Chapter 54 The Mutant Zombie
The mutant zombie let out a furious, high–pitched shriek after missing its target–a sound so sharp and piercing it felt like thousands of needles stabbing straight <b>into </b>the brain.
A crushing wave of pressure pulsed from its grotesque body, thick and suffocating. Anyone within range could feel the fear creeping in, instinct screaming, “Ron!”
“D’mn it–Level 2 mutant zombie! Fall <b>back</b>! Theresa shouted to Kyle over the roar.
That snapped him out of his stunned daze. The sheer presence of the thing had frozen him for a moment<b>, </b>but her voice cut through the fog.
Kyle spun on his heel and ran toward the tanker truck.
“Forget the tanker!” Theresa yelled again, her tone sharper now. “We’re pulling out!”
She wasn’t about to tangle with that monster. Not now. Not like this.
Even in her previous life, Level 2 mutant zombies were serious threats. For regr survivors, that was the ceiling–anything stronger had to be handled by ability users. <b>And </b>even then, you would need someone with a Level 2 ability at minimum just to stand a chance.
Theresa had her ability now, sure–but it was new. Barely broken in. Her control wasn’t refined yet, and throwing herself into a head–on fight against a fully evolved mutant would be <b>suicide</b>.
She gritted her teeth.
Retreat. Live to fight another day,
But Kyle wasn’t stopping.
“I got it, Theresa! You drive–I’ll hook up the trailer!” he yelled over his shoulder.
He couldn’t bear the thought of going back empty–handed. After all, this was the fuel Theresa had wanted. <b>In </b>his mind, bringing back at least some of it <b>was </b>non–negotiable.
Theresa clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to curse him out on the spot. Stubborn idiot. He has no idea I have already stored most of <i>the </i><i>fuel </i>safely in my domain.
Still, there was no time to argue. She mmed her foot down on the clutch<b>, </b>her fingers flying over the controls like a pianist on <b>a </b>mission. The armored car roared to life.
Boom!
A cloud of dust exploded
them as the mutant <b>zombie </b>barreled forward, kicking off the ground
with bone–cracking force. It lunged at Kyle like a deranged freight train.
Kyle, ever the fighter, twisted his body in mid–air and hit the ground in a clean roll. In one smooth motion, he yanked a gun from the sling on <i>his </i>back.
Bang!
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Chapter 51 The Mutant Zombie
Bone!
Bane?
Ganshots echoed across the lot, each one dead–on, thest round drilling straight into the creature’s forehead.
But it didn’t even flinch.
This wasn’t like the other zombies.
“Idiot! You gotta blow its <b>brain </b>to pieces or it won’t stay down! Get in the car now! Theresa yelled, her voice almost swallowed by the engine’s roar.
Kyle didn’t hesitate this time. He bolted for the armored car, legs pumping hard, boots hammering the pavement.
But the mutant zombie–smart in all the worst ways–seemed to predict his move. Its bloated mass shifted, coiled like a spring, and thenunched forward at terrifying speed.
It wasing for <b>him</b>.
Fast.
“Dodge left!” Theresa shouted.
Kyle didn’t hesitate. The second hermand hit his ears, he dove hard <b>to </b>the left.
Right then-
ng!
The right side of the armored car twisted with a metallic groan as a row of sharp spikes shot out like hidden fangs from a trap. They rammed straight into the mutant zombie’s chest, impaling it clean through.
While the monster reeled, Kyle used the opening to roll through the passenger door–already open and waiting for <b>him</b><b>. </b>
Theresa retracted the spikes in a <b>sh</b>, mmed the gas pedal, and the armored car roared forward. It took off with Kyle
nd the dogs inside, dragging the fuel tanker behind it and speeding down the only path she had managed to clear.
She <b>was </b>fast–but
<b>Iso </b>was the mutant
Enraged after being stabbed, the creature went wild, <b>charging </b>after them like a freight train gone off the rails. It mmed into the armored car again and again, but the reinforced frame held steady. This wasn’t just <b>any </b>vehicle–it was a system rewarded beast built for war. It would take more than brute force to
break it.
But when it couldn’t reach Theresa, the mutant zombie turned its sights to the next best thing–the fuel tanker. With a thunderous leap, itnded on the trailer, its massive bulk making it sway violently side to side. The sudden weight yanked against the armored car, jerking the entire rig off bnce.
<b>2/3 </b>
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Chapter 54 The Mutant Zombie
Bang!
Crunch–Crash!
Theresa’s vehicle barreled through the median strip, mming through several cars in its path. Metal screamed. Sparks flew. A couple of sedans went flying off the overpass, tumbling like toys into the <b>abyss </b>below<b>. </b>
The armored car skidded to a halt with its front tires hanging halfway over the edge. The nose of the vehicle was suspended in midair, pointing straight down into the gaping 30–foot drop below.
Both Theresa and Kyle were now staring at the open sky, the highway below stretching out like the jaws of death.
Only her driving skills had saved them from tipping overpletely.
Roooaaar!
The sound came again–closer, heavier, angrier. The armored car trembled beneath them, the weight of the monster shaking it like an earthquake. That Level 2 mutant zombie, all rotten meat and fury, wasing for them at full speed, its disgusting mass rippling with every step.
Theresa’s eyes darted to the interior disy screen. She spotted the creature closing in fast. Her expression turned ice–cold.
Without a word, she grabbed the secondary control wheel and flicked a series of switches on theplex instrument panel.
ck!
Boom!
A roar of me exploded outward. A tongue of fire erupted from a hidden turret mounted on the armored car’s roof.
The st struck the mutant zombie dead center.
The recoil alone knocked the beast back several yards. It staggered, and the high–pressure inferno drilled into its bloated chest, punching a charred, smoking hole clean through its rotting flesh.