Webnovel

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

February 12, 2027, 8 AM. The Center for Disease and Pandemic District Hospital in Washington DC buzzed with activity. The tall, white-painted building boasted three entrances: Front, Left, and Back. Luis George, a 41-year-old assistant staff member hailing from Georgia, tirelessly worked in the hospital's laboratory, mainly dealing with blood samples.

Amidst his routine, Luis grappled with an inner conflict. He desired to protect his family but wondered if that meant fighting against the imminent threats surrounding them.

On this eventful day, anxiety gnawed at Luis as he placed a blood sample allegedly from a zombie onto Mrs. Jane Raymond's desk, claiming it had arrived anonymously that morning. The package bore a cryptic message: "A community is full of Zombies; search for it."

Jane Raymond, the hospital's director, felt the weight of responsibility as she reviewed the report. A call to the Prime Minister's Office ensued, resulting in a directive to eliminate the alleged zombie-infested community. However, Luis harbored a different hope—to find a cure rather than resorting to destruction.

"I don't think we should jump to conclusions. There might be a chance to develop a vaccine," Luis voiced his concerns.

But Jane, worn out and unwell, felt differently. "We can't risk it. The threat might be too great," she replied weakly.

Reluctantly, Luis conceded, yet a spark of defiance flickered within him. He believed in exploring all avenues before resorting to drastic measures. His desire to protect his family fueled his determination.

Meanwhile, the hospital's cyber security, under Jane's instruction, delved into tracking the community through the system to validate the received information. Their keystrokes echoed in the tense atmosphere of the lab, a silent urgency in their actions.

Jane's weariness was obvious, her resolve wavering. "I'm not feeling well," she murmured, her voice betraying exhaustion.

Luis noticed her condition and offered, "Let me help you, Mrs. Raymond. You should rest."

She nodded weakly, grateful for the concern, and slowly made her way to her office to recuperate.

Then she decided to inject herself to relief the pain. Immediately she took the white syringe and wanted to inject herself, A warning bell rang from Fred and Stone.

Fred and Stone Works as a cyber security in that DC.

With the syringe concealed in her lab coat pocket, she rushed towards Fred and Stone's post, where the warning bell had sounded.

"Jane, we've got a potential outbreak in Tacoma. It's urgent," Fred explained, his eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation.

Stone added, "We need to act fast. There's no time to waste."

Understanding the severity of the situation, Jane wasted no time. She directed Mr. Gomez, the skilled pilot with whom she had collaborated on numerous missions, to prepare the DC private jet for departure in the next 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, Joseph, the file keeper, crossed paths with Jane as she was leaving Gomez's office. She quickly briefed him on the unfolding situation and informed him that he would accompany her to the scene.

Luis overhead them and he sneak into Joseph office to wait for him. Immediately Joseph entered his office with his mistress Cassandra.

He was kissing Cassandra and holding her tight to himself without knowing that someone was inside his office already, he was about to lock his office door when Luis clear his throat.

Joseph and Cassandra were shocked and quickly split up, Cassandra rushed out of the office.

Luis, with a sly smile, asked Joseph, "You love her?"

Caught off guard, Joseph hesitated but smiled in response. Luis, sensing an opportunity, remarked, "Guess your wife should know about this, right?"

Joseph, defensive, retorted, "Are you threatening me?"

Luis, still smiling, replied, "No, just don't want that poor woman to be heartbroke, you know."

Joseph frown and asked, "What did you want?"

"Good question!" Luis smiles at Joseph and both of them went out and go straight to Jane's office, but she wasn't there.

Jane was talking to one of the DC Security officer, then she sight Joseph and Luis coming towards her, She had to excuse herself and moves closer to them.

She told Joseph that they will be leaving now.

"Uhmm... " Joseph clears his throat, "I'm sorry, my wife has a fever. She just called me now and I need to go see her."

Jane expressed her displeasure at Joseph's sudden need to attend to his wife. "Why don't you tell me before?" she asked with frustration.

"I'm sorry," Joseph apologized.

Facing a dilemma, Jane needed someone to accompany her to Tacoma. Joseph suggested Luis, "What if Luis follows you?"

Luis face Jane and say, "He told me about his wife, so I'll go with you."

Jane, a bit skeptical, questioned Luis, "Are you ready for this?"

"Luis can handle it. Besides, he's already aware of the situation," Joseph chimed in, shooting a glance at Luis.

Jane, resigned to the circumstances, agreed, "Okay, let's go."

Jane and Luis headed to the waiting DC private jet. As they boarded and Jane prepared herself with a parachute, Luis exchanged signals with Gomez, the pilot. Without wasting any more time, the jet took off into the sky, leaving the District Hospital behind.

As Jane and Luis soared above the community, they peered through their telescopes to assess the situation. Jane, gripping her telescope tightly, couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear as she observed the staggering number of zombies below.

"The information was real," she murmured to Luis, her voice tinged with anxiety.

Luis, without uttering a word, suddenly pushed Jane out of the helicopter, shocking her. She screamed as she plummeted from the sky, and Luis swiftly instructed Gomez to change their position.

Jane, terrified, fumbled to release her parachute. Fortunately, she landed on top of a van strategically blocking the entrance to the zone. Startled but unharmed, she marveled at the eerily deserted place, realizing someone had visited recently.

However, her relief was short-lived as a horde of zombies approached. Panicking, she reached into her pocket and retrieved the syringe she had intended to inject herself with earlier. With the zombies closing in, she used her agility to fend them off, smashing one's hand and extracting its blood with the syringe.

Back at the District Hospital, Fred grew increasingly worried as four hours passed without any sign of Jane or Luis.

"It's been too long. I need to find Jane and Luis," Fred exclaimed to Stone.

Stone, concerned, replied, "I'm coming with you."

Meanwhile, Luis and Gomez headed to Luis's house. There, Luis introduced Gomez to his wife, Anabel, and their daughter, Grace, who was 15 years old. Luis proudly showed Gomez pictures of his two sons, Mark and Joel.

Rewinding a month earlier, Luis took Mark and Joel to visit his parents in Tacoma during their school break. Mark, 8 years old, was Luis's second child, and Joel, 6 years old, was the youngest.

Mark and Joel were excited to spend more time with their grandparents in Tacoma. Luis assured them he would pick them up in one week, promising to reunite the family.

Fast forward one week, Luis woke up with a smile, anticipating the reunion with Mark and Joel. His wife, Mrs. Anabel George, had already prepared breakfast. Grace, their 15-year-old daughter, was at the dining table in a white short gown, enjoying her meal.

Anabel, standing near the table, cleaned a plate with a white piece of cloth. Luis, radiating happiness, moved from the living room to Grace, pecking her from behind. He then approached Anabel, and they hugged and exchanged affectionate pecks.

Sitting at the dining table with a slice of bread and a mug of tea, Luis informed his wife of his plan to pick up Mark and Joel that day. Anabel, a mixture of worry and love in her eyes, said, "Please take care."

After finishing his breakfast, Luis headed to the bathroom, took a quick shower, got dressed, and grabbed his car keys. He drove off towards Tacoma, eager to reunite with his sons.

As Luis approached Tacoma, an unsettling echo emanated from the town. The once-silent surroundings now echoed with a strange noise. He spotted a man driving out of Tacoma and halted him.

"I'm Luis George," Luis introduced himself, extending his hand, after stepping out from his car.

The man responded, "Leo."

Confused, Luis inquired about the stranger noises and where is everyone. Leo grimly revealed, "Everyone turned into monsters."

Luis with confused expression inquire, "I don't understand."

"It's just happened, I don't understand also but we managed to block some roads to prevent further infection." Leo explained.

Luis pleaded with Leo to go back with him, but Leo, terrified, hesitated and tell Luis to go home because that town is infected. Luis, determined to reach his family, convinced Leo to accompany him. Leo reluctantly agreed.

Returning to Tacoma, they found the town infested with zombies. Luis was shocked and pointed toward his parents' house, expressing hope that they were safe inside. The town was enclosed with barbed wire, and Leo laugh and explained that, not everyone turn but they had blocked the entrance to contain the outbreak.

However, Luis rage consumed him as he asked, "Are you saying that most of the people here, you turn them into this?"

"We had no choice, we can't let them spread it!" Leo explained. In a sudden burst of anger, Luis attacked Leo, punching him while Leo was shouting, "Stop...stop it mehn!" Leo noise started attracting the zombies, but Luis did not stop until Leo was unconscious. Luis, realizing the danger of attracting the zombies, tied Leo up and threw him into the zone.

As the zombies descended upon Leo, Luis's fear intensified. He hastily drove out of the zone, shaken by the brutal reality he had just witnessed. In a moment of reflection, Luis told Gomez to let go back to that town, considering the possibility that his parents and children might still be alive, locked inside their house.