Eli left first.

There were still dozens of infected lingering on the streets; some of them had dispersed but there were still enough to be a threat.

That's why Eli went ahead early in my truck so he could create a distraction. The idea was that he would drive the long way around, so that he wouldn't be seen by the Triad, and then he'd set off a series of fireworks from behind Wither Gate that we'd found in my neighbor's apartment. (I swear the people who used to live in my apartment block were all sketchy)

Theoretically, the fireworks would distract not only the infected, but also the Triad. Then, Charles and I would approach from the front for the surprise.

I followed behind Charles as we set out just minutes after Eli left. There was little chance that the Triad wouldn't see the front loader coming but my hope was the fireworks and infected would give us just enough time to drive straight through the entryway, drop the chemicals, and light a match.

As we drove, the infected, who'd originally been following after Eli, turned their attention to us. They almost seemed confused since they couldn't decide who they should follow.

I ignored them for the most part but did occasionally hit one by 'accident'.

I only stopped driving for a split second when I saw a familiar black firearm abandoned on the side of the road; just in front of the shopping center. The infected who'd attack me earlier, wearing the military uniform, was lying dead and half on top of it. But it only took one firm tug to wrench the AR out from under it.

I swiftly reloaded the weapon and then placed it in the passenger seat next to several chemical balloons and fire bombs. That gun was like a third arm to me.

Wither Gate was within the first few blocks of the larger metroplex; allowing us to use the larger buildings as cover. We slowed down the pace once we reached the edge of the city. I pulled my gas mask over my face as we turned a corner.

I could excitement bubbling in my blood as we drew closer to the designated target. My fingers prickled with anticipation. The lingering pain in my shoulder had disappeared either from adrenaline or the drugs or both.

These people had hurt my friends and a lot of innocent people. They were no better than the infected.

They deserved this.

That's when the first firework went off.

I could hear it whizz into the air before exploding into green sparks that were just barely visible from behind the edge of the brick hospital facility we were hiding behind. It showered the dark shadowy buildings in a flash of green and echoed off the walls.

The many infected that had been following our vehicles became instantly distracted by the shining fireworks. Like retarded moths seeing a bright light.

I could just barely see multiple spotlights suddenly switch on from within Wither Gate. Their light cast narrow beams into the air that easily illuminated the early morning darkness.

Charles wasted no time and slammed on the gas pedal. The front loader released a thick puff of smoke before it picked up speed rapidly. Its top speed may have only been forty miles an hour but that didn't make it any less destructive. It was still a four ton tank made of steel and driven by a pissed off race car driver

He was only fifty yards away when the Triad finally took notice of the front loader.

I could see human figures from just above the higher walls who hastily retaliated with imperfect precision. However, their bullets bounced harmlessly off of the reinforced vehicle.

I stayed a little farther back and kept my hands tensed on the wheel as I waited for the perfect moment.

It was my job to break through the front gate.

It would have been too risky to do so with the front loader lest we damage the payload.

An especially vivid firework soared into the dark sky, higher than any of the previous. It burst into a spiral of vivid purple.

That was it.

My foot pressed heavily onto the gas. The powerful engine of the dually sprang to life as I veered around the front loader. A handful of desperate bullets pierced the hood and one narrowly broke through the passenger side of the windshield. An unlucky infected got lost under the wheels as I reached ninety miles an hour but it hardly slowed me down.

I had less than a split second to brace for impact before hitting the entry. I inadvertently closed my eyes and clenched my teeth tightly.

The large truck seamlessly tore through the fence, promptly ripping it off its hinges.

I found myself stomping on the breaks as the truck kept going forward and was just about to collide with the side of a parking pavilion. I turn the wheel to stop the momentum and simultaneously hit a human figure with the back side of the truck.

I could hear their bodies smack gruesomely against the vehicle.

Whoever they were, they were definitely nothing more than a skidmark on the asphalt now.

My heart rate spiked as I caught sight of several more humans. All of which appeared baffled and stunned by the dually truck that had just mowed down one of their friends. Half of them turned to stare at the gigantic front loader vehicle that was squeezing through the entryway. A bit of the hydrazine like mixture sloshed over the side of the bucket as the vehicle made its way in.

The confused human beings snapped out of their confused daze and attacked. Many reached for weapons and that was my cue.

I whooped like a maniac before reaching for a balloon before stomping on the gas pedal again. One of the Triad members, a male with especially poofy hair, managed to dive out of the way before I could run him over. Unfortunately, his comrades were less lucky as they found themselves underneath the wheels of a dually truck.

I flung several balloons out the side of the window, hitting one person in the chest with one. The person was quickly engulfed in noxious fumes as the liquid seeped into their clothing and skin.

I came to a stop just in front of the now wide open entryway, to cut off any chance of escape, just as Charles made it to the largest building.

I barely remembered to put the truck in park before hurriedly reaching for a fire bomb. I kicked open the door and climbed up onto the roof before any of the infected, who started pouring through the entry, could attack. Now outside, I could clearly hear the screams and yells of the trapped Triad members.

They ran around like rats.

Many of them already laid dead on the asphalt.

I hastily lit one of the fire bombs before throwing it through the passenger window of one of a nearby pursuit vehicle only a few feet away. The grey suburban burst into orange and yellow flames.

I didn't realize there was someone in the driver's seat trying to escape until they pushed open the door while screaming since half of their body was aflame. An infected grabbed hold of the person only to also catch on fire. The pair fell to the ground in a mess of limbs and flames.

I turned to see Charles dumping the hydrazine compound out onto the front door step of the largest building. The clear liquid splashed onto the building and even onto any one standing too close. Many of them began coughing and covered their faces as the gas fumes stung their eyes.

I propped my AR onto my shoulder as a new sound hit the air.

It was the distinct bang of a hunting rifle.

One of the few people still standing on the wall dropped like a rag doll as a bullet shot straight through his neck. A second body followed quickly and the third person had the common sense to duck just before Eli could shoot them from his perch.

However, the third person still fell to the ground as multiple bullets from my AR hit them in the chest and torso.

I made a quick glance upwards at the building and could just barely make out a familiar silhouette perched on the edge of the roof.

I refocused on the remaining members of the Triad who were scattered across the clearing. I reached for a second fire bomb as Charles set the front loader into reverse.

Suddenly, the grey suburban exploded with a thunderous boom. The blast wave shoved me backwards and I lost all sense of direction. My feet slipped off the side of the truck only to land haphazardly on my back in the cargo bed.

The air in my lungs suddenly disappeared as the wind was knocked out of me. My breath came in labored puffs as I struggled to get enough air through the filter of the gas mask. I tried desperately to sit back up but my body wouldn't comply.

I couldn't hear any of the gunshots or screams from the Triad anymore. A high pitched ringing sound flooded my senses. It pulsated shrilly, like the sound old TVs make but infinitely louder.

It even took a few seconds for my eyesight to recover as large black blotches swam across my vision.

They disappeared after blinking repeatedly but only to be replaced with the face of a decrepit infected who seemed intent on climbing over the side of the cargo bed.

My instincts kicked in as I grasped helplessly for my assault rifle which was thankfully still hanging onto my shoulders. My movements were delayed but I still managed to bury the stock of the weapon into its mottled nose.

I struggled to sit back up and the movement only caused the ringing sound to grow louder, now entirely deafening. My instincts kicked into overdrive as I scrambled back onto the roof and saw that the fire from the makeshift bomb had already begun to spread around as the bushes and trees started to catch flame.

Charles was close now, almost right next to me. I could see his scarred face from between a narrow seam in the metal sheets that protected him. His mouth was moving but I couldn't hear the words.

All I noticed was that he was lowering the front loaders giant bucket. I slowly realized that multiple infected were clawing their way onto the dually. One of them had gotten into the cargo bed but suddenly dropped as a bullet pierced through the side of it's forehead head.

I look back at the front loader that was within leaping distance. I staggered backwards as my eyesight blurred and I shut my eyes for a few seconds until it became clear again. I could barely register the infected clawing at the back of my combat boot.

All I knew was that I had to get off of the dually.

So I did the sensible thing and jumped.

I was suspended in the air for less than a second.

I knew even before I landed that I'd misjudged the distance.

I landed stomach first onto the side of the bucket. My lanky arms just barely grabbed hold of the edge. My shoulder erupted into spasms of pain as I strained to hold on. I kicked up my right leg as I felt an unfriendly hand grasp at it from below and managed to hoist myself up into the bucket.

I landed in an awkward heap within the bucket and quickly stood up straight to avoid getting any of the remaining hydrazine on my suit. I barely even realized that the protective tarp had also been tossed out with the rest of the hydrazine so there wasn't really any left.

The bucket gradually lifted me upwards to safety. I ignored the throbbing ache in my shoulder and focused on stumbling to the back of the bucket where the front loader connected was connected to it.

My hand subconsciously moved to the flare in my front pocket as I crawled up the narrow arm cylinder. I practically clung to the cylinder once I saw the horde of infected beneath me. They were simply a mass of emaciated bodies and gnashing, yellow teeth.

I eventually made it to safety, just outside the cab where Charles was behind the wheel. I held tightly onto the side door handle and kicked a particularly energetic infected in the mouth before it could climb onto the vehicle.

I couldn't really hear Charles yelling over the ringing in my ears that had yet to dissipate. His voice seemed to mix with the screams, groans, and gun fire until it disappeared.

Instead, I caught sight of something else.

My body went completely still when I saw her.

Directly in front of the front loader, maybe fifty or sixty yards away, a woman with a shaved head stood at the front entrance of the largest building where Charles dumped the hydrazine compound. She was frail and the skin on her face seemed to hang off her face in saggy wrinkles. I squinted for a better look to see that it was indeed the Chancellor.

She stood with her arms half lifted and her gaze focused on the sky, as though she was in prayer.

Strangely enough, the infected didn't attack her.

She didn't seem bothered by the toxic fumes either.

The ringing in my ears started to subside as her gaze turned to me from across the clearing. A strange feeling ran down my neck as the Chancellor watched me.

I was snapped out of the trance once Charles started to back up again. I swiftly uncapped and struck the flare against the side of my pants. It instantly ignited in a flash of red sparks.

I took one last look at the strange female that had taken over Wither Gate. Her eyes were cold and dead as she watched me. I gave her the same look but with defiance. Unlike her followers or the former Wither Gaters, she had no power over me.

The Chancellor made no movement as I reared back my arm. I then hurled the flare high into the air. It flipped through the air as it traveled over the mounds of infected before landing only a few yards in front of the Chancellor.

The effect was instantaneous.

The hydrazine compound erupted into wild flames that spread instantly across the square and consumed everything in sight. I could feel the heat on my face even through the mask.

I watched as the flames engulfed the Chancellor who didn't fight against it. She stayed standing even as she burned. There were no screams or flailing limbs. It was only with the fire spread into the apartment behind her that she collapsed.

I turned away as Eli finished her off with one last bullet.

Our work was done.

I just held tightly onto the front loader that picked up speed once we got back through the entryway. The mob of infected started to thin out as we got farther away. I watched them with a blank expression as they mindlessly followed after the front loader.

Before we rounded a corner, I glanced back at Wither Gate. Or what was left of it.

Black smoke billowed into the air in giant plumes as the fire spread from building to building. The entire complex would be ash in a matter of hours. The smoke could be seen for miles as it wafted into the clear morning sky.

The Triad and the Chancellor were no more.