Casey gave David a small, firm nod, the kind meant to steady someone more than reassure them, before glancing over her shoulder to check the darkness behind them. “Go on,” she murmured.

David swallowed, keeping the gun in his right hand as his left reached for the receiver. Under his breath, he muttered a quick prayer, then lifted it to his ear.

Silence. He listened a moment longer, as if hoping it might change. Then he exhaled, slow and heavy, and lowered the receiver back into place. “It’s completely dead.”

Phillip sighed quietly, though he gave a small nod. “Figured it was a long shot.”

David turned to leave, and stopped. His entire body went still. Then he crossed himself, his face draining of color.

Kyrie followed his gaze. Her breath caught.

On the roof of the tavern… they were waiting. Half a dozen of them. Dark shapes crouched along the edge, their bodies slick and unnatural against the moonlight. Red eyes burned in the darkness, all of them fixed on the group below. Watching. Hunting.

Nikolaus moved instantly. He stepped forward, placing himself between the creatures and the group without hesitation. As he passed Kyrie, he plucked the rolling pin from her hand and replaced it with the flashlight in one smooth motion. “Try that,” he said, not even looking at her, his focus locked on the roof.

Kyrie barely had time to process it before Casey moved up beside Nikolaus, rolling her shoulders and tightening her grip on the bat.

Phillip yelped—

The first creature launched. It dropped straight from the roof, a black blur in the moonlight.

Phillip barely reacted in time, throwing the shield up instinctively. The impact slammed into him with force, knocking him back a step, but the shield took the brunt of it. “Jesus—!”

He didn’t hesitate. The hatchet came around in a rough but effective arc, biting deep into the creature’s shoulder. A spray of foul, black sludge burst from the wound as its arm went slack, nearly severed.

Kyrie stepped in. Her hands trembled, but she raised the flashlight and aimed it directly into the creature’s face.

The beam hit its eyes. It shrieked. Recoiled.

Phillip seized the moment and brought the hatchet down again, this time into its head.

The creature dropped. And began to melt.

Kyrie stumbled back slightly as it collapsed into itself, the same rotting decay consuming it within seconds. But there was no time to process it.

The rest descended. All at once. They dropped from the roof in a wave of screeching, clicking bodies, spreading out as they hit the ground, circling, probing for an opening.

David holstered his gun without hesitation and grabbed the hatchet from the shed. “Stay close!” he barked, moving to Kyrie and Phillip’s side.

Casey moved like she’d been doing this her whole life; flashlight snapping up to blind one creature, bat swinging hard into another. The crack of metal against bone-like resistance echoed sharply as she drove it back.

Nikolaus was something else entirely. Precise. Efficient. His blade moved in clean, decisive arcs, each strike purposeful. He didn’t waste motion, and he didn’t miss.

Together, they held. Kyrie kept the light moving, blinding where she could, buying the others precious seconds. Phillip stayed tight behind his shield, striking when openings appeared. David backed them up, steady and controlled. Casey and Nikolaus handled the front.

One by one, the creatures fell. Screeching. Melting. Until finally… There were no more. For now.

Nikolaus didn’t wait. “Inside. Now,” he ordered sharply.

No one argued. They moved quickly back into the tavern, the door shutting firmly behind them as the soldiers secured it again. The sudden quiet felt deafening.

Phillip paused just inside, grabbing a rag from the kitchen and wiping down the hatchet with shaking hands. He glanced at David, nodding toward the holstered gun. “Why didn’t you use that?”

David scoffed lightly, though there was tension in it. “I ain’t some stupid redneck,” he muttered. “Limited ammo. And… I’ve seen enough zombie movies. Noise is bad unless it’s a last resort.”

Casey actually let out a short laugh at that, swatting him lightly on the shoulder as she took the rag and wiped down her bat. “Fair enough.”

Nikolaus gave a small nod, looking over the group. There was something almost approving in his expression. “That was good work,” he said.

His tone shifted again; practical, focused. “Now I suggest you take a brief rest and gather what you feel will be useful.” His gaze moved between them, steady and serious. “You will be responsible for carrying whatever you bring.” A small pause. “So don’t take more than you need.”