The Endgame Chronicles (by Hugh White) novel Chapter 653

Chapter 653

Rat-tat-tat!

Rat-tat-tat!

Rat-tat-tat!

As soon as Liam and his team made it back, they rushed straight to the sixth floor stairwell and opened fire.

Their rifles roared as they sprayed the zombie swarm below with heavy bursts.

For Warren and the others, who were already at their limit, the gunfire felt like a lifeline.

“Fall back!” Hayley called out.

She turned and started moving upstairs with her team.

As they ran, she asked Liam, “Did you get what we came for?”

“We got it.” Liam kept his face cold, firing short bursts down the stairs every few steps. “You’re really taking those people with us?”

Once Hayley gave the retreat order, everyone followed her up the stairs.

“Yeah,” she said. “I gave them my word. If they survive and keep up, I’ll take them back.”

She glanced sideways at him.

“What, you think I shouldn’t bring that kind of baggage?”

“No, I’m all for it,” he said.

Hayley paused for a second. “Fine. Then when we get back, they’re your responsibility.”

“No problem,” Liam said immediately.

They reached the eighth floor quickly.

In front of them was the same broken gap in the staircase.

Liam stepped back a few feet, then sprinted forward.

When he reached the wall, he kicked off it hard, twisting his body midair and launching himself diagonally toward the upper stair edge.

His hands caught the ledge..

His core tightened, and he pulled himself up in one smooth motion, landing cleanly on the stairs above.

Liam climbed fully onto the upper level, walked to the edge of the gap, and dropped a rope ladder down.

One by one, Hayley’s team grabbed the ladder and climbed up. Within moments, they were all on the upper floor. Once everyone was up, they didn’t wait for the others. They kept moving.

Their own safety came first. Helping others only happened if they had the ability to spare it.

Still, they left the ladder hanging.

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#15 PROXIGE

Moments later, Warren and his group arrived. When they saw the rope ladder dangling in front of them, their eyes lit up.

Relief and excitement surged through them.

Hayley really had given them a way out. Following her had been the right decision.

Warren grabbed the ladder and started climbing.

One person.

Then another.

Three…

Four…

By the time the ninth person climbed up, a zombie burst onto the eighth-floor landing. Two people were still hanging on the ladder.

Warren saw it. Without hesitation, he pulled out his knife and slashed at the rope ladder Liam had left behind.

“What are you doing?”

Jasmine, who had just climbed up, froze when she saw him cutting the rope.

She spun around and rushed back. With a leap, she grabbed the lower end of the ladder, hanging her entire body weight from it to hold it in place.

“Jasmine!” Warren shouted, rushing forward and grabbing her arm. “Let go! The zombies are here!”

“I know they’re here!” Jasmine screamed back. “Have you lost your humanity? You’ve already gotten so many people killed, and now you want to kill more! They’re still alive! They’re alive!”

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