112 The Unknown (2/2)

”Did something happen?”

Mark asked with a frown noticing that something was wrong with Paula's tone.

”Ange is in coma right now.”

”How?”

***

Day 3 – 5:57 AM – Tirona Highway, Kawit, Cavite

The convoy led by the military had just left the Bacoor City Mall just more than half hour ago. They took long despite the short distance they travelled due to the infected now blocking the streets despite the fact that the military rescue squad had just passed through this road the night before. Furthermore they also encountered several mutated infected further hindering their travel.

Another thing that was putting pressure on them was the horde that kept on following them behind from the time they left the mall. The slower infected had already been left behind but the faster ones kept on coming. Their numbers were endless making the sounds of guns being fired sounded continuously. The sounds of battle in all directions made all the survivors they were transporting restless all the way.

”We're finally hitting the expressway.”

1st Lieutenant Rafael said with relief. Inside his armored vehicle, Angeline and Paula were also aboard. It was their privilege considering their family connections. Together with them, Reyah and her daughter Sariya also were also aboard. As the little Sariya was an evolver, even if it was a mild evolution, was a precious existence to the military. Due to that, they were also given special treatment.

As they arrived at the expressway, not only the 1st Lieutenant felt relived but also the other soldiers. It was because the expressway was a closed road and had already been mostly cleaned the rescue squad when they passed this place by yesterday. Since the expressway could only be accessed by the entrance and exit roads, it would be impossible for the infected to suddenly flood in like how it happened back in the highway. Furthermore, even if they just let the horde behind them follow behind them, they would be able to speed up through the expressway and leave the infected behind.

However, that relief caused the soldiers to lower their guards at that moment.

A huge bodied humanoid shadow lunged over the walls of the expressway directly towards their convoy in a very fast speed.

The soldiers failed to react to it as no one would expect to something to jump over about three meters high going over the walls. Furthermore, the attacker came from a blind spot and came straight towards the military trucks middle of the convoy instead of confronting the exposed soldiers on top of their vehicles firing towards the infected behind.

BAM! SHIINK!

The humanoid landed loudly, directly beside the moving truck. It then immediately waved its hand causing a metallic slicing sound.

That was when the horror struck.

Half of that truck was sliced open including the bodies of the survivors sitting on the right side of the truck.

”AHHHHHH!”

Screams of horror were heard coming from the truck as the survivors sitting on the opposite side of the truck saw how the bodies of the survivors in front of them was split horizontally through their stomachs.

Among those screaming survivors…

Was Joseph who watched the bodies of his father and their co-worker Calvin split in half, spattering blood all over his face.

The metal supports of the roof of the truck on the right side was all sliced off making the tarpaulin roof to flutter through the wind as the truck had not stopped moving. Due to the sudden entry of air through the inside of the truck and the speed it was moving, the upper bodies of the victims immediately slid off from their lower bodies spreading the gruesome scene of intestines and blood on the floor of the truck. Some of the bodies at the end of the truck even fell out of the truck also scattering the blood and guts on the road.

”Dad…”

Joseph slowly slumped unto the floor not minding all the gore and blood on the floor. He held the decapitated torso of his father who was had yet to breathe his last.

”Joseph…”

Bernard called out with a fading voice while stretching his hand towards his son's face.

”Dad!”

Tears finally flowed out of his eyes. His grief was now able to overcome his shock. He held his father's hands let his father touch his face one last time.

”Become, strong… Survive…”

Bernard's body finally slumped down. He died with his eyes open.

There were other survivors who were in the same situation as Joseph. Inside the truck were people who knew each other. If the person in front or beside them were not their relatives, they could be their friends or close co-workers. Yet, they all saw their bodies sliced in half like that. While some grieved at their loss, some almost fell insane due to the sudden traumatic experience.

To see people you love die because of sickness is one thing.Seeing them die because of an accident was another. Seeing them killed by someone was further. However, to see your loved one getting split in half splattering blood and guts on your face and by your feet and watch them slowly die…

Would make many people crazy…

The truck then lost control and was toppled to the left side as the engines and other mechanisms of the truck got damaged in that attack. Due to the speed they were going, the truck slid quite a distance away painting the middle of the expressway with blood.

Outside the truck, the military vehicles were entangled in a bloody battle.

Their enemy could finally be described.

It was a seven foot tall male humanoid with grey skin. His torso looked very thin with bones almost sticking out of its skin. On contrary to his torso, his limbs were firmly shaped with stacked muscles. The most noticeable however was not his body shape but his non-existent right wrist that was replaced by a meter long claw shaped blade made of unknown material.

RATATATATAT!!!

The humanoid moved in a very fast speed that the soldiers firing at it could not even hit it with a single bullet despite the fact that all of them were using M16 Assault Rifles.

”AAHHH!”

A soldier screamed as his arm was sliced off by the humanoid. Another soldier went to aid the screaming soldier but before he could even do so, the head of the screaming soldier flew off with a trail of blood.

Enraged, the remaining soldiers went into formation with their faces looking seriously distressed.

”Captain! We need reinforcements here at the back! We have an unknown here! We're losing men!”

One of the soldiers shouted at the radio in alarm. It was because another soldier was decapitated with his legs falling off.

'Unknown', it was what they call existences who could not be confirmed whether they were a Mutated Infected or a Failed Mutator. It was even because there were abnormalities even among the mutated infected leading them to fail at differentiating these two kinds of existences apart from one another in a single glance. Furthermore, the unknown was on a way different level compared to the common infected.

And to confront an Unknown, even for the military, was a suicide mission.