Chapter 126 The Aftermath

126 The Aftermath

Lisa edged towards the entrance of the bookstore, her grief a heavy cloak on her shoulders. Her hands, though shaky, gripped her M4 rifle tightly. The tears had dried on her cheeks, leaving a salty trail. She had to check if the coast was clear, to see if she was truly alone now. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she pushed against the door.

She peered outside cautiously, the rifle at the ready, her eyes scanning for the creature that had turned their mission into a nightmare.

The street was deserted, the quiet unsettling. Lisa stepped out, her boots crunching on shattered glass. The air was thick with dust and the acrid scent of smoke and something else—fear, perhaps, or the remnants of a battle recently fought.

With each step, Lisa's training kicked in, pushing back the grief that clouded her judgment. She moved from cover to cover, her eyes darting to every shadow, every potential hiding spot where the monster could lurk. The absence of the creature's footsteps was both a relief and a source of anxiety. Could it be lying in wait? Or had it moved on, hunting her?

She approached the spot where Denise had made her last stand, the memory fresh and painful. There was no sign of her friend, no sign of the monster.

Lisa's fingers tightened on the rifle. She had to keep moving. The strike package might still arrive, and she had to be ready to signal them.

Shaking off the paralysis of her sorrow, Lisa continued down the street, her senses on high alert. She was a soldier, and she would survive. For Angela. For Ella. For Denise.

As she was about to turn to the corner of the block, a shadow loomed, and an immense thud shook the ground. Lisa's head spun to the source. Forty meters down the main road, the monster landed.

In its right hand, it clutched the lifeless form of Denise, dangling her as a child would a ragdoll.

Lisa was horrified at the sight. Her best friend, once vibrant and full of life, was now nothing more than a trophy in the grip of that beast. It was too much. The monster had taken everything from her — her friends, her sense of security, and now it paraded her loss with a casual cruelty that was unbearable.

Anger surged through her, clear and hot, a fiery contrast to the cold dread that had filled her moments before. This was not just about survival anymore; it was about defiance. Denise deserved that much. They all did.

She lifted the rifle, her aim direct. She knew her small arms wouldn't kill it, but maybe she could hurt it, maybe she could make it pay, just a little, for what it had done. Lisa steadied her breathing, tried to steady her hands, and prepared to pull the trigger.

The monster, seeing that as a threat, began to rush towards her.

Lisa knew that if that monster came close to her, she would be killed instantly. But despite knowing that, she didn't waver, she didn't run. She knew that if she got killed here, she would be wasting the sacrifice that Denise had made for her. So, with a surge of willpower, Lisa redirected her anger into focus, taking careful aim. She waited until the monster was close enough and then she fired her—

*Boom.

An explosion erupted as a missile that hurtled from the air crashed at the monster's side. The impact was immediate and immense, throwing the creature off course and engulfing it in flames and smoke. Lisa flinched at the sudden blast, her ears ringing, the shockwave almost knocking her off her feet.

Through the haze and the settling debris, Lisa saw the creature stagger, its invincibility shattered by the unexpected strike.

Where did it come from?

As she asked herself that question, she heard a helicopter—no, two of them. She looked up to see two Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters hovering in the air, their presence commanding as they circled the battlefield. The strike package had arrived.

The Apaches moved, their gunners targeting the monster which was now attempting to regain its footing. Lisa watched as a volley of fire rained down from the helicopters' M230s, the sound of their guns a rapid, thudding drumbeat.

She didn't stay to watch. Taking advantage of the distraction, Lisa moved quickly, keeping low to avoid any attention from the creature. She doesn't have to fight that monster anymore, she has to hide and have her brother's strike package take care of it.

The Apaches swooped in, agile despite their deadly cargo, strafing the creature with rounds designed to penetrate armored vehicles. But the monster was resilient; it shook off the impacts with a roar and, with a powerful leap, propelled itself high into the air, almost reaching one of the helicopters.

The pilots were skilled, veering away at the last moment, but the monster was not deterred. It smashed its massive arms into the ground upon landing, sending shockwaves through the street that cracked the asphalt and created fissures. The sheer force of the impact sent a shudder through the buildings and nearly knocked Lisa off her feet as she sought cover.

Reacting quickly, the Apaches adjusted their tactics. One drew the monster's attention, maneuvering to keep out of its incredible reach while the other circled around for a clear shot. The monster, however, was not just a brute force of nature. It scooped up a chunk of earth and rubble and hurled it towards the distracting Apache.

The helicopter dodged, but the debris clipped its tail, sending it spinning. Warning alarms blared even from Lisa's position, and she watched in horror as the helicopter struggled to maintain altitude.

Meanwhile, the second Apache seized the opening, launching a Hellfire missile that struck the creature squarely in the chest. The explosion was a brilliant flash of light and heat, and for a moment, Lisa thought the nightmare was over.

But as the smoke cleared, the creature emerged, battered and enraged but still very much alive. It roared up at the Apaches, a clear challenge. The Apache that got hit on the tail crashed down a few blocks away, the impact sending another tremor through the ground.

The now lone Apache pulled back, gaining height and distance, but it didn't retreat from the fight. n--o))v))e(-l-/b(-1--n

The creature's gaze locked onto the circling Apache. With a bellow of rage, it tore another chunk of pavement from the ground and hurled it with surprising speed at the helicopter.

The Apache fired its 30mm cannon in a continuous stream, aiming for the flying rubble. The rounds struck the debris, breaking apart most of the large chunk before it could reach the helicopter. Still, smaller pieces pelted the Apache, causing it to judder in the air, but the pilot kept control.

"Could this lone helicopter win this?" Lisa wondered.

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