Up From the Depths
Book 5: Defilade
J.R. Jackson
Foreword by Sara Gray
Up From the Depths Book 5 by James R. Jackson
All Rights reserved.
Copyright© 2016 JRJ/Golf Lima Charlie/Ghost 27. This book and series is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real people; living, dead or undead is purely coincidental. Do not attempt to imitate any actions that any character within this book or series does. The author does not recommend nor take any responsibility for any actions taken by the reader after reading this book or series. No part of this novel may be reprinted without express permission. Business establishments, events and locations mentioned or described within this novel are done so with the utmost respect or are purely coincidental in nature. Artistic license has been applied. Special Operations forces, methods, tactics and weaponry mentioned within this book is purely coincidental in nature or a fictional creation of the author.
The Up From the Depths series by J.R. Jackson
Denial Measures (Book 1)
Acceptable Losses (Book 2)
Collateral Damage (Book 3)
Movement to Contact (Book 4)
Defilade (Book 5) March 2016
Secondary Objectives (Book 6) Summer/Fall 2016
Author’s Foreword
From working on this series I discovered that it’s highly enjoyable to write zombie apocalyptic fiction. What makes this particular genre interesting is that you can insert little twists that most readers won’t expect and make it all work with the total suspension of disbelief. The best part is that zombies are not controlled by phases of the moon. They don’t need darkness to come alive, they can’t be stopped by holy water, wolfs bane, or any number of the conventional tropes used in contemporary horror works. They are essentially relentless killing machinations fueled by a need to feast on human flesh. While it is a bit of a thrill to put fictional characters into peril there is another kind of thrill that comes from writing in this genre. That would be meeting and talking with other authors, greeting fans, and generally having a great time discussing those fictional characters and the level of torment one can put them through. It beats the alternative, kidnapping people off the street and forcing them to act out the scenes within your book.
That brings us to the crux or pivotal moment within this series. How do you keep something like zombies real? Over the years, there have been countless movies and books that depict zombies many different ways. The goal, at least for me, was to keep the concepts within the series connected to the real world as much as possible. No fantastical reason for the zombie outbreak. No space aliens, no returning comet, nothing, that in my opinion was a weak excuse to make zombies appear. Once that was accomplished, the next step was to make the characters someone that the reader can relate to and not some detached persona that they could care less what happens to them. Or worse, make them so highly trained and ready for a zom-poc that it became cliché and stereotypical in every scene. Then, place those characters into some kind of horrific setting like a world where, for some unknown reason, or through a strange set of circumstances, they somehow survive the initial outbreak and now have to deal with a drastically changed reality.
At this point in time, a zombie outbreak or zombie apocalypse is still fictional so keeping it grounded in the real world can be difficult. But, sometimes the real world can mirror fiction. Consider the ‘bath salts’ events. Naked people running around biting, and in one instance, eating the flesh off a man’s face and then that person, when confronted by police, growls at them. Not only is that straight out of some dark horror novel, it just makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Then move onto the outbreak and spread of Ebola in West Africa. Hundreds if not thousands of people infected, borders closed. CDC response teams being flown in and a wave of paranoia in airports when someone sneezes. Take that one step further and what you have is a level of paranoid frothing and foaming just waiting for some unknown pandemic to appear like say, zombies. If that were to happen, one can only imagine the chaos that would ensue. And that brings us full circle to Up From the Depths.
Up From the Depths has been, at times, a royal pain in the ass. I mean that mostly in jest but also with some seriousness as well. To come up with a series of events that play out over a set length of time and continue with a number of characters in different geographical locations can be, and has been, nerve wracking and migraine inducing. Up From the Depths is not a traditional story or series. What that means is there are no distinctive main ‘hero’ characters but rather an ensemble cast. One beta reader compared it to The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan only with zombies portraying the role of the Germans. A very nice comparison, I’ll admit. But, I don’t see it as they described it. To me, it’s more like the Spartans at Thermopylae, a small group of hardened warriors/survivors faced off against the hordes of the undead. What further separates Up From the Depths from the traditional tomes is that the storyline focuses characters that are relatively prepared to deal with and survive adverse conditions be it through training or preparedness. There’s not time spent discussing those that are not prepared or those that can’t handle the changed reality. Why bother? Those people would have succumbed to the infection and been turned into mindless, violent, cannibalistic drones or, they’re already human happy meals.
So where does that leave us? Oh yeah, the series.
I’ve been asked several times if there will be more to this series.
Truthfully, I have no idea. Only time will tell.
To those of you who have stuck it out since book 1, I thank you. For those of you joining us for the first time, a big thank you as well and I hope this book will encourage you to go back and find the other books within this series.
Now, onto and into the world of Up From the Depths.
Guns up, check those corners, watch your six, we’re going in.
JRJ
Foreword
J. R. Jackson once told me that zombies made survival prepping fun. He was absolutely correct. It is without question that survival preparedness and the zombie apocalyptic genre are so closely associated you cannot have one without the other. And while the zombie apocalypse may appear to be an unrealistic concern, preparing for one can be an entertaining way to become ready for more pragmatic situations. Every day there are common events which warrant serious disaster mitigation, situations that most people lack basic survival skills or resources to overcome. Probable events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, blizzards, and even civil unrest can quickly explode into life threatening catastrophes. Using the zombie apocalypse as a framework to prepare is not only fun, but it is also a very practical way to address these foreseeable calamities. If you can survive a viral pandemic that reduces humanity to undead hordes hell-bent on attacking you at every opportunity, you probably can make it through a week without running water or electricity when a tornado knocks your town off the grid.
There is quite a bit one can learn about disaster mitigation through the lens of apocalyptic zombie literature and movies. Whether the protagonists are presented as survivalists or depicted as prepping-ignorant schmucks, it is integral to the plot that the characters explore their environment to assess available resources and mechanisms necessary to overcome insurmountable odds. When prepping-ignorant characters are thrown into the midst of a zombie apocalypse and even when seemingly well prepared survivalists find their resources depleted, rendered useless, or stolen- both types of people must hit the ground running and prepare on their feet. They must utilize anything that is available to creatively become the “MacGyvers” of survival. Circumstances demand that these individuals apply every skill set they possess to survive, often calling upon seldom used ab
ilities to imaginatively trouble-shoot serious dilemmas. As we watch and read survival scenarios such as these, we become familiar with measures that could feasibly be effective; understand the ones that are not, and identify those that were counter-productive.
J. R. Jackson is not only an author, but also a wilderness/outdoor survival and disaster mitigation instructor, self described as being normally found outdoors teaching clueless people the fine art of survival in less than pristine conditions. His disappointment with the lack of novels and films containing realistic and accurate military depictions in regard to tactics, weapons, and procedures inspired him to create the Ward Room, a resource for authors and others to use when they need accurate information about the military. J. R.’s expertise in these areas is fully expressed in his Up From the Depths series, and I cannot think of anyone more suited to write in this genre than him.
Up From the Depths wasn’t always a six volume series. When I met J.R. he asked if I would like to be a beta reader for his book. Yes, book in the singular sense- not the six books it has now been separated into. He warned me it was epic- that was an understatement. The book was HUGE, large enough to function as a door stop [His own analogy]. I resigned myself to reading the novel with a notebook by my side so I could jot down who’s who and where each plotline was taking place. I was genuinely worried I wouldn’t be able to keep it all straight. My concerns were unfounded. Up From the Depths is so engaging and masterfully written, containing vivid characters embroiled in situations that although fantastic, are realistically depicted so that the reader becomes deeply involved in their plight. My notebook sat unused as I became completely engrossed in reading and living vicariously through the characters whose welfare I felt intimately invested in.
That was years ago. Since then I have watched as J. R. continuously added to this epic novel, developing the characters more deeply and increasing the details so that the series is even more powerful than when I first was introduced to it.
By now you probably already know that Up From the Depths is not your typical zombie series. J. R.’s characters struggle to survive a zombie outbreak and post-apocalyptic world that spans vast geographic locations and time. Yet, most importantly it is J. R.’s skill and knowledge of survival, disaster mitigation, weapons, tactics, and military methodology that lends an uncanny realism to a genre that has been traditionally considered horror fantasy. And, although no one can ever completely be ready for events that lead to the absolute annihilation of the human race, Up From the Depths is a learning experience which offers plausible techniques for surviving a zombie pandemic.
Sara Gray, M. Ed.
Founder of Zombie Fiend
Creator and editor of the Zombie Hunger Anthology Series
The world changed in a day.
A genetically engineered virus designed to eradicate the disease known as ‘Man’ was released in major population centers around the world. The resulting chaos left the civilian government and the military chain of command in shambles.
The survivors struggled to adapt to their new reality.
This is their story.
Hell is empty and all the devils are here
-William Shakespeare
Defilade: 1. Protection from hostile observation and fire provided by an obstacle such as a hill, ridge, or embankment. 2. To shield from enemy fire or observation by using natural or artificial obstacles.
Chapter 1
DARPA Facility, Nevada Desert
“I don’t know Doc, sending out drones for air and soil samples?” Air Force Captain Eugene Heller shook his head hard enough that the geek strap attached to his birth control glasses struggled to maintain its grip. “I just don’t know. Granted these are high-tech toys but using them for that? It seems kind of beneath them.”
“Captain, let me try to explain this to you,” Chambers said. “We’re looking at the very real possibility of a Virgin Field Epidemic. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Black Death?” Chambers asked. “Do you have any concept what an event like that could do to the modern world?”
“Yeah, Doc. I have a pretty good idea what that means. I’m pretty sure that’s what’s been happening already.”
“Dark Winter. Have you ever heard of it?” Chambers asked. Heller shook his head albeit not as forcefully.
“Years ago, The Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies, in collaboration with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the Analytic Services Institute for Homeland Security, held a senior-level exercise entitled Dark Winter,” Chambers said before Heller could make any kind of comment. Heller knew from the time spent around the other man that when Chambers blurted out information at a rapid fire pace he was fervently trying to make a point. He leaned back and let Chambers expound on the information.
“This was all several years ago. More than several years age. A long time for sure as I was just an intern when that happened,” the research scientist explained. “I later did a thesis on the findings from that exercise,” he added.
“Dark Winter was constructed to examine the challenges that senior-level policy makers would face if confronted with a bioterrorist attack that initiated outbreaks of a highly contagious disease,” Chambers explained. “For the exercise, Smallpox was used as the contagious disease. But, that’s inconsequential as here in the states, we stopped inoculating for Smallpox back in 1972.”
Chambers handed Heller a file.
“What we have here is a highly contagious bio-weapon. Different disease, same type of scenario. Overwhelmed puts it’s mildly,” he said.
Heller was silent as he looked over what Chambers had handed to him. Most of the text was diagrams, projections, cell structure models and graphs. He recognized the data for what it was but, medical information was not his forte. Since arriving at the facility, Chambers had spent most of his time in one of the many work rooms using a SmartBoard and tying up resources from the mainframe computers to analyze all the samples he had taken before a SEAL team had extracted him and his girlfriend, now wife, from their rural home outside of Flagstaff, Arizona.
“This is outstanding information, Doc. What do you want me to do with it?” Heller asked.
“We need to send this out to someone who has a background in viral pandemics. I don’t. The CDC or Site R comes to mind. Maybe they can develop a treatment. I don’t know. That’s why your drones are needed to gather as many samples as possible. Tissue, bone, bone marrow, blood would be excellent but not very likely to still be available,” Chambers said as he remembered the videos he had seen of the Autonomous Armed Robotic Vehicles and their tour of Las Vegas. The bodies the AARVs had encountered were desiccated by the desert environment and not viable for fluid samples.
“Some of the drones were originally designed to operate inside chemical and biological hot zones. A lot of that software is still there but not in use,” Heller said. “I’ll get the brain trust looking into it,” he said, referring to the group of programmers that worked on the drones.
“Excellent,” Chambers said. “How soon can we send them out?”
“I don’t know, Doc. It could be a couple of days to a week. They have to dust off all the old files, go over the code and probably write some new software,” Heller said, knowing that Chambers would have to be consulted when that part of the upgrade was performed. “Best guess would be a couple of weeks.”
“Good, good. I should have some more information by then on what to look for,” Chambers said. “In the meantime, which ones are still out?”
“TIGER and CUB with RHINO as back-up,” Heller responded.
“RHINO’s the one with the little plane thingy, right?” Chambers asked.
“Yes, RHINO has the Forward Autonomous Acquisition Theater Multi-Mission Oriented Platform,” Heller said using the full name for what was commonly referred to as just PHANTOM.
“Yes, that one,” Chambers said, momentarily wondering why anyone would give the small, four rotor device such a large name. “Could
it track birds? We need to see if any carrion birds in the area are deviating from zones that have infected in them.”
“I can do you one better,” Heller said. “We can send up a 4th Gen Global Hawk. Its old but can loiter a lot longer and cover larger areas. You should be able to track migrating birds in the entire state. Maybe even tap into a couple of satellites.”
“It’s imperative that we monitor any of their migration patterns. They could very well be another vector,” Chambers said. “We have to find out if infection can be transferred to carrion feeders and spread that way.” His mind wandered in another direction. What if the infected gave off some kind of pheromone that repelled known carrion eaters? If that was the case, then it might be possible to extract and somehow develop a repellant that would keep the infected away from the uninfected.
***
Chapter 2
Brooks Mountain Range, Alaska
The MC-130 Combat Talon aircraft that had once carried the joint special operations units from Elmendorf Air Force Base lay broken on the frozen tundra. The remaining fuel that hadn’t been purged from the tanks and lines formed a dark pinkish/red stain on the otherwise white landscape. The left wing of the plane was sheared off from the fuselage and discarded several hundred yards from the rest of the wreckage.
Captain Declan O’Toole, ODA-141, 1st Special Forces Group formerly stationed at Joint Base Lewis/McChord, unbuckled and stood up from his seat. He looked around the darkened cargo bay. In the dim light coming through the hole in the side of the airframe where the wing had once been, he was able to tell it was night. His inner ear told him that the plane was at an angle. The loose equipment under his boots informed him that several of the mission support pallets had broken loose and spilled their contents all over the converted cargo plane’s hold.
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