Chereads / Bear of the East / Chapter 8 - Beginning of The End Part 1

Chapter 8 - Beginning of The End Part 1

Outside the hypermarket, an armyia squad alongside a BMP - 2 infantry fighting vehicle was parked 50 meters away from the store's entrance. The BMP -2 consisted of a 3 man crew which was the driver, gunner, and commander, while accompanied by 7 infantry men. An improvement of the BMP - 1, the BMP - 2 similarly was an amphibious tracked infantry vehicle, designed with a front - engined chassis with it being able to reach speeds of 65 km/h. The vehicle's steel turret gun was an impressive 2A42 30 mm autocannon, sided with a 9p135M ATGM launcher capable of carrying anti - tank missiles complimented with smoke grenade launchers at the rear. Alongside the vehicle were multiple firing ports for the infantry to engage in a safe environment. Finally, in the rear were 2 rear doors, which held the internal fueling tanks.

Currently, the infantry squad could be seen smoking and talking about the latest events outside the BMP - 2, as it was uncomfortable to stay in the cramped rear compartments for extended periods of time. Meanwhile the vehicles crew could be seen conversing as well, but inside the vehicle with its hatches open to allow for more ventilation. 

Immersed in their conversations, the collective screaming from horrified shoppers finally reached their ears. A stream of terrorized people gushed out the stores entrance. Chaos enveloped the surroundings as people shoved past one another to get further away from those things. Despicable acts occurred as some left the elderly to the jaws of those monsters, while there were acts of compassion as some amongst the crowd helped those who've fallen get up. Trailing right behind them were those pale things who ran after, latched onto, and viciously tore into their victims. 

A disheveled woman amidst the crowd noticed the presence of the armiya squad parked just along the street, and so she began to frantically yell and run towards them, seeking safety from those monsters.

"HELP, MONSTR, MONSTR!" the woman cried out. Her pleas for help in the direction of the Armiya soon attracted the attention of other desperate shoppers, who quickly noticed the presence of the Armiya squad. Following the woman's lead, the disoriented crowd rushed toward the perceived safety that the small contingent of Armiya personnel provided.

Gregory, the infantry squad leader, squinted his eyes towards the hysterical civilians. 

"Mask on!" yelled Gregory as he discarded his cigarette and quickly equipped his PMK - general mask latched to his side. Following his command, the remaining 6 infantrymen equipped their PMK - general mask and readied themselves against the incoming crowd. Meanwhile, the crew inside the BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle quickly closed the open hatches and started the engine, each crewman observing the situation outside through the built-in periscopes.

Prior to deployment, Gregory and the other squad leaders were briefed by their superiors on the current situation facing the newly established Russian Federation. It was discovered that individuals who had taken the NAR serum would turn into monsters, killing and infecting others until no one was left. The Marshal of the Russian Federation, Igor Sergeyev, discreetly removed personnel who had taken the NAR serum from the military, doing so without raising any major alarms among the populace. Experts in the Ministry of Health named the virus Yeda-29; however, common recruits referred to those infected by Yeda-29 as zombies, because they met the textbook definition of being a zombie. 

Back to the present, Gregory, alongside his 6 infantrymen aimed down the iron sights of their AK-74's towards the approaching crowd. Although they were told to keep civilian casualties to a minimum, a crowd of nearly a 100 frightened shoppers running towards them in terror was a difficult thing to accomplish, unless one was an expert marksmen of which none of them were.

Finding a suitable distance to maintain between his squad and the crowd, Gregory took the lead by sporadically firing at the infected amongst the crowd. The other infantrymen quickly followed his example, the piercing sounds of gunfire overshadowed the screams of the unfortunate. Seeing the soldiers' hostile stance towards them, the hapless shoppers found themselves in a deadly dilemma. If they continued moving forward, they risked being shot; but turning back meant certain death at the jaws of those things

However, the current situation didn't give them time to ponder, as they were either forcibly shoved to the ground by those behind them, left to the clutches of the monsters, or indiscriminately struck alongside the infected. As the crowd drew closer to the infantry squad, fewer and fewer maintained their humanity, as they were forcibly infected. Seeing the number of infected growing amongst the crowd, Gregory ordered his men to steadily retreat while continuing to fire.

 Meanwhile, within the confines of the BMP - 2 infantry fighting vehicle, the commander was directing the actions of the driver and the gunner. 

"Shoot these sons of bitches, Danil! Anton, reverse the IFV!" roared the commander, as he viewed the quickly approaching horde of zombies through the built in periscope. Anxiety gripped his body as he feared facing the same fate as those outside. The desperate pleas for help, accompanied by the sounds of people being mutilated, shocked him. Although scared, he was experienced enough to understand that if he were to show signs of cowardice, his crewmen would also be affected, ultimately compromising the overall combat capability of the BMP - 2. Therefore, he forced himself to put on a calm facade.

 The surrounding street was soon filled with the BMP - 2's rapid firing of its 2A42 30 mm autocannon. Each explosive round ripped through both the infected and the innocent without discrimination, transforming flesh into a mist of blood with every strike. Those fortunate enough to survive the initial onslaught were temporarily deafened by the thunderous like autocannon of the BMP - 2.