Melissa could hear escalating gunfire in the restaurant and risked a quick glance over her shoulder. The Reborn were firing on DeWitt and Kevin from above, and another of their number had rappelled down and was taking awkward cover in a booth on the left. Bullets exploded through the front windows - showering the restaurant with broken glass - as Reborn from across the street launched a salvo in an effort to suppress or kill. But much worse than that, the infected in the street were now converging on the front of the restaurant; reaching out towards their prey, moaning and groaning as the bullets flew overhead.
“Help them, Roy, I’ve got this!” Melissa barked; Roy didn’t answer, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Despite having impaired mobility from his wounded knee, he managed to move in a crouched position and stay in cover, advancing into the front of the restaurant to aid the FBI agents.
Fresh shots rang out from the back door, causing Melissa to refocus her attention there. She leaned the gun around the corner and fired blindly again, hoping to push her attacker back, but after three squeezes on the trigger, the gun was empty. Melissa pulled the weapon back, hit the release catch, dropped the expended magazine and slammed the replacement into the slot. She chambered the round and heard encroaching boot steps. Melissa waited patiently until she saw the first suggestion of her target coming around the column, aimed roughly where his head would be and squeezed the trigger, executing him before he even laid eyes on her. She fired into the outer doorway again, hoping to push back any further incursions and buy herself a few seconds to loot the corpse at her feet. Slipping the gun into the front of her jeans, she kicked the corpse over, knelt down and freed the assault rifle the still twitching corpse was holding and pulled the strap over her head. She saw a shape appear in the doorway out the corner of her eye, so threw herself onto her side, the weapon raised and pointing at the doorway. She unloaded a trio of three round bursts into the form; two bursts were most likely caught in the chest armor, but she felt confident she had winged him or her with the third.
Melissa reached over and grabbed a spare ammunition clip that was half sticking out from the top of the tactical vest of the Reborn she’d killed, and got back into position behind the pillar. This time she took aim at the Reborn hiding in the booth and, as he peered out, she took careful aim and executed him with a well placed headshot. Melissa twisted back the other way, ready to engage the Reborn she could already hear getting ready to enter through the back door. She looked down and saw a stun grenade clipped to the vest of the corpse. Quick as a flash, she let the assault rifle hang from the strap, retrieved it and pulled the pin before lobbing it towards the doorway. She heard a desperate cry from someone to get into cover, but it was too late; the grenade exploded and screams filled the air. Melissa moved forward, pressing the brief advantage she had, and positioned herself beside the outer door frame. She leaned out to the left and executed two more Reborn who were shuffling away to safety, but as she turned to the right, all she saw was the stock of a gun coming at her.
The Reborn cracked her across the face, knocking her back and to the ground, and while Melissa was stunned he began to push into the room. Melissa’s sense of self-preservation forced her to ignore the pain in her jaw. She raised her rifle and fired wildly at the doorway, hearing a grunt of pain a moment later. She saw her target dart back out and to the right. Melissa took the seconds she had to spare to drag herself upright; she had been about to bring the rifle to the ready when he darted in again - the bullet that struck him obviously having been caught by his vest as there was no sign of injury. He had slung his weapon back over his shoulder and obviously aimed to engage her in hand to hand combat. First, he swatted her rifle to the right and then grabbed the barrel, his glove protecting him from the heated metal. He followed it up by twisting his body and shoulder charging Melissa, the impact winding her and knocking the weapon from her hands - although it still clung to her via the strap. He tried to punch her, but telegraphed the blow, enabling Melissa to move her head out of the way, feeling the air move as his clenched fist swept past her face. Before he could bring his arm back to swing at her again, she put her palms to his chest and shoved as hard as she could, sending him back a few paces. The breathing room it gave her allowed her to recover for a moment, but then he closed in on her again, his large, powerful hands gripping her throat. He began to choke her, and almost at once Melissa felt a burning sensation in her lungs. In desperation she scanned his body and saw a knife in his combat vest that was just within reach. She reached for it and snatched at the hilt, but his reactions were swift. Removing one of his meaty paws from her neck, he grabbed her hand as it tightened around the knife’s grip. He was still choking her, and Melissa was beginning to feel the effects of oxygen starvation, but through the fog that was trying to wrap itself around her brain she suddenly recalled a weapon that gave her one more chance of survival. Determinedly, she used her free hand to reach for the pistol secured in her jeans - trying to grab it awkwardly as the grip was the other way. He saw what she was attempting to do and tightened his hold on her throat even more. Miraculously, Melissa managed to remain focused and pulled the weapon free. He stepped forward, obviously expecting her to bring the weapon up for a headshot and so blocked the move, but she instead aimed at his leg, blowing out his left kneecap and then quickly firing two shots into his right thigh. He dropped to his knees on the ground before her, bleeding and screaming. Melissa yanked the knife free as his grip loosened on both her hand and her neck, and then jammed it into his face before kicking him backwards.
Coughing and momentarily weakened, Melissa stuffed the pistol into the back of her jeans then took a moment to catch her breath. She shuffled forward to the doorway and tried to scope out more targets either way in the alley; it was long and wide, running behind all of the shops and another restaurant on the street. A few large dumpsters stood here and there, with waste scattered around them on the dusty floor. There was a fire escape lowered, which was presumably how the Reborn got onto the roof and back down to street level after firing on them while they made their run to the restaurant and also into the apartment above. At the end to the left, Melissa could see the infected beginning to gather, although it was clear on the right. Satisfied, she retreated through the kitchen and returned to DeWitt, Kevin and Roy. They had either successfully defeated all of the Reborn upstairs, or the Reborn had retreated; whatever had happened, there was no gunfire at that moment. Some order must have been given for a general withdrawal, as the Reborn on the rooftop across from them had also ceased their assault. The infected, however, were surrounding the front of the restaurant. A few of them were trying to push down the ramshackle obstacles blocking the door, and those that DeWitt and Kevin had hastily pushed against the windows after the Reborn had fired and shattered the glass.
“Did you headshot all the soldiers?” Melissa demanded as she walked into the room.
“Uncertain. Some, but not all I think.” DeWitt replied.
“You’ve got to hit them in the head. They’re probably all wired up with a virus injector attached to a heart monitor.” Melissa announced angrily. She approached the nearest of the corpses, looking carefully up through the ruined roof of the room as she passed, and then retrieved a knife from the combat vest of a dead Reborn. She quickly set about skewering the dead Reborn through the head, even the ones who appeared to have a bullet wound, ensuring none of them could reanimate. She followed this up by grabbing an empty sheath for the knife and attaching it to her own vest, wiping the blood off the blade on the leg of the sheath’s owner before slipping it into its housing. Next, she set to looting the rest of the corpses, gathering up all the ammunition she could find. Roy and DeWitt joined her, taking one of the assault rifles each. Roy tossed a third to Kevin, and then he too began to scavenge for more ammunition. The infected were clamoring against the windows and the doorway, incensed by the smell of fresh meat and the recent gunfire.
“We’ve got to move. This is a terrible place to try to
defend.” DeWitt announced.
“I agree, but we’re not going to be making it to your extraction point on foot with them chasing us.” Melissa countered, gesturing with her head to the infected. “Not to mention, the Reborn are almost certainly going regroup and follow us.”
“We have to keep moving towards it though. We can secure another vehicle and keep pressing on.” DeWitt told her dismissively.
“No, we won’t!” Melissa rebutted aggressively as she shoved ammunition into her pockets. Calming down, Melissa took a deep breath and then looked at DeWitt with a cautioning look.
“Listen, I get you have your orders, and I know you’re just trying to do your best in an unbelievable situation. But the book went out the window the moment they shot our escorts with rocket launchers. They know where we’re going, they know what we’re trying to do, and they sure as hell aren’t going to let us do it. We need to do what they don’t expect.”
DeWitt watched Melissa for a few seconds and then nodded slowly.
“What do you think we should do, Melissa?” Roy asked.
“First of all, where the hell are we?” Melissa wanted to know.
“A city called Brownwater. It’s pretty big, close to a few hundred thousand people.” DeWitt informed her.
“Okay, that’s potentially a lot of infected.”
“Wherever we go, that’s going to be the case. The Reborn have hit just about everywhere.” DeWitt replied.
“Then we find a vehicle, get out of the city and head across country.” Melissa stated, seizing her opportunity to keep her promise to Roy. “We’re going to Vegas to collect Roy’s wife.”
“I can’t allow that.” DeWitt argued.
“Think about it, Agent. They’re expecting us to want to offload the Ancillary to some kind of military or police facility. They’re expecting us to keep moving towards this extraction point or whatever you want to call it. They’re not expecting us to take the Ancillary across country.”
“It’d take us a couple of days to drive to Vegas, even if we assume all the roads are clear. Do you really think we can trust her for that long?”
“The Ancillary wants me; she wants Roy too. I’m thinking her mission is to go wherever we go. She won’t try to escape.”
“She might try to kill your escort though.”
“There’re a lot of things that are going to try to do that wherever we go. Besides, you’ve been stringing us along by telling us that after we’ve been extracted Roy will be reunited with his wife. If we’re not going to extraction, then we’re going to his wife to make sure she’s safe.”
“I think you’re forgetting who’s in charge here.” DeWitt countered bluntly. Melissa rolled her neck to try and ease some of the tension she was feeling.
“Listen, we can argue, we can go back and forth and you can try to throw your weight around and tell me you’re in charge. But I’ve done this shit before; I’ve walked through the infected and I know how we can do it without getting killed. The Reborn are after me, Roy and that bitch in the fridge, so I’m going to do whatever it takes to ensure we’re not taken by them. If you’re not going my way, then you’re going on your own.” Melissa told DeWitt firmly. The two stared each other down for a few moments, and just as it seemed that DeWitt was going to continue arguing, Kevin piped up.
“To be fair to her plan, sir, the Vegas field office was something of a stronghold the last we heard. It could be as good a defensible position to interrogate the Ancillary as any other.”
DeWitt shot him a withering look, and after a moment glanced at Roy.
“I’m with her.” Roy stated defiantly.
“Fine.” DeWitt said dejectedly. “But if we have an opportunity to be extracted and we can safely take advantage of it, we try for it. Understood?” He demanded.
Melissa nodded, but both of them knew she was done following his orders.
Chapter Two
Taking the lead, Melissa told the group to loot the collars from the corpses of the Reborn and snap them in position around their necks, checking afterwards that the green operational light was steady, which proved they were still working. Satisfied they were all set, Melissa grabbed a fifth collar and one of the Reborn’s military, fabric belts, then crossed to the kitchen, going straight towards the refrigerator. She yanked the knife free, tossed it aside and opened the door. The Ancillary was still standing where she had been left, and although she was shivering, she still smiled happily when she laid eyes on Melissa.
“Move.” Melissa instructed bluntly, and the Ancillary stepped out.
“I see you’ve not lost any of your killer edge.” She commented as she scanned the bodies in the kitchen.
Melissa really wasn’t in the mood to exchange small talk, so she simply indicated the doorway with her head. After a few paces she brought the Ancillary to a halt with an aggressive tap on the shoulder, and then she swiftly clipped the collar around her neck before she could turn around.
“Are we going somewhere?” The Ancillary asked brightly, but Melissa didn’t answer. She grabbed a dish cloth and wiped the blood off the Ancillary’s face, then started wrapping the belt around the lower half, ensuring one part was over her mouth. Melissa pulled it extra tight before fastening the catch mechanism. The Ancillary mumbled something, but Melissa obviously couldn’t understand what she said as the enveloping belt effectively diminished the sounds she emitted, which Melissa hoped it would continue to do until they were a safe distance from the town.
“Is that necessary?” DeWitt asked.
“Do you want to risk her shouting and calling for help when we’re in the middle of the infected?” Melissa asked rhetorically.
“I thought you said... ” DeWitt started, but Melissa cut him off.
“Yeah, I know what I said, but I’d rather be sure when it comes to her.” Melissa told him as she grabbed the Ancillary by the shoulders and pulled her around.
The Ancillary mumbled again, although her eyes expressed her continued lack of concern over her current situation.
“Okay, this is how it’s going to work. You’re going to do exactly as I say; not him, not the other guy, me.” Melissa instructed fiercely, pointing at the two FBI agents. “If you don’t, I’ll rip the collar from your neck, put a bullet in your knee and you can appreciate what your infected do first hand. And if I can’t for some reason, Roy will be more than happy to.”
Roy nodded in agreement.
Melissa spun the Ancillary again, grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her towards the back door. DeWitt fell in behind Melissa - the assault rifle he’d looted held at the ready - with Roy at his back and Kevin bringing up the rear. At the door Melissa overtook the Ancillary and led the way into the alleyway, turning left towards the gathering infected. She didn’t relish the idea of moving through them, but they urgently needed to reach a working vehicle.
Melissa inched forward along the alleyway. The infected were milling about ahead of them, some becoming distracted by distant gunfire and shuffling away, others lingering and lurking like an unliving barrier. She paused until the Ancillary came level and then caught her by the elbow with one hand while she gripped her assault rifle with the other, holding it off to the side. As they approached the street, DeWitt slipped around to the front and cautiously approached the infected; his eyes scanning left and right for any sign of the Reborn, who appeared to have totally withdrawn, which all four of them found suspicious. While he did so, Melissa quickly looked back to check the other end of the alleyway and saw there were a few infected gathered there now, but it was a smaller group than those they were about to pass through and they didn’t appear interested in following them - further proving the collars were working. Melissa faced ahead and continued moving forwards. They were advancing along the wall, and as they did Roy kept a close watch above them, to ensure there were no Reborn waiting to ambush them from the rooftops. It was prudent, as Melissa too felt another attack was likely as they made their way to a vehicle to escape the di
re threat hanging over the town. They were near the exit of the alley now, and the infected were close by. However, despite the double and triple checking they’d undertaken to ensure all their collars were active, plus the fact that those in the rear continued to ignore them, Melissa still found it alarming to be amongst them again. It brought back memories of the bad collar experience Melissa had endured in the Seraph, and she shuddered a little at the thought.
DeWitt pressed on, assault rifle in hand, and began to jostle his way into the crowd. Melissa knew keeping in sight of each other would be difficult if he moved too quickly, so she gave an encouraging press of her palm on the Ancillary’s shoulder and quickened her pace, something the Ancillary complied with. As DeWitt vanished into the infected, Melissa couldn’t help but wonder why the Ancillary was being so submissive. She was displaying a comfort and ease with her current situation that filled Melissa with dread, but now wasn’t the time to ponder either the Ancillary’s behavior or her own instinctive distrust of it. Survival was all that mattered at that moment, so with a tight grip on her prisoner, Melissa forged a path into the infected. Although they had hardly been sparse at the entrance of the alleyway, they were in huge numbers towards the cross section on the left. Hundreds of them were swarming around the police barricade, newcomers attracted by the gun battle that had erupted both there and in the restaurant. Melissa moved her head so she could see DeWitt and focused on keeping pace with him, occasionally looking back to ensure Roy and Kevin were still following. Roy, who hadn’t dealt with the infected directly, had an admirable sense of calm on his features, no doubt from his years in the police service. Kevin, a junior agent perhaps, had a very nervous attitude, but so far was keeping his cool. The infected, docile and uninterested in them as they moved past thanks to the collars they were wearing, tried to move around them in search of prey. They were just like the ones in the casino area of the Seraph; for the most part confused looking but with a quiet calmness amongst those closest to the suppressing effect of the collar. The ones further out would move agitatedly towards them, only to slow down and become pacified as they grew nearer. Others would be distracted by the distant sounds of combat, a scream, or the sound of a helicopter, which Melissa noted wasn’t all that far away from them, but she remained focused on moving forward. She was grateful, but also slightly puzzled that the Ancillary was still cooperating, considering this would be a good time to try to make a run for it.
A World Reborn (Book 2): Global Outbreak Page 3
