Shadows in the Fog -5

The police cruiser sped through the city streets, its sirens piercing the thick fog that clung to the buildings like an eerie shroud. James gripped the wheel tightly, his jaw set as he navigated the winding roads. Jessie sat beside him, her sharp eyes scanning the empty streets for signs of trouble.

The call about the disturbance had been vague—shouts, crashes, and what one caller described as "something unnatural." Neither detective said much as they drove, but the tension in the air was palpable.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Jessie finally said, breaking the silence.

James glanced at her, his lips a thin line. “You’re not the only one.”

They pulled up to the scene: a narrow street lined with shuttered storefronts. Broken glass glittered on the pavement, and the faint scent of smoke lingered in the air. The area was eerily quiet, save for the hum of a flickering streetlight overhead.

“Dispatch said multiple casualties,” Jessie murmured, stepping out of the car. Her hand instinctively rested on her holstered gun. “But where is everyone?”

James motioned for her to follow, his own weapon drawn as they moved cautiously down the street. The fog made it hard to see more than a few feet ahead, and every shadow seemed to shift and writhe.

They found the first body slumped against a brick wall. A man in his late thirties, his clothes torn and his face frozen in a grimace of terror. Jessie crouched beside him, checking for a pulse even though she knew it was futile.

“Dead,” she said grimly, her gaze sweeping over the strange burn marks on his arms. “Same as Liam.”

James knelt beside her, examining the marks. “These aren’t random. They’re too precise, too… deliberate.”

Before Jessie could respond, a low groan echoed from the alley ahead. Both detectives snapped to attention, their weapons raised.

“Hello?” James called out, his voice firm but cautious.

The groan grew louder, more guttural. A shadow moved within the fog, shambling closer. Jessie’s breath caught as the figure emerged—a man, but not entirely. His skin was pallid and stretched tight over his bones, and his eyes glowed faintly with an unnatural light.

“Stay back!” Jessie ordered, but the figure didn’t stop. It stumbled toward them, its movements jerky and unnatural.

James fired a warning shot into the air. “I said stay back!”

The figure lunged, moving faster than seemed possible. Jessie fired first, the bullet hitting the man square in the chest. He staggered but didn’t fall.

“What the hell?” James muttered, firing his own shot. This time, the figure collapsed, twitching on the ground before going still.

Jessie approached cautiously, her gun still trained on the body. “This… this isn’t normal.”

“No kidding,” James said, his voice tight. He holstered his weapon and crouched beside the body, his mind racing. “These burns—they match the ones on Liam. And this guy… he wasn’t alive. Not in the way we understand it.”

Jessie’s stomach turned. “You’re saying this is connected to Liam?”

“I don’t know what I’m saying,” James admitted, standing up. “But whatever this is, it’s spreading.”

They heard a scream behind them—sharp and filled with terror. Both detectives turned, their hearts pounding as they sprinted toward the sound.

Around the corner, they found a young woman huddled against a wall, clutching a makeshift weapon—a broken pipe. Her wide eyes locked onto the detectives, and she pointed frantically toward the fog.

“There’s more!” she cried. “They’re everywhere!”

Jessie knelt beside her. “Who? Who’s everywhere?”

“Those things,” the woman whispered, her voice shaking. “They look human, but they’re not. They don’t stop.”

James exchanged a glance with Jessie. “We need to get her out of here. It’s not safe.”

As if on cue, another groan echoed through the fog, followed by the sound of shuffling feet. James and Jessie turned, their weapons raised once more.

The figures emerged slowly this time—three of them, their lifeless eyes glowing faintly. They moved with a haunting determination, their heads tilted unnaturally as they zeroed in on the group.

“Jessie, get her to safety,” James ordered, stepping forward to block the advancing figures.

Jessie hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding. She helped the woman to her feet, guiding her back toward the police car. “Stay low and keep quiet,” she instructed.

James fired at the approaching figures, each shot carefully aimed. Two of them went down, but the third kept coming, its guttural growl growing louder.

“Damn it,” James muttered, reloading his weapon. He fired again, this time hitting the figure in the head. It crumpled to the ground, motionless.

Jessie returned just as the last figure fell. “The woman’s safe in the car. But James… this is bigger than us. We need backup.”

He nodded, his jaw tight. “Call it in. And tell them to bring everything they’ve got.”

As Jessie reached for her radio, James stared at the fallen figures, his mind racing. Whatever was happening, it was escalating—and fast.

The fog thickened around them, the city shrouded in an unnatural silence. Somewhere in the distance, another scream pierced the night.

And James knew: this was only the beginning.

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