Chapter 49: Crossing the Rubicon

“Clear but it was my last shot.” Jill lowered her shotgun, considering for a moment whether to discard it or not. Now that she didn’t have any more shells it was just dead weight in her hands.

It’s been two weeks since Terragrigia became the target of a bio-terrorist attack. She and Rick had been lucky to find weapons relatively quickly after they left the cafe they were visiting on their very first day of vacation.

Rick had no problem, he simply raided a kitchen to arm himself with knives and meat cleaver. With his natural abilities he could handle himself on his own. It had been more complicated for Jill who didn’t have his reflexes, his strength or speed. Fighting hunters with only knives was simply asking to get killed.

Fortunately they had stumbled upon the corpses of two police officers within ten minutes of scouring the city. Jill had quickly taken their belts for herself. Service weapons, spare magazines and tonfas included.

The first thing she did was to make a call to the BSAA and warn them of the current attack on the aquapolis and ask for immediate deployment. It was with a grim and angry scowl that she received the news that it wasn’t possible. The BSAA needed permission to intervene and they wouldn’t get it because the FBC was already on the case.

The expletives and insults she had let out didn’t help in any way but letting her vent.

Jill finally decided to go to the Police’s main station to offer their help, experience and make plans to protect and evacuate the citizens. It had been quite the trek as they had half the town the cross. Thankfully they had a map of the city and took all the back alleys they could to make it to their destination in one piece.

Their help had been refused however. The idiot in charge didn’t want to hear anything from two people clearly armed with police gear and obstructing his efforts in controlling the situation. When he ordered to arrest them on suspicion of being complicit to the attack, Rick simply knocked the man out, shocking everyone into stupor.

He immediately took charge, giving the ones present a choice. Either they tried and died trying to arrest them or they followed his orders and helped save the people. Jill offered all the support she could by presenting her BSAA badge tucked inside her wallet next to her regular ID and was quite clear that she and Rick knew what needed to be done in such a situation which, as simple officers of the law, they did not.

While many grumbled about Rick being a criminal who should be arrested, the sudden invasion of the station by a small group of hunters made them change their mind fast. Rick, with a meat cleaver in each hand, dealt with them before anyone could even take a shot.

More than His and Jill’s words it was his action that changed everyone’s tune and made them cooperate.

Quickly, zones were defined and ranked by dangerousness. Orders were given to push back or pull back at certain places. Forced broadcasts telling people to barricade themselves or to move to safer areas were aired. People were made aware of the police’s movements and knew when they would be escorted to a safe zone.

Multiple radio channels were used for that. One was for announcements regarding the police movements, the progress of the attack and which zone was dangerous and which wasn’t. Another was about giving survival tips, like rationing food and water, how to barricade a place or how to make sure to not attract the attention of bio-weapon. There was also a channel operated from the City’s main hospital about how to administer first-aid and deal with wounds or to quarantine people who had been infected by the virus that had been released into the air.

Rick had let the highest police member in charge while he went outside with Jill helping in the field. They had borrowed SWAT equipment before leaving and have been using them smartly.

The pair’s actions had proven beneficial as the law enforcement all across the City was back in order and efficient. It wasn’t enough however. Between the hunters and the people turned into zombies, the police put up a good fight but were slowly losing a bit more ground every hour.

It was enough, however, to evacuate civilians. The FBC had shown up with multiple helicopter transports and were pulling back as many people as they could. It was estimated that a fourth of the city had been evacuated over the week. A fourth had already been killed or infected. The last half was surviving. It was an estimation however and nothing was sure.

What was sure was the FBC being competent and well armed. In fact they were better equipped than the police. The issue was that they didn’t share. After two weeks, ammo was running low and it became more and more complicated to fight back.

Jill was currently down to her sidearm and five spare magazines having used her last shell to obliterate the head of a hunter.

“I’m almost out of blades.” Rick came from behind. He was waving two badly damaged knives, ready to break at the next hit. It was a miracle they lasted that long, especially with the dozen dead zombies at the other end of the alley.

“This is not good,” Jill sighed. “We’re being pushed back harder and our ammunition is almost gone. What the heck is the FBC doing?”

Rick took a moment to think about it. The movements of the organization were weird. They came and took charge but their decisions were worse than the one he and Jill took to save the people. It was like the priority of the FBC was to fight the B.O.W. and protect the civilians second. It was subtle but he hadn’t missed the pattern forming. He had tried to call Rachel to have inside information on what was going on behind the scene but she was unavailable.

“The only explanation I can think of… is that they’re purposefully holding back.”

That angered Jill even more on the spot. “Why would they do that?!”

“It’s the very first public bio-terrorist attack.” He pointed out.

The day when the attack started a terrorist group calling itself Il Veltro claimed to be responsible for it. Bullshit motives and zealotry aside, their revendication made international news. The public was now aware more than ever of bio-terrorism and B.O.W.

“You think… They’re taking their time to display how dangerous and important it is to fight bio-terrorism?” Jill was completely bewildered by the idea. “For what?”

“Get more funding and more political power. Ever since 9/11, many organizations or people got propelled to the top because of fearmongering. President Graham was worried about this. It’s not like we can prove it, anyway.”

“That’s such…”

Rick cut her off before she could begin to rant. “I know. That’s why I didn’t join the FBC or stayed in the army. It’s a never ending battle against corruption. The people you believe in and helped clean it only want to replace the ones in charge, not make things better. I thought I was done with that life.” He sighed in resignation. “We should move. We secured the way for civilians but they need to move now before more come.”

“You’re right.”

Jill took her radio and reported their tasks were done. They were ordered to hold the position until after the civilians were evacuated. It wasn’t possible, not with the weapons they had but the one in charge told them they’d have to manage as no resources could be spared.

She nearly crushed the radio in her hand if not for the ‘sorry’ and apologetic tone of the person she was talking to.

As expected, things turned for the worst when a group of people were being escorted by a small unit of police officers. Five hunters were in pursuit and it was too much to handle. Jill and Rick moved from their position to help but already three civilians were dead with one officer. Jill gave as much cover as she could by shooting at the hunters getting too close while Rick dealt with the one already among the evacuating crowd.

Things became even more complicated when screams came from behind them. Rick signaled Jill he was handling things and she didn’t think twice about turning around to see what was going on.

One of the civilians had turned and attacked the nearest person. The officer shot it dead but when it was time to aim at the newly infected, a pair of people interposed, placing themselves in front. There was yelling and shouting in Italian but it was easy to understand that the police agents were telling the people to move.

Jill knew. She just knew it would go badly and began to run to deal with the problem. She didn’t make it in time. The infected had turned. Not surprising when the young teenager had been bit in the neck. Crawling on the pavement she bit the back of the ankle of who Jill supposed was her father. The man screamed in pain and got away, pulling his leg back. Despite that the man still tried to protect his daughter from the police and was gunned down.

‘You stupid fool.’

She could understand the difficulty of accepting that your love was gone and needed to be put down if they have been beaten. There always was the belief that they were not like the others, that they wouldn't turn. It was especially prevalent with parents regarding their children, always thinking they were specials and different from everyone else.

Maintaining this belief two weeks into the outbreak after information about what happens when one person is infected aired every half hour was too much for her however. Still thinking nothing bad would happen was just asinine in her opinion. Doing nothing about it that too she could understand. The heartbreak at letting your loved one go by hurting them. But there was a limit to panic and idiocy.

She knew that was such a cold and heartless thinking but that’s what separated her, a survivor, and the family that had just been killed in front of her. It was the difference that would save plenty of people. The police had protested loudly at first when she and Rick told them about what they needed to do. Three days in the outbreak and most were over it and making the hard decision needed to be made. The most sentimental ones either got killed or someone else killed. One young woman, a rookie, had gotten her partner bit and feast upon because she hadn’t been able to pull the trigger. She took her own life out of guilt.

When Jill arrived at the entrance of the alley, she fired a shot into the head of the adult woman and man. The first was because she was already dying anyway. Courtesy of a police officer wasting three bullets in her chest. The other to make sure he wouldn’t rise as a zombie.

“Move!” She ordered.

The police agents were calming themselves down but the civilians were terrified. Of them. For what they just did. So Jill broke the tension and barked an order. It was all it took for everyone to quickly fall in line and go through the alley.

Turning around, she saw Rick running in her direction. Apparently done with the hunters, he was regrouping with her.

“We need to go. I heard more coming from the south. They’re a block away.” He told her with a heavy breath.

Jill agreed with him and showed it with a nod. Picking up the radio she was about to contact the central for new orders when it went live. It was from the FBC and broadcasted through the whole town. The city had been declared lost and all survivors were to reach the port within thirty minutes. The Organization had received the authorization to purge the city completely by using the satellite redirecting the sun’s rays. It was that satellite that allowed the solar panels of the city to produce so much energy.

“I repeat. Immediate evacuation of the city through the port within thirty minutes. The city is lost and we have orders to retreat.”

The pair exchange a look. “What are they going to do?” Jill asked.

“I think they will use the satellite to sublimate the whole city and everything in it.” Rick looked panicked.

It didn’t bode well if he, of all people, was panicked, that, Jill knew. “Sublimate?”

“It’s when solid matter is affected by a heat so great it directly vaporizes instead of melting.”

Jill understood his panic now. There was no surviving that. “Then we need to go. No—”

Rick had already swept her off her feet and carried her like a bride. He immediately started running the fastest he could. Outrunning zombies and hunters alike. While Jill was burying her head against his chest to handle the biting and cutting wind, she wondered how fast Rick actually was. The thought was quickly discarded and replaced by the fate of everyone else. The small group they had just escorted was going to a safe zone North and the port was East almost on the other side of the city. Not only them but everyone else who wouldn’t be able to make it in time.

Her rage at the FBC did nothing but grow and she swore she would do her very best to expose them and take them down for what they had done.

No for a moment the thought of Rick not bringing them in time crossed her mind. And she was right. He brought them to the docks with five minutes to spare. The last evacuating ship had departed but there were still a few choppers left.

Decelerating a bit to not be considered a B.O.W because of his inhumane speed, Rick stopped at a corner of a warehouse and put Jill down. He ran as fast as she could and made it just in time to get on the last helicopter. The few soldiers on their way to leave didn’t let them hang and even offered suppressing fire against the hunters that were coming from a second warehouse behind them.

Rick grabbed Jill and jumped into the vehicle which was already a few feet in the air. They were both dragged further inside as the helicopter departed for good. Just as they did, Terragrigia began to glow then shine. It was so bright it was difficult to see what was happening.

With his enhanced vision Rick had an easier time. He saw the towering buildings crumbled to dust and falling onto each other, the hunters after them suddenly disappeared like ash into the wind.

It was a beautiful sight, full of colors but so nightmarish in what it actually was.

“Jill.” He called out as he and she looked at the destruction happening under his very eyes.

“Yeah?”

“I want a badge once we get back. I have people to hunt and kill.”

Jill stayed silent. She knew what Rick meant and it saddened her. There would be no Princeton in September for him. There would only be the BSAA and scouring the world to put down every bio-terrorist threat he could find.