Chapter 9: Lines in the SandApril 30, 20XX1:00 a.m.On the Bus
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The bus lurched slightly as it made its way through the narrow streets, the headlights slicing through the darkness that had swallowed the city whole. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with tension, an uneasy silence filling the space as the survivors tried to catch their breath after the relentless horrors of the night.
Blake Henderson sat quietly near the front, his body heavy with exhaustion. Since the outbreak, he hadn’t had a moment to truly rest, his senses constantly on high alert. But now, with a temporary lull in the chaos, he allowed himself to close his eyes, if only for a few moments.
In contrast, the newly joined members of Shido's group were anything but calm. They were restless, whispering among themselves, their fear palpable. They were terrified, not just of the undead that lurked outside but of the uncertain future that awaited them.
The tension finally reached a boiling point when Tsunoda, an aggressive young man with dyed hair and a perpetual scowl, stood up from his seat and marched to the front of the bus. His eyes were wild with fear and anger, and he glared at Shizuka Marikawa, who was focused on driving.
“Why the hell are we going deeper into the city?” Tsunoda shouted, his voice dripping with frustration. “We should be getting out of here, not driving into more of this mess! Who made you the one in charge?”
Shizuka glanced at him briefly, her usual calm demeanor faltering under the weight of his anger. “I’m just trying to find a safe place for everyone,” she said, her voice gentle but firm. She then stopped the bus just at the edge of a cross-junction in the road and then tells Tsunoda off with a hint of irritation in her voice, “Please, just sit down and let me drive.”
Tsunoda wasn’t having it. He clenched his fists, his face contorting with rage. “No! We didn’t agree to this! You don’t get to make decisions for all of us!”
Blake stirred at the commotion, opening his eyes to see what was happening. He noticed the tension in the air and felt a pang of irritation—he had been so close to catching a few moments of rest.
Before he could intervene, Takashi Komuro spoke up from his seat. “Shut up and sit quietly, Tsunoda. You’re not helping anyone by yelling.”
Tsunoda’s eyes snapped to Takashi, his rage now directed at him. “What did you just say to me?”
Takashi met his gaze evenly. “I said, shut up and sit quietly. We’re all scared, but causing a scene isn’t going to make things better.”
Tsunoda’s fury boiled over. “You think you can talk to me like that? Who the hell do you think you are?” He lunged at Takashi, his hands balled into fists, ready to strike.
But before he could reach Takashi, Rei Miyamoto sprang into action. With a swift, practiced movement, she intercepted Tsunoda, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. Tsunoda yelped in pain, his aggression quickly dissipating as he was forced to his knees.
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on Takashi!” Rei hissed, her eyes blazing with anger.
The rest of the bus watched in stunned silence as Rei held Tsunoda in place. Shido, who had been watching the entire exchange with calculating eyes, saw an opportunity. He stood up slowly, smoothing his clothes as he approached the scene.
“Enough,” Shido said in a calm, authoritative voice. “There’s no need for violence among ourselves. We’re all in this together, and we need to support each other if we’re going to survive.”
Rei glared at Shido, her grip on Tsunoda’s arm tightening. “You stay out of this, Shido. This has nothing to do with you.”
But Shido wasn’t deterred. He smiled gently, projecting an air of calm maturity. “Rei, I understand your frustration. But we can’t let our emotions get the better of us. We need to work together, not tear each other apart.”
He turned to the rest of the bus, addressing the students who had been watching the conflict with fearful eyes. “I know you’re all scared. I’m scared too. But this is a time for unity, not division. We need a leader, someone who can make the tough decisions and guide us through this nightmare.”
The students, who were already shaken and desperate for some semblance of stability, began to murmur in agreement. Shido’s words had struck a chord with them—he was an adult, a teacher, someone who seemed capable of leading them in this time of crisis.
One by one, the students began to nod, their expressions hopeful. “Shido-sensei should lead us,” one of them said, and the others quickly echoed the sentiment.
Rei’s eyes widened in disbelief, “No! You can’t seriously be thinking of letting him lead you! You don’t know what he actually is!”
But her protests fell on deaf ears. The students, desperate for someone to guide them, had already made up their minds. Shido’s calm demeanor and reassuring words had won them over.
Shido smiled benevolently, though his eyes gleamed with something darker. “Thank you. I’ll do everything in my power to keep us safe. But remember, we can only survive if we work together.”
Rei’s frustration boiled over, and she released Tsunoda, who scrambled away from her, rubbing his arm. “You’re all making a huge mistake!” she shouted, her voice filled with desperation. “Shido isn’t who you think he is! He’s a monster!”
She turned and marched toward the door of the bus, her mind made up. “I’m leaving. There’s no way I’m staying here as long as he is on the bus. I’m not going anywhere near him.”
“Rei, wait!” Takashi called after her, jumping up from his seat. He quickly followed her, grabbing her arm just as she reached the left side of the cross junction which led into a tunnel. “You can’t just leave like this. It’s not safe out there!”
Rei turned to face him, her eyes filled with tears of anger and frustration. “I can’t stay, Takashi. I can’t be around him. You don’t understand—he’s evil! I’d rather take my chances out there than stay on this bus with him.”
Takashi’s heart ached at the sight of Rei’s distress. He understood her hatred for Shido, but he also knew how dangerous it was outside. “Please, Rei. Don’t do this. We can figure something out, but we need to stay together.”
Rei shook her head, her resolve unwavering. “No, Takashi. I can’t stay. If you want to stay with them, then fine, but I’m leaving.”
Before Takashi could respond, a distant sound of a vehicle was approaching them from the right side of the cross-junction. A bus was headed straight towards them with speed as it then hit a nearby parked vehicle with a violent crash which echoed through the night, followed by the sound of shattering glass. The bus rocked on its wheels as it steered off-course resulting in the bus to tip over as it slammed into the vehicles at the mouth of the tunnel ahead.
“What the hell was that?” Blake shouted, instantly alert as he jumped to his feet.
Takashi and Rei had turned to see what had happened just in time to witness a bus—filled with infected—collide with several cars at the entrance of the tunnel. The force of the impact sent debris flying in all directions, and the bus’s front end crumpled as it came to a violent stop.
“Get down!” Takashi yelled, grabbing Rei and pulling her to the ground as the infected bus skidded into the tunnel, blocking their path.
Seeing the bus that came from the other side coming to a screeching halt, the sudden stop threw several of the infected passengers inside off the bus as they face planted into the street. Blake, seeing the chaos unfold, quickly moved toward the door as he grabbed his Springfield M1A rifle in his hand.
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“We need to get them back on the bus!” Blake shouted to Saeko Busujima, who had already risen to her feet, katana in hand.
Saeko nodded, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the situation. “Let’s move.”
Blake and Saeko jumped off the bus and ran toward Takashi and Rei, who were scrambling to their feet. But before they could reach them, the totaled bus, now fully lodged in the tunnel, exploded into flames. The blast sent a wave of heat and debris in all directions, forcing Blake and Saeko to shield their faces and stumble back.
The road was now completely blocked, the wreckage and flames creating an impenetrable barrier between them and the others.
“Takashi! Rei!” Blake shouted, trying to see through the flames and smoke.
On the other side of the wreckage, Takashi pulled Rei to her feet, coughing from the smoke. “We need to get out of here!” he said urgently.
Rei nodded, her heart pounding. “What do we do? How do we get back?”
Takashi quickly scanned their surroundings, looking for any possible escape routes. Then, he remembered something. “Rei, your dad’s police station—he was stationed somewhere towards the direction of this side of the road right?”
Rei’s eyes widened as she realized what Takashi was suggesting. “Yes, it’s not too far from here as compared to the other side. We could try to reach it.”
Takashi nodded, making a quick decision. “We’ll head there. If we can find your dad, we might be able to get help.”
Rei hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. “Okay, let’s go.”
Before they left, Takashi turned back to the wreckage, shouting to Blake and Saeko on the other side. “Blake! Saeko! We’re heading to the police station! We’ll meet you there!”
Blake, struggling to see through the flames, caught a glimpse of Takashi and Rei as they prepared to leave. “Alright, we got it! We’ll find you there!” he shouted back.
As they turned to leave, Blake quickly pulled his Beretta 92FS from its holster and tossed it to Takashi. “Take this! You’ll need it!”
Takashi caught the gun, his eyes meeting Blake’s in a moment of understanding. “Thank you!” he called out, gripping the weapon tightly.
With no time to lose, Takashi and Rei turned and ran into the darkness, heading toward the police station.
Blake watched them go, his heart heavy with worry, but he knew they had made the best decision they could under the circumstances. Turning back to Saeko, he nodded. “Let’s go. We need to get back to the bus, the explosion would have mostly likely attracted the zombies nearby of our location”
Saeko nodded in agreement, and together they made their way back to the bus, where Shizuka was anxiously waiting for them.
“What happened?” Shizuka asked, her voice trembling.
“They’re heading to the police station,” Blake explained quickly. “We need to meet them there. It’s our best chance to regroup.”
Shizuka nodded, though her hands were shaking as she gripped the steering wheel. “Okay… okay, I’ll get us there.”
As the bus rumbled back to life and began to maneuver through the wreckage, Shido sat quietly, observing the scene with a thoughtful expression. To the others, he appeared calm, concerned even, but inside, his mind was racing with possibilities.
‘This is perfect,’ Shido thought, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. ‘Takashi and Rei are gone. The biggest threats to my influence… gone.’
He glanced at Blake, who had returned to his seat, looking worn but determined. Shido barely registered him—Blake had always kept to himself, a quiet, unassuming figure who posed no real threat. Or so Shido believed.
‘With Takashi gone, the rest will fall in line easily,’ Shido mused. ‘They’re scared, desperate for leadership. They’ll follow me without question. And when they do, I’ll have full control of this group.’
As the bus made its way through the city, the students began to relax, lulled by the sense of safety that the vehicle provided. But Shido’s mind was far from at ease. He was already planning his next move, thinking of how he could manipulate the remaining members of Takashi’s group into submission.
‘I’ll break them, one by one,’ Shido thought, his smile growing darker. ‘And when they’re broken, they’ll be mine to control.’
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April 30, 20XX
1:30 a.m.
On the Bus, Tokonosu City
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The bus continued its journey through the eerily quiet streets of Tokonosu City, navigating around abandoned cars and debris. The tension inside had eased slightly, with most of the students settling into a state of uneasy rest. However, the sense of danger was never far, hanging over them like a dark cloud.
Blake sat quietly, his eyes closed as he tried to catch some much-needed rest. But despite his exhaustion, his mind remained alert, processing everything that had happened and planning for what was to come.
Across the aisle, Saya Takagi and Kohta Hirano were deep in conversation. Kohta had just woken up, and Saya was filling him in on everything that had transpired since they had left the school.
“Shido’s in charge now?” Kohta asked, his voice laced with disbelief. “That can’t be good.”
“No, it’s not,” Saya replied, her tone sharp. “But the students were desperate for someone to lead them, and Shido took advantage of that.”
Kohta frowned, his mind racing as he considered their options. “We can’t let him have full control. He’s dangerous.”
“I know,” Saya said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “But we need to be smart about this. If we openly oppose him, we’ll be outnumbered.”
Kohta nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. “So, what’s the plan?”
Saya glanced around, making sure no one was listening. “For now, we keep our heads down. But we need to start thinking about how we’re going to get out of Tokonosu City. It’s too dangerous to stay here.”
Kohta’s eyes widened slightly as an idea began to form in his mind. “What about the floating airport? I remember hearing about it on the news—it’s a self-sufficient facility, designed to operate independently in emergencies.”
Saya considered this, her mind quickly analyzing the possibilities. “That could work. If we can reach the airport, we might be able to find supplies, weapons, and a safe place to regroup. But it’s risky—we don’t know what the situation is like there.”
“It’s a better option than staying here,” Kohta replied. “The city is a death trap. We need to find a way out.”
Saya nodded in agreement. “We’ll have to be careful, though. We can’t let Shido know what we’re planning.”
Kohta grinned, his enthusiasm returning as he considered the possibilities. “We might be able to gather some supplies and map out a route once we reach the police station.”
As they continued to discuss their plans in hushed tones, the scene shifted to a different part of the city—a place that was still fighting back against the horrors of the outbreak.
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April 30, 20XX
1:45 a.m.
Tokonosu Floating Airport
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The night sky over Tokonosu Floating Airport was dark and ominous, the occasional flash of lightning illuminating the clouds. The airport, normally a bustling hub of activity, was now a fortress under siege. The undead had reached its perimeter, their numbers growing with each passing hour.
But the airport was not without its defenders. On the rooftop of the main terminal, a sniper’s rifle glinted in the moonlight, its barrel trained on the horde below.
Rika Minami, a top sniper of Japan’s Special Assault Team (SAT), peered through the scope of her Heckler & Koch PSG-1 semi-automatic sniper rifle, her expression focused and calm. Next to her, her superior officer and partner, Tajima, scanned the area with binoculars, acting as a spotter calling out targets.
“Three o’clock, 200 meters, moving fast,” Tajima said, his voice steady.
Rika adjusted her aim, her finger resting lightly on the trigger. She exhaled slowly, timing her shot with the rhythm of her breathing. The rifle kicked against her shoulder as she fired, the bullet finding its mark with deadly precision. The infected dropped to the ground, its head snapped back from the impact.
“Nice shot,” Tajima commented, a hint of admiration in his voice.
“Thanks,” Rika replied, already lining up her next target. “But there’s too many of them. We need to focus on thinning out the ones closest to the fences.”
Tajima nodded, continuing to call out targets. “Seven o’clock, 150 meters, a group of five. They’re trying to push through the gate.”
Rika adjusted her scope, quickly assessing the situation. The group of infected was pressing against the gate, their combined weight threatening to break through. She took aim, her mind calculating the best way to stop them.
“Going for the middle one,” Rika said, her voice calm and controlled.
She fired, the bullet striking the lead infected in the chest, knocking it back into the others. The impact caused a brief ripple effect, slowing their advance. Rika didn’t waste any time, firing two more shots in quick succession, taking down the next two infected.
“Gate’s holding for now,” Tajima observed, but there was no relief in his voice. “But it won’t last forever. We need reinforcements.”
Rika nodded, her eyes never leaving the scope. “We’ll hold as long as we can. But if the fence goes down, we’re in trouble.”
They continued to work in tandem, Rika’s rifle picking off the infected with lethal precision while Tajima scanned the area for new threats. Despite the overwhelming odds, the two of them remained calm, their years of training and experience guiding their every move.
But as the minutes ticked by, Rika couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease. The situation was becoming increasingly dire, and there was no telling how long they could hold out.
In a brief lull between shots, Rika’s thoughts drifted to her friend, Shizuka Marikawa. The two had been close since their school days, and Rika couldn’t help but worry about her.
‘Shizuka… I hope you’re okay,’ Rika thought, her heart heavy with concern. ‘You’re always getting into trouble, and I’m not there to bail you out this time.’
She fired another shot, her focus momentarily shaken. ‘Damn it, Shizuka. You’re such a klutz. I wish I could go find you, make sure you’re safe…’
But she knew that was impossible. The airport was their stronghold, the only place they could defend against the endless waves of infected. If they lost it, there would be nowhere left to run.
‘I’ll hold out here as long as I can,’ Rika resolved, her determination hardening. ‘But if I get the chance… I’ll come for you, Shizuka. I promise.’
As the battle raged on, Rika pushed her personal worries aside, focusing on the task at hand. The night was far from over, and the fight for survival had only just begun.
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End of Chapter 9