Designated (Book 1): Designated Infected (20 page)

'It seems to be a class two outbreak. Basically Titan,
the shit has hit the fan and we have to clean it up.'

Nodding in acquiescence, the explanation seemed to
placate the six-foot ten-inch tall soldier, Titan shrugged and
carried on with his pool game.

'So Wolf what do you reckon about this?'

The man opposite Titan glanced up and grinned, before
dropping his gaze back to the ball in front of him.

'I reckon, that as long as I get to kill something, I
don't really give a shit.'

The East Londoner drawled, his common tongue twisting
the words as he spoke. Every man present, knew, just how unstable
Kevin Chambers, or Wolf as he liked to be known, was.

He was all to prone to rash action and sporadic bouts of
violent anger that were triggered by the slightest incident, three
weeks prior he had spent a four-week-stint in the base's gaol, for an
unprovoked brawl with another soldier, that had left the unfortunate
squaddie confined to the base infirmary for over a month.

A chuckle ran through the room, as the rest of the team
stood and moved off filing out the room towards the Quartermaster's
stores.

20

Lunda
Norte Province.

Fucauma
Diamond Mine: Angola 14:30 local time

Division Thirty-Six's Alpha team crept silently through
the darkness, the mine tunnels swirling and twisting before them as
they padded their way through on soft-soled boots. They had been
dropped in from a UH-60L Black Hawk only minutes earlier, by fast
rope descent through an open air-ventilation-shaft.

Stepping forwards his suppressed MK 12 model 0 pulled
tight into his shoulder, Rook slowly scanned the area in front of
him.

The tunnel ahead swam in a sea of greens and greys as he
stared down the night-vision-scope of his rifle. Raising his hand, he
motioned slowly to the others as he moved forwards. The five man team
moved with practised ease down the tunnel scanning every hole,
crevice and gap in the tunnel walls, floor or ceiling as they went.

Rook held his hand up fist closed tight the other four
men instantly falling to one knee silent and ever watchful.

'Crow on me, rest of you sit tight and stay frosty.'

'Roger that, careful Rook, Mother Hen said something
about this being a sixer, so watch your back.'

Raven pressed his index finger to his ear as he spoke,
his Texan drawl muddling his words slightly.

'Hang on incoming call.'

Raven cringed, his shaven head shinning in the glow of
Crow's night vision goggles.

'We're gonna have company soon, Brits are sending in an
S.A.U team from Broadhead code named Templar, headed by your old
mate.'

Rook ran his hand over his face.

'Don't tell me it's Dictator, I hate that guy, God
damned Scottish prick.'

Raven grinned.

'Got it in one chief'

Sighing Rook conceded defeat in the matter, he had no
say in where Broadhead deployed or who they sent in, so he had no
choice but to put up and shut up and he knew it, still didn't mean he
had to like it.

'Right.'

Shaking his head he motioned to Crow and began to move
off.

'Crow double time, let's move; hopefully, we can put
some distance between us and them'

Turning, he looked to another member of his team.

'Sparrow, do me a favour, and double back and chuck a
light down one of the side spurs, as a helping hand to our cousins.'

The small African-American grinned, his white opalescent
teeth glinting even in the dim light of the tunnel. The five foot
five inch tall man scurried back down the tunnel, as he rounded the
bend a soft clicking echoed, followed by a quickly fading green glow.

Rook and Crow moved at a heavy pace, still ever
vigilant, the enclosed space of the mine making both men very edgy.
There was very little room to manoeuvre, the twisting intersecting
tunnels could easily leave them scattered to the four-winds if they
found themselves separated. Sparrow glanced about him, his nerves
beginning to fray, the reverberating moans of the Infected mine
workers seemed to fill any available space around him; their haunting
lullaby seeping into his bones. The plaintive wailing filling him
with a cold that ate away at him, chilling his very soul until all
that was left was a hollow cavern of ice and sorrow.

He heard the scraping of feet slowly succumbing to
rigour before anything else, the soft guttural gurgling moan rolled
across the tunnels walls surrounding him with the wet noise of a
blood filled throat. Sweat rolled down his forehead and neck, the
tear shaped droplets running into each other before sliding over his
ebony skin like rain over glass.

Panic began its slow creep up his spine making Sparrow's
hackles rise as his head darted every which way trying to pin point
the noise. Lifting his hand to his neck, he activated his throat
mike.

'Hawk, Raven, I don't think I am alone here fellas.'

A soft cold hand grabbed his shoulder, the stale stench
of foetid breath filling his nose and throat as the cold skin of the
Infected met the warm supple flesh of his body.

Fear gripped his heart, turning his head slowly the
twenty-six year old specialist came eye-to-eye with death incarnate
and in that moment he knew he was a dead man, the blue white eyes
holding his gaze screamed at him as he held their dying stare. Hot,
wet, stagnant breath rolled over his neck as he stared at the eyes
before him, his heart sank ever further as he heard the rapid
shuffling behind him.

'Shit.'

Hawk and Raven looked at each other as their radio
earbuds relayed the trembling fear filled voice of their comrade.
Rising to their feet they stared down the tunnel, both men knew it
was tantamount to suicide to charge back down that tunnel, it took
all the will they had not to let their hearts override their minds.

As both men gazed into the gaping black maw of the
tunnel, they knew that the man who had ventured down it would never
be coming back out.

'Sorry Sparrow.'

Raven gazed down the tunnel, his heart heavy with guilt
and regret.

'Rook, this is Raven how copy?'

'Raven this is Rook, good copy, go ahead.'

Raven sighed before he pressed down on the key pad of
his microphone.

'Sparrow's gone.'

'Well go fucking fetch him back!'

Raven sighed again. 'No boss I mean he is gone, gone!'

A burst of static shot through the line followed by a
wet gurgling cough, 'Don't rule me out yet brother.'

Raven stood rooted to the spot as he focused his
attention back down the tunnel, the ghostly silhouette of a man
seemed to coalesce in the blackness, slowly taking form like wax in
water.

Bloody, beaten, and ragged Sparrow limped from the mouth
of the tunnel.

Staggering forwards he lifted his rifle and fired
one-handed behind him listening to the wet slaps of rounds tearing
through flesh not four feet behind him.

'Pussys.' He spat the words out like undercooked beef as
he staggered, his knees buckling sending him crashing to the floor
twelve feet from his team mates. Diving forwards, Hawk latched onto
the drag hoop of Sparrow's vest pulling him backwards down the
tunnel.

'Raven move it, rolling fire!'

Stabbing his fingers into his microphone call switch
Hawk, opened the channel.

'Rook, Crow, get your asses back here, we got a lot of
fucking trouble.'

The line danced with static as a chopped, slightly
distorted voice echoed back at him.

'Sorry buddy, no can do, kinda busy.'

The sound of muted gunfire and guttural moans floated
into Hawk's ears. 'Roger that.' Turning back to his two team mates.
'We are on our own boys. Rook and Crow are busy entertaining the
locals, and I think we have some more coming who were late for
dinner, lets not disappoint them.'

Raven let his rifle hang as he pulled the compact
M249SPW from off his back. The machine gun swung up into his grip as
the laser designator sprung to life. The green beam cut through the
darkness as Hawk pulled the weapon to his shoulder. The forearm
mounted pistol grip nestled in his hand like an extension of his
body. A feral almost shark like grin blossomed over his features as
he watched the semi emaciated and bloody forms of the Infected burst
free from the clutches of the darkened tunnel.

'Okay mother fuckers, supper time.'

21

Lunda
Norte Province, Fucauma Diamond Mine.

Outer
entrance: Angola 14:50 local time.

Dictator, Titan, Wolf, and the rest of S.A.U Templar
stood in the entrance to the mine, florescent glow sticks hung from
the backs of their helmet and the front of their vests.

'Okay lads, two teams of nine.

'Titan you're heading team two, take the left hand fork
and work your way to the eastern edge of the mine.

'I'll head up team one and take the right to the western
edge. Work your way back round to the southern side and we'll
rendezvous there. Some Division Thirty-Six Alpha twonk team is in
there so be nice if you find them. I have a feeling its Rook's lot so
yeah, if they're Infected then take em down otherwise play nicely
girls. See you on the other side.'

With that, Dictator and the splinter team headed off
into the burgeoning dark of the mine. They moved with precision and
ease, gliding through the dark like winged angels of death.

The MP5sd sub machine-guns in their hands, spat at
anything that moved; the tunnels behind them lay strewn with the
bodies of dead Infected, their cold, sallow corpses littering the
tunnel like a carpet. The tunnels twisted, spiralling down as the men
descended into the Earth, deep into the hot and humid bowels of the
planet as they went in search of the root of the infecting evil that
plagued the continent.

Sliding on his heels Dictator held up a closed,leather
gloved fist as he cocked his head to the side. 'Listen.' His hand
motioning for them all to stop in place and maintain their noise
discipline. 'Gun fire silenced; not ours, those are five five six if
I am not mistaken. The yanks are close by and from the sounds of
things in trouble.' Glancing back at his men he grinned.

'Shall we lend a hand gents?'

Colinson snapped out of his reverie as Baker walked into
his office.

'Hey Dave, how's things?'

Colinson looked up at the door to see the slightly
dishevelled form of Derek Baker standing in the doorway.

'Hello Derek grab a seat, I was reading over Agent
Rook's report again; on the Africa incident. He's a solid operative;
we should roll him into our lot.' Baker gave a wolf like grin.
'Already did, about nine months ago, in fact, he got sick of the
underhanded and bureaucratic crap being fed to his team by their
paymasters, so. When I offered, he jumped ship.'

Colinson looked shocked and pleased at the same time, a
wry humour dancing in his eyes. 'You didn't clear it by me, who is
it?'

Baker dropped into the padded leather chair opposite
Colinson as he spoke. 'Actually mate, I did; and you know who it is
as well!'

Colinson looked sceptical. 'Anyway, have you read this?'

Baker shook his head and took the proffered folder. 'No
I didn't, I know some of the details but not many.'

Bakers eyes widened as he read the after action report.

'This is bad, very, very bad.' Colinson stared at his
operational commander.

'Yeah I thought so to.'

****

Rook, stared at the Infected black African in front of
him, a look of consternation and surprise waged war across his
features as he switched his gaze between the ragged hole in it's
neck, the dead cold features of it's face and the pick axe it had
tried to bury in his head. Looking to Crow he voiced his thoughts.

'These ain't normal Infected, buddy.' Rook's Boston
accent could not hide the tremulous note of fear riding the
undercurrent. Crow knelt down and pulled out a syringe and a blood
vial.

'Couldn't agree more, gonna take a sample for the boys
back home, watch my six okay.'

Rook watched the tunnel with an impatient air
surrounding him, Crow knew his boss was unnerved and he couldn't
blame him. They had dealt with the Infected back home but nothing
like this, these seemed to be capable of higher thought, logical
processes, and mental functions other, more normal, Infected were
incapable of. Rising to his feet, Crow slipped the ampoule into a
foam padded pouch on his chest.

'Rook. Brother, if I go down, the vial is here.'

Crow
tapped his chest, showing Rook where he had stashed the object in
question.