Apocalypse: Roach to Supreme Being

"Grrrrtaaaaa....."

"Just shut the fuck up, you damned mindless creatures!"

Carter snapped, his nerves frayed from the same eerie growls he'd been hearing for over an hour.

"Grraaaaa…" The infected grew more aggressive, their snarls cutting sharper.

"Ahh… fuck!" Carter cursed.

…

" So their weak point is the head,"

Marcus muttered, a spark of courage igniting. He'd been too panicked by these unknown, terrifying creatures to think of aiming for the head before. Carter's words gave him the guts to face the infected.

"Captain, got a plan to save Mr. Carter?"

Kimot asked, a flicker of bravery stirring after hearing Carter.

"Yeah…" Marcus replied, his eyes fixed on Carter.

Jonathan turned to them and said, "Officers, help me get out of here, and I swear I'll keep you and your families safe in the future!" Carter pleaded, promising protection. When Lex warned him about this chaos, he hadn't believed it, but now, living it, he knew the future held no peace.

"Okay…"

Marcus signaled with a sharp nod.

Carter caught it, a faint look of relief crossing his face.

"Kimot, stay here. I'm going to the other side," Marcus whispered, rising cautiously.

Kimot didn't understand Marcus's plan—how would he free Carter? He grabbed Marcus's arm, worried.

"Captain, what's the plan?" he asked, his voice tight.Marcus realized he'd forgotten to explain.

"There's a metal stair in the corner. I'll climb it, fire a shot to draw the infected away from Carter. The noise'll pull them to me, letting him escape. When they get close, I'll climb to the rooftop," he whispered.

Kimot's jaw dropped, stunned by the plan's danger. Marcus could end up trapped like Carter.

"Captain, that's too risky!" he hissed.

"I know, but there's no better way. Our guns don't have enough bullets to kill all those infected. We've gotta use our shots smart,"

Marcus said. Their pistols had 12-round magazines—24 bullets total, and Marcus had already used two in the last street. With 35 to 40 infected around Carter, he'd thought through every option. Wasting bullets wasn't an option; he'd only shoot to save lives.

"Then I'll go. You stay and cover me," Kimot suggested , refusing to be a coward again. He didn't want to flee like before, and another reason drove him: Marcus was like an older brother to him.

Marcus shocked by Kimot's words. "Kimot, this isn't about playing hero. It's dangerous," he said. He saw Kimot as a brother too and knew how scared he was inside. If an infected lunged, fear might stop Kimot from firing.

"But…" Kimot started.

"I'm going," Marcus cut him off, standing up.

"Hmm… is he heading for that metal stair?"

Carter thought, watching Marcus. He'd been racking his brain for a way out but came up empty.

"Smart and brave," Carter muttered to himself, impressed.

…

Marcus crept across the road, making as little noise as possible, heading for the metal stair. It connected to a rooftop, likely set up for construction hours ago.

TAP ~ TAP ~ TAP

"Grrr… grr…"

Growls came from infected trapped in cars—probably people who hid there, only to turn after bites.

Marcus ignored the sounds and the infected, moving slowly. In seconds, he reached the metal stair without alerting them. Wasting no time, he started climbing, and halfway up, he aimed his gun at the infected and—

BANG!

The gunshot cracked, and the infected whipped toward Marcus.

"Grrraaa… grrrraatttaaaaa!"

They charged through the cars, rushing him.

Marcus's heart pounded, fear surging, but he didn't panic.

Carter snapped alert, and as the infected swarmed toward Marcus, he leapt off the car and bolted to Kimot, diving into the shadows beside him.

"Hfffffff… fuuuuhhh,"

Carter gasped, finally breathing a sigh of relief, free from the trap.

"I owe you guys," Carter whispered, thanking Kimot .

"…"

Kimot said nothing, his eyes locked on Marcus.

"Graaaaa!"

The infected reached the metal stair, but Marcus had already made it to the rooftop before they could get close. He was safe—but trapped.

" Well, now what?"

Marcus muttered, his mind blank on what to do next. He was trapped on the rooftop, with 35 to 40 infected below, clawing and waiting to tear him apart. He had no clue how to get out.

Kimot, grasping Marcus's dire situation, turned to Carter and said, "Mr. Carter, no need for thanks. If you're grateful, prove it by saving the Captain." His voice was dead serious.

"No big deal, officer,"

Carter replied. He already had an idea to free Marcus from that trapped spot.

"What do I need to do?"

Kimot asked, assuming Carter would suggest the same tactic Marcus used—a distraction shot. But he guessed wrong.

"You don't do anything. Just give me your phone," Carter said with a slight smirk, extending his hand.

Kimot stared at Carter's face, confused, then pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it over.

"What, you gonna call military help with that?" Kimot asked.

"No… the military's not coming. I tried calling a dozen times, but the calls won't connect," Carter said, switching on Kimot's phone and fiddling with its settings.

Kimot couldn't make sense of Carter's behavior or his next move. He just watched Carter's face and the phone, puzzled.

No backup's coming. What's a phone gonna do? Kimot thought.

Carter finished tinkering with the phone, then suddenly stood, glanced at Marcus, and pointed at the phone. Carter tossed it a few meters from where he had been trapped on the car.

"What the…?! Hey!" Kimot's anger flared, glaring at Carter for throwing his phone.

"Shhhhh!" Carter clamped a hand over Kimot's mouth, stopping him from shouting.

"Hmm… hmm… hmm…" Kimot mumbled.

"You'll get it in a sec. Just stay quiet," Carter said, removing his hand. Kimot still looked confused and pissed.

Carter checked his watch, waiting. After a minute, he signaled Marcus,

"Now!"

Right then, a sound erupted from where he'd thrown Kimot's phone.

"TRRRIINGG ~ TRING ~ TRING ~ TRING"

Carter had set an alarm on Kimot's phone. The ringing drew the attention of the infected gathered near Marcus, and they lurched toward the sound.

" Grrrrtttrrraaaaaa... rrrraaaaa...."

Kimot's eyes lit up with relief, shocked by Carter's quick thinking. His anger over the tossed phone vanished into thin air.

Marcus saw the path clearing as the infected moved away. He snapped into action, watching them while scrambling down the metal stair as fast as he could.

" Grrtt… grrrtttra!"

The infected inside the cars growled louder as Marcus moved past, but he ignored them, hurrying toward Kimot and Carter with full caution, glancing side to side.

"Hfff… hffff…"

Finally, he reached them, catching his breath. The pressure and care it took to get there left him panting heavily.

"Thank you, Mr. Carter," Marcus said, steadying his breathing, his gratitude clear.

"No..no.. I should be thanking you. You saved me, not the other way around,"

Carter replied. He knew Marcus had risked getting trapped to save him, and he was the one truly grateful.

"I'm Marcus Trace, and this is Kimot Tynn, my junior officer," Marcus introduced.

"I owe you both, Mr. Marcus, Mr. Kimot," Carter said with genuine warmth, expressing his deep gratitude.

"Nah, it's nothing, Mr. Carter. It's our duty as city police," Marcus said, embarrassed that a head military guy like Carter was thanking him.

"Grrr…"

"I think we should find a safe place first," Kimot cut in, his voice tense.

"Yeah, that's priority one," both agreed, nodding. They turned, crouching low, and moved on.

Minutes later, the trio reached the black car where Marcus had hidden the 8-year-old boy in the trunk.

"Why're we stopping here?" Carter asked, glancing back as Marcus and Kimot paused by the black car's trunk.

"Just a sec," Marcus said softly, pressing the trunk's release button without explaining.

CLICK!

The trunk popped open. Marcus gently lifted the lid but then suddenly, a guttural growl came from inside.

"Grrr… urrra… rrraaaa!"