"Zz… Target down, south zone cleared."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Tommy was in a frenzy as he watched the infected closing in.
When Alan ordered the infected to be eliminated with more freedom, all the Rangers moved without being restricted by the mission. As one of the best-prepared urban combat and rapid-response units, the Rangers had wanted to engage in full combat ever since the chaos began.
But from the start, the battalion led by James had only one order: to guard the shelters. However, now that this was no longer the case, all their courage erupted in a battle that was far from easy.
Arghhh!!!
The infected were fast but not fast enough to be considered Stalkers. They seemed to have been dead for more than two days, which was very little time considering how long the chaos had been going on. That could only mean one thing: there was a shelter nearby.
Everything indicated that the shelters eventually fell, and Tommy didn't understand why.
"On the right, we have more Stalkers." Corporal Kaplan used the name Alan had given the second stage of the infected, and everyone immediately began firing.
"I'll take care of this. Help the others," Tommy said, spotting about six infected slowly approaching from the left. He sprinted at explosive speed toward the first infected, who was crawling on all fours and focused on the others.
The dagger in his left hand moved with force, aiming not for the skull but stabbing the nape of the neck, where access was much easier.
Uff…
When Tommy withdrew the dagger, thick black blood gushed out. It splattered onto his uniform, but after close encounters with the blood of various infected, all he did was shut his eyes for a brief moment.
Tommy didn't stop after killing the first walker. He knew there were still five infected nearby.
Arghhhh!!!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Tommy shot the nearest infected in the head. At the same time, he focused on the closest Stalker and, using all his strength, slashed its neck with his machete.
Crack!
With a crunching sound, the Stalker's head was completely crushed. But once again, these infected weren't even in the process of evolving—they were still the closest thing to regular people.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the distance, grenades launched by the soldiers exploded, eliminating large groups of infected.
This level of force was necessary. Many didn't want to waste so many rounds, especially since the elimination operation was just beginning, and they also didn't want to resort to close combat.
"My weapon jammed!" a soldier shouted as he backed away from a Stalker approaching at high speed.
Tommy saw that the soldier was about to be bitten and rushed toward him with all his strength, letting out a roar full of rage. "Arrgggh!"
Wham!
With a cracking sound, Tommy had hit the walker so hard it was sent flying.
The fallen walker landed on top of others who were crawling on the ground without limbs to support themselves.
Tommy quickly got back on his feet and ran toward those infected.
When the Stalker realized Tommy was closing in, it stretched its arms to grab him. But its efforts were futile—just as it reached out, a bullet struck its head.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
However, a hand grabbed Tommy's leg, stopping him from moving away. But even then, Tommy showed no mercy. He knew he had to eliminate all the infected.
"I got this, Tommy. I'll handle it," Kaplan said as he reloaded his rifle and fired at the numerous infected coming from the other side of the path where the survivors were.
The gunfire rang out so loudly that it stunned Tommy. He immediately covered one ear with his hand. His helmet had shifted slightly, so the sound wasn't dampened—making the noise so intense that it left him dazed for a few seconds.
"Damn it, be more careful," Tommy muttered as he stood up.
Corporal Kaplan approached to check on his soldiers and was relieved that none had been injured. "Let's move, the survivors seem to be in trouble."
"All this gunfire must've alerted more infected. We have to prevent them from reaching the outer zones."
The infected on the ground were a gruesome sight—all that blood left many speechless, and the smiles they once had faded. If things were this bad here, what must be happening in places without military protection?
Kaplan reloaded his rifle, walked past the bodies on the ground, and said nothing. There was nothing more to say—only to keep moving forward.
"Don't forget, these people are already dead, so the only thing we can do is free them from their suffering," said Corporal Kaplan, deeply concerned for the soldiers under his command.
The infected's greatest weapons were their numbers and the element of surprise. Large groups were a huge problem, especially in enclosed spaces where it was difficult for soldiers to reach the brain and eliminate them.
"Quick, they need us!"
A soldier saw people running from the infected. They had been hiding in the trees, and when they saw soldiers killing the infected, they ran toward them with hope in their eyes.
"Please, help us! There are so many of those crazies coming!" a woman shouted, desperate for military assistance.
Tommy was among the group that had encountered these people. He immediately raised his rifle and opened fire on the approaching infected.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Check them for bites. Everyone else, form a perimeter and take them all out!" shouted Kaplan, who had taken command of Tommy's group, and everyone followed his orders without saying a word.