Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition

The air in the sewer was damp and heavy, filled with the faint stench of decay and stagnant water. Zara's boots splashed softly as she moved through the narrow tunnel, her steps measured and deliberate. The faint hum of machinery above her was a constant reminder that she wasn't out of danger yet.

She paused at a junction where three tunnels met, her eyes scanning the darkness. The map she'd memorized years ago from her days as a security operative flickered in her mind. If she was correct, the left tunnel would lead her to an old maintenance shaft—a hidden exit to the surface. But the right tunnel... Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

She hesitated, instincts tugging at her. Something about the right tunnel felt off, like an invisible thread pulling her toward it. Was it curiosity? Or was it a trap?

Her hand tightened on the rifle. Zara wasn't one to leave mysteries unsolved, even in the face of danger. She turned right.

The tunnel narrowed as she pressed on, the walls closing in and the water rising to her knees. The faint sound of rushing water echoed ahead, growing louder with every step. Zara switched on her wrist-mounted flashlight, the beam cutting through the gloom.

What she saw made her freeze.

The tunnel opened into a vast underground chamber, its ceiling high and lined with pipes and machinery. In the center, a massive cistern churned with dark water, illuminated by faint red emergency lights that flickered sporadically. But what caught her attention was the figure standing near the cistern's edge—a man clad in the same armor as the mercenary she had killed earlier.

This one wasn't alone.

Two more figures flanked him, their postures tense, weapons at the ready. They hadn't noticed her yet, their focus on a holographic display projected from a wrist-mounted device. Zara crept closer, staying in the shadows, her movements silent as a predator stalking prey.

The hologram displayed a map—her map. The routes she had been taking, the locations she had passed through, all marked with chilling precision.

"They want her alive," the lead mercenary said, his voice distorted by his helmet's comms system. "But if she resists, we neutralize her. No mistakes."

Zara's jaw tightened. They weren't just hunting her—they were monitoring her every move.

She slipped the rifle off her shoulder and took aim. One clean shot would take out the leader, but the others would retaliate immediately. She needed to be smart, fast, and decisive.

Her eyes darted to a cluster of pipes running along the ceiling, rusted and fragile. A single well-placed shot could bring them crashing down, creating chaos and giving her the upper hand.

Zara adjusted her aim, her breath steady. The rifle's silencer ensured her position wouldn't be given away immediately. She fired.

The pipes groaned and snapped, crashing down in a cascade of debris. The mercenaries shouted in alarm, their formation breaking as they scrambled for cover. Zara moved swiftly, using the confusion to her advantage.@@novelbin@@

She had no intention of running anymore. The hunters had become the hunted.