Warlord – Chapter 20
Zero seemed to be the only living being in the work area after the steel gate closed. There were seven or eight corpses close to him. They were the ordinary residents of the base because of their clothing. They were tragically killed. Few of them had their corpses on the ground while there was one whose neck was twisted with a cable. Another body was pierced into the wall by a sharp object.
The power supply of the base was destroyed and as a result all the equipment that worked with the electricity malfunctioned. Only the red warning light in case of emergency flickered. The dark red blood flowed around under the red light. The blood was sticky as Zero moved through the platform. His boots were covered in blood stains as if he was walking through the doorsteps of the hell.
Zero's pupils shrank as he was passing through the corridor that led to the residential area.
There were bodies of the soldiers lying at the entrance of the corridor. George's corpse was one of them.
He was the man that said to Zero that "your dagger should point to the enemy not to the companion." He was the one who refused to kill Zero and brought him back to the base.
There was an arm missing from George's body and his entire jaw was broken. A large hole was stretched in his stomach and the internal organs were pulled up and placed in George's mouth.
Blood was used to engrave words next to his body in English.
“PHUCK”.
He squatted down and rubbed off the word. He took back the organs from George's mouth and stuffed them back to his stomach. Zero put the machine gun belonging to George next to his body. There was peace in George's eyes as if he was asleep. However he wouldn't wake up once again.
George turned to looked at the corridor. His golden right eye constantly adjusted as he glanced at the place.
There were bullet marks all over the alloy walls. But the marks weren't evenly distributed. The distance between them was very large. The shortest distance was about a meter while the longest distance between the marks was up to five meters. It had to be noted that the corridor was three meters wide. It meant that the enemy's speed and agility was very high for it to escape from the bullets in such a narrow space.
Zero closed his eyes as he simulated the scene in his mind.
George and rest must have tried to limit the enemy's movement but they couldn't keep up with the creature. Neither George nor other could keep up with the enemy. Moreover it seems it jumped in curves as it escaped the bullets.
Zero knew that if he was in this situation he could escape the bullets too. But his motion would be limited to a straight movement. He couldn't force his body into such curvy movement to avoid the bullets. A person or creature with third rate agility enhancement could do such a feat. Otherwise even though a person could be fast but the nerve system in the brain couldn't keep up with the body.
In addition, a force which can tear apart a human body must also belong to a third-order strength enhancement. In other words the invader of the base had at least two capabilities. The third-order strength and agility enhancement.
He remembered the figure he saw almost half a month ago.
He or 'it' came over!
Zero went out of the corridor and joined the residential area. The corpses were all around. It seemed that the residents of the entire base were slaughtered. Zero came to check the infirmary. He opened the infirmary's window with his gun. The place was surprisingly clean. There were no corpses so Zero had a bit of peace of mind.
Afterwards he went to Old Jack's residence. Young Alan's body was lying on ground next to the staircase. The youth's head was twisted for 180 degrees. Moreover there was a holy in Alan's forehead as if a bullet had pierced through.
The human skull was the hardest bone in the body. A conventional gun couldn't make such a hole in the head unless it was shot form the close range. But the injury on Alan's head seemed more like someone had inserted their finger into it. A strength which could achieve the kinetic power of a bullet!!
A person with the third-order strength enhancement should be able to do it.
Zero checked Alan's rifle. The ammunition was full in the rifle which meant that Alan didn't even have the chance to shoot.
Zero saw the unwillingness to die in the wide open eyes on the Alan's face.
He stood up and moved on.
Zero got into Old Jack's home. The door was smashed. It was clearly destroyed from outside. The house was silent. The furniture were smashed down. Zero pulled out M500 revolver.
Half of the room was dark while the other half was exposed by the red light coming off from outside. Old Hack was still sitting in his chair. His legs were on the desk and you couldn't see anything unusual. However his chest was smashed. An ordinary old man couldn't live through such a wound. Zero knew that all the bones were broken and the internal organs had various degree of injury.
Zero put back the pistol and came to stop next to the old man. He saw the pipe and cigarettes scattered under the table. Both of them were old Jack's favorite. He bent down to pick them up.
Suddenly, Zero saw old Jack's fingers twitch.
Zero removed the pocket oxygen tube from the backpack and put on Old Jack.
Old Jack's eyes slowly opened after breathing fresh oxygen. Old Jack seemed to be aware that he didn't have long time. He tried to raise his hand to remove the oxygen tube.
“Give me my last cigarette.” Old Jack said in a weak tone.
Zero put away the oxygen tube and filled the pipe with cigarette. He lit the pipe up and put it into Old Jack's mouth.
Old Jack slowly said: “Hans is here.”
Zero narrowed his eyes: “that Hans?”
“Well, he didn't die …” Old Jack smiled: “But he became a monster. He should have easily killed that child, Alan. George should also…”
Zero nodded.
Old Jack grabbed Zero's hand: “Help me protect Leah! That cheap dog wants to humiliate her! Protect her! This is my last task, but… I won't be able to pay… ”
Old Jack's voice faded as he stopped breathing.
The pipe loosened down from his mouth and fell to the ground.
Zero bent down and picked the pipe that was filled half with the cigarettes. He sucked the pipe, puffed out the smoke and put the pipe on old Jack's desk.
“I accept …”