The city walls loomed high above them, stretching into the sky like a fortress from another world. The young man and Dr. Wang had almost reached the base when the doctor noticed a disturbing sight—zombies. Dozens of them were swarming near the entrance.

  Dr. Wang’s face fell. “How are we supposed to get through that?” he muttered, hope fading from his voice.

  “Don’t worry, Doc,” the young man said as he stepped out of the car. “You’ll see your wife and daughter again. Just follow my lead.”

  Dr. Wang gave him a doubtful look. “Is this plan of yours even going to work?”

  “Better than sitting here and getting eaten,” the young man replied. He hooked a towing cable from the car to his belt, then took out a knife and made a small cut on his palm. Blood dripped to the ground.

  The scent of blood reached the horde. The zombies turned their heads in unison, drawn toward the source. The young man walked to the left of the car, leading them away from the gate.

  “Now,” he called back. “Do exactly what I say.”

  Dr. Wang pressed down on both the brake and accelerator, causing the tires to spin and catch fire from the friction. Meanwhile, the young man yanked the pin from a grenade and tossed it a few meters away. The explosion caught the zombies’ attention fully, sending them charging in his direction and clearing the area near the gate.

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  “NOW!” the young man shouted.

  Dr. Wang released the brake. The car launched forward, towing the young man behind it with the cable. The zombies reached for him—but just in time, the cable hit its full length and yanked the young man off the ground at high speed. He unfurled a parachute strapped to his back and was pulled into the air.

  Flying just above the chaos, the young man couldn’t help but flip the middle finger at the horde below.

  Dr. Wang slammed the horn repeatedly. “Open the gate, damn it!”

  Up in the watchtower, a soldier caught the commotion. He raised his binoculars, eyes narrowing. “Wait… is that Dr. Wang?” he asked another soldier.

  The second soldier checked. “Yeah, it’s him!” He grabbed his radio. “Soldier 94 reporting to Commander Eran. Dr. Wang is speeding toward the gate. There’s also an unidentified person flying above with a parachute.”

  “Is the other one a zombie?” a voice crackled from the radio.

  “He’s moving deliberately, sir. I’d say the chance of him being a zombie is low.”

  “Dr. Wang’s safety is the priority. Open the gate,” the commander ordered. “And detain the other person.”

  The soldier leaned out and yelled, “Open the gate!” He waved his arms to signal the team below.

  The massive door groaned as it began to rise. But the sound caught the attention of the few zombies still lingering nearby. They turned and began sprinting toward the gate.

  The opening was only halfway up when the car burst through.

  High above, the young man realized he was heading straight for the wall. “Shit!” He unbuckled the parachute just in time, dropping and rolling hard into the entrance right behind the car.

  “Close the gate!” a soldier shouted.

  The metal door slammed shut with a thunderous bang just as the zombies reached it.