The woman’s eyes grew large as she took in my words. Nunzio’s voice came across the suddenly silent aircraft. “Hey Kot, looks like we have two women on the team. Feel better now?”
“I have been asking for another woman to be put on the team for a while. Tired of never having a gal pal to do my nails and chat all night about boys,” Kot winked at me.
“You better have Periwinkle in your nail polish collection Kot.” I sat down near the cockpit and pounded on the back of the pilot’s seat. “Get this thing in the fucking air.”
A female head turned around from the pilot’s seat. “I will not get this thing in the air, until you invite me to the pajama party!”
“Only if you have Periwinkle. Why must I keep explaining this?” I intoned.
“Oh, baby I have all the colors,” the pilot punched the copilot in the shoulder. “You heard the Major, get this thing in the air. Do I have to do everything?”
“You are the aircraft’s commander, so, yeah you do have to do everything.” The copilot answered back in a snarky voice.
“Oh, yeah. Alright then, advance the nacelles and throttle, let’s get this damn thing in the air!” The Osprey vibrated as the rotors picked up speed and then they jumped into the air. In a minute, they had transitioned into their plane configuration.
Most of the bantering stopped as the team closed their eyes and dropped into sleep. Since boot camp, it had been deeply ingrained into every soldier, flight puke, and sailor, that you had to get your sleep, whenever you could. I shrugged my shoulders and joined in. My last thoughts I had were of Lewis.
I quickly opened my eyes and looked around, I felt like I was losing it. I found myself sitting in a boat, on the calm bay of an island with white sand that sat a couple of hundred yards away. In the middle of the island stood a mountain so high it was ringed in clouds.
“Great, the Osprey was in a wreck and I died.”
“Why is it you and Dan had the same exact thought when you found yourself here?” A female’s musical voice broke the silence.
I spun in my seat and glanced toward the bow of the boat and found a beautiful blonde woman dressed in a yellow sun dress. “Uhm sorry sweet heart, I don’t swing that way.”
“Oh Brian, if only you knew your true story,” the blonde sauntered over barefoot and took a seat across from me, her knees almost touching my shins. She bent forward at the waist and rested her elbows on her knees. “I am worried over Dan, my Sasquatch.”
I sat back stunned over the name she called me. “You can’t be her, I mean I know Dan speaks of seeing you and all, but no. You can’t be,” I muttered.
The woman transformed in front of my eyes into a little girl with blonde, ringlets in her hair. She smiled up at me and then climbed up onto my lap. “It is me silly,” she placed her hands on the sides of my face and looked deep into my eyes.
My chest heaved as I tried to hold back the sob that threatened to break from me. Tears filled my eyes as I looked into this little girl’s face. “I have missed you little one,” I finally got out without blubbering.
“And I have missed you, but I am lucky enough to watch you from afar.” She kissed my cheeks.
“I knew Dan was not lying to me when he described visiting you, but I was not quite sure it had been real. I figured he had been dreaming.”
Angel climbed off my lap and transformed back to the young lady she had been and sat down across from me. “I am real Brian, as real as anything on or off Man’s world. I came to see you, because for some reason I cannot reach Dan. He has closed himself off from me. I am afraid of the thoughts going on in his head. He is becoming dark, he dreams of violence and self-righteous revenge. I am terrified,” her voice trailed off as she tilted her head to the sky.
“He had been thrust into a position he doesn’t want, stress can really mess with someone.” I offered lamely.
Angel scrunched up her nose and eyed me. “That is not it…” she broke off as she looked up to the sky and nodded solemnly. “I don’t have much time left. When you get to the base, you are going to find some things that may surprise you. You may not want to share with Dan, it might be best to hold back. I know that was cryptic, but…” she looked to the sky again and bit her top lip in frustration. “That is as much as I am allowed to say. Be careful Sasquatch, I love you.”
“I love you little one, but I am so confused.”
Angel put her finger against my lips and winked at me. She then leaned forward and planted a delicate kiss to my forehead. Her lips gave off a shock of electricity and I was hit with a barrage of pictures. I was standing next to an Amazonian blonde under the sun, the next I was near the same blonde, but something was different, the skin on her face was peeling back showing metal underneath. The next instant I was holding hands with Lewis, and the last made me cry. I was on my knees in the dirt, Dan’s father dead on the ground in front of me and a little baby asleep in my arms. When I woke up, I snapped my head back and collided with the metal airframe of the Osprey. My team was staring at me, I took in a deep breath and rubbed my face.
“Sorry kiddos, nightmares.”
“That is the norm now Sir,” Kot offered with a smile.
“Yeah ain’t that the truth. By the way, call me Sir again and I am throwing you out the nearest opening.” I growled.
“What would you like us to call you?” Nunzio asked in his thick comical Italian accent.
“I am fond of Sasquatch and it seems to fit,” I offered.
“Alright, Sasquatch it is,” Kot agreed.
“Hey Sasquatch, we are over the base. This place looks like shit, you might want to come forward,” the copilot turned in his seat and pointed out the front windows.
I got up and made my way to the cockpit and looked out. The scene was one of complete fucking chaos. The ground was littered in unmoving bodies, a literal carpet of death. “Fuck, ok lower the rear ramp, we will get eyes on the objective. From there we will let you know when and where it is safe to land.”
“Not happening sir, we were told to disembark you by fast roping and then scoot back to the carrier and wait for you to call for a pick up,” the pilot answered.
I shook my head and growled under my breath. “That kind of makes sense, but when we will need a pickup, I am sure we are not going to have the time to sit around with our thumbs planted firmly up our asses waiting.” I closed my eyes and tried to think clearly. “Tell you what, I am changing your orders. Drop us off and scoot back to the carrier, gas up and then get your ass back here. That should give us about five hours on the ground, more than enough time to get shit done. Got it?”
“Got it Sasquatch,” the pilot answered. She pointed forward at the top of a four-story building. “That is the Support Squadron building. Want me to drop you up there?”
I checked out the building and shook my head in frustration. I have never been to this base, but most of them were designed the same. “I’d prefer to walk off the back ramp, my ass does not do fast rope very well.”
“I can do that Sasquatch, be prepared to be amazed with my death defying high flying act,” she joked.
I patted the pilot on her shoulder and made my way to the back. “Get on your feet boys and girl, our pretty little pilot is going to drop us on top of the Support Squadron building. I take it you don’t need me to give you some stupid speech and shit, I am sure. You are professionals and know what I expect from you, so when the ramp lowers get the fuck out, and don’t forget our weapons cache,” I growled like a professional drill instructor.
Nunzio stood and waved his team up. “You heard the fucking Sasquatch! Kot, you and Hicks off first and secure the roof. The rest of you get that pallet off. We need this done fast, the sound from this Osprey is like a ringing dinner bell for any skinnies. Got it?” He growled loudly.
A chorus of “Aye, ayes” echoed through the bird. I moved my way to the ramp and motioned for Kot and Hicks to step back. “I’ll go first, afterward you two are cordially invited to attend my p
arty.”
They backed off and let me do my thing. The red light above my head blinked off and a green one snapped on. I hit the switch and watched the ramp motor down. I stepped out and observed the crazy pilot maneuver her aircraft perfectly into place. The edge of the ramp rested on the lip of the building’s roof. I saw two bodies move toward us and brought my SCAR up, but something snapped inside me. I dropped the gun on its sling and rushed down the ramp. I lowered my shoulder and had the time to take in the particulars of the first zombie. It had been a man at one point, an obvious civilian with long black hair and dressed in torn and bloodied jeans, a brown sweatshirt over its emaciated gaunt form. One cheek missing and a gnarly gash in its neck. I hit it hard, but instead of taking it to the ground, I lifted the body into the air and launched it head first over the side of the roof. I spun quickly and brought my open hand up and under the next zombies chin, snapping its teeth closed with a sickening cracking sound. It was a woman, and a fresh one at that. It had been dressed in Air Force coveralls, its head still wearing a baseball cap. A rage I cannot explain rushed through my veins as I twisted the zombie’s body around, so I was still holding its chin in my hand. I wrenched the head back and with my other hand gripped the nape of the neck. I stomped a foot down on the back of its knee and forced it to the ground. I twisted and pulled with every muscle in my body. Tendons and bones snapped, muscles and skin tore with a loud ripping sound as I wrenched the head free of the body, some of the vertebrae pulled free of the neck. I threw it over the edge of the roof and felt the rage flood free of my system. I hadn’t gone Hulk like that in a long time. I guess I needed to work on some issues that my subconscious found important. I turned to find the team standing around the pallet watching wide eyed, jaws dropped open.
“You just ripped the head off that fucking zombie, holy shit Sasquatch! That was the most amazing thing I have ever seen,” Nunzio announced.
I stood there wiping my gloves on my BDU trousers and eyed the team. “Stop standing around gawking, you act like you have never seen a man work out his frustrations before.”
“Not like that, but next time make sure I am around to see it again.” Kot smiled.
“Nunzio, we are going to want someone up high on watch,” I turned looking for the perfect place.
“I’ll handle that Sasquatch. They don’t call me Dead Eye for nothing,” a slight looking man offered in an obvious Texan twang.
“That is not the only name we call you,” Kot laughed and winked at the young man.
Dead Eye flipped Kot off and swung his modified Win Mag 300 rifle around to the front of his body. Hand resting on the big scope. “I do not like being called that other name. It only happened once anyway Kot.”
“Whatever Limpy…” Kot turned and walked away to the entry door off the roof.
“I am dying to hear this story, but we ain’t got the time. Dead Eye, Limpy. Get your ass up high and watch our backs.”
He snapped a salute to me and lifted his big scope to his eye and scanned the area. “I can see everything from on top of that tower,” he pointed to a large radio antenna about two hundred yards away.
“Alright, once we make it to the ground, you can break off and get your ass up there,” Nunzio ordered.
“I am not a normal part of your team, so you will take point on clearing each floor. Just tell me where you want me,” I was not stupid enough to try and lead this team of killers, who had been baptized together under fire, and could probably read each other’s thoughts. I stepped aside and fell in behind the team as they made entry into the Support Squadron building, bringing up the rear with my SCAR.
Nunzio was a great leader, one of my own school of thought. He led from the front. He turned the knob to the access door, slipped it open and disappeared inside. His team followed close on his heels. I waited a beat and followed them into the darkened stairway. I was really good at this stuff but, wanted to see what they could do.
We worked down to the top floor and stacked behind the door. Nunzio reached out, tentatively testing the handle. It was locked and would not move. Before I could point out the electronic card reader, Kot stepped back and produced a card with wire leads coming out of it. The lock must’ve been on back-up power, because a red light was shining on it. Kot slid the card into the reader and pulled back a velcroed cover on her forearm, exposing a small touchscreen read out. She tapped a couple of commands and the red light snapped off and a bright green one replaced it. She pulled the card, slid it back in its home and inserted herself back in line. Nunzio pushed down on the handle and pushed the door inward. We made entry and quietly closed the door behind us, no reason to let anyone or thing sneak up on us. Emergency lighting was also still on giving enough light to see the hallway. The walls were covered in bullet holes and dead bodies littered the floor. Each head had a single black hole in its forehead. Someone had known how to kill to ensure no more zombies would rise up.
We moved on through the graveyard of dead, checking each room as we went. Finding nothing, but more dead bodies, and obviously ransacked desks and file cabinets.
It went this way as we moved down through the next two floors. The good part was that not once did we come across any infected. On the second floor is where we ran into something different. At the end of the floor, we found a locked metal door. Someone had obviously tried to get into it. as the scorch and dent marks scarring its metal covering indicated. I looked it over and worked out how I would get into the room if I needed to. I would need either a plasma rig or a couple of pounds of Symtex plastic explosives.
Nunzio stepped up to the door and looked over the digital locking pad. “Hey Kot, was this in on the plans we were given?”
Kot exposed her forearm computer screen and slid her fingers across it. Her eyes were intensely scanning the information and blueprints uploaded to her computer before they left. “That is a big fat zero Nunzio.”
“Do we attempt to open it or mark it in our after-action report and move on?” Nunzio turned to me. “What do you think Sasquatch?”
I stared at the door for a while and then stepped up closer. “If someone was in there and we left them to rot and die, I would never forgive myself for not trying,” I removed my Kabar and used the pommel to bang five times. I waited and banged another three.
Silence met us, and I was about to move on when we heard a muted pounding. I pounded on the door again six times and waited. A clanking sound and then a hiss emitted from the door and started to inch open slowly. I waved to the team, giving them a silent order to drop their weapons to low ready. Once the door was open wide, the light revealed a short petite Asian woman, who as soon as she saw us, ran out and wrapped her arms around Kot. Kot almost shot the woman, thinking she was an infected, but to her credit she waited. The Asian woman started sobbing huge body wracking sobs.
I studied the hatch, waiting for anyone else to come through. I heard a small voice come out from the room and I moved toward it. What I found inside made me smile, eight children of all ages sat against the far wall of what turned out to be a sort of secure safe room. It included two sets of bunkbeds, a pallet of military rations, three large blue plastic barrels of water, and a toilet of some sort at the back of the room. The children looked shocked and scared, when they saw me. I know what people think when they see me, I am very imposing. I removed my SCAR from its sling, placed it on the ground, and then moved slowly into the room, my most sincere disarming smile etched on my face. I stopped a foot from the kids and dropped to my knees. I removed my shooter glasses and helmet and placed them to my side.
“Hi, my name is Brian. We are here to rescue you,” I almost broke on that last word.
One of the little boys, who couldn’t be over eight, stood and moved toward me. Tears welled in his eyes and threatened to fall. He stopped close to my chest and looked up in amazement at me. “You are really big!”
I chuckled a little and opened my arms wide. “Just call me Teddy Bear.”
The boy jumped i
nto my arms, wrapping his little arms around my neck, and started crying. “They shot my mommy, and those monsters ate my best friend,” he sobbed, tears falling and drenching my beard. I held back my tears and rubbed his back.
“I know buddy. There are real monsters out there, but I brought my Monster Hunters with me. We will take care of you, I promise,” I kissed the top of his head.
The flood of tears broke, as the rest of the kids rushed me, and threw their little arms around me and the little boy. They all broke down crying and began trying to tell their stories. Nunzio came in the room behind me, bringing the rest of team in. They all dropped to their knees and took the badly need hugs from the children. It helped each soldier, ensuring they understood what they were fighting for. I broke free from the kids and stepped out of the room, and relieved Kot of the crying Asian woman. I needed to know what had happened.
“Ma’am I am Major Brian Leeder. Can you please tell me what happened here?” I spoke as softly as I could and sat on the top of a nearby desk coming, down to her level.
“My name is Danielle Mei, I was running the school for the children on the base. When the base’s siren went off I grabbed as many of the kids I could and rushed here to the Support Squadron. I used to work here as an intel secretary, I knew of this safe room and figured it would be the best place for me and the kids. As we arrived…” she broke off her story and started shaking and crying again. “I lost half the kids I had grabbed from the school on the way here. They either ran away to look for their families or were taken by those things. I can still hear their screams. I never even turned around to save them, there was nothing I could do. I had to get the rest of the children here, no matter what. Did I do the right thing?” she raised her tear streaked face to me.
Zombie Theorem: Dark Times Book Five Page 6
