by Jeff Ping
Chapter 15
It has been twelve years since the fall of the world as we knew it to the Zombie plague.
At 0800 hours, 6 June 2021, Western US military command center Hill AFB, Utah.
Major General Otis R. Granger, Commander had just arrived in his office. Chief Master Sergeant Mello walked in and handed the General his first cup of coffee. Otis accepted the cup and took a long sip.
"Damn it! What is this crap, chicory or wheat brand?" snarled the General.
"I believe the cook said roasted acorn, sir" the CMSGT answered.
"This just came in sir." said CMSGT Mello extending a folder in his left hand.
Otis took the folder from the sergeant and opened it. The folder contained Aerial satellite photographs that were labeled EDWARDS AFB, California. In the first photograph Equipment appeared to be building barriers around various buildings. The second photo showed a helicopter lifting off. A third photo captured an aircraft landing while another one circled in preparation to landing.
"Do we know who they are? Are they ours, or is Edwards AFB being occupied by foreign nationals?" asked the General.
"Satellite interrogation of the IFF says that they are US aircraft. And the Aircraft pictured are all US models, bearing USAF markings from what we can make out. We just can't identify what unit they belong to. No air wings were left at Edwards. The critical flight units, maintenance personnel as well as and the pilots were evacuated here on Z day plus six. No attack units were left there," said CMSGT Mello.
"Have we identified what areas they are fortifying?" asked the General.
No sir, we are still researching that. We have tried to contact them, but we haven't been able to raise them by comm. It appears they are staying dark. No comm. at all, not even low level chatter has been detected. All their comm. must be short range. There isn't anything through the satellites," replied the CMSGT.
"Well, we better send a strike force to identify who the hell they are. Prepare these photos for overhead viewing and notify my staff. Schedule a staff meeting for 1100 hours today." said the General shaking his head.
"Yes sir." said the CMSGT and turned and hurried back to his desk.
At the staff meeting the General outlined the situation to his staff and they all viewed the photos.
During the staff meeting the General slammed the table with his fist and growled, "Well anyone know who the hell these people are? Are they authorized to make use of Government Issue materials, are they units of a foreign government or are they just opportunist looters?"
"Sir, is it possible that they are organized survivors? I was stationed at Edwards years ago, and I would swear this building was the exchange. This building is definitely the auxiliary air terminal. I landed there while in transit to my last duty station," said a Colonel sitting across the table from the General.
"It is possible they are survivors, but for a rag tag group of survivors they are very organized. They have operational helicopters and aircraft groups. These photos show multiple aircraft operating simultaneously. They don't seem to share our shortage of fuel or at least they seem to be using what they have quite liberally. Also they are extremely close to Los Angeles to have survived let alone be this organized.
Here at Wasatch Front we had just over 2 million infected cadavers. We had to repel Cadaver attacks for six months before the majority of our personnel were allowed to go top side. And in so doing we used most of our fuel reserves and aircraft munitions before we learned how to effectively destroy the damn things. The Los Angeles metropolitan area had about thirteen million and we know from experience that 99 percent of them would have become infected. That fact alone shows that they aren't just a rag tag group of survivors. It's hard to believe anyone would have survived against that many walking cadavers," said a Lieutenant sitting beside the Colonel.
"Excellent point Lieutenant Collins. I think we may need to send in a recon team to determine who the hell these people are. They are occupying US Government property using supplies that should be ours. We need to determine who they are and if they have authority to do so. Colonel Thompson I want you to take a team and see who and what we are dealing with. Be ready to leave at 0800 tomorrow," said the general pushing himself to his feet and standing up.
The following morning at 08:00, Colonel Thompson and a sixteen man team were in a C130 transport taxiing into takeoff position on runway nine. Four hours later, and 10 miles east of Edwards AFB, the seventeen man recon team and three armored personnel carriers were drifting by parachute toward earth.
Eighteen minutes after that, the recon team was mounted up in their vehicles and driving toward Edwards AFB.
One man was injured in the drop. Airman Johnson had sustained a broken ankle. He was resting under a medics care in vehicle three. Colonel Thompson tuned the satellite transponder to the designated frequency and keyed the microphone and uttered the phrase Tiger one down.
The recon team drove toward the south eastern edge of Edwards AFB without encountering any resistance or spotting any activity. On a bluff about 6000 meters from the base perimeter fence, the team exited their vehicles and pulled the camouflage netting over them.
Colonel Thompson sent for his squad leader TSgt Keller.
"Send a couple of scouts over toward the runways and keep me apprised of any activity," the Colonel told TSgt Keller.
The Sgt. saluted and walking back to the squad assembly area called Senior Airman Keepers and Airman Reese to his side.
"I want you two to work your way over to the air strip and keep me apprised of anything moving down there. And I do mean anything, got that?"
"Yes Sgt. on our way," Sr. Airman Keepers said.
The remainder of the day Colonel Thompson and TSgt Keller spent going over the planned recon.
"I want a team to check out each of the defended positions marked on this map. I need lookouts to penetrate each of the barrier defended areas. Place cameras and microphones at any high traffic points where we might pickup conversations. I also want lookouts to position themselves where they can observe any personnel movements and over hear any Intel. I'm going to get some rest. Send someone to get me when all teams are in place," said the Colonel.
"Yes sir, I will have them start moving into place at 1900 hours." Keller responded.
TSgt Keller selected two team members to infiltrate each or the barrier protected areas and six team members to position themselves around the outside of the buildings. Sgt Keller gave the teams their assignments. Inside the command vehicle the first camera came on line at 2300 hours, followed shortly by three more cameras. Finally at 0100 hours the last two cameras came online.
As each camera captured the activity at its location, it was all recorded by TSgt. Keller for review by Colonel Thompson, and for forwarding back to Hill AFB for analysis by computer and intelligence personnel. As TSgt. Keller watched the images being recorded he was only able to detect personnel in civilian attire.
TSgt. Keller spoke into his radio, "Parker, catch me one and bring it home for interrogation. Keller out"
"Will do," was Airman Parkers reply.
At the air terminal Amn Parker moved into position to secure his prisoner, his target was old. Parker thought the guy was older than anyone he had seen in the ten years since Z day one. That guy must be seventy five or eighty years old thought Parker.
As the old man walked past him, Parker shot out an arm intending to close line the guy. But much faster than he could have thought possible, the old man ducked and hit the floor. He then rolled away from Parker.
As his roll stopped, he had drawn his pistol and fired once. Parker dropped to the floor with a round hole in his forehead. The old man got to his feet and walked over to Parkers body and flipped it onto its back. "I'll be damned! You were a living man," said Gus.
Gus decided this was something I needed to know about. He hurried down the stairs into the terminal and jogged out to his Humvee and raced over to my quarters inside the exchange.
In less than an hour I was bent over the body examining it. I noticed the radio transponder attached to the dead mans flack jacket. I looked up at Gus and told him fly to Wasco and tell Tom that we appear to be under attack by a Para-military force here and ask him to notify everyone. Tell Tom if he can spare anyone to help us search I'd appreciate it.
This guy has a radio so he probably isn't alone. I'll notify everyone and have teams check all of the secured facilities and search the base for anyone that may have been with this guy.
I dragged the body outside, loaded the body and his weapons into the Humvee. Then Gus climbed into the Humvee and drove to my office. After dropping me at the exchange, Gus drove over to his plane on runway one for the flight to Wasco.
I gave instructions to a compound guard to strip the body. "I want everything, clothing, body armor, weapons, and radio from the body and then dispose of the body. Send all of the gear to my office."
Once in my office I sent runners to the other secured areas with a hastily jotted letter explaining the state of affairs and advising them to be on the lookout for any intruders. Everyone was to be armed and in pairs at all times until notified otherwise.
Meanwhile at their mobile base camp, TSgt. Keller was concerned that he hadn't heard from Amn Parker. His last contact was over an hour ago, when the TSgt. had instructed Parker to capture a prisoner and return to base camp.
Colonel Thompson pulled the command vehicle door open and said, "OK Sgt. I'll watch the cameras for a while, take a break and get something to eat and some rest. TSgt. Keller looked at the Colonel and gave him a status report. "Damn it man! You should have waited until there was a team to make the capture. These people have survived nine years of cadaver attacks. They are obviously capable of defending themselves. Is there anyone close enough to check on Parkers status?"
"I have already directed SrA Keepers to move to the terminal and check out the situation, Sir." said TSgt. Keller