Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Escape – The Door of Rebirth in the Apocalypse – Full Book Online

Escape!

Gu Ning was yanked downward with a tremendous force! Looking down, she broke into a cold sweat—a male zombie had a firm grip on her ankle, its rotting mouth wide open, eagerly pulling her down. It was directly below her, in a blind spot for Third Brother’s gun. Firing risked hitting Gu Ning’s leg.

“Hold onto me!” Gu Ning shouted at Luo Long, then kicked the zombie’s face with her free foot.

The zombie’s head snapped back, but it didn’t let go, still trying to bite her foot. Gu Ning panicked, fearing she’d be dragged into the zombie horde and torn apart, or that Luo Long might let go, or worse, Third Brother might accidentally shoot her.

Thinking this, Gu Ning kicked harder, pulling Luo Long closer to the edge of the car roof.

The zombie’s grip was unrelenting, as if fused to her ankle.

Just as Gu Ning was at her wit’s end, the pulling force suddenly vanished! Luo Long yanked her upward, and Gu Ning glanced down to see Cheng Ming leaning out with a knife, having just severed the zombie’s forearm.

Freed, Gu Ning quickly climbed onto the roof with Luo Long’s help. Looking down at the snarling zombies, she felt a wave of relief.

After catching her breath, she took her gun and nodded gratefully at Luo Long, then aimed at the nearest zombie’s head.

Aside from the first miss, every shot after that hit its mark, dropping zombies like harvested wheat. Luo Long couldn’t help but be impressed.

Third Brother was also taken aback. If Gu Ning had been a seasoned soldier, he wouldn’t have been surprised, but she had never fired a gun until ten minutes ago! She couldn’t be more than twenty, yet her calmness and precision were astonishing. Even he wasn’t sure he could recover so quickly after such an ordeal. The more he thought about it, the more mysterious Gu Ning seemed.

But there was no time to dwell on it. Safety came first.

The three of them fired continuously, carving a path through the zombie horde.

Third Brother seized the moment and shouted, “Zhang Yang!”

Zhang Yang took a deep breath and jumped down from the truck, followed closely by Cheng Ming, who gripped his knife, ready to fend off any zombies that broke through the gunfire. However, Gu Ning’s precise shooting left no room for Cheng Ming to act. Third Brother’s plan was for him and Luo Long to handle the zombies that got too close, while Gu Ning took care of the ones breaking through the gunfire. Zombies that made it past the first line were quickly dispatched by Gu Ning.

But the gunfire attracted more zombies, and Third Brother and Luo Long were struggling. Zombies kept breaching the danger zone, and even Third Brother was sweating bullets for Gu Ning. Yet, Gu Ning remained calm, though visibly tense. She adjusted her aim, targeting zombie heads, but as more zombies entered the danger zone, her shots became less accurate. Sometimes a shot to the shoulder only staggered a zombie, forcing her to fire again. The increasing number of zombies made her forehead bead with sweat.

Originally, the plan was for four people to provide cover, but with one less, the pressure on them was immense.

The distance from the rear to the front of the truck was less than ten meters, but every step felt like an eternity.

It was late September, slightly chilly, yet everyone was drenched in sweat as if it were midsummer. Eventually, Zhang Yang and Cheng Ming had to resort to using their knives, inching toward the front of the truck.

Gu Ning was busy shooting zombies breaking through the line when suddenly, her gun jammed with a loud “click!”

Third Brother instantly noticed and reacted, shouting at Luo Long, “Luo Long! Give her your gun!”

Luo Long hesitated for a moment before swapping guns with Gu Ning.

Gu Ning continued firing with Luo Long’s gun while Luo Long fumbled to reload, his hands trembling with sweat, whether from fear or tension, he couldn’t tell. He struggled to insert the magazine.

In those few seconds, the pressure on Third Brother and Gu Ning increased significantly. Zombies kept breaking through their line, lunging at Zhang Yang and Cheng Ming!

Suddenly, the truck shook violently as zombies slammed into the other side!

Third Brother, standing near the edge, lost his balance and nearly fell off! He glanced down at the sea of zombies below, realizing there was no chance of survival if he fell. Panicking, he flailed for something to grab but found nothing, his body tipping over the edge!

Luo Long saw Third Brother falling but was too stunned to react, letting out a terrified scream!

At that moment, someone grabbed Third Brother’s arm and yanked him back onto the roof! He stumbled and fell, legs weak, heart racing as he looked at Gu Ning’s back.

Gu Ning didn’t even ask if he was okay before resuming her shooting.

In the rising sunlight, Gu Ning’s golden hair shone brightly.

“Third Brother, are you okay?!” Luo Long asked, finally snapping out of it.

“I’m fine,” Third Brother replied, struggling to his feet and joining Gu Ning in shooting at the zombies.

The atmosphere inside the sealed cabin was tense and oppressive, with the constant gunfire outside.

Huang Mengyao nervously gripped the knife Gu Ning had given her, rubbing the handle repeatedly. She looked at Jia Daozhang, who was curled up in a corner, eyes closed as if meditating. He was the oldest among them, and she wanted to talk to him to calm her nerves. But as she approached, she heard light snoring and stared in disbelief—Jia Daozhang had fallen asleep against the wall!

“Hurry! Zhang Yang! Get in the truck!”

Finally reaching the front, Cheng Ming stabbed a female zombie in the eye and yelled at Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang scrambled onto the truck, only to find a zombie feasting on the driver’s corpse. It let out an excited growl and lunged at him!

Terrified, Zhang Yang stabbed at the zombie’s face, but it dodged and grabbed the blade!

Zhang Yang tried to pull the knife back but couldn’t. Just then, a gunshot rang out, and a bullet pierced the zombie’s skull from above!

Hearing Cheng Ming’s urgent shouts, Zhang Yang snapped out of it, pulled the knife free, pushed the zombie and the driver’s body out, and sat in the blood-stained driver’s seat, closing the door.

Cheng Ming quickly got in and shouted, “Drive! Now!”

The engine roared to life, and the truck began to move.

“Get down! Hold on!” Third Brother yelled.

Gu Ning immediately lay flat, aiming her gun at the door where zombies were trying to climb in.

Inside the cabin, everyone held their breath as the truck started moving.

Gu Ning, Third Brother, and Luo Long clung to the roof’s rails, bracing themselves against the truck’s movement.

As the truck surged forward, cheers erupted from inside the cabin!

Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of the truck hitting zombies mixed with gunfire as it struggled through the horde.

Gu Ning finally had a moment to look at the military truck ahead. Its rear door was wide open, bloodstains everywhere, with radios and guns scattered about, but no bodies—likely dragged out and eaten by zombies. As the two trucks passed each other, the stench of blood filled Gu Ning’s nostrils, making her stomach churn.

Finally, they broke free from the zombie horde, watching the pursuing zombies fall further behind. Gu Ning fired a few more shots, then rolled onto her back, feeling weak and numb. A breeze free of rot and blood swept past, lifting her golden hair. She squinted at the blinding sun and smiled, relieved.

Author’s Note: Happy Labor Day! Finally finished this chapter. Time to head out.

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