It was 5am and Bella sat in the front of the pickup, next to her was Edward and Jasper. She watched as the other cars filled as well, Emmett was with Jason, Gwyn and Travis in a land rover with Carlisle and the rest of the med team. Even though Bella had done this kind of thing a million times before, nerves still sat at the bottom of her stomach, not for herself, but for the safety of her team.
"Com's check." Bella said into the UHF radio fitted in the pickup
"Copy" Came Jason's voice, "Land Rover 1 hearing you loud and clear. Over"
"Copy" Came Daniel's voice, "Rover 2 reading you. Over"
Satisfied with the replies Bella pulled out onto the road, and soon the highway, the two Land Rovers following.
After a short while of driving, Edward spoke "Bella . . ." He stopped there, not sure where to go.
"Yes," Bella replied, not taking her eyes off the road and silently wishing she had put these two in a different vehicle.
The silence grew and Jasper finished the question Edward couldn't "Why aren't you a zombie right now?"
Bella sighed; she knew that question was coming. She carefully weighed her response, "You can be infected with a disease you already have" Bella replied,
"Are you saying you are infected?" Edward asked, and Bella knew they wouldn't be happy with the cryptic answer she had given. Bella's mind drifted to the past as she began her story.
Bella had just graduated from Forks High, she sat in the dining room of the house she shared with her father, "What are you planning on doing now, honey?" Charlie asked softly, while pouring them both a cup of coffee.
"I have no idea," Bella shrugged, she didn't care much about anything anymore, her future wasn't any different, she hadn't bothered to apply to any colleges or anything of the sort and now all her friends had moved away to move on with their lives, Bella decided she needed to do the same.
That's what led her to join the Marines, Bella was a perfect, dedicated soldier she followed orders to the letter no matter what they were, and did whatever was required to get the job done. This attitude rose the eyebrows of many different men, all in high places. After Charlie passed, Bella left the Marines and joined the Private Sector. After all working for Uncle Sam did have its limits.
"Agent Swan," A rough voice greeted, "We have an assignment for you, if you're interested." The man said, handing her a large envelope. Bella opened it and scanned the contents, they needed a soldier for some testing. One that was strong, one that wouldn't have anyone to question where they went if they died. One like Bella.
"I'll take it," Bella replied,
Bella spent the next three years in a lab, a Petri Dish for all the different chemicals and viruses they pumped into her. Then one day, they stumbled upon the perfect combination.
Bella spent days in agony before she went comatose, the doctor's were going to pull the plug on her life support when she opened her eyes. Bella instantly knew she was different, she could smell and hear things that she shouldn't be able to, and she felt stronger, stronger than she ever had.
Bella's thoughts sprung back to reality, "The problem was," She continued, "Was they tried to re-create it. They spliced the two viruses together to injected them into other soldiers, however they didn't turn out like me, they turn out like that." She said, nodding to an infected they passed as they drove. "My theory is that because the two viruses were injected separately into my system, they melded with it, instead of attacking it and taking over. But I'm not a scientist."
Edward and Jasper sat in stunned silence, that was not the answer they were expecting, "So that's how you managed to punch me, then?" Edward finally said,
"Yes," Bella laughed.
"So if all this was in a lab, how did it get out?" Jasper asked,
"How'd you think?" Bella scoffed, "ignorance and stupidity." She paused and then continued, "The soldiers they infected started to show symptoms of the flu," Bella rolled her eyes, "They told them all to take some respite and go home until they were feeling better."
"And after that you couldn't contain it?" Edward asked,
Bella shook her head, "When someone becomes infected, even before they fully turn they still have the capability to infect others. It was too late. The company tried it's best to contain the situation." Bella recalled.
Bella stood on top of a large wall, she was in charge of defending one of the last uninfected towns. They had already erected large walls around the town and now all was left was to wait out the zombies. "Commander," a younger Jason saluted, he too was an ex-marine who came to the private sector. "Soldier," Bella nodded,
"The raid party is back," Jason said,
"Good," Bella replied, still watching the world outside the complex, zombies milled around, trying to find a way in.
"It wasn't until that night that everything went to hell." Bella continued with her story.
One of the soldiers from the raid party had gotten bitten, and hidden it out of fear. Knowing that he would be executed. And when he turned, so did about 50 others, all infected by the one soldier. Bella tried to keep her squad in control, but the fear got the best of them and they ran, and ended getting themselves killed. Jason was the only one who kept his composer,
"Soldier!" Bella barked as she fired shots,
"Commander?" Jason inquired,
"Think you're up to being my second in command?" She asked as she pushed an infected over the wall with a swift kick to his chest.
"Yes m'am!" Came the reply,
"Good! Down the armoury, grab as much as you can, then we're out of here."
Bella shook off the memories, "You did your best," Jasper said,
"Well now I have to do the best of somebody better," Bella replied as her fists clenched against the steering wheel in anger as she recalled her mistakes. Saving these people, the group of 10 in Bismarck, the people at the complex, were the only way she could redeem herself.