Moosehill Militia (Book 1): INFECTED (33 page)

“I got it. Will do. Six out.” Mike called over to Dave Maddox, Sean Thornton and Dong Yee and apprised them of the situation. Mike exasperated, has had enough of Infected for the day. He led the three mechanized infantry companies south to another fight. His team turned east on Route 9 and were getting close. They pulled just past Auburn Street on Main Street. On the left or north side was a large new stone wall, he remembered the state highway building it a several years ago. He made some money doing details that year. On the right was Rejuvenation Salon, where it dropped off steeply behind it. He decided to set up fifty yards west of this location bottling up the road.

He put Sean's Charlie Company in the center blocking the road from wall to a large chain linked fence with a twenty foot drop off then into the river below that. He had Bravo Company backup Charlie Company fifty yards before it opened to Auburn Street. Mike had Captain Yee of the U.S. Marine Bravo Company dismount his men, half on the hill leading up to Charlie Company and the other half backing up Bravo Company on their APC’s. Mike stayed with Charlie Company also.

Presently the afflicted came into view and there was still a shit load of them. Mike reflected to himself. Everyone was already in position. Mike decided to start the party earlier than planned by yelling.

“Fire, kill them all.” He yelled out. Sean Thornton’s Troops fired out and being the professional they just kept changing magazines on their rifles continuing to fire. On the hill Yee’s forces opened up as well. Soon fresh Huey’s came in firing their M60’s into the side of the swarm of Infected right in front of Charlie Company. Charlie’s M60 were rocking at around three hundred rounds a minute or twenty four hundred a minute for all eight M60’s of 7.62x51mm. The Infected were like puppets dancing around taking hit after hit until one scored into the head in which case it would drop for good. Mike while standing up next to the gunner on his M113A2 and firing single rounds accurately into heads putting them down for good, he didn’t look at it like killing people he tried to think of it as doing them a favor, he’d want someone to do it to him if the situation was reversed.

Three Huey’s came over low and dropped three fifty gallon drums each, of aviation fuel onto the main body spaced down the middle of the road, or as close to as two man manhandling a fifty gallon drum out the door and the pilot trying to fly low and steady could do. They did a good job Mike thought. Mike had a conversation on the radio with Captain Fred Master at the airport on their way down here and gave him instructions what to do.

The first barrel hit and broke apart splashing aviation fuel in a fifty foot radius an with all the bullets flying it was inevitable a spark off the barrel or pavement would ignite the fuel, the second barrel hit and the third and so on till all nine barrels hit and broke apart along a two hundred yard stretch of road. One barrel hit in the middle of the parking lot to the Salon on the right splashing the Infected in that area plus the front of the building.

Before the last barrel hit and smashed open the first was going up in a small mushroom cloud of flames and black smoke, the fuel on the pavement had spread from side to side engulfing the Infected swarm of afflicted in mass. The flames leapt from barrel to barrel with the fuel flowing, a section of Route 9 was on fire from one end to another with flames reaching a hundred feet into the sky. The black smoke Mike thought would be visible for fifty miles. The Infected wailed in there death rattle as they burned to death and their brains boiled in there skull cavity’s, finally killing them. Houses on either side burst into fire from the intense heat, including the Salon that his wife use to go.

Infected close to their position weren't affected, so Sean’s Charlie Company and Yee’s U.S. Marines still had to finish the job which they did in a matter of ten minutes or so. Mike pulled Yee's Company off the hill and sent them south on Auburn Street then east on Tobin Street and back north on Towtaide Street a mile loop or so back down into the Valley onto Main Street bypassing the fire area.

“Actual to XO, come in.” Mike called Mac on his radio. There was no response at first, then he heard. “Is it over yet.” Mac responded with his dry humor.

“How’s your situation, we’ve stopped the swarms advance, stay buttoned up, I'm sending Yee’s company around Tobin Street to support you. Main Street between us is going to be a little hot for a while.” He sent to Mac.

“No problem, we can wait, I hope, he’ll have to clear Larry Evans Delta Company first, they can move on us, once we are all unbuttoned we should be able to clear the rest easily enough.” Mac informed his C.O.

Yee had Jake, Mike’s aid for a guide and was emerging back onto Main Street with only light Infected up to this point. Here on the main road it was heavier but manageable. He had his company advance east and soon they could see Delta company blocking the road. He didn’t want to risk the heavy machine guns puncturing a hole or damaging the APC’s of Delta so he had his men mounted on top firing there 5.56 cartridges into the Infected that were still hanging around Delta’s position. Soon Evan’s Company was able to open up and came out to finish off any Infected left around them.

Yee looking at Delta, thought they looked like shit, Infected body's laying all over there vehicles coving the ground three to five deep in front of their position. Several Delta units in the middle moved forward opening a hole in there line so Yee’s company could go through which he didn’t look forward to, grinding there way over thousands of Infected bodies. The cleanup is going to be worst of all. He shuddered as his machines moved forward over the bodies grinding them into a soupy mush, to relieve Charlie Company a few hundred yards further east on Main Street.

Sean heard the small arms in the distance then stopped then start up again all around his position, hitting his Company’s APC’s. He could tell by the sound and feel that it was 5.56, good he thought, not risking using heavier cartridges on his lightly armored vehicles. Soon the shooting stopped again and his radio lit up telling him it’s safe to come out now. Sean radioed his company telling them to open up but be careful there could still be some around.

He poked his head out the commanders cupola and was aghast at the scene of carnage all around his vehicles, they were surrounded by thousands of dead Infected up to three to five bodies deep. There was less on the west side so he instructed his units to backup west until they could turn around. He could see Captain Deneke’s vehicles moving off Locust Street ahead of him moving back west. He got the word they were pulling all their units west, back to Mike’s position near Auburn Street and Main for now to regroup clean up and resupply. Everyone was short of ammo. Plus Mike told him about the fire, which Sean could see the smoke from, it was going to take a while to burn out.

The fire finally burned out after about twenty hours, the actual road pavement burned it was so hot. Most of the body’s in the road fire were incinerated it was so hot. Over the next few days they concentrated on cleaning up the mess, Heavy front end loaders were brought in and dump trucks and the Infected bodies were loaded and moved to the large parking lot behind 69 Main Street. The old Mill right near the Worcester line. The pile of Infected had to be seen to believe, so they filmed it. Then it was liberally coated with more fuel and wood pallets which were stored in the parking lot of the mill by the thousands and burned. The fire lasted a good twenty four hours. It took several hours to clean the vehicles and equipment of the Mechanized Infantry Company's involved. Then most of the Troopers slept for a day. If was a tough few days on them.

Mike had a message waiting for him back at Moosehill after cleanup of what’s being called the Battle of Cherry Valley. Much of which was filmed by Deneke’s order and some of Sean and Mike’s men also had camera running. Mike wasn’t against it as long as it didn’t effect safety or other Troopers weren't resentful of someone filming. He thought maybe they should have a dedicated film crews to film this for posterity. He’d talk it over with Mac and some of the others.

So Mike sat in his quarter looking at the message. Comms typed out for him.

“Colonel Mohan, Admiral Rin is requesting your presence along with whoever you see fit to bring on board the USS Bush to discuss future plans and operations of the surviving Community's on the east coast and beyond.” The date was two days from now. He called Comms and asked them to send a message back to Admiral Rin asking it to be postponed for one additional day due to ongoing operations.

He picked up his growing girl who fell asleep on the couch next to him and carried his daughter Mary to bed and tucked her in.

“Good night Dad, I’m happy your home and safe, love you.” Mary said sleepily to him. “Love you too pumpkin head.” He whispered.

He went back to planning the next operation to Smith and Wesson that he’s been looking forward too.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Day +9

***

Norfolk Virginia Naval Base

Vin Meyer, Marine Colonel stood on the parade ground at Naval Station Norfolk Virginia.

Vin for the last two week has been in charge of the evacuation of Norfolk Virginia. His Troops have evacuated thousands of civilians, dependence of the soldiers and sailors stationed here. A Lieutenant, one of the Colonel's aide came up to him. "Colonel it's time, these Troops here and the Marines at the gates are the last." He told the Colonel. "Also Captain Ledger wants you to know that the Infected are twenty deep outside his gate and they're pushing on the fence pretty hard he thinks it will give way soon." Thank you lieutenant. Vin then decided he needs to see this himself. Going to his Humvee with Gunny Sergeant Sullivan as his driver and personnel appointed guard, he went over to gate two.

As soon as the Colonel arrived Captain Ledger came up to him. "Colonel we can’t hold this gate much longer, as soon as any portion of this fence gives way my company will be swamped in minutes." He told the Colonel."

“This is what you’re going to do Captain, pull your company back away from the gate to that intersection. The Infected are going to follow the path of least resistance. That means they’ll funnel down this road you'll have a hundred yards of Kill zone right here, put some temporary barriers up with the heavy machine guns behind it and your man and when and if they do come up this road kill everything that comes up. We need about a half hour and you can withdraw to the ships." Colonel Meyer told him.

"When you do withdraw come straight to the docks abandoned the vehicles just take personal weapons, your personal effects have already been loaded that you left behind. Then we'll be on our way to scenic Bermuda or Cape Cod Massachusetts.”

The Marines for two weeks now have been sending off ship after ship loaded to the gunwales with every kind of supplies that they had on this base. They loaded cruise ships with civilians and dependence, replenishment ships, Fleet Oilers and several ships from the Ready Reserve.

USS Nashville LPD 13, USS Nassau LHA 4, USS Tarawa LHA 1, we're already here being work on to be brought back into the active Fleet with the latest Naval buildup. For two weeks civilian crews have been working around the clock trying to finish those projects because we need those ships badly the colonel thought to himself. They were also working on two new ships the USS Tripoli LHA 7 and USS Portland LPD 27 that were close to being ready. They are now good enough to move on their own power, anything else will have to wait. The Colonel directed Gunny Sergeant Sullivan to head to the ship it was time for them to board. Captain Ledger would have to handle the gate by himself.

Captain Ledger did what the Colonel suggested putting up temporary barriers, he placed his vehicles wheel to wheel facing away from the batteries for a quick getaway. Six Humvee’s covered a two lane road. Having the rest of the company here was foolish he sent them back to load up.

"Here they come someone yelled.” The fence next to the gate bent inward from the weight of the Infected pushing against it. Captain Ron Ledger was never so scared in his life, thousands we're going to come through that fence crashing into each other and it just didn't matter to them they were looking for their next meal. The Infected spilled over the broken fence to the right of the gate flowing like water onto the road leading directly to him and his men. Ledger’s throat was dry but he did manage to squeak out a "Fire at will," command.

Atop the Humvee’s several M240 squad automatic weapon’s opened up as the command was given, a barrage of machine gun fire blasted out. The very front of the Infected swarm started to disintegrate blood, skin, hair, appendages all started to come apart but the front of the swarm like a living organism kept flowing further and further towards them.

Each vehicle only had a driver and one security person, plus the gunner, they are all mounted up except for the captain. He took a last look around, and the Infected horde was almost to the barrier right in back of his vehicles. M240’s kept firing away at the front of the Swarm but it was only a matter of seconds before they reached the barrier, it was time to go. He opened the door and sat in his Humvee told his driver to move out, once he started moving the rest will follow.

The line of Humvee’s started moving. After a hundred yard or so he pulled over to the side to let the others go by he wanted to be the last to assess the situation. Four Humvee's passed him, the fifth for some reason was lagging behind. Suddenly a group of much faster Infected surged out of the swarm and swamped the last Humvee.