Chapter 183 - A Story of Skywalker
Meanwhile, the boy, who had been silently continuing to eliminate the infected near the warehouse alone for the doctor's rescue, was starting to think that things were getting dangerous. Countless spent shell casings rolled on the bed of the light truck he used as a pedestal, and only two of the magazines he had lined up earlier remained. And now, the bolt carrier of the carbine stopped moving while retracted, informing the boy that the magazine inserted in the gun was empty.
Sixty rounds left. However, he had only managed to take down thirty or so infected. No matter how high the killing power of a rifle bullet, that was a story regarding humans. To silence the infected, who are undaunted by pain, with a single blow, one had to shoot through a vital spot, especially the head, but the boy did not have the skill to shoot through the head of a moving infected with one shot.
He placed the empty magazine on the truck bed, slammed a magazine containing thirty 5.56mm rounds into the gun, and pressed the bolt stop. The retracted bolt carrier moved forward, and a bullet was automatically pushed into the chamber. He aligned the dot of the optical sight with the head of an infected person pounding on the iron door of the warehouse where the doctors were holed up.
When he pulled the trigger, red blood suddenly splattered on the other side of the lens. However, it was not a fatal wound. The 5.56mm rifle bullet that was fired blew away the infected's lower jaw but had caused no damage to the brain. Despite losing its lower jaw, the infected continued to pound on the door, drooling saliva and blood from its mouth.
When he pulled the trigger again, this time the infected's right cheek was blown off. He fired once more, and this time the bullet hit the right temple. With its skull shattered and brain matter scattered, the infected fell to the ground and finally stopped moving.
If he shot them in the chest or such, they might eventually die from blood loss, but since the rescue of the doctors had to be done quickly, there was no time for such leisurely methods. Aiming at the head of another swaying infected, the boy pulled the trigger again.
"Ghost to Deadman, we have successfully secured weapons, ammunition, and vehicles. We are returning to your position now."
Sato's voice came through the earphone, and the boy silently pressed the transmit button on the radio once. Since he couldn't exactly have a conversation out loud, it had been confirmed in advance that pressing the transmit button once meant "Roger."
"Roger, it seems you're still alive. Deadman, standby at your current position and wait for our arrival. Over."
With that voice, the communication ended. It seemed they had secured the weapons and ammunition, which was the primary goal of coming here. Since they had also secured vehicles for transportation, all that remained was to rescue the doctors holed up in the warehouse.
But how was he supposed to help the doctors out of the warehouse surrounded by infected? The warehouse was completely surrounded by infected, and the iron door of the first-floor entrance looked like it would be destroyed at any moment. Even if they fled to the second floor, the situation wouldn't change much, and even if they jumped to the ground from a window, they would surely be swarmed by infected and die in an instant. Should he kill the infected near the entrance and have them make a run for it, prepared for sacrifices? But it would be meaningless if he couldn't save the doctors.
Five minutes later. Having exhausted all his remaining magazines and having nothing left to do but guard the surroundings with a handgun in one hand, Sato came running with a duffel bag hanging from his side. Fushimi, following behind him, was carrying a large stepladder he had apparently found somewhere.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Saying so, Sato pushed the bag toward the boy. Checking the contents, ten loaded magazines were haphazardly stuffed into the bag.
"Thanks."
Expressing his gratitude, he slammed a loaded magazine into his rifle and stored the rest in his vest pouches. In exchange, he threw the empty magazines into the bag.
"So, how are we going to help them?"
"We'll move them from the second floor of the building next to the warehouse using this."
Sato said, pointing to Fushimi's stepladder. The warehouse where the doctors were holed up and the building next to it were separated by a road about ten meters wide. The stepladder Fushimi brought was the kind that becomes a ladder if you release the locks and extend it, and it was a distance that it might just barely reach.
"The infected below will see them, won't they?"
"We're prepared for that. But the infected aren't that smart. If their prey is moving through the air, they'll just jump and reach out. They won't think to go around to the second floor of the building in advance to catch them."
However, it was entirely possible that they would storm into the building the doctors fled to, so they first had to blockade the first floor of the building next to the warehouse, and then rescue the doctors after securing another means of escape.
"I'll instruct the people in the warehouse on the escape method. You blockade the first floor of the warehouse, and Fushimi, carry the stepladder to the second floor."
They had secured weapons, ammunition, food, and fuel, and they had a means of escape. All that was left was to flee from here. However, they couldn't lead the infected to the vehicle yard where the escape vehicles were. First, they would move the doctors from the warehouse to the adjacent building to escape the sight of the infected, and then move to another building to escape the pursuit of the infected. At Sato's command, the boys began to move. Fushimi had to carry the long and heavy stepladder to the second floor, but there was no leeway to help him.
The building next to the warehouse where the doctors were holed up seemed to have been some kind of office. The boy entered through the back door on the opposite side of the warehouse and confirmed there were no infected inside the building. There was another entrance on the side facing the road toward the warehouse, and it was expected that the infected who pursued the doctors during their escape would storm in from there. The boy began blockading that entrance.
He lined up heavy office desks and cabinets from the office one after another in front of the entrance, constructing a barricade. Even if the infected managed to break through, they would likely be able to escape through the back door by the time they entered.
Sato dragged over a whiteboard with casters from one of the factories and wrote in large letters, "Escape from the second-floor window using the ladder," and pointed it toward the warehouse. A doctor peeking out from the second-floor window of the warehouse made a large circle with both hands, and once it was confirmed that their intention had been conveyed to the other party, Sato called the boy in the office.
"Ghost to Deadman, what's the current situation?"
"Preparing the ladder. I just hope there are no fat people."
The boy, who had gone up to the second floor of the office, was working with Fushimi to thrust the stepladder, extended into a ladder, out of the window toward the warehouse. They laid a blanket on the window frame to avoid making loud noises and slowly extended it toward the warehouse. The infected were preoccupied with the doctors in the warehouse, so none noticed the ladder overhead.
"Secure the ladder to the second-floor window frame. Don't make a sound."
Sato wrote that on the whiteboard and headed to the office himself. After entering through the back door and confirming there were no problems with the barricade at the entrance facing the street, he went up to the second floor to check if the boys' work was proceeding smoothly.
"Is it going well?"
"Somehow. But I'm worried about the strength of the stepladder. I reinforced it with tape just in case, and it says the load capacity is up to 100 kilograms, but..."
"It's not designed for this kind of use. Let's pray the people in the warehouse cross it carefully."
If the ladder were to break midway, the person on top would fall straight down into the ground overflowing with infected. Furthermore, if they lost the ladder, they would lose their means of escape.
"I'm counting on you."
Saying so, Sato moved to the third-floor veranda. It was to provide cover for the doctors crossing the ladder. Since he couldn't kill them all, he intended to prioritize targeting those reaching for the ladder. Although the ladder was hung at the second floor, there was a possibility that the infected's superhuman jumping power could reach it.
The ladder being slowly extended from the second floor of the office was about to reach the second floor of the warehouse. Because there was a difference in the height of both buildings, the office was higher. The ladder approached the second-floor window of the warehouse in a way that described a slope.
The second-floor window opened, and the doctors peeked out. The doctors waved their hands as if to say "Hurry up," but the boy stuck to certainty. If they failed, there would be no second chance.
"Alright."
The ladder finally reached the second floor of the warehouse, and the waiting doctors pulled its tip into the window. The boy and Fushimi secured the feet of the ladder on the office side to the window frame with rope to prevent it from sliding down to the ground. Across the road at the warehouse, he could see the doctors trying to secure the feet of the ladder to the window frame with duct tape.
"Alright. You hold the feet of the ladder. I'll provide cover so those guys can cross over safely."
After saying that to Fushimi, the boy asked Sato about the situation.
"Deadman to Ghost. Preparation on this side complete, we can go anytime."
"Ghost, Roger. Once they start crossing the ladder, the infected below will definitely notice. The barricade will probably only hold for five minutes or so. Provide certain cover so they can cross with peace of mind. The distance to the infected is close, watch out for friendly fire."
If they were to freeze up out of fear of the infected below, that alone would be a huge loss of time. To prevent that, they had to certainly eliminate the infected targeting the people crossing the ladder.
From the warehouse window, the doctors waiting for their escape could be seen. There were five people. Assuming it takes one minute per person, five minutes might be enough. All that was left was to pray that the ladder had the durability indicated in the warning notes.
"Start."
At Sato's command, the boy waved both hands broadly, signaling "Come here." Immediately, a young man who looked like a college student leaned out of the window and began moving toward the office on all fours along the ladder.
The infected looked up at the sky at the sound of creaking metal from above. At that moment, the boy and Sato fired their suppressed carbines, trying to buy as much time as possible before the presence of the man crossing the ladder was discovered. However, naturally, one infected soon found the man crossing over their heads and let out a roar. In an instant, a crowd of infected swarmed under the ladder, reaching out toward the man on top. Perhaps having accidentally looked down, the man's limbs stopped moving out of terror.
One of the infected jumped high, its fingertips grazing the ladder suspended in the air. But at that moment, Sato fired at the leaping infected. The infected, shot through the head, lost its strength and plummeted to the ground.
"Don't stop!"
The boy said, and he himself pulled the trigger at the infected gathering directly under the ladder. Perhaps thanks to the cover from the boy and Sato, the man began moving on the ladder again in a fearful manner.