"Do not mention it man," Kedem said almost as matter-of-factly as he looked at the dead cyborgs while Enzo spoke to them. Intently watching them to make sure they were dead, and when nothing moved or seemed to try to move. He relaxed, but only a bit. Three down, and who knows how many more to go. Which, at this point, Kedem wished they knew how many people worked at this place so they could guess how many of these cyborg zombies they were. But that is a hindsight thing, and chances are, there will be more.

"But do not thank me yet, we still have a mission to do, and there are bound to be more of them." Kedem now took the time to reload his rifle with a fresh magazine. Considering he spent most of it on the cyborgs.

With a new magazine, Kedem spoke to both Enzo and Fabio. "Just do your thing, and we will guard you." Saying it in an almost commanding way. A slight reminder when he was at Golem United and felt in charge of this small group. Still, he kept his eyes and rifle at the ready in case more company shows up.

@PrinceAlexus@Dyelli Beybi

"VIP spotted. Holdin' my fire." Redecker Krueger said over the radio as he continued watching the fourth floor. He saw multiple Tech Zombies approaching the reporter. "Hostiles spotted! Openin' fire!" Redecker shouted over the radio right before he pulled the trigger, the round hitting its mark, the Tech Zombie that was closest to the reporter falling to the floor dead. He continued firing until he had to reload. "For fuck's sake, get the fuck out of the way, bitch. Do you have no survival instincts? A frightened animal would've chosen flight after the first gunshot." Krueger said as he took down another Tech Zombie, immediately aiming at the next target. Normally, he would have just fired away until the zombies were all dead, but since there was the risk of hitting the VIP, he had to watch his fire.

"I have killed several of the 'Necrotics', but someone should head up to the fourth floor and extract the VIP so that she doesn't get herself killed." Redecker Krueger said over the radio as he fired another round, his target lifelessly falling to the floor.

Soraya paused briefly to check over her shoulder as she approached the van, the sound of sporadic gunfire now well established in the background. She was more concerned that Sam and Imogen were still with her. In training her team members had invariably been other operatives, or members of special forces. In the years since, most of the work she did had been under the guise of being a doctor. The few times she'd done surveillance operations she'd always done so alone.

It was different here. Samantha was the more senior, and clearly joined operations before but still looked uncertain. Imogen, Soraya felt, looked much like one out of her element; but young and eager. That was all good.

"Do you think maybe they'll run to the gunfire because they prefer some kind of protection over whatever our guy's are shooting at?" The distant report of a sniper rifle rolling over the desert sands. The sniper, Redecker, saying something about a guy not having a press pass.

The sound of a cell phone ring tone coming from the van. Inside the back; muffled by the door but distinct as one. Sam's gaze swiveled to the door; hands reaching for the dangling MP5K but stopping.

"How do you want to do this?"

"I would hope that they shelter in place..." Soraya's voice cut out at the sound of the cellphone in the van. Soraya's movements until now were brisk. There was an efficiency to the way she moved without ever seeming hurried. Now she hurried though, rushing almost immediately to Imogene "The briefcase. Open! Open!" Once the briefcase was open and set down, she was immediately kneeling over it, turning on the big electronics box, the terminal, hastily trying working the device.

Only belatedly was she able to pause and try and explain what she was doing: using the device to overpower the signal from the nearest cell tower. Making both phones think IT was the tower. Not only that, on the terminal screen she was able to bring up both of them on a map of the area. One dot almost on top of the indicated terminal location. The other, the one calling, was displayed inside the facility.

The ringing ceased, but the device continued tracking both phones regardless - in addition to showing several others inside the facility.

"This will lead us to them." Soraya looked up at both Imogen and Samantha, a hint of a smile on her lips. "I do not know who else would be calling from inside the facility. I think we go in. Offer help: we can think of a story as we search, yes?"

Imogen could probably come up with something for them, Soraya reasoned. In the meantime she set to explaining to both women how to operate the keyFOB hacking terminal in the entry kit. It was actually quite simple: just search the make and model of the van and hit 'go'. The device itself, she explained, was preloaded with virtually every backdoor exploit several lettered agencies had managed - by hook or by crook - to extract from the world's vehicle manufacturers.

A few seconds of work and the van unlocked itself.

@Terrans @PatientBean

...

The hall still now. Except now it smelled of cordite, coppery blood and some new foul smelling mixture that obviously emanated from the corpses. Their rapidly spreading gore not red but a dark brown that seemed too thick to be regular blood.

But other then the smell (that only affected those without gas masks) the hall was now seemingly safe.

"Cover me," Fabio muttered, grimacing slightly at the smell. He cautiously approached the nearest zombie, prodding it with his boot to make sure it was dead, before reaching into his pocket for his phone.

He turned side on, snapping a couple of quick selfies of himself posed over the corpse, giving his best 'Blue Steel' pose, "I'm going to call this one 'taking out the trash'," he explained as he pocketed his phone, "The ladies love a man of action."

"Now..." he paused, stepping back to keep an eye on the bodies which he didn't quite trust were entirely dead, "What was it we were supposed to be doing again?"

Field Commander Daniel Graves
Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah
Loading Bay

'Well, at least it's not a rift.'

That was the first thought to come to Graves mind as he took in the tableau of the loading bay. On full view as he swapped a magazine into his rifle. The bodies of the cobbled together tech-zombies intermingled with what had been a fireteam worth of Kilo shooters.

But the massive Goliath like figure was still standing. Blood dotted it's jumpsuit intermittently and yet it showed no signs of pain as it focused on Kilo team member.

He dropped his slung PDW and swiftly gripped the revolver with both hands. He lined up the crude sights with the beast's head and fired a hefty .44 magnum round, praying it would crack it's skull and bury itself in the right places to make it go limp.

The massive report and muzzle flash of a .44 came from somewhere on the other side of the bay. The goliath staggered, a chunk of visible skull and gore shooting away from a corner of it's head. The Kilo shooter audibly inhaling as the pressure lessened. The Tech-Zombies were down. GOliath was going down; Graves was about to lower his rifle when he noticed it.

The goliath had staggered but caught itself on unsteady feet. It looked confused but it wobbled as it gazed around the bay with that electric blue gaze. It still didn't fall; despite the visible brain matter Daniel could see even from this distance. It eventually reoriented in the direction of the magnum shot and began to wobble unsteadily there. The gait resembled the tech-zombies; nothing like its earlier grace.

A distinction Graves noted as he sent the bolt home on a fresh magazine and reshouldered the rifle.

"Pour it on!!!!" Graves, Lima, and the still functional members of Kilo fired from their various positions within the room. A mad twenty seconds of converging fire that hit the goliath from seemingly every angle. The giant falling to its knees somewhere in the fusillade as it flesh and bone were pummeled by the gunfire. It reached a futile hand towards Stoke's position; as if it could still reach him.

Then, a bullet hit whatever the goliath needed to keep moving past the headshot and the fusillade. The collapse was almost anti-climatic for the size of the target and the ammunition they had expended.

"Clear." Graves sent as he took in the bay now. Six dead science experiments. Three dead Acheron. One wounded to an unknown degree. A sigh. Not the worst start to an op but definitely not the best. "Kilo, get the casualties to the LZ and set up defenses in the lobby. Stokes! You in here?"

Graces saw the Alton wearing helmet of Stokes appear; the revolver he had used still in his hands.

"Nice shot; I'll make sure you get a sticker. Anyways.." He motioned at a Lima fireteam. "Take these boys from Lima and go pick up the gals from Concealment. Let them do their jobs; just make sure they get where they need to go. Clear? Rest of Lima, police up this bay and get back to Juliet. Let's move people!"

---------
Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah
Security Room

The security room was a mad house. Blood, overturned furniture and bullet holes dotted the walls. Empty arms lockers and scattered magazine holders pointed to a desperate race to arm before the battle had reached the room. But for all the chaos outside the room and the signs of battle within; the room held no threats.

An examination of the security system however revealed an unsettling development. The systems had all been slaved to a terminal somewhere in the basement. An oddly named "Sector Null Zero" listed as the new security access point. The security footage erased too by whatever process had moved its functions deeper into the facility. The only upside was that whatever had overridden the system had also wiped the door control systems. Had they been intact; the team would have had to hunt down colored keycards to access sectors of the facility.

The pounding of footsteps resounding from the hall; heavy footfalls. But the footfall's were preceded by a commanding, female voice.

"Friendlies!!!!! Friendlies!!!!!" There were four of them rushing down the hall. Cradling Mossberg shotguns with death grips and casting fearful glances around. All four of them were dressed in dark uniforms; the logo of Obsidian Dynamics the sole bit of color on their otherwise stark uniforms.

Three were the typical large shouldered, skull cracker look of private corporate security. Too much time in the gym and not enough time at the firing range. The fourth had sharp angular features and fair hair that had been styled before the events of the day had left it coated in grime and matted to her skull. A name tap and security badge proclaimed her as one of their VIP's; Head of Security Ava Wiberg.

The four came to a jumbling stop near the security room. Not seeming to mind the guns pointed at them; a testament to whatever had occurred that they preferred the company of armed strangers.

Head of Security Wiberg, looked on the trio of Acheron shooters with a mixture of relief and disbelief.

"Are you three the only extraction team?" Her gaze taking in the dead tech-zombies and Fabio taking a selfie with said tech zombies. Her grip readjusting on her shotgun. "You are the extraction team right?"

An edge to her words.
@Dyelli Beybi, @Theyra, @PrinceAlexus

--------

As the next tech-zombie fell; the reporter scrambled to her feet. A spray of gunk from a headshot splattering her formerly white blouse. She took a panicked look around the office before darting through the newly battered open door.

Taking to danger of the building over the shattered safety that had been her previous hiding place. The reporter disappearing from sight somewhere in the fourth floor. Away from the windows and sightlines of the sniper teams.

@Flarbinia

-------
Field Contract Advisor Samantha Norr
Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah

"This will lead us to them." Soraya looked up at both Imogen and Samantha, a hint of a smile on her lips. "I do not know who else would be calling from inside the facility. I think we go in. Offer help: we can think of a story as we search, yes?"

Sam took in the display. A road map that would lead at least to one of the reporters. The other somewhere on the fourth floor. The gunfire from the facility having died down at least. Not the abrupt way of a team being wiped out; but the petering fire of a one-sided firefight dying out.

"Let's start with the location we know exactly." Sam examined the dot, somewhere on the far side of the building from the lobby. Though she couldn't figure out which floor it was on.

The van unlocked with a beep. A standard news van; monitors, spare equipment, empty cases and personal effects scattered among its shelfs and nooks. Beside a moderately fashionable purse was a smart phone, silent now, but obviously the one that had been ringing. Sam picked the phone up with cursory. The lock screen revealing a flurry of missed calls and texts; the most recent from a contact labeled "Intern: Whitney". The rest appeared acquaintances of some kind that were worried for her.

"Looks like we're going to need a cover story for this." She showed the phone towards Imogen. Passing the device over as she stepped out. Boots making a clacking as she stepped out and pulled her weapon around for a reassuring heft of its weight.

She stepped beside Soraya.

"I guess its time to head in now." She hoped the words sounded casual. Not at all displaying the nervousness she felt. Nor did she pay attention to the slight phantom ache of the scar on her collarbone.
@Tesserach, @PatientBean

The Tech who lifts.

Enzo did not see the selfies but it was the commander's problem, Fabio was in direct action and the Israeli Kadeem wanted to report him. Well that was their wheelhouse and how they operated. He would leave Direct Action to deal with their own, be it good or bad. He had work to do and a control room with former zombies… urgh. However Fabio knew, and they had worked out in the gym together at times etc. He knew the man was somewhat of a casanova.

“More. Yeah.., I'd say ..but I signed up for this shit. You are better at this, where am I best and how?” He asked for the man's recommendations when it came to the best kind of flavour for the zombies and what would work best with the others and let them take the lead on fighting.

He was working trying to access the rooms systems, if he could control them secretly, that would be amazing. Even just getting cameras and being able to access stairs without blasting would be great for crowd control of the enemy and isolating the targets they were after. They could lock the zombies up and deal with them area by area if they got a perfect day. “Security room taken. Heavy damage. Trying to tap in.” He reported over the radio.

“You must flirt with some strange woman. Be careful man, she might be a real vampire. And biting might not be fun kind.” He joked trying to tap into the network systems and gain access to the security systems. “Im trying to tap the the security architecture, allow us access into the camera systems, maybe make em dance like thriller movie for your video.“ He joked working the lines and frowning as he stated at a tablet close up to make up for a lack of glasses. Then he frowned and read the display, swiping through settings and screens on his tablet.

“Null Zero…” he said as he saw the systems dead, blanket and rerouted. Everything was useless in the wreck of a security room..

Before he could radio his findings further. A new surprise came and he spun round bringing his pistol up as it was faster than reaching for the shotgun that second from his chest rig. He kept it ready but he did not fire as they were living beings, not zombies.. The men were big, Enzo was not intimidated though…

“We are here to investigate why your offices went dark.” Enzo said to the comment about the other teams entering the building. He trusted his company's people but they worked for another… Trust only went so far. “Servers have been rerouted to…sector…null zero. Offices dead end. Wiped, we would need days and a lab to even start recovering anything.” He said on the radio and stood up putting all his tech away and the plugs slid back into his tablet case automatically. Clad in full gear and some masked, he and the other two probably looked pretty intimidating when you combined the trio from Archion. “We got a situation.”

He left what to do with the security and the VIP to the other shooters. He concerned himself with the tech systems and whatever this null sector was. This was a major problem for the team, without cameras they would have to clear the whole place manually and deal with the zombies as they found them too.

@Terrans@Theyra@Dyelli Beybi

---

Imogen quickly followed as Dr. Soraya utilized the briefcase she had only just handed off to Imogen. The technology was impressive and Imogen made a mental note to see if she could learn to access it for a later date. But for now, they needed to find the reporters. One was seemingly on the fourth floor, whereas the other was in the van.

Or, their phone was.

Imogen looked at the phone handed off to her. On it was a bunch of missed messages. One from the intern that Imogen was more concerned with. She had ideas lined up for how to handle them, but the situation was growing more concerning. She pocketed the phone. "I can handle the story, but we need to find them. The sooner, the better." Especially the intern. If she wasn't found and quickly taken care of, then all further attempts at concealing all of this would go out the window.

Whitney was a whistleblower. Or, at least, she was historically. It was concerning that the girl didn't have much of a social media presence under the guise of her current name. But if one did a little more digging, it showed that 'Whitney' had quite the history of spreading information. Imogen was almost impressed. She would hire her if she wasn't actively looking to silence her.

She followed Soraya and Samatha, but at a fair distance. She wasn't trained in combat, she had no weapon apart from a sharp tongue. But she needed to be ready to unleash data hell on the reporters should they be trouble.

And Whitney, or whatever her name was, was trouble with a capital T.

Viktor watched the shot pierce the giant's skull, dead accurate. But that wasn't good enough. His subjective time seemed to slow to a crawl and he watched the wretched beast turn to him, the brutal look of rage made his blood run cold. It took a step. Then the room lit back up with muzzle flashes from all around it. Somehow it managed another step, even while being pierced with rifle rounds. He managed to shift the muzzle slightly to realign it back with it's face, and before the Goliath finished the third step he smoothly squeezed the revolver's trigger and obliterated what was left of it's head. At least someone's round did. It didn't matter, he was happy to see it's bullet ridden corpse drop like a sack of shit.

He took a step back and inhaled deeply while holstering the revolver. It seemed like all of that had happened within the space of a lungful of air. He looked up, Graves was instructing the others. They were already surrounding the injured man and trying to scrape the pair of bodies off the floor. He nodded subtly and acknowledged Graves with a casual salute; tapping the corner of his visor with his index finger. It wasn't a clear motion and it meant he didn't have to untie his tongue yet. Graves moved on, busy with the others. Stokes glanced at the four Lima boys he had been assigned. They were all looking at him. He tapped his name tag with one index and with the other hand he thumbed his radio.

"Stokes to Norr. Loading bay is safe, could you guys rendezvous here for entry. I've got a team ready to escort your guys." He released the Comms button and glanced at the guys idling nearby. "Asshole, on the fourth floor? Seriously?" One or two chuckled. The rest continued eyeing the shadows and the entrances from the loading bay to the rest of the complex. As he waited Stokes cleared two spent rounds from his sidearm and refilled the cylinder. Then he slipped a fresh magazine into the MP9. He flipped the safety on for the PDW and clipped it tight against his chest rig.

He fished the snack bar that Grande had given him earlier. He tugged the balaclava down and took a bite. It was like cement in his mouth. He washed it down with a sip from his small canteen. The five men waited nervously for the concealment crew, the rest of DA had either taken the casualties out or filed off with Graves to find Juliet.

Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah
Security Room
...

Three were the typical large shouldered, skull cracker look of private corporate security. Too much time in the gym and not enough time at the firing range. The fourth had sharp angular features and fair hair that had been styled before the events of the day had left it coated in grime and matted to her skull. A name tap and security badge proclaimed her as one of their VIP's; Head of Security Ava Wiberg.

The four came to a jumbling stop near the security room. Not seeming to mind the guns pointed at them; a testament to whatever had occurred that they preferred the company of armed strangers.

Head of Security Wiberg, looked on the trio of Acheron shooters with a mixture of relief and disbelief.

"Are you three the only extraction team?" Her gaze taking in the dead tech-zombies and Fabio taking a selfie with said tech zombies. Her grip readjusting on her shotgun. "You are the extraction team right?"

An edge to her words.

"Bella donna," Fabio declared smoothly, before anyone else had a chance to get a word in, "We are all the extraction team that you need!"

"Though there are others," he conceded, "Entering and working their way through the compound from different directions."

He took another glance down at the dead zombies. They didn't seem to be about to get up again, "Perhaps you can tell us what happened to these people? Perhaps that is not allowed. The most important thing is that bullets seem to stop them and they appear to be very dead indeed at this point. I hope that all my assumptions are correct. Sì?"

Kedem was going to sigh at Fabio's trying to take a selfie with the dead tech zombies. But survivors showed up, and he was glad that there were survivors. So maybe he can survive his first job.

He lowered his rifle and let Enzo and Fabio speak first before he did. "What our tech said, we are here to investigate whatever happened here. So no to being the extraction team, but that does not mean we will not help you get out of here." That was when Kedem saw the name tag, and luck would have it. One of the survivors was one of the VIPs, and that made him wonder if the other VIP is still alive.

Kedem got on his radio, "this is Girma and we found a VIP along with three other survivors."

Then he spoke to the group, "The way we came in was free of whatever those things are." Kedem motioned to the tech zombies' bodies. "We can escort you out of here and back outside, where it is safe. You all ready to get out of here?" Kedem was ready to escort the group out of dodge and would lead the group out.

Kedem would get on the radio again, "can we head to the fourth floor after we secure the VIP?" Hoping that the way back is still safe and would still readied his rifle just in case.

Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah
Security Room

The security chief appeared flabbergasted at the personalities present in the hall. The oversized shotgun toting "tech". The team leader who just described an extraction team while denying themselves as the extraction team. And the oddly glistening Italian who for some reason wore mirrored aviators inside.

Her finger straying to the trigger of the shotgun. Ideas that perhaps the trio in front of her were intruders. She thought the better of it however. Relaxing slightly, in the event this wasn't Acheron; there wasn't much she could do about at this point. Not after the better part of the day had been spent watching her security staff (and the civilian staff) be whittled down.

"Perhaps you can tell us what happened to these people? Perhaps that is not allowed. The most important thing is that bullets seem to stop them and they appear to be very dead indeed at this point. I hope that all my assumptions are correct. Sì?"

"I don't know what experiment they were specifically." Ava admitted, nudging a corpse with a boot. "All I know is there was a breach just before lunch. Before I could scramble a team we were up to our asses in muscled hulks and these tinker toy corpses. They've been dragging the bodies down below though. Saw that much before they...well..."

She motioned at the door. Gouges evident from where strong grips had crumpled it like tissue paper.

Motion at the end of the hall had the odd assemblage turn. The enthusiasm in which it opened belied the figure that came through. Not a Tech-zombie or a Goliath. But one Samantha Norr wearing a customer service smile.

"Mrs. Wiberg, I'm glad to see you made it out alright. Samantha Norr, Acheron Recovery Services." In that space she had managed to close the distance, move past the muzzle of a half raised shotgun and shake the confused security chief's hand while pressing a business card into her hand. The security chief's brows were furrowed and raised as as Samantha continued. "I have a team waiting to take you outside while we carry out with our procedures. Lima, escort MRs Wiberg and her colleagues to a chopper!"

As she talked the hall behind filled with the others that had followed Sam up. Soraya and Imogen, the intrepid Concealment team with their gadgets. The Lima fireteam and Stokes filled out Norr's impromptu group. Or at least Lima did before they glanced at each other with a shrug of their shoulders and led the chief and her surviving officers down the stairs. Graves might have been Field Commander but Norr stood at the same spot on the totem pole and she had been right there.

Which left Sam with the team Daniel had sent to the security room, the Concealment team and the old warhorse Stokes. Though the sniper, Redecker, on the outside might be able to give a bit of cover if the angle was right.

Sam tried to seize the moment. Channeling the best confident voice she could muster.

"Alright, you guys are with us. We're getting a reporter from the fourth floor. Move out!"

Her voice broke with an unfortunate caught at the end.

---------

Fourth Floor

For all the gunfire of the loading bay and the sniper's deadly work; the initial entry onto the top floor was uneventful. The top floor obviously the executive floor; rich carpets and richer furnishers now ruined by the rampaging cyborgs and hulks.

The team spreading out cautiously for their search; Sam ducking into a conference room to slowly pan her weapon over a richly appointed room. Better appointed then Acheron's boardroom in fact.

Sam took a moment to admire a particular rich dark red leather swivel chair. Wondering if she could haul it out of here for her office. So her gaze was not able to see a figure hidden in the shadows swing an identical chair with all its might at the face of Soraya.

@Dyelli Beybi, @Theyra, @PrinceAlexus, @Tesserach, @PatientBean, @JFK, @Flarbinia

Soraya had taken the lead heading into the facility, letting Imogen linger back and requesting Sam watch her back but stopped short of the entrance. She'd heard the gunfire, but as her eyes adjusted to what remained of the interior lighting: this was slightly more carnage than she had been expecting. Observing the state of the corpses - the technozombies - she leaned to one side and set her heavy bag down and began fumbling for something in her backpack.

As they waited, she took the time to strap an N95 mask - wishing she had something more substantial on her person, and adding a set of protective goggles that went over her prescription lenses. "Safety first..." She declared before proceeding forward, her pistol now in hand. "I am sure the action team has cleared the facility very well..." She stepped over the first dead body, inspecting the face, determining the superficial injuries were - in fact - fatal. "... but let us be careful. Just in case."

They made their way through the facilities. Soraya paused not infrequently, to listen, but also to observe some of the corpses. Partly from professional interest. Partly to assure herself that none of them were moving.

Arriving at the fourth floor, she paused again consulting the IMSI terminal, that she'd left in Imogen's care, to confirm they were getting close. "Be ready." She said, looking to Imogen in particular before proceeding inside. She handled covering the front and one side of the hallway while Sam covered the other angle. It seemed there was nothing alive up here, nothing stirring.

She turned to look at Imogen and ask "Where is it now?"

The moment she did there was the unmistakable sound of sudden movement to one side. Soraya just enough time to turn so that she ate the flung piece of office furniture directly in the face. "Ah!"

Soraya's duffel bag hit the ground with the heavy thunk, her pistol landed with a clack, and then came the muffled sound as she herself was hit the floor. Well, her backpack hit the floor. Soraya was unceremoniously draped over it, her goggles, facemask and glasses all askew while she reached around and kicked with uncoordinated limbs trying to right herself like some sort of discombobulated turtle.

@Terrans @PatientBean

The Tech who lifts.

Enzo had already had far too much interesting in his personal opinion as they headed up to the 4th floor after taking out the tech zombies and the sudden ViP coming to them so helpfully. Her security looked like the normal thuggish guys who probably spent more time on the other muscles than their brains but they must be decent to still be alive. He was glad when they sent them back to the entry point.

He was less glad by the sounds of a large basement network filled with killer monsters and thus very happy to head up to the 4th floor out of those two options. He headed up the stairs with a steady pace, his cardio was not the greatest of all time but it was enough to keep up with the shooters for the present pace of operations.

The groups moved quietly, efficiently though a formerly rather grand and much more impressive executive level. Things were more plush, coffee pod machines and doors looked made of real wood instead of just wood effect doors. It was this area he followed Kadeem and Fabio, making up a small team out of sheer chance and vicinity.

“These people know how to work. This place is like a palace.” He said pushing a door closed to a checked executive kitchen and left a mark so they knew it was passed. “Room… kitchen 3 clear.” He said over the radio.

…

They would locate the target.. eventually. Or what was left of them.

---

Imogen was not afraid to see a dead body. She had seen many before. Lost relatives, friends, etc. But also ones that were delicately swept under the rug. She recalled one in particular. A famous doctor in London had been having an affair, one she was tasked with ensuring didn't get out for a few reasons. One, because the doctor was a lesbian in a very conservative family. Two, because the woman she had been seeing was a pro-choice advocate with staunch beliefs that went against what the good doctor spoke about. And three, because the doctor was also racit as fuck and was sleeping with a Black woman.

Who was lying dead in the doctor's bathroom. After the doctor caved her head in.

The reason? Well, one as old as time. Greed. The woman had plans to blackmail the doctor, airing their relationship, sure to to damage to the doctor's reputation, her finances, her properties, her ability to do basically anything anymore.

Imogen may not have liked the doctor. In fact, she detested the woman. But a job was a job.

So no, Imogen did not balk at the sight of some corpses. It did not mean she didn't feel for them, but she knew the job needed doing. So she followed Sam and Dr. Soraya. Imogen was starting to greatly respect Soraya as this went on. The woman was in her element. They were nearing the target as Sam went on.

She remained silent, letting the two of them carry on to the fourth floor. They entered a room, Imogen doing her best to trackthe target with Soraya's tech. As she asked for information, Imogen noted something. The target was nearby. In fact....

It was in the room.

Time sped up as a figure, darkened in shadows, swung a piece of furniture at Soraya, knocking her to the ground in an, albeing hilarious, display. Imogen looked up to catch who did it. She had no weapons, no means of defending herself. Imogen held her hands up. "Hey, there's no need for that. It's over. Now, we can walk out of here calmly and safely or we can do it the hard way. Either way, you aren't leaving here without some course of action. I can help ensure that is, at least, done with your well-being in mind. So, what's the plan?" She asked that question, but looked over at Sam.

"I have repositioned. Resuming surveillance." Redecker Krueger said over the radio as he looked through the scope. "I don't see any more hostiles on the fourth floor, but I'll keep an eye out for any activity above ground level." Redecker said over the radio as his gaze turned to the third floor. "Third floor looks clear so far. Wait, I see some movement. I can see him now. It's a member of the news crew. He ain't a 'Necrotic', but he's badly injured. I will be watching him until he leaves my line of sight. Best get a medic there before he passes out from blood loss." Krueger said as he watched the third floor, being on the lookout for any hostiles that might still be on that floor. "Hostile spotted. Taking the shot." Redecker Krueger said over the radio as he spotted a cyber zombie and took the shot.

"Hostile neutralized. VIP condition unchanged. Maintaining surveillance until the third floor is secured. I will immediately report if I see anyone else who is uninfected, VIP or otherwise." Redecker Krueger said over the radio as he continued to look through the scope.

Kedem followed the group as they made their way to the fourth floor and cautiously watched for any more of those tech zombies. Luckily for the group, none were found on the fourth floor, but for how much longer, he thought.

Still, at the moment, they were safe. So, as Kedem continued to keep an eye on his surroundings. He would miss the sight of Soraya's face getting hit in the face with a chair and would only turn around once he heard her fall to the floor.

No sight of a tech zombie, and Kedem doubts a tech zombie would use a chair to attack someone. Unless they like to set ambushes, and Kedem and his group got lucky. But, Kedem nonetheless would go to keep an eye open as the group deals with whoever hit Soraya in thet face with a chair.

Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Utah
Fourth Floor

Somewhere, in between Soraya having taken office furniture to the cranium and Imogen's pleas; Sam had swung her MP5K up and pulled the trigger.

To no effect.

Sam's focus turned to fear filled annoyance as she tugged on the trigger a few more times to no effect while the barrel hung in the direction of the figure. The figure however did not respond with more weaponized chairs but instead stumbled out of the shadows. Her jeans and hoodies spoke of a college lifestyle that had been hastily updated for the casual professionalism of an internship. Gore, dust and whatever else was around coated her face and hair but her features were distinct. The visitor's pass with "PRESS" printed on it also gave a helpful identifier.

The intern, Whitney, had the air of a frantic animal about her. The safety of seeing humans clashing with whatever instincts had kept her alive amidst the killing floor that had become the facility.

"Hey, there's no need for that. It's over. Now, we can walk out of here calmly and safely or we can do it the hard way. Either way, you aren't leaving here without some course of action. I can help ensure that is, at least, done with your well-being in mind. So, what's the plan?" She asked that question, but looked over at Sam.

"Are....are you the police?" Her voice had the quality of someone who had not spoken for awhile. Dry and wary. Brown eyes darting over the assembled Acheron team members in the conference room.

A mechanical click resounded in the room as Sam finally figured out the weapon's problem. Her safety finally flicking off. The Coordinator gave a sheepish look as she realized the problem had been her fault and that she probably would have shot Whitney had it not been for her oversight.

"No....We're with the gas company. There's been a massive gas leak. Not safe here."

Somewhere in the building another firefight started up in the middle of Sam's words.

@Tesserach, @PatientBean, @JFK
********

The intrepid trio separate from the drama of the conference room would find nothing in the kitchen. The same pattern of chaos that the facility bore no different on this floor.

Then a shriek of terror followed by pounding feet that sounded as if an elephant was trying to jog. The trio would barely have a second to process the sudden change before a figure darted into the kitchen. The reporter panting as she slammed the door shut. Not with any conviction of safety but with the desperation of a drowning person grabbing for a lifeline.

She turned, eyes wild, and almost recoiled as she took in the three men in the kitchen. Hope then confusion danced across her features as she took in the operator like Kedem, the massive Enzo and the action-hero esque outfit Fabio portrayed. The massive fist that suddenly pounded through the door brought her attention back to the present; sneaker's scrambling on the hardwood floor as she ducked behind the three Acheron shooters.

"Save me!!!" A second fist appeared beside the first; ripping the door from its hinges and tossing it into the corridor. The hulking Goliath had to duck to enter the room; electric blue eyes the only color. It's indigo jumpsuit splotched with dried blood of some previous victim.

@Dyelli Beybi, @Theyra, @PrinceAlexus
*****
Field Commander Daniel Graves
Obsidian Dynamics Research Facility
Basement Access

The elevator that would have lead down the heart of the dramatically named "Null Zero" was locked. Not that Daniel would have trusted it. That left eight flights worth of stairs that Juliet and Lima were currently descending.

Or, fighting, if one wanted more accuracy.

Tech-zombies in the dozens were trying to stop their descent. Attempting to ascend into the gunfire; their charges becoming less effective as the Acheron shooter's became more used to the jerky movements and flashing eyes of the hostiles. Acheron took no casualties at least as they descended; climbing over the butchered bodies on their way down.

Graves paused on a blood slicked landing to swap a magazine. Beside him, a shooter called for a frag, another responding by tossing the grenade over a railing. The crump resounded even from three floors up. The gunfire picking up as the DA teams exploited.

His radio crackling with reports. Though one stood out.

"Hostile neutralized. VIP condition unchanged. Maintaining surveillance until the third floor is secured. I will immediately report if I see anyone else who is uninfected, VIP or otherwise." Redecker Krueger said over the radio as he continued to look through the scope.

Graves gave an incredulous shake of his head. Keying his mic as he motioned another team forward to to take his place.

"Redecker, Graves. We have the male news member accounted for. No idea who you're looking at. Break. Stop shooting into the building we have friendlies within. Break. Hold perimeter and engage only those outside compound. Graves out."

He signed out of the radio with no possibility for talk back. Reshouldering his weapon as a call came from below.

"Goliath!!!!Goliath!!!"

He sighed as he began to hustle down the stairs. The gunfire turning into panicked spraying and the too human screams of a shooter told Graves this day was going to be longer.

Stokes had his barrel trained on the shadow as soon as he turned and clocked what had occurred. He waited for it to reveal itself. But Sam did not. His visor hid his weary look as he watched the Coordinator fumble with her weapon. He looked back at the intern and seriously considered simply blowing her shit smooth off. Had the concealment team not been there he definitely would have. But he restrained himself; thinking that some of them would find his heavy handed approach to be distasteful.

@Tesserach

He lowered his weapon and listened to Sam's pitiful excuse as he moved towards the doctor. At least he didn't have to do the talking. Instead he grabbed Soraya's flailing wrist and providing her a calm lifeline. "Get up Mansour. You're okay." Waiting a moment for her to realise what was happening he helped lift her back to her feet when she was ready. He considered trying to check her for injuries but before he could make a fuss of her his attention was drawn by a loud crashing and a woman shouting in one of the nearby rooms. He also heard the faint pop of explosives somewhere far below him. He decided it would be most useful for him to watch the office's entrance like a hawk. He swiftly stowed his sidearm and shouldered his MP7.

Redecker Krueger resumed surveillance as the radio went silent, even if he thought that graves denying himself and others supporting fire was a risky move. Whether the man on the third floor was a shapeshifter or just an injured employee who happens to look like the male reporter didn't matter. He has been ordered not to fire into the building and focus on the exterior. He watched the surrounding area until he noticed something move near the building and pointed his rifle in that direction. "Movement spotted. Unable to identify if it's human or not. Holdin' fire until I can get a clean line of sight." Redecker said over the radio to anyone who was listening as he continued watching.

"The fucker is headed for the perimeter. Takin' the shot." Krueger said over the radio as he pulled the trigger, his target falling like a puppet with its strings cut. "Target neutralized. Area clear. Resumin' surveillance." Redecker Krueger said over the radio as he turned his attention back to the surrounding area.

The Tech who lifts.

Enzo wondered how much trouble they would get to take the fancy coffee maker with them for the nerd cave back at the base. The ICT and tech teams would love great coffee. I mean the place would be getting a full refurbishment to get the smell of zombies out the carpet, brains and whole resident evil level live action going on right now. Fuck, he would not be able to see theat the same for a long time.

“Calm Miss, we not here to hurt you.” Enzo said surprisingly softly and with care as he saw the woman panic. The last thing they needed was her running about and getting eaten on their watch. Plus she might alert more of the lurking…”guess we 2 for 2, call it in.”

Finally they saved someone who was not a corporate battle axe, maybe he got an action hero date out of it for fun. Maybe they might have a easy…oh fuck.

His comment to the others was to cut off Toby the massive fist and he could only but swear in Italian, curse its mother and insult its parentage.

It was not a planned action that Enzo took, but anyone who was not a hardened direct action feel panic as he just lowered his gun to point at any part of this ugly ass thing and started firing the mixed bag of whatever he had in the gun. There was way too little room. Any damage was better than none and Enzo wanted to live very very much.

It was more reflex than any logical plan. Zombie monster bad. Gun good. Shoot monsters. Hope it worked.

@Flarbinia@Theyra