Blood Apocalypse - 04 (28 page)

As much as he hated to admit it, the ONLY building that even got him close was the very building he fought against defending in the first place. He slapped at the maps and sent them flying across the table. “Fuck me standing!” he yelled.

“What’s the trouble, Major?” Sergeant Bigby asked.

Sheridan sighed and shook his head. “I find myself caught between a rock and hard spot, Sergeant.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time, eh, Major?” Bigby smiled at him. “We’ve handled worse, sir.”

“Well, this time I may well have burned some pretty important bridges with the yanks.” Sheridan sat down hard and rubbed at his eyes.

“Fuck ‘em, Major. You know the yanks. Give ‘em a hear
tfelt apology and they’ll bend over themselves trying to kiss your arse!”

Sheridan sighed again. “Aye, maybe, Big. I just don’t know if I’m prepared to eat this much crow.”

“Aw, you can handle it, Major. Just toss a little catsup on it and you’ll choke it down alright.”

Sheridan nodded and reached for his radio.

“Jack, do you have a secure channel mate?” Sheridan waited a moment before Thompson came back over the air.

“Go to 127.3. Over.”

Sheridan punched the frequency in and waited for Jack to come back over the air. “What?”

“Look, mate, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I’ve got no excuse for being an ass,” he started. “It hasn’t been easy since…well, you know.”

Sheridan waited for him to respond but he didn’t. “Anyway, I just wanted to tell you, if you truly think that my men and me being at that HQ would be the best place, then I’m all for it. We’re ready to throw everything we have at these bloody bastards…if you’ll still have us.”

Sheridan waited again for what seemed a very long time. Finally Jack came back across the radio, “Report to the HQ building and check in with Apollo. He and Pablo pretty much have all the breach points covered, but maybe you and your boys could cover the roof.”

Sheridan smiled and nodded. “Sounds like a hell of a plan to me, mate.”

“Thompson out.”

Sheridan looked at the radio and then turned it off.

“See, Major? That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

Sheridan didn’t even look up, “Didn’t fix anything, Big. Just put us back in the game.”

“Well, that’s better than where we were two minutes ago, now isn’t it?”

*****

Dominic packed a go-bag and loaded extra magazines. He had no idea what he might encounter, but he knew he had to make a VERY wide berth around the incoming sea of vampires and work his way to where the train sat idle. He pulled the sate
llite photo of the train and the car circled by the technician that best met the description of a caboose. It was the closest thing to a transport type car in the entire train. All the rest were cargo cars, probably packed to the brim with vampires.

He walked across to where the SCOUT vehicle was parked and found Hammer waiting for him. “Didn’t think you were g
oing alone, did you?”

“What the hell are you doing?” Dom asked as he shoved the go bag into the back of the SCOUT.

“Waiting for you.” The large Swede pushed off from the side of the vehicle. “XO said to wait here for you and provide support.”

Dom shook his head. “No way, buddy. You got a job to do here.”

“You’re right. I do. Provide support for you,” he replied. “Look, dumbass, I got my orders. They come from the same guy that gave you yours. Now, we can either stand here and argue about it or we can go talk to the man himself, OR we can go run this op?” He shot Dom a cheesy grin. “What’s it going to be?”

Dom smiled at the large man and shook his head. “Welcome aboard the crazy train, brother.”

“Aye, aye, aye…”

“Funny. Let’s roll.”

*****

“Uh oh, lover. Better look alive. They’re getting ready to make war,” Rachel sung in his ear, jarring Damien from the edge of sleep. “Remember…anybody older and more powerful than you are…
eat
from them!” she hissed. “Even if it’s just a little.”

“I remember,” he whispered in reply.

“It doesn’t matter which side they are from…our side or their side,” she added. “Foster, Thorn, Medici, any of them who gets close to you, eat as much as you can in the confusion. Build your strength for the REAL prize.”

“I remember, my love.” He worked his way toward the steel blast doors.

Foster was in mid-speech, and Damien ignored most of it, listening instead to Rachel. He did hear mention of something about a satellite and sunlight, but he was listening to her. She promised to direct him, guide him, lead him to the richest bounty. The added strengths of all of her chosen targets would strengthen him and prepare him for the real prize.

“Remember to stay to the edges of the dry lake. Do not let any get past you,” Foster repeated. “The satellite will be making random swinging patterns so if you are thrown into the fray…well, it was nice knowing you. The odds of you making it back to the edge are slim. We will take this, the northern side and we WILL hold it.

“The Sicarii has not been able to break our will and call us into his service so far and with the assistance of the others, we will keep him distracted enough that hopefully, he’ll never realize we were even here.

“Once this is over, we can go back to our lives. The way it should be. The Blood Alliance will be satisfied.

“Now, go forth and fight!” he yelled to an uproar of screaming vampires as the doors were thrown open and two hundred and fifty thousand vampires fled into the early night.

*****

Mitchell entered the underground facility while Viktor was addressing the wolves. He was explaining to them, many of whom were hearing for the first time, that if they shifted
prior
to the moon’s pull, that they could retain their mind over the wolf.

Mitchell worked his way over to where Max now stood, waiting to address his people, dressed in his Roman Guard un
iform. Matt couldn’t help himself as he sidled up next to Max. “Nice legs.”

Max simply nodded. “Thanks. I work out.”

“I think we’re about ready. I have the operations center set up and my XO is holding the fort. Are you sure you can control me once I shift?”

Max turned to him and gave him a sad smile. “Colonel, I have plans for you tonight.”

Matt gave a slight shake of his head. “I don’t understand what you’re—”

Max grabbed Matt by either side of his face and held him tight. As he stared intently into his eyes, he chanted something in a language that Matt didn’t understand, but he felt his wolf struggle slightly inside him, then subside. He felt a slight naus
eous feeling that quickly passed and he got slightly light headed just before Max released him. Matt wobbled slightly and tried to shake it off, but Max hooked a thumb under his chin and held his head up so that he could stare into his eyes. He nodded and then shot him a smile. “Excellent.”

“What the hell did you do to me?” Matt asked.

“I asked your wolf to take a vacation.” He smirked. “Go back to your command center and lead your men, Colonel.”

Matt’s eyes widened, “Are you nuts?” he exclaimed. “When I shift, I’d put them all at risk!”

Max smiled at him. “You won’t be shifting tonight, Colonel. And as soon as I’m done addressing my wolves, neither will my granddaughter. She is with child,” he stated over his shoulder as he worked his way forward.

Viktor was winding down in his speech. He had just a
nnounced that any wolf in their pack who could not swear allegiance to him could feel free to leave at any time, but not until this threat was addressed.

Max paused and turned back to Mitchell, “I can’t make this permanent, Colonel. There is no cure…other than a silver bullet. But, you knew that already, didn’t you? For tonight and tonight only, you have a reprieve. Now go lead your men!” he yelled as the crowd cheered his son.

Max stepped up on the small impromptu stage and raised his hands to lower the voices of the wolves assembled. “Wolves, countrymen, lend me your paws.” He laughed. “I cannot think of a better army to go into battle with than this one,” he said solemnly. “We face an enemy like none we’ve ever faced before…”

Mitchell listened to him a moment longer then headed back to the OpCom. As he walked across the soon to be battlements, he stared up at the sky and noticed just how large the full moon appeared in the desert sky. He felt his wolf pull slightly within him, then instantly settle down, as if going to sleep. He sighed deeply and took a deep breath of the cool night air to invigorate himself.

Time to make the doughnuts.

22

Tufo was just getting into the groove and coordinating the different strike teams when Mitchell walked in the door. Those who were in the know froze and stared at him. Matt stared back with a half-assed smile then ordered, “Carry on!”

He approached Evan. “Do you have my speech ready?”

Evan blanched. “Honestly, sir, I thought you’d be…”

“What?”

“Well, Colonel, I thought you’d be covered in hair and drooling on yourself about now,” he admitted. “I didn’t write it.” He said sheepishly.

Matt smiled at him and nodded. “Honest to a fault, Doc.”

“I am that, Colonel.”

“Very well.” Matt nodded. “XO, when you have a chance, will you please pass the word to our supernatural guests that we truly appreciate their assistance and that they have our undying gratitude. You might include that they have nothing to fear from the human hunters as long as their kind make no overt threats to humanity.”

Mark smiled at him. “Already taken care of, Colonel. Since I had the big chair, I took certain liberties.”

Matt raised a brow at him. “Remind me never to underest
imate you, Major.”

“I’ve been telling you that for ten years, Colonel,” Tufo shot back. He turned his attention back to the big screen and tapped something on the pad beside his chair to magnify part of the screen. “Infrared that section, now,” Mark ordered. Approaching the dry lake bed from the east was a wave like formation that could only be described as a dry tsunami of bodies. “Get me Thorn in here.”

Evans stepped out and a moment later Rufus was standing next to Mark. “If you were this Sicarii, how would you set this wave up?”

Rufus studied the wave. “Do you mean the hierarchy?”

“Yeah. Would he put the strongest vampires in the front of the wave or the rear or mix them or…”

“
Non
. The strongest will be the oldest. He will hold them to the rear. The youngest will be at the forefront.”

“That way if we mow them down, there’s fewer progeny to die with them.” Mark nodded in understanding.

“
Oui
.”

Mark thought a moment then keyed his mic. “POD stations, hold fire until the wave is halfway past your mark, copy?”

He received four affirmatives from the POD stations, then he keyed for the C130 circling high overhead. “Hawkeye, OpCom Actual.”

“Go ahead, Actual,” Gregory radioed back.

“Hold fire until half of this wave formation is in the dry lake bed. Then I want you to bring the rain on the eastern most part of the formation, copy?”

“Roger that, Actual. Targeting now.”

Mark watched the movement on the screen and zoomed out to see the bigger picture. He’d never seen so many bodies moving at such speed before and it sent a chill up his spine. Somebody in the room muttered, ‘oh my God’ and without looking he ordered, “Cut the chatter.”

Matt stood back and watched Tufo take the reins on this ‘save the world’ operation and he felt a pride like he hadn’t felt before. His desire to rush back and lead was quelled as soon as he came in and saw his friend filling the role that he knew he was made for. He stood toward the rear and watched as Mark allowed the vamps to fall deeper and deeper into the bear trap.

Mark keyed the mic and left it open to all frequencies so that there was no mistaking the goal here, “Remember, the Hercules brings the rain from the rear and drives them further forward for the PODs to chew up, the ground forces keeps them from scattering into the hills and the dry lake bed is the killing field. Between the drones, the satellite and the rain from above, we leave nothing but the head vampire himself. Key to copy.” He received numerous key clicks back and didn’t bother to count them. He knew everyone was onboard and everyone had gone over the plan numerous times. He just wasn’t sure if he repeated it again for himself or in case anyone was nervous and forgot.

As the wave reached the mark, Tufo keyed the C130 Herc
ules, “Go for rain.”

Gregory replied, “Roger that!” just as the night sky lit up with strings of light from above and the heavens began raining fire to the earth. The Lockheed C-130 Hercules fired both of its 20MM rotary cannons loaded with chain fed silver jacketed ammunition with tracer rounds interlaced amongst them that made the night sky appear to be on fire. With the cannon fire concentrated toward the rear of the attacking horde, the older vampires disintegrated into ash, their progeny dropping and tur
ning to ash along with them further ahead in the advancing army.

On the monitors in the OpCom, little circles of fire and ash popped in and out of view of the attacking horde in increasing numbers as the C-130 rained silver jacketed destruction on the vampire horde.

“Engage the drones,” Tufo ordered.

“Drones engaging,” an operator replied.

Predator drones swept either side of the attacking throng along the edges of the lake bed from rear to front, ashing huge numbers of the vampires with each pass. The third drone circled high above sending data back to the command center, and waited to take another drone’s place should one fall out of commission.

As the vampires realized that they were being attacked from the air, many made mad breaks for the fringes, climbing the steep banks of the hillsides to escape the deadly silver bullets raining down from above, only to be met by howling wer
ewolves that rent them limb from limb or large packs of waiting vampires ready to sink a stake deep into their undead heart or rip their heads from their bodies.

“Sir, they’re passing the outer marker,” the technician mon
itoring the ground sensors announced.

“Very well,” Tufo noted. “Activate the satellite.”

“Satellite activated. Focused beam, sixty percent for fifty seconds. Zigzag pattern within the pre-set boundaries,” the tech said. “Firing.”

Mark looked up at the screen and could see the beam slicing through the picture in infrared, vast quantities of vampires going up in ash and pockets of others following. “Switch to real view.” A moment later, the screen, mostly dark, showed waves of movement and orange and red flashes of ashes floating up into the night sky. He panned the camera back and caught the swath of the beam as it sliced through another massive path of va
mpires.

“Hell yeah,” somebody commented.

Mark nodded. “What’s the recharge time at this level on the satellite?” he asked.

“Right at one minute, sir.”

“Move the third drone to a forward position. I want to contain these bastards. I don’t want them getting any closer to the base proper than they already are.”

“Yes, sir,” the tech responded then replied that the third drone was circling between the vampires and the base, raining down hell on the advancing blood suckers.

Max entered the command center and looked around for Dr. Peters. He saw Evan toward the rear and worked his way through the crowd with Viktor in tow. Mitchell intercepted Viktor and caught his attention. “Did he fix you, too?”

“Fix?” Viktor asked.

“Make it so you didn’t shift?”

“Oh, yes. Rather liberating, isn’t it?” Viktor said with a smile.

“What I wouldn’t give to be able to turn it off.”

Viktor noticed that Max had caught up with Dr. Peters. “I need to go. I have a specialty weapon to pick up.”

“Good hunting,” Matt offered.

*****

Laura grabbed Barbara’s hand and slowly led her back up to an office area. “We can stow our stuff here.” She kept peeking out the cracked door as she rifled through her bag.

“What are you looking for?” Barbara whispered.

“A gun,” Laura whispered back. “I don’t have silver rounds like the squads do, but right now, anything is better than nothing.”

Barbara slipped her hand into the side pocket of her bag and extracted the pistol that Bob had brought her. She wrapped her hand around the grip and thought better of announcing that she had it. She weighed the options in her head. She didn’t like the possibility that Laura might try to take it from her, especially if she discovered that she actually
had
silver ammunition.

“Just stick with me and I’ll get you out of here,” Laura whispered from the doorway.

Barbara chose discretion and slipped the pistol into the waistband of her jeans at the small of her back and pulled her shirt over it. Kicking her bag beside Laura’s she fell into step behind her. They had just cleared a corner when Laura’s radio sounded. “Ms. Youngblood, we just cleared the first floor and the second. What is your location?”

She put the radio to her mouth and Barbara tapped her shoulder and pointed animatedly. She keyed the radio so that it couldn’t broadcast, but didn’t speak. Turning very slowly she looked in the direction that Barbara pointed and saw a shadow along a wall that appeared very large and bushy.

Both women backed up slowly and returned the way they came. When they reached the other side of the floor, Laura spoke into the radio, “Third floor, near the training area south entrance. I think we just spotted it by the north entrance. Whatever it is, it’s HUGE.”

“Copy that, ma’am,” a voice responded. “We’re on the south side. We’ll work our way north and come down the stai
rwell on that side. Maybe we can box it in.”

“Negative!” she whispered. “When I say this thing is huge, I mean it makes Apollo look tiny. Do you copy me?”

There was silence on the line for a moment before the voice returned, “Affirmative, ma’am. We’ll take it from here.”

“Son of a…” she wanted to throw the radio in frustration. She turned to Barbara, “They’re going to get themselves killed!” Her eyes were wide with fear. “The squads are augmented and they couldn’t survive against one of these things!”

“So what do we do?” Barbara asked.

Laura sighed and thought. “Short of drawing it away from them, there’s nothing we can do.”

Barbara looked at Laura and set her jaw. “Can those things open doors?”

Laura gave her a blank look. “I have no idea, Barb. Why?”

“I have an idea.”

*****

Sheridan paced the roof, his sights set on the bunker across from the roof he now stood on. He had spread his men to the four corners and scattered them as best that he could and still stay within operational parameters. He placed himself at the front of the building so that he could keep an eye on the command center. The steel reinforced concrete arched building didn’t have many windows, and the few that it did have were low to the ground, blocking his view to the interior.

As the Hercules and the drones fired upon the advancing monsters in the distance and orange ash rose into the air, the horizon gave off an eerie glow and sounded as though contin
uous thunder were rolling in. Sheridan ignored the battle and studied the bunker windows instead.

He cursed to himself and brought the scope to his eye once more. All he could see was one computer technician operating a joystick. Probably some non-com running a damned drone.

Sheridan sighed and lowered his rifle. He knew that the glass in those windows would be blast proof, but he was hedging his bet that his depleted uranium round would pierce it. He held the sniper rifle in his hands and waited. Surely this arrogant son of a bitch would go to the window to see the destruction…and when he did, Sheridan planned to remove his head from his shoulders.

*****

Hammer piloted the SCOUT vehicle three clicks to the far side of the train and killed the lights. He and Dom pulled on their night vision goggles and drove as quietly back toward the waiting transport as they could. They zipped along empty cargo cars until they reached a caboose amidst the myriad of rail cars and killed the SCOUT. Both men exited the vehicle and pulled their carbines. They approached the train as silently as they could, checking for tripwires or booby traps along the way.

Dominic climbed aboard the caboose and slowly pushed the door open, his night vision slowly dimming then amplifying the low light interior. He keyed his lip mic, “Bingo.”

Hammer jumped up onto the caboose platform and entered the caboose with him. With the two overly large men inside, the caboose was nearly full. Dom pointed to a shipping crate shaped box along one wall. He whispered to Hammer, “What do you bet that’s it?”

“One way to find out.” Hammer stepped forward and lifted the lid.

Dom peered inside and smelled the deep, rich earthy scent of soil and smiled. “Gotcha,” he whispered.

“Now what?” Hammer asked.

“We dump it all the way back.”

The men bent down to retrieve the box just as something small and crazed leapt from the darkness screeching at them like a howler monkey.

It climbed onto Hammer’s back and clawed at his face, ripping the night vision goggles from his eyes. Hammer cursed and tried to grab the howler monkey from his shoulders, but the little bastard was too quick and too strong. Dominic pulled his weapon up, but didn’t dare fire or he might hit Hammer. Instead, he simply reached out and grabbed the small, rabid vampire by the back of the neck and lifted him from his partner as the little vampire screamed and screeched, thrashing about in mid-air screaming something unintelligible.