The gang leader thought, We arrived here feeling confident, but things went sideways fast. More than half of us are injured, and the people on the 18th floor? Not a single one is down. Are they really that unstoppable? Rhad anticipates us returning with their heads as birthday trophies. "Go grab some wooden stakes. We're breaking this door down today," he ordered. His two lackeys nodded and bolted downstairs. Harrison exchanged a quick look with Nadia. Three, two, one—they both knew what to do. As soon as the two lackeys arrived on the 14th floor and began their descent, Harrison and Nadia made their move, darting out from the corridor. The taller man dashed toward Harrison, while the shorter one targeted Nadia. It wasn't their first rodeo. Nadia had practiced moves like this many times, and her knowledge of the human body devastated her hits. It didn't take long—two necks twisted, two bodies down. They pulled the men into the corridor and stripped them of weapons, ammo, and even their IDs before heading upstairs. However, five men still waited above. Harrison reloaded his gun and motioned to Nadia that he would lead, with her covering him. Leading meant boldly advancing while covering, which involved watching over him and stepping in only if necessary. Nadia offered a brief nod, and together, they climbed the stairs quietly. The gang leader upstairs was getting restless. He pulled out a cigarette, and one of his lackeys immediately fumbled with a match to light it for him. Two of his men were pounding on each door on the 16th floor, hoping to force the survivors to hand over insulated furniture to help break through the electrified stainless steel door. Meanwhile, another hung back near the stairwell, looking bored. Honestly, the survivors weren't foolish. There was no way they'd open the door willingly. Maybe the gangs thought their guns made them untouchable. The one lounging by the staircase seemed to think so—he was at ease. Yet, his overconfidence cost him. Harrison put a bullet clean through his head before he could even process the threat. The rest of the group was frantic as they tried to retreat but didn't stand a chance. Harrison's years of training kicked in, and it was over after four quick shots. They hadn't even fired a single round. Keeping watch, Nadia couldn't help but pause. Her senses were on high alert. Footsteps echoed from below. Worried it might be an ally, she called out cautiously, "Jasmine? Is that you?" "Nadia? Are you okay?" Jasmine's voice answered, sounding surprised. Nadia replied, "Yeah, we're fine. Everything is handled." Jasmine and Levi appeared with their guns at the ready. Spotting Nadia and Harrison near the stairwell, they quickly unlocked the door. "What happened?" Jasmine asked, her voice tense.Nadia shook her head, grabbing whatever she could from the fallen—guns, bullets, cigarettes, even their watches. As they moved further up, only she explained, "Today is the birthday of the Black Talon Brotherhood's boss. They thought they'd score points by bringing him our heads." With the immediate danger dealt with, Caleb emerged from the rooftop with a smug grin after taking down one of the enemies. He started, "Nadia, did you catch Harry's sharpshooting?" Nadia was preoccupied and not inclined to reply. "They came in numbers greater than twelve, all heavily armed. It'll only get worse from here." She thought, They're trying to curry favor—taking out the people on the 18th floor must be their way of making a statement. Nadia turned to Harrison and stated, "Today is their boss' birthday celebration, along with the supply distribution. Many of their guys are out gathering tributes, so their defenses are likely low."Harrison nodded grimly. "This is the perfect chance." Jasmine hesitated. "But there's only five of us, and they've got hundreds." Nadia reassured her, "We're not going in guns blazing. We need to outsmart them." Harrison offered a bold plan, "We take out their boss. With him gone, the rest will turn on each other for control. They'll be too busy fighting amongst themselves to bother with us." They exchanged a glance, silently coming to the same decision. The back-and-forth was wearing on Jasmine's patience. Frustrated, she finally threw up her hands. "Fine. Let's go for it and hope for the best!" Nadia proposed, "The ones we dealt with downstairs have been gone too long. It's only a matter of time before someone notices. You guys stay here while Harry and I check it out." "Going alone is too risky for the both of you!" Jasmine protested. "Bringing more people is riskier," Harrison replied. Nadia agreed. She thought, Unit 1803 doesn't have any bulletproof vests. Jasmine's fighting skills are decent, but shooting isn't her strong suit. As for Caleb and Levi, their health isn't excellent. If they get caught, it'll only slow us down. Harrison and I can still retreat to the domain if things go south, but bringing more people will only add to the chaos. We can't risk getting caught again, especially after exposing some of our secrets. I really don't want to have to turn my gun on them unless I absolutely have to. Noticing their hesitation, Caleb offered his gun. "I won't stop you, but at least take this with you." It was the last thing Nadia needed right now; she had already stashed everything she'd collected earlier into the domain. She shook her head and waved him off. "No need. We've got plenty from those guys earlier. Keep it for yourself." Time was running out. They had to take this risk, no matter the odds.Jasmine suddenly pulled Nadia into a tight hug. "Please, just make it back in one piece, okay?" Caleb and Levi also joined in. "Nadia, don't even lose a strand of hair, got it?" "I'll try my best," Nadia replied with a small smile. She wasn't a fan of the heavy, emotional vibe—it felt like they were heading to their doom. Unfortunately, that wasn't far from the truth. As they moved downstairs, Nadia handed Harrison two makeshift guns she had found earlier, along with a handful of bullets. While not ideal, they were better than nothing. Harrison took them and exchanged two smoke bombs with her. The crude cans were clearly cobbled together from scraps. Nadia was impressed, thinking, Wow, he really knows how to do it all. Being resourceful is essential for survival in the apocalypse. They exited the building's safety and started toward Regal Residences. Fear lingered at the edges of Nadia's mind, but she pushed it down. Death was a natural fear—everyone felt it—but she focused on hoping their earlier scouting was accurate. If things went as planned, they could slip in unnoticed, grab what they needed, and get out before anyone realized. Yet, hopes rarely matched reality. As they reached the Regal Residences, the place was unsettlingly quiet. Nadia frowned and glanced at Harrison. She frowned, thinking, Something's off. This should be the party's peak—the perfect moment to catch them off guard. The opportunity may slip away for good if we don't act now. As they passed by a cluster of grumbling survivors, Nadia overheard snippets of their conversation. Apparently, the truck delivering food supplies to the area had broken down, leaving people waiting for hours with nothing to show for it. She continued to piece it together. Supplies are being distributed by area, and what those people mentioned ties back to the community council in Regal Residences. Delaying the food would keep the crowd under control, but it's risky. If they drag it out too long, people will start getting suspicious. Could our earlier recon have been wrong? Harrison's expression darkened. He still had the nagging feeling someone was following them, but no one had made a move yet. The silence didn't sit right with him. "Are we still heading in?" Nadia asked, her voice low. Harrison met her gaze firmly. "Yeah. We'll get inside and see what's going on. We'll make our move when the time's right." They turned toward the west gate. Nadia shot him a nervous look. "You're pretty hard to miss with your height. Will they recognize you?" Harrison smirked faintly. "No. There are taller guys than me in there." Harrison's observations were spot-on. After spending days watching the place, he'd noticed that the west gate saw plenty of foot traffic, some even taller than him. The gatekeeper, lazy and half-drunk most of the time, barely paid attention to anyone passing through. He seemed far more focused on sneaking drinks than actually doing his job. Having just faced the earlier chaos, Harrison and Nadia remained unfazed. They strode toward the gate confidently, presenting a round ornament—a token of their belonging without hesitation. Wearing heavy coats, scarves, and hats to shield themselves from the biting cold, they merged effortlessly with the crowd. Their eyes were the only part visible, rendering identification nearly impossible. The gatekeeper looked at them indifferently, exhibiting little interest. He nodded, anticipating their utterance of the password.