Thrive in Catastrophe by 焦糖冬瓜

Chapter 11 Ocean

The gun seemed simple enough in that it was a weapon designed for a soldier who is not necessarily a good marksman.

"Hey you have to be careful. If you shoot us...well you'll probably be quite popular upon your return"

Mark made a punching gesture, "Although we won't die, it still hurts."

Everyone laughed and the light atmosphere made Xiao feel as though they were just taking a trip as opposed to going on a dangerous mission.

Finally they landed over a weathered decrepit statue. It was mottled with cracks and the torch it held vibrated as the craft landed, then fell into the sea, splashing water.

"That statue is really large."

Mark scratched his nose, "That is the statue of Liberty. Under out feet is Manhattan, once the most prosperous economies in the region."

Xiao exhaled slowly, watching as countless zombies rushed to the aircraft leaping and stretching their arms towards them.

"Now it is the most 'lively'" Liv chuckled. "Finally understand why the wave organization is building a base in this place, these zombies are their most advantageous defenders."

Xiao frowned, "How do we land?"

The craft landed atop a high rise building and all of them moved quickly out, they shot ropes to another, slightly shorter, building in the distance and the soldiers slid down. Mark picked up Xiao and shot down the rope. Xiao hadn't had a chance to shut his lips and the wind and debris filled his mouth. Once he landed, he choked and spit up trying to catch his breath. Mark shot out another rope.

"Not bad, you didn't even cry out."

Liv grabbed the panting Xiao off the ground and skidded down the line. In spite of the cries in his heart, Xiao didn't let a peep escaped his mouth. He knew that the sound would bring the zombies. So he held back his fear, feeling like a baton at a relay race.

Liv threw him on the roof and said, "Catch your breath."

They slid to another building and another pair of military boots appeared at Xiao's side.

"Baby are you okay?" Xiao's heart ran cold at the voice. Now that it is you, he thought, I am absolutely not doing well.

As Maya's arm moved to encircle Xiao Yan, another pair of military boots landed and a low voice froze the air in Xiao's chest.

"If you dare make a sound or vomit, I will knock you out."

Xiao raised his head, looking at the side Heine's face. Heine's palm forcefully removes Mayas arm and his other hand lifts him as thought he weighed nothing at all.

Maya stood in place, looking at his empty arms with a comically stunned look.

Heine brought Xiao Yan to the opposite side of the lower building. The moment they landed, the old structure collapsed and the rope fell. Beneath his body are countless zombies waiting for him. With a grim expression Xiao's breath strangled in his throat and he clenched his eyes shut.

Heine heel catches the windowsill, bricks and stones of old building material began to fall, and then Xiao felt the rope rise. When he opened his eyes he was unexpectedly back on the roof.

His forehead was pressed to Heine's chest and his other hand was clutching Heine's arm.

"Let go."

Xiao hurriedly released him. Heine's other hand tugged at the rope, reeling it in after everyone had arrived.

"We are still a kilometer from the target, we need to cross this block." Liv knelt on the edge of the roof, her body leaning forward to look at the street.

Below them a group of zombies were jumping up, their movements rattling like bones.

The group didn't communicate any further, one task force member pulled the end of the rope, attaching it to another building above a window. Confirming the stability of the line, they slid out.

The height of the rope is less that 3 meters away from a zombies, if they don't glide fast, the corpses might be able to grab a hold of them.

Xiao looked around for Mark to take him, but he had already slipped out with Liv.

Heine fixed the rope and grabbed Xiao under his arm, his feet lifted off the floor and Xiao sped off with Heine toward the other building

This complex is more than 200y old, yet there still hangs a sign for a coffee shop and cars are parked haphazardly below.

But this is not a time for sight- seeing.

Heine arm is strong and steady, and Xiao who had previously felt he would fall, was completely at peace with the stability of Heine's strength and skill.

The wind pulled at Heine's hair, the strands flowing in an unruly yet graceful manner.

As they skimmed a balcony, a corpse lingered, looking at Heine and Xiao with an excited and hungry expression.

The line passed right over it, they were going to hit it!

"Kick It."

Heine's cold tone seems to contain some type of compulsive power. Xiao raised his foot and plants it on the face of the Zombie. He fell from the balcony and to the ground, the cracking noise spreading through the empty metropolis.

As they neared the lower building, the forces did not gather at one spot. Mark took the balcony, Liv stood at the top of an unsteady telephone pole, and Maya sat on the top of a billboard, running his fingers through his hair.

They all have eyepieces to assess the condition of the structure. Everyone jumped instantaneously towards the low rise building. Heine gripped Xiao and jumped parabolically, landing firmly on the roof of the building, his landing was light and silent.

The windows of the abandoned building had a gate at the top floor. At first glance, they appeared quite strong. All entries of the building were sealed. If seen from the air it would be impossible to determine the Surge occupied it. Standing on the building something seems amiss.


"Open it."

Although the gate was the same technology as the one at the reactor, Xiao Yan approached it with more caution.

"If you open it rashly, the alarm may trigger." even if Xiao has no field experience, he can't imagine that the Surge would allow them to enter so easily.

Heine nodded. "You have 5 minutes."