I Have a Modern Weapon Gacha System in the Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 48: Getting the Pilot

"Is the pilot dead?" Adrian asked.

"We are still looking for signs of ejection..."

"Can it be detected by radar?" he asked again.

The operator didn’t answer right away. His eyes stayed locked on the display as he adjusted the filter settings, isolating smaller returns from the debris cloud.

"Yes, sir," he said after a second. "If the chute deploys, we should see it."

Adrian stepped closer to the console.

"Then find it."

"Working."

The radar display shifted slightly as the system filtered out high-speed fragments still falling from the intercept. Most of them were fading now, burning out as they lost altitude.

Then— 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Contact," one of the operators said.

A smaller return appeared off to the side of the debris field.

"Possible parachute signature," he added.

"Confirm it," Adrian said.

The operator tightened the tracking box, refining the return. The system recalculated the object’s descent rate, matching it against known parameters.

"Descent speed matches ejection profile," he confirmed. "Low velocity, stable drop. That’s a chute."

Ryan, standing just behind Adrian, leaned slightly forward.

"Location?"

The operator pulled up the grid overlay.

"Bearing zero-eight-five from base. Distance... four point two kilometers. Drifting slightly southeast due to wind."

Adrian didn’t take his eyes off the screen.

"Altitude?"

"Still high. Roughly two thousand feet and descending."

Adrian turned to Ryan who was observing all what’s happening.

"You are going with the other five, Ethan, Cole, Jake, Mason and Noah. You’re taking the lead on this."

Ryan nodded once, already shifting his weight.

"Copy, this is going to be an easy one. Retrieving one pilot."

"We need him alive to gather intel about the zombie outbreak and why the Philippine Armed Forces are tense, thinking they are being invaded."

Ryan gave a short nod, but he didn’t smile.

"Yeah," he said. "That missile wasn’t a warning shot. They think we’re hostile."

Adrian kept his eyes on the screen.

"Which is why you don’t escalate unless you have to," he said. "You secure him, you bring him in, and we talk after."

"Understood."

Ryan turned and moved immediately, already keying his radio as he walked.

"Team, mount up. New tasking. Pilot recovery, four klicks east. We’re rolling now."

"Copy," voices answered back.

Inside the command center, the radar operator spoke again.

"Altitude one thousand three hundred feet. Descent steady. Drift unchanged."

Adrian nodded once.

"ETA to ground?"

"Roughly ninety seconds."

Adrian leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing at the track.

"Patch all feeds to Ryan. UAV, radar, everything."

"Copy."

The displays shifted, routing the data out.

The MQ-1 Predator, gathering intel within a ten-kilometer radius, was tasked to redirect immediately and lock onto the descending pilot. Its sensor turret slewed, infrared shifting first before switching to EO for clearer visual.

"Predator One, you are now primary eye on target," one of the operators said into the mic. "Track the chute and mark landing zone."

"Copy, locking now," the drone operator replied.

On the main screen, the feed tightened.

The parachute filled more of the frame now, the pilot’s figure clearer as he adjusted his descent. His legs kicked slightly, trying to control drift, but the wind still pushed him off the center of the road toward a cluster of abandoned vehicles.

"Altitude five hundred feet," the radar operator called out.

Meanwhile, Ryan and the rest of the gang were prepping up in front of the parked Blackhawk helicopter.

The rotors were already turning, slow at first, then building speed as the blades cut through the air. Dust lifted off the ground in loose sheets, swirling around their boots as they approached.

The crew chief stood by the open side door, one hand gripping the frame, scanning them as they moved in.

"Where to?" he asked over the noise.

Ryan didn’t slow.

"Pilot down, four klicks east. You’ll get the coordinates from command."

The crew chief gave a short nod and stepped aside.

"Mount up."

Ethan climbed in first, taking position near the open door. He locked one hand onto the overhead strap and kept his weapon angled down but ready. Jake followed right behind him, then Noah, Mason, and Cole, each strapping in without wasting time.

Ryan stepped in last.

"Command, this is Ryan. We’re airborne in ten," he said into his headset.

"Copy," Adrian replied. "Pilot is descending through three hundred feet. Drift unchanged. You’re racing the ground."

"Understood."

The crew chief gave the signal.

The helicopter lifted.

The ground dropped away fast as the Blackhawk climbed, nose tilting slightly forward as the pilot pushed it into a direct line toward the target. The base fell behind them, shrinking into a cluster of structures as the city opened up ahead.

Inside, the vibration settled into a steady hum.

Ryan moved closer to the open door, crouching slightly as he looked out.

"Visual yet?" he asked.

Ethan leaned out just enough to scan.

"Not yet."

The headset crackled.

"Ryan, this is Command," Adrian’s voice came through. "Pilot is about to touch down. You are fifteen seconds out."

Ryan nodded once.

"Copy."

He turned back to the team.

"Listen up. We land, we move. Ethan, Jake—pilot. Noah, Mason—left and right. Cole, you’re with me. We secure the rear."

"Copy," they answered.

The helicopter dipped lower.

Buildings rose around them, the pilot threading the aircraft through the gaps as he brought it down toward the marked zone.

"Visual!" Ethan called.

Ryan leaned out.

The parachute was already collapsing on the ground, the pilot dragging slightly across the asphalt as the canopy folded behind him.

The moment the skids touched down, the team moved.

Ethan and Jake jumped first, boots hitting asphalt as they pushed straight toward the pilot. Noah and Mason peeled off to the sides, weapons up, scanning for movement. Cole and Ryan moved last, stepping out and turning outward to secure the rear.

"Pilot, don’t move!" Ryan shouted.

The man on the ground reacted fast.

Too fast.

He rolled onto his side, one hand already reaching into his vest. The pistol came out clean, raised in one motion despite the fall.

Two shots cracked.

Ethan dropped to a knee behind a wrecked sedan, rounds snapping past where he had been a second earlier. Jake dove to the other side, using the collapsed door as cover.

"Contact!" Jake called.

The pilot tried to push himself up, one leg dragging slightly. He fired again.

Cole and Ryan shifted immediately, moving behind the engine block of a nearby vehicle. Mason returned fire first, a short controlled burst that struck the ground near the pilot’s feet, forcing him to flinch.

"Take the legs!" Ryan ordered.

Noah adjusted his angle, exhaled once, then fired.

Two shots.

The rounds hit low. The pilot’s leg buckled under him, dropping him back to the ground. The pistol slipped from his grip as the impact threw off his aim.

Jake moved in fast, kicking the weapon away before the pilot could recover.

Ethan closed the distance right after, grabbing the man and forcing him onto his stomach, pinning his arms behind his back.

"Got him!" Ethan said.

The pilot struggled once, then stopped.

Ryan stepped in, weapon still trained.

"Secure him," he said.

Zip ties went on tight.