Soldiers of Fame and Fortune Full Series Omnibus: Nobody’s Fool, Nobody Lives Forever, Nobody Drinks That Much, Nobody Remembers But Us, Ghost Walking, 12 Book series...
Page 14
Charlie pointed at the blond guy beside him. “Oh, sorry. This is Ivan. I met him in the van on the way over.”
Ivan put his hand out. “Nice to meet you. I’ve been on government teams on the American side for ten years. I decided to branch out and check things out over here. I met Charlie, and we came to the bar.”
Holly shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Holly, and this is Dan. Dan’s been here forever, and I’ve been here two days.”
Ivan tilted his head. “This side, or altogether?”
Holly shrugged. “I spent a couple of weeks in rooms on the American side and came here to get a better picture of what the place is like. I’m thinking of taking a contract to go into the Zoo.”
Ivan shook his head. “But you are so petite and beautiful!”
Holly raised an eyebrow and watched as a hand came around him and yanked him back into his seat. A pretty blond girl wearing similar clothes to Holly’s but two sizes smaller looked at her. “Size does not decide whether someone can survive in the Zoo. I’m pretty sure I am capable of proving that theory wrong. Didn’t I save your ass about a hundred times?”
Ivan rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes.”
The girl smiled and stuck her hand across. “My name is Sarah.”
Holly smiled at her, hearing a French accent. “I’m Holly.”
Sarah waved her hands at the guys. “Don’t listen to them; they don’t know what they are saying. I worked for the French government for ten years, but half of it I spent with these morons on the American side. Of course, not Charlie. I just met Charlie on the van. We are thinking of doing a team together. They need me.”
Charlie laughed. “Ivan doesn’t want to admit it, but I have no problem doing so. We do need her. She’s pretty much a winner.”
Ivan looked at the group. “Hey, why don’t we get a table and order some food? We can free up the bar for JB.”
Holly looked at Dan, who nodded, and she smiled. “Yeah, for sure. You guys go ahead. I’m going to put my cigar out.”
Holly blunted out her cigar and looked at JB. “Would you mind putting this back there while I eat?”
JB took the ashtray. “Making friends already. You are being sucked in.”
Holly rolled her eyes. “I am not. It’s all for research.”
JB smirked. “Mmhmm. I’ll send Paula over to get your orders.”
Holly curtsied and walked to the table, sitting down next to Sarah. She smiled and handed Holly a menu. It felt good to have at least one other woman there who seemed to be pretty normal, considering what she did for a living. Holly looked the menu over, realizing quickly she was not going to be eating healthy that day. She missed her New York lifestyle a little bit, but she was too caught up in what was going on around her to even think of going back just for a salad.
Paula stood at table smacking her gum. “All right, I don’t got all day. What are we having? And if any of you ask me for a salad, I will kick my tennis shoe up your ass and make you clean it the fuck off.”
Holly looked quickly back at the menu. When it was her turn, she shrugged. “I’ll have the nachos. Why not?”
Paula smiled. “Good girl. Put some meat on them bones. What about you, blondie?”
Sarah pointed at the menu. “I’ll have the cheeseburger and cheese fries, ranch, and I’ll also take a side of fried pickles. I’ll probably end up getting dessert, too.”
Paula lifted an eyebrow. “You eat like a horse and look like a mouse. Everyone already hates you, baby.”
Sarah giggled as Paula took the menus and walked away. She turned to Holly and crossed her legs. “It’s nice to talk to a girl other than Ivan every now and then.”
Holly smiled and glanced at Ivan, who was giving Sarah the middle finger as he talked to the guys. “So, I assume from the accent you are from France?”
Sarah nodded. “Mmhmm, born and raised. But I’ve spent fifteen years traveling around the world, then here on the American base. I am a large-animal veterinarian, or at least I used to be.”
Holly smiled. “Ohhhh, so is that how you got involved in all of this?”
Sarah took a sip of her drink. “Yep. Sure was. I was in London in my apartment when the government showed up and gave me ten minutes to pack my bags and get on a plane. When I got to the American side, I was so out of it I just signed their paperwork and went to my little room in the barracks for some sleep. Turns out this happened to a lot of people.”
Holly’s eyes went wide. “How long did they train you before you were taken into the Zoo?”
Sarah started to laugh. “Train me? Uh, maybe five minutes before I walked in. Seriously, the next day I was meeting them at the front of the apartment and heading to the Staging Area of the Zoo. I didn’t even know what I was supposed to be doing until I got out there.”
Holly’s mouth fell open. “Wow. What was your first time out there like?”
Sarah shook her head. “It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time.”
“Come on, Vet, here is your suit and your HUD,” Brian, the team lead said, shoving the outfit into Sarah’s arms.
After being in a daze for hours, she grabbed him by the wrist. “Wait! Hold on one goddamned minute! They flew me in here and never told me what the fuck I’m doing here. I don’t even know why I’m going into the Zoo.”
Brian blinked at her for a moment. “They did it again. I swear, these American government fucktards can’t tell their asshole from a snow cone. Okay. You are a wildlife vet. The government is sending us in to protect you while you do research on the wild animals out here. You are to take pictures with your HUD and take specimens with the shit in the pack they sent over and bring it back. You will be paid for what you find plus your normal salary…which I’m assuming you know nothing about.”
Sarah shook her head. “I don’t even know what a HUD is.”
Brian rubbed his face. “I’ll explain on the way. While we are in there, we are to find Pita plants and bring back the petals. One rule: whatever you do, do not pull a plant from the ground. You will basically paint a target on our backs and send the whole of the Zoo racing down on us. You got that?”
Sarah nodded wildly, not really sure if she did. “How do I put this on?”
Brian blinked and looked at Ivan. “Ivan, get over here and help the vet. She hasn’t been briefed until now and has no idea how to suit up.”
Ivan raised his eyebrows. “Got it.”
Sarah started to figure it out, pulling on her suit and letting Ivan adjust the armor. She grumbled, reaching the pissed-off part of the day, “This is such bullshit. I am going to have someone’s nuts on a fucking platter.”
Ivan looked at her with raised eyebrows. “I am assuming America is not your country?”
Sarah groaned. “No, it is not. I am French, dammit, yet here I am with no choice in the matter.”
Ivan strapped her armor on and pushed her HUD down on her head, latching it. “Welcome to our world. Try not to die in here. Your HUD should start displaying in a second, then you can just say what you want to do, and it should work. For example, ‘take picture.’ The camera will come up, and you just say, ‘snap.’ All the instructions are in there. Try to go through it as we march. Stay in the middle of the pack and don’t touch shit. Things can be misleading in here.”
Sarah swallowed hard and hurried after him. “Got it. Thanks.”
Following the guys into the Zoo was like a dream to her. She had been in jungles several times, but this was unlike anything she had ever seen. She wasn’t a biologist by any means, but she couldn’t remember ever seeing plants that colorful in her life. It looked like something made up for a movie, not real life. But there she was, in wonder and awe…and absolutely fucking terrified.
There was a buzz in her ear, then Brian’s voice came through. “This is a private channel. I wanted to tell you your assignment is important. We have been instructed to attempt to tranquilize one of these animals, which I think is a terrible idea. If we a
re unable to do that, we will bring it back dead for study. During this process, you need to stay out of the way and close to one of us for protection. Our job is to bring you back in one piece. Got it?”
Sarah nodded. “Got it.”
They continued through the jungle, with Sarah in the middle of the team. She looked around at the strange and wondrous plants that seemed to move on their own. There was even a tall, thin flowering plant that she could swear was watching her walk. She wasn’t sure if it was real or her overactive imagination, but she quickly remembered what Ivan had said about not touching anything. If she was right, she was walking into hell, a place that she had never thought could exist. There were alien creatures lurking around every corner—and she was their afternoon snack.
Sarah paused as Paula showed up and put down the food. Holly was staring at Sarah in awe. “So, did you have to fight any creatures on your first day?”
Sarah shook her head, shoving a fry into her mouth. “Actually, no. Ivan said it was one of the easiest first days anyone could have.”
Ivan chuckled. “Yeah, but she made up for it on the second day.”
Sarah sighed. “That’s for damn sure. I went from first time in the Zoo to first time almost getting murdered by alien creatures the next day. All I could do was hope that was my one time and I got it out of my system. Of course, that was naïve of me, considering the entire thing wants you dead as soon as you walk in.”
Holly furrowed her brow. “The whole thing? Are you saying the Zoo thinks? Is that even possible?”
Sarah took a deep breath. “If you had asked me that my first day, I would have told you that you were nuts. Ask me now? Well, there is something about that place that connects every entity in it. They don’t want us there. We are an infection, and on that second day, the Zoo tried to wipe me out.”
Chapter Nine
Sarah woke the next morning in her tent with her sleeping bag tangled around her. There was a bracelet on her wrist, and it was vibrating. She looked at it, narrowing her eyes and reading the message that ran across it.
Message waiting.
She glanced at her HUD and pulled it on. On the screen was a message from Brian. “Wakey, wakey, newbie. We got kitties to catch today. Get dressed and pack up your tent. We will have breakfast ready in fifteen, then we head out. Hope you like oatmeal.”
Sarah wasn’t sure she would be able to get food down, much less act like everything was okay. She pulled the HUD off and began putting her things back in her bag. Once that was done, she pulled on her suit and fixed her armor, being a quick study. Stepping out of the tent, she was caught off-guard once again by the absolutely amazing colors all around her. She tilted her head back and looked at the canopy, finding birds with abnormal beaks soaring across the sky.
“Hey,” Ivan said, startling her. “Those are nicknamed ‘Dido Falcons.’ I guess the guy who found them was named Dido. They have the wings and claws of a falcon and the beak of a black parrot. They can crush your skull in one snap, but don’t worry, they usually only eat grub and plants.”
Sarah’s mouth opened, but he was off before she could say anything. Brian walked up and took a deep breath. “You about ready for all of this? We are heading deeper into the Zoo. We will be looking for specimens as well as Pitas. If you see anything, tell us right away. If there is a carnivorous plant sample you want, let us know, and we will stop for as long as possible.”
Sarah pulled her brow together. “Did you just say carnivorous plant? Like a Venus Fly Trap?”
Brian chuckled. “No, more like, ‘Feed me, Seymour!’”
Sarah sighed. “Okay, I’ll look it up in my helmet as we walk.”
Brian slapped her on the back. “That is probably a really excellent idea. You don’t want to accidentally back into one of those. They eat people.”
Sarah put her pack on. “Right.”
Brian handed her a cup of oatmeal, and she glanced at it. “I’m not hungry.”
Brian shook his head. “You need to eat anyway. There have been times where I had to run non-stop for hours. You need all the strength you can get in here. That is protein-based oatmeal. Might not be the best-tasting thing ever, but it will keep you going through the thick of it.”
Sarah nodded and took off her helmet, squatting and checking all around her before eating the oatmeal. It was thicker than normal and had a chalky aftertaste, but it wasn’t the worst thing she had ever eaten. When she was done, she cleaned out the cup and hung it from her bag, then lined up with the team. They moved out without much discussion, and she focused on the index of creatures in her HUD. She learned as much as she could, reading up on each one as she walked through the jungle, keeping her mind off the fact that she was in those creatures’ stomping grounds.
Looking back, Sarah knew she should have been paying more attention than she was, but she was entranced by the stored pictures and genetic information on some of the animals in the Zoo. They were unlike anything she had ever seen. Suddenly a hand fell on her shoulder and yanked her back.
Brian pulled her down on one knee. “There is a jag up ahead. We are going to try to tranq it, or at least kill it to bring back. It’s one of the few species known to not regenerate.”
Sarah frowned. “Regenerate?”
Brian smirked. “Yeah, these babies can’t come back to life like so many of the others can. You kill a locust, and it will just heal and become a zombie locust. Of course, it doesn’t eat brains, but it looks rough.”
Sarah shook her head. “Right. I’ll stay here and keep an eye out.”
Brian patted her shoulder. “Good choice.”
The rest of the team slowly moved forward, closing in on the jag. Sarah pulled the beast, J-5269, up in her helmet and read about it. “Jaguar-esque animal with a rack of sharpened antlers and at least three rows of teeth. Demonstrates higher intelligence and group mentality.”
Sarah sighed. These scientists were looking at this all wrong. These animals were not from Earth. They were alien. There were animals morphing out there from nowhere near the Sahara. The alien goop was letting loose beasts that were meant to look familiar to calm the humans a bit, but they weren’t in any way a species from this planet.
The low roaring pulled Sarah’s attention back up to the group as they lined up in front of the beast. Sarah shook away the picture in her HUD to find one right there, alive and real. Her eyes went wide as she watched it protecting its ground. One of the guys on the team stepped forward and shot a dart, striking it in the neck. The jag stopped, pawing at the dart and knocking it out. Where the dart had gone in, the sedative came out of its body and ran down its fur. Sarah couldn’t believe her eyes; the beast was able to defend itself against the drug.
Almost immediately, the guys raised their guns. The jag started to pounce and Sarah grabbed her chest plate, watching in horror as they all fired on it. The cat stumbled back and fell to the ground, taking its last breath. Sarah shook her head, feeling for the animal. She pulled her foot to take a step, but it was caught on something. Slowly she looked down, feeling something wrapping tighter around her ankle. She froze, watching a vine squeeze her leg.
She opened a channel. “Uh, guys?”
Brian lowered his gun and looked back as the vine pulled hard, swiping her off her feet. She flipped onto her back and rose off the ground. Dangling in the air, she looked at the guys in panic. “A little help, please!”
Brian put out his hands and began to step toward her slowly. “Don’t panic. Try not to struggle.”
The plant gripped her tighter, and she began to turn slowly. “That’s easier said than done.”
Sarah tried to hang there not moving, but as she turned in a circle, she saw it. At first, she thought she was imagining it, but quickly she realized she wasn’t. There was a gorgeous lavender plant behind her, its petals unfurled and rows of teeth in the center. “Holy fucking hell.”
Her hands smoothed up her suit, landing on her utility knife. She looked at Ivan, who had got
ten down on one knee and was holding his sniper rifle up. He had one eye closed and was aiming at the vine. After a few moments, he looked at Brian and shook his head.
Brian sighed and turned back to Sarah. “We can’t take a shot without possibly dropping you into the plant. You need to use your strength to climb up, cut the vine, and swing back toward us. When you do, let go. We will catch you.”
Sarah groaned. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
She was half-panicked and half-disbelieving. She shut her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, she was over the plant. She grabbed her knife and growled as she used her stomach muscles to lift herself up. She grabbed the vine and began to saw as fast as she could, feeling herself being lowered. The smell of the plant was almost enchanting; she assumed it was used to lure its prey.
With a snap, the vine broke, and Sarah held on to the hanging part with one hand. Her legs swung down, but she pulled her knees up, only just grazing the sharp and jagged teeth below. She twisted her body to the right and pushed off from the closest tree, swinging wide. Instead of letting go, she swung back, her knife gripped tightly in her hand. As the vine shot her around, she let go, soaring straight for the plant. She swiped her arm wide and cut the plant at its base, knocking the bud to the ground and rolling through the leaves.
Her body slammed into a tree and she groaned, feeling a rib snap. She grabbed her side and took a shallow breath. Ivan ran over and looked at her. “Holy hell, what the fuck was that? That was like some Tarzan and Jane kind of shit mixed with motherfucking Rambo.”
Sarah laid her head down on the ground. “Can we go home now?”
Before she knew it, she had passed out.
Holly shoved a nacho in her mouth and chewed wildly. “Are you fucking kidding me? You took down the plant? Did it suck to get out of the jungle with broken ribs?”
Ivan chuckled. “It sucked for the rest of us. We didn’t bring any pain meds in, so every time she woke, she ended up passing out again ten minutes later from the pain.”