My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 128: Still Water, Still Eyes

"Natasha, what do you see?" Jaxon asked, glancing at the map in her hand as she scanned the terrain ahead.

"There’s a mountain resort marked on the map," Natasha said, her finger tracing the route. "It’s right on our way. Worth a look?"

Jaxon nodded. "Yeah, maybe we’ll finally run into some infected."

About half an hour later, they stopped at a safe distance overlooking the resort.

Jaxon raised his scope while Cindy and Na-rin used binoculars. The place looked abandoned, no movement, no sounds, not even a single shadow behind the windows.

"...Doesn’t look like there’s anything inside," Cindy muttered.

Jaxon lowered his scope slightly, thinking. Then he raised his DMR and fired a single shot at one of the lodge’s windows.

The bullet shattered one of the lodge’s front windows as the sound of breaking glass echoed across the empty resort and faded into the mountains.

They waited. Five seconds, thirty, a minute, but nothing came rushing out. No growls or sudden movement.

Jaxon lowered his weapon slightly, his eyes narrowing. "Let’s check around."

They advanced carefully, Jaxon at the front. Cindy and Isabel followed behind him, while Natasha and Na-rin covered the rear.

When they stepped inside the main lodge, a wave of putrid air slammed into them, and their faces contorted in unison.

Black blood was splattered across the floor and walls. Near the reception desk, a corpse lay sprawled on the ground, its body bloated and crawling with worms.

"Ugh..." All five of them instinctively covered their noses. The stench was thick and suffocating.

"I’ll never get used to this," Natasha said, her face pale as she turned her head slightly, holding back the urge to vomit.

They pushed deeper into the building, and the indoor pool came into view, which was worse.

The water had turned a dark red, several corpses floated on the surface, drifting slowly. Above them, swarms of flies buzzed loudly, filling the air with an unsettling sound.

Without a word, all of them turned and headed toward the hotel building beside the lodge.

Inside, the hallway stretched in both directions, lined with rows of rooms. Jaxon stopped and looked at the group. "Move in pairs, don’t stray too far. Just check for anything useful."

Cindy nodded and moved with Natasha. Isabel quietly paired up with Na-rin. Jaxon took the first hallway alone, rifle raised as he began clearing the rooms one by one.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Jaxon’s footsteps echoed softly against the wooden floor as he moved up to the second level of the hotel. The hallway was quiet, the air thick with dust. Most of the furniture had been overturned or left to rot. Rooms were uncleaned, sheets stiff with grime.

He opened a few doors and cabinets along the way, but not a single can of food remained. Either someone had scavenged the place thoroughly... or no one had made it out with anything.

As he stepped forward, his eyes caught something on the floor near one of the rooms.

Dried blood. It trailed from the bedroom toward the bathroom.

Jaxon’s grip on his DMR tightened. His body instinctively grew more alert as he approached slowly, following the trail step by step.

The trail stopped at the bathroom door, pausing for a brief second, then gently pushed it open.

The door creaked, and the moment it opened wide enough, he froze.

A woman was staring directly at him. His heart skipped for a split second before he realized she was not alive.

She lay in a bathtub filled with murky water, wearing only a bikini. Her skin had already begun to rot. A deep cut on her wrist made it clear she had taken her own life.

For a split second, the stillness made it feel like she was watching him.

Jaxon exhaled quietly and shut the door again. He had seen many corpses already, yet the image of those wide, unmoving eyes still left a faint unease in his chest.

Before he could gather his thoughts...

"Ahh!" Cindy’s yelp echoed from down the hall.

Jaxon moved immediately, boots pounding lightly against the floor as he rushed toward the sound. Isabel and Na-rin arrived from the other side at nearly the same time.

They found Cindy and Natasha standing stiffly inside another room.

There were no infected. Just a man hanging from the ceiling fan, his back facing them. His body swayed slightly from the air drifting through the broken window.

Cindy pressed a hand to her chest. "Sorry... he just... I didn’t expect that."

No one blamed her. Jaxon looked at the corpse for a brief moment, then turned away.

"Let’s get out of here," he said quietly. "There’s nothing useful, and this place..." He paused, choosing his words. "It just sucks the life out of you."

They all gave small nods and quietly left the room, their footsteps slower than before. The heavy silence followed them as they walked down the hallway, each of them silently reminded just how broken the world had become.

As they walked out of the lodge, each of them was lost in their own thoughts. Na-rin suddenly stopped mid-step. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked ahead. "Cars," she said quietly.

That instantly pulled everyone’s attention, following her gaze.

Beyond the cracked stone path and overgrown shrubs, a small parking area came into view. A faded resort sign leaned to one side, and dry leaves were scattered across the asphalt. Four vehicles sat there in still silence, covered in dust but seemingly intact.

Jaxon’s gaze slowly moved from one vehicle to another. A compact sedan stood near the entrance, its windows shattered. A large SUV was parked closer to the main lodge, its body still sturdy, though one tire looked visibly sagged. Near the poolside walkway was a resort shuttle van, its paint faded and one side door slightly open.

And further back, near a small maintenance shed, a diesel Toyota Hilux was angled toward the exit, coated in a thin layer of dirt but looking far more reliable than the others.

"Lucky! Let’s check it out!" Cindy said, excitedly, as if she was trying to push away the disturbing sights they had just witnessed inside the hotel.

Their eyes quickly scanned for any sign of infected and found none.

Natasha checked the doors while Isabel searched the ground near the vehicles. After a short while, they managed to find a small key ring with three different keys lying near the maintenance shed.

"How about this SUV?" Isabel said, lightly tapping its hood. "It looks durable."

Cindy shook her head and pointed at the van instead. "The shuttle could fit all of us comfortably."

Jaxon shook his head, his eyes still studying the vehicles one by one. "We have to think about fuel," he said calmly. "It’s scarce now. SUVs burn through fuel fast, and that tire is already in bad shape."

He then glanced at the shuttle van. "The van has wide space, but the mountainous roads back to the safe zone could be a challenge for it."

Finally, his gaze settled on the Hilux at the back. He stepped closer, crouching slightly as he ran his eyes over the tires, suspension, and undercarriage. Dust coated the hood, but there were no visible leaks or damage. Everything seemed solid and reliable.

"It’s in good condition," Natasha said, coming up beside him.

"And it’s a diesel," Na-rin added, stepping closer. "Much better for rough roads. It’ll handle the mountains easier than the others and more practical for a long trip."

Jaxon nodded, his mind already running through the route and possible obstacles. "Then this is the one," he said.

"I’ll drive," Natasha said, moving to the driver’s side. She pulled the door open carefully, and the hinges let out a soft creak. The interior looked mostly intact, dusty but functional. She gave the dashboard a quick check before inserting the key that had been left in the ignition.

With a low growl, the engine roared to life, vibrating steadily beneath her. The sound echoed across the quiet parking lot, breaking the stillness. Natasha leaned out of the window, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Looks like our journey’s going to be a lot smoother than I expected."

Cindy climbed in first, stretching as she settled into the passenger seat behind Natasha. "Finally," she muttered, rubbing her shoulders. "I was starting to think we’d have to walk all the way back."

Isabel and Na-rin followed, sliding into the rear seat next to Cindy. Isabel cast a quick glance at Jaxon and gave a small, relieved smile. "At least this will make things easier," she said softly.

Jaxon settled into the front seat, a small, thoughtful smile tugging at his lips. He couldn’t reinforce the vehicle now, but back at the safe zone, he planned to tweak it, make it more reliable for future runs.

The Hilux rolled forward, its suspension adjusting smoothly over the uneven, dusty road. Behind them, the abandoned resort faded into the distance, leaving only the mountains and the open path ahead.