They bound Lorenzo, Wagner, and the two Italian bodyguards tightly, then quickly searched them for any hidden weapons.
Calista pulled off her blood-slick gloves and carefully retrieved a walkie-talkie from the inner pocket beneath her walker disguise, issuing a concise order.
"Calling Mobile Squad. Top-floor corridor of target building. Come receive four Red Scarf Gang captives. Over."
The reply came almost instantly.
"Mobile Squad copies. ETA five minutes. Over."
A few minutes later, light, rapid footsteps echoed from the stairwell.
The Mobile Squad—Edmund, Saed, Gavin, Rory, and Mikey—arrived swiftly.
They had been stationed on the outskirts of the East Knoxville Industrial Park the entire time, waiting for a call from Maya or Calista.
For this operation, only Rickson, Turner, Jenson, and Ancheta remained at Rock Fortress. Hank and Leon were still recovering, and every other mercenary had been deployed.
"Take these four out and keep them secured. Especially that Italian—he's not right in the head. Don't trust a word he says," Leah said coldly, pointing at Lorenzo.
"And Wagner's a tough one," Calista added quietly to Edmund.
"Understood."
Edmund nodded and signaled his team.
Lorenzo, however, gave the Mobile Squad a refined smile.
"Ah, new faces. I do hope you'll be a bit more gentlemanly~"
Edmund didn't react. He simply gestured.
Saed and Gavin stepped forward, roughly hauling Lorenzo up and stuffing a filthy rag into his mouth, cutting him off completely.
Wagner cast a dark, lingering look at the squad, especially Leah, but said nothing as Rory and Mikey dragged him away.
André and Marco muttered curses in Italian as they were escorted out as well.
Watching the Mobile Squad disappear down the stairwell with the prisoners, Calista let out a slow breath.
"Alright, guys. We're not done yet," she said, turning to her team. "There are still dozens of 'flies' in this building. Clean them out. Then we head to the basement and get those prisoners."
The main horde was gone, but scattered walkers still roamed every floor.
More importantly, the building had to be fully secured before they could safely rescue the captives below.
The five checked their gear again, topping off ammo with supplies taken from the bodyguards, and began clearing the building from the top down.
Their walker disguises gave them an advantage, but also a risk.
Any sudden movement or gunfire would expose them, drawing real walkers in immediately.
"Check ammo. Stay quiet," Leah ordered. "Melee first. Guns are last resort."
They moved in formation, starting from the upper floors.
At first, they blended in perfectly, moving slowly among the wandering walkers.
Leah slipped behind one and drove her dagger into the back of its skull, lowering it silently.
Carver used compact throwing knives at near point-blank range, dropping two around a corner with soft thuds.
Mike and Bossie covered the flanks and rear, quietly dispatching strays with blades.
Precise. Silent. Efficient.
The walkers ignored them completely.
But on the third floor, something went wrong.
Mike killed a walker that was feeding on a corpse, but the movement was slightly too forceful. Too much blood splattered.
Nearby, another walker suddenly froze.
Its rotting nose twitched.
Then it snapped its head toward Mike, cloudy eyes locking onto him.
It let out a sharp, excited shriek and lunged.
"Jesus—it spotted me!"
Mike cursed, dropping the act. He sidestepped and smashed its skull with a hard strike.
But it was too late.
The noise rippled outward like a stone thrown into still water.
Seven or eight nearby walkers stopped and turned in unison toward them.
They roared, movements quickening as they charged.
"The disguise is blown! They can tell!" Calista shouted, her submachine gun already firing.
Muffled bursts rang out as the first three walkers' heads exploded.
But the gunfire gave them away completely.
More walkers poured in from rooms and corridors.
"Switch to live fire! Clear fast! Don't get stuck!" Leah ordered, firing controlled bursts.
Suppressors softened the sound, but not enough.
In the enclosed space, the fight escalated instantly.
No more stealth.
Only firepower.
"Left corridor—five!"
"Suppressing!"
"Three more on the right!"
"Grenade!"
"No! Too loud! Mike, Carver—crossfire on the right!"
"Bossie, high ground! Watch the stairs!"
The five moved like a machine—shooting, covering, repositioning in tight coordination.
Walkers dropped one after another, but more kept coming from blind spots.
Blood and flesh splattered across walls and floors. The stench thickened.
At one point, a walker nearly got behind Bossie—
Leah reacted instantly, blowing its head apart. Brain matter splashed across him.
"Thanks, Leah!" Bossie exhaled sharply.
"Stay sharp," Leah replied coldly, already moving to the next target.
After more than twenty minutes of hard fighting, the remaining walkers were finally cleared.
All five were breathing hard, now covered in fresh blood over their already foul disguises.
"Clear!"
"Secure!"
They swept through the building, reaching Lorenzo's "palace" at the top floor.
"Mike… doesn't this look familiar?" Carver said, staring at a well-preserved painting.
Mike glanced at it, then pointed.
"Calista… wasn't this hanging in our building's reception room?"
Calista stepped closer.
"…Looks like it."
It was Irises.
Leah had taken it earlier—said she sold it for weapons.
Everyone turned to her.
Leah scratched her nose.
"…We could just take it back?"
Calista waved a hand.
"Pack it. We'll take everything later."
Once the upper floors were confirmed secure, they reached the heavy fire door leading to the basement.
It was still shut tight.
Only faint marks showed where walkers had struck it, confirming Wagner's earlier observation.
Behind the door—
silence.
...
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