered across the shattered glass.
The entire scene unfolded less than ten meters away from Louis.
Even through the grimy window, the brutality was unmistakable, enough to break any normal person on the spot.
Louis's stomach churned violently, his face draining of color.
But his adult soul forced the nausea down.
Because he knew, this was not the time to be afraid.
As the man was torn apart, more Walkers were drawn in by the scent of blood. They crowded around the office building, sealing it off completely.
"Bang-bang-clang!"
Bloated, decaying hands slammed against every door and window on the first floor. Cracked glass groaned under the relentless impacts, threatening to give way at any moment.
They were surrounded.
"Louis! Help me!" Shane barked, his voice tight with urgency.
Abandoning any further observation, he rushed toward a heavy solid-wood desk in the center of the lobby.
Louis snapped back to reality instantly.
They were in the same boat now. One mistake meant death for both of them.
He ran over without hesitation, throwing his small body against the desk and pushing with every ounce of strength he had.
"One, two, push!"
Veins stood out on Shane's forehead, muscles knotting beneath his sleeves. Louis clenched his teeth, his face flushing red as he strained.
Bit by bit, the desk slid into place, bracing the blood-smeared front door.
"It's not enough!" Shane panted, pointing sharply to the other side of the lobby. "The windows! Push those filing cabinets!"
"Okay!"
They rushed over and began shoving the metal cabinets stacked with documents. They weren't as heavy as the desk, but there were many of them.
"Crash!"
One window finally gave way.
Glass exploded inward as a Walker's upper body forced itself through the opening, claws flailing wildly.
It reached straight for Louis.
"Watch out!"
Shane yanked Louis backward and instinctively raised his revolver,
Then froze.
No.
Gunfire now would draw even more Walkers, from blocks away.
That split-second hesitation almost proved fatal.
But Louis moved.
His eyes were sharp. In the corner, beside a collapsed cabinet, he spotted a broken metal crowbar.
The Walker was clumsily lifting its leg, trying to force itself inside.
Now!
Louis burst forward with speed and decisiveness completely unbefitting an eleven-year-old.
He snatched up the crowbar, raised it overhead, and brought it down with all his strength...
Straight onto the back of the Walker's knee.
"Crack!"
The Walker's knee shattered cleanly, its balance gone in an instant. Its upper body slammed heavily onto the office floor.
Louis didn't hesitate.
He raised the crowbar high. A cold glint flashed through his clear blue eyes as he brought it down with all his strength, straight onto the rotting back of the Walker's head.
Thud!
The sound was dull and sickening, like a heavy hammer striking a watermelon.
The Walker's skull caved in. Its body twitched twice… then went completely still.
Louis staggered back, panting hard. The crowbar nearly slipped from his trembling hands as the violent recoil shot up his arms.
For a brief moment, Shane was stunned.
He hadn't expected such decisiveness, such ruthlessness, from a boy who looked so frail.
But training kicked in almost immediately.
"Good job, kid!"
Seizing the opening, Shane surged forward. Together, he and Louis shoved a massive filing cabinet into place, sealing the breach completely.
"Move! Second floor, now!"
After making sure every door and window on the first floor was jammed with heavy furniture, Louis grabbed his suitcase. Shane clamped a hand around Louis's arm, and they bolted for the stairs without looking back.
Below them, the pounding grew louder and more frantic.
It sounded like a death drum beating against their hearts.
Glass shattered. Furniture creaked and groaned under relentless impact.
They sprinted up the stairs in one breath. Shane swept his gaze across the second floor and pointed sharply toward a room at the end of the corridor.
"Manager's office. That one!"
They burst inside. Shane slammed the door shut, locked it, and immediately motioned for Louis. Together, they dragged a heavy sofa across the floor and wedged it firmly against the door.
Only then did they collapse.
They slid down against the sofa and onto the cold floor, too exhausted to speak.
Sweat soaked their clothes. Their chests heaved violently as they struggled to catch their breath.
The room was deathly silent.
All that remained was the distant pounding and hoarse roaring from below, a constant reminder of how close death still was.
Time passed.
Gradually, the sounds weakened, fading into sporadic, hollow bangs, like the summons of death knocking from afar.
Shane and Louis exchanged a glance.
Then, almost in unison, they let out long, shaky breaths.
"Ha…" Shane forced a smile that looked worse than crying. Half-joking, half-resigned, he said, "Looks like we're spending the night here, kid."
He patted Louis on the shoulder, his tone laced with bleak humor.
"Hope you don't have a curfew. Otherwise, you're gonna be in trouble."
Louis looked at Shane's attempt at lightness. The corner of his mouth twitched, forming a faint, bitter smile.
"Don't worry, Officer," he said softly.
"I don't have a home."
"…"