The new mission: Investigate unusual zombie activity in the southern quarantine zone.
Fakhrul stood at the center of the command room, frowning at the satellite footage.
"The infected are behaving differently down south. Aggressive movements, no pattern. We move now."
A Small Crack Appears
As the team geared up, Siddik pulled up surveillance footage on a private screen. One small clip caught his attention – Kawser entering the Intel storage room late last night. Alone. No clearance.
He didn't say anything. Yet.
On the transport truck, Siddik sat silently beside Kawser, casually observing him. Kawser avoided eye contact.
Meanwhile, Nafisa prepped with Zara. This time, Nafisa took the lead with the field medical pack – no longer just tagging along, but contributing.
They reached a half-destroyed facility swarmed by infected. The air was still.
"Too quiet," Rasel muttered.
Suddenly, screeches broke through the silence. The horde attacked.
The team spilt into formation, each step echoing through the ruined zone. As they turned the corner of a collapsed tunnel, dozens of infected burst from the shadows. These weren't regular zombies – their skin glowed faintly, their eyes burned with rage, and their movements were sharp and erratic.
"Contact!" Rasel shouted.
Gunfire erupted. Rasel and Fakhrul held the front, pushing forward. Siddik darted through gaps, setting off carefully designed mines. Kawser released a drone above that bombarded the horde with micro-blasts, and Hridoy provided perfect cover from a nearby rooftop.
Tayeb, silent as ever, charged straight into the thickest swarm. His fists crushed bones, his rage becoming his greatest weapon.
"He's going wild," Kawser muttered.
"Let him," Siddik replied calmly. "This is his way."
Zara coordinated with Nafisa from HQ, locking nearby gates to trap the zombies in open ground. As the last wave of mutants fell to the ground, the battlefield fell silent.
Breathing heavily, the team regrouped, bruised but victorious.
But then–something changed.
Tayeb stood still, staring down at the corpse of a mutated child zombie. His breathing grew erratic. Slowly, a low growl escaped his throat. His eyes turned bloodshot.
"Tayeb?" Rasel asked, stepping forward.
Without warning, Tayeb struck Rasel across the chest, sending him crashing into debris. The others froze.
"He's losing control!" Zara grasped.
Tayeb turned, fury burning in his gaze, and lunged toward her.
Before anyone could move, Siddik appeared between them. Calm, focused – he raised a small toy and whispered,
"Enough, Brother."
Tayeb stopped mid-step, trembling. Siddik walked up to him slowly, speaking in a calm rhythm – a chant they once shared in their old days of experimentation.
Tayeb clenched his fists… and dropped to his knees. Everyone stared. Even Kawser was silent.
Siddik placed a hand on Tayeb's shoulder. "We control the monster. Not the other way around."
Zara stood behind Siddik, stunned. Hridoy moved to help Rasel up, who gave Siddik a nod of quiet respect.
"You okay, Vanguard?" Siddik asked. "Thanks, Dr. Doom. Now I understood why you chose the name," Rasel muttered. Siddik gave him a smile.
Later, as they regrouped in an abandoned control station, the tension eased.
Zara spoke quietly to Hridoy, "He saved me. Siddik, our idiot saved me."
Hridoy nodded, "I think we've been wrong about him. He is not that bad as he shows. He's dangerous. But maybe for the right reasons."
Kawser stayed silent in a corner, unusually quiet. No one noticed that his gloves were slightly burnt – the kind of burn that didn't come from fighting zombies.
Fakhrul gathered everyone.
"We fought together today. We bled together. And we're still here. From now on – we're not just a squad."
He turned to Siddik, who simply nodded.
"We are the HUNTERS."
The name echoed in the ruined district. A bond was forged. A shadow was cast.
Back to the HQ
As soon as they came back, every member went to the briefing room. Only Siddik went to control room. Siddik reviewed the HQ camera logs again. He enhanced the timestamp from last night.
Kawser.
He didn't just enter the Intel room. He downloaded something. Encrypted data.
Siddik came back to the briefing room, sat on his chair. Hridoy said to Siddik, "How did you control him?"
"Remember? You told me that a day will come when I have to pick either Tayeb or neither the mission? And I replied I would take both. Today was the day. So, I kept my word." Siddik said smilingly.
"You handled him like no one else could. And yes, you showed him a toy. What's behind it?" Rasel asked.
"That's the secret of controlling him. And I want to keep it secret between the monster and me. Sorry, I can't tell you."
"Okay, we all need rest. So, we'll meet later." Fakhrul ordered everyone.
Everyone sat up to go to their room.
Siddik pulled Kawser to a corner, "Why did you enter the intel room last night?"
Kawser directly answered in negative.
"Whatever you're planning, remember one thing: I built the place. Every brick here is under my supervision. If I find any evidence of anything, I won't think twice about taking up my arms against you."
Kawser silently passed.
Far from them, a man watched through a cracked monitor, whispering,
"Let them gather. Let them grow stronger. I'll break them piece by piece. Especially that one....."