by Germann, Tom
They started shooting the undead using the vehicles to lean against for a more stable firing position. Headshots were difficult but they were thinning out the zombies they could see.
When several dozen more came around a distant corner and started walking toward them they ceased fire, collected their brass, and loaded up into the vehicles. They drove on slowly then first Jimmy then the rest started honking their horns.
It seemed to drive the zombies insane as they started moving faster until they were almost running after the vehicles. The vehicles had only gone a short distance and they seemed to have most of the zombies they had picked up driving into the city coming after them.
The vehicles accelerated and as they pulled away the zombies slowed to a walk again. They drove further on, took a left and stayed on the path for a while.
After letting their vehicles slow and taking several more turns they got back to the building Jimmy had seen.
Now they could all see a man standing on top of what looked like a four-story building which was the size of a city block. He was waving frantically and pointing to a small side road just ahead.
They turned into the narrow road and two corpses in an alley came shambling out as they drove on down the road.
Just over half way down the road a garage door was rolling up just enough to let the vehicles in so the vehicles slowly turned and drove into a huge parking area. There were two scruffy soldiers who quickly directed the vehicles into different bays in a row while behind them the massive garage door slid closed.
The dozen heavily armed soldiers that were covering the vehicles from behind a makeshift wall made of crates looked ready to deal with any issues.
THE LOADING BAY
T
hey shut the vehicles off and slowly opened their doors. The soldiers were standing behind crates and half height walls with rifles up covering them.
The soldiers didn’t say anything as everyone exited their vehicles and stood looking at them.
The soldier’s uniforms looked like they fit but some of them were scruffy. As if they had not shaved for several days and several others had longer hair. Conscripts, and recent ones. They were all wearing the same uniform the travellers were, at least as far as they could see, hats, uniform jackets, and pants with web belts on but only one canteen and one ammunition pouch.
They looked and acted nervous but at the same time it was almost as if they didn’t know what to do next.
While everyone was standing there one of the soldiers started scratching his face digging into his stubble.
A door opened further away and the sound of quiet footfalls approached.
A second later a shorter muscular man, clean cut and in a pressed uniform strode out of the shadows and stood to the side, well out of any potential line of fire, but he had not moved behind any sort of cover. His dark hair was slicked back and gleamed in the light. Sewn onto his shoulders were the oversize rank insignia this place used. He was a Sergeant and on the web belt hanging off his waist on the right side was a different holster than they had seen so far. It was an open top and looked like it would be easy to draw the firearm in it. His hand was resting on the butt. He was ready for action.
When he spoke, his voice was deep and carried an almost arrogant tone to it.
“I don’t know who you are. But you aren’t ours and judging by the way you’re wearing the uniform you don’t know how to wear it. That makes you either reservists or looters. In both cases, you ain’t worth much to me or my boys here. Before we go any further are any of you infected?”
He had been looking them over as he was talking but stopped when he saw Tracy and Sue. When he continued, his voice was quieter and he seemed to be speaking more to himself then the party.
“So, you got some dames hmm? None of you look infected. Maybe you can stay till the next refugee train comes in a few days.”
A door further back burst open and a short energetic man came striding forward. He was moving so fast he almost looked like he was running. Another man followed behind him only marginally slower.
As the lead man came into the light it became possible to see he was short and older with white close cropped hair and a thin moustache. His uniform was unlike the uniforms everyone else was wearing. The tie was perfectly done along with the creases in his uniform jacket and pants. The chest of his dark tunic was covered in different coloured ribbons and he had a different cap on. His back was ramrod straight and he had a tremendous smile on his face. He was also the only unarmed person present.
The man following him was also in a perfectly turned out uniform with even more ribbons on his chest along with several metal tabs. He was older, much older, but his long legs meant he seemed to have no problem keeping pace with the shorter man. He was wearing a Sergeants rank with additional emblems around it. He also had a mean looking submachine gun at his hip with a magazine holder strapped to his leg. In his left hand, he carried a short staff with a small flag or a pennon on it. It was carried like a rifle with the sharp end with the flag just over his shoulder. It was strange to see this much taller man striding after the shorter one but there was a clear sense of presence and seniority.
It was like the two of them were joined together psychically. The short man strode to the end of the concrete pad and took the stairs down to where the party stood. He stopped just short of them, drawing himself to attention.
The rank insignia the short man wore showed he was a Colonel.
Caisson barked out. “Group!” and snapped to attention. The soldiers in the group followed suit, the rest doing nothing more than standing still and trying not to fall over.
Wagner had seen the rank and snapped off a brisk salute. “Good morning sir. I’m Captain Wagner and these are my troops. We’re the survivors who contacted you from the reserve base yesterday.”
The colonel turned serious while he returned the salute perfectly. Then he stepped forward and with a smile stuck his hand out. “Glad to see there are still lots of survivors out there and coming in. Which company are you with, Captain?”
They shook hands quickly which seemed strange. The other soldiers hadn’t relaxed or lowered their weapons. Most were just standing there watching including the sergeant with a hand still on his weapon.
The colonel paused. “Where are my manners? I’m Colonel Chesterling in charge of the operations in the area and this refugee point. This is my flag sergeant,” he gestured at the older man behind him then around the room at the soldiers who were still standing blank faced behind cover. “This is the headquarters company for Division. Are you the advance party for your group, Captain?”
Wagner shook his head. “No sir. We are the survivor group. There are eleven of us. It’s a little strange as six of us are Canadian soldiers. We were cut off from our unit and kept getting pushed further and further away while the infected chased us. We’re glad to finally find an organized force carrying out operations.”
Colonel Chesterling turned and waved at the dark-haired sergeant. “Canadians? You see! I told you Sergeant Tannis! Our allies are still out there fighting away as well.” He turned back to Captain Wagner. “You and your personnel will fit right into our unit. I am actually quite glad to have another officer here as the administration and paperwork has been just overwhelming!”
The Colonel turned and waved his arms at the rest of the soldiers standing around. “No worries here gentlemen. These are the survivors I was expecting to come in. Please do have the men carry on with preparations for tonight. I’ll take the Captain and his aide for debriefing and have one of the men take them to an accommodation area. I’m sure we’ll have a bit to cover before the dinner tonight. Excellent!”
Captain Wagner looked at First Sergeant Caisson. “First, take everyone and unload the vehicles and see what relief supplies the garrison here can use. Keep our personal things off to the side please then make sure everyone is settled in. Then have them get some rest, it’s been a har
d couple of days.”
“Yes sir.” The slight emphasis wasn’t lost on Wagner as his new First, Caisson saluted him before turning to issue orders to the group.
Corporal Weibe was sent with the Captain as he left for the meeting.
The soldiers standing around kept watching. After a while most slung their weapons and wandered off while the few remaining soldiers just stood gawping.
From outside the building it was just possible to hear the banging noise as the two zombies kept hitting the door they had seen the vehicles drive through.
DEBRIEFING THE CO
W
agner and Weibe had walked for what seemed like forever in the huge structure. The Colonel and his Flag Sergeant walking at a brisk pace, almost a run, kept them moving fast and there was little time to talk.
As they moved through the building they passed massive open areas where machinery had been removed. In some there were cots and bedrolls set up. Others were set up as small warehouses although they looked mostly empty. They passed one large room which had been set up as a dining hall with tables and benches.
The building was at least five stories tall and some areas were large open work areas while others had office dividers reaching up to the ceiling. All the lighting was old fashioned and large with huge metal fans next to them. The light that shone down on them was bright and harsh. Several of the lightbulbs seemed to have blown out but no one had replaced them.
Everywhere there were flags and banners. All the same as the one the Flag Sergeant carried on his staff.
Yet there were almost no people and from the little they could see almost no equipment or food.
After a while walking back and forth through the structure they stopped at what was a three-storey brick building in what felt like the centre of the complex.
The front door was large and steel. It was closed. Here they stopped and the Colonel turned to Wagner while the Flag Sergeant stepped forward pulling a key out and unlocking the door then started slowly pulling it open.
“Now Captain? I’m sorry, I didn’t ask your name. So busy you know, it is easy to forget how to be civilized. I did want to let all the soldiers know Canada is fully onside with us in this trying time and that I had faith in you. No need for any minor hostility between the countries or problems integrating your unit into our force for right now. I could use an adjutant but I have the feeling your field experience may be better utilized with some special work which has just come up.”
The door was fully opened and everyone walked through. The Flag Sergeant carefully pulled the door shut before dropping a massive deadbolt.
As soon as they had stepped through the door lights had come on overhead. They were in a large foyer. The walls were a polished wood and the floors were massive marble tiles. There were no chairs or benches and it was only a small room. At the far end was another door which looked like solid wood.
When the door had opened and they had stepped through it had been easy to see how thick the walls were and they were concrete with a brick façade. The door itself looked more like it belonged on a bank vault and when it had closed, it had shut with a solid thud.
They stepped through the far door into a different world.
The hallway was long, similarly wood panelled and it positively glowed in the gentle light from the recessed lighting above. The carpet was thick and plush. There were pictures mounted on the walls of large industrial projects and city skylines. The frames were ornate and gilded.
The Colonel ran down the hall and through the door at the far end. As everyone else moved on the Flag Sergeant took the time to close the inner door which was also incredibly thick and it looked as if it was just as heavy as the outer door.
The next room on was a lobby with an old style open elevator. The Flag Sergeant came out of the hallway and moved to the door sliding the door open by its handle and then stepping inside.
The Colonel turned to Wagner. “The Flag and myself will go on ahead and set up upstairs. We’ll just send the elevator back down for you. I’m in the Building Managers office. Just knock at the door. We’ll see you in a few minutes!”
With that, the Colonel ran into the elevator, the door slid closed and it left the floor. The arrow on top starting turning.
Wagner looked at Weibe. “What did you see when we left the loading bay, Corporal?”
Weibe looked nervous then shrugged. “Not much Warr… Sir. Lots of concrete and not a lot of stuff in this place. Where are all the other soldiers, Sir? It looked like there should be thousands of them here.”
There was a ding from the elevator. The arrow had stopped pointing at the five. After a second it started to turn back in the other direction.
“Those soldiers are dirty and look like crap. There isn’t anyone else in the building unless they are hiding and we didn’t see a lot of other stuff here, like you said. There should be more like hundreds of soldiers here from what I saw. Where’s all the support stuff a unit like this would need? And this place? Did you see how thick those doors where we passed through? This is a bunker. Not a lot of this makes sense. Make sure you’re careful what you say upstairs. I don’t want the Colonel deciding we’re a problem.”
The elevator pinged again with the arrow pointing at one.
Wagner grabbed the handle on the door and slid it open then stepped into the small elevator. After Weibe stepped in he closed the door and pushed the button labelled five. The elevator swiftly and smoothly slid upward.
When they made it to their floor and stepped out they were in a large foyer with three doors leading off it. They walked to the one labelled Building Manager and Wagner knocked.
A voice from inside called out. “Come in.”
Captain Wagner stepped into the small office outside the Commanding Officers office and nodded at the Flag Sergeant sitting at the small desk to the side. They had seen the Flag Sergeant but they had not really paid too much attention to him, there was just too much happening to really absorb anything.
The entrance was right in the centre of the office. To the left were two chairs carefully lined up and spaced apart like guards on parade. There was nothing else.
In truth, it wasn’t even really an office. It was only four feet wide. More like an ante room. On the right-hand side was the Flag Sergeants position. There was a small metal desk crammed into the far corner across the narrow room. There was just enough room for someone to slide around the side of the desk to get to the back. On the desk was a small typewriter just to the side. It looked old. Next to it was a small swivel lamp which looked like it came out of the old TV shows he had watched as a kid. The whole thing looked like a solid mass of metal.
On the far side of the desk was a small swivelling chair and on the side a small book case held supplies. Behind the desk was a large cupboard with a mirror on one of the two doors. It was massive and deep. It could have weighed a ton if it was as big as it looked.
Just in front of the one bureau door was a flag stand. Standing in it was a long thin metal rod a flag on the end. This pennon was the same flag which was hanging all over the inside of the building. It must be the unit flag. Next to it was what looked like a chest harness.
He passed over it with his eyes and focussed on the man sitting at the desk.
Now much closer he could see the Sergeant was older than he thought. Old enough to be his father. The uniform was perfectly turned out though with a substantial collection of ribbons on his chest. There was no way he was below retirement age but with the outbreak perhaps he had been called back to active service.
It didn’t really matter.
The Sergeant didn’t say anything he just sat there staring at Wagner and Weibe with an occasional blink. He still hadn’t said or really done anything. Perhaps he was slow?
The Captain looked at Weibe. “It’s okay Corporal. You grab a seat here on one of the chairs and wait for me to come out. I may be a while so be good.”
Corp
oral Weibe nodded and spoke quickly. “Yes sir, I’ll wait right here for you to finish.” He then walked over and sat down on one of the uncomfortable chairs, perching on the seat.
While this was going on the Sergeant had stood up and carefully sidled around his desk. He walked over to the door quietly tapping on it.
From within a voice called out, “Come in.”
The Captain didn’t laugh to himself but looked at the door which the Sergeant was standing at and read the gold title painted on the door. ‘COMMANDING OFFICER’ it clearly looked like something else had been scratched away because of the lighter coloring on the glass. It was hard to make it out but it was definitely ‘something MANAGER’.
This place was already starting to show a crazy side.
The Sergeant turned the knob on the door and carefully opened it. As he stepped back Wagner saw the holstered forty-five riding low on the Sergeants hip. He smiled at the Sergeant as he stepped through the door, “Thank you, Flag Sergeant.” The old man had simply nodded at him then closed the door after he walked through. Wagner had looked over at the bureau and noticed the submachine gun tucked away down the side of the cabinet.
The Sergeant seemed very alert and ready for more trouble than a zombie apocalypse. What did he know about the situation here his crew didn’t?
He had stepped into a huge room that was as big as a house. There was a thick plush red carpet which was even thicker than the one downstairs, and stretched from wall to wall. The walls were covered with cherry or some other hardwood. Four large lights hung from the ceiling which were more like chandeliers. They had so much glass and brass on them that two of them being off had no impact on the room. They lit it up as bright as day.
