Chapter 39: Zombie Wave
The zombie horde had grown into a massive, unstoppable wave, like a tsunami swallowing everything in its path. Zack estimated there were easily over five million zombies in the swarm. Worse, they were now just a mountain away from him.
"Riverdale..." he muttered, recognizing the mountain range on the map. He had once considered the mansion district here as a potential refuge but dismissed the idea because of its proximity to a zoo. Now, staring at the satellite image, a crucial question weighed on his mind.
"Ego, do you think this zombie horde will go around the hill?" he asked, scrutinizing the black mass on his screen. If the swarm took a detour, it might buy him an extra day to prepare. If not... they'd be on top of him by tomorrow afternoon.
"The odds are low, sir," replied Ego, his AI assistant. "A horde this size isn't likely to divert for something as small as that hill."
Zack nodded, unsurprised. "Alright, Ego. Simulate their path. Show me exactly where they'll pass through."
The satellite view shifted into a flat map. A deep red line traced the projected route of the zombies. The simulation showed the horde cutting straight through the center of NYC, putting the steel mill and the fortified mansions directly in its path. Only the prison lay just outside the danger zone—but that wasn't much comfort.
As he studied the map, Zack's eyes caught something unusual. Zooming in, he saw an unfinished construction site that had been turned into a survivor base. The site had reinforced walls and sentry towers spaced out evenly, each manned by guards.
"A construction site, huh? Not bad," Zack muttered to himself. It was secluded, away from the main city, and stocked with steel, construction materials, and heavy machinery like excavators. It was a solid choice for a base, far better than the prison. But the site was directly in the horde's path. The survivors there would be the first to face the zombies—and they wouldn't be the last.
"Sir, I've identified the leader of that base," Ego announced suddenly.