I looked over to Nunzio to find him charging into the stairway and disappearing, DP One and Two close on his heels. I took a moment to look over the side of the four sides of our building. With just enough light I could see the ground and discern that two sides were clear. I checked my magazine and found it half empty. I changed it out for a fresh one and slid the used one into my pack. In normal times, I would just eject the magazine and leave it were it fell, but no one was making new magazines anymore. I entered the stairway gun up and let my mind work on its complex plan to get out of the building while the warrior inside me took over my body.
I came out of the stairway and entered the lobby, to find Kot and the rest of the team busily drilling holes into the dead attempting to bull their way into the building. I checked on their progress, taking time to pop some zombie heads, before turning and making my way to the back of the building. I entered an office and found a window showing the back alley. I slid open the window and stuck my head out checking to make sure the coast was clear. I was pleasantly surprised to not have my head snacked on by a hiding zombie. Relieved at having my pieces still intact, I made my way back to the lobby. I found the situation worse than when I had left. The damn rotten meatbags had forced their way in through the door and pushed my people back, but being the military professionals, they were, they made the zombies pay a heavy price. A pile of bodies was littered around the front door.
“Team, time to go!” I bellowed in my loudest roughest voice I could muster.
Kot was the first to disengage from the fire fight and dash to the office I was pointing at. DP One and Two turned next and shot out after Kot. Nunzio and I stood our ground firing precise, but hurried shots at the zombies, dropping one with every round leaving our barrels.
“Okay Nunzio, get your Italian ass out of here,” I yelled at the Seal.
“Fuck no wudewasa! You better move your unwashed ass!” Nunzio answered back, never taking his eyes off the encroaching zombies.
“Did you just call me a wild man, in Italian?”
“If the term fits asshole, then wear it proudly. I told you already, you are the important one.”
I had had enough at this point. I grabbed Nunzio by the drag strap on the back of his tactical vest and yanked him back, tossing him down the hallway and toward his team. “Move your ass Seal, that is an order!”
I concentrated on thinning the horde as they kept squeezing through the door and advancing further into the lobby. This was starting to be problematic, I would run out of rounds before I could stop all these things. I dropped my SCAR onto its sling and snatched two grenades off my vest. One was a typical fragmentation M67, it looked like a small metal tennis ball, but with a small upper protrusion, a pin, and what was called a spoon. The other was a M34 white phosphorous, Willy Pete was bigger and more oblong in shape. It also had the same protrusion with a pin and spoon on top. I pulled the pin on the M34, let the spoon go and tossed it underhand toward the door, where it dropped into the open hands of a zombie.
The M34 does not go off like a grenade you have seen in movies. This bad boy flares to life with a searing light and a ton of smoke. It burns at temperatures around five thousand degrees Fahrenheit and has a blast radius around thirty-four meters. With the press of bodies coming through the door, I was not worried about being within the blast zone. The grenade lit up and immediately melted through the hands of the zombie holding it. The rest of the zombie went up in flames and spread quickly to the others around it. I turned and ran down the hallway, pulling the pin of the M67 and letting the spoon go. I spun on my heel and softball pitched it down the hall and the burning mobile zombies. I bounced off the open door of the office and dove through the open window just as the grenade went off behind me. I tucked into a ball, hit the ground on my shoulders, and rolled over my head and back onto my feet.
“Holy shit, that looked like some Hollywood stunt man!” DP One hit me in the shoulder and laughed.
“Let’s see Tom Cruise do that!” Kot offered with a giant grin on her face.
“First, that guy is only like five feet nothing. Secondly, he is probably inside some zombie’s stomach in Hollyweird,” I snarked, smiling down at the team around me.
My earpiece came alive in my ear then, butting in on our conversation. “Sasquatch you there? Over.”
I checked out our surroundings and started jogging as quickly and quietly away from the building as possible while I answered the radio call. “Go for Sasquatch. Over.”
“I picked up some Periwinkle and am on my way back. ETA fifteen mikes. Over.”
“Roger that, we are on the move back to the Support Squadron building. We have come in contact with one female adult and eight assorted children. They will need to be taken out with us. Over.”
“Did you just say children? Over.”
“Yes, small children. Over.”
“Roger Major, we will see you at the Support Squadron building. Over.”
“See you then. Over,” I picked up my pace slightly. “Dead Eye, Limpy, whatever your fucking nickname is, are we clear to the Support Squadron building? Over,” I huffed out.
“I see nothing in your way. Over.”
“Okay, get your ass down and catch up to us. Over.”
Two clicks came across the radio as Dead Eye answered back. I looked around and surveyed our surroundings. We seemed to have a clear path. I pushed into a higher gear and ran away ahead of my team. I wanted to secure the area in front of us and decide on our direction. I outdistanced the team and stopped as I hit a T-junction between four buildings with a wide throughway. I brought my SCAR up to my shoulder and checked in all four directions. I breathed in deep trying to fill my lungs with much needed oxygen. I flashed to the map of the base in my head and oriented myself to the Support Squadron building. We needed to go past the motor pool and large open grounds of a field. There was nowhere to hide, and once you were out there, you were going to be spotted easily by any zombies about. We could take the long way around, but that meant the Osprey would have to stay on station longer. I decided we should take the risk and waved the team in the direction of the motor pool. Once they passed me, I checked out our rear, then stood up and took off running to catch up. We stopped with our backs against a chain link fence surrounding the motor pool’s main parking lot.
“Sasquatch, we have a slight problem. Over.”
I hit my PTT and called back. “Lay it on me Dead Eye. Over.”
“I just ran into a large pack of these things over by the Squadron building, I can’t seem to find an opening clear enough to get through. I think we need to find another exit. Over.”
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath trying to calm my mind somewhat. “Okay Dead Eye, fall back toward the motor pool. Break. Hey fly girl you reading me? Over.”
“You are coming in five by five. Over.”
“Doesn’t look like we are going to make it to the rendezvous. Land and send your man in to get the kids. Once full, take off, and or we will find another place to meet you. Over.”
“Roger Sasquatch, we are low on fuel and, not going to be able to stay in the area long. Over.”
“We will deal with that when the time comes. Over,” I tilted my head up just as the Osprey appeared out of the sky and headed toward the Command Center.
“Hey Sasquatch, why don’t we head out to the flight line. They should be able to find an open area to pick us up.,” DP One stepped up to me.
“That is a stupid idea DP One. That is a large open space, we would have no place to go if we get surrounded,” Kot smacked him in the back of his helmet. “I know the hamster in your head is starving but try and think these things through.”
“Bite me Russkie,” DP One got out right before Kot sucker punched him in the gut. Doubling him over and evacuating his lungs of oxygen.
“Call me Russkie again and I will pull your testicles off and shove them down your throat,” Kot hissed.
I reached out and put my hands-on DP One’s
back. “I need to hear this story later, but right now I think it’s best you two make up, so we can get out of here.”
“Sasquatch, I am going to take DP Two with me and swing around to the port here and see if we can find a clear roof to evacuate from,” Nunzio grabbed DP Two and they set off running across the open ground.
“DP One, why don’t you ghost over this fence and check out the motor pool. Kot, you stay here with me and we will act as a back stop for Dead Eye, and Nunzio.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” he snapped a salute and was halfway up the fence in seconds.
“I will keep an eye in this direction, if you cover the other side.”
“That sounds like a plan,” I raised my rifle and sighted down the scope checking my area of responsibility.
Got it Starchild
“The Squadron building is dead ahead. Chief Lobato, do you have the plan figured out?” The pilot, Amy DuBoff, or Starchild as was painted on her helmet.
“Yeah, I got the plan. You are gonna drop me on the roof and I am going to hustle down to the safe room and collect Danielle and her kids. We are going to rush up here where, they are gonna board, while I run rear security. Is that close to being right Starchild?” The young wide shouldered man asked with a cheesy smile under his mask.
“Perfect, we are gonna drop you and move off to check out the vicinity and try and clear some of these zombies out of the area. Radio when you hit the roof, and I will swing around,” she gave the Chief a thumbs-up. She turned her head for a second and gazed out the cockpit windows across from her. She gauged the aerial antennas and buildings nearby. “Homer, take over the throttles and prepare to engage the flight controls for hovering.”
“Got it Starchild, building within range. Throttling down and engaging hover.” His hand danced over the throttle controls, as his right reached across his body, and flipped the switches containing the tilt rotor controls.
The Osprey with the name Seshat painted red on the fuselage with the eye of Horus underneath it, slew sideways till the rear ramp lined up with the roof. Once it stopped in a hover, Homer hit the release button on the controls to alert the Chief he was good to go. The ramp motored down and before it hit its stops, Chief Lobato leaped down to the roof and ran off to the building entrance.
“Chief is out, ramp coming closed. You are free to move Starchild.”
Starchild pushed down on her pedals and moved the stick to bring the Seshat away from the building and gain some altitude. “Keep the nacelles in their positions. We will swing around the motor pool and then out to the airfield and back to the roof. That should give the Chief the time he needs.”
“Aye, aye,” Homer leaned over and checked their surroundings. “We are clear of obstacles.”
Starchild slowly moved the Seshat away toward the motor pool, keeping the speed slow and deliberate. The zombie horde surrounding the building tilted their dead white cloudy eyes up and raised their hands toward the slow-moving aircraft. A moan started in the crowd and spread out, making it sound as if in one loud voice. A large group tore away from the horde and moved toward the movement of the Seshat.
Good one wise ass
Kot kept her eye glued to her scope and scanned the nearby buildings and across the parade ground. She was trained to keep both eyes open to watch as much around her as she could. She caught a light in the sky with her free eye and swung her scope up to find the source. The Osprey was coming in her general direction. She swung her scope back down and looked across the grounds when the loud moaning sound reached her ears over the oncoming sound from the rotors. Her eyes grew in amazement as she found the good size horde coming toward them.
“Sasquatch, eyes front quick!” she reached behind herself and patted my back.
I lowered my rifle and spun on my knee. I immediately tried to count the number of things coming in our direction and stopped at 23. “Fuck,” I swore under my breath. I hit the PTT button on my radio. “Starchild, swing away from the motor pool. You are bringing a horde down on my position! Over.”
The Osprey spun on her axis to the west and increased power, trying to move away from us and toward the flight line. “Shit, sorry Sasquatch. Over.”
“Shit happens, I just hope they turn and follow you. Over,” I kept my eyes wide and tried to melt into the shadow near the fence. Kot pushed back into me as we tried to become invisible. We both held our breath and prayed the horde would move away. My chest started to burn as my lungs convulsed slightly, trying to warn me I needed oxygen. I let out my stale air slowly through my nose, trying to not make any loud sounds. I shouldn’t have worried myself, cause the horde ignored the retreating Osprey and were continuing to make a beeline straight us.
“Shit, over the fence Kot!” I lifted her off the ground and just about tossed her to the top of the fence.
I swung my rifle behind me and tightened the strap against my chest. I flexed my legs and leaped up grabbing the top of the seven-foot fence and did a pull up. When the middle of my chest met the top of the fence, I placed my feet against it and pushed up. I ignored the razor wire and somehow made it over without ripping myself or my gear up too much. I was feeling watched over at this point. I dropped to my feet and brought my rifle back around to my shoulder. Kot dropped down next to me and checked to our right. We had dropped behind a row of twelve tan Humvees and four big buses. I took the lead down the row and came out into an open area that ran for fifteen yards to a row of large metal sided buildings. We moved heel to toe, knees bent, trying to stay low and out of sight of any potential zombie’s sightline. We made it to the door of the first building, before we heard the first zombie start rattling the fence we had just climbed. I reached out to open the door when it opened out toward me. I stepped back, pushed Kot behind me with one hand, dropped my SCAR, and pulled my Glock 30SF from my chest holster. Just as I was about to squeeze the trigger, DP Two stepped out eyes wide as he stared down the barrel of my gun.
“Same team dude, same team!” DP Two raised his hands and hunched his shoulders as if he actually believed I was going to shoot him.
I lowered my gun and was about to slide it back into its holster, when I saw something move behind DP Two. I reached out with my left hand and forced him down to his knees as I raised the Glock once more. An emaciated gray form appeared in my sight picture, hair missing in clumps from its head and a large hole in its chest. I took in the torn overalls of a mechanic and nothing more as I fired one quick shot that went slightly wide gouging a good size trench down the side of its head. I adjusted my aim and fired another, punching this one through the middle of its forehead. The zombie fell to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut. I pushed DP Two behind me as I switched on the small powerful LED I had mounted underneath the barrel of the Glock. I swept the room and moved into the middle of the room.
“How the hell did I miss that thing?” DP Two asked behind me.
“Doesn’t matter, just be glad the Sasquatch was watching out for you,” Kot passed him and entered the room, switching on her own LED light on her rifle and checking on the darkened corners of the room.
“I take it you swept the building?” I asked dryly to DP Two.
“I did, but it would seem I missed something. Maybe we should do it again?” He scratched his chin and cocked his head looking up to the ceiling. “Hey, wait, weren’t you supposed to stay outside and back stop Nunzio?”
I hit my radio and called out. “Nunzio, you hear me dude? Over.”
“Yeah Sasquatch I hear you. Over.”
“The Seshat kind of brought a horde down on my position I had to move to the motor pool with Kot. We are helping DP Two clear out the facility. Any luck on your end? Over.”
“Well I am sitting on the Bowling alley’s roof to the west of you. The view is not a good one, these dead fucks are everywhere. They are like sharks smelling chum and going into a frenzy. Over.”
“So, there is no way we are going to make it back to the evac? Over.”
“Not th
at I can tell, unless you want to get eaten and then shit out of one of those things.”
“Good one wise ass, break.” I shook my head in exasperation over the situation going to shit. “Starchild, where the hell are you? Over.”
Gomers on the stairs
Lobato hit the roof top of the support squadron building and made a quick beeline to the roof access door. He opened the door and charged down the stairs, he threw caution to the wind, as he knew that Sasquatch’s team had cleared the building. He reached the safe door and found it slightly ajar. As he placed his hand on it to open it, a Glock appeared through the gap and pushed against his forehead. He froze all movement and gulped slightly.
“I was sent by Sasquatch to gather you and the children ma’am. My name is Chief Lobato, we have an Osprey on station and ready to pull you out of here, but we need to move now.”
The gun moved slowly off Lobato and a second later the large metal door swung all the way open. Danielle had the children lined up, dressed, and ready to go. “Sorry Chief, I am a little punch drunk with all that has been going on.”
“That is excusable ma’am. If you and the little ones will follow me to the stairway, once there I want you and your hand cannon go up the stairs first, the children will be next, I will cover our rear.”
“Wait, I lost visual on the team. Where are they?” Danielle asked, eyes wide open in fear.
“They couldn’t make it here,” Lobato started moving to the stairway.
Danielle grabbed his wrist and stopped him. “What do you mean? What are we going to do to get them?”
“Ma’am I need to get you safe, before we can work on a plan to get them. Please follow me,” he freed his wrist and moved to the stairs. He opened the door and stepped out onto the landing. He waved for Danielle to move up the stairs and the children to follow her. He stood there an extra minute waiting for them to get safely above him. He then took several steps side-ways to be able to cover the landing above him and the one below him. As he continued to move, he tried to stretch his hearing out, but the footsteps banging and echoing through the stairway from the children drowned out anything that a zombie could make coming up from below him.
Zombie Theorem: Dark Times Book Five Page 10
