Nina was not settling even for a bit after what Ethan said the previous night.
She certainly was not buying their calmness and patience, as she understood a different perspective on how dangerous these people could be.
One thought that crossed her mind was that Miss Audrey could be harmed the very moment she was taken back to their refuge.
"If anything should happen to her, I'm going to go crazy!" Nina shouted inwardly.
She was already considering one of the options that had popped into her mind, a very crazy idea which she boldly thought through.
Doing this alone.
Nina was the kind of person who trusted her capabilities. Growing up in a military academy, she had always learned to be tough, to be strong.
To survive.
"These guys are weak. I won't let their weakness result in innocent people getting killed," she said with a serious, striking look on her face.
And with a sigh…
"Fine. I will do it myself."
Nina studied the area, checking the living room as well, and noticed that she was not being watched.
Clear, she sneaked out and headed down the stairs, leaving the building.
All she had with her was her short combat knife, her black jacket, and a thick army designed handkerchief. Since her rifle had been taken by Karen, she was holding no truly significant weapon.
Yet, the twenty four year old never saw a reason to stay back. She was having none of that at all.
Nina dashed into the lonesome street, running and sneaking through safer areas to avoid a considerable number of zombies.
Although that did not change the fact that she would still have to take some of them down.
TIK!
TIK!
TIK!
A tough stab to their heads brought them down one by one, and she wasted no time, constantly observing her surroundings.
Nina had faced worse back in the military camp when the disaster began.
Almost every cadet turned, and the few who managed to survive the mutant attack could not make it out.
They either died of hunger after failing to find a way out, or died after getting bitten and turning.
As for Nina, the cause of her survival was something unforgettable.
She continued her stealthy movement until she suddenly heard a sound from far behind. She stopped at once and hid behind a pillar in one of the nearby buildings.
Broooom!
Broooom!!
She soon realized it was an approaching bike, and the first thing her mind drifted to was those men.
The Boss's men.
Instead of panicking, Nina gave a wry smile, like it was exactly what she had wanted.
Within seconds, a bike dashed out from another alley and turned in her direction, toward the path that led to the university's small stadium.
The moment she spotted him from her hiding place, she recognized him at once.
"It's him," she muttered.
He was surprisingly roaming around alone today, which gave Nina a hint that today's mission was different.
She did not waste time overthinking. Nina did not want to miss this opportunity.
She watched him drive past her without noticing her presence, calmly continuing his ride.
As soon as he had gone far enough, Nina rushed out of her hiding place and sprinted after him.
She did not dare to act foolishly by entering the main road.
Nina moved from walkway to walkway, running as fast as she could so as not to fall too far behind.
Eyes sharp, legs fast, she kept trailing him.
Luckily for her, he had not gone too far before stopping.
The bike came to a halt at a building a few meters away from the stadium.
The Physical Health Centre.
The name was still boldly displayed on the top floor, an indication that it was still relatively safe.
Nina waited for him to enter before moving forward. Every step she took made her inspect every direction.
Back, front, sides. She did not want to be caught off guard.
She soon secured a safe approach to the building, and with no sign of anyone outside, she walked in.
As expected, the lower floors were completely messed up, and no one would normally be found in such a place.
Nina took the stairs and reached the top floor in no time.
(Gymnasium).
The name on the entrance door made her flinch as she halted instantly.
"It has to be here."
Closed and clean, she did not need an explanation to understand that this was where they were.
Just as she was observing the door, she heard a creaking sound, and then the door moved.
Nina quickly shifted away and hid by the wall facing another hallway.
The door opened, and two men stepped out. They appeared to be among those who had taken Miss Audrey, confirming that she was in the right place.
"Now that Karen couldn't find them, Lance, sorry, The Boss, will definitely start another search raid," one of the boys said.
"That's for sure. And he would want to lead it himself. Karen has been a dick lately," the other replied.
"I've always hated him. I'm pretty sure one day he'll be fed to the Big Boys."
"Come on, The Boss wouldn't just kill Karen like that. Maybe when we finally find Gracie, Mella, and the one he's really looking forward to seeing…"
"Anna."
"Yes, Anna. Once he finds her, he'll forget every intention to kill Karen. I'm very sure of that."
The conversation continued as the two settled by the door to keep watch.
Nina, who had overheard everything, widened her eyes in shock and confusion.
"How do they know Gracie?" she wondered.
That realization made her understand that there had to be some connection.
If the so called Boss was looking for Gracie, Mella, and Anna, then he must have known them before.
But whatever the outcome, Nina did not care.
She knew very well that if they were found, they would end up like the other women being harassed inside.
"Before they carry out their search, I'll take them all out," she muttered as she stood up and faced their direction.
Her face darkened as she pulled out her combat knife.
The two men spotted her at once and quickly took position.
The crazy part was that they were unarmed, and that alone motivated her to step forward.
Pure physical combat? There were not many times she lost a fight.
Certainly not to two young, inexperienced students who had just turned into punks.
"Hell… I know her," one of the boys said.
And Nina smiled.
"Yeah. Familiar face?"
"I've come to get my rifle back, and that's just the start."
With that, she threw herself at them.