Back at the Safe House security room, Chuck, Stacey, Sullivan, and little Katey all watch the monitors with a vested interest as they await the military’s imminent arrival.
So much time in a dingy bunker tends to make one anxious for rescue, particularly when they’re surrounded by the less-than-living.
SPOILER : Mercifully, the military soon comes to the rescue, smashing into the north end of the Silver Strip by way of the city’s underground tunnel system.
The heavily armed men are more than a match for the mindless zombies and seem to genuinely enjoy slaughtering their way to the Safe House.
SPOILER : Everything seems to be going according to plan—until suddenly, a strange chemical gas begins flooding up from the city’s sewer vents. The gas is not the military’s doing, and soon the men are surrounded by a thick, green fog.
SPOILER : Not only is the gas a hindrance to vision, it also seems to have some sort of effect on the teeming zombies. Many of the undead soon begin to shudder and mutate, becoming far more powerful and aggressive.
SPOILER : Blinded and surrounded by what can only be described as super zombies, the situation quickly deteriorates for the military.
Soldiers begin firing on one another in the confusion and chaos, and only the squad leader makes it out alive, fleeing the scene in a humvee.
SPOILER : Back at the Safe House, the survivors watch in shock and horror as the grisly scene plays out. What just happened out there? How could zombies take out a trained military column?
SPOILER : Panic begins to set in, but Sullivan assures his comrades that another rescue attempt will occur in 24 hours.
When pressed by Stacey, Sullivan also divulges that, should the second attempt fail, the military’s fallback option will be to firebomb the city to ensure the outbreak doesn’t spread.
Even the Safe House won’t be able to withstand a full-scale bombardment like that.
SPOILER : Then, more bad news: The gang catches sight of Rebecca running through the green haze and into the underground tunnels. What’s she doing out there? Chuck knows he has to go out now and save her.