Disclaimer: This is a work of original fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Warning: I'm aware that you may not be comfortable reading the part where an Evolved Zombie converts a human into a Special Mutated Zombie by shoving its tongue into his/her mouth to force him/her to swallow an unknown liquid. Feel free to skip that part if necessary.

Chapter 3 - Midnight Attack

Bridge Over Lake Champlain, Alburgh, Vermont, USA, 8 November 2020, 0019 hrs

With the final large military crate placed on the bridge, most of the bio-handlers retreat towards the side of Alburgh, leaving a few of them to deploy the Grudgies. Then, they do some hand movements using the Young Templars' Military-grade Gauntlets to activate the bio-weapons under their control. At last, the Grudgies sense the bio-handlers' hand gestures calling them to follow their commands at all costs. Within seconds, these bio-weapons are now under their control completely. Hence, the bio-handlers order the Grudgies to come outside. Soon enough, these Grudgies force their way out from the military crates through brute force with several loud bangs.

At the same time, on the Alpha Checkpoint...

The sound of loud bangs nearby rattled the US soldiers on the watchtower while standing guard. "What the hell was that? Is it an explosion?" The unnamed US soldier looks at his watch buddy nervously. "Maybe. But I...." Before the watch buddy can finish his statement, he spots several Grudgies on the bridge. "Hold on. Is that...." His eyes widen upon seeing several long hair silhouettes of bio-weapons standing on the bridge when the dense fog subsides. "Oh, crap! There are several unknown zombies on the bridge! Alert Headquarters to raise the alarm and request for backup!" The watch buddy tells the US soldier to radio the safe zone headquarters about the current situation. When he was about to pick up a walkie-talkie attached to his tactical vest, an unknown bullet pierced his face, killing him. "What the fuck?!" The watch buddy was stunned as he observed what had transpired. Before he could react any further, another bullet pierced his head, killing him as well.

On a rooftop building filled with camouflage netting...

Sally is in a prone position as she aims through her M110 SASS sniper rifle scope. 'You are making things too easy, pathetic humans.' Sally thoughtfully gloats after taking out the two soldiers standing on the watchtower. "Sergeant Hass, I neutralized the enemy humans on Watchtower A. Have you neutralized Watchtower B as well?" Sally clarifies with Antoine through the Communication Headgear. "Affirmative, Sergeant Flannery. We need to kill the floodlights before the Grudgies can create an opening for our brothers and sisters from the 14th N.A Regiment." Antonie replies. "Roger that," Sally says while she aims at the floodlights before shooting them.

With the floodlights no longer operable, it will be easier for the Grudgies to storm the Alpha checkpoint and neutralize every US soldier guarding it. "Good job of killing the lights, Sergeant Flannery. The bio-handlers can fully deploy the Grudgies to attack the safe zone. As for us, we have to secure this entrance until Operation NightStorm ends. Sit tight and be on guard. May the Young Templars' faith be with you." Antonie wishes Sally a good luck message. "You too as well, Sergeant Hass. I will catch you later after the mission operation ends." Sally replies before ending the conversation. As Sally looks at the bridge, a sinister grin appears on her lips as she looks forward to seeing the safe zone fall apart.

On the bridge...

After receiving confirmation from Sergeant Hass that he and Sally neutralized both the watchtowers and floodlights, the bio-handlers order the Grudgies to destroy the checkpoint. The Grudgies then show their terrifying ghostly faces with evil smiles and creepy black eyes before dashing toward the checkpoint. A US soldier (manning the M2 50 cal. Machine Gun) spots the Grudgies and alerts the rest of the soldiers in the checkpoint by shouting. "Call for backup! We are under attack by Evolved Zombies!" the soldier shouts while he fires the machine gun. However, the bullets fired from the machine gun did not penetrate the Grudgies. Instead, one of them breaks into pieces upon hitting one. "What the fuck?!" the soldier stares with eyes wide open in shock as he realizes the Grudgies are immune to ordinary bullets.

However, one of the Grudgies is fast enough to reach the machine gun nest. Before the soldier can retreat, it decapitates his head with its long, sharp claws. His decapitation shook nearby US soldiers who saw it. "Kill it! Kill it!" A US soldier shouts as she fires her M4 assault rifle at the Grudgies. But it is ineffective since the 5.56mm bullets did not hurt the Grudgie. Soon, more Grudgies breached the checkpoint by crossing into the machine gun nest. Aware that those soldiers are no match for them, the Grudgies ruthlessly attack them with terror. "HEHEHEHE! HAHAHAHA!" Terrifying waves of laughter come from the Grudgies as they kill the panic-stricken soldiers, hearing their unholy laughter. Apart from killing, the Grudgies pinned down some of them as they planned to turn them into Special Mutated Zombies through the Kiss of Death.

"Nooo!! Please nooo!!" a helpless US soldier shrieks in agony as she tries to break free from the Grudgie. Her actions lead to the terrifying monster applying more force on her by pressing on her body more painfully. "ARGHHH!!!" The lady soldier screams in pain, and she stops resisting. Satisfied to see the lady soldier cease further resistance, the Grudgie uses its hands to force her mouth wide open. Then the Grudgie shoves its tongue into the mouth of the lady soldier before several unknown liquids travel down into her mouth. The poor lady soldier cries with her tears flowing down her cheek as its tongue forces her to swallow the liquids into her throat.

Author's note: The Kiss of Death is inspired from the Infector creature of Dead Space universe where the creature converts human into necromorphs by injecting its pathogenic bile through its tongue (proboscis).

Unknown to her, these liquids turn normal human beings into special mutated zombies. Once the Grudgie fully implants all of it into the poor soldier, it retracts back its tongue and releases her from its grip. Within seconds, her body shakes uncontrollably as she transforms into a special mutated zombie. During her transformation, visible blood oozes out from her eyes, and her jaws enlarge further. Also, elongated sharp claws burst open from her Combat Gloves as well. With her transformation complete, she is now a special mutated zombie called Banshee. Soon, more soldiers become special mutated zombies after getting infected with the same Kiss of Death. Some of them became Banshees, while others became Bashers.

With all the soldiers either killed or turned into special zombies, one of the Grudgies telepathically informs the bio-handlers that the checkpoint is officially theirs. Hence, the bio-handlers command them to gather all zombies and move on to attack the center part of the safe zone. The Grudgies immediately command all nearby Bashers to form together before ordering the Banshees to attract zombies by screaming. All the Banshees shout in unison into the air, loud enough to attract hordes of zombies from a nearby abandoned military quarantine center. Within minutes, they cross the bridge before being guided by the Banshees to attack the center part of the safe zone through screaming.

"Looks like our brothers and sisters will have an easy battle tonight. No way those puny, weak humans will stand a chance against those overwhelming hordes." Antonie gloats in delight over the Communication Headgear. "Just don't get overexcited and remain professional, Sergeant Hass. We had to guard and monitor the bridge during the entire military operation." Sally reminds him back. "We can only hope they can liberate the children from the clutches of those evil adults. Sergeant Flannery out." With that, Sally ends the call with her comrade as she returns to watch the bridge through her rifle scope. 'If only humanity is under our control, the zombie apocalypse would never begin.' Sally thought.

Several minutes later, columns of M2 Bradley and Stryker military vehicles drive across the bridge as they enter North Hero Island. Hence, the attack on the Grand Isle Safe Zone has begun.

Checkpoint C-2, Last Safe Line 2, Grand Isle Safe Zone, Grand Isle, Vermont, USA, 8 November 2020, 0040 hrs

Twenty minutes later...

The screams of Banshees alerted the US soldiers guarding the checkpoint. "Wait, who would scream around this hour?" A soldier standing on the guard tower comments. However, he spots several silhouettes in the dark and turns on the floodlight in that direction to investigate further. To his horror, he saw a gigantic horde of zombies and a group of Grudgies dashing toward the checkpoint. "Shit! Zombies are approaching the gate! Raise the alarm and open fire!" The soldier shouts to the rest to fire their guns at the approaching zombies. Immediately, all the soldiers opened fire while a soldier went into the checkpoint security office to raise the alarm.

In the security office...

After raising the alarm, he turns on a nearby US military Ham radio to inform the national guard headquarters of the zombie attack. "Command, this is Checkpoint C-2. We are under attack by a gigantic horde of zombies! We need backup, and please send several IFVs to help us!" The soldier hastily speaks through the microphone. "Roger that, Checkpoint C-2." Someone replies from the Ham radio. "Backup is on its way with the IFVs. Please hold on until they arrive, soldier." Assured that reinforcement will arrive quickly, the soldier heads back to fight the zombies with his comrades.

Communication Room, New York National Guard Headquarters, Military District, Grand Isle Safe Zone, Grand Isle, Vermont, USA, 8 November 2020, 0042 hrs

Meanwhile...

"Master Sergeant (Tony) Thompson, I received a distress call from Checkpoint C-2 that a horde of zombies is trying to breach the checkpoint." The radio operator informs his superior. "What?!" Tony expresses disbelief at what he hears from his subordinate. "Impossible. Our safe zone is an island on Lake Champlain, and we had both Checkpoint Alpha and Beta protecting the two exits. There is no way zombies would overrun them easily." However, another distress call comes from the communication radio equipment set. "Command, this is Checkpoint C-1. Multiple zombies are trying to breach the outer gate. Please send in reinforcements now!" Astonished to hear zombies attacking these two checkpoints, he suspects the zombies successfully overrun Checkpoints Alpha and Beta.

Worried that the safe zone may fall to the zombies, Master Sergeant Thompson knows it is time to evacuate everyone in it and leave for a safer place. "Ok, listen carefully to me, soldier." Tony looked at the radio operator before issuing instructions on what to do next. "Right now, we need to evacuate everyone in our military vehicles and leave this area for somewhere safe. It's uncertain if the safe zone checkpoints will remain active for the next few hours. I want you to raise all the safe zone alarms and wake everyone up. Then inform them Code Exodus is in effect and tell everyone to head to the emergency assembly point for evacuation. Once issued the code, pack everything you can carry and destroy this room with C4s before leaving. Is that clear?"

"Roger, Master Sergeant Thompson." The radio operator acknowledges his instruction. "Good. I will go inform General Biggs and the others about the zombie attacks. I will see you at the emergency assembly area. Good luck and godspeed, soldier." Tony salutes the radio operator. "You too, Master Sergeant Thompson." The radio operator replies with a salute. Then they part ways with each other as the Master Sergeant leaves to inform the General and the others. The radio operator immediately returns to the communication radio equipment set to broadcast a message to everyone: "Attention everyone in the safe zone. We are under attack by a horde of zombies. Code Exodus is in effect. Please remain calm and proceed to the Emergency Assembly Point for evacuation." The radio operator then turns on all alarms in the safe zone before broadcasting the same message again.

To be continued...

End of Chapter 3

Note:All the characters, places and storylines are owned by Jeremy Mountbatten. All rights reserved by the author. Feel free to give some feedback and don't forget to vote for this chapter. If you want to support me, you can tip me on Ko-Fi (link provided below).

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