[Austin and Sylvia]

Four gunshots, unmistakable, ring out one after another. The pause between them suggested multiple targets, or an evasive target. Austin at least, makes this assumption. [i]More zombies? Firing a gun would just attract more though, unless there are too many? There can’t be, they were just decimated, and I didn’t see any zombies outside. Did an argument break out?[/i]

"YOU SHOULDA STAYED IN THE KITCHEN, HONNEY!" Roars the muffled but unmistakable bigoted voice of John Marcel. [i]He didn’t die?![/i] Austin thinks with alarm. 

When he cut the rope earlier, it was too dark to see John’s body. Apparently, it wasn’t due to the darkness but the fact that his body never landed. “He really must have survived somehow” Austin says.

“How in the world did he survive that??” Sylvia exclaims. [i]Maybe he got tipped off by that guy’s voice. I’m pretty sure we were quiet enough though.[/i]

"COME GEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTT ITTT!" Comes John’s voice once more. 

“I can’t tell what kind of gun that is, but at least it isn’t an automatic. Is he shooting at... humans? He probably would.” 

Sylvia pauses and listens, “I heard four gunshots total. And he probably is considering what he wanted to do to us.”

“True. We might be able to tell if he has the ammo or box for it around here, but we should deal with him before he comes upstairs. Let’s grab another infected or probable one if we can.” 

“Yeah. Or maybe multiple guns. You know, that thing you’ve wanted this entire time?” Sylvia remarks. 

“It’s worth using guns on humans. Do you think he has another one around here? He probably would have taken them all with him.” 

“We might as well check though. No harm, right? Although we might want to get out of this apartment soon. Cause he’ll probably come back. And we should avoid our own apartment too for now, in case he tries to kill us there.”

“Alright, but let’s do it fast. You should go hide in maybe Sue’s apartment while I grab and bring down a possible infected to shield with.”

Sylvia shakes her head stubbornly, “I’m sticking with you. Maybe I’d be useless in terms of fighting, but I could at least block a bullet for you.” [i]I’d rather I die than him.[/i]

“It’d probably go right through you.” Austin jokes. Well, he didn’t want her blocking bullets for him anyways. “But alright.”

“I’ll look through this room, you can check out another room,” Sylvia says while entering Mrs. Marcel’s bedroom. She quickly scans the entire room before her eyes fall onto an open shoebox. [i]Looks out of place...and open. Mr. Marcel most likely used something from here earlier, but what was it?[/i] Sylvia tips the shoebox over completely and a box of .38 ammo falls out. [i]This must’ve held a gun. A pistol? Need to go play more first person shooters.[/i] She stuffs the box into her front pants pockets. 
(([@Dungeon Blaster] can edit this out if necessary. Would make sense for there to be extra ammo lying around.)) 

Austin rifles through the rest of the house with care, knife in hand while searching the other rooms. He could very clearly remember a scene in “The Walking Dead” where a zombie jumps out after a character opens a door. He finds no guns or ammo ((but maybe other things, didn’t the OP say

“Austin, I found something!”

Austin hurries over. “What is it?”

“Look,” Sylvia holds out the ammo box.

“Hmm. I’m pretty sure .38 ammo is only used for revolvers. John probably has one on him then, and probably few shots left unless he has ammo on himself. We should grab that.” 

“Yeah, I don’t want him to be able to come back here and get more ammo. Can you hold onto it? My pockets aren’t as secure as yours.” [i]They really need to make girl pants with guy pockets. A great advertising point would that they would allow you to carry more stuff on your person during a zombie apocalypse.[/i] 

“I don’t have pockets available, it’s all covered up so I don’t get stabbed or bitten.” Austin points out. “Just hide it somewhere and we can grab it later.”

“I’ll just...put it in my pocket.” 

“I’ll take six rounds just in case.” Austin pockets a few rounds in a few different pockets.

After grabbing spare keys and locking the apartment door, Austin and Sylvia cautiously but hastily ascends up the stairs, knife drawn, lights on, wary for infected that might have turned coming from the top of the stairs.  Luckily, upon arriving, all were accounted for and unharmed. 

“What took you so long to get back here?!” Yells one woman, outraged that the apparent authorities had taken so long to do their jobs. “We could have died while you were gone!” She complains. 

“We got caught up with some infected, I’m sorry,” Sylvia graciously apologizes, “And we had to escort the man back to his room.” 

[i]Escorted him to the ground floor.[/i] Austin smirks to himself.

“Hey! You should take a look at my friend, he’s in pretty bad shape.” Calls out a young, clear voice, belonging to a slender young woman waving her arm. She points at a young man sitting against the wall, breathing and sweating heavily. “He was bit trying to protect me, I think he’s infected.” 

Indeed, the young man had been bitten on the shoulder. ((OP doesn’t have information on lethality of bites or time it takes to die and turn? Or if they can turn after the human dies)) “We’ll treat him at once, don’t worry.” Austin assures like before, helping the man to his feet. The young man was weakened and a bit dazed, but strong enough to stand and walk. Blood soaked his shirt at the shoulder, but wasn’t dripping down his back or anything. He nods and mutters his thanks to Austin as he rises.

“Why can’t you take more people?!” a man shouts angrily.

“We can only protect so many people at once, so it’s safest to just do one at a time,” Sylvia replies calmly. 

Austin takes the bitten young man down to the floor below before instructing him, “It could get really dangerous from here on out, so do exactly as I say without hesitating. Or else you’ll die. Walk in front of me and do not duck or crouch, whatever you do. If you move, it makes it harder for me to protect you since you could bump into me or get in my way.” Austin instructs firmly. These were really only instructions to meatshield, but Austin thought they sounded reasonable enough. 

“This is so that we won’t get ambushed from behind. We’ll also be watching out up ahead of you so don’t worry,” Sylvia adds smoothly, positioning herself behind Austin so she could yank him out of the way if anything happened.  

At each stairwell and landing, Austin checks over and through the railings to glimpse the floor below. He was taking no chances, and was cautious of the apartment doors as well. With his knife drawn, the three descended floor by floor, the young man in front, followed by Austin and then Sylvia.

((Greyson will most likely deal with John first, but in case he doesn’t, Austin and Sylvia will arrive. They won’t arrive for a bit though, they took some time searching the apartment and grabbing the infected.))