Chapter 44: Meeting

"Haha, just some training," Anik said to Ace.

Luna signals the old pilot to fly towards California.

"So, how have been the camp lately, Captain?" Anik asked Aafia.

"Too good to be true if I say. After you gave the 'essence' thing, everything has been easier with a few powerful zombies similar to that you killed also appeared but it was doable." Luna said to Anik.

"Hey!! Anik, where did you find so many essences to give us? We only found a couple of them when we killed the powerful zombies." Jonathan asked with curiosity.

"It's a secret. So are you gonna follow me to California?" Anik asked the team and Sophia.

"Yes, we are" Luna said to Anik and Sophia just nodded.

"Now, let me say something first. We are or may gonna face a zombie or a mutant far stronger than any zombies you have seen. You may lose your life. So think about it carefully if you want to go with me or go back to camp." Anik said to the team very carefully.

"We are soldiers Anik. We are not afraid of losing our lives on a battlefield. We know the risk, that's why we are here to help you." Holden said to Anik.

"Fine. Then here eat them." Anik gives his teammates and Sophia 20 essences each.

"Is it one of your abilities too?" Luna said to Anik with a bewildered face.

"You can get stronger more and more by eating it 20 times only. After that, it will only work as a healing agent." Anik said to all of them.

"Old man, do you want it too?" Anik asked the old pilot too.

"No, don't wash your things on this old man." The old pilot said to Anik.

Anik didn't force him after the old pilot said that to him.

"So, the mutant you are talking about facing. Tell us more about it." Ace asked Anik.

"Well, it is several times stronger and it can have an ability like the claw mutant but I don't know about it," Anik said to Ace.

"Maybe we can defeat them by teaming all together," Jonathan said to Anik.

"No, we don't know what its ability and I don't want to endanger you guys," Anik said to the team.

"Ahh~You care about us. I didn't know loved us so much." Luna said jokingly.

"Anik!!" Jonathan said with fake tears too.

Ace and Holden both laughed at Anik.

*Sigh*

"So, are we gonna stop any military camp or have to siphon from the abandoned military camps?" Anik asked Luna.

"We are going to active camps on the way to California to refuel if they survive the stronger zombies," Luna said to Anik.

"Why, are their population more than your city?" Anik asked Luna.

"Some cities are highly populated so, we have to be prepared," Luna said to Anik.

"Anik, are all the zombies going towards California because of that mutant you are talking about?" Sophia asked Anik.

"Maybe," Anik said to Anik.

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AFTER 3 HOURS/DALLAS, TEXAS

They all looked at the city which was destroyed because all the buildings and roads were bombarded with missiles. All the roads were full of debris, broken vehicles and dead people which were decaying.

"I was informed of the bombing of this city one week ago but to it extent. Everyone inside the city at the moment of the bombing must have died due to the mass bombing.

Will the military be still active?" Luna said about the state of the city.

"Try to connect with the radio station of this city. The military camp was set up there." Luna asked Holden to signal the radio.

"Didn't get any response," Holden said after trying to connect with the radio.

After reaching the radio station which was a little outside the city. They saw zombies everywhere. There were a couple of mutant zombies too.

There were many tents and vehicles outside the radio station. It was walled off too. But the main gate was broken. There were a lot of body parts too.

"Can we kill all of them fast and quick before zombies from far away get attracted by the helicopter sounds," Jonathan asked Luna.

"Since we are pretty high up. They wouldn't care about us or the noise. The problem is when we try to refuel. But I don't think it would be a problem if we do it fast before mutant starts to appear." Luna said to them.

"Now, let's first kill all the zombies near the radio station and inside the remaining camp stealthily. Right, captain." Anik said to Luna.

"Yes, we have to do that first. The old man drew, Can you lower the helicopter up to 75m above the ground when I say to lower it?

Hover around the mutant for the time being." Luna said to old pilot Drew.

"Ok, Captain," The old pilot said to Luna.

"But, captain we have the rope only 50m long," Jonathan said to Luna.

"Believe in your new strength more will ya? We all gonna climb down to the end of the rope and fall towards the ground. Sophia you will stay on the helicopter."

After reaching the 75m height. Luna, Jonathan, Ace and Holden were first to go down the four ropes tied to the helicopter two to each side. Following when they reach the end of the rope. They all fall towards the mutants.

*Stab*stab*stab*slash*slash*slash

They pretty quickly killed the mutant visible to their eyes and started to kill normal zombies with their knives.

Anik was next to climb down the rope but he just jumped from the helicopter and straight landed on a mutant zombie head which was hiding under the ground.

Both Sophia and the old pilot were shocked for a second but after looking down they just saw Anik doing fine.

Luna then signals the pilot to fly up from them to not attract zombies from afar right away.

'Summon '...

Anik also started killing zombies by summoning kitchen knives again and again throwing them at them very fast with great accuracy. He looked like he was punching the air with a slight open palm shooting knives out of nowhere.

*Swoosh*swoosh*swoosh*swoosh*

*Stab*stab*stab*stab*stab*stab*stab*

*Swoosh*swoosh*swoosh*swoosh*

*Stab*stab*stab*stab*stab*stab*stab*

The knives were perceived to be the zombie's head and neck most of the time. Anik was full-on enjoying his new ability.

"I am still perplexed at how he can do it," Luna said with a sigh. She also continuously started killing the zombies with her team.

After a few minutes, everybody had killed all the zombies around the radio station.

Luna then contacted the helicopter pilot through a handheld transceiver to get down.

"Holden and Jonathan search for the helicopter fuel first," Luna said to Holden and Jonathan. They both nodded and went their way to search for the fuel.

"Ah~ I found it. It's here in this tent." Jonathan said showing the fuel tank name {JP-8, or JP8 (for "Jet Propellant 8")} inside a big tent.

After that, the helicopter landed on the ground pretty fast and Holden immediately started refueling the helicopter.

*Thump*thump*

"I think we got company because of the helicopter landing," Anik said while overlooking the area from the radio station, he saw normal zombies coming their way.

"Besides Holden and Sophia, everyone protects the helicopter from the incoming zombies," Luna said to the team.

"Yes, captain!" Anik, Ace and Jonathan said to Luna and ran towards the incoming zombies.

To be continued...