"We don’t have many chances," Jaxon said calmly. "Focus on taking out as many as you can. I’ll handle any that try to get too close."
At the end of his words, the firing began. Jaxon fired first, and the others followed his lead without hesitation. Each shot counted as they kept their distance, not too close to risk getting sward, nor too far to lose sight of their targets.
The infected, seeing the car suddenly charging after them, skidded to a halt. Then, as if enraged, they turned back toward the car, their movents wild and feral.
Isabel eased the car to a stop for a brief mont. As the infected closed in, she swung the wheel and accelerated away, giving Natasha a clear line of sight. The bullets from her DMR tore through them effortlessly.
Every shot shredded flesh, crushed bones, and silenced the creatures before they could react. Natasha had seen Jaxon wield it before, but experiencing it herself made her realize just how absurdly powerful it was.
’We have to be careful not to let anyone else see this... especially the military,’ she thought, her mind racing. ’But sooner or later, Jaxon will make another weapon like this... I need to get stronger, strong enough to fight alongside him when that ti cos.’
Na-rin and Cindy followed suit, their weapons less powerful than Natasha’s DMR but relentless. The Rapid Fire skill ant every shot was doubled, making their attacks deadly in their own right. Together, they tore through the advancing infected, driving them back while keeping themselves safely out of reach.
Bullets shredded the air. As the Hilux edged farther from the city, the horde skidded to a halt. One by one, they twitched, then turned back, as if so invisible command had been etched into their minds.
Isabel and the others stared, a mix of disbelief and awe on their faces.
"It actually worked, Brother... how did you know they’d do that?!" Cindy asked in amazent.
"Most infected are smart, but not all of them," Jaxon replied. "I’m betting the leader or that intelligent infected giving the orders won’t expect us to exploit it like this."
...
The pattern repeated four tis. Each chase left hundreds of infected dead, their bodies strewn across the streets while the team stayed close behind the car.
By the fifth chase, sothing had changed. No matter how close the team got, the infected stopped following. Instead, they surged straight toward the city, never glancing back, even with the team just behind them.
"Jaxon... our gas is almost out," Isabel called, glancing at the gauge.
Jaxon didn’t reply, his gaze drifting back to the city. He sensed sothing watching them, though he couldn’t tell exactly where.
anwhile, at the far center, atop the tallest skyscraper, multiple glimring eyes seed to pierce the distance, locking onto the spot where Jaxon and his team were. Neither he nor the creature could see each other clearly, yet there was a tense awareness of each other’s presence.
At the car, Jaxon shook his head, forcing himself to ignore it. There was nothing he could do for now. Whatever lurked inside the city would have to be handled by the military.
He turned back to Isabel. "Mom, find us a place to hide. Let’s take a quick rest first."
Cindy and Isabel nodded, relief easing the tension in their faces as the Hilux slowed down and moved into a quieter stretch on the outskirts.
Isabel guided the car back to the sa area they had used when they first arrived, a spot far enough to stay out of imdiate danger, but close enough to keep an eye on the city.
When the engine finally stopped, the change was imdiate. Shoulders dropped, breathing steadied, and the constant pressure of danger, even if only for a mont, eased.
"I really don’t think we should do that again, Jaxon," Isabel said after a while, rubbing her arms lightly. "I’m starting to get used to it... but I don’t like it."
Jaxon leaned back slightly, his expression calm. "It’s going to happen again, and not just once."
The girls looked at him.
"But we won’t stay like this," he continued. "There’ll co a ti when we can face them head-on... without being afraid of them."
Cindy and Isabel exchanged a glance, confusion flickering in their eyes as they tried to make sense of his words. On the other hand, Natasha and Na-rin stayed quiet. They knew what he was talking about, every fight, every kill, it was making them stronger. Slowly, but surely.
Natasha glanced at Na-rin as her brows knitting slightly. There was sothing in the way she reacted that told her she knew sothing more than she let on.
She didn’t say anything, though.
’I’ll ask Jaxon later,’ she thought, turning her gaze away.
As the group stepped out of the car, stretching their stiff bodies, the radio in Natasha’s hand suddenly crackled to life.
A faint static filled the air. Natasha raised it to her ear, frowning. "Hello?"
For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence.
She frowned, about to speak again, when a soft voice ca through "Jaxon... how are you doing there?"
Natasha paused for a second. She recognized the voice. "Annie?" she said, then answered calmly, "This is Natasha speaking. What do you need?"
There was a brief pause on the other end. "Where’s Jaxon? Is he alright?"
Natasha’s lips twitched faintly. "He’s fine. He’s right here. Just say what you need to say."
Another short silence followed, then Annie spoke again, this ti more serious.
She explained everything, the council’s decision and the order for them to pull back since their mission was already complete.
Natasha lowered the radio slightly, her expression turning thoughtful, a faint frown forming.
Jaxon noticed imdiately. "Why the look? Did the military say sothing?"
She nodded. "It was Annie."
Na-rin glanced over. "What did she say?"
Natasha looked at all of them before speaking. "They’re sending special agents into the city. And we’re being told to return, our mission’s done."
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