by John Ringo
“Hey, Rapunzel,” Faith said. “You still there? Over.”
“This is Princess Julianna, over.” The voice seemed a tad chilly.
“Get your people to see if they can get the shutter to lift, now, oorah?”
“Oo—What?”
“See if you can lift the shutter, over. Ok . . . Oorah, let’s break this down. Carefully.”
“I never thought I’d be glad to see Marines,” Sarah Cassill said as she was helped off the shoulders of PFC Randall.
“We get that a lot,” Faith said. “We’re always so glad to hear it. Why don’t you go over there,” she continued, pointing to where the group of survivors was gathering. “And keep your idiotic mouth shut.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you!” Christy said, throwing her arms around Faith. “Are you gay? Aren’t most girl Marines gay?”
“No!” Faith said, prizing the woman’s arms off.
“Oh, too bad,” Christy said. “I just want to kiss you all over!”
“Ick!” Faith said, pushing her back. “I’ve got a whole platoon of Marines ready to take you up on that.”
“At the same time . . .” Randall muttered.
“What was that PFC?” Faith snarled. “Why don’t you just go over there with the rest of the . . . with them!”
“Everything under control, ma’am?” the gunny asked, striding over to the window.
“Get Barnard’s squad securing the survivors,” Faith said. “And tell them to wait on introductions, kisses or promises of massage with happy ending until we’ve actually got them off the fucking island!”
“Aye, aye, ma’am,” the gunny said. “Barnard . . . !”
“Thank you,” Anna said as she was helped down. “I truly appreciate this.”
“Disobeying my own order,” Faith said nervously. “Hi . . . I . . . Sort of always wanted to meet you . . .” She stuck out her hand.
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Anna said, graciously shaking hands, then ducked her head. “I . . . I should go join the others.”
“Wow,” Faith said. “She’s really shy for an actress.”
“I guess, ma’am,” Hooch said.
“I am the last of this group,” the woman said, holding out the radio as she reached the ground. “Lieutenant Faith Marie Smith I presume?”
“Sorry about the Rapunzel thing, ma’am,” Faith said. “We generally don’t use rank or names on the radio. We need to move your group to the boats. . . .”
“If we could speak for a moment, Lieutenant?” Julianna said. “It is important, I assure you.”
“Sure,” Faith said, waving for them to step aside.
“Is it . . . safe?” Julianna said, looking around nervously.
“No,” Faith said after a short pause. “But I usually nail them before they nail me. You seemed like you wanted to talk in private.”
* * *
“There was another group of survivors,” Julianna said. “We . . . haven’t seen or heard anything from them since we forced our way out of the storeroom. But . . . they should be somewhere in the building. I know it is an imposition . . .”
“We can deal with that later, ma’am,” Faith said, pulling out her notebook and making a note. “Any idea where?”
“No,” Julianna said. “They segregated us into gender-based groups when they brought us here. The male celebrities were in the other section.”
“That would be . . .” Faith said, perking up. “I don’t suppose one of them was Brandon Jeeters?”
“He was accidentally put in with us,” Julianna said after a pregnant pause. “And I regret to inform you he did not survive.”
“Damn!” Faith said. “I was hoping to get his autograph. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, the only previous celebrity I ever met was Mike Mickerberg and that was for just long enough to blow him all over his yacht.”
“Excuse me?” Julianna said, her eyes wide.
“He’d zombied,” Faith said. “Long very ugly story. Join the Marines, travel to exotic foreign lands, meet interesting people and kill them. Oorah, then, let’s move out. We’ll come back later and see if we can find the guys.”
“There is one other thing,” Julianna said.
“There’s not a lot of infected left on the island,” Faith said. “But there are some. We should be inside the perimeter. Quick.”
“The situation in the storeroom . . .” Julianna said. “We . . . Some of us had to . . . Deal with . . .”
“You figured out quick you couldn’t keep them alive?” Faith said. “No harm, no foul. What happens in the compartment, stays in the compartment. That all?”
“Yes?” Julianna said, clearly surprised.
“Long story again,” Faith said. “We’re getting ready to make them into vaccine. Strangling infected is sort of the story of the day for survivors. Oorah, if that is absolutely all, Rapunzel, let’s roll.”
“Holy cow, Sis, is that who I think it is?” Sophia asked. She and the Naval Landing personnel were securing the landing point.
“The boss is . . .” She pulled out her notebook and frowned. “Princess Julianne Gusterston or something. And, yeah, it’s all celebutantes and stuff. I didn’t get the whole story. I was too busy wading through the drool from my Marines. And Miss Boob of the Month tried to molest me she was so excited.”
“SERGEANT MAJOR!” Sophia bellowed. Her Landing Force personnel were starting to cluster up on the starlets and debutantes.
“Hadley, what the bloody hell are you doing off your post?” Sergeant Major Barney bellowed. “Eyes had better bloody well stay out and on your sectors!”
“Get the evacuees moved off to the boats, Sergeant Major!” Sophia ordered.
“You heard the ensign!” Barney bellowed. “Help the ladies to the Zodiacs you sods!”
“Gunny, pin the perimeter,” Faith said. “I need to talk to higher.”
“Aye, aye, ma’am,” Gunny Sands said. “First Squad right, second left, spread it out and take fixed position . . .”
“Kodiak Ops, Kodiak Ops, Shewolf, over.”
“Go, Shewolf,” the colonel replied.
“Survivors from the fort recovered,” Faith said. “Report additional possible survivors interior. Break. No functioning vehicles found in immediate AO. Request additional frago, over.”
“What is your evaluation of the security situation, over?”
“My opinion is that we can ground pound this island,” Faith said. “But I may be wrong. There could be clusters, and vehicles make them easier to break contact. My suggestion is that we move out in a group and try to find functional vehicles, then sweep for additional survivors, over.”
“Confirm,” Hamilton said. “Use caution. Over.”
“Wilco,” Faith said. “Be advised, group is celebrities. Have been some discipline issues. Over.”
“Any major incidents, over?”
“Negative,” Faith replied as Anna Holmes walked over. “I’ve waded knee deep through dead bodies. I can wade though ankle deep drool easy enough. Over.”
“Will keep issues in mind. Kodiak, out.”
“May I help you, ma’am?” Faith asked.
“I . . . One of the men told me you two are in charge?” Anna said firmly.
“Yes, ma’am,” Sophia said. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you, Miss Holmes. I’m a big fan.”
“You may not be for long,” Anna said, lifting her chin. “I need to turn myself in on the charge of murder in the first degree.”
“Oh,” Sophia said, blinking. “Seriously? You were the strangler?”
“Yes,” Anna said after a puzzled moment.
“I’m sorry for that,” Sophia said. “That’s hard. I’ve never had to do it but . . . Plenty of people have. Our chief had to strangle his wife.”
“Colonel had to kill his wife and kids,” Faith said, shrugging. “I was wondering why you sort of ran off. But I told Rapunzel: What happens in the compartment, stays in the compartment. We were
talking about whether that’s different ’cause we’re on land instead of a boat. But . . . we’re not going to bring charges or anything. Hell, I’d be up for so many murder charges at this point you’d have to have a really big computer to figure them all out.”
“I’m credited with saving over two thousand people at sea,” Sophia said. “My thuggish sister here is credited with probably two or three times that number of kills.”
“Never strangled one, though,” Faith said, shrugging. “I’ve always got knives and guns to go around.”
“Halligan tool,” Sophia said.
“Machete.”
“Axe.”
“Crow bar.”
“So . . . what do I do now?” Anna said. She seemed deflated.
“Three days grace, then you see if there’s anything you’re good at,” Sophia said softly. “Clean compartments if that’s all you can do. Or go in with the sick, lame and lazy who aren’t willing to help. And we need all the help we can get. But . . . you’re famous and everything. I mean, I’m a really big fan. But . . . that was then. It’s about what you do now that counts. Now.”
“Okay,” Anna said.
“And right now what you need to do is get on the Zodiac, ma’am,” Sophia said, shaking her hand again. “Keep the faith. You survived. That’s important. There still aren’t many of us.”
They waved as the boat left, then Faith turned to Sophia.
“Thuggish?” she said.
“It means a person who is a brute,” Sophia said. “A murderer . . .”
“I know what it means!” Faith said. “Thuggish? Seriously? You think I’m thuggish? Thank you! You’ve never said anything so nice . . .” She sniffed theatrically. “Gunnery Sergeant!”
“Ma’am?” Gunny Sands said.
“I need wheels, Gunnery Sergeant,” Faith bellowed. “Your boss has a delicate figure that is disinclined to walking. Think of me as a tottering little celebrity in high heels. You will find me a working vehicle on this island. Oorah?”
“Oorah, ma’am!”
“In the meantime, it is . . . what’s that thing about personal carriers?”
“Leather personnel carriers, ma’am?”
“Leather personnel carriers it is, Gunny. Oorah?”
“Oorah, ma’am.”
“Move out.”
* * *
“I have never hated a fucking island more,” Faith said as a tall, distinguished and very thin man walked up with an angry expression on his face. Before he could even open his mouth, Faith made a lightning draw and put the barrel in the man’s face.
“If you say ‘Do you know who I am?’ I swear I will pull the trigger,” she said, then holstered the weapon. “No, I don’t know who you are. No, I don’t care who you are. I wouldn’t care if you were the God-damned President of the United States. We have one car, it is purely for people who are too far gone to walk and you are not in that category. I am walking. You are walking. Gunny! Get this idiot out of my face . . . !”
* * *
“Before you even start,” Sergeant Major Barney bellowed. “No, we do not know who you are! No, we do not bloody well care. Unless you’re a prince of the blood royal, of Britain mind you, I really do not care. Follow bloody damned directions, even if it’s from the snotty driving the bloody Zodiac, and you’ll all come out right and tight. If you would prefer, and we certainly do, we will issue you a weapon and a magazine of ammunition and you can take your chances with the bloody infected on the island. Takers? No? Then line the fuck up and shut your stupid mouths!”
* * *
“Oh, my God,” Faith said, almost squealing. “I know who he is!”
“Is that . . . ?” Sergeant Smith said.
“I have always appreciated the brave men and women who protect our nation,” Harold Chrysler said, shaking Faith’s hand. “But never has my heart been more filled with the pride of being an American than today. It is an honor to shake your hand, Lieutenant.” He’d played a president in more than one film and had the presence to pull the line off.
“It’s . . . uh . . . Oorah, sir,” Faith said. She realized she was getting ready to babble and cleared her throat. “It’s an honor as well, sir. Big fan, big fan.”
“I’m honored,” Chrysler said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Uh . . . oorah?” Faith said. “Sir?”
“Try to help herd the cats, sir?” Sergeant Smith said, thumbing towards the civilians. “We have got to keep them in the perimeter and not straggling or scattering . . .” There was a shot from the rear and the gunny bellowed: “STAY ON SECTOR.”
“ ’Cause of, well, that, sir,” Faith said, regaining her composure. “They keep . . . not staying in the perimeter. Which means if they get too far out, they’re in the target zones. And they keep bugging the Marines who need to stay on alert and not answering questions. I swear, they’ve got no more sense of survival than a baby duck.”
“The wealthy and powerful, even after all they have been through, tend to believe that they are invincible because of ‘who they are,’ ” Chrysler said. “I have no such illusions, but I grew up a working stiff.” He leaned forward to whisper in Faith’s ear. “I don’t suppose I could borrow a pistol?”
“Round in the chamber, sir,” Faith said, ripping one of her chest carries out.
“In the chamber?” Chrysler said, pulling back the slide just far enough to check. He carefully slipped the safety on as well.
“It’s a zombie apocalypse, sir,” Faith said. “I’d appreciate it if you don’t use it to herd the cats, though, sir. I’ve had to draw more than once but that’s me, sir. I can get away with it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Lieutenant,” Harold said, slipping the H&K into the waistband of his jeans. “Is there any news from the States?”
“I’ll put it in perspective, sir,” Sergeant Smith said. “You’re looking at sixty percent of the total manning of the United States Marine Corps, sir. The LT is number six in line of succession from the commandant. And she’s thirteen.”
“Almost fourteen!” Faith snapped.
“Oh, God,” Chrysler said, breathing deeply. “I thought . . . I thought maybe this was just what was available for such a minor . . . This is all?”
“Yes, sir,” Smitty said softly. “I was on the Iwo Jima, sir. We lost it to the infected till the LT and her dad came in and pulled us out.”
“Sir, we need to get going,” Faith said. “You’ll get some time off at the boats. We’ll have to cover the questions there.”
“I understand,” Harold said, shaking her hand again. “Again, thank you for your service. And you as well, Sergeant. I’ll go do what I can about the baby ducks . . .”
“Why can’t they all be that way?” Faith asked.
“Like he said, ma’am,” Smitty said. “Born a working stiff.”
“I guess,” Faith said. “Gunnery Sergeant! Get this wagon train a-movin’!”
“Aye, aye, ma’am. YOU HEARD THE SKIPPER! MOVE OUT . . . !”
CHAPTER 25
“. . . cleared a big grocery warehouse in Mandan. The zombies are still hanging in there in downtown Bismarck somehow. Go around if you’re coming in from the east. And bring all the ammo and guns . . .”
From: Collected Radio Transmissions of The Fall
University of the South Press 2053
“How is the clearance going, Colonel?” Steve asked.
He generally touched base with the Kodiak Force once a day in the evening to keep abreast of progress.
“In action terms, just fine, sir,” Colonel Hamilton said. “That being said, I’m starting to regret not skipping to primary targets.”
“Problems?” Steve said.
“No casualties or injuries, sir, thank God,” Hamilton said, knocking the surface of his desk. “And we’re about to suspend operations. Island has been pretty much swept for survivors. Still a fair infected presence but just the usual. All that is fine, sir. The survivors, however . . .”
“Pregnant pause there, Colonel,” Steve said. “Not the usual odds and sods?”
“About half are, call it ‘labor,’ ” Hamilton said. “Island residents. Hotel staff. One facilities engineer which is pretty much the cream of the crop. The rest are . . . If I hear the words ‘Do you know who I am’ one more time, sir, I swear I am going to kill that person.”
“Oh,” Steve said, putting his hand over his mouth to cover a smile.
“I had to station Decker and Condrey outside the door to keep them from interrupting this meeting, sir,” Hamilton said. “With orders to be as polite as possible and as violent as necessary. I suspect you are going to get a fair number of complaints, sir.”
“No, I’m not,” Steve said. “I have people. But I understand your problems, Colonel. I even have a potential solution.”
“Other than slapping the hell out of them, sir?” Hamilton asked. “One of the complaints I fielded was on the subject of your daughter using very nearly deadly force in one case.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Steve said. “She had, it seems prehistory now, experience dealing with the same sort of folk during the Fall and used much the same approach. Do you have an issue with that?”
“I told the complainant that based upon their attitude and tone that I was equally unsurprised, sir,” Hamilton said. “Then I told them I used to be an interrogator at Guantanamo and asked them if they really wanted to get on my bad side. I apologize, sir. It just slipped out; I was that frustrated.”
“How’d that work?” Steve asked.
“They shut right the hell up and walked away, sir,” Hamilton said.
“Dare I hope we got more than the usual one to two percent?” Steve asked. “Even if they are a handful?”
“No, sir,” Hamilton said, shaking his head. “Just short of eighty so far. Bit over one percent.”
“Christ,” Steve said, shaking his head. “If you had asked me, Colonel, pre-Plague, if it was possible to essentially wipe out the human race I’d have laughed at you. And this hasn’t but . . . Christ almighty.”
“Yes, sir,” Hamilton said.
“I don’t suppose any of them preferred to stay?” Steve asked.