by Waltz, Fred
“General, there are at least fifteen of those zombies up ahead. Sir, they are dressed in uniform and are carrying weapons.”
Mike is astonished. “Are they using the weapons?”
“No Sir, I don’t think they can. They are just shuffling around bumping into each other.”
“Alright, everyone relax and stay calm. Check your weapons, full clip in, full clip ready to go. I want you two men prone, you two kneeling and you stand next to me. You, hustle back to the rear, send the other two up to me, and then mine the entrance with mines and trip wires. I want you to hunker down halfway in the tunnel; nothing gets in past you. If you have to, blow the entrance, nothing gets past you.” The soldier salutes and scurries down the tunnel.
“Remember men, head shots only, conserve your ammo, one shot one kill.”
The group of zombies slowly approaches the makeshift skirmish line of soldiers. Mike tosses a luminescing flare and the firing begins. In less than thirty seconds the zombies are down and the soldiers are reloading. “Be careful, but check those things for ammo, take any ordinance that you need too.”
One of the soldiers lets out a gasp. “General, I think that this thing used to be Major Chonk.”
Mike walks over and stares at the disfigured creature wearing a Major’s uniform, and shakes his head in disbelief. The creature is still moving, trying to grab Mike’s leg. Mike aims his sidearm and fires a precise shot into the zombies head. He kneels down and unpins the gold oak leaves from the uniform collar and places them in his pocket.
Mike walks up to one of the soldiers. “You stay here, when the other two get up, I want you three to bring up the rear. Stop every thirty feet and place mines and tripwires. We will wait for you at the end of the tunnel in the control room.” The soldier salutes as Mike walks away.
“Alright men, follow me!” Mike shouts to the remaining soldiers as he heads down the tunnel corridor.
Chapter 37
Backed into a corner, literally and figuratively, Captain Brice Hellatoni is just finishing an inventory of his remaining ammunition. He cocks his head slightly to the left, and then right side. Gunfire! That sounds like gunfire! He walks across the room, places the side of his head up against the door, and listens. He stays in that position for what feels like an eternity. He is about to give up, when two more shots ring out. Yep, that is gunfire for sure, and based on the echo, it is coming from the tunnel. He pushes the desk aside quietly, and slowly opens the door.
He pokes his head out, ever so slightly. The hallway is clear in both directions. He slips his head back into the room and closes the door. He unsheathes his bayonet and secures it to the end of his rifle. He checks his sidearm, full clip and one in the chamber, then his rifle, locked and loaded. He pulls the door open again, slowly, checks the hall, and slips out.
He creeps down the hallway, toward the bunker room. As he approaches the first ninety degree turn in the hallway, he stops and checks the security mirror mounted in the top left corner of the intersecting hallway; the coast is clear. He walks to the end of the intersecting hallway and checks the next security mirror in the corner, nothing in the next hallway either. He trots back down the hallway and sets his last grenade and tripwire, then hustles back to the end.
He finally turns the last corner, and approaches the doorway to the bunker, it is closed. He leans up against the door and listens. He hears something, maybe breathing, maybe not. He holds his breath and listens more intently. Is that movement, cloth on cloth, leather on tile? That is someone, or something, moving. It has to be.
He switches sides and puts his other ear up against the door, holds his breath again and listens. Convinced that what he is hearing is human, not creature, he puts his hand on the knob.
Chapter 38
The soldier with his head pressed up against the door steps back and begins using hand signals to communicate with Mike. He is a bit overzealous, and moves his whole arm instead of just his hand. His uniform sleeve rubs against itself at the crook of his elbow.
Mike waves him away from the door. The men gather around Mike as he begins to speak in muted whispers.
“I have no idea what to expect on the other side of that door. Judging by what we encountered in the tunnel, I am not optimistic. We are going to move down the hallway to the armory, replenish our ammunition, and then find out what the hell is going on around here. Everyone make sure you are locked and loaded, head shots only, I do not want anyone to panic. Stay calm and remember your training. Don’t let the fact that some of those things are wearing uniforms discourage you. Anything that isn’t human, shoot to kill, that is an order.”
The soldiers silently salute their General, and begin preparing their weapons. Mike walks over to the door and places his hand on the knob. As he begins to turn the knob down, he feels pressure against the knob, as if it is being turned from the outside. He applies a bit more pressure, and…KA-BOOM! An explosions from somewhere in the hallway resonates through the bunker room.
Chapter 39
“Alright you guys, I just got a new set of orders, I am supposed to do a touchdown inside of the parking compound, and you five are supposed to link up with a General Balchor. Comprende, Amigos?” Hanuno shots to the back of the copter.
No answer from the smelly group. They were content to follow the thought that Azaka had implanted into what was left of their brains. Stay together, stay away from the humans and keep your heads down. If anyone attacks you, kill them. If the helicopter lands, kill the crew and pilot.
“Hanuno those swamp rats don’t speak your native language.” Drew yelled up to the cockpit. “Let me translate.” He turned back toward the group. “When we touch down I want you to get your stinky asses off of our bird.”
“Thanks Drew.” Hanuno yelled back. “You and Tyler get strapped into your jump seats, I am taking us down. He raised his voice a little louder so the soldiers in the back could hear him. “Seriously fellas, I need you up and moving as soon as we touch down.” He waited for an answer, eye contact, anything, but got nothing.
As soon as the landing skids touch the ground, the five were up on their feet, moving forward. At least they understand English, Hanuno thought to himself.
They did not exit the helicopter, two attacked each strapped in gunner, and one went for Hanuno. Hanuno was able to get two shots off from his sidearm; the gunners didn’t stand a chance. It was over in a matter of minutes. The zombie that severed Hanuno’s jugular left him to bleed to death and walked past Tyler convulsing in his straps, and hastily joined the others feasting on Drew. Azaka had been very clear; mortally wound the pilot, turn one of the gunners, the other was theirs to consume, brains and all.
Jimmy is leading his rag tag band toward the predetermined extraction point, when he sees the helicopter touching down inside the Syscorp parking compound. He looks at OhAy shaking his head. “The Army hasn’t changed one bit since I left. I cannot tell you how many extractions points I showed up at and never saw my ride out.” He stops and turns to address the group. “Well, it looks like some wires got crossed on the extraction point; we are going to head up that way, to the parking lot.” He said pointing toward the building.
Chapter 40
Old Glory lets out a few sputtering coughs just before her engine cuts off. She coasts forward a few hundred feet before coming to a complete stop. Azaka steps off, and lets her fall to the ground. He can see the compound ahead, and has already telepathically confirmed that the helicopter is waiting for him. After having them power down the copter, he instructed the zombies to move forward toward the building.
The undead army behind him numbers in the thousands now, and he is having a difficult time concentrating enough to keep them all on point. He sends out a final telepathic blast, converge on the building, attack and kill everyone inside. Once all of the humans inside the building are dead, or turned, I release you to kill and consume everyone you come into contact with.
He brings his thoughts back into his own head, a
nd starts toward the compound. He wants to reach the helicopter before the pilot dies, so he can learn how to fly. As he approaches a crest in the road, he sees a group of humans, making their way to the helicopter. He begins to run.
Jimmy and his group reach the helicopter and discover the carnage. Jimmy climbs in and sees what is left of the gunner, which isn’t much. He sees the huge wound on the pilot’s neck and the substantial pool of blood on the cockpit floor and assumes the worst.
He exits the helicopter and addresses the group. “I do not think that this is our extraction helicopter. It is too small; it would never be able to carry all of us. I have decided that I am going to take four soldiers with me into the building, I want the rest of you to continue to the planned extraction point.” Jimmy points out four soldiers, and motions for the rest of the group to move on.
OhAy is kneeling on the ground trying to comfort Amy, the girl that the soldiers had found on the road. “I am staying with you Jimmy.” OhAy calls out.
Jimmy walks toward OhAy and Amy; she is near hysterics when Jimmy approaches.
“What is going on, what is wrong with her? Oh, and by the way you are going with the group to the extraction point.”
“I don’t know, she just started screaming, and shaking. Oh, and by the way I am staying with you.”
Before Jimmy can argue, Amy points down the road, and screams something other than gibberish. “It’s Breaker!”
Jimmy and OhAy turn their heads in the direction that Amy is pointing. They see what Amy sees. Jogging toward them is Breaker; at least in body. OhAy notices his fiery red pupils even at this distance.
OhAy grabs Jimmy by the arm. “We need to get out of here, that thing coming toward us is not Breaker, it is a Loa possessed zombie. It is Azaka!”
Jimmy shakes his head. “We should head toward the building, fast!” He calls out to the group. “Alright, everyone listen to me, I want you to get out of here, move as fast as you can. OhAy come and help Amy, we will have to take her with us.” He looks at the four soldiers. “We have to get to the building, as quickly as possible.”
One of the soldiers yells back to him. “The building is at least half of a mile away.”
“Actually it is just under half a mile, four and seven tenths to be exact. Just get on the moving sidewalk and sit down; I can override the speed controls with my access card, once everyone is on I will crank it up to 30 miles per hour. That will get us there in just about 46 seconds.”
Everyone gets onboard the sidewalk; Jimmy slides his card and punches a sequence on the keypad. The conveyor picks up speed immediately. As the group is being shuttled along, Jimmy touches OhAy’s arm and points. There are six zombies, in soldier uniforms, trying to walk up the gravely terrain that the sidewalk is suspended over. They are having no luck, and appear to be stuck.
“We designed the surrounding area to be unnavigable. Peat moss and sand footings topped with loose gravel, all on a slight incline. The first hundred feet or so is solid, after that forget about it. If they do make it any further, they will hit the quick sand.”
OhAy taps one of the soldiers sitting next to her. “Shoot those things, in the head.” She looks back at Jimmy, smiling. “I am sure the quick sand would have got them, but just in case.”
Azaka is just arriving at the helicopter when the shots ring out. He saw the humans leaving the parking lot, walking toward the building. He could care less about them right now. He climbs aboard the helicopter and heads right toward the pilot. Hanuno is still alive, barely, but still alive. Breaker pulls what he needs out of Hanuno’s brain, then leaves him to die and join the ranks of his undead army.
He tries to probe one of the zombies from his helicopter crew, but he cannot find them. That explains the shots he heard. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Hanuno moving his right arm, ever so slightly. He starts toward the dying pilot, and then stops, he sees the pin lying in a puddle of blood and dives for the door. Azaka hits the ground rolling, as the helicopter explodes, thanks to the grenade on Hauno’s belt.
At the other end of the sidewalk, Jimmy is swiping his card again, reversing the direction of the sidewalk, and increasing the speed to 40 miles per hour. That should keep him away from the building, he thinks to himself. The explosion of the helicopter startles him. He looks toward the parking lot and sees the plumes of dark smoke billowing toward the sky. He directs his small band into the building lobby, and is just pulling the door closed, when the sound of an explosion from within the building rings out.
Chapter 41
Mike pulls his hand off the knob just as the door begins to open. The soldiers behind him all have their weapons aimed at the opening door. In a flash, a blurred figure darts through the opening does a forward somersault and lands in a perfect kneeling position, sweeping his weapon back and forth.
Mike calls out, wide eyed. “Captain Hellatoni, is that you?”
Brice answers. “General, Sir you have no idea how glad I am to see you.”
The soldiers stand down, as the Captain briefs the General. “Sir, the entire facility is overrun. Somehow that one handed zombie was able to infect everyone. I lost my whole scouting team. I was able to check the various levels on the closed circuit system. Those things are everywhere. I think that the security measures designed to keep people out of the building, made it impossible for anyone to escape. The explosion you heard was my last trip wire going off. I rigged up the armory hallway, in case any of those things came wandering down. I think the whole room must have gone up.”
Mike takes a few minutes to digest what he has just heard. He is convinced that the building is a loss, and that there is no reason to pursue advancing any further. “All right, listen up. Based on the status report from Captain Hellatoni, I have decided that we are going to retreat back through the tunnel and high tail it to the extraction point.”
One of the soldiers interrupts him. “Sir, excuse me for interrupting, but I think you need to see this.” The soldier says pointing at a black and white video monitor.
The monitor is displaying an image from the front security corridor. It shows Jimmy, OhAy, Amy and four soldiers making their way into the building.
“Damn it! What the hell are they doing here?” Mike yells out. “Anyone know if there is a way we can contact them?”
One of the soldiers point to the public address microphone. “Sir, I think that microphone broadcasts through the entire building. I had security watch in this bunker one day, and the Officer of the Day used it to make the daily announcements.”
Mike grabs the microphone. “Jimmy, if you can hear me, stop. The building is overrun. I am taking my team out through the tunnel. All of you need to get out of the building.”
On the monitor, Mike sees that the group has come to a stop, and Jimmy is looking around.
“The camera is over your left shoulder.” Mike says.
Jimmy turns to face the camera. He shakes his head and mouths the word NO.
Mike yells into the microphone. “Damn it Jimmy, just get the hell out of the building. You soldiers, I am giving you a direct order, evacuate the building and take those three civilians with you, by force if necessary.”
Jimmy is writing something on his hand when the soldiers grab him. He pulls away, finishes writing and he holds his hand up to the camera. Breaker in parking lot… group of zombies approaching front of building…no retreat options.
“Son of a bitch!” Mike yells as he slams the microphone down on the desk. He looks around the room at the small group of soldiers, and then picks the microphone back up. “Alright, let Mr. Gaston go. Jimmy, we have to get out of the building and to the rendezvous point, or we are as good as dead. I want you to sit tight, and I will come and get you.”
Jimmy shakes his head ‘no’. He starts to write on the wall opposite the camera.
“Jimmy, I can’t read that, the camera is too far away.” Mike’s voice booms out of the speakers.
Jimmy stops writing and throws the pen acros
s the room. OhAy approaches one of the soldiers, reaches out and grabs something off of his belt and enters the view of the camera. She holds up a two way radio and a single finger, smiles, then hands the radio to Jimmy.
Mike puts the microphone down. “Anyone have a two way?”
“Here you go General.” Captain Hellatoni hands his radio to the General, as Jimmy’s voice emulates out of it.
“Mike, there is no way we can get out from the front. Even if we could, we will never make it to the rendezvous point in time. The President is going to give the go order in less than fifteen minutes. Our only hope is the bomb shelter.”
“Jimmy, I don’t know if the bomb shelter is an option, there is no telling how many zombies there are…”
Jimmy cuts him of, frantically waving his hands. “Mike, the bomb shelter is our only option. All we have to do is make it to an elevator, and then use our security cards. The zombies could not get down there; nobody else has the security clearance. Access to the shelter is the only security measure not overridden automatically. Mike there is an elevator less than 100 feet from where I am standing. I am taking this group to that elevator, and we are going to the bomb shelter.” He looks into the camera.
“Captain Hellatoni, do you think we can make it to the elevator?”
“I think so, General; that explosion probably took out most of the zombies.”
Mike walks away from the men, peers down the tunnel toward the outside of the building; he barks into the radio. “Jimmy, go ahead to the elevator, we are going to try to make it too. Keep the radio on channel one, and be careful.”
“Mike, we should not have any problem, like I said, all internal security has been automatically shut down due to the fire alarms. We can walk right down the hall to the elevator. You guys be careful, see you there.”
Mike clips the radio to his belt. “Alright, gather around men. It is no longer a realistic objective to reach the extraction point. Right now our best bet is to make it to the fallout shelter in the basement. I do not want any surprises coming in from outside. I want this tunnel closed, and then we are moving out.”