My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 68: When Paths Split

Morning arrived quickly. The roars from the streets had finally begun to fade, leaving an eerie silence in their wake. Jaxon and the group moved quietly, packing their bags and gathering what supplies they could carry, canned food, water bottles, flashlights, and anything else that seemed useful.

Once everything was ready, Jaxon gave the group a nod. They slipped into the streets, following the route he had mapped out the day before with guidance from the others, who knew the city far better than he did. Na-rin, Elaine, and the rest moved silently at his back. The path was familiar; all that mattered now was reaching their destination safely.

The streets and buildings were a grisly mess. Blood smeared across walls and sidewalks, twisted furniture lay abandoned, and bones and bits of flesh from last night’s chaos littered the ground. Elaine and the students swallowed hard, their stomachs turning at the sight, but they followed silently, keeping close to Jaxon.

As usual, he led the group, sticking close to the walls to stay hidden. Hae-in clung to his side, silent but alert. Elaine, Na-rin, and Claire followed closely behind, their steps soft on the cracked pavement. Bong-gu and Ryan brought up the rear, armed with a fire axe and a makeshift spear crafted from a knife and mop handle.

Their pace was slow. Every corner, every doorway had to be checked. Jaxon’s sharp eyes scanned for movement, ears tuned for even the slightest sound.

The group continued their quiet march, moving carefully from shadow to shadow. Whenever they spotted an infected, Jaxon would signal the others to take cover first while he took the threat out quietly.

So far, there were only a few, one or two stragglers wandering the streets, but he knew better than to underestimate them.

After each encounter, he quickened their pace. Dead bodies were a lure, and he didn’t want more infected drawn to them. Step by step, the journey remained tense but under control.

Then, without warning, Jaxon stopped mid-stride. He raised a hand, and the others froze, huddling close to the wall. His eyes scanned the streets ahead.

A distant sound cut through the morning air, it wasn’t a roar, and it wasn’t the shuffle of infected feet. At first, it was faint, almost indistinguishable. But seconds later, it grew louder, approaching fast. The group’s eyes lifted toward the sky.

A helicopter came into view, moving slowly above the buildings. But it wasn’t just the rotor noise that caught their attention. A voice boomed over a loudspeaker, carrying clearly across the streets:

"Boat evacuations are beginning now at the sea port. Head North with extreme caution."

"This is a mandatory evacuation order. Seek shelter on water."

Jaxon and the group froze, eyes wide, staring at the distant helicopter cutting across the skyline.

"Boat evacuation?" Bong-gu repeated, voice filled with disbelief.

Jaxon frowned, his gaze scanning the rooftops and streets. ’Why now?’ he thought grimly. ’That loud noise... it will inevitably awaken the infected.’

Before they could move, the motor whine didn’t fade. In fact, it grew louder. Two more helicopters emerged behind the first, their blades chopping the air above the city. Then came more, one, two, three, until they counted seven choppers circling overhead.

"The choppers... they don’t seem to be leaving," Ryan said, voice tight with awe. The group followed his gaze, realizing he was right. The helicopters weren’t passing by, they hovered, scanning, as if searching for something below.

"Maybe they’re here to rescue people," Ryan said, excitement rising in his voice. Without hesitation, he started moving toward a nearby building. "Come on! Let’s get to a rooftop, they need to see us!"

"Wait!" Elaine’s voice rang out sharply, halting him. "We can’t just leave. We still need to find Jaxon’s family first."

"That’s right," Hae-in added. "We can try asking for their help after we meet with the other group." Her voice lacked the excitement it might have held before. After being ignored and abandoned so many times, the idea didn’t spark much expectation anymore. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Seeing her hesitation, Ryan’s frown deepened, annoyance flashing in his eyes. "If we wait any longer, we’ll miss the chance. We have to go now."

"Ryan, after all Jaxon’s done, how can you even suggest leaving them?" Hae-in’s brows knitted tightly as she glared at him. Then she turned to Jaxon. "Sorry, Jaxon. He’s just... caught up in the moment, I guess."

Ryan’s frown deepened, the sight of Hae-in taking Jaxon’s side only fueling his resentment.

Jaxon nodded calmly, the others following his lead as they prepared to move. A surge of unease and anger flared in Ryan’s chest, he felt invisible, and unimportant.

"Are you even sure they’re alive?" he shouted suddenly, his voice sharp. "We need to save ourselves first before thinking of helping anyone else!"

Elaine and the others stared at him, wide-eyed and stunned.

"Ryan, are you out of your mind?" Hae-in snapped, disbelief and anger in her voice. Elaine stood silently, stunned, struggling to process his outburst.

Ryan’s eyes flicked toward Jaxon, suddenly realizing his words might have anger him, but he remained silent.

Finally, Jaxon spoke, his voice steady. "What he’s saying maybe isn’t wrong. The choppers, they could be here for rescue. So those who want to go now, you may do so."

"Jaxon?" Elaine and Hae-in both looked at him, surprise and confusion written across their faces.

"But if you choose to go now, we part ways here. You’ll be on your own from this point."

A heavy silence fell over the group. Then Ryan moved forward, stepping away from the others. He had made his choice, and in doing so, he had crossed a line with Jaxon. There was no turning back now.

The others stayed frozen, watching him, wide-eyed and uncertain, not understanding why he was acting so recklessly.

Seeing he was the only one to step away, Ryan’s frown deepened. He turned to the others, trying to pull them to his side. "Are you just going to keep following him?" His voice rose, edged with desperation. "If we miss this chance, how long do you think it’ll take to reach the safe zone? We still have a long way ahead. Do you think you’re going to survive that journey?"

The words hung in the air, heavy and tense, as the group realized just how divided their path had become.

Still, no one moved.

"Jaxon said he’ll help us," Hae-in said quietly, her voice low but firm.

Ryan’s face flushed red, a vein throbbing on his temple. He opened his mouth, then shut it again as his gaze flicked toward Jaxon. Whatever words he had wanted to throw out died in his throat.

He turned instead to Bong-gu, directing his anger at him. "What about you? You think you could even run from the infected with that fat body of yours?"

"Say that again and see what happens." Bong-gu growled, stepping forward, but Claire grabbed his arm, holding him back.

Na-rin stepped forward, her voice quiet at first, then cutting colder with every word. "You seem to forget what happened back at our school. Not a single one of them helped us back then." Her eyes glinted, and her voice hardened. "And now you turn your back on the only person who actually saved you? Your colors are showing. Truly disgusting."

Ryan’s face twisted, rage bubbling up. "Shut up! They won’t ignore me. I’m the mayor’s son..."

Jaxon’s voice cut in before he could finish. "Lower your voice."

He stepped closer, his gaze locking onto Ryan’s. It was only a look, but a chill ran up Ryan’s spine, as he clenched his jaw and stayed quiet.

After a brief pause, Ryan turned to Hae-in, forcing his voice to steady as he tried to convince her one last time. "Hae-in, come with me. I promise I’ll protect you."

"Go by yourself. I’m not coming with you." Hae-in snapped, turning away from him without a second glance.

Her cold reply pushed Ryan past his limit. His face twisted as he lashed out. "Are you really going to follow him? You’ll just suffer. Remember how Lucas died..."

Before he could finish, a sharp sound rang out.

Elaine slapped him across the face. The noise echoed through the street.

"You..." Elaine’s body trembled as anger filled her voice. "I never knew you were this ungrateful."

Before she could say more, Jaxon caught her arm. "We need to move now, something’s coming."

His ears caught the sounds around the building. The infected were stirring, drawn by the helicopters above. There was no time left for arguing. Ryan had already made his choice, and even if everyone chose to leave, it would not stop Jaxon from finding his family.

He released Elaine and turned to Ryan one last time. Ryan was still holding his cheek, his face pale and shaken.

"Get out of here," Jaxon said calmly. "Your business with me is done."

A sudden dread settled deep in Ryan’s chest for no clear reason. He did not look back. He turned and ran toward the nearby building, disappearing into the chaos as the distant howls grew louder.