The zombies reacted immediately. On the recon feed, Advik Bhardwaj watched as the thermal signatures inside the supermarket began to stir. The undead were drawn toward the noise like moths to a flame, shuffling and crawling their way toward the source of the disturbance.
"Target movement confirmed," Sandeep reported over the comms. "They're heading toward the decoy points."
"Good," Advik Bhardwaj muttered. "Keep it up. Viper 1, hit the second target."
Another series of explosions rocked the area, strategically placed to lure any remaining zombies out of the supermarket. The plan was working. The feed showed large clusters of undead converging on the blast zones, leaving the interior of Reliance Smart Supermarket relatively clear.
"Hawks, move in. Deploy fireteams," Advik Bhardwaj ordered.
Both Black Hawks descended toward the rooftop of the supermarket. The whine of their engines and the whirling rotors echoed through the air, but with most of the zombies distracted by the explosions, there were no immediate threats to the landing zone.
Hawk 1 touched down first, its skids making contact with the cracked concrete roof. The soldiers of Team Alpha moved quickly, disembarking in a disciplined formation with their weapons raised. Amith led the charge, scanning the area as his team secured the rooftop perimeter.
"Alpha on the ground. LZ secure," Amith reported.
Hawk 2 landed a few moments later, deploying Team Bravo and Team Charlie. Sandeep gave a sharp nod as he stepped off the helicopter, gesturing for his squad to take up defensive positions near the rooftop access point.
"Teams are deployed. Hawks, pull back to standby altitude," Advik Bhardwaj commanded.
"Copy that, Cobra Actual. Returning to overwatch position," Hawk 1's pilot acknowledged as both helicopters lifted off and climbed back into the sky.
The teams moved swiftly to their designated positions. Amith led Team Alpha down the rooftop stairwell, his squad descending into the building with methodical precision. The hallways were dark and cluttered with debris—overturned shelves, discarded shopping carts, and broken glass littered the floor. The stench of decay hung heavily in the air.
"Switch to NVG," Amith ordered, activating his night-vision goggles. The green-hued display illuminated the path ahead, revealing a few shambling figures in the distance.
"Contact," a soldier whispered. "Three hostiles, twenty meters."
"Take them out quietly," Amith responded.
Two soldiers raised their suppressed rifles and fired in unison. The zombies dropped silently to the floor, their bodies crumpling without a sound.
"Area clear. Moving forward," Amith reported.
Meanwhile, Team Bravo secured the loading docks on the eastern side of the supermarket. Sandeep crouched behind a stack of wooden pallets, scanning the area with his rifle's scope. The thermal feed from the Abhiyaan ENU800 confirmed no immediate threats, but he wasn't taking any chances.
"Bravo in position," Sandeep announced over the comms. "Loading docks secure. No hostiles in sight."
"Charlie, report," Advik Bhardwaj called.
"Charlie here. Rear perimeter secured," Jagdish replied. "We've got eyes on the alleyway. All clear for now."
Advik Bhardwaj monitored the mission feed from the command center at the Leela Palace Hotel. The operation was progressing smoothly, but he remained on edge. In his experience, missions rarely went off without a hitch. He kept his attention focused on the recon data, ready to adapt if anything changed.
"Teams, maintain noise discipline and continue securing the site," Advik Bhardwaj instructed. "We need a full sweep before we start extraction procedures."
"Roger that," came the unified response from the team leaders.
The soldiers moved deeper into the supermarket, clearing each section aisle by aisle. The eerie silence was broken only by the occasional muffled gunshot as more zombies were quietly dispatched. So far, there were no signs of rival survivors or large hordes—just the scattered remnants of the undead drawn out by the decoy blasts.
Advik Bhardwaj exhaled slowly, his grip on the console relaxing slightly. "So far, so good," he muttered to himself.
Sandeep's voice crackled through the comms. "Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie are all in position. We're holding steady."
"Good. Stay alert. We're not out of the woods yet," Advik Bhardwaj replied.
The mission was far from over, but for now, everything was going according to plan. Harvest had begun.
The supermarket's interior echoed with a low, haunting stillness as Team Alpha continued its sweep. Amith raised a clenched fist, signaling his team to halt. His eyes scanned the aisles illuminated by their night-vision goggles. The eerie green glow revealed toppled shelves and forgotten products, now coated in dust and decay.
"Alpha to command. We're nearing the center aisle. So far, minimal resistance," Amith reported softly through the comms.
"Copy, Alpha. Keep it quiet," Advik Bhardwaj replied from the command center. He watched the live feed from Alpha's helmet cams, noting the methodical progress they were making. He switched views to Team Bravo's feed next. Sandeep and his squad held defensive positions near the loading docks, stacking crates and metal shelving as improvised barricades.
"Bravo, report," Advik Bhardwaj called.
"Loading docks remain clear. No movement detected," Sandeep answered, his voice calm but focused. He signaled his team to reinforce the entrance with more barriers. "We've got fallback cover set. We're holding tight."
"Roger. Charlie, how's your sector?"
"Rear perimeter's locked down, sir," Jagdish confirmed. "We've scouted the alleyways. No threats in the immediate area."
"Good. Hold your positions and stay sharp. We don't want any surprises," Advik Bhardwajordered.
Back inside the supermarket, Team Alpha advanced cautiously. A faint noise—like a shuffle—echoed from a nearby corner. Amith signaled his squad to fan out and flank the source of the sound. A soldier crept forward, weapon at the ready. The feed showed the figure of a lone zombie slumped against a display rack, slowly clawing at the floor.
"Contact. One hostile," the soldier whispered.
"Drop it," Amith ordered.
The soldier squeezed the trigger of his suppressed rifle, a muted crack echoing as the zombie's head jerked back. The creature slumped to the ground, motionless.
"Hostile neutralized," the soldier reported.
"Clear the next aisle," Amith commanded, keeping his voice low.