4

It's been three weeks since I told Camilla that we were going back to her former community, for those three weeks I've been trying to train her lazy self on self-defense but she wasn't having any of it. I watch as she runs around the cabin, packing clothes upon clothes into a bag, between the chaos she's creating she pauses to look at me.

" Why are you geared up like this? " She asks.

" it's how I am " I mumble. Well, I am geared up the way I used to in the army, without the guns though. I chose to wear a long-sleeved t-shirt with an army trouser, a collection of knives hooked up to my belt and one tucked deep into my army boots, you never know what will happen and my ax hooked to my waist.

I get up from where I was sitting and walk into the kitchen, Chavos left last week, he hates to tag along. I stop to look at my reflection in a mirror and a face with dark skin, pure white hair, silver eyes and slightly protruding canines which revealed when revealed themselves when I opened my mouth, stare back at me. I hear Camilla try to sneak up on me but it's no use, I can hear her nonexistent footsteps like a speaker, plus the rainy scent that followed her.

" You know it's no use trying to sneak up on me," I say turning to face her " I can hear your every movement "

She huffs at being caught " Are you going to ogle yourself or are we going to get moving? "

" It's not my fault my I am too good looking " I reply with a smirk, walking over to the bag I packed and hoisting it over my shoulders.

She gives me a look and walks out of the cabin.

" What's wrong? " I ask her, following her out.

" Nothing " She snaps at me " Common courtesy to help a girl with her luggage "

So that's what's bugging her.

" You are capable of handling your luggage, " I tell her " Help yourself "

" Ignorant bastard! " She mutters If anyone else said that to me they'd be dead but I'll leave it as it is. I watch as she trudges Into the forest.

" Do you know where you're going? " I ask her, following into the woods.

" No, I'm counting on you," She says " How will we get there, we have no map "

I pause to think it through, it's quite simple.

" You mentioned it was somewhere west of here, right? "

" Yes "

" Then we'll go in that direction " I point to where the sun was angling towards.

" Where the sun sets, that's nice. "

" If I'm correct we'll run into a highway, from there we'll figure things out. "

" How sure are you? " She asks, skepticism laced in her words.

" Oh, I'm quite sure, it'll take us the entire night to reach the highway. "

" What! " She shouts and I wince " What about my sleep and how sure are you about this? "

" Jeez, woman are you try to make me deaf, besides a zombie never gets lost "

With that, I walk deeper into the forest with Camilla hot on my heels after mumbling a 'sorry'

We've been walking through the forest a little while now, an occasional zombie stumbling through, the sun had already set and the darkness consuming the environment. I can see everywhere clearly, it's just like night vision but with a tinge of silver.

" Can we stop walking? " Camille asks for the one-hundredth time.

I groan out in frustration " We're almost there besides your not going to get tired, so stop whining. "

" I'm not whining," She says stumbling over a tree root. " I'm stating a fact, I need to eat. "

Of all the times to be hungry it's now. I sigh in frustration. I didn't plan to pack food since we rarely get hungry but she is an exception, what kind of stomach does she have.

" We're getting close, just bear with me a little."

----------

They were nearing the highway, a quarter-mile and they'll be there. Xavier trudged through the woods as silent as ever while Camilla followed. She noticed the slightest bit of change to their environment and it bothered her, she could see clearly like during the daytime but with a tinge of red added to her vision. Walking behind Xavier, she wondered how he became a zombie and why he didn't want to tell her about it. She understood that they were strangers but she opened up to him, why couldn't he?

" Just keep up and we'll be there in thirty minutes max," he said.

" How do you know how far the distance is?. " Camille asked.

" I can smell the rusting metal of the cars." He replied, pausing to sniff the air, something wasn't right.

" What's it? " She asked also pausing to sniff the air but she got nothing, the entire place was clear, what had him on edge.

" Run! " He told her. " Run! "

She didn't know why he told her to run but she ran in their initial direction. He could hear the roar of their engines, he knew who they were, from the distance could smell the virus in their blood and they were chasing him but how did they find him?.

They could see the highway from where they were, the cars parked randomly on the paved road. They were running at inhuman speeds, a red and silver blur darting through the trees, heading in one direction. Camilla was finding it hard to keep up with him, she had never run this fast in her life, her lungs begging her to stop and breathe in but she had to keep going, she had never seen him this tense.

The sound of the engines got louder the closer they came to the highway, as soon as their feet hit the paved road, heavy lights bore down on them, Camilla couldn't handle the intense brightness and let out a snarl in that direction, before she could take another step she felt something push her, losing her balance she fell hitting her head on the ground hard. The sound of bones breaking filled the air, she tried to get up but she couldn't see, the bright light temporarily blinded her and her head felt heavy from the fall.

Three heavy-duty trucks stopped a few feet away from Xaviers mangled form. The first truck had run him over, the second and third followed suit. The men inside started to fill out, armed to the teeth with weapons and one of them moved towards Xavier's body.

" Well, well, well, " The man said " If it isn't protocol x. "

He bore claw slashes on his face, running from his forehead to the bottom of his jaw. Looking at him gave anyone the creeps. He was tall and very built. He squats down next to Xavier's body and he had to admit, it was a mess, bones sticking out of every part of his body.

" Do you remember me?. " He asked Xavier " I must say you are a mess. "

-----------------

I remembered him, he is one of the assholes that tortured me for years. I can feel my bones trying to rearrange themselves, just a few minutes more.

" Baxton " I spat out " How could I ever forget you. "

Blood seeped out of my mouth with every word I spoke, it was painful like needles being stuck into me.

Baxton got up and walked towards his buddies, I am watching his every moves, if only the healing process could speed up a little more.

" Load him up, boys. " I heard him say " We got what we came for and hurry before he starts healing. "

" Boss, there's another with him, " One of the other guys says " And it's a female. "

" Take her too, " He says walking towards one of the trucks " We'll have some fun with that one. "

Three guys came over to lift me and carried me towards the trucks. I saw an unconscious Camilla being carried to another truck.

Snap. The healing process has started.

" Wah was that, " The guy to my right asked.

" Probably nothin', " The one to my left said.

" You know, you guys have made a mistake, " I tell them.

" Oh yeah, what is it "

" You forgot my weapons. "

My left arm snaps back into place and I immediately grab a knife from my waist and stab the guy beside me, the knife sinking into his chest like melting butter. The other guy dropped my arm and tried to aim at me. Key word tried. I immediately use my healed arm to slam his head to the ground then I fall with him, looks like my legs haven't healed. The guy I stabbed gurgled blood with every breath he took, he will be dead soon while his companion is dazed on the ground. You see the thing about hunters is that they're genetically modified with a temporary virus in them, their bodies can't heal all injuries.

Crack. Snap. Crack.

The sound of my bones moving back into their rightful place, it's painful but I've had worse. I stand up from the ground, wincing a little at the pain. I crouched down to the unconscious guy and pull another knife off my belt.

" It's a pity you're not awake to feel this," I whisper out, stabbing the knife into his head, the blood squirting out in all directions. Now it's time for your buddies.

------------------------

They were unaware of their two missing friends and the fact that more were going missing. They didn't notice the glowing solve eyes stalking through the abandoned cars until it was too late. Xavier watched the trucks and the men around them, his eyes were glowing to their fullest, he had given in to his instincts and he was after one prize Baxtons head. Moving through the cars silently, picking the men off silently, bodies left in his trail no one noticed.

" Shit " He heard one of the men yell " I found a body!."

" What do you mean you've found a body? " Baxton asked, jumping down from the truck.

" Bodies, sir." He replied, " A whole lot of 'I'm and protocol x is missing."

" Shit," Baxton said. He knew what would happen if protocol x got him, he'd be dead.

" Move out," he yelled, they had to leave at least they had the girl.

Xavier knew his prey was leaving, the heavy headlights of their trucks coming to life as the roaring of the engines filled the environment, almost on cue zombies started to fill out from all directions maneuvering through the cars and trees, a horde. He lunged forward towards one of the trucks with a snarl, opening the drivers' door and flinging him into the horde his screams joining the moans of the zombies, the others in the truck were in shock, they knew what he was, they didn't know he would be that strong. By the time he was done with them the inside of the truck resembled a butchers shop, body parts in different places, his instincts were still running high, telling him to go after the other trucks but the human part of him wanted to stay and help her, she was weak, people like hef never made it far in this new world.

Picking her bridal style and exiting the truck, the zombies that surrounded it due to the commotion rushed in stumbling over each other to taste the goodies inside, their groans and moans filling the night. One of them thought he was human and stumbled over to him, gnashing his teeth together in anticipation of a good meal. Xavier stilled and watched as the zombies fought to enter the truck bumping into him in the process, he paid no heed to the one that stopped in front of him, it snarled at him and tried to take a swipe at him. On a normal day a knife would be in its skull but he had to settle for less, he snarled at the zombie his eyes glowing brighter and it stumbled towards its friends to battle for some meat. Xavier looked in the distance, he could still see the tail lights of the two other trucks, he would get his prey later. With that, he walks down the highway mingling with the other zombies, an unconscious Camilla in his arms.

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THE SYNTAX FACILITY.

" You said he would be easy to get." He yelled at the woman in his front " Now half of my squad is dead. "

She looked at him, it was a pity, she wanted the protocol, with that she had power but he always got away no matter who they sent, hunters, zombies, they always failed.

" We will get him Baxton. " She told him. "because if we don't, he will come to kill us. It's all in due time. "