"Pull out, retreat!"
Jim moves further back toward John and company who continue to fire also.
Jim hears radio chatter from his men being overrun below as Mike removes the safety from the gun and fires across as he steps backward toward the helicopter gaining momentum in his strides.
The men jump in upon reaching the helicopter, the pilot brings it up a little then immediately ascending upon Jim throwing himself on and in.
With the men firing over him in the process, Jim swivels himself around on the deck facing the coming infected and firing wounding a few in the process.
The pilot pulls back lifting further from the rooftop, with the men in the helicopter now out of reach, although objects soon begin to hit the exterior of the helicopter as they witness the infected lobbing items up toward them and with some hitting the blades as John shouts through to the pilot.
"Faster, take us up!"
Jim slinks in his posture, speechless while coming to terms with what his own employer and the organization have developed.
Jim appears to be thinking out aloud while he watches the infected take down Sergeant then the crew in the cockpit of the last helicopter carrying the remaining men on board with everyone hearing Jim voice to himself.
"The ultimate fighter."
There’s a slight pause with a silence, before Mike moves on to mention. "Developed in our lab!"
Frankie looks to Mike then John while adding to the scenario. "Waiting for us in full force!"
John, Mike and Jim all look toward Frankie before turning away again as they head back toward base feeling defeated with disappointment flooding their thoughts.
CHAPTER 25
Sirens
Danny accompanied by Charlotte and Lizzie hear distant booms as they come back toward the lounge room.
Intrigued by these, Danny takes them toward the restricted rooftop entry point at ground level.
"Follow me."
Charlotte and Lizzie briefly look at each other then quickly follow Danny.
They enter through the restricted area to head up onto the roof to see what’s going on with the sounds coming from the direction of the city as Jennifer asks.
"Are you sure we’ll be okay going through here?"
"Don’t worry, I’ve been up here heaps of times.
They make their way toward the gate, ready to head up toward the rooftop before Danny stops to watch the security camera as Lizzie asks. "How long were you on base?"
"Six years, Dad got out 3 years ago."
With Jennifer interested to know why asks.
"Why did he leave?"
Danny turns slightly back to Jennifer.
"It had something to do with the last job they done."
Jennifer and Lizzie look at each other with Danny pausing before seizing the moment. "Come on!"
The three of them make a dash as the camera swings ready to move back to the direction they had come from, as they move further toward the gate which Danny opens with all three entering onto the sidewall stairwell as he continues where they left off.
"I don’t know what they came across, but it was enough to make him quit the military."
As Lizzie puts two and two together, she moves on to ask.
"So he went to the lab straight after?"
Danny looks at Lizzie while thinking deep in thought.
"Well, a month later I guess. Why?"
"They found the original to this strain on his last mission!"
Danny in some form of disbelief, although processes the information quickly while voicing to himself.
"Dad? Surprised he slept at all."
While looking over Danny, Lizzie moves on to say.
"I know he’d had enough, but that’s why he moved to the lab."
Danny stops in his tracks, looks to Lizzie and then to Jennifer before making his way forward up the stairs as they near the top with him turning slightly back to them on approach.
"So you think my dad had something to do with all this?"
As they follow Danny forward, Lizzie shares her knowledge of the situation.
"Well unintentionally, but it’s his work as well, and I think he was assigned to the position as being the best man for the job.
Danny sighs on hearing this, as he turns again with momentum toward the top, then all moving on their way across the roof as moments later the base siren begins to wail.
Danny looks back down toward the gate as it closes locking shut as he shouts down to it.
"No, not now!"
Lizzie watches the gate close, before turning her attention to Danny.
"What’s happening?"
With Jennifer also wondering what is happening voices mostly to herself. "Doesn’t look good!"
As Danny looks toward the gate while thinking of their next move, he then runs back across toward the edge of the rooftop with Jennifer and Lizzie soon motioning forward behind him.
Danny gets toward the edge of the roof for a better look and upon doing so sees the infected have entered the base and upon seeing them gets down quickly hoping not to have been seen there.
Danny while getting down immediately turns back waving his hand down while voicing toward Jennifer and Lizzie to get down themselves.
"Down, get down!"
As they make their way toward him looking slightly down, but still curious wanting to peer from over the edge as Danny reacts with action and fear creeping into his voice.
"Forget it please, stay down!"
Jennifer and Lizzie do as he says while he looks to the two women near him. Showing horror across his face from what he had seen and is coming as Jennifer realizes while moving on to say.
"It’s them!"
Danny crouches there with a million thoughts clearly racing through his mind, looks back toward the direction of the city for a second, then turning back to the ladies with the frightening thought and slowly nods his head to agree as Lizzie voices.
"We’ve got to get off here!"
Danny shakes his head before responding verbally.
"When the sirens go it’s full lockdown."
All three share the feeling of being trapped on the roof as Jennifer questions while scanning to find an exit.
"There must be a way down?!"
Lizzie looks on to Jennifer from her words.
"We’re three floors up!"
Jennifer turns her attention back to Danny.
"Where were they?"
Appearing somewhat calm about the whole situation, Danny looks up to Jennifer to let her know.
"They’re already in, we’re safer here."
"Did they see you?"
"Hope not, I don’t think so."
As Lizzie turns her thoughts to those below, voicing with worry.
"Sue and the kids?!"
Danny’s heart sinks while he looks at Lizzie, then slightly shaking his head thinking of the next move wondering what to do.
As the three are contemplating on what may become of them, base soldiers begin making their way through the roof out onto the top level to defend the base from above to the relief of the three.
CHAPTER 27
Base Return
As Jim, John, Mike and crew return toward base. It soon appears to them from a distance the infected have already arrived.
As they close in from above inside the helicopter, appearing to see small mobs heading on toward the base before firing down upon them.
Soon the two helicopters begin to circle over from above while the men inside fire down.
As they descend, Mike soon sees Lizzie with Jennifer and Danny on the roof amongst a few men who continue to fire down from the roof on the infected saying to himself then voicing loud toward John.
"Lizzie! John, Danny’s on the roof!"
John looks to Mike who is not surprised by what he just heard.
"That doesn’t surprise me, pick him up will you on your way
out!"
Mike looks back at John blankly.
"On my way out, what about you?!"
Jim cuts in on the two and looks to Mike.
"Evacuate! Take the chance while it’s there!"
Jim says this as the helicopter touches down, then giving orders to the pilot who gets ready to ascend again to the rooftop as the remainder of Jim’s men remove themselves, along with the occupants in the 2nd helicopter upon touching down close by with John voicing to Mike.
"I’m going to get Sue and the kids!"
Without hesitation, Jim also shares his next move.
"Me too!"
Mike knows they have to and wishes them well.
"Good luck, and see you soon!"
John and Jim both acknowledge Mike, quickly shaking his hand then moving toward the lounge room where Sue was left waiting.
Mike watches them go with the pilot taking off toward the roof to get Danny, Jennifer and Lizzie.
John and Jim continue on below as the helicopter pilot soon touches down on the rooftop landing with Mike turning voicing to the pilot who acknowledges him.
"I won’t be long!"
Mike immediately jumps out then heads over toward the three who welcome him with delight upon his arrival although with thoughts of John as Danny asks, although already knows himself.
"Is Dad getting Mum?"
"He is, and so is Jim!"
Danny turns his attention to Jennifer, with Mike doing the same toward Lizzie before all look to the awaiting helicopter.
Jim’s men scatter to defend the base, although remaining in pairs, eventually moving off after others as John and Jim soon move up outside the main doors of the canteen which appear dislodged.
Jim outside, nudges the door with the barrel of his gun pushing it open as John moves in.
Upon this action coming from behind an infected charges in on to Jim, taking him down which also collects John from the side as he motions forward sending him sliding down across the indoor floor before losing grip of his gun which skids along further away from him.
Jim manages to fire off one shot as his gun is dislodged from hand before getting bitten on the back of his neck before turning to struggle with the attacker.
John sees his gun across the floor looking to go to collect as an infected approaches eying him up looking over him ready to pounce.
Moments later appearing from the lounge room moving forward fast from behind John’s gaze although he hears an incoming growl of aggression and warning with the figure moving up stepping in front of John as he ducks down somewhat from the shadow.
The figure in front with back to him immediately flexes, staring out while motioning sideways back and forth toward the other infected with more primitive growling snarls.
John on the floor shuffles backward while seeing his wife’s clothing with his face turning to horror and voicing.
"Sue?!"
The female figure, appearing to protect John from the others as he looks over to watch his friend Jim begin to turn, with other infected including Frankie who come into the canteen.
They watch over Jim with primitive noises and looks of encouragement as the strain takes hold.
The female infected figure warns off the other one last time, with it then stepping backward before appearing to drop eye contact with an infected Sue and grunting away submissively.
Jim rises before looking on toward John, as Sue who then turns toward a cornered man up against the wall.
John looks to his gun briefly one last time across the floor, before turning again as Sue steps forward with him seeing multiple bites over her arms from an honorable fight to defend herself and children.
Sue looking John straight in the eyes, then looks over him with a primitive grunt before sniffing over his scent in the air while flexing her nostrils.
She then appears to raise an arm offering her hand which John looks toward briefly, then looks back up into her eyes.
John appears to sense something familiar, and although at first appearing reluctant he soon takes.
As he takes her hand, Sue gains a firm grip then all in one motion pulls him up close leaning in then biting him on the neck hard and long while embracing John with the other arm.
Pulling him in to her tight as he then sees his kids Sean and Charlotte who are also now one of them standing watching from the lounge room doorway as he says to himself.
"The kids!"
John wriggles at first, although soon sinks into her painful bite.
Embraced by his infected wife, he soon feels the changes coming into effect.
As the strain rushes through his system, taking over he flinches slightly while his body reacts being transformed from that which he knows.
His eyes fluctuate, seeing flashes as his senses begin to change while the strain takes it’s hold.
John senses appear to be coming alive, although his brain going through the transformation begins to reset during every flinch to a primitive like state with memories appearing scattered and becoming somewhat lost.
Sue soon releases her hold, appearing to know of the transformation while leaving John to stand there on his own with his final moments as he turns from what we consider to be human.
His eyelids close during twitches, with John seeing flashes before seeing the change in his vision as the strain fills his body.
John contorts slightly in a somewhat controlled manner from head to toe, soon finding although different begins to again feel alive and free.
John moments later looks over himself during the end of the initial transformation, raises his hands slightly to look at the palms before turning them over and looking over the rest before looking to the infected in the room who acknowledge him as their own.
With his brain functions and body still going through the transformation, John makes eye contact with Jim who appears to raise his head in some form of acknowledgment.
John now turned looks to Sue, looking into her eyes he feels the same sense of emotion and the feeling of family.
A sense of the family unit now quickly forming amongst the group of infected standing inside the canteen.
A few members soon grunt to each other, grabbing the attention of Sue who looks to acknowledge, as she then looks to John before gliding her hand momentarily down his arm as they make eye contact.
With John looking into her, appearing to see her soul, as she then softly grunts before looking down submissively in the same motion.
John then immediately replies in his own way with warmth which she responds to, before he looks toward the open door.
The group members closer to the door move up toward it before looking to go out, with Sue and John moving up.
Sean and Charlotte also come in amongst them all.
The members form to protect the kids on departure of the canteen as they make their way through appearing to look for someone while listening or watching all going on around them.
As more infected come through, the pack hold their formation with the infected Sean and Charlotte well protected from the other adult infected as they move forward together toward the location of Danny.
As the soldiers upon the rooftop and surrounding areas continue to fire upon the infected with more back up flying in, Mike, Danny, Jennifer and Lizzie are now safely in the helicopter along with other passengers.
Danny with some worry across his face looks out toward the location of the canteen as the helicopter ascends into the air.
Moments later while looking on he soon sees his parents along with Charlotte and Sean protected amongst the group of infected and screams out toward them.
"No!"
All four look in the direction of Danny’s stare and it soon becomes apparent the group are all infected, with John and Sue who appear to stop before focusing in on Danny as Mike sees John.
"John!"
The infected group with Jim and Frankie in tow also look up toward the
helicopter intermittently, then upon sensing some form of danger from the gunner soon move down the side and away out of view.
As the helicopter proceeds to fly over the military base, they leave toward a new beginning knowing one can forever change their entire world and those around them.
To Be Continued..
Viral Evolution (Book 1): Retrovirus Page 16