by Waltz, Fred
The images on the monitor screen, that sent Major Chonk sprinting away, shows the one handed zombie from the lower level, opening up the doors to the medical wing, releasing all of the recently turned zombies.
In the medical wing, three levels down, on the other side of the cameras that were providing the images to the monitors in the command room, all hell is breaking loose, figuratively and literally.
Four soldiers are following a standard ‘tap and cover’ retreat formation; falling back one at a time, ‘tapping’ the point man on the helmet once they have passed him, the point man providing cover fire to support the retreat. Somehow, the creatures that had been secured inside the examination room have managed to escape. The six soldiers posted outside the wing managed to contain them initially, but the problem occurred when the four former security team members made their way down the hall. They were still wearing uniforms, protective gear and carrying their weapons. It momentarily confused the soldiers, and lead to their demise. Two quickly fell to the onslaught, and the remaining four opted to retreat when they realized that their bullets were doing nothing to slow down the creatures.
The gunfire inside the narrow hallway was deafening. As often happens, the four soldiers had panicked, forgotten the information from the training briefing that only headshots could stop their attackers, and were quickly expending all of the ammunition they had. The battle was playing out in slow motion, the attackers moving slowly down the hallway and the soldiers retreating one by one.
The soldier on point covering the retreat was unaware that his weapon had stopped firing, his hearing had long since been compromised because of the close quarters fighting, and he was no longer able to distinguish the sound of his weapon from the rest of his team’s. He continued to pull the trigger, dry firing while he counted the taps…one, two…he didn’t make it to three, because the third tap never came. The third soldier had been snagged, and was being wrestled to the ground. The point soldier, unaware that his weapon was no longer firing was quickly overrun. The remaining two sentries, both out of ammunition now too, broke from the retreat formation and began running down the hallway toward the elevator. They stood, back to back, tactical knives in hand praying that the elevator arrived before the creatures did.
Inside the elevator car, Major Chonk is barking into the satellite phone, “Listen to me Corporal, I don’t give a rat’s ass what he is doing, you get the general on the phone right now or I am going to make you wish that your Daddy and Mommy never met. I have a situation here and I need to brief the General.”
While he is waiting for the General, the elevator arrives at level three, and the doors open to reveal the carnage. The final two soldiers have gone down and the zombies are still feasting on them, biting huge chunks of flesh from their prone bodies.
The ‘ding’ of the elevator arriving arouses the attention of the zombies outside the elevator and they begin to converge on the open doors. Major Chonk is able to take down three of the zombies with precise headshots, while desperately trying to get the doors to close, wildly pressing buttons. He is unsuccessful keeping them out; the zombies move forward and crowd into the elevator car. Clear of obstruction, the doors glide closed, and the elevator begins its accent to every floor in the building. He fights as long as he can; especially considering the circumstances of the close quarter combat he is involved in, but Major Chonk never sees the second level. The zombie with one hand delivers the fatal bite, severing the Major’s carotid artery.
With the Major gone, there is nothing stopping the zombies from shuffling out at each floor the elevator stops at. Most leave the car on the first stop, level two, the dorm floor, where the rest of the soldiers are currently soundly asleep.
The sleeping soldiers don’t stand a chance. Most are getting their first few hours of rest since arriving onsite; they are so deep under that they would probably sleep through just about anything.
The zombies seem to be attacking strategically, delivering a quick bite, and then moving to the next sleeping victim. The awakening soldiers are just on that level on grogginess, unsure if what is happening is real, or just a bad dream.
Once all of the sleeping soldiers have been ‘bitten’ awake, the one handed zombie pulls the fire alarm in the sleeping dorm, engaging the strobe lights and overriding all of the security locks on the doors within the facility.
Chapter 27
“Are you kidding me Mike? Or should I say General?” Jimmy asks sarcastically while issuing a mock salute.
“Knock it off Jimmy, I just lost contact with Major Chonk back at Syscorp, and I have a bad feeling about what may have happened. I do not plan on losing contact with you, or the Doctor. Just stay put and you can help me interview the girl that Captain Hellatoni is bringing in.”
“What do you mean lost contact; did you try the satellite phone?”
“He called on the satellite, before I could pick it up, he was gone. I haven’t been able to get him back; I haven’t been able to reach anyone on the normal transmitter either.”
Before Jimmy can continue the conversation, Captain Hellatoni pulls up in the jeep. He helps Amy out, and escorts her toward Jimmy and Mike. “General, Mr. Gaston, this is Amy Sunoon. She has told me an interesting story that you might like to hear.”
“Hello Miss Sunoon, I am General Balchor, and this is Jimmy Gaston. If you will excuse me for just a moment, Jimmy, please keep our new guest company. Captain, if I can have a word with you please.” The General and the Captain walk ten paces away.
“Captain, I need you to take ten men and go back to the command post. I have lost contact with Major Chonk. I want you to assume that the building has been compromised, take no chances. I am going to call back the forward team, and we will be bringing up your flank in about forty minutes.”
“No disrespect General, but are you sure you don’t want me to wait until the forward team is back and we are at full strength?”
“No disrespect taken Captain, and I would very much prefer to wait, but I do not believe that I have that luxury right now. I need you to scout the command post, and let me know the status A.S.A.P. And Captain, I would have been concerned had you not questioned my logic, well done son.”
The Captain is already barking out orders as the General returns his attention to Jimmy and Amy. “Alright then Miss Sunoon, do you feel up to telling your story again?”
“You can call me Amy, and like I told Captain Hellatoni, I will tell you anything you want to know, in exchange for a cigarette.”
“Somebody get me a pack of cigarettes and a lighter!” Mike shouted at nobody in particular, and within a minute he had three brands to choose from.
“Will one of these suffice?” He asks holding the cigarettes out to Amy; she takes all three packs.
Mike and Jimmy listen to her story, stopping her occasionally for some clarification. OhAy joins them mid story and listens intently. Amy finishing the story, and her eighth cigarette, and lets out a sigh
OhAy speaks first. “General, if this woman is telling the truth, we have a serious situation on our hands.”
“Every word is true, if you don’t believe me all you have to do is get in that jeep and drive back down the road.” Amy said pointing over her shoulder.
Mike answers her, “Amy, I have no doubt that your story is mostly, if not all true. I am curious about one thing though. You mentioned you had an on again, off again boyfriend.”
“Ya, Breaker, he is absolutely my ex-boyfriend now.”
“Breaker; that is a unique nickname, any chance his real name is Francis?”
“Ya, Francis O’Leary, but I wouldn’t recommend calling him that to his face. Can I go sit down for a while? I am beat.” She walks back toward the jeep before Mike has a chance to answer her.
Jimmy steps up to Mike, “Francis O’Leary, why do I recognize that name Mike?”
“You probably heard about him during an intelligence briefing when we were picking security team members. He is a former SEAL, high
ly decorated, he went rogue after the September eleven attacks. He, and a couple of his team members, launched an unsanctioned wave of attacks and took out quite a few Al Qaeda factions. He was allowed to retire, and avoid court martial in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement. I can tell you he is one Bad Ass Mother, and certainly someone I would not want to piss off.”
“General, I can guarantee you that if what Amy is telling us is true; you are going to want to piss him off even less.”
Mike and Jimmy both look at OhAy like she was crazy.
“During her story, she talked about how Breaker’s eyes were glowing red. You both have seen zombies; they don’t have red glowing eyes. I think that I now know what happened to the Loa that was inside Z. I think that Breaker is now Azaka.”
Jimmy interrupts OhAy. “Can you do your ceremony again, get Azaka out of Breaker?”
“No, it is too late. Azaka must have undergone re-birthing. He is free to do as he pleases now.”
Before Mike or Jimmy can really even understand what OhAy is saying, one of the soldiers approaches the group. ‘Excuse me General; I have an urgent call for you on the satellite.”
“Finally, word from the command post, Major Chonk you had me worried, is everything alright back there?”
“Hello, this is Cam, Cam Alk; sorry I mean Corporal Alk.”
“Just calm down and relax Corporal Camalk, are you at the command post?”
“No Sir, I am at the forward post. We have a situation Sir I don’t think we can hold out, I respectfully request permission to withdraw and retreat.”
“What kind of situation?” Mike asks hearing the faintest sounds of gunfire in the background. “I was under the impression that Captain Hellatoni left you with orders not to engage.”
“Sir, we did not engage. We are defending ourselves, Sir. There must be hundreds, maybe thousands of those things, the zombies; they are attacking us and I swear they are using strategy, almost like they know where we are and what we are going to do.” Louder gunfire drowns out his voice on the phone.
“Corporal, are you still there? Corporal, I want you and the team to fall back to my position, fall back immediately, I will send out a team to meet you.”
Mike has a panicked look on his face. “Get Captain Hellatoni on the radio, tell him to abort and return to this location. Then assemble a team and head out to meet the forward team and cover their retreat.”
“Sir, there is no answer from Captain Hellatoni.”
“Well keep trying him, damn it, keep trying.”
Chapter 28
The small band of soldiers moves silently across the field with Captain Hellatoni in the point position issuing orders via hand signals and eye contact. All radios had been rigged for silent, tuned to a short-wave frequency that only broadcasts 200 meters, used only for mic clicks.
Two by two the soldiers traverse the field and assemble below a three inch electrical conduit exiting the perimeter wall of the Syscorp facility. Captain Hellatoni twists the cap from the conduit, reaches inside and presses a recessed button. Just below the conduit, a panel opens in the wall, revealing a forty-eight button keypad. He enters the complicated code and waits. To his right, an access hatch slides open, revealing a crawlspace. He knows that the tunnel leads to a secure bunker on the second level of the facility. He also knows that once opened from the outside, the hatch can’t be secured again, except from inside the bunker. He instructs two of his men to stay and guard the entrance and takes the other seven with him.
They travel the tunnel in a two, three, two pattern, the Captain on point until they reach the bunker. Captain Hellatoni keys his radio once, letting the two soldiers outside know that they have made it into the bunker, he receives an audible click back from outside.
Inside the bunker is an array of instrumentation and work station positions. Along the wall is a desk with a computer and telephone. He picks up the telephone receiver from the desk, dials a three digit extension…no answer. He tries the extension for the command center…no answer; the cafeteria, the dormitory, the gymnasium...nothing. He instructs two soldiers to remain in the bunker and then leads the remaining five out into the corridor.
The facility is strangely quiet, only the sound of the air circulators humming in the background. The group continues down the corridor, Captain Hellatoni leading the way. He signals ‘all stop’ when he approaches a ninety degree turn to the right. He peers around the corner, and sees two men in combat gear staggering down the hall, with the one handed zombie, from the basement containment level, between them. He approaches them, walking briskly and with a purpose. “You there, what is going on, why are you roaming around the halls with that creature, and why is it not secured? I am talking to you two; do you know where Major Chonk is?”
The three continued to shuffle away from him, which causes his temper to boil.
“This is Captain Hellatoni speaking; I order you to stop, turn around and identify yourselves.” He was a few feet away from them now, and he reaches out to grab one of the soldiers by the shoulder. “What is going on here, why is this thing out of its cell; and why are you allowing it to roam the halls?”
As his hand touches the soldier on the shoulder, they both turn around to finally face him. He freezes, yanking his hand back, and bringing his weapon up to the ready position. He is shocked, what he thought was a pair of soldiers, two men, is actually two more of those things, like the creature, the one handed zombie, from the lower containment level. He is unable to comprehend how the zombie had escaped from restraints and get out of the room; more perplexing…why are there two more of them, wearing uniforms and carrying weapons? He is very confused, and unsure of what to do. The three zombies began advancing toward him as he is backpedaling down the hallway, in a state of shock and stupor. He is dragged back to reality by the sound of automatic weapon fire. The five soldiers behind him had been observing since they heard him call out, once the zombies began advancing on their Captain they opened fire. He joined in, bracing his weapon against his hip and sweeping it back and forth in a killing arc. Still the three zombies keep advancing.
He is now down the corridor, back in ranks with his men; they form a line across the hallway and lay down an overlapping field of fire while gradually retreating. The six of them empty three clips of ammunition each, filling the passageway with acrid smoke. The soldiers squint their eyes trying to pick up any movement, but there is none. They each reload and huddled around their Captain.
“Sir, what the hell is going on?”
“Why were those things wearing uniforms?”
Before he can answer, the third soldier levels his weapon and aims back down the hallway. “Sir, look!”
The one handed zombie is still alive. It has been cut in half by the hail of bullets, and is pulling itself down the hallway with its hand. Captain Hellatoni pulls his sidearm, walks up to the half zombie, and shoots it between the eyes. He turns toward his men. “I do not know what is going on, but remember, head shots only from here on out. Break radio silence; tell the sentries in the bunker and outside what is going on.”
The soldier attempts to reach the bunker several times, but gets no answer. “Sir, I can’t reach the bunker, or the sentries outside.”
“Damn it! Alright, no problem let me think for a minute.” He grabs one of the soldiers by the shirt. “You haul ass back to the bunker, call the guys outside in and then call the General. Tell him exactly what has happened, and ask him for a new set of orders. The rest of you, come with me back down the hallway. I want to set up a couple of tripwires and mines.”
The lone soldier starts back down the hallway in the opposite direction, while the rest of the group moves forward.
Chapter 29
A private first class timidly approaches the General. “Sir, we can’t establish communication with the scout team, or with the group that was sent out to support their retreat. Sir, we also have not been able to contact Captain Hellatoni or his team either.” He squirms in his boot
s, hoping that the General doesn’t ‘shoot the messenger’.
“Alright private, pass the word, I want everyone ready to move out in two minutes. Send the radio operator over here.”
Jimmy and OhAy approach as Mike is taking an envelope from his pocket. “Tune the radio to ‘emergency guard 243 MHz’ and send this message foxes are on the farm and may be in the hen house, the rooster is in the bushes and the farmer needs to bring the cows in from pasture. Send the message and then bring me the satellite phone.”
Jimmy reaches out and grabs Mike’s shoulder. “Mike, what is going on?”
Before Mike can answer the satellite phone rings.
“General Balchor here, yes Sir I believe that it is that serious. No Sir, Specimen Z is not secure, nor is the building. Sir, I believe that reports from surrounding towns will be coming in very soon. I recommend a tri-state mobilization, full umbrella perimeter with immediate search and destroy parameters. Yes Sir, we will do what we can from inside the perimeter. No Sir, let me check. Dr. Solaine, the President would like to know if Specimen Z is any different than any of the other zombies that have resulted from our current outbreak.”
OhAy shakes her head back and forth to indicate no.
“Mr. President, Dr. Solaine has indicated that there is no difference. Yes Sir. Including the small group of scientists, the security team, Mr. Gaston and Dr. Solaine there are twenty; no Sir, including myself; I bring the count to twenty-one. Yes Sir, I understand. We will confirm the status of the building, and then await evacuation. Thank you, Sir.”
Mike looks at Jimmy and OhAy, “The President of the United States just wished us good luck.”
OhAy speaks first. “General, the President is already planning on securing another specimen, isn’t he? That is why he asked about Z, right?
“Doctor, I am not certain what the President plans to do. What I do know is that we have less than ninety minutes to make a visual evaluation on the status of Syscorp, and then make our way to the evacuation site.”