Chapter 88

“Report on the perimeter status.” Hawk barked out unable to hide the stress in his voice.

“Multiple reports of probing but no breaches yet.” A voice came from behind him.

Hawk was leaning over a large table with a map of the area he was operating in on it. Different colour lines and symbols represented the present layout and organisation of the forces under his command. He was focused on looking at the situation, knowing he was in trouble. He was frowning heavily trying to see if you could find a way out of the predicament, they were all in.

“Any contact with Sgt Grey or her team?”

“Nothing yet sir.” Came another voice and. The hum of conversation behind him was strained as they too were under a great deal of pressure as this operation like so many in the last year was going badly wrong.

“Time since the emergency flare was sighted?”

“The flare was sighted 21 minutes 32 seconds ago.” He nods more to himself at the reply.

“Hostile sighted sector three. Two hostiles are suspected but unable to confirm. No engagement confirmed.” Came from another technician’s voice delivering information in clipped sentences.

“Understood.”

He looked focusing his attention on that part of the map laid out in front of him. That was the sixth sighting of hostiles in the last 10 minutes. Been a few brief clashes but no major push out of the zone yet. All sightings that were able to identify what they were up against all came back as ghouls. This was to be expected as this was listed as a grave-type zone in the records. The number of ghouls however spotted wearing you and the most unwelcome feature of the zone.

He had chosen this location for the base camp with great care. The geography of the local area had actually worked for him for once. A river snaked around the southern edge of the zone with one old road bridge, the only means the cross. This focused his primitive guard on it as if things went wrong like they had done so many times recently they can hopefully funnel whatever the danger was to a place they could control.

“Second flare. Second flare. Confirmed red!” Someone called out.

“Location!” He turned and roared out.

“Estimated to be from two hundred metres in at least.”

So close yet so far. Gray and her support team were already deployed into the zone and were probably the ones who had fired off the flare. They would know that this would show the location but were also fully aware that there was no one else they could send.

Capt. Walker came over to the table she was as tired and stressed as he was. The last few months have been brutal on everyone. They looked at each other both knowing that there was no way they could help the stranded operatives and support team.

“Priority flash traffic from command. Operative inbound for emergency extraction operation.”

“Confirm that!” Walker ordered.

“Message confirmed.” There was a few seconds pause. “Additional orders supplied. The operative will be hot dropped and has been briefed.”

The two officers looked at each other clearly confused by the orders.

“Who are they deploying in a hot drop?” Walker asked.

“There’s no one.” Hawk was rapidly thinking about what options and resources that command had available. “Unless…..”

## ## ## ## ##

The helicopter I was travelling in came in fast and low. There was a small area designated as an emergency drop-off point for helicopters near a bridge, which I was going to use to enter the zone.

The emergency briefing I’d received at command was clear. Get in, find our people and get out as fast as possible. No breach checks, engage all hostiles that are preventing or delaying the evacuation of personnel. Finally, support base camp local command, if possible, with whatever was required.

I had been in the armoury when there was a group of officers appeared and give me an emergency briefing. I was almost completely dressed in my new and improved combat armour. As soon as Lou had realised how bad it was, he went into full “get shit done” mode. I was fully armoured and loaded out within minutes and then all but thrown into a waiting helicopter. Gregson was already on board and strapped in. He would head to the local command point to liaise with them.

It was a brand-new model one that I had never seen before and by God it was fast. It shot over the countryside at terrifying speed. The ground below was just a blur and I truly dread the speed we were travelling at. I received additional orders as we approached the site. I was to be hot dropped in an emergency location and get into the zone as fast as possible.

We hadn’t spoken to each other during the flight as I was holding on to dear life to the seat armrests. My shield and axe were strapped down next to me with the rest of my kit strapped to my body. My helmet was sitting on my lap as I was wearing the headphones that would allow the pilot to communicate with me.

He knew me well enough but my reactions to these we will travelling act were quite clear so we didn’t bother me with idle conversation. I was seriously trying not to shit myself!

“One minute thirty seconds to deployment.”

“Understood.” Gregson replied. I simply removed the headset and was now almost painfully aware of the sound of the helicopter’s rotor engines. I put my helmet on and strapped it tight.

As we started to close with the ground, I knew we weren’t going to land. I unbuckled my axe and shield. A crewman was standing by the door ready to open it and I was on one knee out of my seat ready to leave the helicopter. I already knew the plan to out, stay low and get to the bridge.

“GO!” the crewman suddenly said as he wrenched open the door. I didn’t hesitate and went knowing Gregson will be right behind me. I quickly hit the ground and move forward hunts down to avoid the rotor blades spinning above my head.

I quickly orientated myself focusing on the bridge that I needed to cross. The perimeter guards were on alert but they didn’t even question why was there as I got my way as sprinted towards the bridge. Most of the guards were clustered around the bridge and quickly made space as I charged into the zone.

This head-on sprint stopped as soon as the zone boundary was passed. I was not even breathing hard as the zone’s effects washed over me.

I was here doing this again, this thing that I hated. I felt sick at being here again but I forced it down and focused on the job at hand. I pushed back the effects of my mind as well as I knew that I had no time to deal with any of the shit right now. I slap down the faceplate and my helmet I may show my field was strapped to my arm properly. Once this was done, I made sure I had a good firm grip on my axe and surveyed the area around me.

Fog. Dampness. Cold. No threats.

That was all I could see. I knew from the map they had shown me briefly that we were on the edge of a village and that the second emergency flare was fired from another roughly 80 m away from my present location. I could just charge headfirst into this I had to move forward carefully.

I began walking down the road looking for any signs of the operatives also put him out here to find. Within a few metres, I found the first evidence of fighting as I walked past the bodies of two zombies on the floor. The skulls were clearly smashed in and black gore was pooling around the corpses.

I had frozen up slightly when I first saw them when I’ve seen the skulls clearly destroyed, I relaxed. I knew that this was a grave type though and reporting ghouls along the perimeter. I kept my head turning in all the directions I could, trying to see as much of the space around me for threats. Around me to see buildings were now becoming visible as I entered the small village. I could make out what the buildings were but I suspected they were homes as they were further from the road due to gardens.

The silence was present and so was the layer of moisture covering everything. I passed several abandoned vehicles as I walked down the road. I was forced to stop and check the vehicles as they were a possible source of danger in the form of an ambush. This slowed me a bit but I knew I had to be careful as my rushing headlong into danger was an almost certain way of getting killed.

This was how things got done. I had learned this from my time in zones and the training I’d received. Slow and steady wins the race here.

Every sense in my body seems to be hyper aware and even the smallest things that I normally overlooked I was noticing. The dripping of water from the bushes or the abandoned vehicles. The faint swirling of the fog. The ever-present silence.

I continue and the buildings grew closer to the road they were easy to identify as local shops. I must be on or near whatever passed for the main street of this community. It was here that I discovered the next sign of violence.

Next to an abandoned red car, I found the bodies of four more zombies and one support personnel. The cause of death was clear as his throat had been ripped out. All the zombie’s skulls were caved in and someone had put a blade through the forehead of the soldier to prevent him from getting up as a threat to the rest of his team.

I continued along the road and in the distance of the fog, I saw the first signs of what I was hopefully looking for. On the road, there were several lit chemical sticks. They were scattered around the front of the building that was on the bend at the end of the road. I knew that if this was then they would be hyped up on adrenaline from the fighting and the fear. So, I approached slowly trying to stay within the light given off by the chemical sticks. As I moved, I could clearly see it was some form of a store that the main window had been smashed in but barricaded up now with whatever was to hand.

“Hold. Identify yourself.” Came a voice through the fog from the building. I knew that voice.

“Grey it’s Harrington. Emergency code Epsilon-2-6-B.” I spent the flight trying to memorise that code while doing my best not to look out the window.

“Approach and be recognised.”

I did just that but in my weapons in a non-threatening stance. As I got closer, I could make out now the details and my initial assessment was right. The store window had been smashed in and I was filled with anything that could be used as a barricade. The shop door was opened after I heard some movement from behind it as they moved whatever was blocking it. The door opened and Grey stepped out.

“Harrington good to see you. Just you or anyone else?”

“Just me. You’re near the zone edge and I’m to get you out.” She nods at this.

“That was my plan but we got jumped by a pack of ghouls. Best get in here quick.”

I did not argue when she said “pack of ghouls” I moved a lot quicker. Upon entering the ruined shop, I quickly was able to make out about half the normal number of supporting personnel and three operatives. Many were sporting injuries. When the operatives turned around and faced me and I was surprised to see who it was.

“Hills you here too.”

“Harrington! I thought you were medically retired.”

“Almost Hills almost.” Before either of us could say anything else one of the support team looking out across the barricade spoke.

“Movement.”

“Here we go again.” Hills commented. I quickly looked over and saw that her armour and shield were clearly showing signs of violence.

“Numbers?” I asked Grey.

“We think there are about ten in total with an alpha in the mix.” This day is getting better and better. We both moved over to the barricade looking out trying to get an idea of what was out there. I could easily make out three or four figures at the edge of our vision in the fog moving around.

“Four at most I think.” I tell Grey. She nods.

“They’ve been rotating attackers to hide their numbers.”

“Two at the back.” Comes a voice from deep within the building.

“All right we can’t stay here but if we head out there, they will rip us pieces.” Grey told me in a low voice. I looked around at the sorry state of those I will send save.

“Who can fight?” I needed to know.

“Hills and I are in the best condition.” Gray told me.

“Okay. I have a plan but you’re not going to like it …..”