The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel (41 page)

Leaning over her, Denman muted her feed
.
“
I transmitted your readings to Dr. Curran.
”

She threw him a dark look, her brow furrowing.
“
Why?
”

“
Because she might be able to figure out what is happening and how much danger you may possibly be in.
”

“
I
’
ll be okay. I have armor,
”
Maria said in a low, tight voice.

“
I
’
m not talking about just the
Scrags
attacking you, but...the
Anomaly
situation. What if you
’
re becoming one of them?
”

Her frown deepened, but Maria understood his concern.
She shared his fear.
“
Fine, but you should have told me first.
”

“
The standing order is to send her all our readings. This does concern us all. You were the first of us.
Whatever is happening to you
most likely will happen
to us.
Maybe Jameson
’
s transformation was accelerated by the bite.
”

Denman had a point. She had been transformed into
Inferi Boon
weeks before anyone else. So far she was the only one other than Jameson who was showing signs of the virus mutating in her system. It had to be the virus that was restoring her to life.

She gave him a curt nod
,
dismiss
ing
him.
Opening up her feed, she said,
“
Unless there is significant damage to the interior of the facility, I have our projected path to Chief Defender
Omondi
mapped out.
”
Maria watched the screen as Dwayne
reviewed her plans.
Her heart was beating regularly now, slower than it should be, but at a steady pace.
She felt flush with life and it was a terrifying sensation.

“
The road is clea
r and we should be at the hydro
electric station within ten minutes,
”
Cormier said crisply.
The driver had been performing admirably all day and Maria had already noted this in her log.

Directing her attention forward, Maria gazed at the massive white granite dam that bisected the lake that was fed from an underground river.
The station was tucked on the shoreline. It not only housed the massive generators, but had also been a recreational facility for the people living in the valley.
Maria had seen vids of the old playgrounds and picnic areas where people had relaxed during bright sunny days.
There was a museum, educational facilities, recreational hall, and small restaurant all tucked into the building.
Now the long squat building with its broken windows looked like a prison.

“
It
’
s almost pretty,
”
Denman said as he returned to his station.

The medic
had applied fresh ointment and bandaging to Holm
’
s face.
She still couldn
’
t speak, but the virus was doing its job preserving her.
It upset Maria that they weren
’
t going to airlift her wounded people, but there was not much she could do other than file an angry complaint later.

Checking her screens, she was relieved to see no
Inferi Scourge
mo
ve
ment toward their location. The carrier had
pulled
the
horde away from the station just as they had planned.

“
Vanguard Martinez, your retrieval strategy appears solid,
”
Mr. Petersen
’
s voice said in her ear.
“
But perhaps you should clear the station before retrieving Chief Defender
Omondi
and his people from the basement.
We need to make sure all the
Anomalies
are destroyed.
”

“
The last report from the Chief Defender was that they were in a dire situation,” Maria pointed out curtly.

“Rescue the Chief Defender
, Vanguard Martinez
. Our people
’
s retrieval is your top priority,” Commandant Pierce said briskly. “We will deal with the Anomalies afterward.”

“Very well,” Mr. Petersen said, his voice cold.

The carrier
reduced speed
as it neared the drive that led
to the building.
Inspecting
her weapon one more time, Maria ignored the bland little face on her screen.

“
You must retrieve all the dog tags,
”
Mr. Petersen continued.
“
We must make sure
all
the Anomalies are destroyed.
”

“
How do you know how many there are?
”
Maria asked.

Mr. Petersen closed his mouth and stared into the camera for a long moment.
“
We don
’
t.
”

“
Vanguard Martinez, we have the utmost confidence that you will do an excellent job,
”
Commandant Pierce
’
s voice cut in.

“
Thank you, sir,
”
Maria answered
,
and donned her helmet.
She redirected all the information she needed to the visor before abandoning her console.
Dwayne
’
s f
eed
was framed in a small square on the left hand side of her visor. It was a comforting sight.

“
Helmets on, weapons at the ready,
”
Maria ordered.

The squad shoved their helmets onto their heads, securing the clasps and activating their displays and cameras.
The bolt weapons and rifles hung from their shoulders, extra ammunition tucked into their belts.

“
We keep to the path I
’
ve laid out. We kill any
Scrags
and Anomalies we
come across. Remember, short bursts.
Conserve your
ammunition
. Aim for their heads.
Retrieve a
ny dog tags you find on the bodies. Mark the location of the
corpses
on the schematic I have sent to your helm-units.
This is different from fighting the
Scrags
. Anomalies can think and function at a much higher level.
According to Chief Defender
Omondi
they have created projectile weapons.
Our armor is older issue, so we
’
re vulnerable.
Don
’
t play the hero. Take cover if you need to.
We go in, we rescue the squad, we clear the building. Understood?
”

The
“
yes, sirs
”
echoed within
her
helmet.

“
Cormier, bring us to a full stop at the front entrance.
”

“
Yes, sir. Almost there.
”

The carrier shuddered as Cormier applied the brakes.
The vehicle
decelerated
near the front of the building. The once
-
white granite walls of the facility were stained dark
from the passage of time and the elements
.
There was no sign of movement outside or inside the building.

Maria studied the faces of her squad behind their visors.
The men and women returned her steady gaze,
resolute
and ready to do their job.
The bandages covering most of Holm
’
s face
didn
’
t
hide her determined stare.

With a
sharp little jerk
,
the carrier came to a stop.
Maria stared out the front window at the silent building. Dark clouds were sliding over the mountaintops
,
casting dark shadows over the lake.
The last thing they needed was rain.

“
Mikado, open up this tin can,
”
Maria said.

“
Yes, sir!
”

Mikado sprang forward to obey
,
Cruz right on his heels.
Together they jumped out and covered the rest of the squad as they disembarked.

“
Cormier, secure the carrier on your way out.
”
Maria leaped to the ground and nodded with approval at the
squad
’
s
quick deployment and efficient securing of the area.
They were not just killing machines sent to exterminate the mindless
Inferi Scourge
anymore. They were soldiers again.

Following in her shadow, Denman motioned toward the approaching storm.
“
Not good. Visibility will already be an issue inside.
”

“
That
’
s what night vision is for,
”
Maria responded.

The defense system buzzed as it came online
when
Cormier slid the door shut.
The battered vehicle had seen better days, but it had held up admirably.
Cormier joined the squad, her weapon at the ready.

“
Let
’
s do this,
”
Maria said in a fierce voice and headed toward the building.

C
hapter 30

The glass crunched under her
boot heels
as Maria approached the empty floor-length windows that had been destroyed long ago when the gate had failed and the
Inferi Scourge
had rampaged through the valley.
The white stone around the empty windows was
discolored
.
Furniture and heavy objects that had once been stacked against the glass lay in rotting piles just inside the building.
The menacing gloom within the massive lobby made Maria
’
s sluggish heart beat faster.

Mikado and Cruz le
d the squad, quiet and graceful as they scanned for any sign of the enemy.
They were the first to peer into the abandoned building before slipping over the windowsill and being absorbed into the darkness.
The small lamps on their helmets switched on, beams of light streaking across the sad remains of a
vanquished
world.

“
Keep alert,
”
Maria said,
trailing
McKinney and Holm into the building. Denman was right behind her.

There were signs of battle all around her.
Bullet holes were punched deep into the interior walls.
The once
-
white walls were moldy and streaked with dark
blot
s.
It didn
’
t take muc
h of an imagination to know the stains were the markers where
blood spilled long ago.
The smashed remains of the lobby chairs and tables littered the floor. Bits of broken bones and a few shattered skulls were strewn about.

“
Must have fought like hell,
”
Cruz said in a soft, almost reverent voice.

Cut off from the city, whoever had taken shelter within the building had been doomed.
Maria wondered how long the windows had held before
surrender
ing to the onslaught
to the
Scourge
.
The lights from th
e
helmets cast shadows across the walls, mimicking wraiths.

The squad spread out across the lobby.
Every possible hiding spot was checked.

One by one, seventeen different voices said,
“
Clear.
”

The schematic on Maria
’
s visor altered to show the lobby free of the Anomalies.
Next they would en
ter a corridor that opened
to the offices of the administration
of
the facility. At the far end would be the stairwell that would lead down to the basement.
The doors
opening
to the corridor were straight ahead.
One was slightly ajar, the thin line of the blackness that dwelt beyond the doors an
ominous
sight.

Maria signaled for Mikado and Cruz to advance. The rest of the squad fell
back from
the doors
, staying
out of the range of any possible fire.

“
Switching to
night vision,
“
Mikado
said, then took up his position next to the door. He
silently
counted down
on his fingers with Cruz
, then they shoved the doors open. Keeping in cover, they both peered into the darkness, their helmets illuminated in a ghostly glow.

“
We
’
ve got bodies,
”
Cruz said, her voice slightly wavering.

“
Gutierrez
.
”
Mikado
’
s voice as grim.
“
What
’
s left of him.
”

“
Advance with caution,
”
Maria
directed
.

The small schematic on her screen altered to pinpoint the position of
Gutierrez
’
s
body.
Flipping on her
night vision
, she watched the world fade to shades of blue and gray.

With practiced perfection, the squad moved into the wide corridor.
Closed doors lined either side.
Breaking into smaller groups, the squad began to open each door.
E
very
time a door yawned open and the darkness beyond faded
to washes of blue
to reveal its secrets, Maria felt her heart thud a little harder.
The offices were trashed, the desks tossed against the walls, chairs shattered into pieces of plastic and metal.
Computer terminals were ruined monuments of another time.
Personal photos
in broken frames
were faded,
moldering
mementos of lost lives
.

One by one, the rooms were checked and secured.
Meter by meter, they crept toward the door that would open to the stairwell.
Gutierrez
’
s
body lay at the far end, his face turned toward them on a shattered neck.
Maria tried not to see the ravaged body, stripped of muscle and skin.
As
he neared the corpse, Denman cautiously crouched next to the dead soldier.

“
Entry w
ound is above his left eye. Exi
t wound is
.
..
”
Denman
’
s face was an eerie mix of various shades of blue and gray as he looked up at Maria. Gently he turned
Gutierrez
’
s
head so Maria could see the thin metal pipe sticking out of the back.

“
Projectile weapons
,
Omondi
said,
”
Maria
remarked
, keeping her voice as calm as possible.
“
Do you see this, Castellan?
”

“
We see it. Proceed with extreme caution.
”

Maria could hear the slight fear in his voice and he
r
eyes flicked toward his small image.

Denman stepped back into formation and the group pressed forward.
Again, Mikado and Cruz were first through the new set of doors.
One of the doors hit the wall with a harsh sound and an echo followed.

T
hey were at the top of the stairwell.

The s
quad filed onto the landing
.
Maria stepped up to the rail and peered cautiously into the blackness below.
The
night vision
displayed the long spiral of stairs and a blank square of concrete floor at the base. She was
straightening
when she saw something flash through her line of vision
followed by a metallic clank.
The sound of receding
footfalls ricochet
ed up the stairwell
.

Immediately, she stepped back and thumbed off the safety on her rifle.
“Watch yourselves. There are some below.”

Holm plucked a thin piece of pipe that had landed near Maria
’
s location.

“Definitely armed,” McKinney said sourly.

Mikado and Cruz stepped onto the stairs, keeping away from the railing, carefully heading downward. Their footfalls rang through the blue-washed darkness.
The de
scent into the basement was terrifying
.
At least
in the valley
they could see the
Scourge
coming toward them and have some sort of idea of where an attack may originate.

Scuffling noises from below brought the soldiers to a stop
.
Mika
do quickly peeked over the rail
. He barely dodged
an object that shot up from below
. Cruz sent a short barrage of gunfire
into the darkness beneath the stairs
before the attacker
darted out of
range
.

Holm reached down and picked up a long thin pipe.
Though she couldn
’
t speak, her eyes said it all.
The
Anomalies
were definitely armed.

Continuing
downward
, they hugged the walls
, trying to stay out of range of fire
.
Maria
’
s gaze stole upward when
her hearing picked up a different sound.
A shadow was leaning over the rail peering down at them.

“
They
’
re above us!
”
she called out.

The sound of the
Anomalies
’
weapons discharging
sent the squad into defensive positions.
The pipe
projectiles
clanged against the wall and stairwells, missing their targets.
Maria could see the thin objects hurtling
at her from above and below. S
he dodged and ducked, trying to avoid them.
The gunfire bursts from the
Inferi Boon
w
ere
deafening
.

The cold
Anomaly
bodies were registering as ghostly wisps on the
night vision
.
Cursing, Maria darted around Mikado and fired
down the
final length of stairs. She could see the
Anomalies
at the bottom
darting back and forth out of cover.

“
Move down!
”
she ordered.

Maria fired at a shape ascending the stairwell and heard it scream.

Advancing into the basement, she continued to
pull the trigger of her weapon
,
scattering the
Anomalies on the basement floor. Mikado and Cruz were right behind her, helping her pin down the Anomalies
. The
ir opponents
continued
to attack
, but the
inaccuracy of the makeshift
weapons gave the squad the advantage.
Maria registered that a few of her people were hit
on her helmet readout
, but none were down.

“
Fuck! They hit my helmet! I
’
m blind!
”
Cormier screamed.

“
Get
Cormier
!
”
Maria ordered, ducking
around a
corner and firing point blank into the body of a man standing there.
He staggered back as the bullets punched through him.

“
Hungry!
”
he screamed, then lunged at her.

A bullet to the head stopped him cold and he fell to her feet.

“
Fuck! Fuck!
”
Cormier
’
s voice rang out.
“
Get them off me!
”

The
cries
from above became desperate.
McKinney
’
s
shouts of anger and the
staccato
of gunfire
deafened
Maria.
Her helmet started to register squad losses.

Screams and shouts filled the cramped space as Maria, Mikado, Cruz, Denman and Holm managed to find refuge behind a reserve generator.
Maria could now see the
Anomalies
scurrying
from cover to cov
er in the long corridor that le
d to the
shelter
that the Chief Defender and his squad were bunkered down in.
The ambush was carefully thought out and the enemy had prepared.
The only reason Maria and the others had found any protection was because the Anomaly she had killed had been overwhelmed with hunger and
abandoned his position
.

“
Vanguard Martinez, we have five people
immobilized
up there,
”
Denman whispered urgently.

“
I can see my readout
,
”
Maria retorted.