Advik Bhardwaj didn't look back as he and his team moved out of the room, the heavy door slamming shut behind them. The desperate screams of the captives faded slightly as they continued down the hall, but they were quickly replaced by another sound—a deep, guttural snarl.
Inside the large flat, the captives twisted and writhed in panic as zombies began to claw at the door and windows. The first of the creatures broke through, shattering the glass and tearing at the wooden frame.
"NO! Get away from us!" one of the captives shrieked as a decaying arm grabbed him by the neck and yanked him toward the broken window. He kicked and screamed, but more zombies poured in, overwhelming him in seconds.
The remaining captives screamed in terror as the horde surged into the room. The chaos was deafening—howls of agony, snapping jaws, and the sickening sound of flesh being ripped apart. The zombies showed no mercy, descending upon their prey in a frenzy.
By the time Advik Bhardwaj and his team reached the stairwell leading to the rooftop, they contacted Hawk 2.
"Hawk 2, we are coming in hot with nine survivors, be prepared for extraction."
"Roger that, Cobra Actual, Hawk 2 is on stand-by."
"Shadow 1, form a defensive line. Hold the stairwell entrance. We're almost there!" Advik Bhardwaj ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"Copy, Cobra," Sandeepresponded as he and the soldiers took up firing positions near the top of the stairs. The sound of pounding footsteps and snarling zombies echoed from below. Within seconds, the first wave of undead appeared on the stairwell, their decayed forms clawing and scrambling over each other in a desperate rush toward the survivors.
"Open fire!" Sandeep commanded.
A coordinated barrage of gunfire erupted, the soldiers laying down controlled bursts of 5.56mm rounds. The narrow stairwell became a deathtrap for the zombies, their bodies piling up as more continued to surge forward. Blood splattered across the walls as headshots dropped the creatures in rapid succession.
"Keep them pinned! Don't let them breach!" Sandeep yelled over the gunfire.
Meanwhile, Advik Bhardwaj guided the survivors toward the rooftop access door. Priya stumbled slightly but was quickly steadied by one of the soldiers. The group moved in a tight formation, fear etched across their faces as the gunfire and snarls intensified behind them.
"Move! Move!" Advik Bhardwaj urged, pushing the pace. They burst onto the rooftop, where Hawk 2 was already touching down. The helicopter's rotors whipped the air around them, creating a deafening roar.
"Hawk 1, maintain overwatch and provide covering fire if needed," Advik Bhardwaj ordered through the comms.
"Roger that, Cobra Actual. We're holding pattern and ready to engage," the pilot of Hawk 1 responded.
Sandeep and his team continued to hold the stairwell, but the horde showed no signs of slowing. One of the soldiers called out, "They're pushing harder, sir! We can't hold this forever!"
"Time to fall back!" Sandeep ordered. "Cobra, we're pulling out!"
"Understood. Get to the chopper now!" Advik Bhardwaj replied.
The special forces team executed a tactical retreat, laying down suppressive fire as they withdrew. The zombies surged into the open, pouring out onto the rooftop like a wave of nightmares. Advik Bhardwaj raised his rifle and fired, taking down several of the closest threats.
"Viper 1, this is Cobra. We need immediate fire support on the second building rooftop perimeter!" Advik Bhardwaj called over the comms.
"Copy, Cobra. Engaging now," Viper 1's pilot confirmed.
The AH-1Z Viper appeared on the horizon, its nose-mounted M197 rotary cannon swiveling to lock onto the mass of zombies spilling onto the roof. A thunderous BRRRRT echoed as high-explosive incendiary rounds tore through the horde. Limbs and torsos exploded in a gory display, the remaining zombies scattering under the onslaught.
"Perimeter is clear for now! Hawk 2, lift off now! Hawk 1 come and get us!"
"Roger, Cobra Actual. Lifting off now," the pilot of Hawk 2 acknowledged. The Black Hawk carrying the survivors ascended swiftly, its rotors kicking up a gust of wind and debris as it climbed away from the rooftop. The terrified survivors clung to the seats inside, Priya still clutching the blanket around her as she glanced down at the chaos below.
"Hawk 1, inbound for extraction," the pilot of the second Black Hawk confirmed over the comms.
Advik Bhardwaj turned to Sandeep and the remaining soldiers. "Hold your positions! We need to buy Hawk 1 time to land."
The rooftop shook slightly from the concussive shock of the Viper's continued fire support. Viper 1 hovered nearby, the rotary cannon spewing another volley of rounds that tore into the zombies flooding the rooftop. The creature's grotesque forms disintegrated under the barrage, but more surged from the stairwell.
"They just keep coming!" Asoldier shouted, firing another burst from his rifle.
"We're almost out of ammo!" another reported, slamming a fresh magazine into his weapon.
"Just a little longer!" Advik Bhardwaj said, firing controlled shots at the advancing horde.
Within moments, Hawk 1 swooped low over the building, its searchlight illuminating the rooftop like a beacon. The helicopter's door gunner opened fire, his M240 machine gun spitting out a steady stream of 7.62mm rounds to suppress the remaining zombies near the landing zone.
"Cobra, we're ready for pickup. Land zone is hot but manageable," the Hawk 1 pilot reported as the Black Hawk touched down with a jolt.
"Move, move, move!" Advik Bhardwaj yelled, waving his team toward the helicopter.
Sandeep and the soldiers fell back in disciplined formation, covering each other as they sprinted for the chopper. Zombies lunged at their heels, but precise headshots from the team and the door gunner kept them at bay. Bhavin Agnihotri was the last to board, pulling himself up onto the helicopter's floor just as the gunner unleashed another hail of bullets to cover their retreat.
"Go, go!" Advik Bhardwaj m shouted to the pilot, slamming the cabin door shut.
"Roger that, Cobra Actual. We're airborne," the pilot confirmed as the Black Hawk lifted off, narrowly avoiding a pair of zombies that had leapt toward the skids.