“So you are the terrorists that have caused us all of these problems,” Amayr said.
“Terrorists? You’re the fucking terrorists. You invaded us—raped and murdered our women and then tried to exterminate us,” Mason retorted.
“This is the will of God. You will atone for your sins. You have done much worse to us for centuries, it is time you receive the infidel’s justice,” Amayr said, unholstering his pistol, aiming it at Mason’s face.
“Lieutenant. I was given strict instructions from General Aazim himself that these prisoners were to be delivered to him personally,” Billy Boy said, releasing the knife from Pualani’s throat, and kicking her into Mason and the group.
“So be it. But I shall cleanse the female infidels first,” Amayr said, focusing his attention on Luanne.
“I do love a good cleansing,” Billy Boy said. He winked at Mason and nodded for him to look over his shoulder.
He took a quick glance before two of the patrol boats exploded into a fiery blaze. He grabbed Pualani by the shoulders to make sure she was still alive when he saw Billy Boy stick her Bowie knife through the back of Aamyr’s throat, killing him instantly.
“Is that a fucking submarine?” Kalen shouted.
There was no mistaking the Seawolf class fast attack submarine that had just surfaced. She had fired one of her Mk-48 torpedoes with devastating effect. The Islamic soldiers were in bedlam as their patrol boats were being decimated. Mason knocked down one of the soldiers closest to him and grabbed his weapon. Cap’n Tony and Kalen followed suit and started to fire on the remaining leaderless soldiers. It was a slaughter, the flimsy patrol boats were no match for the nuclear-powered attack submarine.
Bloodlust took over as Mason went on a killing spree. He followed the fleeing soldiers into the water with his ax, hacking them to pieces as they tried to swim away. Mason regained his wits when he recognized the slow moving fin, with the white tip, protruding from the water. The ocean was running red with blood, dead men and debris— from the blown apart ships—were floating everywhere.
Mason knew, from a long career at sea, that the oceanic white tip shark was a real danger to shipwrecks and air crash survivors. The white tip may move slowly, but she is a vicious killer when she spots her prey.
He turned to swim back to the tugboat in a hurry when he saw three, four, five white tipped shark fins all around him. He was only fifty yards away from safety, when he realized he was being circled by a big one. The dead soldiers' bodies were disappearing around him with a swoosh, and he was next. He faintly heard screams, and tasted the warm salt water in his mouth. He pushed as hard as could to get back to the safety of the tugboat. As he got closer, he saw Billy Boy leveling a rifle at him.
That son of a bitch, Mason thought, as Billy Boy peeled off three shots at him. Mason closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable shock from the bullet to rip through his body—but it never came. The three shots scored on the white tip shark, which was a moment away from stealing his life. Billy Boy was an excellent shot, and the eleven foot, nearly four hundred pound, shark floated lifelessly on top of the water.
Kalen and Pualani helped Mason back onto the tugboat. He collapsed from exhaustion and closed his eyes as he caught his breath. What the fuck is going on, he thought to himself. He turned on his side and saw Brody was still alive, Luanne had him propped up but he was still unconscious. Cap’n Tony was standing on top of the sub and the hatch was beginning to open. Dead League of Islam soldiers were scattered everywhere, and Kalen was saying something to him, when he focused his eyes on Billy Boy.
The tall, fat pirate was awkwardly smiling at him. He extended his hand down to help him up. Mason only saw a red silhouette; anger took over and he sprung at him. Mason shot in on him, driving his head and shoulders into Billy Boy’s hips. He clasped his hands around the backs of the pirate’s legs and dumped him on the deck like an old bag of trash. He climbed on top of him and brought an elbow down into his face, splitting his forehead open, just above the eyebrow. He reared up for another strike, when he felt a pair of hands pull him off.
“That’ll be enough of that,” said a tall, blond, powerfully built man.
“Do you know who this bastard is? What he’s done?” Mason shouted, back pointing.
“Some of it yes—but he is with us.” The man kneeled down to help Mason up. “Billy Boy infiltrated General Aazim’s operation. He provided us with crucial intelligence on the enemy’s troop movements, location and strength. He is one of us—he is part of the American Resistance. He saved the lives of your group.”
“Huh? Saved us.” Mason was rubbing his temples, he was confused and had a headache that would rival any hangover he’d ever had in his life. “But everyone’s dead—this is all that we have left,” Mason said, pointing to the handful of wounded and battered survivors on the tugboat.
“No, that’s not entirely accurate. Thanks to Billy Boy’s information, we were able to save fifty or so survivors at the battle of Camp Freedom and about a dozen or so from Alamo Island. Excellent work by the the way. I’ll explain everything later, we need to move. All of Florida is deep behind enemy lines.”
“Wait… Who are you?” Mason asked.
“My name is Master Chief Ken Gaye. I’m the AR Strike force leader out of Norfolk, Virginia. This is Seaman Shortstack,” he said, pointing to the thin wiry man who was helping Brody onto the sub. “The Admiral was able to send us a distress call when Camp Freedom was attacked, and Billy Boy was able to guide us to the survivors. We have a base in Little Creek, Virginia, where we’ll be able to treat your wounded and offer you food and shelter.”
“Master Chief, this mother fucker has captured and sold women to be raped and murdered. How can you allow that? That is goddamn unforgivable!” Mason said.
“Many of those women had volunteered to be used as bait in order to give us intelligence on our enemy. Most of them were rescued before any type of deviant act was performed. We are in a war, and drastic measures have got to be taken. Billy Boy made an enormous sacrifice to gain the trust of General Aazim,” Ken said, looking at Billy boy. “He offered his twelve year old daughter as a tribute, but we weren’t able to get to her in time, and she perished terribly.”
“You are one sick son of a bitch,” Pualani said spitting at Billy Boy.
Mason looked at his tired and worn down group, slowly meeting each one of them in the eyes, searching for confirmation that he was about to make the right call. Each one of them, from Cap’n Tony down to Pualani, silently nodded in agreement.
“Thank you. This is a lot to take in, and I don’t know who to trust anymore, but we are with you. Just keep that mother fucker away from me and my group—I don’t care how valuable he is to you,” Mason said.
“We’ll do our best, this submarine isn’t built for comfort. Look, we all have our differences, but if we are going to survive this disaster, we have to get over them and start working together,” Ken replied.
“Wow… I’ve never been on a submarine before,” Kalen said, cutting the tension in the air.
“We won’t be able to take the tug with us, we’ll have to scuttle her before we go. She looks like she served you pretty well. Make sure you transfer all of the weapons and ammo you have left onto the sub before we get underway,” Ken said.
“I figured as much. Kalen, grab our flag off the mainmast before we go,” Mason shouted, before he turned to the Master Chief and said, “You know we have unfinished business here. I can’t leave these waters without making things right with a certain Islamic General.”
“You’re not the only one that feels this way, Mason. We will make things right before we head north.”
Cap’n Tony insisted on being the one to sink the tugboat. He agreed that nothing could be left behind to aid the enemy. He had grown quite close to her and it was difficult for him to place the plastic explosive correctly in the engine room. They stood on the deck of the submarine for a long moment before he said, “I know we have to s
ink her, but why here?”
“I think I understand what you mean,” Mason said. “What if we used her one last time. Billy Boy, do you want to make things right?”
“Things are right as far as I’m concerned,” Billy Boy said, adjusting the bandage over his eye.
“I know we need to get our people outta here. But what if we...” Mason said, detailing his plan to the group.
“This would be dangerous as all hell, but it might just work,” Ken said.
Pualani pulled Mason aside and whispered, “No way, I don’t trust Billy Boy. He just tried to kill us. I don’t care if he’s some kind of spy or double agent. This is fucking crazy.”
“Don’t worry about this, it has nothing to do with you. I’m not going to get anyone else killed that I care about today. I want you to stay on the sub with Tony, Luanne and Brody, you’ve done enough. If anyone gets killed or infected, it’ll be me or this cocksucker,” Mason said, pointing at Billy Boy.
The fat pirate settled his gaze on Mason, threw him some rope to bind his wrists, and loaded his pistol before sticking it in his waistband.
****
The sub had refueled the tugboat and was keeping a safe distance as Mason and Billy boy made their way to the red line. They were approaching the League of Islam’s flagship, the Hamzeh. She was an impressive amphibious assault warship. She had a well deck in the stern which was used to deploy smaller amphibious attack craft, and used as the command ship central to the invasion, according to Billy Boy.
“Are you sure he’ll be here?” Mason asked.
“This is where we always meet. I’m sure he’ll be eager to finally confront you. You know you’re probably going to get yourself killed doing this, right?”
“I really don’t care anymore. This bastard has got to pay.”
They approached the stern of the Hamzeh slowly and cautiously. Several patrol boats surrounded them instantly with their weapons drawn. Billy Boy hailed the soldiers on the closest patrol boat with the prearranged greeting, “Assalamu ala man ittaba’a al-huda.”
They lowered their weapons and got on their radios, chattering in Arabic. A voice with a thick accent came across to them, via a megaphone. “Wait here while we lower the stern gate. You will slowly enter and dock your vessel inside upon our signal.”
Mason tried hard to conceal the smile on his face as he thought, I’m in.
So far so good.
Mason had Cap’n Tony tie him to the capstan on the bow. He had hidden Pualani’s knife under his pants, duct taped to his thigh. He wanted to make it believable that he was a captured prisoner. It was a long moment while they waited in silence for the stern gate to open.
When the ship was ready to receive them, they slowly came in through the stern gate. The smell of death was ripe as Mason saw hundreds of these super feeders grouped in cages on dozens of landing craft. Dozens of regular League of Islam soldiers lined the decks of the wet well to see their special guest.
Unknowingly, Mason had made a reputation for himself as a vicious heathen terrorist, and he knew if this plan didn’t go off exactly right he was in for a brutal death.
Mason had never seen General Aazim before, but there was no mistaking the man coming toward him as the tugboat was secured in the wet well.
Aazim boarded the tug and brushed by Billy Boy to greet his prisoner. Clutching Mason’s throat with his right hand, Aazim said nothing and just squeezed. Mason’s face started to turn reddish-purple, and he felt his consciousness leaving him. Aazim released his hold and ferociously backhanded Mason, before turning to Billy Boy.
“Again you have failed me. I’ve lost countless men and ships due to your incompetence.”
“They ambushed us, General. Your men fought bravely in the name of Allah. I bring you their leader, they have all been killed. Except him,” Billy Boy said.
“You, you have caused me much trouble, Infidel,” Aazim said, turning to Mason and pointing his finger at him.
“Fuck you,” Mason said, trying to control his breathing. The uncontrollable anger was welling up in him now. “I’m going to kill you.”
“I doubt you are in the position to threaten anyone here,” Aazim snarled, “ Get these infidels to the main deck. We will finish this now.”
“Wait, wait,” Billy Boy said as he ripped his arm free from the soldiers grasp. “This was not our deal. I delivered him to you as agreed.”
“Your usefulness to me has ended. You will stand trial and receive judgment alongside your infidel brother,” Aazim said over his shoulder, walking away.
Black hoods were pulled over Mason and Billy Boy’s heads as they were slowly paraded up to the main deck, and were roughly thrown onto their knees. Mason heard a familiar moaning, it was a low pitched, depraved growl.
“Oh, by the way… If I forgot to tell you—great fucking plan! I gotta say this is going very well,” Billy Boy said, shaking his head, trying to get the black hood to stop rubbing into his cut.
“It’s not over yet. Have a little faith,” Mason said, feeling for his knife.
As their black hoods were removed, they saw half a dozen super feeders savagely frothing at them, just a few feet away. They were wheeled up in a cage onto the main deck. Mason noted to himself that they were even more mutated than before.
Any human resemblance was now completely gone. They were creatures, monsters, demons that craved human flesh. The soldiers were working them into a frenzy, they had brought fresh blood and covered Mason and Billy Boy in it. The feeders could smell and taste their kill only a couple of feet away. They were going berserk in their cage, squealing and reaching for their kill.
Aazim walked down from the upper deck where the other soldiers had gathered to watch the slaughter in safety. He stood in front of Mason with his back a safe distance from the cage and started pointing at him and shouting in Arabic.
Mason knew this going to be his only chance, he had wiggled out of his bonds and charged at Aazim while freeing his knife. The impact of his charge had knocked Aazim back into the cage of super feeders. In one fluid motion, he brought his knife under the chin of the General and drove it home as hard as he could. The knife killed him instantly as he fell backwards against the cage.
The feeders, reaching through the cage, made quick work of the General’s lifeless body. Several mutated arms tore his flesh apart, while he was bitten several times through the bars of the cage.
“Now goddamn it… Now!” Mason shouted to Billy Boy as the soldiers started to open fire on the main deck.
“I can’t get to it—my hands are fucking tied still!” Billy Boy shouted back as he fumbled for the detonator.
Mason slid across the fresh blood to get the detonator from Billy Boy as the pirate slumped over dead. He was shot in the forehead, staring towards the sky. Bullets were zinging past Mason as he found the detonator, pulled the antenna and flicked the lever up.
Time stopped.
A dull roar started in the wet well followed by a massive fireball that shot straight up. Mason was knocked against the rail of the ship as he felt the tremendous heat tearing at his flesh. He dove over the side of the ship as several more explosions started.
He landed on his back after falling the forty or so feet from the ship. The water was excruciatingly hot, and he could hear the mixed screams of man and feeder as they burned. Mason swam fast, he dug in deep to get a safe distance away, before he found a small wooden boat to climb into and watch the horrifically magnificent scene unfold.
He stood and watched the flames from the warship lick the sky. The initial explosion triggered a domino effect and the ship was neatly split in half, as the bow sunk. The stern bobbed for a few minutes before going under as well. He could make out a hundred or so men in the water dying and drowning when he saw the Coup de grâce pass him.
Dozens of white tip sharks made their way to the shipwreck in perfect formation. He saw their white fins glinting in the water, enhanced by the light of the moon. This is the infidels’ justi
ce, he thought to himself.
A few minutes later, the ocean parted with a swoosh and a submarine emerged from the water, dangerously close to him. The hatch popped open and Pualani’s beaming face was the first to appear.
“You coming or what?—I hear Virginia is nice this time of year.”
****
Copyright © 2013 by Griffin Smith
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Episode 4
American Resistance, Episode 4 in the Rise of Chaos Post-Apocalyptic Adventure Series, picks up two years after the conclusion of Episode 3, Infidel Justice.
Mason and his team, Strike Force Foxtrot have captured a super feeder and brought the hideous zombie like creature back to the bunker in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
They discover how the league of Islam has been using these monsters to infect and exterminate the American Population.
They devise a plan to launch an offensive to take back Florida or The New Jerusalem as it's now known, and to kill the leader of Radical Islamic uprising Abu Hadi, who has been using these monsters as shock troops to eradicate the people of the United States.
Now available on Amazon here
Season 1 (All five Episodes)
Run like hell...
The United States as we know it has just collapsed. It all started after the release of "Annihilation", a synthetic designer drug that was marketed as a perfectly legal high. This drug turned its unsuspecting users into "feeders." (It causes imminent death and then re-animation into a zombie like state.)
Rise of Chaos 3 Page 3
