1345 June 18th, 2020 CE

Irvington, California

Around Luke, a few sat down on the sidewalk to rest. Luke looked around. It was a nice little neighborhood with a variety of white one-story and two-story houses lining both sides. Luke looked to Hayden who was also sitting down. “I’m gonna go listen to what they are saying.”

David came back from his Humvee. “Sorry. My unit can’t spare any vehicles right now.”

Hills sighed. “Well, thanks for asking.”

David pointed behind him. “You guys are nearing the Paseo Padre Parkway. There’s still a lot of people driving through there. You can probably flag down someone to get a ride. I did see a couple buses which could probably fit all of you guys. Maybe if you are lucky, another bus will pass by.”

The sound of machine gun fire interrupted their conversation. David looked down the road towards where the gunfire came from. Someone in the Humvee shouted. “Sergeant! They made contact. There’s a horde of them.”

David looked to Hills. “I need to go. I have orders to stop those monsters here. You guys should be relatively safe for now but I do suggest that you guys keep moving.”

The soldier got back into the Humvee and it drove off. Hills looked at the students around him. Most had sat down to rest. “Okay. Everyone! We will be stopping for a few minutes in order to make a decision. Please take this time to rest whilst we talk with your teachers. I need all teachers and all officers over here.”

A few, who hadn’t lost their stuff, started eating from their lunch boxes and drinking from their bottled water. Luke sat down besides Hayden and hugged his legs to his cheat. Luke took a deep breath. “You okay, Hayden?”

“Yeah I’m fine.”

“You think we gonna live?”

“...probably.”

They sat together without speaking. Luke rummaged through his pockets for his earbuds. To his surprise, nothing came up.He probably dropped his earbuds in the chaos. Chattering filled up the air and Luke fidgeted a bit while sitting silently besides Hayden. He didn’t know anybody else around and making new friends would be awkward in this situation. A few minutes passed by for Luke to say anything again. Hayden would usually ignore him. Today, however. Hayden seemed finally able to talk. Although being given the chance, Luke started feeling like he would chicken out. “Hayden… um… I have been meaning to talk to you about this… I know this is probably not the place and I’m a bit late on this but we have been good friends since middle school. You kinda stopped talking to me starting…”

Luke was interrupted. “Okay. Everyone. Attention! We are asking everyone to call their parents to come pick them up at the Paseo Padre Parkway. Tell them to pick you up at the Paseo Padre Parkway. For those who can’t be picked up, we will find a bus or something to get you guys to the evac point.”

A few minutes later

Luke got off of his phone with his mom again. “Hayden, will your parents be picking you up?”

“They told me that they are already at the stadium waiting for me. They are gonna try to drive to me though.”

Oddly, even though they had already walked a street away from where they met the soldiers, the sound of gunfire seemed to be getting louder and louder. Somewhere in their group of 60 or so students, somebody shouted. “Hey the soldiers are coming back!”

Unlike the first time they had seen them, the military vehicles weren’t in a neat convoy line. Instead disorganized Humvees and trucks were speeding towards them.

The vehicles came to a halt near them. The soldier from earlier that had talked to them jumped out of one of the Humvees. He started waving to everybody. “The monsters are coming! Get onto the trucks! Come on.”

Officer Hills ran up to him. “What? What’s happening?

“Get these kids onto the trucks. We can’t hold off the monsters. Squeeze in as much as you can.”

People started getting onto the backs of the trucks. Luke spotted something in the sky. A humvee flew right over them. It clipped a house down the road and smashed upside down onto the lawn of a house further down.

Radio transmissions ten minutes earlier

<<<“Shit. Shit. Shit. This is Second Lieutenant George Rowland of 2nd Platoon. We are not able to keep the monsters from reaching the Paseo Padre Parkway in Irvington. I repeat. We are not able to keep the monsters from reaching the Paseo Padre Parkway.”

“What’s happening Lieutenant? I need a sitrep, this instant.”

“The monsters are flinging projectiles at us and we have taken heavy casualties. They have taken out most of our .50 cal humvees. We need someone to redirect the traffic on the parkway elsewhere. We are not able to hold this position at all.”

“That’s a negative Lieutenant. Don’t let them onto the parkway. That's an order.”

“Sir! We can’t hold it. Don’t we have anything on hand? Is there any air support?”

There was a bit of silence before a response came. “Negative, Lieutenant. Air support is unavailable. Enemy air defense is proving too strong.”

“Sir, for the safety of my men, my unit is retreating to the parkway. Holding our current position is impossible. We will try our best to protect the parkway for as long as possible but we don’t have the firepower to hold it for long.”

There was another brief silence over the radio. “... I will see what I can do.”>>>

Washington D.C.

Inside the Situation Room, Stephen presented worrying news to Ronell. “Mr. President, the National Guard is being pushed back. We are receiving reports that humanoid monsters, description matching the ones we saw on our drone, appear to be throwing projectiles at high speeds towards humvees and destroying them.”

Ronell rubbed his forehead. “How long until the Marines are there?”

“Within an hour.”

“How much of San Francisco have these monsters taken?”

“Mr. President…” Stephen paused. “San Francisco may be lost.”

“So you are telling me that an American city will be occupied by foreign forces and that we can do nothing about it?”

“...yes sir… even with the responding marines, we do not have sufficient force to prevent San Francisco from being… well more infested with monsters than occupied.”

Ronell sighed. “The first wave were monsters. Those Lancefish things. Whatever that second wave was with the giant humanoids and anti-air toads seemed like a coordinated military to me.”

1411 June 18th, 2020 CE

San Francisco California

A patrol vehicle barreled down a street lined with stores but devoid of people. Andrew’s radio squawked as he made a right turn in his patrol vehicle that nearly tilted his vehicle. He felt his entire body slide to the left.

Terry had his eyes wide open at that. “Woah, drive a bit slower. You are gonna kill us.”

“Do you not see the situation we are in? We gotta get out of here.”

“I know but these monsters aren’t that fast.”

Another message came through the radio that silenced all other radio chatter. >>

“I guess that's where we are going then.”

A ringtone started playing in the car. Andrew felt his right pocket vibrate. “That must be my kids. Terry, can you fish that out of my right pocket? Answer it and put it on speaker too please.”

Terry placed the phone in the cupholder.

<<<”Dad?”

“Yes? I’m here.”

“Hey dad, Mrs. Gray is making us board a helicopter.”>>>

Andrew made another tight turn.

<<<“Just follow and listen to her. Keep your younger sister safe. Alright?”

“Okay dad… are you ok? I’m hearing that San Francisco is being overrun. Are you still in the city? Ashley wants to see you.”

“I’m still in the city but I’m fine. I’m with Mr. Gray and we are finding our way out. Just listen to Mrs. Gray. And can you put your sister on the phone?”

A young, quivering female voice came through. “Dad?”

“Yes sweetheart?”

She sounded near tearing up. “Dad. I want to see you. I’m worried that what happened to Mom will happen to you.”

“Dad’s a-ok. I’m already at a very safe location. Just listen to your brother and Mrs. Gray. Can you give your phone back to your brother?”

“Mhm.”

His son’s voice came through. “Dad?”

“Call me when you get to wherever the helicopter is taking you. Sorry that I can’t talk for long, take care of your sister, I will see you guys soon.”>>>