It took longer than I hoped to get everyone moving. It was getting dark outside with the zone fog reducing the light dramatically. We knew this was going to be dangerous but we had to go. The column was split into three groups. The civilians and base personnel who were not able to fight were in the centre. The support team, security personnel and a few civilians who could fight were around them. Finally, the operatives. Sarah led the others at the front while Henry and I acted as rear guard.

It was slow going as we crossed the bridge the abandoned vehicles acting as a natural chokepoint. As the last few were getting through looking back at the way we came I spotted movement.

“Movement!”

Henry spun around and looked in the same direction.

“What you see?” He asked.

“Just a glimpse but not human-shaped, I think. It was fast.” I was brief in viewing it but it was bulky whatever it was. I turned to the last base guard going through the vehicles.

“We will hold it here warn the others.” He nodded and headed through.

“Hero time!” Henry exclaimed.

“Seriously?”

He just laughed with real humour. I think that did him good. We faced what was coming.

It came from the fog fast. As fast as a ghoul. It hit Henry’s shield as he put it between them. He like me favoured a hardwood and metal shield. The impact knocked him back hard. I did not think I reacted. Turning my axe swing towards it. I hit an arm and a howl of pain was produced.

I was able to see it just. A squat and broad figure like a gorilla was facing me. It was covered in grey scaly skin and was damned ugly. Pink blood oozed from its arm. I did not have time to register anymore. It was not happy as it attacked me. I got my shield up as it punched at me. The impact knocked me back and my whole body felt it. This thing was strong and fast!

It followed up by attacking again. I block again my whole body feeling the impact. My arm with the shield was going numb from the shock of the impacts. I was stuck on the defensive. Again and again, it hammered me. I was able to keep standing but my shield was cracking under the assault. The pain was surging through my arm.

Henry came to the rescue. His bastard sword sliced through its neck. More pink blood flowed and another roar of pain. The thick muscle of its neck stopped it from being a fatal wound.

His good work was returned with the creature spinning around and hitting him back again. I put everything into driving my axe into the creature’s head. The axe connected and went in. It was annoying to discover the creature’s skull was as thick as I feared. It turned to take the axe from my grip and knocked me off my feet with a massive blow to my shield.

Looking up the creature was standing there with my axe in its head staggering slightly not attacking. Henry again on his feet attacked. Roaring a challenge to which the creature turned sluggishly. The sword plunged into its throat. This time the injury seemed fatal as it gurgled up pink blood out of its mouth. It gripped the blade as it collapsed onto the floor.

“Fuck me! What was that.” I asked from the ground. I decided to get up despite my body’s protests.

“No clue.” Henry replied panting. “This zone had never produced anything over a level two threat before. I think this could be its level three.”

“Great let’s not see another.” No sarcasm here. We were both shaken up badly from this fight and were moving around stiffly.

“We got to go.” Henry reminded me as I looked at the thing at our feet after pulling my axe out of its head. Even that was hard.

“Right behind you.”

We passed through the bottleneck and set off after the others. It did not take long to catch up with them and we continued to move. The pace was not as slow as I feared and we were making a semi-respectable pace. We went up Bridge Street and turned onto New Road. The advanced team under Sarah engaged two zombies there that were quickly taken down.

Mannford encountered them on the road and moved down the column to me at the back. I was surprised to see him appear out of the fog. Covered in a bit more gore than the last time I saw him, I think.

“Mannford over here.” I call to him. He jogged over to Henry and me.

“Harrington still alive go to see.”

“Just. This is Henry Griffon. How are things going?” I need information.

“The zones expansion has almost stopped. Karlsson and Keller got out and should be at the FOB about now.” He told me.

“Shit they gone to a Forward Operating Base instead of a base camp.” This shows that Zone Command are digging in for the long term and expect a lot of problems from this zone. From the last 24 hours, they were right.

We were next to the cemetery now. Such fond memories of the place. I kept looking around as we spoke.

“UKZC throwing everything they have here. Euro Corps appears to be sending support as well.” He told us.

“Bloody hell!” I retorted. Henry laughed again.

“Yes, things have got the higher-ups panicking it seems.” Mannford continued in a deadpan tone.

Looking up Chapel Street I saw flickers of movement. My entire body demeanour changed. This alerted the other two.

“What do you see?” Henry asked.

“Flickers of movement don’t know what yet.” I told him. “Mannford head back to let the others know. Trouble is coming.” He did not reply just turned and moved off.

Henry and I moved to act as a blocking force on the road. We looked intently into the fog.

“You see it?” I ask.

“For real Bruv.” He answered. We saw flickers of movement but no clear indications of what it was. Several somethings from the little of what we have seen.

I lifted my shield and readied my axe. Henry copied. We waited.

The ghouls charged out of the fog.

I leapt forward as the closet came at me. I used my shield to break its charge but rammed it into its face. A second was close behind it. I swung my axe but it tried to block with its arms. My axe collided with its arm and went in deep. A scream of pain came from the ghoul.

The one I had knocked down with my shield tackled my legs. I staggered but stayed on my feet. Just.

It was clawing at my leg armour on my thighs. I rammed my shield down, again and again, to shake it loose. Its skull cracks under the blows. It lets go of my legs. My rage in my surges. Adrenaline pumped through my veins.

The other ghoul followed in attacking. I blocked an attack again and again pushing me back. I struck out with my axe hitting its arm again. This gave me a moment to recover and push back. My burning hot anger fuelling my attacks. I feel close to frenzying.

Axe strike after axe strike hit the body of the ghoul. Black blood flew from the injuries. Its arms were covered in wounds. I finally got through driving my axe into its head. I was pulled forward as I held onto my axe as the body fell back.

I quickly rectified myself. Looking around I tried to get a look at the situation. Henry was holding his own. Mannford was in trouble. I rushed to help him. I hammered my axe into the back of the skull of one of the ghouls attacking him. The blow collapsed the skull causing the ghoul to collapse.

The other ghoul became distracted from my attack allowing Mannford to take out the other. I moved to Henry. He overcame the one attacking him as I got there. I looked around again and realised Mannford was down. I rushed over to him.

He was holding his stomach. Blood was flowing from a nasty claw wound. His face had gone white from pain and blood loss. I got a brief look at his injury. It was bad. I began to pull my med kit out looking for bandages.

“Shit! I’ll cover you.” Henry said from behind.

I was able to bind the wound and slowed the bleeding. I helped stand him up. He is in a bad way.

“Morphine?” I asked him. It’s a risk as it dulls the senses.

“No…. not yet.” His pained reply came.

“How is he?” Henry enquires.

“Bad. He’s not going to be able to fight again.” I was blunt with his assessment as we do not have time to fuck around. “Can you head to the main group?”

“Yes.” We wheezed from the pain. He was swaying on his feet.

“Henry head and grab help from the support team.” Henry nodded and was quickly lost from sight.

“You don’t need to do that.” He said as I placed my arm on his shoulder to steady him.

“Yeah right. You will never make it out of the zone in your state.” He glared at me but knew I was right.

It was not long before Henry reappeared with two members of the support team. They helped Mannford move slowly away in the direction of the group. He was going to be out of action for a good few months.

“Sarah and the others have taken out a few zombies ahead of the main group.” Henry told me. I nod.

“Probably out of the hospital.” I speculated.

“Contact!” I turn at Henry’s call and see two zombies coming out of the fog from the same direction as the ghouls had.

The fight was fast and brutal as we put them down before they began to attack us. This began to worry me. Where were they coming from? The other side of the church?

“Let’s get going.” We began moving down the road scanning in all directions as often as possible. I began to get a strange feeling. It was hard to explain. I felt like I was in danger or close to it. I could not explain it. The fog around us was still and quiet.

“Bruv, you feeling like we are being watched by something dangerous?” Henry asked.

“Sort off.” That was all I could say. We were near the service station next to the cemetery. “I think we are going to be hit again.”

Several more zombies came out of the fog and fighting quickly ensued. Five this time. Henry and I held them off from the rest of the group. We traded blows with the zombies. We took them down after a few minutes of brutal action.

We stood there breathing heavily. Our bodies were tired from the near-constant fighting over the last few hours and strained from just being in a zone. I groaned as we moved back slowly. The strange feeling was still with me.

“Dude I don’t think I can keep this up much longer.” I tell Henry.

“Me too. I am exhausted from this shit run.”

We continued to follow the group. We were still alert to more dangers from the fog. We began noticing movement within the limits of our vision. We looked at each other not speaking to avoid attracting attention.

It was impossible to tell what was out there. They were moving around making it hard to make out numbers. We were both braced for an attack. We continued to back up along the road.

We were moving slowly. The distance between us and the group was hopefully increasing. The damp and cold air was heavier than “normal” for a zone. We knew something bad was coming.