and put them all at further risk. The young men made short work of the cleanup and were nearly finished, but Orpheus still had one thing to do.
"I think I found it," Tim said. Orpheus walked over to where he was standing over a pile of clothes, a short-sleeve collared shirt and blue jeans. He wasn't interested in the clothes, only in the metallic tags that lay near them. He picked them up and ran his finger across them. The flashlight beam revealed the name Mitchell Potts. Ethan and Rachel had known him as Mickey.
Orpheus said, "Thank you for helping out my kids, grunt. I'll return the favor, somehow." He slipped the tags into his cargo pocket, and the three of them bagged up the rest of the debris.
Settling In ... Again
Orpheus opened the door to the former principal's office and dropped his bags on the floor. The antique mahogany desk and leather furniture seemed excessive for a high school principal, but as soon as he'd settled into the high-back chair, and saw the matching sofa, he knew that was where he was going to call home for the next year, guilt-free. Everyone else could sleep on a cot in the gym. He was exercising managerial privilege.
He placed his two-way radio on the desk and confirmed the proper channel. Once that was done, he unclasped his duffel bag, opened the flaps, and began moving in. He hung his uniforms on the wrought-iron coat rack. His "civvies" consisted of shorts, t-shirts, sweatpants, and a pair of blue jeans that he'd probably never have occasion to wear. There wasn't exactly any nightlife on the island anymore, and the majority of his spare time would be spent sleeping or doing paperwork. He stuffed those in two desk drawers.
The school really had everything that they needed. An industrial kitchen, cafeteria, gym, several bathrooms with shower facilities, an auditorium for briefings and movies. And it had been secured before. The only time it had been compromised had been due to his own men. Those mistakes would not be repeated.
He leaned back and closed his eyes. He began a breathing exercise that he'd learned from his shrink. He had to admit that meditation did wonders for his blood pressure. And it was nice to have a few minutes to himself.
"Captain, we have an incoming chopper. Mr. Trager requested that you meet it personally. Arrival in ten mike."
Orpheus sighed and acknowledged the transmission. "Well, that figures," he said to an empty office.
O
Orpheus grew more agitated with each step.
They hadn't set up a secured landing spot for the helicopter yet. That wouldn't be done until the next day when the Jersey barriers arrived and enclosed the school. Everyone knew this, because it was on Orpheus' extremely detailed itinerary. So whoever had disregarded that itinerary (Orpheus was pretty sure who) was coming in on a proven zombie magnet and would be landing in an unsecured location, which meant that they'd have to do their best to secure it in a hurry. He stormed outside and was ready to start giving orders, but was pleasantly surprised by what he saw.
His lieutenants were organizing the vehicles into a ring around the cul-de-sac, and they were doing it quickly. Once the last vehicle was in place, Tim threw a smoke flare into the grassy center. Red smoke billowed up, showing the pilot where to land. If the arrival attracted any zombies, they could just dig in and eliminate them.
Orpheus jogged over to Ethan just as the chopper came into sight.
"There's an asshole on that helicopter, and I bet it carries the rank of Colonel," Ethan said.
"Took the words right out of my mouth."
The helicopter arrived overhead and hovered for a moment before it began its descent. The down draft blew red smoke everywhere, and everyone had to turn sideways to avoid it getting in their eyes. The helicopter touched down with a gentle thud. After being bounced around in helicopters several times before, Orpheus could both recognize and appreciate a gentle touch like that. The
"I think I found it," Tim said. Orpheus walked over to where he was standing over a pile of clothes, a short-sleeve collared shirt and blue jeans. He wasn't interested in the clothes, only in the metallic tags that lay near them. He picked them up and ran his finger across them. The flashlight beam revealed the name Mitchell Potts. Ethan and Rachel had known him as Mickey.
Orpheus said, "Thank you for helping out my kids, grunt. I'll return the favor, somehow." He slipped the tags into his cargo pocket, and the three of them bagged up the rest of the debris.
Settling In ... Again
Orpheus opened the door to the former principal's office and dropped his bags on the floor. The antique mahogany desk and leather furniture seemed excessive for a high school principal, but as soon as he'd settled into the high-back chair, and saw the matching sofa, he knew that was where he was going to call home for the next year, guilt-free. Everyone else could sleep on a cot in the gym. He was exercising managerial privilege.
He placed his two-way radio on the desk and confirmed the proper channel. Once that was done, he unclasped his duffel bag, opened the flaps, and began moving in. He hung his uniforms on the wrought-iron coat rack. His "civvies" consisted of shorts, t-shirts, sweatpants, and a pair of blue jeans that he'd probably never have occasion to wear. There wasn't exactly any nightlife on the island anymore, and the majority of his spare time would be spent sleeping or doing paperwork. He stuffed those in two desk drawers.
The school really had everything that they needed. An industrial kitchen, cafeteria, gym, several bathrooms with shower facilities, an auditorium for briefings and movies. And it had been secured before. The only time it had been compromised had been due to his own men. Those mistakes would not be repeated.
He leaned back and closed his eyes. He began a breathing exercise that he'd learned from his shrink. He had to admit that meditation did wonders for his blood pressure. And it was nice to have a few minutes to himself.
"Captain, we have an incoming chopper. Mr. Trager requested that you meet it personally. Arrival in ten mike."
Orpheus sighed and acknowledged the transmission. "Well, that figures," he said to an empty office.
O
Orpheus grew more agitated with each step.
They hadn't set up a secured landing spot for the helicopter yet. That wouldn't be done until the next day when the Jersey barriers arrived and enclosed the school. Everyone knew this, because it was on Orpheus' extremely detailed itinerary. So whoever had disregarded that itinerary (Orpheus was pretty sure who) was coming in on a proven zombie magnet and would be landing in an unsecured location, which meant that they'd have to do their best to secure it in a hurry. He stormed outside and was ready to start giving orders, but was pleasantly surprised by what he saw.
His lieutenants were organizing the vehicles into a ring around the cul-de-sac, and they were doing it quickly. Once the last vehicle was in place, Tim threw a smoke flare into the grassy center. Red smoke billowed up, showing the pilot where to land. If the arrival attracted any zombies, they could just dig in and eliminate them.
Orpheus jogged over to Ethan just as the chopper came into sight.
"There's an asshole on that helicopter, and I bet it carries the rank of Colonel," Ethan said.
"Took the words right out of my mouth."
The helicopter arrived overhead and hovered for a moment before it began its descent. The down draft blew red smoke everywhere, and everyone had to turn sideways to avoid it getting in their eyes. The helicopter touched down with a gentle thud. After being bounced around in helicopters several times before, Orpheus could both recognize and appreciate a gentle touch like that. The
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