“Is that so,” Stevens said. “We’ve never had one that fresh. A day old is the earliest. And just so you know, these are all volunteers. They signed to donate their bodies should they turn.”
“Oh, I want to do that.” Rachel said.
“Really?” asked Kasper.
“Yeah, I mean, we’re not in there. We’re dead. It is going to help, so I look at it as donating organs.”
“That’s a good point.”
“I don’t have a female,” Dr. Stevens said. “I’ll get you a release before you leave for the mission.”
“Maybe you’ll catch me early.”
“Rach, come on, no joking around about that.”
“Okay, alright. But really I’ll be …”
Kasper ejected his hand over her mouth. “Don’t say it.”
Wide-eyed, Rachel nodded.
Kasper returned to talking to the doctor. “Please, continue.”
<><><><>
Air dropped?
Rigs let those two words register.
Sure, he was in the military, but he wasn’t that active that he was skilled in being air dropped anywhere.
The coordinator never even gave his name. He was ‘matter of fact’ and seemed as if he wanted the meeting over with.
“Okay, wait,” Rigs held up his hand. “Can you repeat that?”
“What didn’t you get?”
“The whole entire air drop thing.”
“It’s not rocket science.”
“I get it, I do, but I am not sure my team has the skill to be air dropped anywhere.”
“Maybe air dropped is the wrong word. How about this. We’re going to chopper you in and lower you to the roof.”
Rigs gave a thumbs up. “Better.”
“All of you at this point should be expert shots. We will give enough ammunition for you to clear the area around the warehouse.”
“How many are there?” Rigs asked.
“We estimate about a thousand.”
Rigs blinked slowly.
“We don’t know what’s inside. It could be a few it could be a lot.” He rolled out a blueprint of the floor plan and moved his finger around as a guide. “The warehouse is hollow, but there is a catwalk that goes the circumference of the warehouse. It’s twenty-five feet from the ground. We highly doubt any of the dead are on the catwalk, that may be a good place to position yourselves to remove the ones inside.”
“And we’ll have enough ammo?”
“For outside, yes, just don’t miss.”
Rigs mouthed the words, ‘don’t miss.’
“You’ll leave at first light. Since there are only five of you, we will supply the sixth man. Any questions?”
“Just one,” Rigs raised a single finger. “Has any team successfully cleared a warehouse?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, good. Wait. I have another,” Rigs said. “Has any team cleared a warehouse without losing a team member?”
The coordinator exhaled and rolled up the map. “Any other questions?”
“I’ll take that as a no.”
“Mr. Rigs,” the coordinator said. “Does it really matter? You aren’t doing this to emerge as a hero.”
“I know, but just … just one of my team brought up that there’s always a big event in every survival story and always four things that happen.”
“Emotional moment, injury, death of an unknown, and self-sacrifice.”
Rigs cringed. The coordinator knew the four elements. “Yes.”
“And you’re wanting to know if the teams before you had those four things happen.”
“Um … yeah.”
The coordinator handed Rigs the rolled-up floor plans. “This is your copy. And the answer is, it wouldn’t be a good story if those four things didn’t occur.” He gave a swat to Rigs’ arm. “Good luck. Take tonight to relax.”
Rigs gripped the plans.
“If it’s any consolation,” the coordinator said. “I believe I’ll see you back here when it’s all said and done.”
Rigs nodded. He appreciated the words of confidence, but it really wasn’t his life that he worried about.
<><><><>
Center City didn’t waste time with Sandy. As soon as they found out she was an OBGYN, they shuffled her off to the clinic.
They had doctors in Center City, but oddly, Sandy was the only baby doctor.
When Rachel spoke to her, Sandy was thrilled.
She met up with Jack outside the Research and Operations building. Bill and Jack were just hanging out.
Rachel felt out of place in Center City and could tell they did, too.
Kasper eventually had his fill of zombie research and emerged from the labs acting as if he had insider information, he went immediately to find Barry, wanting to share all that he learned. Rigs wasn’t so confident and that worried Rachel. He just kept saying. ‘I’ll tell you about it later.”
They had time to go over everything and they would, he told her.
They would leave at first light after spending the evening at the training facility ten miles outside of town.
Before the five of them left for the mission, Rachel wanted to see Barry. Just in case anything went wrong, she wanted to be able to say goodbye.
He had been given his permanent home almost immediately.
Sandy would live in the same building, and it was actually a really nice place.
When Rachel and Rigs arrived, Barry had a bowl of green jello before him, it was untouched. Well, with the exception of Kasper eyeing the desert.
There was a community room and that was where she found him.
Sitting with Kasper, not looking happy.
“Is this what you expected?” Rachel asked Rigs.
“No. Not at all.”
Rachel smiled. “Hey, Barry.”
“Rach,” Barry said less than enthusiastically.
“I was just telling Barry,” Kasper said. “How Rachel signed over her body in the event she goes Zombie.”
Rigs spun hard to Rachel. “Are you serious? Why would you do that?”
“Because in order to beat your enemy you have to know the enemy. Besides, my body will be a shell, what will I know?”
“Barry, tell her,” Rigs said. “That’s not cool.”
Barry only raised his eyes.
“Why do you look mad?” Rigs asked
“Because I am,” Barry replied. “You put me in a nursing home.”
“Oh, I did no such thing. I had no say so in where they put you. This is where they assigned you. It’s nice.”
“It’s a nursing home.”
“It’s not a nursing home. It’s a living complex.”
“For old people,” Barry said. “A nursing home.”
“No,” Rig scoffed. “It’s not.”
“Did you happen to see the name of the place. Sunny Acres Assisted Living. It’s a nursing home.”
“No. An assisted living is a big difference.”
“You’re an asshole,” Barry said.
Rachel interjected. “I don’t think they put you in here because you can’t handle yourself. I just think this was a place to put people. Nothing to do with your age or capabilities.”
“Oh, no,” a woman holding a tray of juice interjected. “It’s his age. We like to protect our elderly.”
“That’s it.” Barry stood up. “Green jello or not, I am not staying here. You put me out to pasture Jeremiah. I’m willing to bet none of these people were chopping the heads off the dead last week.”
“This wasn’t my choice to put you here,” said Rigs.
“It was your choice to make me stay behind,” Barry replied. “If I stay here, I become them. I’m not there yet. Whether I am the same age or not, I am not there. Please … let me do this mission with you.”
Rachel saw it, the contemplation on Rigs’ face. If it was her decision, she’d have Barry with them. It could very well be the last mission they started as a team and they should, without a doubt, go
out as a team.
NINETEEN
Taylorstown, PA
Sandy was delivering a baby, so no one really got to say goodbye to her before they left at first light. He thought for sure they were busted with Bill, when they did a name search before they boarded the shuttle bus.
Bill Burrows was listed as ‘missing in action’. It was funny how the computers still worked on the east. Kasper asked what the big deal was about their names and was told not everyone was permitted to be an eliminator.
It was too dangerous for the team if one wasn’t immune.
Kasper was pretty certain after nearly a month with Bill, if he was going to get the virus, he would have.
But he wasn’t focused on Bill. To Kasper, Bill and Jack were no longer the red shirts. The new guy Jim was. The five and a half hour drive gave Kasper plenty enough time to get to know him. Perhaps that would eliminate the red shirt curse.
“And you’ve been an eliminator since the beginning?” Kasper asked.
“I have.”
“What was your worst town?”
“Worse town as far as dead go?” Jim asked. “Or events that took place.”
“Both.”
Jim smiled. “It’s a long story.”
“We have time.”
“I’m not your red shirt. I know what you’re doing,” Jim said. “That’s nice though.”
“I really don’t know why you’re so obsessed with those four things,” Rigs said to Kasper. “Everything is going to be …”
“Hey!” Kasper stopped. “Don’t. Don’t say it. You’re already on the fast track to the one who dies a hero’s death, double dosing us with the emotional stuff because Barry will have to witness it.”
Barry shook his head. “Kasper, you need to stop. And you’re asking Jim all these questions, when I’ve known you nearly a year and know very little about you.”
“What?” Kasper asked in shock. “I’m an open book.”
“To who?” Barry asked.
“Me,” Rachel said.
“Me, too,” Rigs added.
Jack lifted his hand slightly. “I know a lot about him.”
Barry tossed out his hands. “How do I not know? He never mentioned his family.”
“It’s painful,” Rachel replied. “He tried to call them several times and remember he asked us not to bring them up. So … way to go making him feel bad.”
Barry’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t … well … okay. How did you become a security guard?”
“Oh my God,” Rachel said. “You know this. He was making tons of money as an Uber driver until he got his second DUI and lost the job, he had to do security for barely above minimum wage. You really dwell on the bad stuff.”
“I give up.”
Rachel reached over and tapped Kasper’s leg. “Don’t you worry, I know the good stuff.” She looked at Barry. “Did you know he was a gymnast and almost made the Olympics? And he volunteered with Big Brothers of America?”
“I … didn’t know that,” Barry said. “I’m going to just shut up right now.”
Kasper really didn’t almost make the Olympics, he didn’t make it out of the local level, and the big brothers thing was his community service for the DUI, but to him it was funny to see Barry’s face.
In fact, he took in everyone’s face. Looking at them all, listening. They had become his family, and even if he didn’t act it, he was worried for all of them.
<><><><>
The big training moment was for them to jump from the two foot bleacher with instructions given by the helicopter pilot with them landing on the roof, depending on wind, it could be rough. If he said anything else, Rigs didn’t know. Once they got into the chopper it was too loud to hear anything.
He saw the swarm of dead surrounding the warehouse. His first thought was if they couldn’t take them out by a sweep team because of their fear of damaging the warehouse, why didn’t they just lead them from the area.
The bigger question for Rigs was why they were surrounding the building in the first place. From overhead Rigs could see they were packed in, all trying to get to that building. Swarming like bees.
“This is really bad!” the helicopter pilot said. “I have never seen one this bad!”
“What do you mean?” Rigs asked loudly.
“Usually they are around the building not on it!”
Rigs peered out the window. “I can’t see if the doors are compromised. They don’t look it. They aren’t even looking up at us!”
“I think we should abort! They’re like ants on a crumb.”
Rigs was going to ‘okay’ the abort, until what the pilot said about ants on a crumb. “Hold on!”
He carefully unbuckled and inched his way to the back.
“Can you guys hear me!” Rigs shouted.
They all nodded.
“He thinks we should abort.”
Rachel replied loudly. “Why do I think you don’t want to!”
“Look at them! This area is free from life, right? We know them well enough to know how they act! Take a look.”
They all peered out the various windows.
Barry turned from the window. “They only act like that when they’re hungry!”
“And chasing food,” Kasper added.
“Someone is in there,” Jack said.
Rigs nodded. “I think so, too. I think this is more than a destroy mission. I think it’s a rescue! Now … do we take that chance? We go only if everyone says so!”
After everyone voiced their opinion, Rigs returned to the front. “Get us in a good position!” Rigs told him. “We’re going in.”
TWENTY
‘Command says to abort. Do you really think someone is in there?”
“We do.”
“You have one hour.”
One hour was nothing. It wasn’t enough to take out the massive amount of dead that pounded relentlessly at the warehouse.
Even if there was someone inside, there was no guarantee the dead hadn’t made it in there and the survivor was hiding.
Whoever was in there was definitely alive. Their scent and sound were calling the dead.
They’d have to move quick and cover all bases.
Rigs racked his mind to put together a plan.
Once they were dropped off on the roof with only a quarter of the ammunition, he conveyed it.
The floor plan to the warehouse spread out on the roof, everyone gathered around. “Barry, you, Jim, Bill and Rachel take roof top. Four corners. Distract them, fire at them, kill them. Me, Kasper and Jack will go below. If we need you, we’ll call, so be ready. This railing …” Rigs pointed. “Is like a catwalk, a second level. These are offices and storage on the second level. Our survivors could be in there. Just keep in mind you cannot see what’s directly below you, because the area goes back around twelve feet. Exercise caution when going to the first floor. No yelling out. Try not to call out,” said Rigs. “If there are any dead inside, we don’t want to alert them. But be careful because our survivor may shoot to kill. No doubt they are protecting themselves. Radios?”
Everyone showed theirs.
“Leave them on,” Rigs said. “Kasper and Jack you know the drill. If you’re inside, trapped and can’t call out, depress the button, send out a clip of static. I’m one, Kasper you send two, Jack three. Got it?”
Everyone nodded.
“Eye on the prize if there is one. If you see it, get them out. Don’t wait for the others,” Rigs said. “Okay. Positions.” He looked down at his watch. “We have fifty-five minutes.”
Rachel grabbed what looked like the lightest assault rifle, but it was still heavy. Freeing up some weight so she could maneuver the weapon, she set her staff, gladius and gasp pipe wrench on the roof by the hatch.
Rigs said to wait for his signal before they began shooting. She perched herself in her rooftop position keeping the dead in her scope, while her finger rested on the trigger.
A steep access ladder attached to the hat
ch was the only means to get to the second floor catwalk
Kasper did the honors and went first, handing his weapons to Rigs before he did.
He climbed down a couple rungs, then in a crouching position, looked to see if anything was near on the catwalk. After giving Rigs and Jack an all clear, he reached back up for his weapons, then stepped down to the catwalk and waited.
He didn't see anything, but he could smell something. There definitely were dead in the building, if that were the case, where were the living?
It was overwhelming.
Boxes and stacks of items created walls all over the main floor which from above caused it to look like a maze.
A few dim lights were the only light source in the dark warehouse.
Rigs brought his radio to his mouth and quietly said, “We’re in.”
They’d wait for the shooting to start. That would create enough noise to draw out any dead that were hiding inside the warehouse.
“If you were a survivor,” Rigs said softly. “Where would you be?”
“Up here,” Kasper replied. “But look at the stairs.” he pointed.
There were two staircases on opposites side of the huge warehouse. One was completely blocked off with boxes, the other had an opening.
“One’s barricaded. One’s not,” Kasper said.
“Could be the dead got up here,” Rigs stated. “Or they went down for supplies.”
“You two check up here,” Jack said. “I’ll go below.”
“You sure?” Rigs asked.
Jack nodded. “I’m not seeing anything on this end, so this is where I’ll start. Chances are, they’re up here so double down on the search to get them out.”
Rigs nodded, then raised his eyes to the roof at the sound of gunfire. He waited a beat and looked around. “Kasper start this end. I’ll start on the other side. Volume on low, but everyone report your positions so we can keep track.”
Kasper nodded. “Gotcha. And Rigs. Nothing heroic.”
Rigs gave a thumbs up.
<><><><>
Barry hated when he missed a head shot. But it was the nature of the beast with him. No matter how many times he tried, he could never go more than seven head shots in a row. Even when he didn’t use the scope, his eyesight started blurring. Kasper always told him it was because he wasn’t blinking.
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