Doomsday America.

Chapter 184 A Failed Attempt

Chapter 184 A Failed Attempt

"Who knows where they came from, but this road is definitely right; I made a route map!"

Beside Martin, Aunt Tara pulled out her notebook and placed the route guide, which only she could understand and was full of her own personal style, in front of Martin.

Martin didn't even glance at the road book, and spoke directly to Tara.

"I know, because I also created a route map in my head!"

"So the road is right, but the zombies have appeared in our path. We're in trouble now!"

As Martin spoke, he focused his gaze on the edge of the zombie horde.

As he watched, Tara put away the road book, pouting her big lips and sighing.

"What are you waiting for? We have to find a new route. This road is surrounded by forests on both sides and is already overrun with zombies. We can't possibly get through it."

"Yes, there's no open space on either side of this road to avoid the zombie horde. The trees block out most of the space, and it's too dangerous to charge straight through. We have to turn back."

Abraham picked up where Tara left off and spoke firmly to Martin.

As Abraham finished speaking, Eugene's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"Martin, what the hell are you thinking? We need to change our route. I'm looking at the map!"

"I'm looking at the map too, damn it, but we can't stop, it's too unsafe to stop. Let's turn around!"

Martin replied to Eugene, while lowering his binoculars and steer the car to turn around.

He had just confirmed through his binoculars that the number of zombies was not small, at least fourteen or fifteen hundred. Once such a horde of zombies piled up on the road, it would be impossible for two armored SUVs to get through.

Of course, their car bodies are sturdy enough, but their tires certainly won't hold up.

Just hit a few dozen zombies, and run over a dozen more, and the tires will probably be too slippery to grip the ground.

Moreover, Martin could only see the zombies on the road, while he couldn't possibly see the zombies in the forest on both sides of the road.

Therefore, turning around was their only option at that moment. As for how to proceed after turning around—

Thinking of this, Martin turned to look at Abraham, the middle-aged man in his fifties who was already looking at the map.

He examined it for a moment, then pointed to the map and spoke.

"This road is quite long. We need to walk back at least six kilometers before we reach another intersection."

"But the crucial question is, even if we find other routes, who can guarantee there won't be other dangers along those routes that we haven't scouted?"

"Even the security lines we just scouted during the day are still having problems. And that was during the day, but now it's getting dark, and the sun will disappear in fifteen minutes at most!"

At this point, Abraham couldn't help but take a deep breath, then looked at the distant sunset and cursed in a hoarse voice.

"Damn it, we made a mistake. When we were planning our return trip, we never considered the possibility that the route we had just scouted might be faulty, so we didn't pay much attention to the fact that night was approaching."

"After all, according to our original schedule, we should have reached the open farmland area about 60 kilometers from the camp before nightfall. Once we get there, even if we encounter a few zombies, the open environment will help us shake them off, and we are unlikely to encounter too much danger!"

"But now—"

Abraham stopped speaking at this point, needing some time to process his words, as the consequences of his words were not good.

Before he could finish speaking, Diana, inside the car, closed her eyes and spoke in a distressed tone.

"Now we're really going to have a hard time getting home, aren't we? God, if we can't at least reach the edge of the farm before it gets completely dark, we can't just run around in the dark, that's too dangerous!"

"So, we'll probably have to spend tonight in prison. It's relatively safe there, and the supplies are plentiful. It'll be better to stay overnight and then head home, and find our way during the day!"

"But the only problem is, if we don't go home tonight, will the eldest brother come looking for us? Will he be in danger?"

At this point, Diana looked at Martin with concern.

Although Gavin has not yet introduced any group leader or similar positions in the three teams currently in the camp.

But Gavin had already used words to solidify power in the hands of individuals within each group; whoever led the team gave the orders.

Moreover, Gavin's selection of personnel was also excellent: professional observer Eugene, wilderness survival expert and hunting specialist Martin, and Marine Corps gunner Anthony.

These individuals are all reliable, and their action and combat capabilities are among the best.

Besides the three of them, Old Mike and Steve are also people who can lead the team at any time. Their relationship with Gavin is actually closer because they spend more time with Gavin.

In short, now that the operation has run into problems, Diana instinctively seeks information from Martin.

Hearing Diana's words, Martin nodded readily and spoke as he drove slowly.

"The boss will definitely come looking for us. Letting us disappear into thin air for a whole night is not in the boss's style."

"As for what we should do tonight, let's talk about it when we get to the intersection. I'll discuss it with that bastard Eugene."

After saying that, Martin took a deep breath and continued driving.

The two cars, one in front of the other, took several minutes to finally stop at the intersection.

As soon as the cars stopped, the doors of both vehicles were opened.

While each person climbed onto the car and used binoculars to survey the surroundings, Eugene, who had turned into the rear car due to the U-turn, let Barn go to the driver's seat, while he himself led Father Hogan toward Martin's car.

Martin opened the car door, sat in the driver's seat, took out a cigarette case, tossed one to Eugene, and asked.

"What do you think we should do, Eugene? Should we go to the prison, or take another route to the farm and scout it out?"

""

"You thought of that too, you piece of shit! Looks like your brains haven't been filled with dung yet!"

Eugene muttered a curse under his breath, then lit a cigarette and looked at the sun that had already disappeared.

Gazing at the setting sun, now only a sliver of red remaining on the horizon, Eugene exhaled a puff of smoke and spoke with difficulty but decisiveness.

"Don't fucking go home, let's sleep on the floor outside for the night. Besides, I haven't slept in prison in ages, don't you guys want to try a prison bed?"

Are you sure?

Upon hearing this, Martin hesitated for a moment before speaking to Eugene.

"What if the boss comes looking for us? What if he runs into those zombies on that road? You don't think the boss would ever come looking for us, do you? He definitely has the guts!"

"You're talking nonsense!"

Eugene immediately cursed at Martin, then shook his head with amusement.

"Who are you to worry about the quarterback? The boss's agility is comparable to 007, and he's even stronger. Do you think someone like that could easily die out there?"

"But we, Mazefakr, even if we were driving real armored vehicles, I would not want to challenge roads that we are unfamiliar with or have not scouted in the pitch black of night."

"It's just one night. Boss, you'll get used to us not coming home at night sooner or later. The longer the apocalypse lasts, the less likely we awesome field agents will be able to go home every day, because we'll eventually be going further and further away."

"Stop wasting time, listen to me, it's settled. We're going to have a party in the prison. Let the boss look for us if he wants. I'm not going to risk our lives in the dark and on unfamiliar roads. I firmly believe that after the sun rises tomorrow, both we and the boss will be able to reunite safely!"

After saying that, Eugene frowned and looked at Martin, trying to gain Martin's support with his eyes.

Martin nodded decisively after a moment and responded.

"Alright, let's do it this way. This is our mutual decision. We won't use the last ten minutes of the sunset to look for other ways home. We'll stay in the prison for the night, and after sunrise tomorrow, we'll figure out how to deal with the zombies blocking our way."

"Okay, let's hurry up and drive. I don't want to stay in one place for too long, because it's definitely safer if we keep moving, but there will be risks if we stop."

Eugene patted Martin's car door and immediately turned and left.

Martin quickly started the car, and the two vehicles dodged the horde of zombies blocking the road and returned to the prison.

When they arrived at the prison, it was completely dark, a darkness so profound it instilled a deep-seated fear in them.

Fortunately, after several explorations, Eugene and his group had already figured out the layout of the prison and quickly found the location of the generator. After refueling, they turned on the prison lights.

With the lights on and the security of the prison walls and barbed wire, Eugene and his group quickly overcame their anxiety in the darkness. They started drinking beverages and beer, eating the various canned goods and biscuits that they had personally delivered to the prison that afternoon, and began their little party.

At least in this current stage of the apocalypse, the most dangerous thing is still zombies. As long as they are not discovered by zombies and do not collide head-on with a large number of zombies, it will be difficult for them to encounter other troubles.

Meanwhile, as Eugene and his group of eight sat together drinking and singing, casually flirting with the girls in the group, Gavin had already driven his car into the farm town area.

Gavin relaxed a little as he looked at the few lights that were faintly lit in the distance.

Those lights were the ones he instructed Eugene and his team to set up during their exploration over the past few days. They selected several areas with a wide illumination range to place the lights, so that the farm town could be seen from a distance.

Speaking of this lamp...

Although it's open during the day, its usefulness isn't really apparent; its true value is only revealed at night.

Gavin glanced at it from a distance and thought there were basically no problems, so he tapped the steering wheel and laughed.

"Keep an eye on the window, a horror movie scene is about to begin. I don't want to wait until a zombie is pounced on the window before I realize I need to step on the gas!"

"Haha, don't worry, boss, no problem, I'm keeping a close eye on things."

Old Feng gave Gavin a thumbs-up, then took out half a bottle of Coke and took a sip.

In the back seat, Wang Ling looked at the dark night outside the window with some unease.

Gavin noticed Wang Ling's nervousness through the rearview mirror, so he took out a bottle of juice and casually handed it to her.

Noticing Gavin's actions, Old Feng narrowed his eyes knowingly and then casually said.

"Boss, the last time we walked at night, it was during a huge thunderstorm. That tornado was so damn exciting, it's making me a little sleepy tonight!"

"You know what I mean, right? Without some rain tonight, there's just no fun at all!"

"Don't!"

Hearing this, Gavin shook his head in annoyance and started cursing at Old Feng.

"Don't you dare plant your flag here, what if it really rains? I already have one crow by my side, and another one is eyeing me. I don't want to serve a third crow's mouth!"

"Ha ha!"

Old Feng immediately burst out laughing, and casually raised the Coke and handed it behind him, making a toasting gesture.

Seeing this, Anthony also picked up his drink and clinked glasses with the anxious Wang Ling and Lao Feng.

Watching the two gulping down their drinks, Wang Ling swallowed hard, held up her bottle, and asked.

"Have you guys run these kinds of night roads before?"

"Of course! Didn't you listen to our broadcast, girl? We're the kind of tough guys who've survived tornadoes in the dead of night—we'd be epic heroes in a story!"

"If a gacha game were to come out someday, I'd at least be a purple epic, maybe even a gold legendary, haha~"

Old Feng responded to Wang Ling with a hearty laugh, which eased Wang Ling's unease somewhat.

Wang Ling took a deep breath, lifted the beverage bottle and took a swig, then put the bottle down and instinctively gripped the samurai sword for a sense of security.

Anthony glanced at Wang Ling's state and didn't seem bothered by it.

He knew the situation; the girl, with just one knife, had already slashed down quite a few zombies. Although she was clearly a new recruit, as long as her mobility wasn't low, she wouldn't be a burden.

So Anthony grinned, raised his hand, patted his chest, and said...

"Don't fucking nervous, girl. The only thing that's more dangerous at night than during the day is that you might greet the wrong person because you can't see their face clearly."

"As for the rest, believe me, night combat is no different from daytime combat. Following the boss will definitely be fine; he is absolutely bold and meticulous."

"Ha, I admit that."

Gavin picked up where Anthony left off, offering a few more words of comfort to Wang Ling before driving away from the farm town.

The next section of the road is through a short forest, about two kilometers long, so Gavin should remain vigilant.

Despite his vigilance, he didn't encounter any problems, since the convoy had already visited this area.

The convoy has already cleared out most of the zombies that might appear near the road, and any lone zombies that are far enough away from the road will not be able to spot the vehicles at all.

The night was very dark, and Gavin couldn't see any zombies either, so the road was extremely quiet.

Gavin drove cautiously for nearly fifty kilometers before finally encountering trouble that forced him to turn back.

"Bullshit!!!"

Looking ahead at the road illuminated by car headlights, and the densely packed zombies reflected in those lights.

Gavin cursed loudly and immediately turned around.

As he turned around, he turned on the intercom and yelled at Steve.

"Steve, we've encountered a horde of zombies ahead. We don't know the exact number, but there are at least a hundred. Lower your altitude to attract their attention and try to lure them away from the road. I'll try to shake them off their pursuit as quickly as possible!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gavin had already turned around and sped off into the distance.

As he fled from the zombies, he continued to speak to the men in the car.

"This is the road the convoy should take during the day, right? I've driven this road many times, there's no way I could go wrong. I'm sure my attention isn't so bad that I'd make a mistake."

"But how the hell are there hordes of zombies here? What was the convoy's reconnaissance like? Are you kidding me?!"

At this point, Gavin couldn't help but pat the steering wheel.

At the same time, Steve's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"I understand, boss. I'm descending. The propeller's frequency attracts zombies more than the car's noise. I believe I can lure them away, so don't drive too fast, night roads are dangerous!"

Steve would occasionally give Gavin a heads-up while piloting the helicopter.

Gavin did not respond, but continued speaking to the men in the car.

"Now I know why the convoy didn't come back. There's a huge horde of zombies on our original road to the prison, so they definitely had to change their route!"

"We probably don't need to continue searching for them, because their location has become uncertain!"

"What?"

Upon hearing Gavin's words, Old Feng looked at Gavin in surprise and asked nervously and incredulously.

"No way, boss! Why did you say we were giving up the search as soon as we saw this random horde of zombies? We'll be at prison soon enough!"

"Yes, we should be able to reach the prison in about thirty-five to forty minutes, but are they definitely in prison?"

Gavin immediately replied to Lao Feng.

"All we know is that a new wave of zombies has appeared on this road, but can we pinpoint the approximate location of the convoy?"

'

"When they encounter zombies blocking their path, they'll definitely take a detour, but which route will they take?"

"As for the prison, we don't even know if they've arrived there this afternoon!"

"We don't even know if they encountered this wave of zombies on their way to the prison, changed routes and lost contact, or if they encountered the zombies after they had already arrived at the prison!"

At this point, Gavin flipped out a map with one hand and threw it directly into Lao Feng's arms.

"Old Feng, take a look at the roads around here. Which routes can bypass this wave of zombies? And which towns or similar places do those routes pass through?"

"OK."

Old Feng immediately opened the map to check it, and about forty seconds later, he answered in a very fast voice.

"I only have a rough idea, but there are at least four routes that can bypass this area. The furthest route involves going through at least three towns, adding about 25 kilometers to the journey. The shortest route only adds about 7 or 8 kilometers, but it goes through a town we haven't explored before!"

"Okay, damn it, we have at least four more options, but there's no time to explore at night."

"The walkie-talkie I just used was on the field channel, but the convoy didn't respond at all. Even if we get here, they're still at least 25 kilometers away!"

Even if Steve lures the zombies away, the darkness will prevent us from confirming the extent to which the zombies have been attracted, and we won't be able to determine how many zombies will remain on the road and cause trouble.

"We still can't confirm whether there are any more zombies behind this horde. There are just too many uncertainties, so what else can we do but go home!"

At this point, Gavin didn't wait for Anthony and Wang Ling to give their opinions and simply sped up a bit.

As he sped up, he spoke to Steve over the intercom.

"Steve, after you lure the zombies away, come back with us the way we came. We've figured out why the convoy had an accident; this zombie horde was definitely the main factor."

"So, we'll start exploring this location tomorrow morning, taking three helicopters to the vicinity of this road to thoroughly investigate."

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