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Upon confronting the zombies, they discover that they are infected with a new, more aggressive strain of the virus that previous treatments like Zombrex are ineffective against. Just as they arrive at Willamette, Frank and Brad's helicopter is hit by a missile, forcing them to make a crash land in the middle of a shopping mall. Around January of 2022, Frank is found by Brad Park, an agent of the ZDC, who convinces him to help investigate a new zombie outbreak that started in Willamette during the Black Friday sales, in exchange for the means to clear his name and having exclusive rights to the story, revealing that Vick has already left for there to investigate the matter herself.
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Once inside, they discover that the place is being used for zombie research, but are discovered and forced to flee, with Frank labelled a fugitive after he is falsely accused of terrorism by the government.
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On September 4, 2021, a few months after the zombie outbreak in Los Perdidos, California, Frank West, a former photojournalist now working as a college teacher, is approached by one of his students, Vicky "Vick" Chu, who convinces him to help her investigate a military compound, situated on the outskirts of Willamette, Colorado - the site of the first zombie outbreak.
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