Chapter 99: Lotte Castle Gold
The two Black Hawk helicopters were in transit to the Lotte Castle Gold. It was a sweltering heat of afternoon, similar to the climate of Manila and from a distance, they could finally see the structure glistened.
"Woah, that’s the Lotte Castle Gold?" Adrian said, leaning slightly toward the open side of the Black Hawk as the structure came into clearer view.
It was really like made out of gold with two towers.
Ryan shifted beside him, one hand gripping the frame of the helicopter as he looked down.
"That’s it," he said. "Tower B should be on the right cluster."
Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly, focusing on the upper floors.
Some sections of the building still looked intact, but others told a different story. Windows were shattered across multiple levels. Dark scorch marks ran up parts of the exterior. A few balconies had visible damage, railings bent or missing entirely.
"Sentinel Eye, confirm Tower B," Adrian said over comms.
"Cold Reach One, Sentinel Eye," the AWACS replied. "Confirming. Tower B is the easternmost structure within the complex. Your current approach vector is aligned. Target unit, thirty-second floor, upper quadrant."
Ryan nodded once.
"Copy."
The helicopter adjusted slightly, banking just enough to line up with the structure. The second Black Hawk stayed just off their flank, maintaining spacing.
Adrian looked down toward the base of the building.
Movement.
A lot of it.
"They’re dense down there," he said.
Ryan followed his gaze.
The ground level was flooded. Zombies moved between parked cars, clustered near entrances, drifting through open areas like a slow, constant current.
"That’s not something we land into," Ryan said.
"Agreed," Adrian replied. "We go high."
"Sentinel Eye," Ryan said. "Any rooftop activity?"
A short pause.
"Thermal readings on rooftop show minimal movement," the AWACS answered. "Estimate less than ten contacts. No large clusters detected. However, interior upper floors show intermittent activity."
"How many floors is this anyways?" Adrian asked.
Ryan leaned out a bit more, eyes tracing the height of the tower as it rose above the surrounding buildings.
"Rough estimate... forty, maybe forty-five floors," he said after a second. "Hard to tell with the angle, but it’s up there."
Adrian followed his line of sight, counting sections of the structure as best as he could. Each level stacked cleanly on top of the other, the glass panels catching sunlight in uneven reflections where they were still intact.
"Feels taller," one of the operators muttered from behind.
"It probably is," Ryan replied. "Luxury condos don’t go small."
Adrian exhaled slowly and leaned back into his seat.
"Good," he said.
Ryan glanced at him.
"That’s good?"
Adrian gave a small nod.
"We don’t need all of it," he said. "We just need thirty-two."
Ryan let out a short breath, almost a quiet laugh.
"Fair enough."
Adrian shifted his grip on his weapon and looked back toward the tower.
"Rooftop insertion," he said. "We land up top, secure it, and move down."
The pilot’s voice came through next.
"Approaching rooftop in twenty seconds," he said. "Wind conditions stable. Minor turbulence from surrounding structures."
The helicopter adjusted its approach, lowering altitude as the rooftop came into full view.
From this distance, the details became clearer.
Ventilation units.
Water tanks.
Scattered debris.
And movement.
A few infected were already turning toward the incoming aircraft, their bodies reacting to the growing sound of the rotors.
"Contacts on the roof," one of the gunners called out.
"Keep it tight," Ryan said. "No unnecessary fire."
The Black Hawk hovered just above the rooftop, the rotor wash kicking up dust and loose debris across the surface.
Adrian stood, bracing himself against the frame as he moved toward the edge.
"Ready!" the crew chief shouted.
The rope dropped.
Adrian didn’t hesitate.
He grabbed hold and slid down, boots hitting the rooftop hard before he immediately moved aside, weapon up, scanning his sector.
Ryan came down right after him.
Then the rest of the team.
The moment they landed, the infected reacted.
Faster than expected.
One broke into a short sprint.
"Contact front!" an operator called.
"Engage!" Ryan ordered.
Suppressed fire cracked across the rooftop, quick and controlled. The infected dropped before they could close the distance, their bodies hitting the concrete with dull impacts.
"Left clear!"
"Right clear!"
"Roof is secure," one of the operators confirmed.
Adrian didn’t relax.
He stepped forward slightly, scanning the perimeter and then turning his attention to the rooftop access door.
"That’s our entry," he said.
Ryan nodded, already moving toward it.
"Blackhawks, you are to maintain overwatch. Wait for us here," Adrian said over comms, his voice steady despite the noise of the rotors still beating the air above them.
"Copy, Cold Reach One," one of the pilots replied. "Holding pattern over rooftop. We’ll stay on standby."
Adrian gave a small nod, then turned back toward the team.
"Let’s not stay exposed," he said.
Ryan was already at the rooftop access door, one hand resting on the handle while the other kept his weapon angled toward the frame. He didn’t open it immediately. Instead, he leaned in slightly, listening.
Ryan looked back briefly.
"Stack up," he said.
The team moved into position behind him, forming a tight line along the wall. Weapons were raised, each man covering a different angle even before the door opened.
Adrian took position just behind Ryan, M32 resting against his chest, his other hand steady on his primary weapon.
Ryan tightened his grip on the handle.
"On three," he said quietly.
No one responded.
They didn’t need to.
"One."
He shifted his stance slightly.
"Two."
The team leaned in just a fraction more, ready to move the moment the door opened.
"Three."
Ryan pushed the door open in one smooth motion and stepped inside.
The difference hit immediately.
The bright heat of the rooftop disappeared, replaced by a cooler, dim interior space. The stairwell lights flickered weakly, casting uneven shadows across the concrete walls and steps.
"Clear," Ryan said after a quick sweep.
The team flowed in behind him, boots hitting the steps with controlled weight as the last man pulled the door shut behind them, sealing off the outside.
For a second, everything felt still.
Then, a faint sound.
Below.
Something moving.
Adrian tilted his head slightly, listening.
"They’re in here," he said quietly.
Ryan nodded.
"Of course they are."
He looked down the stairwell, then back at Adrian.
"Thirty-second floor," he said.