Mankind

Chapter Ten

Joan could vomit, if she had anything in her stomach worth throwing up. Her meeting with the Director has her stomach in knots and even worse, as soon as she got home, a citywide flood warning came across the street intercoms. But it gives her time to look through the mountain of paperwork she was given as a strict lockdown has been put in place.

Joan's hands tremble as she flips through the pages of the thick folders, her eyes scanning the dense blocks of text in search of any clues that might lead her to Subject Zero. The information is sparse, the details vague and disjointed, but one thing is clear: the Federation is desperate to locate the boy.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Joan realizes the magnitude of the task before her. The city is vast, its streets teeming with danger at every turn, and finding one person among the chaos will be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

But despite everything, Joan knows she has no choice but to press on. The fate of Subject Zero hangs in the balance, his very existence a threat to the fragile order that the Federation has worked so hard to maintain. If he falls into the wrong hands, the consequences could be catastrophic.

While a storm rages on in Steelton, the trio are nestled in a wooded area off the highway with a small fire going in the gentle wind. There's a chill in the air though, rain is coming but hopefully it's far off as the shelter they made isn't exactly good for a downpour.

A crunch nearby set them on edge, and then suddenly the air held the familiar scent of danger. Cassie grabbed her blade and stood quickly. The flame's flicker barely illuminated the night around them but a voice called out. "What do we have here?" It was a voice she'd heard before from just a couple days ago, a faint twang that almost reminded her of the...cannibals.

"You look like a lamb we lost not too long ago." The man said, slowly easing his way into the light of the fire. "Yeah, I'm sure of it. We strung you up but you got out."

Cassie gives Sam and Jesse a glance and in a split second, they take off in a full sprint down the hillside. All is quiet except for the buzzing of bullets zipping by and the crash of leaves under their shoes. The dodged and weaved through dense underbrush, and their lungs burned with each step they took.

As they bolted through the woods, Jesse's breaths came ragged, his heart pounding in his chest. Suddenly, a searing pain ripped through his side, and he stumbled, a sharp cry escaping his lips. He collapsed into the damp leaves, his vision swimming with agony.

Cassie skidded to a halt, her heart wrenching at the sight of Jesse crumpled on the forest floor. Without hesitation, she dove into the underbrush, her body moving on instinct alone. She crouched low, her muscles coiled like a spring, as the sound of footsteps drew nearer.

With a primal roar, Cassie lunged from her hiding spot, her blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. Blood sprayed in crimson arcs as she unleashed a frenzied assault, her movements a blur of violence and desperation.

The cannibals never stood a chance. Caught off guard by Cassie's savage ambush, they faltered, their screams drowned out by the savage onslaught. Cassie's rage burned bright, fueling her every strike as she carved a path of destruction through their ranks.

But even amidst the chaos, her mind remained clear, her focus unwavering. With each enemy that fell before her blade, she inched closer to victory, closer to ensuring Jesse's survival.

And when the last of their assailants lay crumpled in the dirt, Cassie stood amidst the carnage, her chest heaving with exertion. Blood dripped from her hands, her breaths coming in gasps as she turned to Jesse's prone form.

With trembling hands, she knelt beside him, her fingers searching for the wound. And as she pressed against the torn fabric of his shirt, she whispered words of comfort, her voice a soothing balm against the pain.

"Sam!" She screamed out. "Sam get over here!" Cassie presses her hands against the wound on Jesse's side. At first, she thought maybe he ran into something but when she peeled back his shirt, the gushing gunshot wound revealed itself.

"Oh my God, Jesse." She looked for Sam but he still wasn't around. "Sam where the fuck are you?!"

"Cassie!" A voice screamed out. She flung around in the direction but she couldn't see anything against the darkness. The voice screamed her name again.

"Sam?! Sam is that you?!" She looked around, careful not to take her hand off Jesse's bleeding wound but still, there was nothing she could see in the pitch black.

As Cassie strained her ears for any sound of movement, a sudden rustle in the underbrush shattered the stillness, sending a chill down her spine. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on Jesse, her senses on high alert as the shadows seemed to come alive with unseen threats.

Then, with a sickening realization, Cassie felt it—a presence lurking in the darkness, its breath hot against her skin. Before she could react, a monstrous figure emerged from the shadows, its grotesque skin pale and milky like something out of a nightmare.

Heart pounding with adrenaline, Cassie sprang into action, her body moving on pure instinct as she fought to protect Jesse from the looming threat. With a guttural cat-like growl, the creature lunged forward, its razor-sharp claws poised to strike.

But Cassie was ready. With lightning-fast reflexes, she met the creature head-on, her fists flying in a flurry of blows as she fought to keep it at bay. Each punch landed with brutal force, the impact reverberating through her bones as she unleashed her pent-up rage and fear.

In the darkness, Cassie's movements were swift and precise. With every blow, she pushed herself to the brink, drawing upon reserves of strength she never knew she possessed.

And then, just as it seemed the creature would overpower her, Cassie's hand closed around the hilt of her blade, its familiar weight a reassuring presence in her grasp. She swung the weapon with all her might, the blade slicing through the air.

In a flash of steel, the creature's head rolled to the forest floor, its lifeless body slumping to the ground in a heap. For a moment, all was still, except for the sound of Cassie's breath as she stood victorious over her fallen foe.

Cassie felt a surge of relief wash over her, her limbs trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline. She cast a wary glance into the darkness, knowing that more dangers lurked in the shadows.

"Cassie!" The voice called out again. She had turned her attention back to Jesse, plugging his bleeding wound with torn up bits of his shirt.

Another sound came behind her and she leaped up, blade in hand ready to strike but it was only Sam. She took a deep breath and sheathed her machete.

"Jesse's hurt."

Sam looks at her, covered head to toe in blood, then down at Jesse. "Jesus."

"I've packed the wound. We need to find somewhere with medical supplies."

As the morning light came, so did a saving grace, an empty wagon on the side of the road to carry Jesse in, and then another, a sign for Queen's Island stood above them, and on it, a word in paint; Salvation.