Flesh Bites

Three: Sector 13

Five hours flying above waters did not help my nerves at all. Sitting inside a chopper with five others isn't comforting at all. Its weird, seeing other survivors after almost three months living in a city with nothing but walking corpses. Thank heavens that it only took thirty minutes more and the pilot advised through the radio that we will be landing in another ten minutes.
I grippled the strap of the seatbelt hard.

"This is it Ryle. Safety."

He took one of my hands and held it tight. "I know K. We made it."

Peeking from the window, I could see our destination. Sectors as they call it, settlements for the living. It looks like a normal city, if you ignore the huge walls that barricades the whole area.
Tall, gray old buildings have occupied most of the Sector's space, with little houses (almost like huts) placed in strategic points. Those must be the quarters of the military personnels guarding this Sector. A lot of soldiers are positioned on the walls, vigilantly watching the surroundings.

As what the pilot said, after ten minutes we landed in a platform that was separated from the main grounds. We jumped out of the chopper and was asked to fall into a straight line and walked towards a massive gray iron gate.

More soldiers, wearing bulletproof vests that varies from dark blue to black. They were holding long guns like rifles and shotgun, and then another smaller guns in the holsters on their waist.

"They are more watchful than I initially thought.", I casually whispered to Ryle who's walking behind me.

"Well they should be. If not, hundreds more of people will be part of the Flesh Eating Brigade.", he whispered back but make it look like he was silently singing a song or something.

We were instructed to stand under a scanner that was similar to those used in airports one at a time. They said it was an infection scanner. Upon hearing that, the girl in front of me started fidgeting and didn't stop until it was her turn to step into the scanner.

The soldier manning the scanner shouted "Next!". She stepped forward, but did not show any signs of getting scanned. One of the soldiers pushed her into the machine. She tried to object, but the scan was already done. The machine started to beep rapidly, three times every other second. Red lights also appeared everywhere.

"She's positive!"

"Shit! Disinfect the area!"

"Hold her down! She might turn anytime soon!"

The soldier guiding us through pulled out his shotgun and stood into position. I discreetly put my hand in the berett I've hidden under my shirt.
One of the soldiers forcedly took the girl from the scanner and made her lie down in her stomach. She kept on begging for the soldiers to double check their scanner, that there has been some mistake, that she wasn't infected. But they didn't hear a thing from her lovely mouth. They took away everything that she have; her backpack, her weapons, and soon her clothes. They tore everything apart until the girl was only in her underwear. And there it was, the mark that has signed her doom, almost smartly hidden in her right inner thigh.

"Infection confirmed! Based in the wound, she will turn in the next hour.", said the soldier to his superior.

"Terminate."

Despite all her pleas, she was shot in the head. I looked away. I've seen and killed flesh eaters and it didn't felt this way. She may be infected but she was still human. She was not one of those monsters. Yet. Eventually she'll be one of them. Crushing all sympathy that I have within I stepped into the scanner. It beeped twice. I'm clear. Ryle was next and he was cleared too.

After the initial scan, they inspected and confiscated our backpacks for 'safekeeping'.

"What if we need our weapons?", I asked the soldier in charge of our things.

He let out a chuckle that somehow sounded that of disbelief. "Weapons are the last thing you'll need in a Sector."

"WHAT IF we'll need our weapons?"

I can tell he was getting tired of me. He shook his head and irritably responded, "It will be given back to you, in one piece."

"Okay."

Since the inspection only covered our backpacks, I was able to keep my trusty berett. Good thing its fully loaded.
After that, we were brought to a public shower area. We cleaned ourselves of dirt and gore. A set of clean and 'thoroughly disinfected' clothes had been prepared for us. Our dirty clothes were collected and sent to incenarator.
The clothes they had given to me were a perfect fit but damn, not my style. I stepped out of the shower area and heard Ryle whistling.

"I didn't expect girly clothing would suit you."

"Shut up pervert."

But the clothes, luckily, had its advantages. The pleated skirt had a pocket that was not visible to the eye but it was big enough for my berett to keep with me.

After a final scan, we were brought infront of the massive gray iron gate I've seen earlier.

"Welcome to Sector 13."