"Break out toward the southeast! There's a warehouse over there with a sturdy structure!" Raynor pointed at a spot on the map. "Leapfrog cover, move!"
The group began moving southeast. Valerie's security operators and a portion of the Raiders formed the vanguard, carving out a path of blood. Raynor and Tychus brought up the rear, using heavy firepower to suppress the pursuers.
The number of infected was simply too overwhelming. They poured out from alleys, windows, and even sewer grates. In the darkness, one could only see countless pairs of faintly glowing, turbid eyes and waving, sharp claws.
"We're moving too slow this way!" Tychus roared, his power armor bogged down by several infected clinging to it, hindering his movements.
Valerie observed their surroundings. "There is a large billboard support structure on the building to the right of the upcoming intersection. A2, blow the support to block the intersection."
One of the security operators raised his arm and fired a micro-grenade. The billboard support snapped upon impact, and the massive metal sign crashed down, sealing off half the intersection and crushing a large swath of infected.
"Great idea!" Sergeant Devon praised.
The group pressed onward. They were still two hundred meters from the target warehouse.
Just then, Dr. Hanson's voice came through the comms, laced with anxiety: "Commander Raynor! I've analyzed the samples collected from different infected, and I've discovered they have a unique neural signal amplifier inside their bodies! They might be coordinated by a central signal source! If we can locate and destroy that signal source, we might throw them into complete disarray!"
"Where is the signal source?" Raynor asked while firing.
"I need a more precise triangulation! But I need at least three mobile scanning points to measure the direction of the strongest signal strength simultaneously!"
Valerie understood instantly what this entailed. They needed to split the team to conduct simultaneous measurements.
"Commander Raynor, I will take a squad to the water tower high ground to the north. Sergeant Devon, head to the communications tower to the east. You continue pushing toward the warehouse. We will scan simultaneously and transmit the data to Dr. Hanson," Valerie proposed the plan rapidly.
"That's too dangerous! Once split, it'll be easier to be picked off one by one!" Matt objected over the comms from the bridge.
"This is the fastest way to find the signal source," Valerie's voice remained calm. "My operators are fully capable of breaking through and defending. Furthermore, if a central signal source truly exists, destroying it might be of far greater value than reaching the warehouse."
Raynor hesitated for only a single second. "Alright! Valerie, Devon, watch yourselves. Keep comms open. We'll meet at the warehouse."
The team split into three prongs immediately. Valerie led three security operators and four Raiders, turning toward the northern water tower. Devon led four Raiders to the east. Raynor's main force continued toward the warehouse.
Once separated, the pressure escalated sharply. Valerie's squad had to fight practically every step of the way. The water tower was situated in the center of a small plaza, surrounded by low commercial buildings. A massive crowd of infected had gathered in the plaza.
"A1, clear the area with a concussion grenade. A3, A4, cover the left and right flanks. Raiders, pick off any stragglers with semi-automatic fire," Valerie directed.
The three security operators acted like precision killing machines. The moment the concussion grenade detonated, they charged into the dazed crowd of infected, carving out a path with rifle butts, elbow strikes, and precise shots. The Raiders followed behind, delivering finishing blows to grounded targets.
They reached the base of the water tower. The iron staircase wound upward.
"A1, hold the base and establish a defensive line. The rest, follow me to the top of the tower," Valerie commanded.
Ascending to the top, their field of vision suddenly opened up. The entire Refugee Camp Three area was laid bare before them. In the darkness, countless infected wandered the streets like a surging dark tide. Scattered muzzle flashes flared in several directions—small pockets of resistance from other survivors.
Valerie opened her data pad, launching the scanning program remotely transmitted by Dr. Hanson. The instrument began capturing that unique neural signal.
"Strong signal source detected—bearing roughly southwest, deflection fifteen degrees," the data pad displayed.
"Devon squad, report your data," Valerie requested over the comms.
"Signal source detected from the eastern comms tower—southwest, deflection roughly twenty degrees," Devon's voice was interspersed with gunfire.
"Scanning from the warehouse direction as well—southwest, deflection ten degrees," Raynor's voice came through.
Dr. Hanson processed the data rapidly: "Triangulation intersection point... at the southwestern edge of the refugee camp, the former waste management facility area! The signal source is right there! It is highly likely hidden underground or inside one of the buildings!"
"The waste management facility..." Raynor repeated. "The structure there is complex, and it's far from the main sectors. No wonder it hasn't been discovered until now."
"It must be destroyed!" Dr. Hanson said. "Otherwise, the infected will keep being guided and gathered, and they might even produce higher-level mutations!"
"But how are we supposed to get over there?" Tychus's voice rang out. "We're practically being drowned over here!"
Valerie looked at the growing number of infected beneath the tower—they seemed to have been drawn here by the activity on the rooftop. A1 was defending the base of the tower alone, facing immense pressure.
"I can take my squad and attempt a strike on the signal source," Valerie said. "My operators' equipment is better suited for rapid breakthroughs. But I will need you and Commander Raynor to make a loud enough commotion over by the warehouse to draw the attention of the majority of the infected."
"That is too reckless, Miss Valerie," Matt's voice came through the comms.
"It is the most efficient plan," Valerie replied. "If the signal source isn't eliminated, we won't be able to hold out even if we reach the warehouse. The infected will keep gathering."
The communication channel fell silent for a few seconds. Then came Raynor's voice: "Alright. We will launch a heavy-fire assault from the warehouse direction to create explosions and noise. Use that opportunity to move toward the waste management facility. But there are only seven of you—"
"That is enough." Valerie looked toward her three security operators and four Raiders. "Prepare the ropes. We will rappel down the rear side of the tower to bypass the front."
Shortly after, violent explosions and sustained gunfire echoed from the direction of the warehouse—Raynor and his men had deployed heavy weapons, possibly even detonating a building. The massive noise indeed drew the attention of the majority of the infected in the plaza, and they began turning to surge toward the warehouse.
"Now!" Valerie was the first to slide down the rope. The team members followed immediately behind.
Upon landing, they moved rapidly toward the southwest. The number of infected on the streets had decreased significantly, though sporadic individuals still blocked their path. The security operators used suppressed weapons to execute precise, quiet takedowns, keeping noise to an absolute minimum.
The waste management facility was located at the outermost edge of the refugee camp, close to the industrial sector's quarantine cordon. This area was a labyrinth of warehouses, sorting workshops, and towering heaps of discarded containers. A mixed odor of rot and chemicals hung thick in the air.
The scanner indicated that the signal source was originating from the largest, enclosed sorting workshop.