35 Chapter 35
Heavy rumbling of the military vehicles vibrated in PQ's eardrums. Although strident and unabating, PQ genuinely thought it had a soothing effect.
Even though it has only been a few days into the apocalypse, the roller coaster of thrills and perils he has already encountered substantially exceeds everything else he has experienced in the preceding twenty years of his life.
It was great to finally have a pillar to lean on as support.
"Yoooo PQ, did you notice the all those soldiers' perception of you?!" Charlie beamed with excitement as he scanned the imposing interior of the armored transport vehicle they were in.
After retrieving his golden retriever safe and sound, Charlie's timid and fearful nature had slightly altered. It was obvious that Chloe the golden retriever acted as a form of emotional support, aiding him through tough times. After all, everyone has their own coping mechanism. For PQ, becoming stronger was the only way he could feel more at ease.
"He sure did Charlie! Can you imagine the feeling of being respected by soldiers!" Exclaiming, Teresa snuggled Charlie's golden retriever and rubbed its silky fur to convey her elation.
Overwhelmed by Teresa's enthusiasm, Chloe whimpered, rocking her head in befuddlement.
"Chill out brat, animals aren't toys!" Raphael smacked the back of Teresa's head to extinguish her flame of enthusiasm, returning Chloe to her rightful owner.
"Wahh, not cool bearded hobo! She's just so adorable!" Wailing in retaliation, Teresa tried to reach for Chloe again, who was now wagging her tail with an empty mind. "This Chloe and my dead stepmom's Chloe are worlds apart!"
"What other Chloe?"
"Forget about it Charlie." Thinking about the Australian Shepard he had penetrated with his spear, PQ dismissed his question and moved on.
While the zestful squad chattered about, the other soldiers couldn't help but crack open a smile or a chuckle. It was a refreshing sight to witness such positivity in this darned apocalypse.
Laughing at one of Chloe's many nifty tricks, PQ glanced out the bullet proof window pane, just in time to witness the mesmerizing sunset.
The lustrous, smooth collusions of rifted clouds beckoned the calm of night.
As the glowing sun dipped below the towering infrastructures, the fleeting colors of dusk began to fade away. The headlights of vehicles and flashlights of escorting soldiers switched on dimly, fiercely battling the looming darkness as the glorious trail of military power meandered into the inner city.
Frowning at the military's bleak approach to the harrowing darkness, PQ reached out to one of the many soldiers sharing the same cabin. "Excuse me, shouldn't we temporarily rest and recoup for the night? All this commotion will attract the zombies over."
"Don't worry too much kid. We've had this concern too, but the higher ups demanded the immediate military escort for a V.I.P." The soldier in question wasn't shy with his answers as he addressed PQ's concerns. "They even entrusted a first and second lieutenant with us. I'm sure we'll be fine."
Like what Charlie and Teresa were discussing about, these patriotic soldiers wholeheartedly respected PQ after his astonishing performance on the battlefield, and they were more than willing to communicate with this friendly, potential new recruit.
PQ nodded in acknowledgement, processing the information inwardly. 'No wonder they sent such a large number of military personnels despite scarce resources and manpower. What kind of V.I.P deserves this much attention?'
"Is the identity of the V.I.P confidential?" PQ tried his luck.
"Other than the objective of this operation, none of us really have any more information to disclose." Exchanging glances with his fellow comrades, the soldier shrugged his shoulder and responded truthfully.
"I see. Thanks anyway!" Shuffling his backpack, PQ passed a bar of chocolate to him as a token of gratitude and grinned. "Here's some meagre bribery for my future senior. Be prepared for lots of questions in the future."
"Thanks buddy! I appreciate it." Flaunting his reward to his comrades jokingly, the soldier happily accepted the delicious snack.
Tap— Tap— Tap—
Escorts outside knocked on the shell of the armored vehicle, signaling that it was time for the next shift.
"Hahaha! Guess it's our turn now!" Equipping on his helmet in a hurry, the soldier waved goodbye at PQ as he unbuckled his seatbelt. Simultaneously, the boisterous parade of military power started to slow down in order to cooperate with the change of guard duty.
All seemed well. The soldiers outside eliminated the wandering zombies along the way while the vehicles advanced slowly but surely towards their destination. But a sense of unease enveloped PQ as he glanced out into the harrowing darkness lurking within the desolate streets and buildings.
Sappore was a small but densely populated nation, and Sap-East city, while less populous than its counterpart, Sap-West city, was nonetheless a fairly vibrant district.
All of sudden, PQ's entire body shifted forward as the vehicle he was on abruptly applied its breaks, screeching into a curt halt.
Almost stumbling off his balance, the solider who had unbuckled his seatbelt banged furiously on the barricade separating the driver and passenger seat. "Hey Liong! Watch out for your poor passengers, someone could have gotten injured!"
"It's not my fault dude, the truck up front did the same thing!" The tiny detachable panel connected to the passenger section slid open and a raspy voice refuted back.
"Could have been another vehicle break down. Most of our vehicles are experiencing technical issues. The mechanics up ahead can fix this problem in no time." The co-driver of the vehicle settled on an explanation, exhaling a puff of smoke from his cigarette. "Hopefully."
Receiving his answer, the soldier quickly shut the panel to block off the unsettling, grey smoke. "Guess we'll have to continue on with our shift. Let's go boys."
For some reason, PQ felt anxiety and disquiet straining his nerves. Peeking out the tinted glass panes, he studied the pitch black buildings. The obstinate giants hovered eerily over him, standing in unmoving rows. The city he once looked forward to move into was now the embodiment of a nightmare.
No one knows what lurked within the darkness.
"RUFF RUFF!"
Charlie's well behaved golden retriever unexpectedly escaped his grasp and started to bark diligently. Running distraughtly in laps, her floppy ears propped up as she growled ferociously at the direction PQ was staring.
"P… PQ. Is it just me, or do you see that too?" Fumbling over his words, Raphael stroked his beard worriedly as he pointed at the nearby building.
PQ directed his attention to Raphael, staring out the direction where he pointed.
An uncanny pair of sickening, yellow eyes floated in the pitch black darkness, gazing directly at them through the thick and tinted glass panel. Unlike ordinary living creatures, the being lurking in the darkness lacked an essential component of eye anatomy.
Pupils.
The unforgettable, empty gaze of the monster blended in with the darkness, concealing its mysterious build.
Tap— Tap— Tap—
Impatient knocks occurred once again as the soldiers standing guard outside demanded for a shift. In such a creepy and uncertain environment, who would want to linger outside for any longer?
"Wait. Where'd did it go!" A short gasp escaped from Teresa.
Turning back to the building, the nocturnal eyes has vanished from its initial position. Undulating relentlessly, the glowing pair of eyes increased in size at a rapid rate, eliciting bloodlust and violence as turquoise, writhing veins bulged out.
This could only mean one thing.
It was getting closer to them.
Fast.
"Incoming danger! Watch out!"
Screaming at the top of his lungs, PQ warned everyone present of the strange creature galloping towards them at full speed.
Charlie, Raphael and Teresa who had been attentive of the situation immediately braced for impact, but the rest were not as lucky.
BOOM!
An unstoppable force hammered the shell of the armored vehicle.
In that instant, every object within the vehicle defied gravity. PQ watched horrifiedly in slow motion as ammunition, equipment and food supplies hovered mid air. Unbuckled seatbelts fluttered and unseated passengers bounced up into the air, flailing powerlessly as the world around them rotated 360 degrees.
A intricate gemstone etched within PQ's front pocket flew out towards freedom as his secured body flipped upside down. Shimmering from the dim lights outside, a rogue bullet collided into the shining emerald and drastically altered its initial trajectory. Mouth agape in incredulity, PQ's frantic wails came to a full stop as the ring sized gemstone jammed his throat shut.
Pummeling miserably onto the ground, the heavy vehicle quaked once again as the monstrosity barreled into it.
The thick slab of armored shell protecting its passengers expanded and thinned as the invincible force plunged deeper into the side of the vehicle.
While PQ's left hand grasped tightly onto the bolted seats, his right hand pressed against the expanding shell, making contact with the metallic exterior of the armored vehicles.
His mind fortuitously soared to unattainable heights of insight as the ability hidden within his husk activated without his permission.
A scorching stream of energy broke loose from his fingertips while the gemstone trapped within his throat shrinked in size, slithering into his digestive systems.
Surviving on the final layer of protection, the monstrosity outside began breaching through the thinning armor, marking the doom of the passengers within. However, calvary arrived just in time as a smokey grey haze veiled the armor at the brink of destruction.
The tearing materials began to reconstruct as the nearly inexistent width of the metal thickened drastically. Molding the material with unrelenting vigor, the monsters' devastating collision and the repairing layers of reinforcements reached a stalemate.
The indomitable haze began diminishing at an astonishing rate as it opposed its worthy challenger. But unless this energy was limitless, it would not be able to last any longer.
Fortunately, barrages of bullets stabbed into the monster's durable skin, red-hot lead blistering its flesh. The monstrous beast quickly lost its steam and averted its attention as it charged towards the feeble soldiers challenging his authority, leaving the dilapidated vehicle in a critical state.
Quivering his arms uncontrollably, PQ was stunned by the phenomenon he had just accomplished.
