My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 58: The One Who Carries Them

He glanced to the side and saw Bong-gu still wedged in the narrow window. "Hey! Move it faster!" he shouted.

"Help!" Bong-gu cried as the students on the other side tugged at him.

"Ahhh!" They all strained, pulling as hard as they could.

"I told you, Bong-gu, you should’ve lost some weight," Lucas muttered, yanking harder.

The window frame cracked under the pressure, and finally, Bong-gu slipped through, as the students pulled him to safety.

Hae-in poked her head through the window next. "Mister, here!" she called, reaching out her hands.

From the storage room, hands and heads slammed against the cabinet, rattling it violently as the horde tried to force their way in. Jaxon planted his feet firmly, gripping the cabinet with all his strength, his muscles straining and burning as he fought to hold it in place.

Then, with a sudden push, he shoved the cabinet hard into the horde, forcing them back. Seizing the moment, he sprinted to the window, jumped, and grabbed Hae-in’s hands. The other students yanked him out just in time.

Behind him, hands clawed and brushed against his legs, almost pulling him back, but he was already clear.

One infected lunged after him, its body halfway through the window, snarling. Bong-gu didn’t hesitate. He swung his axe with both hands, the metal crashing against its skull. A sickening crack echoed as it fell limp, dead, its body pinning the entrance and blocking the others from following.

Jaxon quickly summoned his rifle back before the group even noticed. "Run. Don’t fall behind," he whispered, moving swiftly across the back of the school grounds.

From the window, the infected began tearing at the fallen body, gnawing and ripping it apart. After a few moments, they climbed out and started following behind Jaxon and the group.

The group ran faster as the deafening roar rang from behind.

"They’re already catching up?" Bong-gu panted, his eyes darting nervously over his shoulder.

"Just run!" Lucas whispered back, huffing as he pushed himself harder, the girls struggling slightly to keep up.

Suddenly, Hae-in stumbled and crashed to the ground with a soft cry. "Ah!" Her exhausted body failed to absorb the impact. As she tried to stand, a sharp pain tore through her ankle. Her eyes went misty as she realized; she had landed badly and sprained it.

"Prez!" The male student running beside Bong-gu and Lucas shouted, glancing back before sprinting to her side.

"Ryan, where are you going?" Lucas called, but Ryan was already rushing to help Hae-in.

At the front, Jaxon glanced back. ’Really? Now? Are we in a movie or something?’ he thought, frustration and disbelief flashing in his mind.

Ryan, Elaine, and the two female students struggled to lift Hae-in. Her weight and the awkward angle of her leg made it nearly impossible.

"No! Get out of here! Leave me!" Hae-in shouted, panic creeping into her voice as the roars grew closer.

Then, out of nowhere, an infected leapt from a window above, its claws and jaws aimed straight for Na-rin, who was still crouched, struggling to help Hae-in up.

Na-rin froze, her eyes wide with terror as the creature’s jaws snapped open. For a moment, time seemed to slow, and she felt death closing in.

Crack.

Before its teeth could reach her, Jaxon appeared out of nowhere, smashing his elbow into its face with brutal force. The infected toppled sideways, crashing to the ground, its neck twisted unnaturally.

The group froze for a heartbeat, the roar of the horde around them mixing with the frantic pounding of their own hearts.

"What are you doing? Keep running!" Jaxon shouted, and Na-rin snapped out of her momentary shock.

Then he crouched down beside Hae-in, who was still on the ground, her face pale and twisted in pain.

"Get on my back."

"No, I’ll slow you down. Just go!" Hae-in protested, but the fear in her eyes betrayed her words, she didn’t want to die.

"You want to live, don’t you? Then get on," Jaxon said. Without waiting, he helped her wrap her arms around his neck and lifted her to his back. "Hold on tight."

Hae-in clutched him tighter, closing her eyes, silently wishing for it all to be over.

The group watched in stunned silence as Jaxon ran effortlessly, carrying Hae-in while keeping pace with them. He moved faster than they could, weaving through the school grounds, taking sharp turns around corners, and firing at any infected that dared to cross their path.

They ran, hearts hammering, until the school was finally behind them. Finally, they reached the open area where Jaxon had first appeared.

Then, without warning, Jaxon stopped and held up a hand, pushing the group back.

"Quiet," he whispered, his eyes scanning the shadows ahead.

From the corner, dozens of infected stood still, frozen like statues. One of them twitched, its head turning toward the faint sound of movement. It sniffed the air, growled, then returned to its dormant stance when it saw nothing.

Jaxon leaned slightly around the corner, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. His gaze fixed on the manhole near the street, but the infected swarming around it made it impossible to reach.

"Fuck," he muttered, clicking his tongue. Then he turned to the group. "Does anyone know of a manhole around here?" he whispered urgently.

The group looked at one another, shaking their heads.

Na-rin furrowed her brows, thinking hard. "There... there’s one I saw at the back of the streets, not far from here."

"Show me. Let’s go," Jaxon said, motioning for them to move.

The group cautiously ran through the streets, but the infected behind them had already noticed their movement. Dark silhouettes pressed closer, growls and shuffling footsteps echoing behind them.

"They’re catching up!" Bong-gu said, his voice trembling. His hands shook as he glanced over his shoulder.

Finally, Na-rin pointed ahead. "There! The manhole!"

"Give me the crowbar." Jaxon took it from Lucas and knelt beside the manhole cover. He began prying it open, the metal scraping loudly against the concrete, every second feeling like an eternity as the infected drew closer.