Chapter 35: Leap of Faith
The eastern sky had just begun showing hints of pale light. The faint dawn glow pushed back some of the darkness.
The air still carried the pre-dawn chill and the inescapable stench of decay.
Hanks jolted awake, heart pounding heavily in his chest. He was instantly and completely alert.
He stood and worked out his stiff body. Kenny and Lee were still at their posts, exhaustion written on their faces.
"Shift change. Get some rest." Hanks approached them, voice low.
Kenny yawned and nodded without saying much, shuffling toward the rooms.
Lee rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "Second half was pretty quiet. But it felt too quiet."
Carley and Doug also got up, carrying packaged food for breakfast as they took over watch positions.
Hanks walked to the pile of supplies, opening the professional toolbox they'd found at the parts store.
His gaze swept the contents, finally settling on a hand axe gleaming with cold steel.
The blade looked well-maintained. Though showing some signs of use, it remained sharp.
The wooden handle was sturdy. Gripping it felt substantial, full of power.
Hanks swung it twice experimentally. The blade cut through the air with a faint hum.
This had more destructive force than the screwdriver. Better suited for dealing with monsters whose skulls needed complete destruction.
"You'll do." He secured the hand axe to the belt at his back, the cool axe head pressed against his skin.
Glenn's eyes were bloodshot, but the grin on his face couldn't be hidden. "Officer, check out my upgraded weapon!"
He swung his improved baseball bat vigorously, several loops of wire wrapped around it.
"Uh..." Hanks suddenly found himself at a loss for words. "Yeah... looks good. Goes well with your head... with the baseball cap on your head!"
"Thanks, I think so too!" Glenn didn't catch the strangeness in his tone, instead straightening his cap properly.
"So... did you give the bat a name?" Hanks's expression grew increasingly odd. "Maybe call it Lucille?"
"Lucille? Good name! I'll call it Lucille!" Glenn didn't understand what Lucille represented, but it sounded cool, so it was a good name.
"Alright, quit playing around. Eat something and let's move." Hanks handed him a compressed biscuit and half a bottle of water. "Today we're heading straight for the sheriff's station."
Glenn took the food with a sour expression, muttering, "I knew I couldn't escape..."
They quickly finished their meager breakfast.
Hanks habitually checked his P226 pistol, confirming it was in good condition.
After brief instructions to the motel people, he and Glenn left once more.
The morning streets of Macon were even more deathly quiet than during the day. Thin fog flowed between the ruins.
Visibility wasn't great. This environment was good for stealth but also made ambushes easier.
Hanks took point, carefully identifying any abnormal sounds carried on the wind.
Glenn followed close behind, gripping Lucille—the wire-wrapped bat—with both hands.
According to the map and Glenn's vague memory—
The sheriff's station was located slightly west of the town center, a relatively isolated two-story brick building.
The closer they got to their destination, the more abandoned vehicles and wreckage littered the streets. Signs of battle grew increasingly obvious.
Walls riddled with bullet holes. Large patches of dried, blackened blood. Even burned-out vehicle carcasses.
"Just ahead at that intersection, turn left..." Glenn kept his voice low, pointing forward. "We should be able to see it."
Hanks signaled. They pressed against the wall base, carefully approaching the intersection.
Just as they neared it—
An extremely thick stench—even overpowering the usual decay—hit them, almost inducing vomiting.
Hanks stopped abruptly, pulling Glenn back behind him. He stuck half his head out to look around the corner.
The sheriff's station stood isolated. Dozens of walkers wandered the outer parking lot and open ground.
They clustered densely, like maggots stuck to bone, surrounding the station's entrance and windows.
They occasionally howled in agitation, using their arms to slap at the building's outer walls and sealed doors and windows.
A SWAT armored vehicle with shattered windows and flat tires sat parked at the station entrance.
The vehicle was covered in bloody handprints and claw marks. The rear door even hung half-open, pitch black inside, the situation unclear.
"Dear God..." Glenn sucked in a sharp breath, voice trembling. "How... how do we get in there?"
Hanks's brow furrowed tightly.
The walker count here far exceeded expectations. And the presence of that SWAT armored vehicle—
It meant extremely fierce resistance had occurred here. It also meant there might be lots of equipment.
A frontal assault would be absolute suicide.
His gaze quickly scanned the surrounding environment, searching for usable routes or breakthrough points.
Next to the station stood an adjacent two-story building. Its rooftop platform seemed slightly lower than the station's second floor.
If they could get to that building's roof...
"Come on. That building next door." Hanks lowered his voice, signaling Glenn.
The two silently retreated, making a wide circle to avoid the horde area near the station's main entrance, approaching the adjacent two-story building.
The small building appeared to have been a law office or accounting firm. The first floor's doors and windows were heavily damaged, the interior a wreck.
Hanks signaled Glenn to watch their backs while he slipped inside first.
Overturned desks and chairs. Documents scattered everywhere. Everything covered in a thick layer of dust.
Hisss...
A female walker in a business suit and skirt, half her face gnawed off, struggled up from behind a toppled desk and lunged.
Hanks sidestepped her grasping hands. The hand axe at his back swung out instantly.
THUNK!
The sharp blade chopped precisely into her temple, nearly splitting her head in half. The corpse flopped down softly, making almost no noise.
"Clear!" Hanks said quietly, gaze sweeping the first floor to confirm no other threats.
"Stairs over there." Glenn pointed at a wooden staircase leading to the second floor in the corner.
They carefully climbed. The stairs produced teeth-grinding creaks.
The second floor held several offices and a small conference room. Equally chaotic.
Fortunately, no walkers.
Hanks walked straight to an iron door leading to an exterior platform, twisting hard to open it.
They stepped onto the platform covered in bird droppings and fallen leaves.
From here they could see the adjacent sheriff's station more clearly.
The station's second floor windows were about two meters away from this platform, slightly lower in height.
One window stood open. Glass shattered on both sides. Bullet holes marked the wall.
"Right there." Hanks pointed at the broken window. "I'll go across. You stay here on watch."
"If there's trouble, use hand signals or whisper. Absolutely no shouting."
"Officer, that distance... it's too dangerous!" Glenn looked at the horde below and swallowed.
"No time to find a safer route." Hanks's tone was decisive. He removed his backpack and handed it to Glenn.
"If I find ammunition, I'll figure out a way to get you from inside, or pass things out."
Hearing he might have to make this jump too, Glenn's face looked even more pained.
Hanks estimated the distance. He backed up several steps, took a deep breath, then charged forward at full speed. His foot hit the platform edge and he leaped with all his strength.
His body traced an arc through the air.
His hands grabbed the outer edge of the station's second-floor windowsill with precision. His body slammed hard against the wall from momentum, producing a dull thud.
"ROAR!" The horde below seemed disturbed by the sound. A commotion rippled through them.