Chapter 139: Against a Hundred Thousand More - IV

Striker Two moved over the approved corridor.

"Sixteen rockets selected."

The salvo crossed the road and struck through the concentration following Falcon Two. Bodies disappeared beneath the impacts, while abandoned vehicles overturned or caught fire along the surrounding lanes.

The other infected ignored it.

Hans watched thousands of red markers continue through their assigned streets.

"They are not responding to Striker Two."

"No," Matilda answered.

Another cry came from the district.

One long scream.

Three short ones.

The eastern group widened across two roads instead of crowding into the same intersection. The front contacts remained spread apart, leaving enough space for those behind them to continue moving without slowing.

Hans studied the movement. The first western concentration had lost thousands because it forced itself through narrow roads, but this group looked as if it was avoiding the same mistake.

"Falcon One to Golden Eagle. Beginning inspection of the western shopping structures."

Striker One remained above South One while Anton’s squads reset their firing positions. No additional concentration had entered the western line yet.

Falcon One crossed above the commercial blocks. Its cameras followed the rooftops first, passing over broken ventilation systems, abandoned equipment, and damaged signs without finding any black growth.

The helicopter continued toward the parking structures, where the crew inspected the exposed ramps, broken outer walls, and the gaps left by collapsed sections of concrete.

"Western structures clear of visible growth," the pilot reported. "Proceeding toward the central shopping blocks."

That did not tell Hans much. Falcon One could only inspect whatever remained exposed above ground.

Striker Two finished its first rocket pass and brought its chain gun around. Short bursts tore through the infected emerging from the smoke, reducing the concentration without crossing into the roads occupied by the separated groups.

"Approximately five thousand contacts remain inside the corridor," the gunner reported.

Striker Two turned for another pass. Eight more rockets struck the densest section remaining inside the corridor, followed by short bursts from the chain gun through the smoke.

Falcon Two kept the concentration inside the open road while Striker Two completed the attack. The final markers disappeared between the burning vehicles.

"Striker Two to Fairy. Approved corridor clear."

"Fairy receives."

Striker Two climbed above the southern approach and resumed watching the separated groups.

Striker Three remained above South Two.

"Five contacts moving faster than the surrounding specials," the gunner reported. "Tracking."

Markers appeared near the deeper edge of Hans’s Radar.

The first crossed the lower parking level within seconds. Another moved through an enclosed pedestrian bridge without approaching its broken windows, where something long followed behind it and briefly appeared through the glass before disappearing again.

A third remained near the upper parking ramp.

"Possible Leaper, Lasher, and Spitter," the gunner reported. "All three exceed previously recorded movement rates."

The fourth marker stopped near the center of the parking structure.

The next scream came from there.

Every separated group changed direction at once.

"Screamer confirmed. Target remains behind the inner structure."

Sabine checked the eastern overwatch feeds.

"Neither Sniper Team has a clear sightline."

The fifth marker moved toward the main avenue. Ordinary infected separated around it.

"Falcon One to Golden Eagle. Central rooftops clear. No visible root formations along the upper structures. Proceeding toward the parking entrances and delivery sections."

Hans kept Raptor One on standby. There was still no target for a precision strike; no exposed shard, root mass spreading across a building, or anything else that resembled the Hive Echo Two had found.

Yet the infected continued moving as if one existed.

The fifth contact emerged from the ground-level entrance of the central shopping building.

It was larger than the ordinary infected, though its body had not swollen into the same shape as the Tanks Hans had encountered before. Its proportions remained disturbingly human.

Muscle covered its arms and shoulders beneath torn black clothing. Reinforced fabric remained around parts of its chest, mixed with straps that had sunk into the flesh underneath, while a damaged harness hung from one side of its body.

One boot remained intact. The other foot had widened until the material split apart.

The creature stopped in the middle of the avenue.

It did not roar.

It looked toward Striker Three.

The helicopter remained high above the surrounding buildings, but the creature followed it without difficulty.

"Unknown Tank variant," the gunner reported.

Matilda enlarged the feed. Part of the creature’s face retained the shape of a man beneath the damaged skin, though one side had swollen around the jaw and temple. Dark material remained around its neck, but Hans could not tell whether it belonged to its clothing or equipment that had become embedded into the mutation.

The creature turned away from Striker Three and faced the road leading toward South Two’s secondary line.

The formation had withdrawn several blocks beyond the next intersections. Nothing visible from the avenue should have revealed which route it had taken.

Sabine opened War Elephant’s channel.

"Engage the marked target."

"War Elephant receives. High-explosive loaded."

The Vanguard’s turret adjusted toward the central avenue.

"Target acquired."

Its main gun discharged.

On Striker Three’s feed, the creature moved before the shell reached it. Its head turned toward War Elephant, followed by its right arm swinging across its body.

The shell tore through its palm at an angle and opened the forearm to the bone, but the impact forced the projectile away from its original path. It crossed the avenue and struck the lower section of an empty office building.

The explosion removed several windows and part of the wall. Dust spread across the road.

The creature remained standing.

Blood poured from its arm. Two fingers were missing, while pieces of flesh hung from the exposed bone, but the bleeding had already begun to slow. Muscle tightened around the wound as the damaged hand moved once, then again.

"War Elephant to Fairy. Target remains active."

Striker Three’s gunner increased the magnification.

The creature raised its head toward the helicopter. The remaining side of its mouth widened.

It was grinning.

The creature continued looking toward Striker Three.

Matilda opened the attack channel.

"Striker Three, engage."

"Striker Three copies."

The gunner selected one Hellfire.

"Target locked."

The Hellfire launched.

The creature moved before the missile crossed half the distance. It ran toward the parking structure and used the abandoned vehicles along the avenue as cover, keeping its damaged arm close to its body even as the hand continued moving and the flesh tightened around the exposed bone.

The missile followed.

The creature reached the parking entrance and passed behind the first concrete column before the Hellfire struck the structure.

The entrance disappeared beneath the explosion. Concrete collapsed across the ramp, followed by smoke and pieces of damaged vehicles from the road outside.

The red marker remained.

"Target still active," Striker Three’s gunner reported.

The creature emerged through another opening along the side of the structure. Dust covered its body, while part of its shoulder had been torn open and several strips of flesh hung from its back.

It kept moving as if it had not just been struck by a Hellfire.

Hans watched the thermal feed. The damaged flesh had already begun pulling inward, and the bleeding around its shoulder was slowing.

"Flight Operations," Hans called.

"Flight Operations receiving."

"Launch Raptor One. Track the unknown target. Precision weapons only. Hold fire until it enters an approved area."

"Understood. Raptor One launching."

Matilda opened South Two’s channel.

"South Two Actual, fall back one more intersection. Keep the infantry mounted."

"South Two copies."

The Guardian APCs reversed first, keeping their frontal armor toward the approaching roads. The Vanguards followed between them, their turrets remaining on the central avenue and the adjoining streets.

The Screamer cried again.

Two short calls followed.

The groups moving through the northern and eastern roads changed direction. They did not rush toward South Two together; one continued behind the offices, while another entered a parallel street that would bring it toward the platoon’s withdrawal route.

The infected near the parking structures remained where they were.

They were being held back.

"Falcon One to Golden Eagle. Western parking entrances clear. Proceeding across the central delivery sections."

Falcon One crossed above the central blocks. Its cameras followed the damaged walls and exposed sections beneath the shopping centers, where loading ramps descended beneath several buildings and storm drains ran along the surrounding roads.

The feed showed only concrete, wreckage, and darkness beneath the ramps.

Hans continued watching. Echo Two had found the previous Hive below the streets. Another could remain buried beneath the district without exposing anything above.