Mutagen

<strong>Day 47 – 10:59 AM – Circumferential Road 5, San Dionisio, Parañaque, Metro Manila</strong>

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Along the C-5 Road, aside from the sounds of numerous vehicles, the sounds of gunshots could also be heard which even overwhelmed the former. The large convoy from the Bay City Settlement drove in consistent speed following the road.

It was already almost four hours after they left Bay City for the mission and they have even yet to pass the half of the distance they needed to traverse along C-5 Road. Although they were travelling in constant speed, it did not mean that they were going fast. Rather, they were already running late from their expected schedule.

C-5 Road was one of the roads a large number of motorists travel through before the outbreak. Due that fact, they expected to encounter road blocks due to abandoned cars left by the victims of the first wave of infected. In fact, the military had sent a drone to see the state of C-5 Road several days before while planning the route they should take in this mission.

The military knew of the roadblocks and thus prepared a dozen heavy vehicles. Nine were ten-wheeler dump trucks and three were backhoes. The trucks were equipped with three kinds of rams in front and shield like bumpers behind. There were three trucks with each kind of rams. The first type was a V-shaped ram, the second were front slanted rams with the last was flat rams. Each type had different uses but was all aimed on clearing the vehicles that blocked the C-5 Road. Sure, the heavily vehicles were noisy especially the backhoes but each were necessary in this mission not only to clear the path but also transport the materials and equipment necessary for the mission.

Since the roadblocks were within the calculations of the military, it was not the reason they were running late, the reason were the infected.

To clear the path on the normal stretch of the road, it was fine to just let the trucks with V-shaped rams to lead the convoy and push the vehicles to either sides of the road while the vehicles continued to move. At the blocked intersections however where the vehicles were entangled with each other and at worst, crashed in difficult angles, the convoy must stop while road was being cleared.

While that happened, the soldiers needed to clear the perimeter of the infected. That was where the problems popped up. There were more infected that what the scouts had reported before. The number was not overwhelming and could be dealt with proper planning but the situation was still hindering the progress of the clearing.

It happened several times in every places where the vehicles blocking the road were rather troublesome to remove. The situation felt strange but since the infected wander around and their vehicles and guns were noisy enough to alert the infected in the vicinity, no one thought too much about it,

Of course, all the participants in this mission found it troublesome but nothing could be done but deal with the infected and move on. Also there were a lot of mutated infected in the mix that were harder to put down but with the overwhelming number of people in the convoy, they were more than enough to kill the mutated infected and it only took more effort.

Or not…

Currently, the whole convoy was stopped in a defensive formation at the entrance of the flyover in Carlos P. Garcia Avenue Extension. The convoy was supposed to pass through the fly over but the blockage of the vehicles at the entrance was heavier than the previous ones. The heavy vehicles, specially the backhoes already started on removing the blocked vehicles but it would take time.

Going through the lower roads was not a plausible option for them however. Not only that it connected to a nearby intersection that would lead away from their destination but that intersection had far more heavier blockades of both public utility vehicles and private ones.

Still, the clearing crew was in a severe rush. This place was not a residential area but there were two malls in both sides of the flyover. Right now, the convoy was experiencing an attack from the infected from the two malls.

***

"Stalker here. Reporting Sir…"

That raspy voice could be heard as the same hooded man that turned into a hideous looking bird was observing the situation of the convoy atop one of the malls.

"Stalker, what is the situation."

The gloomy voice replied from the hooded man's radio.

"We are at Point 5. The targets are still out of sight. It seems that Major Lopez is keeping them as reserve along with the elite soldiers. Phase 1 is proceeding smoothly however. From their movements, none of them seemed to suspect what is happening."

"Good. Shadow 3 and Shadow 4 should be around that area. Tell them to move to Point 6 for the next luring. Continue observing the targets. After they passed Point 6, commence Phase 2."

"Yes Sir…"

The hooded man put down his radio and watched the struggling soldiers in amusement.

Phase 1, the first plan of the scheme these people had.

On C-5 Road, all of the blockades were natural and was untouched since the start of the outbreak. The number of infected however, was not. Even in these two malls, the number of infected should not be this many after more than a month had passed after the outbreak started. Many of the infected had already wandered off while most chased after the survivors at the first day.

The current number of infected was lured by their group that was lurking in the shadows way before the convoy reached this area. And the purpose of Step 1 was to make the participants of the mission to waste as much resource as possible before the main part of their mission starts.

"It's unfortunate though." The hooded man took out a picture of the targets. "Such beautiful people. For sure they will taste good but it's a pity I won't be able to taste them, heh. There's still the others left behind I guess, Sir better give me one."

The hooded man licked his lips as he stared at the pictures. He was staring at the pictures not with lasciviousness however but like a hungry beast craving for meat and innards.

***

With great difficulty, the entrance was cleared and the convoy proceeded leaving the infected that had not stopped flooding towards them. Since the infected continued to chase while they drove on the rest of the road, the troops at the end of the convoy could only shoot them and kill as many as they could until the infected gave up. Of course the infected would not give up and in ended up with the convoy leaving hundreds of dead bodies along the road.

The convoy still cleared up two more blockades but for some reason, the last one had lesser infected. Everyone noticed it but instead of suspecting, they could only sigh in relief as the previous instances already left them drained.

At several minutes past noon, the convoy finally reached the southwest corner of the airport. Since what separated the vicinity of the airport from the roads around it was only a welded wire fence, everyone could see what was going on inside the airfield.

Many felt their bodies shaking. It was hell. Although everyone had already seen the footage taken by the drones in the briefing, seeing the hellish scene personally had more effect to their psychological state.

Almost the whole airfield was covered with the disgusting flesh film and webs that even reached the wire fences. Near the corner where they were, a vehicle of the airport police could be seen covered with the same disgusting matter.

Despite the fear and disgust that swelled in everyone's mind, they already reached this far and could not back up anymore. They already reached the starting point of the mission. The best that they could do was to take deep breaths and calm their minds and hearts.

With such atmosphere, the main part of the mission finally started.

The convoy divided into three groups, one turned right from the intersection and followed the road which was the Multinational Avenue to the west of the airport while the other drove straight along the rest of C-5 Road which was at the south. The last group which was the smallest one stayed behind hiding from the infected inside the airport.

Of course, the infected inside and outside the airport was stirred after intruders were spotted in their territory. The fences were enough to hold back the normal infected but the soldiers and the survivors still had to deal with the mutated infected jumping over. Of course, there were places were the fences were broken and the infected from the airport flooded out from those areas not to mention the stronger infected that were able to bust thought the fences.

As the convoys passed by, more and more infected flooded the streets. More than a million infected was not a small number and it could even be two million or more. Fortunately, the holes in the fences were too small to let all of them flood the streets in one go. This was also a good start as the main goal of the two larger groups was to lure the infected out of the airport for the third group to be able to infiltrate the nest and plant the bombs to destroy it.

Finally, the western group of vehicles reached the next junction where a small street branched to the west side of Multinational Avenue. With several military vehicles in the lead, the vehicles at the tail of the group turned left and entered the small street. This caused infected following the group to divide at the same time. The nearest ones followed the vehicles that entered the street while most of the infected continued to chase the main group.

At the next intersection, the same thing happened and a small number of vehicles separated and caused a large number of infected to separate from the majority. The same movement repeated at every intersection and which caused the infected horde to scatter further.

A large number of infected was lured away from the airport in this method. Of the western group, the heavy vehicles and a larger number of vehicles remained. They soon entered the vicinity of the airport where the parking lots were located and drove up another flyover that was directly facing the main parking area and the entrance of the airport.

At the highest point of the flyover, all the vehicles stopped.

The military vehicles at the tail turned to the side and blocked the road while the soldiers immediately went down to assume defensive formation.

The soldiers at the command center vehicle also went out led by Major Lopez who was leading this group.

"Set up the defensive structures double time!"

Major Lopez shouted as the soldiers immediately took out the construction materials and equipment from the dump trucks and other vehicles.

"How about the C4s?"

"Major, Sir! The infected on our tail is more than we expected, we can't plant it immediately."

"Then move and clear them out! Use grenades and dynamites if needed!"

"Yes Sir!"

Soldiers ran back and forth following the commands issued by Major Lopez. Inside the command center van, the soldiers in charge of communication attentively kept connection and exchanged information with the other groups that separated from the main group.

While the soldiers secured the perimeter of the fly over and started to build the defensive structures they needed, the people from the three vehicles they securely escorted finally went out.

"Major."

Odelina greeted with a slight bow. Behind her were Mei, Iola and Abbygale that were all ready to start their roles.

From the other vehicles, Rollan, Nikky and their other team members went down from their new armored jeep while from the familiar armored transporter, Arvie, Jason and their team members also went out.

After another half hour of preparations, the metal bunkers were set up while the soldiers held their line of defense. It was then that the soldier in charge of communication shouted.

"Sir! The other squads in position also finished with their preparations!"

"Then tell them to commence the mission! Now!"

BOOM!

An explosion was heard as the Major commanded to start. The entrance of the flyover crumbled creating a gap between the defense line and the incoming infected. Since the infected continued to flood, the ones in front fell on the gap.

Several explosions could also be heard in other directions outside the airport. For sure, it was the same method to keep the infected coming but also blocking their way from the position of other squads.

With the explosions as signal, the phase where everyone outside the airport needed to lure the infected inside out finally started.