“No worries I understand what you are suggesting and I’ll brief him on your idea.” Cupcake keeps scanning the area.
I hear a loud sound and look up to see a big helicopter coming to a clearing to land. It hovers for a moment, gauging the terrain and then slowly descends and lands. Four men jump from the interior and start to pull boxes of ammo, MREs, and heavy weapons. They stock nearby then jump back on as the helicopter raises back into the sky and points toward the camp and moves slowly in that direction. I look over and see Kuppers jogging up from the camp leading a group of 40 men. They come up to the supplies then fan out toward the boulder field and take cover, waiting for new orders. The same helicopter appears over the trees and comes down to land in the same spot, unloads its supplies, gains altitude and flies toward the camp again. As it moves away another helicopter, which had been hovering behind it comes in for a landing and disgorges the Captain, First Sergeant, and support staff including their communications gear.
Kuppers meets up with them and guides them to our position. “So boys, any suggestions? You were the first up here.”
Cupcakes points out the boulders and positions across the highway. “Dan here was suggesting we break our force in two. One digs in here by the boulders, another one across the highway in the vegetation. We can support fire missions, suppressive fire, and a retreat if the need arrives. I also suggest we put our snipers farther up the highway before that big bend. That way they can act as a forward operating position and alert us to incoming, also support in sniping when we need them.”
Kuppers nods his head yes to all ideas, then turns and drops orders to Senshi, and the First Sergeant, who had been listening in. I hadn’t even seen or heard Senshi enter our little group. That man was scary quiet, I hope he can teach me some of that stuff, it would come in handy someday. They break off and start issuing new orders and help with digging the troops in and setting up lanes of fire.
My radio comes alive and we hear Apache calling in, “Come in alpha, this is bravo. Over.”
Kuppers grabs his radio and answers. “Bravo, alpha, go ahead, over.”
“Alpha, we got a whole crap of trouble heading your way. Infected, best guess 300, I repeat 300 being led by 100 count Ridder forces. Ridder has three armored APCs, two loaded with M240s one with a .50 cal M2 Browning. No count on ammo but I would assume full load outs. Ridder also has two Blackhawks with M60Ds. I give you 20 mikes before contact. We are beating feet to get back ahead of convoy, we are 10 mikes out, over.” Apache alerts us over the radio.
“Shit.” Kuppers swears and spits on the deck. He yells toward the Captain “We have 20 mikes before contact with 300 infected 100 troops 3 APCs and 2 Blackhawks. Double time this operation quickly. No time to fuck around.” He clicks on his radio. “Senshi you hear last from bravo?”
“Roger that. I’m relaying to First Sergeant and he will cross the highway with his contingent and hunker down. I have these dogs digging in quick and having ammo spread out to each team. We should be ready in 10 mikes, over.” Senshi clicks off his radio and I can see him moving faster and screaming at the men around him to hurry and get their butts moving. I see the three snipers picked for forward duty load up and start sprinting to their assigned positions ahead.
Brian and Cupcake come up and lead me along with Vic back toward the Beast. “We need to get our positions prepared. We will be the backup force if need be. Cupcake prepare the Beast to boogie in a hurry when needed. You will be the lone guard so be prepared to move. Dan you will stick to Brian’s side and do as he does or as he orders. I’m putting you at the back of the front line. I am going to be acting as spotter for the command post as Kuppers quarterbacks the operation from the front.” Vic gives us his orders, grabs his Zomgo pack and extra ammunition and takes off at a dead run to the command post. Brian hands me my Zomgo pack and a messenger bag full of magazines along with a small amount of loads for my shotgun. He grabs his supplies and then fist bumps Cupcake, and we are out of there making our way to the trenched in soldiers.
We find a boulder and go to our knees, taking positions to each side facing out to the highway and the side road to the camp. I hear the helicopters take off and head south toward their designated waiting area. I feel like puking and am fighting to keep it down and not to panic. This is so different than anything I have ever been a part of or witness to. Brian looks over to me and gives me a big toothy grin and thumbs up. “Here, I brought your M4 you got from the NG, I cleaned it and loaded it for you. You’ll be ok Boss, just breath and calm down. When the shooting starts just hold off till you see me start using mine. Ok?” I nod yes, not trusting myself to talk, in case I barf all over the ground. Talk about being out of your element. Shouldn’t I be in a meeting discussing projects and running reports? This was what I was trained to do. Not fight the undead or professional mercenaries. But when you are thrown into something like this, I guess your best is all you can give.
Apache and Doc come running in out of breath and slide in next to us. “Hey guys, mind if we hang with you?” Doc asks chewing his ever present wad of bubblegum.
“They should be here in the next 5 minutes. Saw the forward force hunkered down. I think they should go unseen. I don’t think they know we moved out of the camp.” Apache informs us.
A sound like non other rips from north of us. At first you can hear the APC engines, but then a loud growl growing in volume vibrates the air around us. My bladder feels like it’s about to release, along with my bowels. They feel watery, and I fight to hold them from escaping. “Breathe Dan. You can’t fight if you don’t breathe sweetie.” Apache rubs my back and I blow out a breath I had been holding. I hadn’t noticed till my eye sight felt like it was starting to darken, and Apache alerted me. I take in slow small breaths and start to feel a little calmer.
“APCs coming around the bend, keep weapons tight and your heads down. If anybody falters now, I will kill you myself.” Kuppers informs us over the radio.
I look at Apache and she shakes her head. “He is tied into the NG net also. That little message was for them, not us. Just do as we say, you’ll be ok.”
Brian brings his gun to his shoulder and Apache and Doc copy his move. I bring my M4 to my shoulder and stare over the iron sight, and watch as the infected come into view, some are running to keep up with the APCs, the ones coming in behind them are much slower. I feel my breathing start to speed up, but I will myself to breathe slower and deeper and to calm. I watch as our team click off their safeties, I reach up find mine and flick it to single shot and bring my messenger bag full of magazines to my front so I get to them when the need arises.
The infected follow the APCs down the entrance road to the camp, everything looks like it is going to plan. Of course a certain entity known as Mr. Murphy, raises his head and says “Oh you think things are going well? Well we can’t have that can we? How about we whip up a wind that carries your scent, to the infected?” The rear 100 infected, or so, stop and turn their faces into the wind. Oh my god, did they all turn like a flock of birds? They lift their heads into the air and start moving slowly toward our little hill hideout. I feel a burning rising in my chest, like my heart is about to explode. Apache shoulders me again and gives me a “really again?” look. I let out the breath I had been holding and try again to calm and breathe normally. The infected can’t seem to figure out how to climb the little cliff in front of them, instead they push against each other causing a small ramp to be created by the infected in front being squeezed and pushed down. The infected in the rear start to make their way onto the hill by climbing over the ones in front.
“Stay calm do not fire yet. The main Ridder force has not appeared. I’d like to bring them in closer before we start making noise, over.” Kuppers orders over the radio.
The infected stop after they reach the hill and just stand there. They haven’t seen anything to attract them yet and the wind has died down, taking our scent from them. The radio comes alive again. “Ridder is coming around the bend, but they have stopped in their tracks when they saw the infected horde on the hill. Let’s wait and see what they do. First Sergeant, let me know when your team has Ridder in your fire lane. We will do this on a two front attack then when the infected are done, we will back you up, over.” Kuppers reports.
I reach up and wipe my head and face. Gee the sun is up but with the wind you’d think I wouldn’t be sweating buckets. Could it be from nerves? I take my eyes away from the infected and look back toward the Beast thinking of little Angel. “What are you doing?” I whisper to myself. “Get back to paying attention. You are gonna kill yourself if you keep this shit up.” I say to myself. Apache slowly turns her head to me giving me a bewildered look. I shake my head no to her, and bring my attention back to the infected.
The whole hill force stays quiet and doesn’t move an inch, all heads are kept low and hidden. The infected look like they are losing interest and some of the ones in the rear turn and walk off the cliff back toward the main force. Till they see Ridders group ahead. They then start shuffling in that direction, growling and moaning, hands held out in front of them, clawing at the air as though they can reach the intoxicating flesh. The rest of the infected on the hill turn and follow their horde. They fall onto their faces and don’t seem to care. They just stand back up and move on. We stay silent and mesmerized at the zombie’s actions. The radio clicks on. “Kuppers, this is First Sergeant, seems the infected are shuffling back toward Ridder, and they don’t seem to know what to do. Is it possible they don’t want to give themselves away thinking we are still down in the camp, over?”
The zombies start getting unsettling close to the Ridder troops and they look nervous. Someone on their line opens fire and starts shooting his gun at the horde. He is taking body shots not head shots though. More and more people on their line open up on the shuffling infected. They now start making head shots and taking down the horde, but not fast enough. The horde reaches their line and now hand to hand the Ridder group tries to retreat. “Forward snipers, open up, do not let Ridder retreat from the herd. Maybe the infected can take some out for us, over.” Kuppers orders over the radio.
Far away shots can be heard and Ridder seems to be confused on what to do. To their left is a cliff they cannot climb, to the right is a cliff falling to the ocean. Behind them they are taking fire, before them is the infected. Panic seems to set in and they scatter. Some push back on the unseen force, firing on them blindly, while the others open up with all their weapons on the infected. Kuppers lets them take out half the herd before he has his forces start taking shots, but telling them to wound the soldiers not kill them. Thus leaving them to fight more of the dead.
I wonder where the APCs are and if they have been radioed to get into the fight, and alerted to our positions. My questions are answered as one of the APCs with the M240 comes roaring up the road and starts firing into the horde. First Sergeant’s troops start pouring fire into the APC, trying to stop it or destroy it. Kuppers orders over the radio. “I wish we would’ve had time to name teams, Force on the hill to the ocean side disengage and keep cover but find those other APCs and report, over.”
Doc raises and takes off in the direction of the soldiers called out by Kuppers to lead them on their mission. The APC on the street turns its fire onto the First Sergeant’s team keeping them pinned down and out of the fight. The hill force shifts fire and starts taking shots at the APC. Ridders foot soldiers start to reorganize and sharpen their fire on our forward forces trying to keep them pinned down. Loud explosions rip the day and I watch as someone in the Ridder force triggers some kind of rocket and it races out to the forward positions, exploding, maiming and killing men. With the forward forces taken out, Ridder soldiers concentrate their fire back on the horde attacking them. They take aimed shots now quickly eliminating the danger. They advance using the APC as cover. “Everyone open up on the APC or the troops if you have a shot.” Kuppers orders.
Apache raises slightly and starts firing toward the troops she can see. Brian raises the M14 he got from Senshi and had never given back. He is taking shots at the APC trying to find a weak point. I raise my M4 and start pulling the trigger toward the soldiers I can see. I try, breathing naturally and calm, but I feel like I’m panting, my shots start going wide and wild. Someone’s shot, probably Brian’s, takes out the M240 on top of the APC, disabling it and halting the murderous fire.
Just as soon as we make a step forward, another APC comes rocketing out onto the highway, using its body to protect the Ridder soldiers allowing them to bring their rifles into the fight. NG troops start to fall from well-aimed shots from Ridder. I watch as men fall screaming, and holding onto various body parts. I watch as one man grabs his belly and tries to hold onto his insides from falling out. I drop my M4 onto its sling and take off running through the gunfire. I can hear Apache and Kuppers yelling over the radio for me to get down. But I ignore them, I slide up to the down soldier and meet his eyes. They are filled with pain and panic. I grab his shoulder straps and start pulling him back toward our position. The man is screaming for me to leave him to save myself. But I can’t quiet the voice inside me telling me to save this man. I keep low bent over and pull the man back closer. Apache appears next to me and grabs one of the straps I’m holding and together we pull him back to a quieter safer area. A medic comes running up and drops to his knees looking over the damage and starts pulling these giant bandages out of his pack and gets to work trying to save the young man. Apache grabs me and pulls me back and toward our shooting position. She grabs my rifle and shoves it into my hands and out toward the battle raging on. I look into her eyes pleading with her to let me do what I can to help. She raises her rifle and starts firing quick shots toward the APCs and Ridder soldiers. She stops and looks down at me and motions me to copy her moves. I replace the magazine as fast as I have ever done so, and raise it, taking aim and firing shot after shot toward the battle.