Chapter 4

It has been 11 years since the outbreak broke out upon the country, with no warning, no aid. Nothing it just happened. The cities fall one by one as the infected continue attacking like a thunderbolt, and now? Our heroes were going back to where it all started.

As Abner and his company arrive outside of Hieham City, he felt dread and hollow as he saw the ruined city lying before him, analyzing the city’s current state. This is always aware of him and the gut feeling never fades, thus, the mission begins.

Out of nowhere, a soldier called out for Abner as he snapped out of his thoughts. Going back to business, hence he looked around and asked, “How’s everyone?”. The soldier looked around and analyze the situation. Abner inspects his rifle and ammo before going to work.

“They are now” reported, as Abner saw his men falling in line. Waiting for him and his order, Abner mounted his suppressor and looked at the soldier mounting the suppressor on his rifle as well.

As he walked toward the road to their destination, he cocks his rifle and radioed all his men. “Phantom 1-1 to all stations, Operation Full Moon is a GO”, he notified, and the creeps were getting on his nerves. Leave those feelings aside, focused on the mission “Let’s get to work” he thought as he walked towards the city and his men followed suit.

*After a Few Hours*

Dealing with the operation isn’t easy as Abner planned. They met little resistance. Now they were on the edge of the district preparing for the final push to finish their mission. Abner and his men were standing at the city hall. This building will serve as a vantage point and the area that controls the district, seeing the building slowly decay itself. Abner looked around and analyze it as he always does. He kneels while looking at the advantage point where he can place his men, which gives them an advantage also oversees the distance. Abner sends his 5 scouts first to see if there are any survivors nor zombies that await them in that building where Abner with his men stand in front of them. He makes sure that no one’s going to die today.

After a few hours, the scouts return from their assignment. The scouts reported one they came across the survivors whose trapped in the staff room the second floor they didn’t encounter any zombies on every corner of the building, this is a good sign to occupy the building and rescue the survivors. He informed his men that rescue the survivors first before occupying the building, thus they did. After a few minutes, they finally occupy the building, Abner walked around the building with Davis to inspect the area outside of the city hall.

“Feels strange right,” said Davis, as Abner nodded while their men were working on the defenses and watching their surroundings.

“Yeah, never knew what kind of danger that we going to face” replied Abner as he decided to check the situation on the perimeter.

“Scepter 1 to Spider 5 what’s your status over”. Abner asked as Davis looked at the broken fence that leads to the forest, he felt a dread feeling that was coming from the forest.

“Spider 5 to Scepter 1, nothing detects on the outside of the perimeter, over”. Informed the soldier whose guarding the perimeter.

“Spider 1?”

“Negative” replied the solider from the west side of the perimeter

“Watcher 2-1”

“No signs of movement” another soldier informed from the east side of the perimeter

“Copies all, inform me within 15 minutes if the infected were attacking us, over and out”. Abner said and noticed Davis looked seriously at the broken fence with a blood on it, Abner finally understand why Davis was so attentive at the tree line. A soldier came by, then called out for Abner and Davis, this snapped from their thoughts. As Abner and Davis looked at each other and nodded as they left to continue towards their current destination.

*a few minutes later*

As they reached the 3rd floor of the city hall, Abner saw many soldiers taking a break while one of them looked at the distances. He let it slide because they need some time to relax and bond with their friends before things went south. When they saw a soldier staring at the window using his binoculars, his companion saw them and saluted “Captain Abner, Sergeant Davis”. When the soldier heard this, he salutes as well.

“At ease” they dismiss their greetings and start sharing the reports about today’s event.

When Davis sat down on the wooden box, he noticed the soldier beside him inspecting his rifle, and Davis spotted a small scar on the soldier’s left hand while the soldier looks at his scar. He asked, “Lance Corporal Jason, what’s on your arm lad?”. the soldier named Jason Benny looked at his commanding officer as he checks the scar on his left hand and replied: “Ohh, this? I got hit by the brick fence outside sir”. This makes caught Davis’ attention about the same place he saw in the first place.

“hmm, Bene(Good) I will look at this incident Corporal” Davis ensured as Jason thanked his CO and goes back to what he was doing.

“Scheiße, tut das weh!” (Fuck, it hurts like hell) Jason whined as he nursed his wounded left arm, he didn’t know that Davis understood the language Jason’s spoke.

As Davis stands up and wanted to inform Abner about Jason’s wound, Abner quickly knew that something was up. He tapped Abner’s shoulder causing his best friend to look at him and Davis start talking.

“Abner, there is something I needed to talk about with you”. This caught Abner’s attention and he guided him into the private room they could find as they reached their destination. The two entered the room while Abner closed the door behind him as Davis check their surroundings and sat down on one of the fallen shelves as Abner placed himself in the corner of the room.

“Do you notice Jason’s arm?” Davis asked, this caught Abner’s attention. His fears came to life, and he gulped sending chills through his veins. The

“Did you see what it looks like?” Questioning his brother’s statement, Davis leaned backward as he starts to remember what he saw earlier. After a few minutes of silence, He saw his brother as he reposed himself and Abner saw Davis’ eyes as he realizes the state of the wound on Jason’s arm. Abner caught the signal, and both left the room As Abner look at Jason whose looking left and right this unnerved him, observe this behavior and start marching toward Jason’s position.

As Jason and his friends were resting on the corner of the window, they turn around and saw Abner along with Davis marching towards them. They immediately stand up to salute their superiors and dismiss the greetings as he motions Jason to follow them.

While they are walking through the hallway, Davis starts commanding his men to prepare themselves for an upcoming ambush, the soldiers were scrambled, and Jason starts to get nervous as he saw his fellow soldiers manning their position. Abner saw this opportunity to ask Jason. He tapped on Corporal’s shoulder and asked.

“How did you get that scar on your left arm?” Jason solemnly looks at his scar thinking the event that took him today, Davis notice this and he mentally noted that he will discuss with Abner.

“When me and Hans were patrolling on the left side of the building there’s a fence that was broken, we decided to Investigate it and all of a sudden, something pushed me so hard that I hit on those bars. So that’s where I got this böse narbe (nasty scar)”.

Abner and Davis took note of Jason’s story, as they reached their destination, they stumbled upon two soldiers who pointed their rifles toward the treeline. Abner quickly acts on this situation, before it’s too late.

“Gentlemen”. Abner called them out as Davis raised his rifle and start pointing toward the treeline while Jason slowly walks backward as he shivers in fear remembering the recent event, he encountered a few hours ago.

“Captain, we’re glad you’re here”. Soldier #1 replied, Davis checks the perimeter while Abner guides Jason whose scared to go to the exact same place he was before, Abner ready himself for the worst part.

“What’s your status”. Abner asked while eyeing Jason’s odd behavior, it’s time to open the business.

“We heard strange noises coming this way, me and my partner were frightened by the sickening noises over there”. Soldier #1 replied. Davis carefully analyzed the treeline as he adjusts his hearing until he heard a faint nose and another, and another. This alerts him including the other soldier who was present from this moment.

Davis called out for Abner as he motioned the two soldiers to take cover, as they take cover. Abner slowly picks up the pieces together to form a plan to flush out the roaming infected.

“Pvt. Miles” Abner called out to the man named Miles Miller who still looking over his shoulders knowing if there’s something that was watching him every time. The other soldier looks at Davis trying to tell him but, no words came out of his mouth as fear controls him.

Miles, on the other hand, trying to keep himself battling the fear raging inside of him. Abner smiled, “It’s okay soldier, we are all scared I know”. Hearing this Miles broke down and cried, along with the other soldier whose trembled in fear and cried also, followed by Jason who watched the whole thing. After 15 minutes, the three soldiers were now ready to work.

Abner studied his two men as they are ready themselves when Davis focused on the tree line, and he saw something. He signaled Abner to notify the strange activity before him, Abner went there what’s more another noise came from the bushes. Davis, Abner, and the other soldier pointed their rifles at the bushes.

Jason and Miller watched their six not knowing what will happen next, since Abner was about to check the tree line, they heard footsteps coming from the west side of their position. He looked around and saw 4 soldiers walking towards them, while the soldiers were busy chatting themselves. One of them saw the commotion, they rushed toward Abner’s position to assist them. When they reach their superior, Abner’s team changes their formation to give a way for their relief force. When the soldiers make their way to Abner’s position, they reached the position of their superior.

One of them walk closely to Abner and asked what was going on. Abner tells them the four men understand the situation and start taking their position, once they have done manning their position. Abner called Jason and Davis to come with him to the creepy treeline. The two went with him leaving the six men guarding the broken fence, curiosity and nervousness.

*Meanwhile at the commander’s position*

Commander Willard was having a bad day, before entering the city. They encountered medium resistance as they create the perimeter, once they secured the perimeter Willard send Squad 15 and 9 to the south portion of the city close to the city hall, where Abner’s target building. After 5 hours, he cannot reach the two squads and tried to reach out by sending two runners in the meantime, but no one came back. This worried Willard as he felt his gut rumbling knowing that something was wrong. Not until he heard an explosion coming from the south side of the city, this hit Willard hard as he grasped the situation. It’s where Squad 15 and 9 were stationed.

“ALL STATIONS THIS IS GOLDMAN, ABANDONED ALL OPERATIONS MEET UP AT BRAVO POINT”!!!!

Then another explosion erupted coming from the same location, Willard calling the runner to warn Abner about the impending invasion. Suddenly, he saw his men shouting and running to defend themselves from something, he turns around and froze.

*Meanwhile at Abner’s position*

Before the explosion, Abner, Davis, and Jason were scanning while their rifles aiming aimlessly. Abner tries to find something that bothers both him and Abner, When Jason was about to ask, they heard a noise coming behind them. The three of them flinched and their rifles aiming behind them, Abner and Davis were ready to ambush. Jason was having a hard time when he was about to say a word. He flinched as he felt that someone touched his left foot, he looks back and saw make his blood freeze.

When Abner was about to move forward, Davis followed suit.

HAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They heard a scream from behind, they turn around and were shocked. Davis was horrified as he saw Jason pull down towards the forest, Abner snapped from his thoughts as he fired causing Davis to flip out and start helping Jason. When Davis finally freed Jason, Abner lowered his rifle. Trying to grasp the situation that unfolds before him, another split second.

Jason yelled again as the claw claimed his life, Abner empties his entire magazine into the hostile. The attacker died as Davis pull himself up and look around if there was another ambushed at any moment. The captain stare at Jason’s lifeless body and the attacker beside him, he decided to fire again on the head of the attacker to make sure he’s literally dead. And start investigating, he pokes it using the rifle’s barrel to see if it’s twitching, but no response. He pokes it again and luckily it didn’t. He pulls off the hoodie and this angered him.

“Fucking Hunters” He cursed as Abner when he pulls off his sidearm and aim at Davis’ left shoulder and fired causing another hunter to fall, including the enemy behind Abner also. The two lowered their guns and they nodded in a thankful way, an explosion occurred from afar. This alert the two, Abner looks at Jason’s neck and saw the dog tags. He took it including his signature stuff and Davis throws the AN-M14 TH3 to burn the corpse of Jason not wanting to leave him behind so the infected ate his remains when they go here, Abner throw it again to make sure the infected eat him, and after that, both left in the downhearted mood.

A few hours later, the two reached their current destination. They were welcomed by Miller and his crew until they heard an explosion erupt coming from the south of their position, earning the soldiers to panic and scramble to their position.

“Miller report!” Abner shouted when another explosion erupted, Davis ordered two men to defend this post. Abner motioned Miller, Davis and the rest to go with him. Leaving the two behind guarding it.

As Abner and his men were running toward the top floor, he bypasses the soldiers were in a state of panic and confused about what to do. Davis stepped up and start ordering them to get ready, and the soldiers obeyed. When Abner and the rest reached their destination, the captain saw his observer standing there frozen in shock. Abner went to him and tried to get his attention, and he stuttered.

“Y-y-you n-ne-need t-to s-see t-to y-y-yo-yours-sel-self-f”. Abner spots a glimpse of terror in the observer’s eyes; he turned around and finally understood the fear his colleague has before his eyes. His blood run cold as the boulder flew towards his position.