Chapter 71: Prelude to Chaos

Meanwhile, outside the barracks, there was a tent set up as a food distribution where staff of the Shadow Private Military Company hands civilians a tray of food.

There was a long line of civilians from the Bayshore Residential Resort 1 and Boracay, waiting patiently for their meal.

One of them was Chandrika and her three friends. Their names were Aubrey, Sophia, and Glaiza.

They were dressed in clean, fitted casual clothes, clearly taken from whatever the staff had managed to scavenge from the supermarket, but chosen well enough to match each of them.

Chandrika wore a plain fitted white T-shirt tucked neatly into a pair of high-waisted denim jeans. The shirt hugged her frame just enough without being tight, and the jeans fit clean along her legs, practical but still flattering. Her round glasses rested properly on her face now, no longer smudged, and her short bob had been brushed down, though a few strands still clung near her cheeks.

Aubrey stood beside her, the one with the long straight hair. She wore a soft beige blouse with slightly loose sleeves and a pair of black fitted shorts that reached mid-thigh. The blouse draped naturally over her frame, giving her a relaxed but put-together look. Her hair had been combed back, falling smoothly over her shoulders.

Sophia, the one with the wavy hair tied into a low ponytail, wore a dark green tank top and a pair of light blue jeans. The tank top fit close to her body, while the jeans were slightly worn but comfortable.

Glaiza, with shoulder-length hair, wore a slightly oversized gray shirt tucked halfway into her jeans, paired with simple rubber shoes. She still held onto her phone, even though there was no signal, fingers resting around it like it grounded her. The shirt hung a bit loose on her, but it didn’t look out of place. If anything, it made her seem smaller.

And the four of them, if this was a university, they’ll be hailed as the campus belle.

Their appearances caught the attention of a certain congressman who approached them casually.

"Hey ladies," he said, stepping into their space like he belonged there.

The four of them turned.

Chandrika adjusted her glasses slightly, eyes already narrowing a bit as she took him in. Aubrey didn’t move, just shifted her weight to one leg. Sophia’s gaze flicked over him once. Glaiza held her phone a little tighter.

Miguel Alvarez smiled like he had done this a hundred times before.

"Didn’t expect to see people like you here," he continued, brushing a hand lightly through his hair as if resetting his appearance. "Name’s Miguel. Congressman. I was with the Boracay group. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Chandrika took his hand and shook it as it was the polite thing to do.

"My name is Chandrika, and these are my friends...Aubrey, Sophia, and Glaiza."

"Ohh ... .it is a beautiful name for a beautiful lady like you three. How about we get to know each other later? I’ll give you three of my room numbers."

Chandrika knew it.

"No thank you," Chandrika refused politely.

Miguel paused for a fraction of a second, like he didn’t quite process the answer.

Then he smiled again.

"Hey, no need to be shy," he said, waving it off lightly as if it wasn’t a real rejection. "We’re all in the same place now. Might as well make the most out of it, right?"

Sophia shifted her weight, her expression flattening.

"That’s not what we’re here for," she said.

Miguel chuckled under his breath.

"Relax," he replied. "I’m just trying to be friendly."

Aubrey crossed her arms slightly.

"We’re good," she said.

Miguel tilted his head a little, studying them.

"You know," he said, "I’m not just some random guy here."

No one responded.

"I’m a congressman," he continued, voice carrying a bit more weight now. "People listen when I speak. Even here, that still matters."

Glaiza finally looked at him again.

"...Does it?" she asked quietly.

Miguel ignored the tone.

"I can get things done," he said. "Better accommodations. Priority access. You don’t have to stay in these basic setups if you’re under my wing."

"I don’t think so. I recalled this base is now under the jurisdiction of a private military company. So it doesn’t answer to the government and definitely not to someone like you."

Miguel’s expression tightened the moment Chandrika said that.

For a brief second, the practiced smile cracked.

"...Someone like me?" he repeated, a hint of irritation slipping through. "You don’t even know who you’re talking to."

Chandrika didn’t flinch.

"I know enough," she replied.

Sophia shifted slightly closer to her, arms still folded.

Aubrey didn’t say anything, but her gaze stayed fixed on him.

Glaiza looked away again, uninterested.

Miguel let out a short breath through his nose, the kind people made when they weren’t used to being talked back to.

"You girls....you should be grateful that I’m approaching you and took interest to you but—"

"Hey—what’s wrong with you?"

The voice cut through the moment.

Everyone turned.

A few meters behind the line, a man was holding onto a young woman, his hands gripping her shoulders as she bent forward, her body shaking.

"Hey—hey, look at me," the man said, his voice rising. "What’s happening?"

The girl didn’t respond.

Her body jerked again.

Harder this time.

Her hands clawed at the air, fingers curling and uncurling like they weren’t under her control anymore.

"Someone call a medic!" another voice shouted.

The staff turned immediately, already reacting.

But it happened fast.

Too fast.

The girl’s head snapped upward.

Her eyes were now clouded. Her mouth opened, and then she lunged.

She moved straight into the nearest person, her teeth sinking into his neck with a violent snap.

A scream tore through the area.

"CONTACT!" one of the guards shouted.

But it didn’t stop there.

The girl released him instantly and turned again. She moved with intent, target to target.

She drove forward, biting another before they could react, then another, weaving through the crowd like she was picking them out.

Like she knew what she was doing.

"GET BACK!" a staff member yelled.

People scattered.

The line collapsed into chaos.

Trays hit the ground.

Food spilled.

Screams filled the air.

"IT’S ONE OF THEM!" someone shouted.

Miguel froze for a second, eyes wide.

"...What the hell..."

The infected girl moved again.

Straight into a cluster.

She grabbed one by the arm, pulled him in, bit deep, then shoved him aside as she turned toward the next.

Moments later, the alarmed blared as zombies appeared inside the base.