Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday - Chapter 180

Chapter 180: Rescue Mission

The snowstorm kept growing fiercer, and the wind howled like a warning as Grace maneuvered the SUV through the treacherous terrain.

The dense forest on either side was looming like silent sentinels while their snow-laden branches swayed ominously in the gale. The crunch of snow and the hum of the engine were the only sounds accompanying their tense journey.

“Visibility’s dropping fast,” Dr. Kian said from the passenger seat as his sharp eyes scanned the road ahead. “We might need to rely on the map more than our eyes soon.”

The storm was so strong that even their even their enhanced eyesight were only able to see snow and nothing else.

“I’m already on it,” Grace replied as her focus locked on the digital map 2025 was projecting onto the dashboard. “Rune, keep an eye out for anything unusual. We are close enough now that the zombies might start showing up.”

From the backseat, Rune leaned forward and replied in a serious tone. “You got it. Just don’t drive us off a cliff while I’m looking.”

Grace just shook her head but didn’t respond. Even when sounding so serious, he could succeed in passing a joke like that.

That very moment, Davian’s voice crackled through the comms system. “We are picking up movement on the left flank. Could be an animal, but…”

“It’s not,” Grace cut in. “Stay sharp. We are too close to the camp for it to be anything innocent.”

She turned out to be spot-on with her theory because merely moments later, a cluster of figures emerged from the trees. Though heir decayed forms were barely visible through the swirling snow, everyone on the team recognized them.

“Contact, left side!” Rune suddenly called out while two guns suddenly appeared in his hands.

Grace didn’t hesitate. She tightened her grip on the wheel and swerved slightly to the right, keeping the vehicle clear of the infected while maintaining their course. “Davian, hold the rear. We will clear the front!”

“On it,” Davian replied.

The lead SUV plowed through the growing horde, the reinforced grille smashing into the infected with a sickening crunch.

Rune, Valeska, and Aleena leaned out of the windows, firing shot after shot with deadly precision.

Behind them, Davian’s vehicle followed suit. The tires of the SUV skidded slightly on the icy road but held steady. Rio, Maven and Nathan were also firing from the backseat, cutting down the infected before they could get too close.

“We have got a break up ahead!” Grace informed Davian once she spotted a clearing on the map. “Push through!”

Both vehicles surged forward. Their engines roared as they broke free of the horde and moved toward their destination. By the time they made it to the clearing, the zombies were already left behind.

As the SUVs came to a stop, Grace quickly asked, “Everyone okay?”

“We are fine,” Davian replied over the comms. “No damage to the vehicle.”

“Same here,” Dr. Kian added, still the note of concern in his voice was clearly heard by everyone. “But we are cutting it close. If the infected have made it this far, the camp won’t hold much longer.”

Grace nodded as she took another glance at the map. “2025, how far are we from the camp?”

[Approximately 7 kilometers, Master. However, the road ahead is too narrow for vehicles. You will need to proceed on foot from here.]

“Of course we do,” Rune muttered as he let his guns disappear from his hands.

The team quickly climbed out of the vehicles before grabbing their weapons and supplies from. Then Grace shifted both the vehicles back inside her space because leaving them out there was too dangerous.

“Stay close and keep your eyes open,” she instructed as they started their trek through the forest. Both their mutated DNA and the custom-made gears were helping them in keeping warm against the biting cold.

As they neared the camp, they were taken by surpuse as the faint sounds of gunfire and shouting reached their ears.

Everyone quickly exchanged glances before Davian finally spoke, “Seems like they are under attack.”

They all hurried their steps, and within minutes, the camp finally came into view. It was just a cluster of makeshift shelters surrounded by hastily constructed barricades.

And right there were the familiar figures that were trying to made it to the other side of those barricades from where the frantic firings were coming.

“Move in!” Grace ordered right before she broke into a run, grabbing Dr. Kian’s hand to keep him with her. Not wanting to be a burden, he tried his best to cover her back.

The rest of the team immediately sprang into action, pulling out their fully loaded weapons to attack the zombies.

“Over here!” a voice called out from within the camp. A man with a graying beard and weathered features waved them over. His sharp eyes were assessing them even in the chaos.

“Professor Neil?” Grace called back.

The man nodded. “Get in here! We are barely holding them off!”

Grace and her team vaulted over the barricades, immediately taking positions to reinforce the camp’s defenses. Maven and Nathan joined the remaining researchers in firing at the infected, while Dr. Kian moved to check on the wounded.

“Status?” Grace demanded as she reloaded her weapon.

Professor Neil wiped snow from his brows. His face was lined with clear exhaustion and anxiety. “We have been holding out for hours. Half my team is injured, and we are almost out of ammo… as we didn’t have much to begin with. If you hadn’t shown up…”

“You are safe now,” Grace assured him. “But we need to move fast. Can your team walk?”

Professor Neil nodded. “Most of us, yes. But some of the injured will need help.”

“Rune, Davian, we are on extraction duty,” Grace ordered. “Maven, Nathan, cover the perimeter. Aleena, Valeska, and Rio will help. Rune, prioritize stabilizing the critical cases.”

The team moved with practiced efficiency, helping the researchers gather their utmost-important items and assisting the injured.

“What’s in the boxes?” Davian asked while pointing at a series of wooden boxes of different sizes filling an entire tent.