Chapter 2801: Story 2802: The Evacuation Lie

The voice beneath Karachi had spoken Ryan Malik’s name.

For several seconds, Ryan could not move. Beside him, Zara stood frozen, staring through the darkness toward the barricaded entrance. Outside, hundreds of zombies remained kneeling in the street, their heads bowed as if they were worshipping something buried beneath the earth.

Then the voice came again.

“Ryan…”

This time, it sounded closer.

Zara grabbed his arm. “We need to leave. Now!”

Ryan switched on his flashlight. Its trembling beam revealed dust falling from the ceiling and deep cracks spreading across the shop’s walls. Whatever had struck from underground was powerful enough to destroy the entire street.

He pushed a storage cabinet against the back door and discovered a narrow passage leading into an adjoining building.

“Through here,” he said.

They squeezed into the passage just as something slammed against the shop’s front entrance. The barricade groaned. A second impact shattered the glass.

Ryan and Zara ran.

They emerged behind a row of abandoned shops. The main road was filled with smoke, burning vehicles, and military barricades. Soldiers in protective uniforms were forcing survivors into trucks, while armed guards prevented anyone from escaping the district.

Zara pointed toward a military transport vehicle. “Maybe Hamza is there.”

Before Ryan could answer, a soldier raised his rifle.

“You two! Hands where I can see them!”

Ryan lifted his hands slowly. “We need help. The city is collapsing.”

The soldier studied their faces, then looked at Ryan’s phone.

“Did you receive a message about Subject Zero?”

Ryan’s expression changed.

The soldier immediately aimed his weapon at Ryan’s chest.

“Bring him to the commander!”

Zara struck the soldier’s rifle aside. Ryan shoved him against the wall, and they sprinted between the vehicles as gunfire erupted behind them.

They reached an underground parking entrance and descended into darkness.

At the bottom, Ryan found a military radio lying beside a dead operator. He picked it up and adjusted the frequency.

A familiar voice crackled through the speaker.

“Anyone receiving this transmission, avoid the central evacuation zone. Repeat, the evacuation zone is compromised.”

Captain Hamza continued, his voice strained.

“The military has established containment around the research facility. They are not evacuating civilians. They are preventing witnesses from leaving.”

Zara looked at Ryan in disbelief.

“Why would they do that?”

A new voice interrupted the transmission.

“Because the infection was never supposed to escape.”

Ryan turned toward the radio.

“Who is this?”

“My name is Dr. Meher Siddiqui. I worked at the facility beneath Karachi. Listen carefully: Subject Zero is not an ordinary infected human. It can influence the others.”

A low growl echoed through the parking garage.

Ryan raised his flashlight.

At the far end of the tunnel stood a little girl wearing a bloodstained school uniform. Her face was pale, but her eyes glowed an unnatural gold.

Zara slowly raised her pistol.

The girl smiled.

“Mother says you must come home, Ryan.”

Every light in the garage exploded simultaneously.

In the darkness, hundreds of footsteps began approaching.