The Endgame Chronicles (by Hugh White) novel Chapter 198

Chapter 198

Tall apartment towers lined both sides of the road; once neat and modern, now eerily lifeless. Grass had already begun growing across rooftops that had barely finished construction a few months earlier.

Lower floors were wrapped in vines, creeping along the walls like they were reclaiming the whole city. The storefronts lining the street were all sealed shut, except for a few groceries and convenience stores that had clearly been smashed open during the chaos.

Not a single pedestrian walked the streets.

Instead, the road was littered with wrecked cars or vehicles abandoned mid-escape. Every car was blanketed in dust, the metal rotting after months of rain and wind.

Several large dumpsters lay overturned after being hit by cars. The garbage spilling out had long since begun rotting on its own, swarming with insects and flies.

The city was clouded in silence, decay, ruin, and chaos…and zombies everywhere.

Aside from the wandering zombies, there wasn’t a single living soul in sight.

Even though the apocalypse had been going on for less than six months, the city looked like it had aged a century.

Bam, bam, bam!

Thud, bam, thud!

Hayley’s armored vehicle blazed down the road, sparks flying from its sides as it plowed through zombies without slowing even

a little.

The horde behind them chased hard, but the slower ones were quickly left behind. Those that managed to keep up slammed into the reinforced armor, scraping and slamming until they dropped

Bam, bam!

Hayley pushed the vehicle at full speed.

All the way, they crushed zombies under the wheels, heading straight for their destination: the tech park.

Fortunately, the tech park didn’t have many zombies.

The virus had broken out early in the morning, before people clocked in for work. Business districts and office parks were some of the emptiest areas when everything went downhill.

But outside the tech park? There were residential zones everywhere. There were definitely plenty of zombies nearby.

If they got surrounded, they’d never break through.

Hayley’s plan was simple: strike fast and get out fast.

“Leonard, once I open the gate, drive straight into the courtyard. Keep blocking any zombies that get through!”

“Got it!” Leonard answered sharply.

Inside the huge tech park, Hayley quickly located Cyril’s building. It was a standalone research facility with its own yard, security booth, and metal gate.

As soon as she reached the gate, she jumped out of the vehicle, sprinting toward the guard booth before the zombies behind them could catch up.

“Raarh!”

The security guard zombie in uniforiti lunged toward her, thrilled to spot prey.

Shunk!

+15 Bonus

Hayley stabbed it through the window and kicked open the booth door, rushing straight to the control panel for the metal gate.

The zombies behind them were closing in fast when the armored vehicle’s entrance finally rolled oper

“Get in!”

Hayley waved sharply at Leonard, who slammed the gas pedal and shot into the yard.

At the same time, a water orb formed in Hayley’s palm. She flung it toward the zombies catching up, blasting through every one of them.

Not a single zombie was allowed to cross that gate.

Once Leonard’s vehicle made it in, Hayley dropped the gate immediately.

Kachunk!

About 30 zombies slammed against the outside of the metal barrier.

“Raarh!”

“Raarh!”

“Raarh!”

The starving zombies stretched their arms through the gaps, their gray, shriveled faces twisted with hunger as they clawed at the shaking metal gate.

“Leonard, we move fast!” Hayley said, taking one look at the snarling zombies before sprinting toward the research building.

There was no point in killing them.

There were too many, and more would only come.

All she needed was to use the time the gate bought her to empty out the research building as quickly as possible.

+16 Bonus

Chapter 10y

Hayley sprinted straight toward the research building. A card reader and keypad blocked the entrance. She typed in a string of

numbers.

With a beep, the door unlocked.

She and Leonard rushed inside at full speed.

Thankfully, every piece of information Cyril had given her was accurate and extremely useful.

He had told her the building had six floors. The first four were laboratories filled with equipment. The fifth and sixth floors were offices and archives. He had also given her every room’s passcode.

Cyril had also told her that aside from one security guard, there should be no more than three employees working overtime. Those three had all been inside Room 103 on the first floor, analyzing data. He guaranteed there would be no one in the other

rooms.

Sure enough, when Hayley rushed in, she saw exactly three zombies wandering inside Room 103.