by Barry Slater
“Someone just took a shot at me. Either the zombinees have learned how to use guns or we've got company we don't need right now.”
“The militants?”
“Maybe.”
“That just doesn’t make sense, but then they never said that they were smart.”
“They want the house. They want it for a defensive position.”
“Well, maybe they're a little bit smarter than I gave them credit for.”
Another chunk of debris was blasted out of the bastion next to Captain Jack's head.
“That dumbass is just giving his position away to the zombinees!” Captain Jack said as he held his hand to his ear for Dwayne to use his handset.
“Use the goggles,” Dwayne said.
“They're probing us.” Captain Jack slid the thermal goggles back on. “I can see the heat leftover from the claymores. OK, I've got him. I see a hot gun barrel. Looks like he's using a starlight scope and this moon is giving him plenty of light.”
“It'll be gone soon. The sun is starting to rise,” Dwayne said into the handset.
As he watched, Captain Jack saw the gun barrel fling through the air.
“Wait,” Captain Jack said then paused. “Something is happening. I'm seeing more of his body heat. It looks like something is ripping his clothes off.”
Captain Jack listened to an inhuman roar over the sounds of the sniper screaming and the wailing of the zombies.
“It's B.J.!” Captain Jack shouted into his handset.
“B.J.'s out there?”
Automatic weapons opened up out in the forest. Because of the distance, the rounds came in at a low trajectory, hitting below the bastions and bouncing off the metal plate at the bunker. The tracer rounds arched back across the fence and streaked wildly through the trees.
“They've given their position away.”
“Don't fire back, Jack.”
“Don't you want to get rid of B.J.?”
“No. He's being useful.”
“The firing must have attracted him.”
“Or the music. We'll let this die out. Let's go into silent mode. Maybe the crowd will follow those guys out, if they make it out.”
The firing subsided among several blood curdling screams. Dwayne switched the generator off and stayed down inside the bunker. Captain Jack huddled behind the bastions until the last of the zombies staggered away.
#
“Jeff and Bobby didn't make it,” Joe said.
“What happened to them?” Colonel Tibbets asked.
“Damn it Ed, they were killed!”
“By who?” Colonel Tibbets pressed.
“I don't know. There was a lot of heavy movement and screaming and shooting.”
“That God damn bear. That bastard has cost us a tenth of our forces. We have got to get rid of it.
“Did you retrieve their equipment?” Colonel Tibbets continued.
“Hell no!” Joe pushed back. “We weren’t about to go back in there. We can't afford to lose any more lives Ed.”
“If we've lost the Starlight scope then we've lost all our nocturnal capabilities. Could you tell how many were there?”
“At least three,” Joe said. “The doctor, a sniper on the roof and the guy in the tuxedo.”
“Only three,” Colonel Tibbets said. “Then we have the advantage.”
“Only three that we know of,” Joe stressed.
“A three to one advantage is all an attacker needs to succeed in an assault against a defensive position.”
“There may be more of them Ed. That sniper alone could wipe us out!”
“We need that house!” Colonel Tibbets pressed back.
“Damn it Ed! Trying to take that house could get us all killed.”
“It's Colonel.”
“You're not in the military anymore.”
“Just make sure you call me by my rank in front of the others.”
“Listen, I could get real tired of this bullshit Ed.”
“If we all stick together we'll make it. But we have to have unity.”
“We don't have a three to one advantage,” Joe said. “That damn dead bear has taken care of that.”
“Alright then,” Colonel Tibbets said. “Let's get rid of that hairy son-of-a-bitch.”
#
“How are you doing Doc?” Dwayne asked.
“Better,” Doc Martin answered. “You and Captain Jack really waged war out there.”
“Those rouge militants jumped us,” Captain Jack said. “We recovered several more rifles and a starlight scope.”
“Jack and I think B.J. ran them out. We checked the bodies and they had teeth and claw marks on them. He definitely has the virus.”
“Poor B.J.,” Doc Martin said. “I didn't get the virus because I already have toxoplasma.”
“You have it?” Captain Jack said.
“I picked it up when I was a medic wading through shit saturated rice paddies in Vietnam. The virus could not overcome the toxoplasma already in my system. It turned into pneumonia. The old toxoplasma bacterium fights off the Solanum. It's two separate parasites fighting for control of the same host.”
“Jesus H. Christ,” Captain Jack said as he did the math in his head. “If one third of the population is already infected with the old shit then two thirds of the population will become infected with the new virus!”
“Doc,” Dwayne said. “Is there a way to stop it?”
“There's no known solution yet but it's possible. Anything is possible. There's an answer to every problem. It's the plague of the twenty-first century, but even a plague can be stopped.”
“Could injecting people with the old toxoplasma work?” Dwayne asked.
“Maybe.” Doc Martin thought for a moment. “It would be very risky. Its side effects could be almost as bad as Solanum. It could cause severe neural damage. Our only hope is that it stops spreading.”
“Maybe it was the pneumonia that protected you,” Captain Jack said. “Could an immunization against pneumonia be the answer?”
“Many people die from pneumonia,” Doc Martin responded. “This is a pandemic of epic proportions. A campaign to inoculate everyone on the planet would take an infrastructure, a production system and an organization that can make it all happen, and we have none of that.”
“Where did it start?” Dwayne asked Doc Martin.
“At the border.”
“How?”
“Toxoplama is mostly transmitted from mice to cats and from cats to humans. In nature it can be contracted in warm, wet, and unsanitary conditions through open wounds or fingernails and toenails. The only known host in which sexual reproduction can occur is cats. Humans are the new breeding ground for Solanum. Or, it can be produced in an artificial environment such as a research facility.”
“Why?”
“As a way to control illegal immigration?” Doc Martin mused. “Or as a way to control people in general or even a way to control overpopulation. Hell, I don't know. I mean, what can I say? It could have been delivered through tainted water bottles handed out at border crossings. We know it's airborne, for all we know it can be waterborne too. You never know what people in power are capable of doing.”
“But who would do that?” Dwayne asked.
“Anyone with an agenda: governments, private entities, and terrorists. It depends on the motivation factor. It could be a way to annex property, start a war or it could be the latest fad in terrorism.”
“So Los Angeles may not have been done by us,” Captain Jack deducted.
“Maybe,” Doc Martin said. “Maybe not. It's been done all throughout history. There's nothing new under the sun. Hitler did it, the Russians did it and we've done it. You send your people to settle in foreign lands then when enough of them are there, you annex it. A good example of biological population displacement is the Native Americans. Although unintentional, smallpox was a very effective weapon that made vacant land for European settlement in the new world. I think this one was accid
ental, or, if planned, got out of hand. I think all you can do is outlast them.”
“You're staying here with us, aren't you?” Captain Jack asked.
“If that's alright with Dwayne.”
“Of course it is,” Dwayne said. “You are more than welcome to stay here with Jack and me.”
“Then it's us Doc,” Captain Jack said. “All we can do is outlast them.”
#
“Dig a hole deep enough so that son-of-a-bitch can't pull himself out,” Colonel Tibbets ordered. He had three of his men dig a hole six feet wide by six feet long by six feet deep with sharpened wooden stakes protruding from the bottom of the hole.
“How is that going to kill it if it's already dead?” Joe asked.
“It won't kill it,” Colonel Tibbets responded. “It'll just be stuck. Haven't you ever heard of a good old fashioned bear trap? Except this one will have punji stakes, a little something I learned in jungle warfare.”
“Put fire kindling in the bottom,” Colonel Tibbets added. “Then lay small limbs across the top and cover them with leaves. We're going to have barbecued bear for supper.”
#
“I don't think we have to worry about those assholes anymore,” Captain Jack said. “Not with B.J. out there.”
“We may have to worry about B.J. though,” Dwayne said. “But hopefully we can help more zombinees finish their journey.”
“I'm all for that,” Captain Jack said. “We can go tonight. I'll replace the Claymores along the tree line. You can take the thermal goggles to watch out for those assholes and the starlight scope to watch for B.J.”
#
Two of Colonel Tibbets men lay in wait near the hole. One of the men as bait and the other for back-up in case something went wrong.
The rest of Colonel Tibbets men crouched low in shallow foxholes in a large circle around the pit.
At Colonel Tibbets’ signal, the two walked a short distance into the forest then began banging their mess kits together.
B.J., nearby, altered his course toward the source of the sound then rushed the men once they were in sight.
With B.J. following them, the two men ran toward the pit then jumped across to the opposite side.
The two men turned and faced B.J.
B.J. charged, racing past the men hid in their holes below the forest floor, toward the two exposed men then fell face first into the pit and impaled himself on the punji sticks.
The rest of Colonel Tibbets men rose from their holes then gathered around the pit and began pumping rounds into B.J.
“Only three rounds each,” Colonel Tibbets shouted. “Only three rounds each. Conserve your ammo!”
“Torch him!” Joe ordered.
A torch soaked with lighter fluid was thrown into the pit. The kindling along with the debris that had covered the pit quickly turned into a bonfire. The sound of crackling and popping and the stench of burning flesh filled the air.
“Now let's go make that house ours!” Colonel Tibbets said.
#
Captain Jack replaced the Claymores while Dwayne watched the tree line.
“What the hell was that?” Dwayne asked as the roar of distant gunfire rang out of the forest and echoed off the hills behind the house.
“I don't know,” Captain Jack answered. “But I don't like the sound of it, whatever it is.”
“Maybe we can see something from the roof.”
Doc Martin joined Dwayne and Captain Jack on the rooftop balcony. They could see a column of smoke rising above the trees in the distance and blowing in their direction.
“There's no mistaking that smell,” Doc Martin said. “That's burning flesh.”
“You think it's those assholes?” Captain Jack asked.
“I don't know,” Dwayne said.
“Whoever it is,” Doc Martin said. “Something just happened.”
“We better set up watches just in case,” Dwayne said. “After sunset, we'll rotate watch in two hour shifts. This way, we can get four hours rest between our shifts.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Captain Jack said.
“Doc,” Dwayne said. “You take first shift. Jack, I'll take the second shift. That will allow you four hours rest first. We can use the thermal goggles and starlight scope but only for a quick scan every five or ten minutes so we don't drain the batteries.
“I'll bring an electric heater up that we can run off the spare generator in case it gets too cold.”
#
“We can't afford to move in slow,” Colonel Tibbets explained. “The key is to move in fast from a distance. If they did recover our night vision equipment, it will be twice as hard for them to aim and make a hit while using it. It'll make it easier for them to see, not shoot.”
“We'll go in just after sundown,” Colonel Tibbets said, then drew a map of Dwayne's house on a piece of notebook paper, “We'll go in with just enough time for our eyes to adjust to the dark. Our main force will be in front of the house here along the fence line and the front gate. We'll keep them busy there. The rest will split up into three groups of five men each to assault the other three sides of the house.
“Three men can't defend four sides of a house at the same time. When they shift position to defend the side under heaviest attack, the other three groups can attack the side left undefended.”
“Is everybody clear on that point?” Colonel Tibbets asked.
Joe noticed there seemed to be concern among the group.
“Apply mud to your face and hands,” Joe said. “It will cut down on your thermal image.”
“Remember,” Colonel Tibbets added, “stay hidden at a distance. Then once I give the signal, move in, and move in fast. This is key to this operation. Once this house is ours we'll have a defensive position like none other and no one will be able to take it from us.
“OK everyone, move into your positions.”
#
“OK Doc,” Captain Jack said as the last rays of the setting sun faded behind the horizon. “You're on.”
“Got it covered,” Doc Martin said. “You guys catch some Z's. No pun intended.”
“You catch some Z's,” Captain Jack said. “Literally, and call me when you do. I'm not above making some head shots tonight.”
“If it's only a few dead people that comes around tonight then we should consider ourselves lucky,” Dwayne said.
“Doc,” Captain Jack said. “If you see anything moving, whether it gives off a heat source or not, you yell. You've got your choice of weapons. We've got two sniper rifles and two assault rifles.”
“And Doc,” Captain Jack added. “Remember, if it's a zombinee it has to be a head shot or you'll just be wasting ammo.”
“Wonderful,” Doc Martin said.
#
After thirty minutes of darkness, Colonel Tibbets and his men moved into their forward positions.
Doc Martin could see figures moving to the front fence from the tree line. He switched from the Starlight scope to the thermal goggles. Over a dozen small heat sources showed along the tree line near the front gate.
“Dwayne,” Doc Martin whispered loudly from the rooftop stairway. “We've got movement at the wire, and I don't think it's the local fauna.”
Dwayne and Captain Jack joined Doc Martin on the roof. Captain Jack scanned the fence line with the Starlight scope.
“It's those assholes alright,” Captain Jack said. “The moonlight is really lighting them up.”
“Let's check the back,” Dwayne said.
Dwayne, Captain Jack and Doc Martin crouched below the bastions as they made their way to the back side of the house.
Using the Starlight scope, Captain Jack checked the grove of maple trees on the hill behind the house while Dwayne scanned the outer fence on the west and then the inner compound fence along the east side of the house with the thermal goggles. There were thermal images in each direction.
“That's what I thought,” Dwayne said. “The large group in front is a diversion.”
/> “They've got us surrounded, the poor bastards,” Captain Jack quoted the famous line from WWII. “If they know there's only three of us then they know we can't defend all four directions at one time.”
“Doc,” Dwayne said. “You take the sniper rifle with the Starlight scope and cover the northwest corner of the house. I'll take the southeast corner. That way we can watch all four sides of the house at once. Jack, you take the machine gun and cover whichever side we call out to you.”
“You take this damn .45,” Captain Jack said. “I'm tired of toting this heavy son of a bitch around. I've got an LED light taped to it so you can aim it in the dark.”
Captain Jack watched in disappointment as Dwayne laid the .45 on top of the bastions.
“Jack listen,” Dwayne said. “I can turn on the outside lights by going to the basement and turning on the generator. The lights will blind them but not us. The lights will be below us. Call me on the handset if they decide to come over the fence. I'll turn on the lights then come right up. If they keep coming then we'll know exactly what their intentions are.”
“OK,” Captain Jack said. “Get ready.”
“Doc,” Captain Jack said as Dwayne headed downstairs. “How's your corner of the house look?”
“They're still at the fence,” Doc Martin responded.
“One of those dumb asses just lit up a cigarette,” Captain Jack said. “I can smell it on the breeze. They are doing everything wrong.”
#
“Put out that goddamn cigarette!” Colonel Tibbets whispered. “Dumb ass! Now, get ready for my signal.”
“One of those stupid shits is moving back to the tree line,” Captain Jack said. “That must be Colonel Asshole. He may be giving a signal to attack.”
At 7:30 PM Colonel Tibbets fired a parachute flare into the night sky.
“Don't look up!” Doc Martin shouted to Captain Jack. “Cover your left eye.”
“It's another distraction,” Captain Jack shouted back.
The bright mass in the Starlight scope obscured the images. The thermal goggles picked up three preloaded tracer rounds streaking in from Colonel Tibbets assault rifle.
The tracer rounds passed through the living room window, embedded into the leather couch and set it ablaze.
“Dwayne!” Captain Jack called into his handset as the militants began scaling the fence on all four sides. “They're coming in.”