- As you can see, they are scattered all over the area, from here to near the river.

Victor said as he walked along the small platform on the wooden stakes, pointing to the numerous zombies that walked aimlessly around the site.

Lee ran his eye over the entire length of the area, from the beginning of the work they had started to the edge of the forest, and could see some silhouettes moving through the trees.

-There are many of them. Has it never happened that they go to the front gates?

Lee asked, looking at some vehicles further ahead, surrounded by the dead. Apparently they were abandoned there as soon as the zombies approached.

- Some split off from the horde and wandered aimlessly around, but never a very large number crashed through our gates. As you probably already know, their noise itself attracts more, and they end up staying in one place.

Victor answered, signaling to some guards ahead, who walked toward him.

- How many this time?

Victor asked one of the guards, putting his hand on his waist as he looked toward the back gate.

- A group of eleven, including you.

The guard answered, turning and looking at some people standing in front of the gate, adjusting their weapons or standing with their arms crossed, waiting.

- Eleven? Just to kill the zombies out there?

Lee asked, arching an eyebrow as he looked at the guard, who gave him a curious look.

- Is there a problem? It's a somewhat dangerous job, there are many dead out there.

Victor asked, while explaining the reason for that number.

- What would the plan be? Form a formation and go right through the middle of them?

Lee asked, looking again at the horde, this time focusing his eye on the entrance to the nearby forest, where apparently there were no zombies walking around.

- Something like that, depending on the people who come with us. Why? Do you have a plan in mind?

Victor answered, asking soon after, and like the guard, looked curiously at Lee.

- Actually, yes. See that part of the forest next to us? There are no zombies there, not many at least, so we separate the group into a few people, go through there and kill whatever zombies are there.

Lee explained, pointing to the place where his plan would take action, increasing Victor's curiosity, who crossed his arms while listening to him explain.

- Hm, and may I know why is that?

he asked, looking at the horde again.

- When you cover yourself with zombie guts, they think you are one of them. We can do this, and start killing them from within the herd.

Lee explained, watching the incredulous expressions of the two men in front of him with a certain interest, whenever he said something like that, people looked at him like he was crazy.

"It's not such a crazy idea... is it?" - He asked in his mind, looking again at the herd.

- Are you crazy?

The guard asked, and Lee smiled slightly at his speech. It was already becoming normal for him to be called crazy. He knew himself that he was.

- Okay... let's consider, I think this idea is incredibly crazy. However, you have been out there for a long time and have been through a lot, and you are still alive. What guarantee do we have that this will work? Covering yourself with their guts? I'm sorry if I sound disbelieving, but even you have to admit that it sounds insane.

Victor said, looking at Lee with a rather strange look in his eyes. Lee just smiled at this, mentally admitting that it sounded crazy.

He was used to that idea, and knew that he himself was a little crazy.

- I'll prove it. Give me my machete, open the main gates. I'll go around the forest and do it now, as proof that it works, even though it sounds a little crazy.

Lee explained, and Victor bowed his head a little, looking at the ground with a thoughtful and still slightly disbelieving look.

- I know it sounds insane, but if we do this, in a few hours, this place will be clean.

Lee insisted, alternating his gaze between Victor and the guard.

- Man, how have you managed to survive this long with these suicidal ideas?

The guard asked, still looking at Lee as if he was crazy.

- When I prove that the idea works, you owe me a beer.

Lee said, extending his hand toward the guard, who looked at him confused and puzzled.

-But if it's a lie, your machete is mine.

He proposed after some thoughtful time, and Lee almost felt like canceling the deal, but kept his hand outstretched.

- Done!

He said, and the guard shook his hand, smiling slightly at Lee.

- I'm Philip, by the way.

The guard introduced himself, releasing Lee's hand and returning to stand beside Victor.

- Lee.

He introduced himself with a nod, looking again at Victor who seemed a bit uncertain about the idea.

-Are you really serious? Are you sure?

He asked again, almost internally urging Lee to say otherwise, and sighed as he saw the man just nod his head positively.

-Okay, Philip, take him to the gate and hand over his weapons... have some guards keep an eye out, just in case.

Victor said, turning to the people below and whistling, drawing their attention.

Lee and Philip got down from the wooden platform and walked towards the main gates.

As they neared the entrance, Philip entered the building next door and told Lee to wait outside. After some time, the guard returned, holding Lee's machete in his hand and a pistol.

- Enjoy your last moments with this machete. Don't worry, I'll take good care of this little beauty.

The guard said, slightly mocking Lee while giving him a friendly smile.

Lee looked at him defiantly as he put the pistol in his waistband, held the machete firmly in his hand, and just remained silent.

Philip talked to the guards ahead, and soon after they looked at Lee with strange looks, they opened the gates.

- You've barely arrived and you already want to kill yourself? Pff, we meet all kinds of crazy people nowadays.

Lee heard one of the guards say as he passed them, but he ignored it.

(Victor...)

Victor was leaning over the wooden fence that surrounded the platform, looking, still uncertain, at the spot in the forest where Lee was supposed to appear, still thinking that this was crazy.

He shook his head when he heard some footsteps approaching beside him, and looked at the people who would be participating in the work that day.

- Why did you call us here? We should have left already.

One of the women asked, looking up slightly because of her short stature, her green eyes looking confused and even a little hurriedly into Victor's.

- Yes, and we will, in a moment. I called you here because there is a slight chance that the plan will change... although I still have my doubts.

He said, stepping slightly away from the fence and straightening his posture, looking at Lee, who was sneaking up behind a zombie with his machete in hand.

- What do you mean the plan might change?

One of the men asked, "playing" with his combat knife in hand while looking tediously at the zombies below.

- That guy over there...

Victor pointed, causing the others to look away in the direction he was pointing, watching with some interest and confusion as Lee stabbed his machete into a zombie's head and dragged it into the forest again.

- He has a plan, which consists of covering himself in zombie entrails and passing right through the middle of them.

He explained, running his hand over his head again as he looked for Lee, who had disappeared into the forest. He caught a glimpse of the incredulous and confused looks from the others, and couldn't help but sigh.

- What?!

one of the men asked incredulously, rolling his eyes as he let out a mocking laugh.

- You're not serious!

One of the women said, putting her hands on her waist and looking at Victor with an arched eyebrow.

- Nonsense...

- Where did you find this guy?

- He arrived yesterday and already wants to fuck things up?

- You don't want to believe this, do you? We're all going to die with this absurd idea.

A rain of complaints fell on Victor's shoulders, and he rolled his eyes in irritation and sighed again, although he was not surprised by these reactions.

His eyes focused on Lee, who was now covered in blood and organs at the very beginning of the forest.

- Just sit tight and wait, he's over there.

He pointed with his head, and the others looked at Lee, who was nodding at them.

After a while of looking around, he began to walk toward the horde, and Victor heard some sighs and grumbles beside him, which he made sure to ignore.

- That guy is going to kill himself, and he wanted to take us with him.

Victor just sighed as he looked at Lee, hoping that he would come to his senses and go back on that idea.

However, Victor's eyes widened when he saw Lee standing face to face with a zombie, and not being attacked.

- What the fuck...?!

He heard someone say next to him, apparently as surprised as he was.

Victor leaned over the fence again, looking with a disbelieving smile at Lee, who literally walked in the middle of the herd, as if he really was one of them.

He came face to face with several zombies, even bumping into a few, but was not attacked.

- Do you see what I see?

A woman asked, looking at Lee, who was now standing in the middle of the herd as he looked at them, with a somewhat victorious smile.

- I am, and I can't believe it...

Victor bowed his head and let out a nasal laugh, looking at Philip, who was standing right beside him.

- Looks like you owe him a beer.

He said amused, patting Philip lightly on the shoulder, who stared at Lee walking back into the forest again.

- Let's get going.

Victor stood up and walked off the platform, taking one last look at Lee's back before heading towards the front gates.

It didn't take long before they reached the gates, where Lee was waiting outside, looking at some specific point in the forest.

- Okay, now I feel like an idiot for doubting.

Victor said, approaching Lee with an amused smile and stopping in front of him. Lee looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

- Don't be, the idea is really crazy, if you think about it another way.

Lee replied, putting the machete back on his belt.

- Okay, so the plan is for all of us to cover ourselves with their shit, stand in the middle of a fucking horde and hope to get out alive?

The same man who was "playing" with the combat knife in hand earlier said, with clear nonchalance in his voice, even though he had seen the previous scene with his own eyes.

- No, not all of us. Some can stay on that platform, attracting the zombies.

Lee said, ignoring the man's tone, and especially that ugly look he gave him.

- Why? We saw them, they didn't attack you.

One of the women said, looking at Lee with a mixture of confusion and surprise.

- Yes, but they are still attracted by sudden movements and noise. If someone trips and falls, there is a chance, although small, that some of them will come to you. If they are attracted by another source of noise, it's just another guarantee that we'll be fine.

Lee explained, putting his hand on his waist while looking at the people in front of him.

- You see? It's a risky plan, it's stupid to do that!

The man said again, saying it a little louder than the people around him would like.

- Leo, we understand what you mean, okay? No need to shout just because you don't like something, alright? Don't make the same mistake you did last time.

Victor said low, slightly annoyed by the man's tone, who just took a deep breath and rolled his eyes, shutting up.

- Everything is risky, we are dealing with a plague of zombies, not insects. But it's relatively safer than making a formation and trying to kill everyone who comes at us, we could get trapped, someone could break out of the formation...

Lee said, turning back to the forest and checking that no zombies had followed him back.

-What do we need to "not do" to be okay?

One of the men asked, resting his hand on the knife handle he had around his waist.

- Don't make any noise, don't make any sudden movements, and walk. Don't worry if one of them bumps into you, they bump into each other all the time. It might be a little "awkward" at first, but once you get used to it, you'll be fine. I do it all the time.

Lee explained, taking a quick look at the man who had asked.

- Do you do this all the time? Man you are crazy, I wouldn't have the balls.

One of the men said, bowing his head and running his hand through his hair, not scared, just hesitant.

- Come on, if a guy with only one arm and one eye can do this like it's nothing, it must be even easier for you.

One of the women said, tapping the man lightly on the shoulder, who mumbled softly.

-Okay, we are twelve people in total. Four of us can stay here and lure the zombies across the platform.

Victor said, turning to the group.

- Leo, since you seem so determined to go against the plan, you can stay here.

Victor said, and "Leo" just grumbled softly, turning and walking back to the platform.

- I swear, I'll beat the crap out of this guy one day.

One of the women said angrily, looking at Leo's back as he walked away.

- Who else wants to stay inside? Igor?

Victor asked, looking at the same man as before.

Igor looked around, a little unsure of what to do, and even a little pressed.

-I'll do it, I'll go... it shouldn't be that hard... if a guy with no arm and no eye can do it, I can do it...

He said, but clearly not believing his own words.

-Okay...

Victor said, looking strangely at Igor, who just sighed as he looked away.

In the end, three men and one woman decided to stay behind.

- Okay, from here on, there is no turning back. If everything goes well, we will be done in a few hours. Remember, walk, be quiet and don't make any sudden movements.

Victor explained, opening the stomachs of the three zombies they had just killed.

The horrible smell that exhaled from the bodies made everyone frown. It stank a thousand times worse than they had imagined.

- Jesus Christ... do these things eat shit all day?

One of the men, whom Lee found out was named Kevin, said.

He was quite tall, with light skin, dark hair and brown eyes, and didn't look a day over 35.

- It's going to get worse. Let's go.

Lee said, finishing spreading the entrails over his body, strengthening his camouflage a little more.

He stood up and walked out of the forest.

- Don't stay too close together, you might attract unwanted attention. See you when we're done.

He said, just before walking towards the horde.

(...)

Ellen walked towards the reason for all that noise.

The gunshots had drawn the attention of practically the whole village, and for a few moments she thought they were being attacked.

But if that were the case, the shooting would be more intense, and not "stopped" like that.

The woman arched an eyebrow as she saw four people shooting from the platform toward the horde outside, curious and a little annoyed.

She climbed the stairs and walked over to Philip, who was standing right next to the group.

- What's going on?

she asked confused, until she looked at the scene ahead.

Her eyes widened and she got a surprised expression as she saw the people from her community walking among the dead, without being attacked, and killing one by one, slowly, but gradually the number of zombies walking diminished.

- Incredible, isn't it? I couldn't believe it either when I saw it. Apparently, if you cover yourself with their guts, they can no longer tell you apart from one of them. Of course, not by smell, they still see sudden movements and hear your noise.

Philip explained, also looking at the growing number of bodies falling to the ground.

Ellen stared at this in disbelief for a while, as if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

-Who's there? How many?

she asked after a while, looking with narrowed eyebrows at the people next to her, who were shooting at some zombies.

- Eight in total. Victor, Deborah, Emilia, Kevin, Eva, Ana, Iris, and that new guy, Lee.

He said, alternating his gaze between Ellen and the horde, which was slowly being eliminated.

Ellen stared at the silent massacre in front of her. She was prepared to receive someone wounded on a mission like this, and not see zombies being slaughtered so easily, and without even seeing where they were being killed from.

And a few hours later, from a wide area full of zombies, she went to a wide area full of bodies lying on the ground.