The lead truck lurched violently, metal shrieking as the entire frame tilted from the impact. Captain Villamor's head slammed against the door frame, dazing him. Delgado cursed, trying to keep the wheel straight, but the vehicle skidded sideways into the ditch.
Then came the sound. A deep, inhuman growl. It wasn't the mindless shrieking of regular infected—it was guttural, deliberate. And loud.
"What the hell was that?!" Tinio shouted from the back.
Villamor's hand reached for his rifle instinctively, heart pounding. He looked out the shattered window.
That's when he saw it.
A massive, grotesque creature slammed its clawed hand down on the truck's hood. Its twisted musculature looked like layers of torn flesh and sinew barely held together. The jaw was wide, with ragged teeth gleaming under the morning sun. The beast snarled, saliva dripping from its mouth like acid.
Villamor froze.