Flee

[Saturday] [6:51 AM]

Alice stirred awake, her vision slowly focusing on Rachel's sleeping form beside her. The morning sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow over the room. Groggily, she sat up, running her fingers through her tousled hair.

Roman's persistent knocking broke the serene silence. Rolling her eyes, Alice carefully climbed out of bed, careful not to wake Rachel and answered the door.

"Roman, why what's wrong?" Alice asked

Roman's usually composed features were lined with concern. "Sorry to bother you, Alice, but I need you and Rachel to come downstairs immediately."

Curious, Alice woke Rachel and the two descended the staircase together. They found Roman standing in front of the TV, eyes glued to the screen. Breaking news headlines scrolled across the bottom, announcing a nationwide evacuation. Evacuations would occur daily.

Alice and Rachel exchanged worried glances, their hearts pounding in unison. Another scene appeared, showing military personnel utilizing drones to lure infected to a single location before bombing it.

Rachel shivered, clutching Alice's arm tightly. "This is bad, do we follow the announcement?."

Roman nodded gravely. "That's precisely why I called you down here."

Roman continue, "Jake contacted me earlier, he mentioned that one of the army camps was overrun by a mutated infected. Its behavior is unlike anything they've encountered before. He advised us to avoid cities and official evacuation centers, believing the government is severely underestimating the speed at which the infection is mutating."

Alice's eyes widened with alarm. "It's that dangerous?."

Roman nodded in agreement. "Right. We should gather supplies and head for the hills."

Roman added. "Pack enough food, water, and medication for at least a month. Also, consider any tools or weapons that might be necessary for self-defense."

As they hurried upstairs to collect their belongings, Alice couldn't shake off the sense of dread creeping up her spine. Thoughts of Jake, his whereabouts and condition, consumed her mind. Was he safe? Could he handle the situation on his own?

They worked tirelessly, filling backpacks with essentials and loading up their vehicle. Roman insisted on accompanying them, stating that their chances of survival would be greater with extra pairs of hands.

Eventually, they hit the road, leaving the city behind. Radio broadcasts confirmed the ongoing evacuation efforts, painting a picture of chaos and panic. Miles away from the nearest town, they decided to set up camp in a densely forested area.

Under the cover of trees, they settled down for the night. Rachel and Alice huddled together for warmth, listening to Roman recount stories from his days in university, grateful for the distraction from the grim reality beyond their hideaway.

[Wednesday] [11:29 PM] [10 Days Since Outbreak]

The drone buzzed overhead, its cameras trained on the group of infected below. It had been tracking them for days now, observing as they mutated.

As it flew higher, the drone captured footage of a particularly interesting development: one of the infected had excreted a large amount of bodily fluids, which had pooled on the ground and begun to take on a life of its own.

Flesh-like structures formed, twisting and writhing together until they created a sort of nest. And within that nest, the infected were engaging in an orgy of sorts, their bodies melding together in a grotesque display of sexual desire.

The drone zoomed in closer, capturing every detail of the scene below. It was fascinating, from a scientific standpoint, but also deeply unsettling.

As the infected writhed and moaned, the drone noticed something even more alarming: the flesh-like structure was expanding, reaching out towards nearby trees and bushes.

When it came into contact with organic matter, it seemed to absorb it, incorporating it into itself. Soon, the entire area was covered in the pulsating, fleshy material.

The drone continued to hover overhead, recording as the missiles slammed into the nest. Explosions rocked the area, sending chunks of flesh and debris flying in all directions. But the nest remained, regenerating and expanding even as it was bombed.

As the dust settled, the drone zoomed in on the damage. The missiles had left massive craters in the nest, but it seemed to be healing itself, stitching itself back together with a network of writhing tendrils.

-OoOoO-

President Martinez sat in stunned silence as he watched the video feed from the drone. His Vice President and several high-ranking officials crowded around him, their faces reflecting similar shock and disgust.

"How is this even possible?" Vice President Harris muttered, rubbing her temples.

Martinez shook his head, still staring at the screen. "I have no idea. But we need to do something about it. That...thing is growing, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down."

One of the generals spoke up. "Sir, we've already deployed fighter jets to drop air-to-surface missiles on the nest. But it seems to be regenerating and expanding even as we bomb it."

Martinez frowned. "What are our options, then? We can't just let that thing keep growing and infecting more people."

Another official chimed in. "We could deploy a ground team to try and neutralize the nest. But given how quickly it's expanding, they'd have to move fast."

Martinez nodded, his jaw set. "Do it. I want that thing destroyed, no matter what it takes."

The room erupted into activity as orders were barked and plans were made. Martinez leaned back in his chair, watching as his advisors scrambled to contain the newest threat to their country's safety.

-OoOoO-

[Saturday] [5:27 AM]

As the helicopters touched down, the soldiers spilled out, moving quickly and efficiently to form a protective circle around the landing site. The president could hear the sharp crack of gunfire over the comms line as the soldiers began engaging the infected.

Switching to the drone cameras, he watched as the soldiers methodically worked their way towards the nest. Each time they encountered a mutated infected, they focused their fire on it, eliminating the threat before continuing on.

Around the perimeter, the army trucks and vehicles moved steadily, annihilating the infected with ease. Flames flickered in the distance as the fleshy constructs were engulfed in fire.

Meanwhile, on the perimeter of the nest, army trucks and vehicles surround the area, shooting flames at any fleshy constructs they come across. The heat sensors on the drones show the temperature rising significantly, indicating that the flames are effectively destroying the infected tissue.

Martinez turns to his Chief of Staff, "Keep me updated on their progress. I want constant communication on their status."

Chief of Staff nods, "Of course, Mr. President. They've cleared most of the outer areas and are moving towards the core of the nest now."

Martinez continues to watch as the soldiers inch closer to the heart of the nest. Every so often, they encounter a mutated infected and prioritize taking it down first. These abnormal specimens seem to pose a higher level of threat compared to the standard infected, which makes them a critical target.

As the soldiers neared the core of the nest, the atmosphere grew tenser. The soldiers moved with caution, aware of the increasing danger. Suddenly, a red-skinned infected appeared among the throng of females. Steam rose from its body, and its eyes gleamed with a malevolent intelligence.

Without hesitation, the mutated infected targeted the male soldiers, using its incredible strength and agility to slice through them with ease. It decapitated the men closest to it and lunged towards the second row, catching them off guard.

The soldiers quickly aimed and fired their weapons, but to their surprise, the bullets merely ricocheted off the infected's flesh. Panic set in as they realized that this infected was immune to their attacks.

Soldiers quickly adjusted their strategy, trading in their rifles for rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and high-caliber weapons. They knew that conventional rounds weren't effective against the red-skinned infected, so they aimed for the monster with their new arsenal.

Crack! Boom! Grenades flew through the air, streaking towards the towering beast. A few connected, producing massive explosions accompanied by chunks of flying debris and clouds of smoke. The soldiers hoped that the blast radius from the RPGs would be sufficient to bring down the abnormality, but it survived the barrage.

The mutated infected continued to rampage, cutting down rows of soldiers with surprising ease. Somehow, the bullets from the high-caliber weapons seemed to tickle rather than wound it. Realizing that their usual tactics were failing, the commander ordered a change in strategy.

"Fall back! Get clear of that thing! Prepare to launch incendiary grenades!" yelled the commander over the comms line.

Soldiers retreated, firing sporadically as they moved backward. Incendiary grenades were readied, their distinctive silver color contrasting sharply against the green grass and foliage.

A dozen incendiary devices landed at the feet of the red-skinned infected. Almost instantaneously, a brilliant flash of flame and heat swept over the area. The inferno singed the edges of the soldiers' uniforms, but the worst of the damage stayed contained within the vicinity of the abnormality.

From the drone footage, Martinez observed the red-skinned infected stagger, limbs smoking, and scales blackened. The creature struggled to advance, hampered by the burning wreckage around it. However, it recovered surprisingly quickly, appearing unfazed by the sustained burns covering its body.

The flesh-like ground and walls of the nest writhed and shifted, subduing some of the soldiers and pulling them beneath the surface. The remaining soldiers fought furiously, but they were vastly outnumbered and outmatched.

Back at the command center, President Martinez watched the events unfold with mounting horror. "What's happening? Why aren't they retreating?" he demanded.

Chief of Staff replied, "It seems that even the explosives and higher caliber weapons are useless to the mutated infected. They're struggling to hold their position."

Martinez clenched his fists, watching as the number of soldiers dwindled. He couldn't bear to watch anymore and gave the order to retreat. "Pull them back, now. We can't risk losing any more men."

The soldiers reluctantly withdrew, dragging their injured comrades with them. The mutated infected watched them go, seemingly satisfied with the carnage it had caused.

Martinez paced back and forth in the command center, frustration etched on his face. "This isn't good enough. We need to find a way to kill that thing."

Chief of Staff nodded. "Our scientists are working on it as we speak, Mr. President. They're analyzing samples from the previous infected we encountered to determine a weakness."

Martinez stopped pacing and turned to Chief of Staff. "And what about the survivors? How are they holding up?"

Chief of Staff consulted his notes. "Nine women made it out alive, Mr. President. They're currently en route to the medical facility for treatment and evaluation."

The president ordered his men to monitor their condition continuously. "I want to know everything there is to know about these women – their backgrounds, their medical histories, their current status. Make sure they receive the best possible care, but keep them isolated from the rest of the population until we're certain they pose no threat."

The Chief of Staff relayed the instructions to the appropriate agencies, ensuring that strict protocols were implemented for the women's quarantine.

Meanwhile, the scientific team dedicated themselves to studying the mutated infected, searching for any vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Experiments and simulations were conducted, with theories ranging from chemical agents to sonic frequencies. Progress was slow, but the researchers refused to give up.