Mutagen

Day 3 – 10:42 AM – Behind Bacoor City Hall Compound, Molino Boulevard, Bayanan, Bacoor City, Cavite

Observing the sounds of the gunshots, Mark deemed that something dangerous was happening at the rooftop. Was it another mutated infected? The possibility was very high. He remembered the one that attacked Bernard's group on the rooftop of the mall.

'Huh?'

When the thought of Bernard and Calvin came into his mind, he felt some bad premonition. However, he had no time to dwell on this feeling at the moment. He hurriedly picked up the radio.

"Mei'er! Check on what is happening on the rooftop!"

"Yes!"

Mei's reply came in from the radio. The drone that was flying just above Mark flew up higher and made its way above the City Health Center.

"Let's go."

Mark said to the Chief.

The police went into formation. They positioned themselves around the survivors that came from the Health Center. All the members of the police all brought riot shields with them making them the perfect shield for the survivors at the current situation.

They all moved in an orderly fashion. They wanted to hurry up even more but were not able to do so. Among the survivors they saved, two were heavily injured and was barely able to walk, to talk about running with them... Is impossible.

Soon, Mark's radio vibrated.

"Gege! They are fighting something on the rooftop!"

"What something? Another mutated infected?"

"No! We can't see it clearly but not an infected. It looked like an animal. Wait, I see it! It's a…"

***

Several minutes ago…

Madam Lanie as in charge of command led the group of bodyguards to lure the infected towards their area of jurisdiction. The plan was going smoothly and as trained professional bodyguards, their shots were even more accurate than most low people in the police and the military.

The street below them was being littered by numerous bodies of dead infected. They also found the screaming infected Mark saw ago and they followed his instructions upon seeing the infected. They did not kill it directly and just shot it at the non-vital parts of its body. The infected screamed and lured more infected around as they expected. However, it disrupted their momentum.

The voice of the infected was too awful to the ears that even the always serious looking bodyguards were tickled to their bones. They only forced themselves not to laugh as the congresswoman was watching them. The corner of Madam Lanie's lips also twitched when she heard the scream. She could see that the performance of the bodyguards where lessened.

"Stop giggling like high school girls and concentrate on your work!"

She yelled making the men all stiff. The congresswoman was a very nice person but it was the opposite when she got angry.

After that, the continuation of the plan went smoothly again. It was too smooth that if Mark was here, he would feel that something was amiss. However, the man in question was not here and was with the rescue team.

By the time that the rescue team finished helping the survivors make their way out of the health center, the dilemma started on the group at the rooftop.

The body guards saw a black shadow running along the street agilely dodging the infected. One of the infected confronted the shadow but with a swipe of the shadow, the head of the infected flew away along with the splash of blood.

It was then that the people by the rooftop saw what the shadow was. The shadow was actually a cat, a house cat with striped black, gray and white fur about the size of panther.

The large cat noticed them and its slit shaped eyes stared at them who were on the rooftop. Everyone felt the hair on their bodies raise up and their backs were covered in cold sweat. Two of the guards immediately retreated and went towards the congresswoman.

"Madam, we need you to return. It won't be simple this time."

Madam Lanie who also felt the threat could only nod and follow her bodyguard's request. However, before the two bodyguards was able to escort her away, another two bodyguards retreated and started to run away. The other people were dumbfounded. Madam Lanie saw the two and it was Garcia's two bodyguards.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Madam Lanie was about to order them to return to their post but she was disrupted by a sudden series of gun fires.

"Madam! Quick! Go inside!"

Another bodyguard who was shooting frantically shouted without regards to respect or superiority in ranks. It was because the situation suddenly became dangerous.

The two cowards retreated because the huge cat on the street started to make its way towards them. How? It used the broken suspended pathway as a bridge! It agilely climbed up the dangling foundation and jumped unto the twisted roof of the pathway!

"Roy! Andrew! Bring the Madam back inside! Leave this to us!"

With that, the two bodyguards that warned the congresswoman first escorted her back inside in a hurry while the other three bodyguards stayed to confront the beast.

Before the rooftop was out of the view of the congresswoman, she saw the Large Cat reach the rooftop unscathed despite the barrage of gunfire her bodyguards made.

The three bodyguards that stayed put up a good fight. When the cat finally climbed up to the roof top with a huge leap, they immediately retreated.

"You two, maintain your concentration! Keep support on each other or else, we'll perish here!"

"Alright!"

"Good!"

The three brave bodyguards confronted the beast. They kept on shooting the huge cat forcing it to dodge and retreat but still, there were chances that the cat would find a hole to charge into. During those moments, the bodyguard who was being attacked would try to dodge with all their might in order to keep up with the beast's speed. The three bodyguards and the huge car were at a stalemate.

However…

That state did not last too long.

Due to difference in strength, speed and stamina coupled with the fact that the bodyguards were undernourished these past two days, the first injury was received. The cat charged towards the leading guard and swiped its claws. The guard tried to jump back to dodge but the claws of the cat managed to reach his left arm. The sleeve of his suit was torn and three bleeding gashes appeared on his arm.

The beast wanted to attack the bodyguard once more but it just became an opportunity to the injured guard as the cat stopped in front of him. Enduring the pain on his wounds, he suddenly pulled and pointed his gun forward and shot. The cat was caught off-guard and tried to dodge. The cat jumped away and was not hit by the shot directly but the shot still scraped some of its fur on its right front leg and also left a painful abrasion.

The huge cat retreated and let out a painful howl. However, its fighting capability did not plummet but rose instead. It became angry due to receiving an injury from these puny humans.

The cat attacked once more and the momentum of its attack was higher. Soon, the three bodyguards were all covered with wounds on their bodies. One of them was even clutching his wounded eye and face while gritting his teeth in pain. They knew that this was it.

One of the three was already blinded while another could not even stand anymore as a large wound just below his right knee was visible. The last man was still standing but that was it. Both his arms were wounded and he was not able to attack or anymore. Even if he could still run, he was sure that this beast could catch up to him.

The three were not in the condition to fight anymore and was only able to avoid not getting killed by supporting each other during dangerous times and forcing the beast to retreat.

At this moment however, not only their bodies but their guns also gave up. They used up all their ammunition! This was the end for them.

The huge cat charged once more. It was towards the bodyguard with injured leg. The man being attack felt helpless and could only close his eyes in despair while he waited for his death.

***

Mark and Abbygale separated from the group after reaching the Police Command Center. The two directly went to the rooftop while the policemen and the survivors entered the third floor. However, the survivors from the Health Center would not be escorted to the City Hall anymore and would stay here in the Command Center. The policemen on the other hand would escort the people in the City Hall towards the Command Center. The City Hall was not safe anymore. No, even right at the moment that the huge tree sprouted, the City Hall was a dangerous place already. With the state of the building where it looked like it had been devastated by a strong earthquake, it might collapse at any moment. The survivors there only stayed because they had no other place to go to. Now that the two upper floors of the Command Center were secured, the survivors there could now be relocated.

The priority to be escorted out was the congresswoman and Charmaine while the other survivors were next on the line. The lowest on the priority however, was the businessman, Garcia and his bodyguards.

He was furious. The policemen did not even bother about him. No, it was not that they did not bother about him. They were looking at him from time to time. However, their eyes were filled with disdain. The congresswoman and the two bodyguards with her were also the same. What happened? He was confused. Was it because he ordered his bodyguards to retreat once danger arose? No! None of them should have known anything about it! If there was to be blamed here, then it would just be his bodyguards since no one knew about his orders!

He was left out in the dark but could not do anything. If he tried to go against the congresswoman and the police chief, he would be branded as an enemy. He could only follow their procedures while gritting his teeth in anger.

Garcia did not know that his order to his men was not leaked. Even the congresswomen had suspicions but were still not proven. The policemen and the congresswoman were behaving like this due the actions his bodyguards made and also due to Mark. He offended him earlier and did not want to mingle with him anymore.

His sin count was growing in numbers time and time again that he was starting to become the enemy of everyone here, especially the congresswoman. She received the news from the Chief when he arrived. However, she held her anger inside. Now was not the time to create more conflict with the group.

***

The Father and Daughter duo arrived at the rooftop of the city hall. They saw the mutilated bodies of the three bodyguards that stayed to fight the huge cat. Mark already expected this scene as Mei continuously relayed what was happening at the rooftop from the time that the congresswoman was escorted back inside to the time that the life of the last bodyguard was taken by the beast.

The confrontation between the bodyguards and the huge cat only lasted for several minutes and there was no way for Mark and Abbygale to arrive here on time to aid them. Before the rescue team could even reach the Police Command Center, the three bodyguards had already died.

And the culprit? It was now on a branch of the huge tree. It was no question what that beast was up to. It was also after the fruit on the tree. However, it seemed that it perceived the existence of Mark and Abbygale that it stopped moving while staring at the two.

Staring at the huge house cat, Mark remembered the information disclosed by the military. Everyone had the chance to evolve but animals and plants would evolve faster. This huge cat and the huge tree in front of them right now was the prime examples of those circumstances.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

A loud sound could be heard from the northern side of the rooftop making everyone on the rooftop look over that direction. A few seconds later, a large bushy tree could be seen emerging from the unseen part of the building. It was that large mutated Woodman. Just like how the huge cat climbed up to the rooftop, the Woodman followed.

Mark found it troublesome in many ways. It seemed that the infected were starting to learn methods to hunt their prey. If this mutated infected was able to learn how to climb accessible places, then, how about the others?

But that was not the problem at this situation. All the beings here right now on the rooftop was after a single thing. It was the golden fruit on the huge tree.