I Have a Modern Weapon Gacha System in the Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 66: Finally! Found Them!

The helicopter banked hard to the right, its nose swinging back toward the island.

Rotor wash intensified as the pilot pushed forward, dropping altitude while maintaining speed. The buildings ahead grew larger in the open door, rooftops sliding into view one after another as they closed the distance.

"Eagle adjusting course," the pilot said. "One klick out from flare origin."

Ryan shifted slightly against the straps, angling his head to keep the direction in sight.

The crew chief leaned out, one hand gripping the frame.

"Keep it low," he said. "We don’t know what’s down there."

The gunner swung his weapon toward the approach, scanning across rooftops and alleyways, tracking for any movement that didn’t match.

"Scanning," he said. "No immediate contacts."

Inside the command center, Adrian stood closer to the screen now, eyes locked on the drone feed as it tracked ahead of the helicopter.

"Drone has eyes," the operator said. "Building identified. Four-storey structure. Flat roof. No tangoes detected within 500 meter radius. You are safe but keep your eyes peeled for unwanted contact."

"Copy," the pilot replied. "Final approach."

The helicopter dropped lower, speed bleeding off as it lined up with the rooftop.

"They’re on the roof," the gunner said.

Figures stepped into view.

They moved toward the center as the helicopter came in, arms raised, some waving, others shielding their eyes from the rotor wash.

"Multiple civilians," the crew chief confirmed. "I count... ten, no fifteen, no twenty, there are many more coming from the stairwell. No visible weapons."

"Hold hover," the pilot said.

The aircraft stabilized above the rooftop, rotors beating the air hard enough to send loose fabric and debris skidding across the surface.

"Their numbers are increasing, I don’t think we can get them all at once," the pilot said.

He leaned closer to the console, eyes fixed on the screen.

"Eagle, I need live feed from your door cam," he said. "Switch your external feed to command."

"Copy," the pilot replied. "Routing feed now."

The screen flickered.

Then shifted.

The angle changed from the drone’s high view to the helicopter’s perspective. The rotor wash distorted the image slightly as debris moved across the rooftop.

"Stabilizing," the operator said, adjusting the feed.

Adrian scanned the faces of the civilians on the rooftop. Some shouted, demanding to be rescued. Others waved their hands, jumping to be seen. But Adrian wasn’t looking at them. He searched through them. Face by face.

"Hold that," he said.

The operator froze the frame for a second.

"Enhance right side. Rear of the group."

The image shifted slightly.

There, partially covered by the others.

A woman.

Her posture steady despite the chaos around her. One hand gripping the arm of the man beside her.

The man stood close in a protective manner. Shielding her slightly from the pushing crowd.

They weren’t forcing their way in.

They were waiting.

Adrian’s hand tightened against the console as he recognized the faces.

"...That’s them," he said.

The operator looked at him.

"Sir?"

Adrian didn’t look away.

"My parents. Take them in!"

"But sir, only them? What about the others?" the operator asked.

"They’ll be rescued later. Send a Chinook, right now, I want you to extract my parents," Adrian ordered and added. "Eagle, this is Command, I order you to rescue my parents. Prioritize them."

The crew chief looked down at the rooftop.

The crowd had grown tighter now, people pushing closer to the rope, some grabbing at it even before it fully settled.

"Command, that’s a full civilian cluster," the crew chief said. "We pull only two, the rest will rush the line."

Adrian didn’t hesitate.

"Control the crowd. Extract them."

"...Copy," the pilot replied.

***

Ropes were lowered once again and two four soldiers rappelled down on the rooftop. The moment they landed on the roof, they immediately formed a perimeter and aimed their M4 Carbines at them.

"Everyone step back!" the soldier said.

"Why are you pointing your guns at us? Aren’t you from the military? We are civilians! Please rescue us!"

"Please! Take us with you!"

The line held.

The soldiers didn’t move back.

Didn’t lower their weapons.

They adjusted their stance instead, shifting slightly to maintain spacing, covering angles, making sure no one broke through the line.

"Back!" the second soldier barked. "You rush the rope, no one gets out!"

The crowd slowed, not because they wanted to, because they saw the rifles.

"Hey!" one of the soldiers shouted, raising one hand briefly.

"You two! Move up! Now!"

The man hesitated for half a second.

The woman held onto his arm tighter.

Then they moved.

The crowd reacted immediately.

Some tried to block them.

Others grabbed at their sleeves.

"Why them?!" someone shouted.

"That’s not fair!"

"Take my child first!"

The soldiers reacted.

"Back!" the third soldier snapped, stepping in and using his body to create space, his rifle still up, forcing the crowd to give way.

The fourth soldier shifted to cover the flank, muzzle tracking anyone who tried to push through. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Let them pass!" the lead soldier ordered.

The pair moved through the gap and they were being stared at by their fellow civilians.

The moment they got near, the soldier grabbed them by the arm.

"You two will be extracted by the orders of Command. I will clip you in, one at a time. Stay still."

The soldier moved fast, hands steady as he grabbed the harness and pulled Adrian’s father closer to the rope.

"Arms up. Don’t fight it."

He secured the clip, tugged it once to confirm, then signaled upward.

"Hoist ready."

Adrians’ father was hoisted up.

While at it, someone stepped forward.

A man in his mid-twenties pushed through the line, brushing past others without even looking at them. His clothes were cleaner than the rest, chin slightly raised like he didn’t belong with the rest of them.

"Hey," he said, loud enough to cut through the noise. "What the hell is this?"

The soldiers didn’t lower their weapons.

"Back," the lead soldier said.

"You think you can just pick people like that?" he said, pointing toward the rope where Adrian’s father was already halfway up. "I’ve been here longer than them."

"Back," the soldier repeated, firmer now.

The man scoffed.

"Do you even know who I am?" he said. "I’m a congressman. I represent this district. You should be pulling me out first."

The crowd went quiet for a second.

Not because they agreed.

Because of how he said it.

Like it mattered.

The soldier didn’t react.

He kept his rifle steady, stance unchanged.

"Step back," he said. "You are not next."

The man stepped even closer, ignoring the muzzle pointed at his chest.

"Not next?" he repeated. "You don’t get to decide that. I do. I have authority. You’re military, right? Then you follow orders. Get me on that line."

"Take us too!"

"Please!"

"My family!"

"Hey, you might be misunderstanding some things. We don’t work for your government and our higher-ups only ordered us to pick those two individuals. As for the rest of you, there will be a helicopter picking you up. So get back on the line."