now getting back to our homes,” said Martin. “I say we get to our
families first, as planned, and then retrieve the others on campus. All the
rules of engagement have changed, sir.”
“These are all solid tactical solutions;
however, getting back to our neighborhoods is eleven miles one way with the
vehicles. That’s not going to be a short drive given all the accidents and
clogged streets, especially if we encounter other survivors along the way. The
helo can only hold a few and it’s low on fuel.”
Shane mulled over the recent orders and
then thought back to the conditions on the street that he had witnessed during
the daylight. He intimately understood the critical window for survival in the
heat without power and water. Being recently divorced, he thought more of his
men than his own personal life. Matias had already been in touch with his wife
and kids in Phoenix at his sister-in-law’s house prior to comms breaking down
and Rory was a long-time bachelor. As for the other men, whose families resided
in the nearby suburbs, Shane knew how imperative it was to get to them without
delay.
Before the others could speak, Shane
stepped forward, placing his hands on his hips. “Look, if this was any other
day, I’d be giving the order to throw your gear in the rigs and be on our way
downrange to the university, but not today. You’re going to have to decide if
you are coming with me or going your own way back to your family. Your honor
and integrity as warriors will not be diminished in any way in my eyes. I am
good with whatever you choose.”
The men all bore grimaces and the
tension in the air was evident. Shane moved to the vehicle and rolled up the
city map. “I’m leaving for the university as soon as we have their location and
have figured out our extraction plan, so hop in the helo if you’re with me. If
not, then the other vehicles and armory are at your disposal. Godspeed, my
brothers.”
During the next hour, Shane pored over
the sat-imagery sent to him on his mobile laptop. He could see clusters of
dozens of people spread in dorms and buildings around the university. He
identified eleven groups of survivors spread around the campus. Some were only
a few people while others numbered up to fifty.
He had pinpointed the location beneath
the pharmacy building and detected six heat signatures, two of which were
heavily armed. “This has to be them,” he said to Matias, who had just come down
after packing the rest of the helicopter on the roof with tactical gear.
“What’s the plan once we get to them?”
said Rory.
“Get ’em out and back here. This building
is the most secure and well-equipped facility around here. Then it’s up to D.C.
to finish their end of the girl’s extraction. After that, I plan on heading
south in the helo to provide air support for the rest of our guys retrieving
their families.”
“And what if we come across other civilians
on campus? We just gonna fly past ’em waving a banner that says, ‘this helo is
reserved for the president’s kid’?”
Before Shane could answer he inched
closer to the laptop screen, scrunching his eyebrows together. “Looks at this,”
he said, pointing to a cluster of nineteen figures huddled in the cafeteria of a
large dormitory. He zoomed in on the image and could make out the figures
squatting nearly motionless as a cluster of forty or more creatures were moving
in the hallway outside. “Look at how those things are massing. At first, they
were all spread out in different directions until the lead ones picked up on something
and they all unified. Are they going off of sound or scent when they detect
their prey?”
Matias looked at the glowing red glob of
creatures flooding the hallway enroute to the unsuspecting survivors, two rooms
away. “Madre de Dios—it’s like a wildfire sweeping through the building.”
Within seconds the wave of creatures
began assaulting the flimsy doors separating them from the survivors. Shane
families first, as planned, and then retrieve the others on campus. All the
rules of engagement have changed, sir.”
“These are all solid tactical solutions;
however, getting back to our neighborhoods is eleven miles one way with the
vehicles. That’s not going to be a short drive given all the accidents and
clogged streets, especially if we encounter other survivors along the way. The
helo can only hold a few and it’s low on fuel.”
Shane mulled over the recent orders and
then thought back to the conditions on the street that he had witnessed during
the daylight. He intimately understood the critical window for survival in the
heat without power and water. Being recently divorced, he thought more of his
men than his own personal life. Matias had already been in touch with his wife
and kids in Phoenix at his sister-in-law’s house prior to comms breaking down
and Rory was a long-time bachelor. As for the other men, whose families resided
in the nearby suburbs, Shane knew how imperative it was to get to them without
delay.
Before the others could speak, Shane
stepped forward, placing his hands on his hips. “Look, if this was any other
day, I’d be giving the order to throw your gear in the rigs and be on our way
downrange to the university, but not today. You’re going to have to decide if
you are coming with me or going your own way back to your family. Your honor
and integrity as warriors will not be diminished in any way in my eyes. I am
good with whatever you choose.”
The men all bore grimaces and the
tension in the air was evident. Shane moved to the vehicle and rolled up the
city map. “I’m leaving for the university as soon as we have their location and
have figured out our extraction plan, so hop in the helo if you’re with me. If
not, then the other vehicles and armory are at your disposal. Godspeed, my
brothers.”
During the next hour, Shane pored over
the sat-imagery sent to him on his mobile laptop. He could see clusters of
dozens of people spread in dorms and buildings around the university. He
identified eleven groups of survivors spread around the campus. Some were only
a few people while others numbered up to fifty.
He had pinpointed the location beneath
the pharmacy building and detected six heat signatures, two of which were
heavily armed. “This has to be them,” he said to Matias, who had just come down
after packing the rest of the helicopter on the roof with tactical gear.
“What’s the plan once we get to them?”
said Rory.
“Get ’em out and back here. This building
is the most secure and well-equipped facility around here. Then it’s up to D.C.
to finish their end of the girl’s extraction. After that, I plan on heading
south in the helo to provide air support for the rest of our guys retrieving
their families.”
“And what if we come across other civilians
on campus? We just gonna fly past ’em waving a banner that says, ‘this helo is
reserved for the president’s kid’?”
Before Shane could answer he inched
closer to the laptop screen, scrunching his eyebrows together. “Looks at this,”
he said, pointing to a cluster of nineteen figures huddled in the cafeteria of a
large dormitory. He zoomed in on the image and could make out the figures
squatting nearly motionless as a cluster of forty or more creatures were moving
in the hallway outside. “Look at how those things are massing. At first, they
were all spread out in different directions until the lead ones picked up on something
and they all unified. Are they going off of sound or scent when they detect
their prey?”
Matias looked at the glowing red glob of
creatures flooding the hallway enroute to the unsuspecting survivors, two rooms
away. “Madre de Dios—it’s like a wildfire sweeping through the building.”
Within seconds the wave of creatures
began assaulting the flimsy doors separating them from the survivors. Shane
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