One day later, Gregorio's army arrived at San Vicente. The town was smaller than El Nido and Taytay and it only had a population of 35 thousand people. The town was near the sea and more than half of its population was dependent on fishing for survival.
Unlike El Nido and Taytay who were badly affected by the zombie virus, only a small percentage of San Vicente was infected. From the 35 thousand inhabitants, more than 26 thousand people escaped the initial outbreak of the virus. These survivors created a settlement surrounded by wooden walls which blocked the zombies from entering.
The settlement was created under the leadership of a local tyrant who owned a logging company. He was a ruthless and decisive man, but despite his shortcomings, many people respected and feared him. The people in the settlement call him 'Agila' which means 'eagle' when translated to English.
When Gregorio's army arrived in front of the settlement, they saw a group of armed guards on top of the wooden walls. There were only fifty of them and the presence of the army made them terrified. They were only normal civilians before the zombie virus outbreak. They didn't have the courage to aim their weapons at the soldiers, especially after seeing their equipment and military vehicles. Just the Apache helicopters flying over the sky already intimidated them, not to mention that there were battle tanks in the fleet.
The captain of the gate guards nervously climbed down the walls to greet their guests. He was afraid that the military would punish them because of possessing firearms.
One of Gregorio's deputies stepped out of a military truck to meet the leader of the gate guards.
"Hello, guests! Welcome to our settlement." The captain of the gate guards squeezed out an ugly smile as he extended his hand.
Gregorio's deputy was a stern-looking bald man who had a long stitch mark on his left cheek. He looked incredibly intimidating and just by looking at him, the captain of the gate guard felt increasingly uncomfortable. He felt like he was in the presence of a warrior from hell. "I hope we didn't disturb you. As you can see, we are part of the military. The person leading this fleet is former military Colonel Gregorio de Leone and he wishes to see your boss. Can you bring us to see him?" The scar-faced bald soldier uttered in a deep voice.
The captain of the gate guards stared at the soldier deeply. He unconsciously wanted to reject him, but he knew that there would be serious consequences if he went against the military. He forced out a smile and replied. "Of course! I'll take you guys there! Let me go back first so that I can tell my men to open the gate."
The bald soldier nodded his head calmly. "Alright."
The captain of the gate guards didn't linger. He quickly went back to inform his subordinates to open the gate.
Not long later, the gate was opened. The entire fleet didn't enter to show some respect to the leader of the settlement. This also made the gate guard captain feel a bit relieved.
Gregorio brought a hundred elite soldiers to follow him inside the settlement. They were the best soldiers under his command and ten of them were even injected with the Body Enhancing Serum. If something unexpected happens, they could still escape from the settlement.
The captain of the gate guards brought them to a gated mansion. There were dozens of armed guards roaming the area, ensuring the safety of their boss.
The captain of the gate guards talked with one of the bodyguards of the mansion. After some time, the bodyguards opened the gates, but they only allowed five people to enter.
Gregorio's subordinates were displeased by this.
"It's fine. This is their territory so let's respect their rules." Gregorio didn't seem to mind this.
"But sir, they are civilians. They don't have the right to possess firearms. Looking at their weapons, it seems like they got it from the local police force." Among Gregorio's subordinates, only one person dared to talk to him like this. It was his deputy, the scar-faced bald soldier, Wolf.
Gregorio smiled as he patted Wolf's shoulder. "Just do as I say."
Wolf shuddered when he saw this smile. Gregorio might look like an amiable man, but Wolf knew that behind this harmless facade was a cruel and merciless man who had killed numerous people.
Gregorio's rise to become the commander of the Special Forces was filled with the corpses of the rebels and terrorists who fought with him on the battlefield. Wolf had personally seen the rise of Gregorio.
Wolf immediately stepped back. From the looks of it, Gregorio already knew how to deal with 'Agila'.
The bodyguards took them inside the mansion where they finally met the leader of the settlement. It was a forty-year-old man. He had brown skin which he got from being constantly under the sun. He had an eagle-like eyes and a flat nose. His beard was cleanly shaven and he had a golden chain around his neck.
Seeing this person, the four soldiers behind Gregorio frowned.
"Hello, sir! I'm Wilfredo, the leader of this settlement." The man introduced himself with a light smile.
Gregorio shook his hand and said. "It's a pleasure to see you, Mr. Wilfredo. I'm Colonel Gregorio de Leone of the Special Forces of Maharlika. No wonder the people here call you 'Agila'. You indeed possess the qualities of an eagle."
"You flatter me, Sir Gregorio."
The two exchanged pleasantries, but they soon went into business.
"I wonder what the military is planning in my territory, Sir Gregorio. Can you give me some details?" Wilfredo didn't want to give up on his territory. He built this up using the resources he had accumulated in his life. He also enjoyed the feeling of lording over everyone. His life was more fun now than it was before. He couldn't give it up so easily.
Gregorio let out a smile. "Mr. Wilfredo, you don't have to be wary of us. We only came here to save the people. The government has created a safe place for everyone and we are here to inform everyone about this. We are also willing to escort the people back to our territory."
Hearing this, Wilfredo's face sank. Without the people, who would work for him? This was the same as cutting off his wings. "Sir, everyone is already safe here. I believe you have seen our walls. My subordinates installed them and I can assure you that no zombies can enter the settlement. The sea is also nearby so we don't lack food here. We even have a clean source of water. I don't think there is still a need for everyone to go to another place. Besides, there are countless zombies outside and the people will be exposed to danger once they go out."
Wilfredo expressed a logical response which made Gregorio feel a bit stumped. However, he quickly gathered his thoughts. He had seen the atrocities done by Wilfredo through their scouting drones. He was a lustful man who had defiled many women. Some of them were even below the legal age. This type of person was the one he hated the most.
Gregorio had a daughter and she was his little angel. Just being away from her already made him feel a bit sad. He couldn't imagine the pain experienced by the parents of the little girls who were defiled by the man in front of him. Just speaking with this person made him feel sick. Gregorio wanted to kill this man right here, but he knew that many innocent people would be involved.
"Mr. Wilfredo, as a normal civilian, you can't forcefully take control of the people. They have the right to choose where they want to go. Don't make me do this the hard way. I don't want to make a scene. I have five thousand soldiers, ten battle tanks, and ten assault helicopters outside your settlement. You should think this through." Gregorio's face turned cold all of a sudden.
Hearing this threatening message, Wilfredo's face looked incredibly pale. He had received a report from his men that the army had arrived. However, he wasn't informed of their numbers. If Gregorio was telling the truth, he had the power to destroy the entire settlement! Thinking about this, Wilfredo gave his closest aide a knowing look.
His aide was a smart man and he quickly understood his boss' intentions. He stepped out of the mansion to verify Gregorio's words.
Gregorio saw his little tricks, but he didn't stop them. He just stared calmly at Wilfredo. Meanwhile, the four soldiers behind him were already holding the handle of their guns. They were prepared to take action once Wilfredo's people showed signs of hostility.
The atmosphere became increasingly tense. The two groups faced off in silence.
Wilfredo was starting to get nervous. He had a feeling that something bad would happen soon.
The most uptodat𝓮 n𝒐vels are published on (f)reew𝒆(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦