Chapter 98: Change of Plans
They entered the office of the virologist and inside, it was similar to the outside. The office was thrashed, which was expected as it wasn’t locked.
Papers were scattered across the floor, some torn, others stained. Cabinets had been forced open, their contents pulled out and left in disarray. A desk sat near the far wall, partially overturned, its drawers hanging open.
Ryan stepped in first.
"Clear," he said, sweeping his weapon across the corners before lowering it slightly.
The team followed, spreading out inside the room.
"Check everything," Adrian said. "No assumptions."
They moved with purpose.
One operator went straight to the desk, pulling open what remained of the drawers and sifting through the contents. Another checked the shelves, scanning through binders and folders that had been knocked over. A third moved toward a set of cabinets near the back, opening each one carefully.
Adrian walked deeper into the room, eyes scanning every detail.
No body.
No sign of struggle beyond the mess.
No immediate evidence she had died here.
That alone meant something.
"She wasn’t taken here," Ryan said quietly, coming to the same conclusion.
"Or she left before things got worse," Adrian replied.
One of the operators crouched near a pile of documents.
"Sir," he called.
Adrian turned.
"What do you have?"
The operator picked up a piece of paper, slightly crumpled but still intact.
"Looks personal," he said.
Adrian stepped closer and took it.
It wasn’t part of any research file.
It was handwritten.
Ryan leaned in slightly.
"What is it?"
"Her home," Adrian said.
He read it again.
"Residence: Lotte Castle Gold."
Ryan frowned slightly.
"Luxury condo," he said. "Makes sense. She must be making loads of money. What’s the floor and unit number?"
Adrian kept his eyes on the paper for a second longer before answering.
"Tower B," he said. "Thirty-second floor. Unit 3207."
Ryan let out a quiet breath.
"Now, why the fuck a virologist would leave her address on a note in her office? Doesn’t make sense."
"Unless she wants to get found?" Adrian inferred. "Anyways, we’re going there. Sentinel Eye, confirm location and route."
"Cold Reach One, Sentinel Eye," the AWACS replied. "Location confirmed. Lotte Castle Gold is approximately three kilometers northeast of your current position. High-rise residential complex. The surrounding area shows moderate to high thermal activity."
Ryan nodded once.
"Figures," he said. "Well, we are going to abandon the vehicles, we are going in air. I’m going to summon two blackhawk helicopters, enough to fit the ten operators, you and I, and the Globemaster crews," Adrian said. "For that, we need to go to the roof. Before that, Sentinel Eye? How is the sky over there? I need to know if there will be a Korean Air Force."
"Cold Reach One, Sentinel Eye," the AWACS replied. "Airspace over your sector is currently clear of active interceptors. No radar contacts matching Republic of Korea Air Force assets within immediate vicinity. However, be advised, previous engagement indicates hostile response is possible if detected."
Ryan glanced at Adrian.
"So we won’t be alone up there for long," he said.
"Probably not," Adrian replied. "Which means we move fast."
"Any aerial threats?" Ryan asked.
"Negative on biological airborne contacts in your immediate grid," Sentinel Eye answered. "Sky conditions stable. Wind speed minimal."
"Good, let’s get to the roof," Adrian said.
Ryan didn’t waste a second.
"Stack up. We move now," he ordered.
The team reformed at the doorway, weapons up, spacing tight. Ryan took point again, pushing out into the hallway with two operators right behind him. Adrian followed just off his shoulder, the M32 resting against his chest, ready if things escalated.
The corridor had changed.
What had been quiet moments ago was now alive with movement.
From both ends, figures began to emerge again.
They were coming faster now.
"Contacts front!" the lead operator called.
"Engage and move!" Ryan replied.
The MP5s cracked in controlled bursts as they advanced. Shots were tighter now, faster, dropping targets before they could close the distance. Bodies fell across the hallway, but the gaps didn’t stay open long.
More were already filling them.
"Don’t stop!" Ryan said.
They pushed forward, stepping over the fallen, clearing what stood in their way without slowing down. The stairwell door came into view through the growing mass.
"On the door!" one operator shouted.
Two infected broke through from the side corridor, lunging with sudden speed.
The rear operator pivoted and dropped both with two clean shots.
"Right clear!"
Ryan reached the door and shoved it open.
"Inside!"
They flowed into the stairwell as one.
The moment the last man cleared the threshold, the door slammed shut behind them.
But it didn’t hold the silence.
From the other side, an impact.
A body slammed against it.
Then another.
"They’re right behind us," one operator said.
"Move up!" Ryan ordered.
Adrian didn’t waste time once they were on the roof.
The wind hit harder up there, carrying dust and heat across the concrete surface. The skyline stretched wide in every direction, but it wasn’t something he could afford to admire. His focus stayed on the space in front of him, already calculating where the helicopters would land and how fast they could get everyone onboard.
"Perimeter," he said.
Ryan moved immediately, pointing to sectors.
"Two on the stairwell door. Two covering north side. The rest spread out. Watch rooftops and adjacent buildings."
The team broke off and took positions without hesitation. Weapons were raised, eyes scanning not just the roof but the surrounding structures. Windows across nearby buildings reflected sunlight, some broken, some intact, any of them a possible threat.
Behind them, the stairwell door shook again.
A dull impact echoed through the metal.
Then another.
"They’re stacking on the door," one operator said, tightening his grip on his weapon.
Ryan glanced back for a second, then returned his attention forward.
"It won’t hold forever," he said.
Adrian nodded.
"I know."
He stepped into the center of the rooftop, raising his hand slightly as if measuring space. The system responded instantly to his intent. A magic circle appeared before him and two Black Hawk Helicopters and its crews emerged from it.
The moment it fully materialized, Adrian spoke.
"Move! We are going airborne!"
"Yes sir!"
The respective crews of the helicopter sprang into action, getting into their helicopters and powering it up.
Meanwhile, Adrian and his men boarded the helicopters and watched as the door gave away from the relentless horde of zombies.
"Fire!"
They fired directly onto the incoming horde, putting them down as they got close. But seconds later, they were airborne.