novelnext Chapter 210 211: Outbreak
Chapter 210 211: Outbreak
Judith sat at the long table in the crowded conference room. Cameras flashed everywhere and reporters leaned forward with their microphones ready. But Judith was not paying attention at all. Her eyes stared straight ahead into empty space. Her mind drifted far away from the questions flying at her.
"Miss Judith, please tell us about that strange event last night," one reporter called out. "The red and golden lights that lit up the whole sky. What was that?"
Another reporter jumped in right away. "And what about the buildings that caught fire out of nowhere? Was it an accident or something more? The people want answers!"
More voices joined. "Is the government hiding something?" "Are we in danger?" "Miss Judith, look at us!"
The questions kept pouring in like a storm. Judith did not blink. She did not even move her lips.
Her secretary, Mia, sat right beside her. Mia noticed how lost Judith looked. She cleared her throat loudly. "Ahem!"
Judith jumped a little and turned her head. She looked straight at Mia.
Mia leaned closer and spoke in a soft voice. "Madame, you look very distracted today. The media is waiting. Maybe we should end the press meeting now?"
Judith rubbed her eyes and nodded slowly. "You are right, Mia. I cannot focus like this." She stood up from her chair and faced the crowd. "Everyone, thank you for coming. We will share more information very soon. The meeting is over."
The reporters started shouting more questions but Judith ignored them. She walked out of the room with quick steps. Mia followed right behind her.
In the quiet hallway Judith slowed down. She turned to Mia and asked, "Mia, did you find anything about Silver yet? Any news at all?"
Mia shook her head with a worried look. "We are still searching for her, madame. Our team checked every contact and every street. Nothing yet. She just vanished."
Judith stayed quiet for a few seconds. Then she muttered under her breath, "I need to meet with the Commissioner. Set up a time as fast as you can."
"Yes, madame," Mia said. "I will call his office right now."
They kept walking toward the exit. Judith pushed open the big glass doors and stepped into the bright sunlight. Her black car waited at the curb with the driver standing beside it. Two guards in dark suits followed close behind them.
Judith climbed into the back seat. She held her head with both hands. Her driver, a woman named Sarah, turned around and asked politely, "Where to, madame? The office? Or home?"
Judith stared out the window without really seeing anything. "Anywhere. Just drive anywhere, Sarah. I do not care."
Sarah looked confused but she nodded. "As you say, madame." She started the engine and pulled the car into the busy street.
The car moved smoothly through traffic. Judith kept holding her head. She looked left and right at every building and every person on the sidewalk. Inside her mind questions spun like a whirlwind. What is this feeling? Why do I feel like I am part of something big? Something huge that I cannot see yet. It is pulling at me. Why?
Sarah glanced at her in the mirror. "Madame, are you feeling okay? You look pale."
Judith did not answer at first. She whispered to herself, "This feeling... it won't go away. Like I want something but I don't know what it is."
The car drove on for many minutes. Judith kept talking quietly to herself. "Am I losing my mind?"
Suddenly the car came to a sharp stop. Sarah slammed the brakes. Her face turned white. "Madame! Look ahead!"
Judith lifted her head fast. "What is it, Sarah? Why did we stop?"
She looked through the front window. Her eyes grew wide. A group of strange women walked toward the car. They moved slowly like they were in a dream. But on each of their heads sat a horrible creature.
The things looked like a mix of spider and crab. Long legs wrapped around the skulls. Red eyes glowed. The creatures pulsed like they were alive and feeding.
"What the fuck!" Judith shouted. She grabbed her phone from her bag. "Call for help! Now!"
Her two guards who had been following in another car jumped out. They ran forward with their powers in full action. "Stay back!" one guard yelled. "What are these things?"
The second guard fired two shots into the air. "We have no idea, madame! They just appeared from the alley!"
Mia stepped out of the car too. She stood beside Judith. "Madame, get back inside! This is not safe!"
One of the crab creatures lunged forward. Its legs stretched out like whips. It grabbed Mia by the head before anyone could stop it. Mia screamed loud. "Help me! It is squeezing my head! Get it off!"
Judith watched in horror. Mia struggled hard. She kicked and twisted for a few seconds. Then her body went still. The crab thing settled deeper onto her skull. Mia stood up straight again. Her eyes turned empty and red. She smiled the same creepy smile as the other women.
"Mia?" Judith whispered.
The new Mia turned toward Judith. She walked forward with slow steps.
Judith backed up against the car door. "What the hell is this?!"
The guards used their powers some using explosive arrows and other one cutting them with supersonic speed, but that did not stop the creatures. More crab women came out from the shadows. They surrounded the car. One reached for Judith through the open window. Its legs touched her hair.
Just then a loud whoosh cut through the air. A huge greatsword slammed into the crab woman that had been Mia. The blade hit with so much force that the creature flew backward and crashed into the wall. The crab legs twitched once and went limp.
Judith turned her head fast. Two figures walked toward her from the side street. One carried the giant sword on her shoulder like it weighed nothing. The other walked beside her with a calm smile.
It was Nina. She wiped the blade on her coat and said, "We got a situation here."
Kyouka stopped beside her and crossed her arms. "Nina is right. These things are everywhere now. We saw three groups on the way here."
Judith stared at them with her mouth open. "Nina? Kyouka? How did you know? Where did you come from?"
Nina swung the greatsword again and cut down another crab woman that tried to attack the guards. "We have some questions for you. We need to know what's happening also few things about Astrid."
Kyouka pointed at the car. "Get inside, Judith. We will clear the path. Driver, drive when I say go."
Sarah nodded fast. Her hands shook on the wheel but she stayed ready.
One guard shouted, "There are too many! We cannot hold them!"
Nina laughed once. "Watch this." She charged forward. The greatsword flashed in big circles. Two crab women fell in one swing. Their legs snapped like dry sticks. Even then they kept crawling until Nina crushed their heads.
"Looks like we got a new problem every single day. Maybe we aren't supposed to live in peace here," Nina muttered while looking around for anymore dangers.
***
Meanwhile Ren stood hidden in the shadows across the street from the Liberator base. The tall gray building pulled at him like a magnet. He felt a strong sense of attraction deep in his chest.
It was warm and steady. He could guess right away that Anna was inside. After all who else would be hiding in a Liberator base right now. The place looked quiet from the outside but Ren knew better.
It was anything but calm after the last attack.
He had disappeared for days. He knew he could not just walk in there like nothing happened. The rules had changed. This was no normal visit anymore. Ren understood he was already stuck in a death game.
Women were fighting for him whether he liked it or not. He could not meet one girl and forget the others. That would only bring more pain. So he stayed back and watched the entrance from a safe distance.
A few minutes passed. Ren leaned against the cold wall and kept his eyes fixed on the front gate. The wind blew lightly through the empty street. He whispered to himself. "Anna you are in there. I can feel it. But I cannot step inside yet. Not like this."
Suddenly a familiar voice spoke from right behind him. "What are you doing here?"
Ren turned around fast. It was Anna's leader. She stood tall with her arms crossed. Her eyes looked sharp and full of questions. She wore the same dark uniform as always and her short hair moved in the breeze.
She stepped closer and asked again. "Where did you go all this time? Why is Anna injured so badly and you are not even with her? You left her alone after everything. Explain yourself right now."
Ren did not answer any of those questions. He just looked at her with deep worry in his eyes. His voice came out soft and full of care. "Is Anna okay? Tell me the truth. How bad is it?"
The leader woman studied his face for a long moment. She saw the real worry in his eyes. It was not fake. She let her shoulders drop a little and muttered. "Yeah she is doing fine. The doctors say she will probably walk again soon. The wounds were deep but she is strong. She is resting now."
Ren breathed out in relief. "Thank you for telling me. I needed to hear that."
The leader nodded once but her eyes stayed suspicious. "Anna trusted you completely. So I will trust you on this for now. But why are you here spying on the base like some stranger? Are you not coming inside to see her? She has been asking about you every single day."
Ren thought for a second. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at the ground. Then he muttered quietly. "She will soon meet me anyway. I do not want to put her at risk right now. It is better if I stay away a little longer."
The leader raised one eyebrow. She looked confused and a bit angry. "What do you mean by that? Put her at risk? You are talking in riddles. If you care about her then come inside and talk to her yourself. She deserves that much after what she went through for you."
Ren shook his head slowly. He kept his voice calm but serious. "I am a walking disaster right now. She needs time to recover before she meets me again. Because it has already been decided. She will soon fight for me. And when that day comes everything will get much more dangerous."
The leader woman stared at him with wide eyes. She uncrossed her arms and took one step forward. "What do you mean fight for you? Decided by who? Are you saying Anna is in some kind of trouble because of you? Explain this right now. I need to know what is happening."
Ren did not say another word. He simply turned around and started walking away down the dark street. His footsteps echoed softly. He kept his head low and his hands in his pockets.
The leader stood there watching his back. She stared for a long time as he got smaller in the distance. Finally she shrugged her shoulders and muttered under her breath. "What a weird man. He shows up out of nowhere just to ask about Anna and then leaves without giving any answers. I do not understand him at all."
She turned back toward the base gate and shook her head. "Anna you really picked a strange one this time. I hope you know what you are doing."