To Be A Warrior

Chapter 63: Die Rise Part 2

My face twists up. "Wait, why is the lower crossover between the buildings sheltered with sturdy walls and the higher crossover is a gantry? Are they wanting me to die?"

"Talyon probably does," Nicole mutters, which earns her a whispered rebuke from Sam.

"You have to do it. I'm sorry, sweetheart, but if you don't, New Oban, missiles and all, will be totally under her control."

I grumble in annoyance, but it dies away when I head to the floor and follow the signs that point to the crossover. I have my pistol and my axe as protection, and since the zombies were killed earlier today by Talyon, I can assume there aren't any V-Types I have to worry about.

I silently curse myself. I wouldn't have to do this at all if I hadn't helped Talyon take down the security measures. We all played right into her little plan and I feel so stupid doing so. I can't believe I was so stupid, so naïve.

I reach the crossover hallways after a minute or two, which makes my mental berating turns to a constant reminder to not look out of the large glass windows that show just how high up I am. I don't know how I'm going to get across the gantry.

You've been higher. You've jumped out of a plane and a helicopter before, and you were on an airship once. You'll do this just like you did all of that.

Like I did all that. Terrified and shaking.

My shaking thoughts of what is to come proves to be a good distraction of what's going on right now. I soon reach to door to the west tower. My hand hesitates before resting on the doorknob and turning it. With a groan, the door opens, and then I hear more groans from the undead all around. I can't tell where they're coming from, but it sounds like there's dozens just on this floor.

"Okay, good," Sam hums. "You've run seven kilometers and you're entering the west towers. Good. Uh, close the doors behind you. We don't want the zoms getting across to the other side, even if it is full of blood-thirsty agents of a totalitarian regime."

I shut the door behind me, shuddering at how worn down everything looks. Sam sucks in a breath, seeing everything I can through my headcam.

"Oh, wow. This tower's like an evil mirror dimensions of the one you were just in. Should be wearing a giant, building-sized goatee."

Although I try not to laugh, a snicker manages to slip past my lips. It quickly turns to a gasp when I hear more growling and groaning nearby. I quickly start running across the floor, looking for a staircase. If this one has the same layout as the east tower, I should be able to find a staircase at one of the areas I found the other three in the east building.

"I think up ahead there should be a staircase that leads you to the upper gantry so you can crossover again," Sam says, and I nod. I have to get to that control panel before Talyon.

Thankfully Sam's written down the access code that Priya gave, and he mutters it under his breath every so often so I can know what it is when I get there. Like Nicole said earlier, Talyon probably knows that we know about her and what she's done. She'll be coming for my head soon.

A flash of light from the corner of my eye slows me down, and I turn my head towards one of the doors on the floor that's cracked open ever so slightly.

I ignore Sam's questions and push the door open, and inside the room are tons of little screens all with different images.

"It's a security room," I say. "Must have left the cameras on during the evacuation six months ago."

"Why are you watching this?" Nicole huffs. "There's nothing on those screens except for zoms. You-"

"Look!" I point to on of the screens on my left. It's the only room without zombies. It's a little classroom, with children all sitting in small desks. The ages of the children seem to range from toddlers to children in elementary school.