Story 654: Blood and Steel

The dim light filtered through the shattered glass ceiling, illuminating the dust-choked air of the abandoned industrial complex. General Viktor "Bloodfang" Kruger wiped the fresh blood from his combat knife, the blade still warm from the slaughter of the undead horde. His red beret was tilted forward, casting a shadow over his hardened features. His muscles, taut with battle tension, pulsed with the bio-serum coursing through his veins.

Across from him, Sergeant Darius "Hellhound" Rook adjusted his rifle strap. His breathing was steady, his sharp gaze scanning the remnants of the battlefield. Spent bullet casings littered the steel grating beneath them, mixing with the rotting corpses of Kruger’s latest victims.

"That was a damn lot of them," Rook muttered, reloading his weapon. "Plague Mistress must be playing with the numbers again."

Kruger scoffed. "Let her. The more she throws at me, the stronger I get."

But Rook wasn’t convinced. "You don’t look like a man in control."