Chapter 13: Specters Among Men

In the war room beneath the Capital bunker, screens buzzed with static as encrypted calls flickered across the interface. Maps, data trees, and biometric networks painted a world strangled in red lines and failed traces.

"Nothing." The voice belonged to Director Kael, head of the International Surveillance Division. His voice completely spent as he tried to skim through the holographic data in front of him.

"We've sifted through the dark net, every known black market, every trafficking route in the Obscured Confederacy. Interrogated smugglers, scraped post-digital archives, even bribed elven information brokers. Solon just does not exist anywhere."

Reynolds' jaw flexed. "What about Five Stars Bliss Hotel? His body after his death, clearly someone must have picked it up or covered his remains." Kael barely flinched. "That's where his trail starts and ends. No birth records. No school files. No military history. Not even facial matches prior to that date. It's like a spark that existed for a couple of hours before snuffed out."

"And Crimson?" Darius interjected, his arms folded. His voice was quieter, tinged with mixture of something resembling bitterness and anger. From his perspective, if they found her and managed to concoct a cure for the mutants then they'll be used for the war and casualties will surely spike.

If they fail to find her then the plague will claim the remaining mutants wiping them all off the face of the earth. Stuck between a rock and a hard place. "Rumors all over the globe flow with no exact source." Kael sighed.

"The last known fresh lead we have of her is in Japan. A woman matching her description was spotted in Oshika, a former tech-hub before the fracture surge hit the region. But the reports are unreliable. Locals speak of a red-haired foreigner living in the shadow of the mountains, keeps to herself, cold and detached."

Reynolds tapped the table, eyes narrowed. "You're telling me the two most dangerous assets on this planet are ghosts now? We're running out of time to ward off those beasts threatening to barge into our world. It's been two weeks already."

"They aren't ghosts." Kael said flatly. "More like specters. We've already have our men dispatched to track her down. However it'll take a while given a lot of people have flocked over there, fractures are less prominent there."

A brief silence reigned over the room. Reynolds leaned back, his expression as hard as iron. "Triple the bounty. Solon is our key to the Fracture. Crimson... to controlling the mutants. I want her found before someone else does."

***

'It's been two weeks already and the fractures are growing bigger and bigger. Mutant mortalities are at an all time high.' Taking a sip of her coffee, Crimson sank deep into her seat watching the news detailed to her. She was an international fugitive along with Solon, wanted for the murder of Senator Reynolds along with Solon.

Because of this, she knew that she couldn't make any form of contact with the outside world. The bounties placed on their heads were at an all-time high, be it in the dark net, the black market or any other scandalous platform.

She was perplexed as she hadn't seen Solon for quite some time, thinking that he was probably enjoying how she was being hunted like a dog while he lived like a king. 'Why did you gift me this?'

She contemplated as she realized that she couldn't alter her face as the regeneration would outpace any injury or tear inflicted on her.

Something that for once she hated. In the mean time she could only wait and watch this world come to a crescendo in her retreat.

*A week later*

"Senator Reynolds, we've got movements in black site Charlie." A video was brought up, in front of them all the fracture started to ripple and waver like a young seedling in a storm. Strange eerie sounds could be heard eminate through.

All kinds of military personnel could be seen with their weapons aimed at it, the mood tense with no one daring to breathe let alone make any hasty movements. And there it was, as if permeating through a glass embryo a claw emerged through the fracture.

*Plop*

The figure small, had a rich dark crimson skin. It's face hideous to look at with it's pointed ears and scarry face, a few feet tall and looked around as if in wonder like an animal before it's black obsidian eyes rested on the army in front of it.

"What is that?!" Reynolds asked, no response came as his eyes fixed on the creature. "It looks like an abomination told to kids to scare them to kids." Kael retorted in disgust looking at the wretching.

The sounds it snarled at the soldiers ear-piercing before it made its move. Lunging, the soldiers quickly opened fire riddling the creature with bullets as it's figure slumped onto the floor. Black blood oozing out of it's figure however before they could process what they had just seen, another crawled through.

"Shoot at anything that crawls out of that fracture. Fire at will!" The orders came which were accompanied by the incessant rain of bullets. A few minutes later, the arena was littered with black blood and exhausted soldiers. There were some casualties but nothing too major.

"We have to recoup! It seems that there are more coming through!" Taking a closer look, a similar figures to the ones before emerged however it wasn't as clueless as the predecessors. It's body was marked with strange glyphs and marks, it's body resembling that of a scrawny human with roughly the same height.

*Whoosh*

It moved with intent, the soldiers tried to land a shot at the creature however it's movement was too fast. Not to mention some froze up, fear paralysing their movements before the Gorekin gave a screeching cry and falling to the floor.

Fifty men had lost their lives to take a Gorekin down. "They won't be able to hold those coming through at this rate." Kael gave a defeated sigh. "Have them evacuate the site!" Reynolds barked to which the commander relayed to the rest of his men.

*Crack*

The awry sounds of bones could be heard snap followed by bullet shells dropping to the ground. It was the Gorekin whose body was regenerating at a rapid pace. It wasn't just the only one, the Wretchlings from before too rose to their feet however now more angered than before.

What followed was the screams of soldiers who met their end. Some torn like paper in the hands of the Wretchlings while others chose to end their own lives. The battle zone grew more chaotic, overrun with demons which scurried all over.

The sounds of tanks and helicopters unleashing their arsenal dropping some while more poured out of the fracture. The lens they watched it all unfold was bashed to pieces by one of the Gorekin.

No one dared to talk after seeing what had happened. They knew what this meant and the worst part of it was that it was measly the beginning of what was to come. More alerts flashed in, stating that two more camps were already overrun by demons.

"We have to find Crimson if we want to stand a chance." Reynolds spoke up, his throat parched as a thin line of sweat ran down his forehead. This was armageddon unfolding right in front of their own eyes.

Kael shifted his attention to another screen, black ops operatives could be seen navigate through a dense forest and not far from where they were, a lavish mansion stood erect. Making their way through the security, they gained entrance as they all split into teams surveying the perimeter.

A couple of scans later, the lead operative concluded that Crimson had already left but it was clear that she had left a few hours prior. "All clear." The conclusion they drew which darkened Reynolds face but before Kael could give another order...

*Boom*

The camera cut, replaced with monochromatic static. "She rigged the place with bombs. This sly bitch! I've got faint readings on my men however they are in no condition to pursue any hunt." Kael concluded as the satellite picked up a few heartbeats.

Reynolds felt as if he'd kill Crimson with his own hands. The person who had the chance of turning things around had slipped through their hands once again, Solon was nowhere to be found and demons had crossed over to their world. He felt as if death was a better alternative to it all.

With a heavy sigh, he walked out of the room without saying another word. Everyone left could tell that he was more than just frustrated and they understood it fine. Inside his own office, he let out a frustrated cry, his fists curled into fists as he lunged at the chair and threw it across the room.

Innocent inanimate objects were hurled all over the place, facing a punishment that wasn't theirs. Reynolds chest heaved, his heart beating as he grabbed his lamp but before he could throw it, his laptop went off. A call and he had an unnerving suspicion of who it would be.

Taking a deep breathe, he made his way to his seat and composed himself before answering the call. A figure he didn't want to see was now in front of him. The president of the state, his stern face said it all. He wanted answers to what was going on.

"Good afternoon Mr Malcolm." Reynolds said, his tone slightly warm which failed I'm charming the man. "So far I've heard that freaks have been able to cross over and are slaughtering my men. So it's not a good afternoon, now is it? We're looking at a potential risk that could wipe out our entire race here Reynolds!"

Reynolds breathe hitched, he wanted to hurl the laptop across the room however with the remaining restraint he had in himself managed to stop. "We're still tracking down Miss Crimson, sir. A mutant capable of resisting the fracture plague. If we can extract a cure then we can most certainly-"

Halted in-between his statement, Malcolm raised his hand ordering him to shut up. "She was in your hands and yet somehow she managed to walk away. Do you mind explaining this?!" Lines could be seen on Malcolm's forehead. "Sir, it would seem that she's immune to all psionic neuro-blockers not to mention her arsenal makes it hard to face her directly."

"You've already let me down once Reynolds, I don't expect you to make the same mistake again." Malcolm let out a disappointed sigh before ending the call. "Arghh!" The sound of the laptop could be heard crash into the wall.

Crimson, the lady wanted by the entire world moved through the dense forest towards a town barely populated. 'It would seem that they were closer than I had initially anticipated.' She mused setting her sights on the town hidden in the shadows.