Edmund looked at everyone with disdain, as if the incompetence of the group was almost offensive to him.
His eyes focused on each one before speaking: "Do you really think I would have agreed to use the helicopter if I didn't have someone who could fly it?" He wondered bitterly where the professionals he had worked with for years had gone... Fear had turned them useless, even making him doubt their ability to handle the situation.
"..."
Thud! Thud!
Silence took over the place, interrupted only by the relentless bangs on the door, where the creatures continued to fight to get in. Edmund wasted no time; he turned his gaze to Rupert, the elderly man with silver hair.
His grumpy face, marked by the wrinkles of a life well-lived, reflected the weight of the years.
"Rupert, you served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force. I'm sure you can handle that Airbus H145. Besides, these helicopters always have a flight manual onboard; you just need to quickly review it to get it started," Edmund said as he placed a firm hand on his shoulder. His eyes locked with Rupert's, and with a voice full of confidence, he added, "I trust you. If anyone can do it, it's you."
Rupert looked at him coldly. His voice, deep and slow, cut through the silence, "I'll try, but don't expect miracles," his eyes fixed on the helicopter, as if reliving old memories, and without saying more, he walked towards it.
As Rupert headed for the helicopter, the two men holding the door were on the brink of collapse.
Their faces were red, and sweat was dripping down their temples.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"H-hurry up, old man!" shouted the businessman, his voice choked with exhaustion. He was trembling uncontrollably, as the banging on the door grew louder, resonating more forcefully with each hit.
Rupert didn't respond and boarded the helicopter. The interior was tight but functional, with two rows of dark gray leather seats in the back and two additional seats on the sides, all with seatbelts hanging at the sides. In front of them, the pilot's seats, snug and ergonomic, dominated the cockpit.
"Where the hell did they put it?" murmured Rupert, his fingers quickly scanning the side compartments.
After a few seconds of searching, his hands finally found a black plastic-bound book, hidden in a compartment to the left of the pilot's seat.
Rupert took it and began flipping through the pages quickly, stopping briefly on each one. His face, marked by concentration, reflected the calm of someone used to processing information under pressure. In that moment, it seemed like everything else disappeared; only he and the manual existed.
"I can't take it anymore!" screamed the businessman helping hold the door.
"Hraaagh!"
"Wrrrraaarghh!"
Crrreekk...
The door gave a few inches, enough for the creatures on the other side to push through with their deformed, yellowish, blood-covered hands. Their claws shook desperately, scraping the metal in a frantic attempt to reach something alive.
The growls, filled with vicious rage, echoed like deafening echoes, freezing the blood of everyone.
"Uhh, come on, damn it! Ahhhhhh!"
The guard struggling to keep the door closed screamed with all his might, using the last bit of energy he had left. At the same time, the businessman, exhausted and lying on the floor, made a titanic effort to get up, ready to help with the little strength he had left.
Elián watched the scene with a mix of contradictory thoughts.
He was hesitating whether to help, something he saw as very risky, as one of the first lessons he had learned in the landfill was that, unless there was no other option, he should never get involved in situations where he could lose his life.
He bit his lower lip and took a step toward the door but stopped when he saw that the two men were already on the edge of their strength. It was too late to offer help.
The others, terrified and aware of the gravity of the situation, began to run towards the helicopter without hesitation!
Elián took one last look at the door and followed the rest.
They rushed to take their seats, pulling the seatbelts and adjusting them with trembling hands. One of them shouted toward Rupert: "Hurry up and turn this on!"
Edmund, already sitting in the copilot's seat, turned with an expression of annoyance, "Shut up and let him read!" he ordered in a firm voice.
The group, surprised, fell into a tense silence.
Elián sat next to Hugo, who couldn't stop talking, clearly nervous. "When we get out of here, I'm going on vacation. A long one, really long... Maybe I'll go to the Caribbean..."
"No, maybe I'll choose Southeast Asia, you know? Beaches, sun, delicious food..."
Elián completely ignored what Hugo was saying and focused his gaze on the interior of the helicopter, fascinated. He had never seen anything like this, but there was certainty in his mind: that machine was going to fly. How? He had no idea, but he was going to find out soon.
"Raaaaaaargh!"
Suddenly, a terrifying roar was heard!
Crash!
The businessman and the guard, unable to keep the door closed, released the pressure and ran toward the helicopter. The creatures pushed the door open with force, causing it to swing open suddenly. A wave of monsters surged toward the helipad, stumbling and getting stuck at the entrance.
"Shit, there's no time!"
Rupert set the manual aside, his face impassive. With quick and precise movements, his hands danced over the controls, flipping switches and adjusting levers. The hum of the systems intensified in the cockpit, filling it with a vibrant anticipation as he prepared for takeoff.
Brrrrr... bzzzzt!
The blades began to spin slowly, emitting a hum that grew louder with each second.
"I can't take it anymore..."
Pluff!
The guard was about to reach the helicopter but stopped when he saw that the businessman had fallen to the ground, exhausted to the point of being unable to move. He hesitated for a moment but gritted his teeth and went back to help him.
"No, idiot, come here!" roared Edmund from the helicopter, but the guard didn't listen.
The decision was clearly a fatal mistake.
Just when the guard arrived to help the businessman, the creatures pounced on them with the ferocity of a pack of hungry wolves. One of them, with terrifying speed, sank its teeth into the businessman's neck, tearing off a piece of flesh. The scream of pain that followed was so intense it froze everyone's blood.
"..."
The guard, realizing it was useless to help, let go of the businessman and ran toward the helicopter.
"Grrr... rrraaagh!"
"Grraaahhh!"
"Aaaghh... grrr!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The creatures pursued him, but he moved with agility, shooting at those trying to catch him.
"Rrrhhggg!"
"Let me go, damn monster!"
Just as he was about to board the helicopter, one of the creatures emerged from the shadows and bit his arm with savage fury.
"Aaahhhh!"
Bang!
With a scream of desperation, the guard raised his gun and shot the creature in the head, taking it down immediately. The monster fell to the ground, lifeless, but the damage was already done.
"Help him!" shouted Edmund to those sitting near the guard.
Two of the businessmen unbuckled their seatbelts and, in a surge of adrenaline, rushed to the door to drag the guard inside. With effort, they managed to get him in just in time when the helicopter had already risen half a meter off the ground.
"Huff, huff..."
The guard hurried to take his seat, breathing heavily, his face contorted in pain as he furrowed his brow.
"!"
At that moment, the creatures roared with fury and lunged at the helicopter, jumping with all their strength. Most of them fell to the ground without achieving anything, but two of them clung to the landing skids, hanging onto them with great strength.
The extra weight made the craft sway dangerously.
Rupert, gritting his teeth, tried to regain control. His hands were sweating as the perspiration ran down his face, but he managed to push the helicopter up, gaining a few more meters.
Barely, the helicopter exceeded the range of the other creatures, moving out of their reach, but the danger was still present.
The main problem was that the two creatures remained clinging to the landing skids, hanging onto them with supernatural strength. Rupert, with a voice hoarse from desperation, shouted to the others: "We have to do something about them, or we're going to crash!"
"I-I'll do it!"
With his wounded arm, the guard, despite his obvious pain, pulled out his gun and peeked through the rear door.
His eyes scanned the creatures hanging onto the helicopter, which were growling fiercely. However, they couldn't do anything, they were stuck in their position, powerless in the face of the shot the guard had already decided to take.
Bang!
With precise aim, the guard fired, and with a dull sound, hit one of the creatures in the head.
The impact was lethal: the creature fell into the void.
"Rrraaaaghh!"
But the other monster was still clinging to the skid, growling with rage, and the guard tried to aim again. However, just as he was about to take the next shot, he began to feel extremely dizzy. The pressure in his head increased, and without warning, he vomited a thick, yellowish liquid that poured down his chin.
"...!?"
His face contorted in pain as he tried to stabilize himself, but his body no longer responded.
Everyone present froze, unable to process what was happening. Horror gripped them until, finally, one of the businessmen broke the silence with a trembling voice: "He's turning into one of those things!"
Suddenly, the guard staggered backward, almost falling on his back, and began to convulse violently. His skin turned a yellowish hue, and his body quickly inflated, as if being pumped up. The transformation process was horrifying: his eyes began to bulge out of their sockets, as if the pressure in his skull couldn't handle the internal deformation. The eyes popped completely, falling to the ground along with a torrent of viscous, nauseating liquid pouring from his sockets.
Crack!
A terrifying sound, like the crunch of broken bones, echoed inside the helicopter as his body decomposed at an incomprehensible speed.
"Rrrrrrrhhhh... rraaaaghh!"
"Don't come near! No—! Ghh...ghhh..." His voice was abruptly cut off as his own blood filled his throat, choking his voice.
The guard, now fully transformed, growled with force and, without hesitation, lunged at one of the businessmen beside him. With a single move, he bit his neck with brutal strength, tearing through skin and muscle.
Chaos erupted in seconds. The other businessmen, terrified, began to scream in panic.
The guard, now a monstrosity, wasted no time and launched himself at them, biting, tearing, and killing with inhuman ferocity. The worst part was that with each bite, his victim rapidly transformed into one of those creatures. Every second that passed made the interior of the helicopter an even more deadly place, with the threat growing uncontrollably.
"No! Please, no!"
"My God, he's biting me!"
"Please... I don't want to die... I don't want to be one of them..."
"...Help... I can't breathe..."
Pleas and screams of terror filled the helicopter cabin, echoing in Elián and Hugo's ears as they watched the horrific scene.
Elián, completely terrified by what he was witnessing, felt his heart pounding. Fear flooded his mind, but something inside him urged him to stay calm. He had to find a way to escape, and he had to do it fast!
Hugo, beside him, was also in shock, trying to comprehend the magnitude of what was happening.
In a desperate attempt to scream, Hugo opened his mouth, but Elián reacted instantly, covering it with his hand. Their eyes met, and Elián's gaze conveyed a clear order: absolute silence. Hugo, trembling, nodded slightly as panic overtook his face. He remembered in terror that any sound could attract the creatures, and his breathing became shallow, almost inaudible, as he struggled to maintain control.
However, in the midst of the chaos, the elderly had forgotten this small rule.
Fear had paralyzed them, and they began to scream as well. In the blink of an eye, the creatures, now fully out of control, lunged at them, attacking them mercilessly.
The helicopter, now uncontrollable, began spinning in the air, rapidly losing altitude.
Elián felt time slipping through his fingers. He couldn't stay another second. With a quick movement, he unbuckled his seatbelt and looked at Hugo, who was still paralyzed with fear. He urgently motioned for him to follow. Hugo, still in shock, looked at him with confusion, but when he met Elián's intense gaze, something clicked inside him. Without a word, he released the seatbelt and nodded, ready to follow him.
"I know what you're trying to do. If you make it, go to Kensington, and save my granddaughter Amelia. It's been a pleasure, Mr. Thomas..."
Surprisingly, Rupert had avoided being bitten thanks to Edmund, who had stepped in as a human shield. Elián was speechless. Since meeting the old man, he had always sensed a cold hostility from him, but this unexpected act of bravery and sacrifice completely changed his perception.
Maybe that coldness was just a part of his personality.
Both of them stood up with effort as the helicopter continued its uncontrollable descent. Elián, his face tense, scanned the ground, searching for the perfect spot to jump.
Indeed, Elián was about to do something completely irrational, but he saw no other option. The infernal machine they were traveling in was about to become a death trap. If they crashed, there would be no way to survive. However, by jumping, even if it was crazy, he could increase his chances. He wouldn't jump blindly, like a fool from dozens of meters up. His plan was to find the roof of a building and jump when they were close enough, hoping that this tiny fraction of risk might save his life.
This would have been almost impossible to achieve, but Rupert, instantly understanding Elián's intentions, adjusted the course with precision and brought them closer to the target, giving him the opportunity he so desperately needed.
Finally, when the helicopter passed over a building, Elián seized the opportunity.
"Ahhhhhh!"
He grabbed Hugo's arm firmly, his fingers gripping tightly, and without a second thought, he leaped toward the roof as Hugo screamed in fear.
Thud!
"Ugh!"
With a dull noise, both fell onto the roof. Though the height wasn't enormous, the impact was brutal. Elián, with quick reflexes, twisted his body to cushion the blow. They rolled across the rough surface of the roof, sliding several meters before coming to a stop, barely half a meter from the edge.
"Huff..."
Air escaped their lungs, but they managed to avoid the worst of the impact.
Inside the helicopter, Rupert sighed in relief upon seeing that Elián had survived. However, his gaze shifted to his old friend, who was already beginning to transform. With a grim smile, Rupert adjusted the controls and guided the helicopter toward a building wall, several streets away from where Elián had fallen.
Boom!
In the distance, Elián and Hugo looked on in horror as the helicopter crashed into a building with a deafening explosion.
"This has to be a nightmare..."
Elián slowly got up, every movement a burden of exhaustion. His empty gaze scanned the ground, and when he raised his eyes, his body tensed at facing a vision that bordered on the unimaginable. What he saw before him was nothing less than hell unleashed: an incomprehensible mass of creatures, thousands or perhaps hundreds of thousands, covering the streets like a dark tide. They were running toward the explosion with animal urgency, as if the very air was saturated with their insatiable hunger.
The earth trembled beneath his feet like an earthquake. Elián wondered, desperate, how he was going to survive this hell...