Chapter 8 (1/2)
Chapter 08
Eight o'clock in the evening.
The night was just starting, and the daylight had yet to disappear completely. Looking out of the window, the freeway had become a huge abandoned parking lot. The sound of zombie roaring could be heard from the wilderness.
Zhou Rong put his hands on the steering wheel, his eyes red red, not saying a word.
Si Nan got into the front seat from the back compartment and was immediately greeted by heavy nicotine smoke into his nose. He couldn't help coughing a little as he said, “Switch with me?”
Zhou Rong shook his head.
“You’ve been driving for too long.”
Zhou Rong still did not speak.
Si Nan fell silent for a moment before saying gently: “You can't be like this, Rong Ge. The dozen of people in these two cars are counting on you. Who else would they rely on if you are down as well? The car behind us has changed driver twice between Yan Hao and Chun Cao. ”
”…… Driving a biodiesel-car is not easy.” Zhou Rong finally opened his mouth and talked in a hoa.r.s.e voice,”The road here is difficult, and we have to hurry. The farther away we are from T city, the better.”
Sinan was about to say something when the HT suddenly rang: “Calling the front car, calling the front car! Captain, our radio station is silent on this side, how about yours? ”
Zhou Rong's expression changed and he quickly opened the car's radio.
Countless sizzling noises flooded out.
-No shortwave signal.
In the back seat, three of special soldiers suddenly woke up as if they were aware that something was wrong. They got up and squeezed forward, and instantly alarmed upon seeing Zhou Rong’s ugly expression. The man had his hand raised and was calling for their base through the car radio, but like a fish disappearing in a the ocean, there was no reply. The radio stayed absolutely silent except for those sizzling noises.
Zhou Rong suddenly stepped on the brakes and took a deep breath. He opened the car door and walked out.
The mini bus behind them stopped as well. The exhausted survivors were awakened from their sleep and began talking one after another.
Yan Hao and Chun Cao also jumped out of the car, their faces showing clear signs of fatigue. Zhou Rong was in no mood for nonsense and told them bluntly: ”We can't connect to the base.”
The rest of the team approached them and stood beside Chun Cao, sharing a look of dread among themselves.
”…… There is no sign of the nuclear bombs. I thought it'll be launched at eight?” said someone. ”It’s eight o'clock now. ”
“may be there is a change in the plan…”
“If the plan changes, the base should have notified us.” Yan Hao interrupted Chun Cao and explained: ”If it was changed to nine o'clock, the base would command us to save more people, and another helicopters would be sent here. What’s more, delaying the nuclear launch may cause the zombie from the city center to spread to the perimeter. The sooner the bomb is launched, the better.”
Si Nan walked from behind them and stopped two or three paces away, looking at them with his arms crossed.
There was a terrible thought raising in everyone's hearts, but no one dared to talk or even move. It was like they were hoping if they didn't voice it out, the possibility of terror in their minds would cease to exist as well.
The weather in the late autumn night was very cold, and the curtain of darkness gradually filled the wilderness. At the railroad in the distance, the yellow light of the street lamp was flickering faintly.
“Your base,” said the silent voice from behind them, “Maybe something happened there.”
Two or three special soldiers shouted: “Impossible!”
“B Military District has complete facilities and is impregnable. During the virus outbreak, a large number of armed police guards were mobilized there, even a fly wouldn't be able to slip in! And the national government, the commanders, all the survivors of the entire northern region, all of them are in there…!”
No one interrupted and Chun Cao's sharp voice gradually weakened.
Si Nan looked at her: “Even the strongest fortress won't be able to guard against an internal attack. Once the virus erupts from the inside, it'll spread in an instant, you know it.”
All of them recalled the accident this afternoon with the four helicopters and shuddered.
“Yingjie,” Zhou Rong called out in a low voice, “report the location.”
The special force member named Zhang Yingjie was holding a tablet computer of unknown brand in his hand, most likely a military product: “Once we bypa.s.s this road we'll be 57 kilometers away from the outskirt of City B. The highway ahead is heavily congested, I suggest we take a detour to the industrial area which is eight kilometres away from where we are… ” he thought to himself: there may be survivors.
Zhou Rong slowly said: “If the B City has really fallen, then it'll be cleaned with nuclear bomb in two days at the latest. We can not go forward.”
The people on the bus couldn't restrain themselves and peeked outside with hesitant eyes.
After a long period of contemplation, Zhou Rong finally made a decision: “We'll camp here. Check our materials inventory and arrange accommodation for everyone.”
“Yan Hao,” he commanded, “list the name of the survivors and prepare s.h.i.+fts for the night.”
The wind was whistling and sweeping in all directions, almost sounded like millions of souls were weeping to the sky.
Zhou Rong's proper arrangement at the beginning of their escape immediately showed result. The minibus was piled with rice flour noodles, salted oil, canned meat, and warm clothing, all of which he brought himself from a box of supply in the warehouse last night. Futhermore, there were also a little collection of knives, medications, and electric generators which he kept in the biodiesel-car of the special soldiers.
The survivors sat in a group of threes and fives and were sharing canned foods. From time to time, the sound of suppressed sobs and and mourning sighs could be heard. Si Nan sat on the biodiesel-car platform, picking up a bottle of yellow peach syrup. Zhou Rong came over and put two antipyretic tablets into his mouth.
Zhou Rong's hand held a taste of smoke, his fingertip were a bit salty and rough.
“Captain.” Yan Hao suddenly called out from the distance.
Zhou Rong had his head bowed and was about to say something to Si Nan, but turned around when he heard Yan Hao. He waved to Si Nan and walked to his subordinate.
“There is not much fuel left in the biodiesel car, we may have use ordinary diesel instead. We are ready to go to the highway to raid the fuel tanks of abandoned cars on the road. After we reach the industrial area in the morning, we’ll try to shoot a location signal to the military base. If City B has not fallen completely, I'm sure someone will come to pick us up.”
The two men walked shoulder to shoulder, Zhou Rong then asked in a low voice: “How many people?”
“36 survivors. 30 men, six above 50 years old, two under fifteen years old; six women, two are twenty, and four above 40 years old. All are beta. ”
Yan Hao gulped and stood still: