Operation Freedom

by E. G. Michaels

  “We got basic field kits,” Black said. “Hawkins says the priest is stable right now but without a hospital or the right medical equipment, we might lose him. The kids? No weapons. No military training. They have almost no shot of making it on their own. Atkins, we can't leave these people behind.”

  “Fine, call it in.”

  Black pulled out his walkie talkie.

  “Team Bradley to Base,” Black said. “Come in, Harrison.”

  There was a chirp on the walkie and then a male voice spoke up. “Harrison here. What's up, Black?”

  “We're halfway to our destination and had to rescue a group of civilians. I need you to send a bus to evacuate ten people. Over.”

  “Did you say ten people?”

  “Yes, that's right. Eight of them are kids. We have a potential heart attack victim. A priest. Hawkins was able to stabilize him for now. And Keane was accidentally hit in the leg by friendly fire. He's gonna need a doctor.”

  “Vince, I'm going to be honest with you,” Harrison said. “I don't have anyone I can use to do a pick-up right now.”

  “How soon will you have one?”

  “Might be a few hours until one of our recovery teams comes back and I can redeploy them your way. We're seeing increased Reaper activity outside the station.”

  “Do you think they're going to attack soon?”

  “Hard to say,” Harrison said. “From what our rooftop sentries can see, they've just been wandering the nearby streets. Their numbers in the neighborhood are increasing so some type of attack might be brewing. I don't know when so I can't risk pulling any of our shooters from protection detail right now.”

  “Understood. Any recommendations?”

  “No good ones. I'm going to leave it up to Atkins and you to hash out.”

  “Got it. Black out.”

  Black put away the walkie-talkie and turned his attention back to Atkins. “Okay, so which one of us is going to do the civilian drop-off?” he asked.

  “How about neither?”

  “What? Wait a minute,” Black said. “You're not thinking of leaving them to fend for themselves, are you? For chrissakes, they're just kids.”

  “We don't have a choice.”

  “Bullshit. There's always a choice,” Black argued. “Take them to a secure location. How about the station? There's a doctor and some medical equipment there. Keane's hurt and needs a doctor too.”

  “What about the mission?”Atkins countered. “We don't rescue the princess and nobody gets flown to Hope Island.”

  “What would your granddaughter tell you to do?”

  “Dammit, keep my family out of this,” Atkins said. “I'm still your commanding officer, and you'll treat me as such.”

  “Commanding? What the hell were you doing out there? Because from where I was, you were standing there frozen like a statue.”

  “How dare you—”

  “Save it,” Black interrupted. “These monsters don't give a shit about command structure. They will kill every one of us without blinking a yellow eye. I did what had to be done to protect my men and get the civilians out of the bus. If you don't like it, then feel free to bring me up on charges. That's assuming you can actually find any higher-ranking or Internal Affairs officers alive to complain to.”

  “You have a lot of nerve—”

  “Oh for chrissakes Atkins, we got a sergeant running the precinct because he's the highest ranking officer we have left. Think about it. Do you want to be right or alive? Because from where I'm standing, I'm not seeing how anybody can be both these days.”

  Atkins threw his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, relax,” he said. “You're right. I froze. I don't know why, but I did. Maybe it's because I haven't been in the field for so long. I've been retired for five years. Hell, I'd still be retired if some egghead scientist hadn't created this shit pie for everyone. So let's put our heads together. What do you think we should do, Black? I'm open to your suggestions because I don't like any ones I got right now.”

  Black paused for a minute. “How about this: I'll take the Bradley Team and head to the university. You take the Andy Team, Keane, and the civilians back to the station. You drop them off, make sure everything is secure, and haul ass back here to help us with exfil.”

  “Why the hell would you start the mission without a full team?”

  “Can't be in two places at once,” Black said. “Gimble's got a busted arm but even with one good arm, he's still my second best driver. I'll keep him in the MRAP behind the wheel and take three other shooters for the mission. Don't worry, we'll be fine.”

  “Why not keep your whole team?”

  “You got Alverez and Collins left from Andy Team,” Black replied. “If you need to get out of the MRAP for any reason, it's gonna be hairy. You can't ask a kid to drive the MRAP, so that option is out. If you leave one man behind the wheel, then you have two shooters to clear an area. If you pull all three men out of the MRAP, then it's doable but still pretty shitty odds.”

  “I know that. What about having Gimble drive the civilians in a large circle? The rest of us go and complete the mission. Gimble swings back with his MRAP and joins us for exfil out of the city.”

  “For starters, we're working with limited fuel reserves. Driving around in circles could mean he doesn't have enough fuel afterwards to get back to the station.”

  “Good point. Maybe we can tell him to babysit them in the MRAP then.”

  Black laughed. “What about the priest? Are you ready to write him off as a casualty?”

  “No, but—”

  “You think one man with zero parenting experience and a busted arm is going to keep eight kids in the back under wraps by himself?”

  “He'd need help,” Atkins said. “And a priest stabilized from a fresh heart attack probably couldn't help control the kids. Damn it. Why do you think I considered leaving the civvies behind?”

  “You can't leave—”

  “I said I considered, dammit. Don't fucking lecture me.”

  “Sir, you have Alvarez and Collins. Take Keane and Zimmer too,” Black said gently. “Keane has an injured leg. He needs a doctor to stitch him up and there's one at the station. Zimmer may be new to SWAT, but he's still got seven years on the force so he's no rookie. He happens to be our best driver too. Keane may be hobbled, but he can still shoot straight. Worst case, it'll give you four shooters plus yourself if the shit hits the fan. You make the drop-off and haul ass back here. Your vehicle will act as our command center. Your shooters can act as a sniper team and eliminate any hostiles that could jeopardize completing the mission. If we need additional support, then they can come into the building and help us.”

  “That'll work,” Atkins said. He turned towards Black's men. “Hey Zimmer?” The officer turned his head quizzically. “You're riding with my team.”

  “Sir?” Zimmer asked quizzically as he looked at Black.

  Black looked his man in the eyes. “Zim, I got eight kids and a priest who had a heart attack. He needs a doctor and we don't have one here. Can I count on you to take the civilians to a secure location?”

  “You betcha,” Zimmer said. There was a note of pride in his voice.

  “Good. Take Alvarez, Collins, Keane, and Atkins with you. Keane needs a doctor for his leg. There's one at the station. Your team's mission is to get Keane, the priest, and those kids there. Once you do, then you'll swing back and help us with exfil.”

  “You got it, Sarge. I won't let you down.”

  “Keane?” Black said through the comm system.

  “Yeah boss?”

  “How's the leg?”

  “Hurts like hell, but I'll live. I'm ready to continue the mission as soon as you are.”

  “Negative. I want you to go with Zimmer in MRAP 1,” Black said. “Your team is dropping the kids off at the station. You can get the doctor to stitch you up there.”

  “I'm fine boss, really.”

  “That's an order, Keane. I need a driver and somebody t
o help keep the kids calm in the MRAP. You think with your mangled leg you can drive better than Zimmer? If so, I'll tell him to keep the children under wraps.”

  Keane laughed. “I don't think Zimmer has ever even babysat one kid, let alone eight. I bet Zim would be a babbling mess in twenty minutes tops.”

  “Probably. Plus you got three boys at home, which gives you a lot more experience dealing with kids. Look, you can always provide fire support if the Andy Team runs into any trouble.”

  “Okay boss, I'll do it.”

  “Great. Head to MRAP 1 now and start making friends with the children already.”

  “On it.”

  A howl sounded in the distance.

  “Uh-oh,” Atkins said. “Sounds like we're gonna have company soon.”

  A second, different roar sounded. It was louder and seemed closer than the first one.

  “I think it's time to mount up and get out of here,” Black said.

  “Andy Team, let's roll out,” Atkins yelled. “It's gonna be tight quarters so everybody squeeze a cheek and do it quickly.”

  “Spags, Nico, Hawkins into our MRAP. Gimble on me. You're driving,” Black said. “Let's roll.”

  Black watched as his men sprang into action. Atkins paused as he got into his MRAP, made eye contact with Black, and threw a quick salute towards him. Black returned the gesture and headed towards his team's vehicle.

  Gimble sidled up to his commander. “Sir, are you sure you want me driving?”

  “Is there anything wrong with your feet?”

  “Sir?”

  “I asked you a question, Gimble.”

  “No sir, my feet are fine.”

  “Good. Use one of them to push the gas pedal and get us the hell out of here. Take your time and get used to driving this gas hog one-handed.”

  Black's intercom chirped. “Sir, what's the plan?” Spags asked.

  “We're proceeding with the mission,” Black replied.

  “Uh sir, what about Andy Team?”

  “They're dropping the kids off at the sitters and will rendezvous with us at the mission site.”

  “Man, this shit just keeps getting better and better,” Spags grumbled. “I better be getting overtime for this shit.”

  “Hey Spags?”

  “Yeah, Sarge?”

  “Quit fucking complaining before I put my foot up your ass and give you something to complain about.”

  “Yes sir. Thank you sir for the pep talk. I'm completely focused on the damn mission now.”

  9 Hours 52 Minutes Until The Bombs Fall

  After an uneventful hour-long journey weaving through hundreds of abandoned cars, they arrived at their staging point. The alleyway sat open in front of them. There was nothing but discarded trash along the path they'd take to get to the Singh Center.

  Black activated his comm. “Give me a defensive perimeter around the vehicle,” he said. He motioned to Gimble to cut the engine, which the driver did.

  Gimble started to climb out of the MRAP.

  “Hold up, Gimble,” Black said.

  “Sir?”

  “You're injured,” Black said. “I want you to stay with the vehicle.”

  “But sir, I can help,” the man protested. “You need as many men as you can get for this mission.”

  “How are you going to handle your rifle with a busted arm? Or reload a weapon with one hand?”

  “I'm not sure,” Gimble admitted. “But I'll make it work.”

  “I'd rather not chance it if we don't have to. The way I see it, you have an equally important mission.”

  “Sir?”

  “Keep our ride secure,” Black replied. “If it's stolen by any civilians while we're in the building or gets compromised by Reapers, then we're screwed.”

  “What about Atkins?”

  “What about him? I'm hoping we’ll have collected the Lieutenant Governor's daughter and gotten back here before Atkins and the rest of the team get here.”

  “What about waiting until he arrives to start?”

  “We have a window of opportunity that is closing,” Black said. “In less than ten hours, the bombs start falling. I don't want to jinx Atkins, but what if he doesn't make it back?”

  “So you're counting on me being the back-up guy to get everybody out.”

  “Wrong. You're Plan A. You're the primary guy to get us out before the military starts barbequing the city.”

  “Maybe, but I can still help you inside.”

  “Next mission, Gimble,” Black said. He gently tapped his man on his uninjured arm. “This time, I want you to lay low and stay with the MRAP. Keep the engine off if you can help it so the noise doesn't draw unwanted attention. If you get a bunch of unwanted company, then make the call to hide or move the vehicle. Just stay in the area so we can reach you with the radios when we're getting ready to exit the building.”

  “You got it, sir,” Gimble said glumly.

  “Excellent. We're counting on you,” Black said as he opened the door. He slid out of the vehicle and gently closed the passenger door behind him. Black swung his rifle into a ready position and scanned the area in front of him. As he did, he heard the door lock engage behind him.

  “Gimble's arm is busted so he's going to stay inside the MRAP and make sure nobody takes our ride,” Black said. “Call out if you got any activity.”

  “Clear,” Hawkins said.

  “Nothing but a bunch of litter,” Nico said. “And a few dozen abandoned cars.”

  “Crystal clear,” Spags said. “It's too fucking quiet out here. Makes me nervous.”

  “Okay, let's move out,” Black said. “I'll take point. Nico, you're with me. Spags and Hawkins, make sure we don't get any surprises from behind.”

  The team moved into the alley and headed towards the Krishna P. Singh Center. With a bit of luck, they'd make it without crossing the path of any Reapers.

  It took them less than fifteen minutes to reach the Center's entrance. Black couldn't help but think that Lady Luck was definitely smiling on them today because the only Reapers they had seen during the cautious two block-long approach were already dead. Maybe previous reports were wrong and this part of the city hadn't been overrun by the monsters. He glanced around their surroundings and noted the sun was nearing its midday point. Maybe the monsters didn't like being out as much in the daytime. There was so much they didn't know about the Reapers except that they were quickly outnumbering the surviving humans.

  The team approached the entrance cautiously. The entire face of the building was a series of clear glass walls, each of which seemed to be twenty feet or more in height. He could see into the corridor closest to their location and it was clear. No people. No dead bodies. Absolutely no activity. If it's so damn quiet here, where the hell are the monsters? There had to be some Reaper presence nearby to have forced Cindy Rummel and her friends to seek shelter.

  With a series of hand motions, he directed Spags to open the door while the rest of the team provided covering fire and support. The man tested the door and found the glass door swung outside easily. Spags held the door open as Nico glided past him with his rifle ready for action. Nico moved to cover the right side of the entrance, with Black following behind to cover the left. Hawkins stepped into the building and then Spags followed closely behind.

  “Spags, lock or secure the door somehow,” Black ordered. “I don't want anything from outside sneaking in behind us.”

  “On it,” Spags replied. He tested the door's lock and it spun uselessly. “Lock's busted. I'm going to zip tie the handles together.”

  “Hurry the hell up,” Nico said. “This place is giving me the creeps.”

  “Door is secure,” Spags replied. “Unless they smash the glass, nobody is getting in.”

  Black compared their blueprint to what he saw in front of them.

  “We need to get out of this corridor,” Black said. He motioned in front of them. “Any Reaper outside in eyeshot distance can see us in here. All it takes is one o
f them bringing their pals and we got a heap of trouble on our hands because this glass isn't going to stop them from coming.”

  “Got it, boss,” Hawkins said. He glanced at the map. “We can take a right at the next hallway and then a left. We'll be running parallel, but at least we won't be on public display. It's pretty much a straight path to get to the staircase we need.”

  “Good, take point,” Black said. “Spags, switch and help Nico cover our backs.”

  Spags nodded and quickly slid into position.

  The team moved in a diamond formation until they reached the intersection. Hawkins leaned carefully around the corner then moved forward. Black followed in his footsteps and slid to his man's left to cover the left side of the corridor. Hawkins held his position while Black leapfrogged past him then repeated the pattern, with Spags and Nico following closely behind.

  “Hawkins, do we want the next left?”

  “Negative. Two more intersections and then we go left.”

  The team had almost made it to the staircase when Hawkins suddenly held up his fist and everybody froze. The burly man held up two fingers then motioned to Black that he needed to cover the firing zone on the left side while Hawkins covered the right. Black nodded once and slowly moved into position, then swung around the corner with his gun ready for action. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hawkins move to the opposite side of the corridor to cover the other half of the firing zone. There were two Reapers tearing at a body. One of them stopped and looked up. There was blood dripping from its jaws and Black fired twice, striking it in the nose and eye. Its head exploded and the debris caused the other Reaper to look up in surprise. Hawkins fired twice, striking it in the chest with both shots. The monster screeched and started to move towards Black, who put it down for good with a well-placed head shot.

  “Clear,” Black said. He heard the rest of his team also confirm there were no Reapers in sight. Another screech sounded off in the distance. A second sounded out, and it was closer.

  “Sounds like we might be getting company,” Black said. “Let's be gone before they get here. Remember, center mass shots just piss them off. The only way to definitely kill these bastards is to shoot them in the head.” He heard his men sound off in agreement before Black started moving towards the staircase again.