The sound of combat boots hitting pavement in rhythmic unison echoed through the city streets as wave after wave of PPD agents flanked and closed in around ground zero, hoping to neutralize the effects of any attack, be it chemical, physical, or spiritual. Agents Symco and Hodge stood at the epicenter surrounded by decapitated, steaked, and flaming corpses of the bloodfire ghouls, speaking with Casey about a game plan.

“This city is at war.” Casey said, “This attack was just the shot across the bow. Cornwall will stop at nothing until he has complete control.” As she was speaking a ghoul ran out from an alleyway towards her. She drew her sword and decapitated it in one smooth stroke of the blade. As the body collapsed to the ground she pulled a steak out of her belt and drove it into the heart of the corpse.

“Elliotte.” Casey said as her compatriot stepped forward with a flamethrower and ignited the fallen monster. Symco immediately got on her com and radio’d to the director.

“Pledgestone,” She said, “We’re dealing with Bloodfire.” The director knew what this meant, his men were unprepared. They had come expecting vampires but were dealing with something much worse. He radio’d to the troops.

“All units, hold your ground.” He said. “We are dealing with some kind of vampire witch hybrid. Targets must be decapitated, steaked, and incinerated.” The PPD agents looked at each other concerned and confusedly. Some were equipped with steaks, some brought swords, no one thought to bring, or had been instructed to bring flamethrowers. The director continued.

“New units are being dispatched with flamethrowers and have been instructed to pair up with tactical teams on site.” Now it was a waiting game. Hold their positions until they were properly equipped to deal with the threat.

Team Epsilon sat and waited, guns drawn and aimed at the street in a vigilant watch for anything unusual. They nearly jumped as the sound of a garbage can being knocked over rang through the street and the lid came rolling out into the otherwise empty street from a nearby alleyway. Macnamara, the team leader, motioned with his hand for his team to hold their ground as he cautiously stepped forward. He was a younger agent, though talented enough to rise through the ranks and command his own team unit. He was fully decked out in his tactical gear, including a helmet and kevlar plated neck protection. Something occurred to him.

“Where is everyone?” He said. “The area isn’t locked down yet, there should be people…” The lid from the knocked over garbage can now lay in the street beside a parked car. Macnamara slowly walked over to it with his gun drawn. He didn’t see anything behind the car or down the alley. Suddenly he heard one of his team members shout, “Watch out!” and began to open fire, he turned in time to see a group of ghouls bursting out from the alley across the street, he began to open fire as well, but his barrage of bullets did little in stopping them. One leapt at him with his claws out and slashed him deep across the face. Macnamara collapsed to the ground as the ghouls turned and began attacking the rest of team Epsilon.

Those armed with swords began decapitating them one by one as the rest proceeded to try and slow them down through gunfire. As the corpses began rising even without heads and continuing to attack in a never ending sea of violence and mayhem the team began to freak out. Luckily they could hear the sound of helicopter blades in the distance and soon a chopper was hovering over top of them with additional agents rappelling down on ropes holding flamethrowers. The surviving agents began steaking the headless corpses as the cavalry ignited them. Two of the members of Team Epsilon began collecting the dead. In total five agents had fallen at the hands of the ghouls, including Macnamara. As they piled them together Macnamara flinched and took a surprising gasp for air. The team members rushed in to try and help him, but as the first one reached Macnamara drove his newly formed bone claws through the agents throat. The other fallen agents began to rise from where they lay, the humanity drained from their eyes. They had become ghouls. No one was safe.