Northern France, Lille, April 20, 2030 — 8:00 AM
Rose held her rifle in front of her. The third building housed civilians trapped by the monsters. Alpha Team circled around to enter from the back. The infected were numerous and agitated. Idriss took the lead, moving in first, while Rose covered the rear.
— RWAAAAH! — RAAAAH!
The infected let out inhuman screams, barreling down the stairs with terrifying savagery. Idriss opened fire. The creatures fell like flies, yet strangely, they kept moving.
— "Alpha Team, stay together!" Rose ordered.
She scanned the floors with her HK416, covering her teammates alongside Idriss with alternating suppressive fire.
— "RELOADING! SWITCH!" Idriss shouted.
Out of ammo, Antoine cried out in desperation. Rose set down her rifle and drew her pistol, firing precise shots to support him.
Finally, the undead ceased their assault and fell into an eerie silence. Alpha Team remained on high alert. To prevent more infected from entering, Idriss slammed shut a heavy wooden door and stood guard, his rifle aimed at the entrance.
— "Antoine, stay behind me," Rose commanded firmly as she prepared to move up, targeting the fourth floor.
As she ascended, she noticed makeshift barricades—stacked furniture and scattered objects—signs of a desperate attempt to fortify the area. They were close to their objective.
Fourth Floor
— "Mom, Dad… I'm scared… really scared…"
— "I'm sure it's the army coming to save us, sweetheart."
— "How do you know they're not here to take us and hurt us?!"
Upon reaching the landing, Rose came face to face with a group of ten civilians: a little girl with her parents, an elderly woman, three young adults, a 15-year-old boy, a 19-year-old woman, and a man in his forties.
— "It's the army!" one of them exclaimed in relief.
Smiles appeared on their faces, but Antoine, still wary, reacted aggressively.
— "ON THE GROUND! STRIP DOWN! HAVE YOU BEEN BITTEN?! ANSWER ME!"
Under the threat, the civilians complied.
— "Antoine…" Rose began, touched by their distress but fully aware of the stakes.
— "HAVE YOU BEEN BITTEN?!" she repeated insistently.
The father, exhausted and wounded but determined to protect his family, stepped forward, placing himself within Rose's firing range.
— "If we were like them, we'd already be dead… or trying to eat you. You know how this works, don't you? It only takes a few hours…"
The elderly woman, leaning on her cane, struggled to stand.
— "The Lord has protected us. These soldiers are our angels, sent to deliver us from this punishment…"
— "ENOUGH, GRANDMA!" the 15-year-old boy shouted.
Rose, keeping her emotions in check, proceeded with the medical inspection.
— "You're all healthy? No symptoms? No virus?"
Antoine, relieved, lowered the barrel of his HK416F, exhaling deeply. But the old woman wasn't finished.
— "A virus? What virus? This is divine punishment! I saw it… in my angel, a dead angel…"
Her words unsettled Rose, reminding her of Serge's hallucinations during the infected attack. She concluded that the woman, like so many others, was deeply traumatized.
— "Listen… I know you've been through terrible things, and that's true. You're strong, ma'am. But this isn't God's doing. We're going to evacuate you over 8 kilometers from here, away from the city. Once there, we can call in the armored units. And we'll protect you until the end. You say we're your angels? Then I promise you."
The old woman withdrew slowly, her eyes filled with an unsettling conviction. Rose, though used to ignoring religious talk, couldn't shake off a lingering unease from the woman's resolute gaze.
— "Alright," Rose said, regaining focus. "We'll move through quieter areas of the city. We'll pass through two abandoned buildings we've already secured. Then, we'll regroup with the rest of my unit to resupply on ammo and rations."
She unfolded a map of Lille and its surroundings, showing the civilians the extraction point marked in red.
— "Here. We're heading north, towards Wambrechies. Take only the essentials—it's going to be a long, grueling march. And… make sure to hold on tight to your little angels."
Rose smiled at the young children before securing her gear and checking her HK416F.
— "Three mags, 30 rounds each…" she murmured under her breath.
— "IDRISS!" she suddenly called out, her voice sharp.
Her shout echoed through the heavy air, making Antoine flinch. But it wasn't Rose's voice that had frightened him.
It was the unnerving silence from Idriss.