Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S4 Ep145: Episode 145: Government Conspiracy Horror

Episode Date: November 2, 2023

Tonight’s terrifying podcast episode is all four parts of ''The Government Is Hiding a New Disease; People are Turning'', an original work by Sir Fear, kindly shared with me for the purpose of having me exclusively narrate it here for you all, with the author’s express permission. https://www.reddit.com/user/Sir-Fear/

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please contact Connix Ontario at 1866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. Welcome to Dr. Creepin's Dungeon. Belief in government conspiracies or any kind of conspiracy theory can be influenced by many factors. It's important to note that not everyone believes in these theories and has a wide range of opinions and reasons. It's essential to recognize that while some skepticism and scrutiny of government actions are healthy and necessary for a functioning democracy, unchecked belief in unfounded conspiracy theories can have negative consequences. But then again, what if it's true?

Yeah, always ever, before we begin, word of caution. Tonight's feature-length story may contain strong language as well as descriptions of violence and horrific imagery. That sounds like your kind of thing. And let's begin. I still see those things in my sleep. Even though it's been many months since I last saw it, you just can't stop yourself from visualizing one, standing right above your bed when you close your eyes. But it gets so much worse when these things tear away friends and family from their bodies

instead of having to put a stranger out of their misery. All right, there's probably too much info to take in, so let's start from the beginning. My name's Brad. I'm a police sergeant. I won't go into specifics about my personal life too much because that's not what all of this is about. I'm here to talk to you about the disease that wiped out, or, well, more like changed. everyone in my hometown. It was a late chilly August evening. Aside from myself, there was Carter, Jack and Logan.

Now, some quick background info. Me and Carter had joined the police force as friends. However, we'd met Jack and Logan at the task force itself. Now that our vacation was coming to an end, we decided to meet up at a campsite to experience the privilege of breathing the crisp nature air we rarely had time to cherish. We were all sitting on.

logs covered in a thick blanket of warm emanating from the bright campfire raging in front of us. After a while of talking about our lives and upcoming events, we sat in silence, save for the branches that Jack was picking at in the fire, with his shotgun leaning on a small rock behind him. Since we worked as law enforcers, we were given permission to own a firearm license and use it when we thought necessary. Wild animals or drunks occasionally slipped by our woods at night, so the double barrel was the only real thing ensuring our safety. It might sound a bit strange, but we live in a part of town that doesn't really mind all that. As I look back to the woods, recent memories begin to creep into the front of my mind as I fall into deep thought.

I knew that it would be best if I just embraced them and got it over with, but I still wasn't ready to let them go, let alone face them. I try to clear my mind by attempting to rekindle the conversation as I gaze up to the stars beginning to light the reddish sky Nice night today, eh? I gesture upwards with my eyes as everybody else glances up to the darkening sky Here, replied Logan. You haven't seen that many stars in a while, I'll be jam. After that, silence seemed to regain its composure

and I slowly sank back deep into my mind. Though I never showed anything on the outside, I would occasionally feel locked up thoughts desperately trying to escape my lips, but I didn't want to worry anyone, so for now it was easy enough to brush it off as the aftermath of a dismal incident. It'll pass, I often told myself. As I looked up from the grass, I locked eyes with Carter sitting right across my log. Through all the years together, Carter had learned to read me, even when I put on my most expressionless face.

You okay, Brad? He asks. Yeah, I'm fine. I quickly respond as I break eye contact and look away. After a few more seconds of studying me, he sighs. Cut the ball. What's bothering you? He asks, clearly not caring about the fact he just caught everyone else's attention.

I'm fine. Just thinking about that book I'm writing, I retort. Your crime novel? Come on, you just don't pull that out of nowhere, continues Carter. And besides, you never like dealing with outlaws. Why remember all that? He says. Just...

I stop. Just wanting to tell others that shit they're getting themselves into if they decide to sign up. Preparing them, I unenthusiastically blurt out. And with that, Carter fell quiet, weighing his options on what to say next. tired of the whole ordeal I blatantly kick some nearby dirt as I looked at the sun beginning to touch the horizon

It's your GF, isn't it? I jolt up to see that Logan has pipped into the conversation How are you You're in the blues man We all go through it Just pick yourself up and Plenty more fish in the sea

He announces as he lets out a quick chuckle Yeah me and my start. I'm about to have my emotions all leave my mouth at once. When I hear a big piece of wood fall, and I look at the dying fire, I shouldn't tell them. Not yet. Ah, we need to spark up the fire again.

I'll go get us some firewood. I hastily grab the bag we use for this job and hurriedly leave my groupmates, most of whom have gone back to doing their own thing. But as Carter puts the last of the remaining twigs into the fire. He looks at me with suspicion until I'm completely out of his sight. As I walk through the bushes into a more wooded area, I begin to feel irked. Who are they to judge what I do with my life? Carter always questioning everything. I spot a half-snapped tree surrounded by thick branches.

A jackpot. The frustration on my face quickly dissipates as I collect the cool but dry timber. Oh, that'll last us the entire night, if not more. With a little light to guide me, I collect as much wood as the bag would hold, before a repulsive stench hits my nose. Out of pure disgust, I cough a couple of times before putting my hand up to my nose. Oh, I know it sounds cliche, but at that moment I felt expired blood and the insides of a frog intensified by 200% all around me. I was about to leave when I heard a distorted growling noise.

I looked deeper into the woods and only saw darkness as the sun's rays no longer reached this part of the forest. After a few more seconds of not moving an inch, I heard slow, seemingly distant footsteps. It was barely noticeable but eventually the smell got stronger and the growl became more aggressive as the footsteps got louder and louder. It was only when my eyes started to water from the lack of blinking, mixed with the rotten stench and the horrific sound mere yards away from me that I bolted back in the direction of the camp. As I got closer to my destination, I began to hear faint noises of Jack's usual bragging about a girl in a bar and laughs coming from Logan and Carter. However, my sudden burst of hope quickly diminished, as I felt more isolated by the second as the footsteps behind me had now clearly turned to.

into a run. Eventually, I saw the tiny fire barely illuminating three figures past the familiar bushes. I charged through the sharp tree branches hanging in front of me, scraping my face, not daring to look back. Finally, I crashed through the bushes and felt my shoulder impact the rough ground below me. Once my breaths had filled my lungs with an adequate amount of oxygen, I looked up to see that my friends were all gaping at me with a surprised and puzzled. look. They all held a bottle of Heineken, which explained why their laughs had suddenly ceased when I plop down right in front of them. I no longer heard the footsteps, but the relief of that did not compare to the terrified, dreaded feeling that screamed at me. I glared at the double-barrel shotgun,

ready to jump on it when Carter put a hand on my shoulder. He was the only person that looked relaxed in Agroo. But when I looked into his eyes, I only saw curiosity mixed in with concern. Let's get you up, bud, he says as he offers his hand. I clasp it and get up onto my legs. All right, what's wrong? My explanation seemed to come out in a jumble of words, according to Carter's face, but out of all of it, at least you understood that something was wrong and we were in danger. though hesitant. Everyone caved in after a while of convincing. We'd gone hunting yesterday, so our remaining ammo for the shotgun was low anyway.

On the way back to the cabin, I managed to repeat everything I said in a more calm demeanour, but in the end, everyone was either looking at me like I'd just uncovered a terrible truth, or that I needed serious medical attention. I've been told that lying isn't my strong suit, though, which is probably the reason why they didn't give me up to a mental heart. hospital right then and there. So you didn't actually see anyone? Jack asked, curiously. I nodded as he scratched his stubble beard. It's your imagination. You've just been tense the past few weeks. It's just an instinct overreaction. Get some sleep and you'll wake up fresh as a

daisy. When we got back to the cabin, we all felt drowsy, dumping our clothes in the living room and heading off to our own small rooms to hit the hay. I vaguely remember wishing everyone good night with my yorns. I remember hitting my pillow out of exhaustion, and I remember closing my eyes, thinking everything would be okay tomorrow. My optimism wouldn't last. I woke up in a sweat, hearing loud voices downstairs. I flung on a t-shirt and some jeans before running out of my door and feverishly stumbling down the stairs. As I was going down, I heard, what the hell is that and get the shotgun i wasn't surprised to find everyone was already down there aside from jack arguing about what to do next what's going on i shouted logan turns to me wide-eyed and explains the

situation i woke up in the middle of the night to get some water from the kitchen so i come down here look out of the window i see that he points to someone standing right outside the backyard window and I feel a chill run down my spine. As the commotion around me progresses, I continue peering at the person, or at least someone that looks like a person on the other side of the window. He had pale skin and brown hair that was beginning to fall off with a black liquid trickling down his mouth. In a sick way it reminded me of saliva oozing out of a baby's mouth. and then there were the eyes, the white bloodshot eyes. But that's not what chilled me to the bone.

What truly stopped this thing from being called a human of the exotically malicious growls it was making. The same growls I had heard in the woods, except now they were much, much closer. I look back to my companions to see Jack had joined us and had his hand on the backyard door. I'm going to put a hole in that son of a bitch. Who the hell does he think he is barging in in the middle of the night?

Waking everyone up, not even giving a damn. He furiously shouts. Jack, look, you don't know what this thing is. Just calm down, let's all figure this out. I shouted back, but the door is already open, and it's inside. I hear a sharp explosion and then a scream before it's on, Jack. All seem to happen so fast. Logan was frozen in place. Cardo was trying to pull the thing off, or Jack was desperately screaming for us to get it off him.

I spot the double barrel lying beside the struggle and know I only have one shot. I promptly grab the shotgun, click off the safety, pull back the foreend, concentrate and aim just as Carter shoves a thing to the wall. My finger pulls back the trigger and the double barrel recoils just as he's getting up. The cartridge collides with its shoulder, and a squirt of blood leaves its upper chest as it swiftly falls backward and collapses on the wooden tiles. Logan and Carter run to help Jack while I take off the two remaining shelves from the shotgun sling and reload after inserting them into the loading port. I'm not risking an empty gun if more of those things stop by. I run over to check on Jack, who's squirming in pain. Are you all right? I worriedly asking.

Yeah, just a flesh wound. That little fucker actually bit me right here. He weezes for air as he points to his neck where the thing's teeth marks revealed to have made a wide gash filled with blood and the black liquid that had begun to flood his clothes. What was the problem with that? Logan's voice is cut off by those damn grounds.

Slowly turn around to see the impossible. It had gotten back up. It showed it was limp and the force of my shot had caused its skin and bone to be destroyed, which instead now showed a weak shower of blood drippling down its ribs, but I swear I thought I saw a part of its lungs as well, and it was still standing. It took me a few moments to notice all of this, and when I did, I saw the thing was now advancing forward, glaring into my soul with such hatred that I felt it would search every fiery corner in hell until it found.

and killed me. I stumbled with my shotgun, while the others urgently shouted at me to shoot it. By the time it's pointed at the thing, it's only a few feet away. In a mix of fear and confusion, I fire my last two shells at its head and torso, and feel the double barrel's rear smash against my chest as a bright yellow light flashes from its muzzle. Over the sound of my ears ringing, I hear a thud and look up to see the thing lying on the ground. hopefully for good this time. I dropped the shotgun and run to check the corpse, when I noticed Jack's wheezes had stopped,

but it now turned into slow, forced breaths. My pace quickens to a jog, as I turn to Jack's direction, and shock overtakes me when I see his skin have become pale like the things, and he was now periodically coughing up blood. Carter, get him an ambulance. Me and Logan will...

I don't get to finish my sentence, as Jack begins coughing again. But this time instead of blood, he hacks up a few drops of a black substance that land on my shirt. Usually, I'd act very differently if this happens. But at that moment, the fear for my friend greatly overpowered my spark of disgust.

All my attention is on Jack as he begins to talk with a raspy voice. It's too late. It's taking over. I can't control it anymore. and with that his muscles relax and he stops breathing. Carter pulls his head back towards his neck to check his pulse and then soundlessly gets back up with his head pointed downwards.

Carter pulls his head towards his neck to check his pulse and then soundlessly gets back up with his head pointed downwards. Jack was dead. We all stand in silence for a few moments before Logan speaks up. It had to be that thing, right? The black gooey gave him. Was it poisonous or something? Then I asked the question. I still regret to this day. What did he mean by it was taking over him?

Carter, still looking at the floor, hesitantly answers. Maybe the substance infected his blood, which caused the primary organs to shut down. Maybe he thought he was losing control of them while they actually just stopped operating. He says, more to himself than to us. So death was taking over him, Logan asks. I don't know, Carter bleakly says as he pushes his hand into his face. Then the whole situation really sinks in. Jack was gone. We hadn't saved him in time.

If I'd warned him earlier, gone out and killed that disgrace of a human being, then Jack would have survived. It's all my fault. I was the one with a gun We're all choking back tears now It's been a while since I had someone close pass away It's so depressing to re-enter that phase Where you remember all those great times you were with them

And then slowly be swallowed up by the painful realization That you'd never experience any of that ever again But there was something else that bothered me Jack was around my height But he was no small guy six two in fact to see him slip away in a matter of minutes seconds after a bite was in some ways more shocking than sad i look at the group and see logan pacing around the room what are we going to tell the guys at the station his family they're all going to think we did it he inquires and in all honesty logan is a pretty chill guy and to see him this nervous didn't help our situation carter opens his mouth to say something when i hear a disturbing moaning sound.

We instantly turn our backs to confront the noise, and we see where it's coming from. No, he's not that thing. No, he's not that humanoid. Jack, or the creature that had stripped his soul from his body, was now standing with his back towards us, observing the surroundings in front of him. Somehow Carter and I knew it wasn't our Jack, but Logan thought differently. It's a miracle. He's alive. He shouts in joy as he runs toward the humanoid for a hug, hands outstretched. We grab Logan and tell him it's not the real Jack, but he retorts by saying it is, and he's alive.

With surprising force, he violently pushes us off and runs towards the dead Jack. Just as he's about to reach the thing, it turns around and we see white eyes where its pupils once were, only red veins remain like rivers on a map his moans had gotten more aggressive now similar to growls and when he opened his mouth the same black goo was visible bubbling deep in his throat logan began to back off but the creature snaps its head back and lunges right at him it crashes into his shoulder and knocks him to the ground all the while logan was switching between swearing the most he ever had in his life and pushing the creature's chest chin from his shoulder. We ran to help him, but just as we were almost there, the thing finally managed to get his teeth on his skin, sank them deep into his chest. I'm bid, you can't save me. Get out of here, get help, he desperately implored. We both stared at the scene before us, deciding what to do next before looking at each other

and dashing to the decrepit BMW in the front yard. On the run back, I almost tripped. I almost tripped when my gaze lingered too long on the slimy intestine it spilled out on the dead thing's stomach that now had its shattered skull turned into a fountain of red. The combination of that and the echoes of Logan screams slicing the air didn't help my coordination. Once I was finally outside, I spotted Carter running towards the car, who I followed, having the cool, fresh air brush against my quiff hair ever so slightly. I jumped into the front passenger seat of our vehicle and slammed the door shut, just as Carter flared up the engine and turned on their headlines.

We sped off into the night, attempting to comprehend everything that had just happened. Even though new questions popped up every minute, there were a few that stuck out. How did Jack die from a bite? How did he get back up? Will Logan share the same fate? As my sea of questions rose, I began to feel a headache coming along as well as a tingling fatigue. Just as I was about to pass out, Carter startled me away. So where exactly are we going?

He says in an obnoxious manner as he taps his fingers on the wheel. I've no idea, I plainly responded. I happened to glance downwards as I said this, and I saw the same few drops of black goo jacket spit on me right after he was bitten. Hey, Carter, I've still got that black shit on me, by the way. I nervously tell him. Glances at my t-shirt and then back at the road

before he responds. Just don't touch it. You can change it when we arrive at the house. Problem is, it's far away. I grumbled in annoyance. When I really thought about it, I realized all our houses were far away. In fact, the only standing structure

I knew around this area was the Bingo. Carter, we go under the station. Out here it's only like a five, ten minute drive. You sure, Brad? You questions. You think the Chief's still awake by now? Besides, I'll probably think we're insane.

Look, the Chief's never doubted me. Who knows how bad this thing is if it's infectious? I must have gotten reports on this, and if not, well, We'll tell him we're just tired and walk out the doors and figure everything out in the morning. Plus, I don't know how long I can be in safety with his shirt on. Carter gives me a suspicious, almost unsatisfied look before his face relaxes. Well, and let's go, he says nonchalantly.

And with that, we make a left turn to drive out of the woods and to the station. When we arrived, there weren't many lights rebelling against the early morning. we got out of our BMW and locked the doors. As we got closer to the foggy glass doors, we heard chattering from inside. We reached the doors and pulled them open. Inside was the chief standing with his thick black moustache and a few strings of hair that remained plastered on his head.

Beside his hand, holding his daily cup of Joe, stood one of my co-workers that looked to be on duty. His surprise quickly turns in his surprise quickly turns, into a heart-warming smile. Brad, Carter, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be resting under some warm covers while you have the time? He gives out a jolly laugh as he walks over to us and gives us two nice pats on the back. What can I do for you? he asks.

Sorry for barging in like this, Chief Noah. We have something important we need to tell you. Maybe you can fill us in on this. We explain a bit of what had happened, leaving out the most unbelief. possible parts. When we finish, his face shows nothing but curiosity. However, his eyes are undoubtedly filled with panic. A couple of seconds pass in silence before he speaks again. All right, boys, I'll make sure this is dealt with, he states. But you two need some rest. With the bags under your eyes, you're in no condition to dry. The drowsy feeling I had before hits me

with severe force, and I realize I am in bad shape to drive. I spare a glance at Carter and saw that he was no different than me, maybe worse. So here's what we'll do, the chief continues. We're going to get you to a place to sleep for the night. He peers at my BMW through the window. When you wake up fresh in the morning, you'll drive safely back home. He finishes. I must drop a weak smile at the chief as he sends someone over to escort us

to our rooms. Hey, you have something on your shirt there? Our escort notifies me as we reached my room. Oh, yeah, got some dirt on it. He isn't coming off. Do you have a shirt I can borrow here? I lie. Oh, yeah, sure.

Should I throw you a current shirt in the wash? Yeah, thanks a lot. I cut him off, not wanting him to ask any more questions. He leaves and comes back a minute later with a fresh shirt from the dryer. I snatch it, walk into my room, and change my shirt. Once that's done, I come out. Thank him again, and walk into my room for the night. After that, I can't remember what I did.

But the memory of Chief whispering a co-blue into his radio accompanied by a command to send two units over to our cabin's location just before he was out of earshot, lingered in my mind, long after I fell into a deep sleep. When I awoke for my slumber, the sun's rays, were already flashing through the top of my window. I look at the clock. It shows 12, 27pm.

Usually I would jump up if I woke up at this time, but again, recalling previous events, I didn't care what time I woke up for now. Look down at my shirt to be sure that the black spot is no longer there when I realised that I hadn't changed my clothes last night. After a few quick stretches, I opened my door and walked to the station's living room, where I see Carter and a few other officers lounging on the chairs and sofa with the cups of coffee.

Not in the move for a cup. I walk down to Carter and grab a donut on the way. So, where's the big guy? I asked Carter. Well, my guess is that he's out cold. Must have been up all night. Carter answers, taking a sip of his coffee. I take a bite of my donut as I take a seat next to Carter. I'm about to put my head down on the sofa.

when our escort from last night comes up to us. Good morning. You guys sleep well? he asks. Yeah, we had a good rest. I respond. So we finished washing your shirt and most of it's come off, but there's still a little bit left right here. He points to a dark spot that remains on my clean white shirt. All right, thanks again, I reply, carefully taking the shirt from his hands without touching the black spot.

our escort smiles and wishes us a wonderful day before he leaves I'm kind of getting tired of having a shirt be the one of my main problems I tell Carter tough luck he guesses come on starting to get a bit homesick after all of this I chomped down the last bits of my donut while Carter gulps down the remainder of his drink after we're done we get up and walk outside

I throw my dirty shirt in the nearest trash can glad to get rid of it and embrace the warm, soothing air. I get into the BMW and slowly lean on the slightly burning driver's seat. The air inside my car was humid, which hinted the sun was already starting to bake it. I hastily turn on the air conditioner before the insides of my car become a blazing banya. I turn the key for the engine and press on the gas while informing Carter that I was going to drop him off at his house first. We didn't talk much on the drive-back While that might seem a bit odd for us

Since we're usually pretty energetic When it comes to conversations What's even more strange is that The frequent traffic we often bump into Is nowhere in sight Sure there were cars that occasionally followed Or zoom bias But not enough to cause a real big traffic jam

Even more There seemed to be an increased amount of police everywhere as well We didn't pay too much mind to this however, and we eventually reached Carter's house where he jumped off and promised to give me a call later on. As soon as he entered his house, I turned back around into the direction of the cabin. To this day, I still think that I was better off not going, but at the time I felt I needed to know the truth. I knew Carter would disagree, which is why I was going alone. I needed to know what really happened to Jack and Logan. The ride was shorter than I expected, though that made sense,

since we usually had a numerous number of stalls on the way there. But now, there was nothing that would distract me. I determinedly made my way to the old house. When I arrived, it was, well, past brunch. I parked my car a good distance from the lodge, not wanting to attract attention. And as I expected, when the entire part of the front of the house was visible, I noticed a cop car standing right in front of the cabin, where I could barely make out a figure

through the half-cracked open window. I quickly hid behind some trees. If any of my co-workers recognized me, there would surely be questions on why I was here during my vacation right after I'd reported an attack here just a day ago. I waited for a few minutes, hoping for some miracle that would make whoever was here and leave and not getting anything.

I was just about to head back when I heard a loud voice coming from inside. the car. I looked back and saw the person inside now held a small black object. His radio. It looked distraught, and a few seconds later he put down the radio and flared his cruiser while simultaneously turning on his sirens and driving right past my hiding spot as I dug beneath some bushes. When the coast was clear, and I couldn't hear the sound of his screeching tires anymore, I made a run for the cabin. I got to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked or barricaded from the inside.

Damn, should I come earlier. Then I remembered the backyard. The wooden fence isn't that tall and I could probably climb over it. Before doing so, I listened for any noise. It didn't seem like there was any, and they wouldn't have had time to set up cameras in there. At this point, I was too dogged to stop myself, so I brazenly grabbed the top of the fence and pulled myself over.

I landed on the grass and turned the corner to the grilling area where the back door was, and I was taken her back. I knew the backyard would be a bit messy from our struggle, but the new scene was unsettling. More furniture was tossed over, and it now looked like somebody had spilled a full bucket of black goo instead of the few drops we saw last night. The same repulsive smell I smelled in the woods,

and on my shirt had also returned. Well, the police had had quite a time. Yet, something told me that I needed to continue onwards and find out what had happened last night, perhaps an instinct. I followed the scent as he got stronger. The only thing that I could do to stop myself from vomiting was breathing through my mouth, but even then I still felt its ominous presence. And then, at the very edge of the backyard, I saw a white bag lying on the orange leaves with what looked to be a shovel situated on the fence. As I got closer I realized that what I was looking at was a body bag. On closer examination, I noticed a small part of the bag on the top was unfolded.

The angle I was at, I couldn't see inside it, but a couple of steps forward, and I would. After taking a deep breath, I leave my head sideways and immediately saw that the corpse inside was filled with bullet holes and the black glue, like in all the other infected. and then I recognised the person as the crippled, rotting body of logan. Oh, I've had enough of this, I thought, as I sprinted in the direction of the BMW. I jumped over the fence and stopped in my tracks.

In front of me stood a policeman with a fresh cut, who I assumed was trying to grow a beard. A brace for the incoming questions, but then realized that the man standing in front of me was Gerald. He and I weren't really close, but since we both worked at the station with the others, I could say we were acquaintances. Brad? He asked as he took off his glasses to inspect me.

Aren't you still on a break? Why are you here? It's a long story. Did you get assigned here? Yeah, just right now they needed someone to fill in this case. on the others he stops realizing he said too much

well they had other matters to deal with anyways why are you here again he presses I don't really know what to say I mean I can't think of a good lie but can't think of a good way to put the truth

either then I remember the chief's reaction he was definitely hiding something back there and if he knows something then maybe he told the other on duty like Gerald. He decided to give it a shot and confess everything to him pretty quickly. I don't know.

Yesterday me, Carter Jack and Logan were camping. Then we were back inside and in the middle of the night, this thing with black goo bit Jack and we took it down, but then Jack started spitting the black goo and it bit Logan. You already saw them, he asks. Saw who? Biders, he bought us. for a few seconds. Some kind of disease going around. I'll tell you everything when you're back on the job.

Turns Tower back to his car, but I stop him. Look, I just lost two people I've known for years last night. Can you just tell me what the hell is going on here? He sighs and loaks me in the eye. I'm not allowed to say anything to anyone, but look, these biters are multiplying. Lock your doors and try not to go outside too much. that's all I can offer. Enjoy the rest of your vacation. I take in all of this relatively slowly, but I still managed to thank him and drive back home. After that, it was difficult to be at ease

whenever I remembered what Girard had told me, which is why I slept a lot. It was a good distraction, but in the back of my mind, I always knew that this thing wasn't getting better, only worse. And I knew that when I got called in, the real fun will begin

all right that's enough story-telling I'm gonna take my pills now nothing good ever happens with my mood when I remember all this well I'll tell you the rest later but for now

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was spreading slightly slower than I expected. I was caught in the day after I was at the same. the station. Nevertheless, I still had a day to get my bearings, with the help of some sleep. I even managed to spare a little time on some research of this disease. The day after I talked with Gerald, I woke up at around six in the morning. It made sense, though. I did it off to bed pretty early the previous day. The first thing I did when I woke up was make myself a cup of tea with some toast. When I turned on the TV, I was a bit shocked to see that this thing hadn't made the headlines, or even the breaking news, but was simply.

Aple acknowledged on the bottom of the screen where a few sentences were often repeated, stating that a new virus had made landfall in our surrounding area, and staying indoors was advised to avoid sickness. At that moment the only thing on my mind was the preservation of human lives, so I was grateful that at least some efforts were being made to stop the infection. I mean, the less said of these things the better. After I finished watching the news, I decided to try and dig up some facts about this new disease, hoping to at least get something that will give a little background info about the

original, the cause of this virus's effects. At the end of the day, my eyelids were beginning to stick shut because of the dwindling desire I wasted hours upon, while discovering few revelations of the virus that were scattered across the edges of the internet. However, I had found out that the virus was officially called the F.B. or flesh-biting virus, which, when makes contact with blood in a human body, completely eradicates the immune system, and soon after enters the brain where it gains complete control over its actions. It wasn't much, but after a day of non-stop typing, you're really just grateful for whatever you get. Right after supper, Carter gave me a call, which I completely forgotten about. It took me a while to fish out my phone, which had somehow

made its way underneath the couch pillows, but I eventually managed to grab it and pick up a call. Hey Brad, you there? he asked. Yeah, yeah, I'm here. How are you? Not too good. I still don't know what the hell is happening. Now that Jack and Logan are gone, he pauses. Well, it hasn't been easy.

What about you? Hasn't been great for me either. But I did figure out what happened with Jack and Logan. When that thing bit Jack, some of its fluke got into his bloodstream, and when that happens, the virus takes care. complete controller of you and does whatever i told him well i wasn't as lucky as you nobody's answering my calls wait what do you mean family friends co-workers even the chief's phone just goes to voicemail you know he's always on top of the game he sighs something really fucked up is going on here that's when i realized something really fucked up is going on here

and that's when I realized something. Aside from Carter, nobody had called today. While I was processing the information, I heard a doorbell being rung on the other line. Sorry, got to go. Someone's here. We'll talk later, all right. Good night. He hurriedly said before I heard the buzz of the decline button. By that point, I was beginning to feel a weariness take over me.

But just before I lay down in bed, I decided to go. call someone up. I put my phone up to my ear to be met with the dull call failed sound. My eyes cracked open to see a white light creeping through the cracks of my upside-down phone. My ringtone was emanating from it, so I quickly grabbed it and turned it the other way around. My heart skipped a beat when I saw who it was, and I quickly swiped right to answer the call. Chief, where have you been? You didn't pick up my call last night. Sorry about that. I know I usually pick up on the second ring,

but lately I've had enough on my back to know where my damn phone was. Look, I don't have much time, but you need to get to the station, ASAP. I'm on my way. The phone call ends and I check the time. 4.17 a.m. About the time, there's an emergency notification sent about an hour before our phone call. Head indoors immediately. Lock your doors and under no circumstances allow end.

individuals into your house anticipate further notifications this message sent a chill down my spine as I pulled the covers off me and pulled on my socks I hastily got on my jeans and flung on my tank top after which I rushed downstairs to put on my shoes once I was outside I ran inside my BMW and twisted the key for the ignition as my headlights turned on and shone through the darkness in front of me on the way to the station, the roads were absent of any civilians and humans overall, aside from the lights illuminating rooms in houses, and the other cruises speeding by and in front of me. As I got closer to the station, I couldn't help but feel a gut feeling emerging in my stomach as memories

from a couple days back flushed into my mind. Of all of us sitting by the campfire before gunshots echoed throughout the cabin, and that thing, that monster limping towards me with those cold lifeless eyes. When it became too much, I didn't know what else to do, but turn on the radio. I flick through the stations trying to find something relaxing. Eventually I managed to settle on some 1960s jazz. When I finally arrived,

I saw there were nearly no police guards stationed at the parking lots. As I walked up to the building, I saw there were two armed guards standing beside the main entrance. Name, one of them asked as he pulled out a clipboard, "'A, Brad,' I answered. "'Last. Harrison.' After assessing the names on the clipboard a bit longer, he glanced up at me. "'You're clear. Head on in.'

What I found inside can only be described as the most literal cluster fuck I've ever seen. Receptionists were frantically answering phone calls, while police officers were constantly moving from one place to another. Through the chaotic scene, I managed to squeeze through the crowd and find the chief in his office with one hand sliding through his hair and the other holding onto a phone he was breathlessly talking into. I cracked open his door and quickly slid inside. He said a few last words into the phone before feverishly placing it back down on his desk. Brad, it's good that you hear.

Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything before, but he stops. Ah, it's for the best. What do you mean? I ask him, already knowing the answer. Look, those things have got Jack and Logan. It's this new virus. They thought they could keep it locked up, but of course now the incursion happens.

Oh, damn it. Look, son, there's been an outbreak of these bitters in an area close to town that stretches all the way to your cabin. Carter's already waiting for you in the car. When you get to the center, Harper will tell you what to do. He leans in a bit closer to me. If anything goes wrong, I need you to take out as many of those bastards as you can muster before reinforcements arrive,

all right. You can count on me, sir, I said, proceeding to leave. And get him in the heart. One shot is all it takes. He shouts just before I shut the door. Still processing the jumble of information the chief has given me, I put on my uniform and found my gear. I can't blame him, though.

He has a lot of things on his hands right now. I jogged at the main entrance where Carter was now waiting for me with the engine on. I jumped in to hear his usual complaints. Took you lie enough. Where have you been? He questioned. Just drive. I told him as he pushed on the gas.

I wasn't looking forward to our meeting with Harper because me and him had never had the best of relationships. I was almost certain he'd give me a hard time, especially because of the incident last week where I tripped and accidentally spilled my latte all over his shirt. Ever since he's been giving me annoyed looks whenever the chance comes up. As we entered a tunnel, I turned up the radio to momentarily divert myself from my problems. It took a few seconds with the static to clear up a bit, but when it did, I tuned out all other distractions and tilted my head closer to the radio. Emergency alert, all around the region. Anyone still not inside should reach their household as soon as possible. If your current establishment is not within a five to ten minute drive, then head to one

of nine police checkpoints installed around the city. Refrain from approaching anyone you see outside of your car. The person you see looks suspicious. Contact the authorities and stay away. I promptly turned off the radio, not wanting to instiate any unnecessary thoughts. I glanced at Carter, suddenly remembering I wasn't the only one in the car, but he was still looking at the road lost in his own ocean of thoughts. When we exited the tunnel I heard something zoom over us. I lowered my window and saw a couple of helicopters, soaring past us as they searched the ground with their radiant spotlights. The rest of the drive itself wasn't too long though it seemed to take for hours. As we got closer to our destination, we saw more and more police crews as blocking exits,

as well as occasional SWAT and CDC units roaming the streets. Sometimes we even heard the intermittent pace of gunshots being fired somewhere in the distance. Where exactly are we going? Last, sector two part of the city. At least that's what Harper said. Yeah, I was wondering. Have you heard from his captain? Well, no, actually. I guess you'll have to ask him. Carter responds. When we finally reached our destination, the sight in front of me was ghastly. This nature-friendly environment had lost its pristinity and had now been turned into a full-on government outpost with law enforcers swarming the area.

Petrified civilians were ushered into a designated area as they gave nervous side glances towards a metal fence on the other side of the outpost. As we got out of the car, Carter checked his holster to make sure his pistol was there. I did the same and strapped my shotgun over my shoulder. After asking around, we progressed towards Harper, passing more panic faces and constantly shielding our eyes and ears from the multiple searchlights, regularly scanning all areas

in the outpost, as well as from blaring car sirens just out of view. Everywhere you went, you could see yellow caution tape plastered in between two trees leading deeper into the forest. Eventually we found Harper in the middle of it all, barking out orders through his microphone, connected to some loud speakers. The truck was sitting behind him with a soldier operating a machine gun nested on its rear end.

When we were close enough to him, his deafening voice was cut off as he turned his obnoxiousness towards us. Where the hell are you too really being? It's hard enough organising a bunch of clueless citizens but when I have to deal with this tardiness, he silently glared at us waiting for an apology. We're sorry, Lieutenant, Carter answers.

Won't happen again. Hey, by the way, Harper, Lieutenant. Where's your captain? I ask. Harper looks at me dumbstruck, almost like I'd offended him. Brad, it's none of your business. But if you're so interested, he's at some kind of important meeting. Gave me orders and left me in charge. Okay, I replied.

It looks at me as if expecting more, but... embarrassingly realizes that's all I'm going to say, something I take genuine satisfaction from. He sighs before speaking. All right, I'm only going to say this once, so you better listen closely. Carter, I'm going to need you to keep an eye on the civilians. They're unpredictable right now, so keep him a bet. Carter gives a quick wave to us before leaving. Mr. Harrison.

Hopper said as if my name was repulsive, lighting a significant. Garin, looking around the park before speaking. I need you to get on the platform and defend this outpost. He points to a platform situated on top of the same fence that people had quickly moved away from. He was entangled in barbed wire with somebody already standing on the platform. For a moment I can't hear Harper as he continues blabbering on with his instructions, but he quickly notices. Beyond that, okay, are you even listening to me?

You've got to work on your attention span. Harrison. Something like this happens again, you're going to get one good talk into from your chief. Sorry, I say, gazing back at Harper. That sorry lieutenant to you. I look Harper right in the eye, for him to know I'm listening while using all of my willpower to not strangle him right then and then. He mutters an insult before proceeding with his senseless lecture. Like I was saying, if you get too close to the edge of the fence, you'll get a refreshed definition. of the word death. He deliberately puffs out a cloud of smoke

threateningly close to my face. So you better watch out. I don't remember the rest of what he said, but I do remember him giving me a radio to contact me if anything seems wrong. Before I knew it, I was climbing up the ladder to my temporary job when when my foot stepped on the last steel bar

I looked up and saw the person I'd seen up here before. What immediately stood out was his eyes. They looked dull and tired, and when I looked into them I saw nothing but a dark void beneath. Aside from that, he looked to be in his late twenties, and by the looks of it, his dark uniform hinted at his allegiance with the local swatty. His uniform also complimented his assault rifle, which was flung over his shoulder. As I finished my ascent, he gave me a slight nod before looking back in the direction he was previously fixed on.

As my eyes gazed lower past the barbed wire at the... ominous ground below us. I froze. The dirty roads were littered with corpses of humans and bitters alike. What the hell happened here? I shout with dread building up in my voice. Used to be worse.

The scouting squad managed to take out the ones near the gate and put out the fires. My nearby companion says in a conventional tone. What scouting squad? I inquire. Just a couple of hours ago, Group went in there, cleared out some of the biters, but they should have been back an hour ago. Nobody can reach them.

We stand in silence for a few seconds. Well, we're supposed to keep a lookout for them if they come back. Something about his insouciance seemed familiar. So out of curiosity I asked him a few questions. He introduced himself as Tyler, but that's when something in me clicked, and I remember the guy from a homicide case. we'd worked on years back. Once I reminded him of it,

I saw that glint of familiarity flash in his eyes. Sector 2 units are advised to transfer to their nearby outpost. Air Force Command has noticed a large number of biders shifting to the western area of the city. Proceed with caution and keep a look at.

After listening to the message coming from our radios, Tyler releases a breath before speaking. Do I ever tell you she was one of my mom's friends? No, no, you didn't. Were they close? I ask.

Not really, but she was sensitive about these things. Barely told to anyone during those weeks. He sighed, almost like remembering an old wound that had never really healed. Deciding to lighten him up, I changed the subject to something more nostalgic. It took a while, but eventually he managed to crack a smile. In fact, at one point we were laughing so badly, Tyler nearly tipped over the the railing that separated us from the barbed wire. After that our chuckles began to die down, and I started to hear the faint growls in the distance. After a while it started to get

irritating, but I didn't dare say a word. Better safe than sorry. Well, eventually I got bored with my subconscious staring contest with the carcasses. Even though our chatter somewhat blocked out the groans, they were still starting to drive me mad. A change in scenery was imminent. so I casually looked over my shoulder to look at what was happening behind me. The world seemed to have lost some of its colours, almost like some of the life it used to possess had drained out of it. Everything seemed so apocalyptic. It was like the universe itself was desperately dragging itself along with time, trying its best

not to fall behind. More and more civilians were being brought into safe houses, while patrols kept a wide eye on the road. Just as I was trying to get a closer look at what was happening, something shone in my face and I put my hand up in front of me to block out the luminous light. Once the shimmers of the glare had left the unprotected spaces between my fingers, I looked back at the main road and saw a minivan had driven up to our outpost, filled with intoxicated teens who were drunkenly smashing the side of their vans while letting out loud, boisterous hoots.

A couple of officers eventually got beside their vehicles. and once they intimidated the driver of the minivan to open his window the officers tried to get the teenagers to calm down and follow their given instructions however as each passing second came and went the air got silent intense as the drunk stood firm on their refusal to comply as the officer's voices raised in pitch eventually the cops lost their patience and after radioing in a few more officers they unbuckled their batons readying for a full-on push And then something happened, nobody was ready for. The driver of the minivan hollered,

You ain't never taken me alive! Before yanking back his gear to drive and speeding straight through the barricade tape as his tires stridently screeched. The minivan made sharp turns and unexpected curves as law units jumped out of its way while they clumsily got out their pistols and began to fire at its tires,

attempting to slow it down. The bullets seemed to be made out of plastic, though, since most of them just get bouncing off the wheels. As shots continue to wring in the air, I cursed under my breath, while simultaneously getting out my Remington and firing off my own few rounds when the van was close enough, managing to get a big enough hole in one of the tyres for it to become completely defective. But even as more and more of its tyres kept losing air, the scarcity of friction on the ground kept the van sliding in the direction of the opposite side of our fence, where people were standing on an alternative platform.

It was only when the many van was mere meters from their platform that they jumped off, barely making it to safety, just as the caravan violently crashed through the fence, creating a wide gap in it and toppling the platform in the process. After that, the drivers seemed to have lost control of his vehicle because it steered off course and was speeding straight towards an alleyway corner. A couple of the van's passengers managed to jump out through its window, just before it glided with a wall, his loud crash rippling the air around it. Officers rushed to the scene with medics not far behind.

The runners were the first ones repressed, and not long after a cuffed group of them was being ushered into a truck with bars serving his windows, while the other group was hastily being led into an ambulance. While everyone was busy gaping at what had unfolded before them, I was far more focused on the ever-growing moaning coming from the far right corner. of the building the van had driven into, a knot formed in my stomach as my hand gripped the stock of my shotgun. And then a decrepit head appeared, followed by a rotten body and finally its bruised legs. But that wasn't all. There was a small group trudging along with it. But when

they spotted the crowd before them, their trudging turned into a charge. Get out of there! I instinctively clamoured as I took two shots at the thing. his torso while the shotgun vigorously hit my chest-plate. Shrieks erupted from below me as the medic's grips loosened, and the now sober teens scrambled past puzzled officers. As the other teens in the truck desperately rattled the bars blocking their escape, the deputies, with seemingly little experience, paid no mind to them, and slowly retreated back into the outpost. Even as they try to steady as many shots at the incoming biters as possible, their aim always seemed to be. just a bit off. On top of that this only irritates the biters as they quicken their approach.

The other officers hurry their way aside. One stands out from the rest, attempting to stop the biters with a strict order for them to halt. By the time he realizes the true nature of these things, one has already assailed him. By the time SWAT members arrive and take out the remainder of the biters, the courageous officer is sprawled on the floor, convulsing in the same black substance Jack did back at the cabin. Everybody was reluctant at the thought of what had to be done. Most were stalling or calming

their fellow workers, telling them it would be okay, throughout this discombobulation. Kill him! Shoot him in the chest! Harper shouts over the crowd. He wanted him to become one of those things. A few long seconds pass, after which an officer reluctantly retrieves his pistol and

leveling it at the man's skull. He whispers something before a reverberating bang echoes through the base. Some that know the man stay transfixed on the crimson liquid blossoming from his head while others turn away and bury their hands in their face,

including the person that put him out of his misery. Before long, white hazmat suits have arrived and split into two groups. One started patching up the gap in the metal fence, while the other carefully examined the now cool corpse of the officer,

before gingerly picking it up and carrying him away. As much as I wanted to mourn for the poor soul like the rest, I couldn't ignore the all but familiar scent burgeoning through the air. As much as I wanted to chalk it up to my lately overactive senses, it became harder and harder to do so as the smell strengthened to a point where it seemed nearly palpable. Holy shit! Look at how many there are! Tyler points in an area about 30 meters from us at approximately 1 o'clock from our point of view. No less than 40 biters are making their way closer and closer to our position.

Even though I know we don't have much time, I can't help myself but think, wow, are they so pissed off about losing a handful of their buddies that they send five times as many. Mentally scolding myself or wasting time, I silently pull out my radio and pin down the speech button. My breath crackles through it as I begin to speak. we spotted a bider horde advancing towards the midwest outpost over

up here back at harper who's still standing on his imaginary throne he looked to be talking to a frustrated family of three standing next to him but now frozen in his tracks he gives me a quick glance as to confirm what i was saying was true to which i nod he hurriedly sends the family away before snatching his own radio and putting it up to his mouth through my intercom my heard cold blue, I repeat, cold blue, all available law personnel in sector two report to their defensive points. Medical personnel get their civilians to safety. Officers speedily jogged to their positions, swiftly ducking under whatever cover they could find to safely shoot through the small openings in the metal fence.

SWAT members either team with the police or obstruct the gap abandoned by the defenseless hazmat suits, which are long scattered by now. The Biders are aware of our present. I've begun running. Tyler already has his assault rifle in hand, and after one look at me for preparation, fires off his first few rounds followed by a series of gunfire from below the platform. Ignoring the cold sensation of the medal in my hands,

I nimbly pull back the fore-end of my Remington and aim at the first bitter in sight. A gauge blows out of the gun, and my head is sharply tilted upwards. When I glance back down, the biter seems to be dead, but by that point other bitters are already trampling past his body. Took another shot to the chest of a biter just ahead of his crowns. This process repeated a few more times,

but even though my shots were reinforced by sporadic outbursts of the semi-autos, the waves just kept coming. At one point the bit bit biters reached the SWAT members holding a makeshift barricade for the gap. The first one went down quickly, but as more bodies began to pile up, it became harder for them to adjust the movement of their guns. Eventually, the SWAT team was overwhelmed and became vulnerable, something the bitters took advantage of as they entered the outpost.

My radio burst alive, and through the static I could make out, breached the sector two airport, immediate backup requested. The machine gun, which up until now was wary of its bullets taking down the fence, let's out a barrage of gunfire down on the bitters inside, temporarily halting their flood into the outpost. I look at Tyler, who's entranced by this whole ordeal. Those biters are going to reach us any second. We've got to jump. I apprehensively shouted at him.

He snaps out of it and jumps over the railing, down onto the floor. I follow and land with a sharp pain escalating through my leg. I ignore it and rush to Tyler, but just before I reach him, a group of offices blocked my way, shooting and taking out some of the biters coming after them. I look behind me and see multiple of those things, ripping out pieces of flesh from their victims. They turn to me, and I know I don't have any other choice. I start running, I don't know where I'm going, but anywhere as long as those things aren't there. My foot catches on a rock and I claps on the hard stone beneath me.

As I'm getting up I see the machine gun truck now surrounded by biters. In a desperate move it takes out as many as it can before one grabs onto its side and jumps on the gun operator before crawling inside to the driver. The whales nearly make my body uncontrollably fall back down but I get back up, trying to regain my bearings. I look forward. and me eyes with a biter, a mere yard away.

His neck is snapped backward, with its head entangled in bulging veins, while ghostly white eyes are buried deep within its sockets. It screeches a gutter or scream before sprinting right at me. I fire my shotgun, but I miss each time. It springs right on top of me, and I shut my eyes waiting for that fatal bite. Boom! My eardrums rings, the thing flops down, threateningly close to my arm, my throats. I push it aside and see the shallow image of a cloth-torn Carter. He offers me a hand

and I grasp it. I thought you still be here, he said, while pulling me up. Look, I hate to say it, but if Harper doesn't do anything, then we're done. We've got to get to him, and I don't think we'll make it together, so we'll have to split up. I stop as Carter is already running in the opposite direction. I guess he wants to live just a little bit more than me. Without thinking, another word, I turn away from Carter and dash in the direction I'd last seen Harper, unholstering my Glock. After taking out a few more biters, I found Harper stranded in his thoughts, surrounded by a SWAT team taking out anything that got too close to them. Reasoning that my quick-thinking efforts weren't as stupid as I first thought, I hastily made my way to Harper, ignoring it. I was a bit of my way to Harper,

ignoring my obligation of exulting, I anxiously warning. Harper, we're not going to last much longer out here. Are we going to receive backup any time soon? Backup. You're still thinking we're going to get some kind of backup? Look around you, this place is beyond repair, he exclaimed. I stared at what was happening around me, and I quickly realized that what was happening was terrible.

We were getting pushed back more and more, with people within our own ranks turning on each other. Chaos emerged as guards deserted medics. Medics deserted civilians and civilians deserted each other. You could see friends looking for friends and panic families looking for their kids while other civilians just wanted to get out of here. Harper was right.

We couldn't stop this alone anymore. As minutes passed we kept losing more and more fronts and soon the biters had us cornered with fawn civilians and law units making up nearly half of them. Even though it was hard firing on our own, we knew that they were gone and our deaths were almost inevitable. But that didn't mean it had to be in vain, and we weren't going down without a fight.

We gathered the remnants of our supplies and manpower and made a last stand. Ammunition was scarce, sure, but using our weapons as melee would have to do. Some put pistols in their mouths, while others believe that if we did this now, we'd buy enough time for the government to do something. All we could do was keep hope. One by one, people sacrificed themselves by throwing themselves at the mob of miters. I watched as the person in front of me was shredded within the thing's teeth.

I knew it was my turn. I turned my glock upside down, ready to join whatever place those who die go to. Just as I raised my arm to land my fight. final blow, I heard a fuselard of bullets from behind me, followed by a rapid sound slicing the air. I turned around and saw four local military rescue helicopters shelling the bitters in front of us. Everybody swiftly made space for the landing helicopters, while the biters, enraged as ever, charged

at the survivors, determined to leave no one alive. Our remaining in sector two, it has been compromised. back to the helicopters. Muffled voices on the radio spoke as people frantically scrambled onto the copters. The chopper's automatic rifles were now reloading, and the remaining ammo in our guns barely made a dent into the uprising horde of biters. By the time I finally found an open space, people were getting tackled by bitters left and right, screaming through the pain. I knew this was my last chance. I jumped into one of the helicopters,

just as I felt it jolt upright, and it began to rise from the ground and fly upwards. The other choppers quickly followed, but a staggering amount of biters managed to reach one of the helicopters just before it took off. They swarm the cockpit, forcing the chopper to spin out of control and crash back into the ground, with a cloud of smoke emanating from its broken figure. The other copters, including mine, just barely escaped before we suffered the same. face. The cool air brushed against my face as we reached a higher altitude. It's over, I thought. Just as I heard a growl come from beside me. I quickly looked to my right and saw a SWAT member

sitting next to me. But when I looked into his eyes, I saw nothing but a pale abyss of a long, dead, human. Part 3. An explosion rattles the helicopter we're in. I look down at the demolished helicopter and see a bright orange haze blocking my view. As it dissipates, I see the down copter is now nothing but a disfigured mess of ash and metal. Another growl shakes me from my trance, as I take another look to my right and see that the thing is nearly on top of me. Without another thought, I'll grab the shoulders of its bulletproof vest and begin to push it to the edge of the chopper. The people around me quickly realize the situation and begin screaming and kicking. the biter sitting next to me, creating a loud commotion in the plane and blocking any shots

from being fired. The biter turns its attention to the other people on board, and I know I only have seconds before we end up like the helicopter beneath us, despite the heavy armour hanging on the thing's limbs. After gathering all the remaining energy I had in my muscles, I shoved that thing as far out with my arms as I could. I lost my grasp on the biter as I felt my hands give out and sharply turned downwards. The thing's fading screech was the only thing that made me realize that throughout the whole ordeal I hadn't taken a single breath. I took in a huge portion of air before crawling back deeper into the airplane. The crowd inside is huddling in the middle, no one wanting to accidentally slip and fall to their deaths.

The military personnel on board hastily putting restraints on the outer edge part of the plane to keep a locked and safe perimeter. A few people wearing a thick all-cambo outfit managed to slowly but surely make their way towards me without causing too much inconvenience. Sir, are you all right? We saw you single-handedly take down their bider. We sorry we couldn't support you, but with all the civilians, one of them presumably the sergeant, spoke up. It's all right. No more lives were lost. That's what matters. I say, peeking through the constraints being installed on my side of the copter. We're going to have to check you, though. He responds.

Can't have any more of those things on board. As his men begin to closely inspect me, he continues. Are you feeling well? Nor signs of lightheadedness. Tight chest, difficultly breathing. As the short answers to his questions near an end, the soldiers around me wrap up their observations, and their commander tells me that you could call it a miracle

that now other people were close enough to me to have spread the infection. You handled that situation fairly well. Judging by your uniform, you're a cop, aren't you? How many years you've been in the service? He curiously asked. About six years now. Been a hell of a ride. It used to be.

The copped of violently shakes before I can finish. We all struggle to find something to hang on to against the turbulence. The helicopter eventually calms and we regain our balance. Not as much of a hell as this, huh? the commander says still clutching the metal bar he'd found at the side of the comptor he shakes his head and looks at me

when we heard the distress signal coming from your area they sent out the first aircraft they could get their hands on stops and goes silent from him didn't expect to see so many of you here more helicopters were on the way so it wouldn't have been so crowded but

how could it ever happen so damn fast he ponders lost in fault and take the time to take a better look through the gaps in the outside entrance of the copter. After struggling to get back up, my legs eventually regained balance on the metal floor. Appeared out onto the ground and saw that the emergency broadcasts were doing a good job with keeping people inside. Nearly all houses had their lights on with their cars in the parking lot, with no one visible on the ground. Suddenly I get the urge to ask the first thing that was supposed to pop up in my head.

Sir, do you mind telling me where exactly our destination lies? The military commander turns to face me and automatically speaks. Nowhere special. If you're interested, well, away from those biters at least. Before he travels off again, I repeat my question, a more aggravated tone. Where are we going, sir? His response sends me our guard as he looks me straight in the eye and sternly says, you'll know when we'll land sit tight well that instantly shuts me up and the rest of the trip is pretty quiet aside from the daily coughs and sneezes similar to the ones in public transports

the commander made occasional announcements telling us not to panic and then we were going to be brought somewhere safe he also instructed everyone to hand over all their gadgets and any kind of weapons they were carrying after a thorough search through our bags and pockets he also addressed everyone in the police force, including me, to not contact our superiors or any other colleagues via radio. Even though I didn't receive any news about the progression of the outbreak, the radios the military held were still on. Unfortunately, that didn't help my case, as the few times the military personnel on board did use them, their codes were so scrambled that trying to decipher it would lead to an irritating headache within minutes. However, after a while of this, I felt my ears begin to pop, and noticed we were slowly dropping altitudes. I still couldn't see where we were supposed to arrive, but I was started to notice fewer

shelters on the ground and overall a more rural landscape, the further we flew from the city. I was considering asking again my question, now that we were close, when the commander made another announcement. All right, listen up. We're preparing a land at our destination. You'll have multiple guards escorting you into the building, so no. don't even think about trying anything and don't struggle it'll make the whole ordeal so much simpler he paused and safer the next thing i know the helicopter slowly began to drop downward and i saw a

group of guards standing outside when the copter touched the ground beneath us and its propellers slowly gained to a stop a number of soldiers emerged from the group of armed men and split us up into three or smaller groups ended up in the second group and watched as the first group was taken away by the first batch of soldiers waiting outside. As they walked away I saw another helicopter had landed in another helipad not far from us. People from inside the plane began to walk out. I saw a familiar teen walk out and start a fuss. Well, I thought other soldiers and his buddies were trying to warn him, but I didn't get the time to see because just as he pushed a commanding officer with a leap of strength, the soldier came up to him and smashed the butt of his rifle

against the teen's face with brute force. The teen dropped and I saw two men pick him up and carry away his limp body. As the scene faded I heard a gruff voice telling us to get out at the plane. We did what he said and once we were out, the soldiers patted our sides and pockets, and we began walking in the direction of the building in front of us. It had no extraordinary marks inside from the greyish haze that coated the surface of its three-story floors. I tilted my head around just enough to inspect my surroundings and not cause any suspicion. I glanced at the guards and saw that their faces were calm and still, but their hands

tightly gripped the end force at their sides. I also managed to sneak a look over my shoulder and guessed that we were in the middle of nowhere, since there was nothing in sight aside from a few distant trees. I hadn't noticed how my pace had slowed down as I continued to hastily look around. Hey, move it, officer. This ain't a museum, the soldier behind me said, as he forcefully nudged me forward. I annoyingly pulled my hand away and continued to move forward When we reached the building I saw another task force was already waiting for us

just outside the entrance The previous soldiers that were with us Left and went back to the helicopter While the new troopers took us in Inside the first thing that showed up was a hallway With offices on either side Or leading up to a set of stairs We were tentatively escorted up the stairs

Leading to the second floor Where a lounge of some sort stood before we even had time to get off the chairs we again found ourselves being pushed up and continued walking until we reached the next floor where I saw six cages strategically positioned across the walls three on each side and one already occupied with the first group

that had got out of the compton while this was the final straw for all of us everyone in my group began to berate the soldiers bitter comments relating to the fact that there was no way any of us were going in there I watched the first group, expecting them to rise up with us, but all they did was pitifully stare at us. Soon enough the soldiers' warnings to temper our anger proved to be pointless, and that's when they began aiming their guns at us, and we were nearly screaming at us to

get in the cage. Well, this quieted the collective anger we held, as one of the soldiers placed a key card on the lock, and one by one we begrudgingly stepped into the cage. When we were Inside, the soldiers shut the door and went to check on the other group. What I hadn't really realised was that, aside from me, there were only two other people with me in my group, but it always seemed like we have more. After a few minutes of thought and silence, one of the people with us walked up to me and offered a hand. Name's Rob. Bray, pleasure, I said, as he observed me in my uniform. Ah, so, um, you were on the front line?

Must have been nice in all that action. You bet, I remarked sarcastically. Just then we heard shouts come from the distance. I saw a rowdy group, just a bit bigger than ours, come in arguing with the guards. Get your hands off me, I can walk alone. I heard someone yell in the group. We already told you we're not getting in those darn cages.

So why don't you just take that shanty rifle of yours and shove it up you? That's when one of the soldiers had to be in the same. enough and pointed his rifle threateningly close to the guy making insults. Just like us, their protests stopped rather quickly, and they got into the cage beside us one by one. As they were entering the cage, I took a close look at all of them, and when the last person from their group stepped inside, they instantly recognized who he was. Tyler, oh my God, I thought you were dead. Where were you back there? Tyler turned around to face me, and I saw him. I saw him.

a look of shock and relief on his face. Brad, good to see you still standing. I thought I saw you at one point back at the outpost, but there were just so many people, and those biters were everywhere. He looked upward, as he was trying to recall something. I can't remember a thing. Last thing I know I'm getting shoved into a helicopter.

Then I wake up and was soaring through the air. Then those soldiers, assholes. Suddenly a thought came to the front of my mind. Hey, Hey, were you on that helicopter with those guards not out that kit from earlier? What kid? Oh, yeah, I was on the copter with him. Frankly, he was annoying the hell out of everyone during the trip.

Oh, warning after warning. Thought they'd carry him away or something. Well, they couldn't handle it. Gee, I hope he's okay now, though. Tyler answered. He stood behind the barbed walls in front of us. as we both thought back about what had happened. You know, Tyler began,

how do you start in a battlefield defending your nation only to be repaid by being shoved into a small confined cage with nothing but a rusty sink and toilet? I mean, we should be treated like veterans, not like some kind of prisoners. Could have at least given us a nice small room with some essentials. He laughed. I guess they really want to keep us on edge.

I chuckled. And chances are, nobody even knows. Wait, what do you mean no one knows? You have some people you know here, right? They'll notice you're missing. Now that the truth is out there. Um, I don't know. I didn't get caught in when this thing started.

Local military didn't hear about it for a while. They didn't tell us when this whole thing had started. Didn't tell us when it got here. Hell, they're still probably not telling anyone what happened back there. Probably already contacting our families. friends. I disclose. They couldn't just hide all this, could they? We stood there silently, once again getting lost in thoughts. When Rob approached. Wait, you didn't know any of this? He says in a surprise tone.

Well, I don't know about my colleagues since I was on vacation, but in terms of protocol, they should have contacted me earlier. Chances are everyone's orders were delayed until the last second. Wow. They really wanted to keep this a secret from everyone, her. Didn't they realize all of this would just lead to, well, why didn't they just send all of you out? Because they thought they could stop it. An aged voice came from behind us. We turned to see a man, probably in his mid-60s, standing in a crouch position on the other side of his cage. His white hair was brushed to the side of his head. His chin was shaven, but he wore a pale face with tired eyes. They did it once. Thought they could get away with it again, he said, almost like he was

recollecting a past moment in his life. What do you mean? They do it again. This is the first time the police and military force have encountered this kind of outbreak of this scale. I mean, if they hadn't, we wouldn't be standing here in this godforsaken cage, I exclaimed. Ah, that was the idea. Delt with it once. Comes up again, no sweat. But that's not what happened. We stared at him with curiosity, waiting for him to continue.

There was a similar case once when I was still fit to serve. I was on a patrol when they called us in. The voice sounded urgent, desperate even. By the time we arrived, most of the action had already wrapped up, but I still heard the last gunshots and the last screams, even with the windows closed. I hadn't noticed aside from us. There were also agents, probably the FBI,

already scanning the area. They hurriedly led us away, but I managed to catch a glimpse of something I was never meant to see. Someone shot out of there. It looked like an officer, but something about him was off. He was about to jump on someone, and I heard a shot rang out.

I didn't want to see the rest of it in any case. Well, I played dumb afterward during the interviews, but my God, how many years have passed. His fingertips rubbed the surface of his closed eyelids in an exhausted manner. They know how to keep you silent. They'll learn everything about you, keep you in line with such intimidation. Well, it's only when you're an old man like me, when your days are numbered. You don't care how many threats they throw at you. He sighed and looked at me.

I'm sorry what you had to see today, son. If they release us, I want you to get as many other people as you can and get as far away from this place as possible. It's only a matter of time. I nodded at him with empathy in my eyes. Before he looked away, I asked. Hey, I didn't catch your name. He turned his attention back to me. I almost forgot.

Chris, my name's Chris. he asked, just as we began to hear the familiar voices of struggle come from the stairs below us. I don't remember how much time passed as we all sat in those cages. Sometimes people will be brought in and shoved into nearby cages or sent to another sector altogether. Aside from surveying us 24-7, they had daily checks on us concerning any symptoms or temperatures we may have had. Some people tried to defy their authority by not answering their questions, but by the third day there wasn't any hesitation in complying

with what they said there weren't any visible clocks and the only thing keeping me on track with time were the meals they brought us each day and the nightly lights out they would announce as they walked by each cell oh this time was no different we were in the middle of a discussion

when the main lights turned off and the back at once came on we had footsteps walk past ourselves doing the usual drill we all set our good nights and I lumbered off in the direction of the crimson darkness. Good morning, sleepy asses.

Don't care how you slept. Need all ears and eyes now. I'll suddenly awoken by the commander's voice, people drowsily rubbing their eyes and looking at him. Everyone get to the back of your confinement. The following called up will step up to the front of their cell and wait until given further instructions. We have all your personal data.

Know what you look like, so anyone that decides to commit identity fraud will be severely punished. We all moved to the back of our cages as he began reading the names on his list. Why do you think they're calling people up? Rob whispered to me. Probably questioning from what I guess. Command of finished reading the list and ended with a final name, Brad Harrison. After the initial shock of hearing my name, I walked to the front of my cage and turned around.

Rob was peering at me with worried eyes, while Chris looked at me with confidence, almost determination. Do not attempt to struggle while we extract you from yourself. The officer said as nearby units began unlocking our cages. The gate to my cell opened and I began to step out. Before they had me in the handcuff position, I managed to catch a glimpse at Tyler, who gave me an approving nod as he lined up in front and began to walk forward. We were all pulled out of ourselves and watched as the rest of the soldiers moved to the other sectors while we began to head towards the stairs. Even though this would have been a great opportunity to make a run for it, something kept all of us intact, almost like a feeling that we should just follow the guard's orders.

We headed down to the next floor and entered the room with the lounge I'd previously seen the first time I was on these days. We walked past most of the room when I saw a single door on the left at the end of it. beside the door two soldiers were standing with rifles in hand one of them poured out a key card and used it to open the door we were heading for once we were inside the world lit room we saw a few groups were already there sitting on separate aluminum benches that you'd see in stadiums we started moving towards an empty bench when I noticed something on all the benches there were regular people in civilian clothing

aside from one member in every other group Unlike the civilians around them, they wore a uniform, but not one of a guard, but more similar to one of a commanding officer. Well, I didn't have time to ponder that thought, as we were all ushered onto the bench, and just like in the other groups, a man older than me, but younger than Chris, was already waiting for us. We sat down just as a higher-ranking soldier came to the middle of the room, and waited for the few nearly inaudible whispers to stop before he cleared.

his throat. Now I can guess what you're probably thinking right now. The commander started with a friendly but firm voice. And after all you've been through, I can't say I blame you. However, we need to be aware of those infected and those not, because if one more mistake was made, it would be over for all of us. Know that your family and friends have been contacted and you just might have a chance to see them again. The outbreak you previously witnessed has been suppressed and the majority of the Biders have been taken out by the military. That said, our local military forces have exhausted all their weaponry and manpower in eradicating the Biders. And aside from keeping the city on lockdown, they barely have enough men to patrol half of the quarantined off zone.

Meaning for now, they're temporarily defective in the fight. The quarantined area is large in perimeter, and any open space can prove vital for the Biders if they find a way out and, well, fatal to us. The military outside of our own has only recently received the news of the outbreak. By the time they arrive, well, every second counts. And in any case, their inexperience will cost them many lives if they do arrive on time. But you, my friends, well, you have that experience, the one essentially in wiping out these things from the face of the earth.

But there's another reason why we put such high faith in you. We gather you all here because you are trained men in defending the nation. You know what these things are, you know how to deal with them. Without you these bitters could escape and all the armies we have won't be enough to stop them. So I give you an offer. You can either back out now and return back to yourself, get released and hope you can live a normal life soon. Or you can do the entire world of favor and end this nightmare for good. Everyone in the room is silent, deciding what to do next.

No one leaves. The commander asserts, catching everyone's eye in the room. Now, before you go, I'd like you to meet someone. This is Professor Lestings. He conveys, pointing to a middle-aged man with white hair and bags under his eyes, emerging from one of the seats far back. He'll explain the procedures needed to be executed if someone within your group gets bitten, and if you haven't already heard them, the protocols.

The commander sits down on one of the free space. on the benches as the professor gets on stage. Thank you for the introduction, Captain. As you've heard, I'm Professor Lestings, the head medical personnel in this facility. What you've seen? I've no doubt you know how to eliminate a flesh bite, but there are some things you are missing that could be critical in saving your life in an encounter with one of those bitters. You see, when someone gets bitten, the substance emitted from the bite

takes control over the brain, making the victim amenable. amenable to the virus's actions. The exact origin of this virus is not precisely known, as well as the exact location of its outbreak. The virus's effects are fairly rapid, and the scale of infection has been unexpected, to say the least. One of the main factors concerning the proliferation of these biotus is the hesitation, the creation of an antidote is still in progress

for the initial stages of the infection, where redemption is still possible. However, a cure is not yet been created, so in the case of infection, they'll take the virus a maximum of two to three minutes to take a hold of the host before they'll have to be terminated to stop the virus from operating in their system. The professor then looked at all of us and changed his tone. This is the last point where you can turn back, as when you enter the quarantine area, no one will be let in or out

until all the biders are eliminated, and before their threat becomes insurmountable. Part four. The dog repeated the other protocols, and after it finished we were all combined into groups of 12 to form task forces ensuring the last of the bitters were taken out. We were taken through the main procedures of the plan, and after we were all ready, we hastily gathered all our equipment and got on the cocktails. During the short flight, I wonder what would happen when we got there, still nagged by the unnerving memory of seeing the blue veins spread across the insides of the biters' face. My commander seemed to notice and questioned me about it. All right, champ. You're looking a little stale.

I'm fine, commander, just reviewing the plan, that's all. I said with a weak smile. I know what you saw out there. Those things ain't pretty. They take away whatever they can get their hands on from you, but life ain't easy, and you just have to get through these things sometimes. And if we don't do this now,

then we'll never get the chance to do it again. He looked me in the eye. Yeah, you're right, commander. You're right. He began leaning back on his chair when I asked him, have you ever seen anything like this? He turned around, surprised, slowly answered my question. No, I haven't.

Why'd you ask? That's nothing. Whether this has happened or not, those bidders are going to go back where they belong. Oblivion. The commander's concern looked turned into a smile. There's hope for you yet, kid. I noticed the helicopters were beginning to lower,

and we all braced ourselves for the last impact. Once the copters touched the ground, we all got a hold of our rifles and jumped out onto the grounds. As we began jogging towards the barred fence, I took in the familiar surroundings I'd see in the last time I was here. Caution tape was still loosely hanging around the park with the usual sounds of birds chirping long gone. As we got closer to the entrance of the quarantine zone,

I saw soldiers, dressed similarly as us, wearing dark gear with gas masks attached to their heads. They were heavily guarding the entrance of the zone and patrolling the nearby area. A medical tent was set up not far from the troops, with both them and medical personnel present. To top it all off, there were a few heavy-armoured trucks situated next to the guards,

Machine guns loaded on top, like the ones I'd seen earlier. We all came up to the troops standing next to the entryway, and our commander came forward to talk with the guards. Back to, going in for the final scan. Understood, you're clear to move out. Be careful out there. We haven't heard from the last group that went in for a while. Acknowledged, we'll stay cautious.

Our commander responded to the guard, before the soldier unlocked the gate and radioed of our arrival before we moved in. We stood in a shaded area where the sun's rays were unable to penetrate the thick branches above us. There was a path leading deeper into the park which I knew would turn into a dirt trail if we went further. Aside from the path, there were no other buildings in sight and no real other direction to follow. Before we move forward, our captain reminded us that our objective is to explore our sector in the forest and check every structure in the area, until we reached the other side of the zone

from where we'd returned to the main entrances and await further orders, if there were any. We followed the passage through the woods and eventually reached a clearing where we saw a few wooden houses with one standing out from the rest, containing two stories, all scattered across the field. We entered the small cabins first with nothing particularly special in them, except for the furniture left by the owners.

Next we went to the bigger house, where our actions became more ginger as we opened the rusty door and heard its creaks echo throughout the old houses inside. We moved in with our weapons close and ready to fire as we went from room to room. With the first floor empty, we went up the stairs to reach the second. The first room we saw had an open doorway with a hand peeking out at us. Out of instinct, someone in my group fired, but our commander quickly silenced us. As the view of the room itself became more clear, we saw that the arm belonged to a dead corpse of what we thought was a biter,

considering the black pool surrounding it, a bullet already implanted inside its chest. It wasn't long before we left the building and continued to explore the rest of the area. Aside from the occasional notifications we got of more squads entering the zone, the process monotonously repeated itself to the point where, we were actually getting bored walking over sticks and dodging branches. As we moved out of a particularly crowded area,

all of our radios suddenly burst into life. Hello, someone said in the panic voice, shots ringing in the background. This is Pad 4 in the Midwest, requesting immediate reinforcements. We're close to a tall yellow building. Biders have overrun out. The voice stopped, as a blood-curdling screech could be heard in the background, As all noise cut off. After a moment of silence, the commander pulled out his radio and put his mouth to it. Back four, can you give us your exact coordinates?

No, answer. Back four, you copy. All available squadrons move into the Midwest area of the quarantine zone. Keep an eye out for any signs of a yellow structure. The commander lowered his radio, taking out a pair of binoculars and began looking around. There, he says, pointing behind us. We turned around and sure enough, behind the storm of branches, a yellow building just tall enough to stretch its neck out of the woods was situated past the trees in front of us.

We're probably the closest squad to them. If we hurry, we can probably make it. Come on. We ran past the twigs slicing our faces, the mob below us sloshing under our boots as the building we were heading for kept getting bigger in size. The closer we got, the clearer the shouts and gunshots were heard up ahead. When we were close enough, we slowed down our run as we carefully looked around the bushes. The sounds of struggle had ceased, and all that could be heard now were low, deep grounds.

Even though I didn't want to believe it, my fears were confirmed when I took a glance out of my crouched position and saw bodies lying on the floor. The crossfire had stopped, and it looked like the biters had been victorious as they roamed the woods in front of us, some wearing military attire. A specific biter caught my attention. Even from the back, I think he was in one of the cells in the same room than I was in. His face slowly turned to face me, and I swiftly hid behind a tree before he spotted me. I looked to the commander, who was motioning us to prepare to kill all remaining biters.

He began a countdown from three to three. two to one we all aimed our rifles at the closest target and fired momentarily stunned at the sudden attack the biters immediately reacted and charged us we continued to shoot off our rounds making sure to always have someone covering us when we were reloading our surprise attack couldn't last forever and vast numbers of biters caught up to us they all came down at us at once and despite our best efforts to only shoot at the bitters, our shots got caught up, both the biters and our own squad members, with only a few managing to push the biters off them and land a bullet into the heart. Suddenly a figure jumped up behind the horde of bitters and proceeded to gun down

a large portion of the things storming towards us. Well, his distraction allowed us to take out the remaining bitters in view. However, a lone biter managed to break through his defense, tackling him to the floor. Just as the biter tore up to the fire, just as the biter tore the the M4 out of his hands and sharply pull back his head. I put a fatal round into his back, causing its body to fall to the ground and go still. The figure

pushed the bider off him, panting with dirt covering every inch of him. When he saw me, his face relaxed, and he let out a laugh. I gave him a hand, which he grasped, and I helped him up. So now we're even, I say. Well, I guess we are.

Carter replied. Someone shot at the sky to see if the noise would attract any hidden biters. We heard more moans coming from inside the forest. Well, as much as a touching reunion would be nice, we need to finish the task at hand. Do you know if any of your squad members are still alive? Well, I don't think so. Most of them got bitten.

I saw a couple of them further into the woods, but I don't think any of them made it far. We checked if Carter had any bites or scratch marks. He seemed to be in the clear. The commander decided to take him in and we informed him of our mission. Things ran smoothly from there, and we briskly got past a few remaining standing biters, all up until we reached the end of the zone where we were preparing to head back. Hey, I think we missed a building, said Carter, as we all looked at what he was pointing at.

The silver laboratory lay hidden within the trees with no sign of anybody already having checked it. The remainder of our group strode to the front doors of the lab. It wasn't locked, and we didn't know if a few kicks would do it, so for safe measure, one person from our group got a sledgehammer, and we eventually battered down the door. The feeling when we stepped inside was foreboding. The weak light of the exit sign barely illuminated the ominous reception area in front of us. We turned the flashlights on our rifles on to get a better view of our surroundings.

As we got closer to the front desk, we saw what looked to be a nurse brought over the floor. It was clear dry blood was flowing down from her skull onto a white dress. There were two dim hallways on either side, and we split up, separating me from Carter. The doors were all closed, but not locked like the front ones. We directed the muzzle of our guns at the handle of the nearby door, and carefully pulled it open. As soon as it was ajar, a biter in military gear crashed through, throwing himself on the wall. He grabbed the first person within arm's reach, and we instantaneously reacted and fired at the level of the biter's chest until he went limp. I reloaded as the commander and the others went to scan the room.

I followed suit, and we went inside the room, finding a scientist laying on the floor with a glock lying near his chest. We quickly examined the other rooms before moving on to the stairs. Our commotioner brought about more biters from the upper floor as we took out a couple of them tripping over the stairs and rolling down, breaking just about every remaining bone that was intact in their body. We boosted up the stairs before any other biters decided to investigate what was happening. When we reached the next floor, there were a few infected scientists wandering the lab's main testing rooms,

when they saw us that began shuffling slowly to. towards us. The area was persistently getting hit by my rifle. Flash is emanated from my M-4, and the biters fell one by one. Me and another person from my squad entered through a door leading to another office. My bright flashlight shone into the dark room, dust flying all around. There didn't seem to be any bodies or biters on the floor, so far, anyway, but we both decided to look around the room. I came up to the edge of the room and saw a desk with a piece of paper lying on it. When I took a close look, I saw it wasn't a document, but a letter with crooked sentences hastily scribbled on it.

Well, I was going to ignore it, when I saw three words that immediately caught my attention. Flesh-biting virus. I promptly looked back when I saw something light up, accompanied by two gunshots coming from the other room, saw something fall down with a loud thud. I looked back at the letter, and after speedily looking it over, noticed that it was also explaining the origin and usage of the virus. Damn, I thought Lestings told us they didn't know where the origin of the virus was. The commander started gathering everyone back, and my other squad member in the room waved me over. I pushed away my doubt and pocketed the letter as I got up.

Our commander gave us brief checks before speaking. Come on, he announced. we're getting out of here. We all started heading down again and followed the dull red glow coming from the end of the hallway. When we reached the door, we flung it open and took in a breath of fresh air.

That breath was interrupted when we all heard someone making its way through some tall bushes. He finally emerged from a series of birch trees and I could feel the dread building up in my stomach. Its head was turned to an unnatural degree with a dark red wound around his throat. One of his arms had been snapped off

and was uselessly hanging at his side. Parts of his lips were gone and I thought one of his eyes was beginning to roll back into his head as well. And he turned to look at our group and he gazed at me. I couldn't help feeling cold as the metal in my hands got heavier by the moment.

Without a second thought it screeched and dashed towards us. My finger was on the trigger but I couldn't make it move. As the thing lurched at me, I heard gunfire and saw red holes appear in his uniform. His body stopped mid-move

and was pushed backwards by the impact of the bullets. The anger faded from him as he fell, and he looked at me with a sad, but in a way, a thankful look in his eyes, as Giral fell into the mud. When we finally reached the main entrance again, the sky was beginning to turn orange,

with the sun not far from the horizon. Tyler's group was already there when we got to the exit. We exchanged a few words as we were getting checked for any signs of infection. We then got on our separate copters and flew back to the base. From what the commander had told me, we were going to be released tomorrow, and for the time being, we would get our own private quarters as a means of thanking us.

We were even allowed to go anywhere from the first to second floor if we were feeling hungry or thirsty, but the third floor was strictly off-bounds. When we arrived, we took off our gear and were taken to our designated rooms and told to contact any of the guards, if need be. Once we were left alone, I chatted with Tyler and Carter, as well as some other members in my group

before I got some food and water and went back to my quarters. I placed everything on my desk and relaxed in the chair, thinking about what I would do when I was released. I heard something dropped to the floor, I saw it was the letter I'd taken from the facility while I picked it up and told myself the Do Not Disturb sign outside would do enough to at least buy me five or ten minutes to look through the letter

I skip the parts about procedures and what the virus does and began to read about where it had come from instead Here's what it said We're still not exactly sure where the virus originated from But we recently revisited the wide crater we found the substance in And we've only found more evidence to prove it came from somewhere in deep space. Like I said, I didn't want to do those experiments anymore, but they still want to pinpoint where it came from, and the bonus was irresistible. But that's the least of my worries.

Matt's still convinced we can use the substance to create an antivirus capable of curing at least one type of cancer. Even after all those years, he's still at it. Nobody leads it back to him, but he's as careless. as ever. You know what happens when the substance is transferred into a person's bloodstream. I'll imagine what the scale of another outbreak would be if it got out of hands. I have to go now. Matt's doing something. I promise I'll visit as soon as I can. Say hello to the others for me. Mar. By the time I'd finished reasoning it, I was in a state between confused and boiling. Sure, this might all be fake, but they said they'd eradicate the virus,

after the outbreak was suppressed and if after all that they were still lying to us well i don't know exactly why i went to professor lestings first but it seemed like the only logical thing to do since he was the only one that knew anything about the virus most of the doors in my hallway also had the same do not disturb sign like i did and during my walk to lestings i only saw a few faces aside from the guards when i got to lestings office a couple of guards was standing next to his door and asked me why what I was doing there. I told them I needed to speak to Lestings and one of them gave me a sort of patch act before they let me in. The professor was sitting by his desk, furrowing his brows as he intently read what looked to be another document. I coughed and he looked up at me,

giving me a smile. Ah, you must be bred. Come, sit. I only need one chair. He beckoned me to a seat in front of his desk. The armchair was soft. and my attention gave out as I slouched deeper into it. So is there anything I can help you with? Yes, Professor. Oh, remember how you mentioned that you didn't know where this virus came from? I continued, as he gave me all his attention. Well, during our mission, I found this letter that states exactly that.

His face turned from Sirius to bewildered. Brad, my administration was aware of no such thing. Do you still have that document? Perhaps the information is falsified. With just a little hesitation, I handed him over the letter. He gave it a rough inspection, and after a few moments, he lowered it from his face and thanked me for delivering it to him. Oh, you better be going now.

Go get some sleep. You're going to have to look sharp for them to release you. He laughed. I'll take a good look at this. And with that, I stood up and stretched my... back before turning around and walking towards the door. I heard something come from behind me. I turned around and saw the professor holding a handgun and pointing its hole directly at my forehead. Later, he said with a smile.

Professor, what are you doing? Well, now, we couldn't allow you just to walk away with all this. He could compromise everything. What are you talking about? This all ends tomorrow. Everyone will hit... Ah, but no, it doesn't. You can't even begin to understand what you're dealing with, boy. This virus has the potential to wipe out all diseases on earth. Imagine living the life of fame, becoming the most prominent billionaire in the world,

and having someone like you being the last obstacle in the past. You're a fucking madman. Ah, rich madman to be precise. He said with a sinister chuckle, I always insisted my wall should be soundproof. Just before he was about to pull the trigger, something fell from his desk and bumped onto the ground. He looked to where the noise had come from.

I took that chance to charge him. Now, even though this guy is nearing his retirement age, he still had the fight and the strength to put up a challenge. I took him down and landed a punch to his nose, watching him howl in pain. He held up his arm. arms near his face as I tried to break his defences but he held off long enough to shove his fist up into my gut as we continued to exchange blows he dodged me well enough to not lose

the pistol but I attacked him often enough for him to not have a chance to use it I used my left wrist to block an incoming hit but nearly fell sideways as he used the butt of his gun to swing at my skull before he got the chance to aim I thrust my knuckles near his liver he recoiled and I expected him to fall, but he lifted up his leg and kicked my knee with all his force. Out of instinct I grabbed his shirt and hurled him at the wall. I heard something snap as the professor defeatedly slumped to the floor. I began to approach his broken figure when I noticed he was smiling, a sick deteriorated smile. He lifted up his pistol and I heard a deafening crack. Something sharp.

pierce my skin and I dropped to the ground, pushing myself against the wall as my vision blurred, and my ears rang. What the holy hell is going on here? I think I heard Harper exclaim as he burst through the door with the guards rushing in. A figure hurriedly came up to me and kneeled to face me. I realized it's the chief. He was talking and pleading with me, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. I saw Lestings having his weapon taken away, and him being detained. by guards and medical personnel. As he was being taken away, he managed to get close enough to whisper one last thing

to give me sleepless nights. I saw the chief being pulled away and doctors running up to me before everything went up. I woke up in the hospital with a nurse standing beside me. She revealed that the bullet had hit one of my vitals, which provoked a lot of blood loss and explained why I'd blacked out so quickly. She also told me the doctors barely managed to remember

move the bullet and stabilize me in time, and they'd have to keep me in hospital for a while. Before anyone was allowed to see me, I had some agents visit me that made me sign some federal agreements and gave me my phone back. Once they cleared out, I had Carter and some of my other family and friends visit me. They never asked me how I got shot, but it was still nice to catch up. From what I was told from Carter, when the professor was questioned, he'd made up some bullshit about how I got mad he wasn't giving up private information, how he'd used the gun to defend himself when I attacked him. Half of the cameras in the building were suspiciously inactive during our confrontation,

and with no one to back either one of us with concrete evidence, we were led off the hook and he disappeared before anyone else could get to him. Eventually I was released, and I drove back past the nostalgic atmosphere of my neighbourhood. When I got to my house, I could say all. I was ready to lead a normal life again without Logan and Jack. But there was still something that made me look over my shoulder every once in a while. Something that occasionally gives me nightmares when I wake up in a cold sweat. That virus is still out there.

If another outbreak happens, we might not be as lucky. We might not be able to stop it. And that will be our last mistake. Now, I know I shouldn't be telling this to everyone, but after staying silent for so long, everyone needs to know what they're up against. All I hope is that that virus is locked away deep inside a hidden place

and that it never comes back to the face of the earth. But if it does, well, then the professor's words weren't in vain. Because after all, like you said, I can't stop the inevitable. And so once again, we reach the end of tonight's podcast. My thanks as always. to the authors of those wonderful stories

and to you for taking the time to listen. Now, I'd ask one small favor of you. Wherever you get your podcast wrong, please write a few nice words and leave a five-star review as it really helps the podcast. That's it for this week, but I'll be back again, same time, same place,

and I do so hope you'll join me once more. Until next time, sweet dreams and bye-bye.