Apocalypse Empire (Book 1): Apocalypse Origins

by R. A. Neely

  "I'm talking about the doctor. I just walked by and saw him drinking himself stupid."

  Terrence shrugged. "Maybe he needed a little liquid courage as it were. The...experiments can be considered quite horrific if one doesn't steel themselves to the necessity."

  "The necessity? I asked around. You're killing innocents!"

  "No," Terrence replied, "the good doctor is killing innocents as you put it. I don't tell him how to run his experiments. And if some of them have been killed in the process...well we're trying to find a way to stop this infection."

  "By killing innocents? There has to be a better way."

  "You misunderstand the situation, Major. I don't tell the doctor how to solve the problem. I believe I've already stated this. The doctor told me what he needed and I provide it. If you want to wax on about the morality of the situation, you should go talk to the doctor."

  "This can't go on," Nick said. "I'm reporting this."

  "Alright. You do that. How do you think they'll respond? Pendleton is the best person qualified to find a treatment. You think they're going to tell us to just stop? Do you think they care how we come up with a solution?"

  Nick sat in one of the chairs. "How can you be okay with this? We're supposed to be protecting people, not experimenting on them."

  "Believe it or not, I take no pleasure in this. If there was another way to do this, I'd happily do it. Doctor Pendleton told me he needed live subjects so I procured them. My understanding is that he'd learned all he could from performing autopsies. I don't like it any more than you, Major. But it's for the greater good. If we can stop this thing, millions of lives can be saved."

  "At what price? How can this be worth it?"

  "There are over three hundred million people in this country. How many are dying right now as we speak? Worse, how many are being turned? How can we hope to rebuild with all those things out there?"

  Nick shook his head. "I don't know that I can be okay with this."

  "You don't have to be. Focus on your job. Keep this facility secure as long as possible. I can only guarantee one more site if we have to evacuate again."

  "That bad?"

  "Communication is breaking down. Some of our bases have been overrun by the infected. If the doctor doesn't find a solution soon, there won't be anything left." Terrence nodded at the look on Nick's face. "So you see, Pendleton finding some sort of treatment is critical. Hopefully he'll find something while there's still something to save."

  Nick sat with a trouble look on his face. He heard what Terrence was saying but it still didn't sit well with him. They were supposed to protect the people, not hurt them. Did it really come down to the numbers? Allow a certain amount of people to die so that others can live? "I hear what you're saying. It just doesn't feel right."

  "I know," Terrence replied softly. "The only way to deal with it is to focus on the bigger picture. It doesn't help you sleep at night, but that's the job."

  Nick nodded. "Alright, then. I guess I better go do my part then." Nick stood and left the office. On his way out he stopped by Henry's lab. He thought about going in but decided it was better that he didn't He didn't like what they were doing but it seemed necessary. He kept walking until he was outside and made his way to the building where his office was set up. He didn't like what was going on, but he'd do his part to keep the facility secure. Otherwise, all those people would have died in vain. They were doing alright so far, they still had plenty of ammo and he hadn't lost any men to the infected yet. He was just sitting down to do some paperwork when one of his men burst into his office. He looked up and saw Sergeant Lynch standing in front of his desk breathing heavily.

  "What happened?" Nick asked.

  "We've got trouble, sir. There's a lot of infected coming our way."

  Nick frowned as he followed Lynch from his office. They headed for the north fence and he saw worried looks on the faces of the men he passed by. It had to be pretty bad then. These guys had been through a lot. Iraq, Afghanistan, there were also operations that weren't public knowledge. He'd led these men through a lot and he'd never seen looks like this on their faces. He reached the fence and mounted the platforms they'd set up. They weren't much, but they allowed the men to fire over the fence at the infected. They'd mounted gun emplacements on a few of them but it wasn't as effective as he'd hoped. He had to guard all four walls so he couldn't concentrate fire as much as he'd like. He reached the top and grabbed a pair of binoculars and immediately saw why his men looked the way they did. There had to be thousands of infected heading their way. They'd been fighting infected for days, but they hadn't seen anything like this. He wasn't sure it had even this bad when they had evacuated from Atlanta. Nick sighed as he thought quickly, there wasn't any time to panic.

  "How are the other walls looking?" he asked.

  "They're all clear for the moment."

  "That's good at least," Nick replied. They'd been fighting infected since they'd arrived. It was mostly smaller groups, a few dozen at a time at most but they'd been coming from all directions. This was a piece of good news. They'd have to leave immediately if they were surrounded. As it was, they should be able to hold out for a while. "I want an ammo count done immediately. I also want those emplacements moved from the south fence. Put two here and for the last two, put one each on the east and west fences. Also, have someone go inform Agent Terrence. Let him know we will have to evacuate soon.

  "I'm on it, sir," Lynch said.

  Nick nodded as Lynch left and looked out again towards the horde coming their way. If their ammo held up, they should be able to hold for a few days. He heard footsteps on the platform and turned to see Agent Terrence climbing the stairs. Nick nodded as he reached the top.

  "Major, I just received some disturbing news. I was told we might have to evacuate soon. I have to tell you we need more time. The doctor says he might be on to something so-" Nick handed Terrence the binoculars and pointed towards the approaching horde.

  "Oh," Terrence said as he looked through the binoculars.

  "We've got a few hours before they arrive," Nick said. "I'm making some adjustments so we should be able to hold out for a while but we'll have to leave eventually if more infected keep coming this way."

  "How long can you hold?"

  "For as long as our ammo holds for right now. If we start to lose men that changes."

  "I'll have the doctor prep for evac." Terrence sighed, "Just when he was starting to make a breakthrough."

  "How much time does he need?"

  "He said he should have something within forty eight hours."

  "I'll have to give you two days then," Nick replied. He looked Terrence in the eye, "For the greater good right?"

  "You're good man, Major."

  Nick shook his head. "No, those are good men," he said gesturing towards the men in the compound, "and a lot of them are going to die to get you those two days. Make sure the doctor gets this done. I don't want my men dying for no reason."

  Terrence nodded. "I will. I'll leave you to your preparations."

  Nick nodded as Terrence left. Now he just had to come up with a plan to buy Henry forty eight hours. One that wouldn't get them all killed in the process.

  They came like a wave. Nick stood atop the platform and watched as thousands of infected made their way towards the facility. Nick sighed and hoped they had enough ammo to survive. A howl started amongst the infected and was quickly picked up by the entire host. It was a low keening cry that climbed higher and higher until the men were holding their ears to block out the sound. The infected sprinted forward and a number of men cried out in fear but to their credit, they stood their ground.

  "Get ready!" Nick yelled. "You make every shot count and we'll get out of this alive!" That was probably a lie but he needed his men to find their courage. He knew a lot of his men would die today, but maybe, just maybe a few of them would survive.

  Nick gave the order for the gun emplacements to open fire and row upon row of i
nfected hit the ground as they were cut in half. The infected behind them tripped over their fellows and chaos ensued as the gun emplacements tore into their ranks. The victory was short lived however as the infected just kept coming. For every infected cut down, another took its place. Nick smiled grimly. It would have been too much to hope that the emplacements would win the day.

  The infected were also acting differently. Usually, inflicting enough casualties would cause them to break and run away. Not so today. Maybe their courage was bolstered because they were so many of them. Despite the damage being caused by the emplacements, the infected got close enough that Nick had to order the rest of his men to open fire. Wave upon wave of infected was struck down but Nick knew this was only temporary. They could only hold them back for as long as their ammo held out.

  Inside the lab Henry worked frantically, doing his best to ignore the sounds of gunfire.

  Nick stood on the makeshift rampart and watched as death came towards them. There had to be thousands of infected coming their way. Nick silently hoped their ammunition would out. Terrence said he needed forty eight hours. Henry was on the verge of a cure but leaving right now would mean he'd have to start the whole process all over again. Nick glanced around to do a last minute check on his men. He had never been prouder to serve with these soldiers. Most of them would probably die before the forty eight hours were up but each of them stood ready to face their enemy. Nick hated the thought of his men dying but it was necessary. How many lives would be saved if Henry came through? He dared not think of the alternative scenario, that Henry would fail. That his men would have spent their lives for no reason.

  Nick shook his head to clear his thoughts. The infected would be in range in a few moments. Nicked glanced at his aide, "Direct the emplacements to open fire."

  The aide nodded and relayed to order over the walkie. A moment later there was a thunderous roar as all the gun emplacements opened fire. Nick smiled grimly as row upon row of infected fell to the ground. His satisfaction was short lived however as the infected began charging towards the facility. Nick gave the order for everyone to open fire and his aide quickly relayed the message. The smaller thunder of his men's rifles joined the emplacements and more infected fell to the ground.

  The infected kept coming and a few survived the volleys only to be arrested on the electrified fence. The stench of their burnt flesh assaulted Nick's nostrils and he had to swallow down his bile. The sound of vomiting nearby told him that some of his men hadn't been so lucky. Nick steeled himself and carried on. The infected attacked and his men unleashed volley after volley into their ranks. As night fell, powerful floodlights provided illumination for his men to see by. The battle continued until the sun poked over the horizon and the infected finally retreated from the light's harsh glare.

  Nick breathed a sigh of relief and heard the same echoed from his men. That was the first day. One more and hopefully they could be on their way to the next facility. Nick turned to his aide, "Get me a status report ASAP." the aide nodded and left the rampart to carry out the order.

  A half hour later, Nick sat with his men eating an MRE. They hadn't suffered any casualties and Nick dared to hope they might escape this relatively intact. They used up a lot of ammo for the gun emplacements but hopefully it would hold out long enough. He desperately hoped Henry would be finished before the ammo for the emplacements was depleted. If that happened, they wouldn't be able to hold the infected back and would probably have to engage in hand to hand. A lot of his men would die then. Nick sighed as he tossed the remains of his MRE into the trash. He headed for his office to get some sleep while he could.

  Nick awoke to the sound of the base siren filling his ears. He quickly stood and grabbed his gear, grateful that he had slept fully clothed. Nick reached the fence and heard the howls of the infected as they approached. He cursed. He hoped that is men had gotten enough rest. Nick reached the top of his rampart and saw that his men were all in position. He nodded to his aide who relayed the order to fire and day two began.

  Terrence Matte entered the lab and found Doctor Pendleton examining a computer screen. "Forgive the interruption, Doctor. I came to check on your progress."

  Henry turned a pair of bloodshot eyes in Terrence's direction and sighed. Clearly, the experiments the doctor had performed had taken their toll on his psyche. In addition to the bloodshot eyes, his skin was unhealthy looking pallor. He also looked as if he hadn't slept in days which was probably true. Terrence snuffed out that spark of pity. This was necessary. So what if the doctor had nightmares. What he had done here would save countless lives. It could be the very difference between their country being destroyed or coming back from the brink. What was one man in the face of that?

  "Almost there," Henry replied.

  "How soon can you be ready to leave?"

  "This simulation has to finish. If it doesn't I'd have to harvest more...material. I'm not sure I can go through that again."

  Terrence sighed internally. Terrence had hoped the doctor was committed but he was letting his emotions get the best of him. So what if they had to 'harvest' more? It would be better to leave while they could and begin again. Unfortunately, the cure couldn't be found without the doctor's help so he had to cater to him.

  "Of course, doctor. It's just that the soldiers are being hard pressed outside. The sooner we can leave for the next facility, the better."

  "A few more hours at least," Henry replied. "Five, maybe six. That's just an estimate though."

  Terrence nodded, "Thank you, doctor."

  Nick felt footsteps shake the rampart and turned to see someone whispering in his aide's ear. "Well?" Nick asked once they were alone again.

  "Agent Terrence reported that Doctor Pendleton needs about five or six more hours."

  Nick nodded and dared to hope. The end was in sight at least. Maybe they could make it through this after all. "Send someone to prepare the helicopters. I want to be in the air the second the doctor is done."

  Nick surveyed the fence line again and noticed something that made his blood run cold. The infected that had managed to survive the gauntlet of fire were purposely jumping on the fence. They were steadily making a pile of bodies that might let them get over the fence. Were they getting smarter? Nick shuddered at the thought of infected using tactics. "Keep an eye on things here, I'm going to check that fence."

  He hurried down the rampart, taking the stairs two at a time. He motioned to a squad on standby and headed for the fence. It was just as he had thought. The infected were trying to climb over the bodies of their fellows so they could scale the fence. "Shoot them before they reach the fence," he ordered. "You two, find some brooms or mops. No metal pieces, we've got to clear this fence."

  Nick and his men fired on the infected and managed to prevent any more from adding to the pile. The two soldiers he had sent off returned and they shoved the brooms between the links in the fence to dislodge the bodies. The infected roared and headed for the fence again only to be put down by rifle fire.

  "Sir," Nick's aide called over the walkie, "there's another build up south of your position."

  "Acknowledged," Nick replied. He left two men there to guard against any new infected and led the rest to the new position. They found themselves at another pile and worked quickly to dismantle it. Nick sighed. This wasn't a fluke, the infected were making an organized effort to get over the fence. He made a mental note to inform Pendleton later. His aide contacted him again and Nick led his men to the next pile. After what felt like days, Nick finally heard Terrence's voice over the walkie.

  "We're done here, Captain. Ready for EVAC."

  "Understood," Nick replied. He switched to a general channel, "Begin EVAC procedure. I repeat, begin EVAC." Nick returned to his rampart to ensure that his men were getting away safely. The gun emplacements continued to roar and Nick was grateful the ammo had held out.

  The evacuation proceeded in an orderly fashion and Nick was pleased his men remained calm, des
pite the thousands of infected just on the other side of the fence. Several minutes later, the gun emplacements went silent and they infected roared in what seemed like victory. They surged forward and began hurling themselves at the fence in several areas. Nick quickly made his way to a helicopter and put on a headset.

  "Everyone accounted for?" he asked his aide.

  "Yes, sir," came the reply. "The last group just reported in."

  "Alright. Pilot, get us outta here!"

  The helicopters lifted off just as the infected began clearing the fences. They sprinted into the facility and Nick could hear their howls over the helicopter blades, furious that they had been denied their prize.

  "Get me a private channel with Agent Terrence."

  The aide nodded and fiddled with some nobs on a control panel nearby. He then gave Nick a thumbs up.

  "Agent Terrence?" Nick asked.

  "I'm here, Captain."

  "What's going on? Was the doctor successful?"

  Terrence hesitated a moment before answering, "Yes and no."

  "Yes and no? How is that an answer?"

  "The doctor discovered a treatment but it's not a cure."

  "Not a cure? What use is it then?"

  "The doctor says it'll stop the infection from spreading. The layman's version that he gave me is that it makes the bite one hundred percent fatal rather than allowing a portion to survive and become infected."

  "That's...not what we were hoping for," Nick replied. "Still, that could mean no new infected."

  "Exactly," Terrence replied. "It's a win."

  "No new infected means we can win this. Take back the cities."

  "You see, Captain? You might not agree with my methods but this is what everything was for. Today everything changes."

  Nick grunted. He couldn't argue with the results but he wasn't ready to say Terrence had been right all along. Suddenly, the stress of the day caught up with him and he wanted nothing more than to lie down. "Maybe," he said in a tired voice.

  "You sound tired, Captain. Get some rest, you earned it."

  ***