and
the others watched helplessly as the creatures broke through the barriers and
flooded inside. The heat signatures of the students were reduced in under a
minute and then the creatures dispersed throughout the hallway as if their
grisly collaboration had never occurred.
“Is this for real, man?” said Rory, who
tightened the baseball cap down on his forehead. “How is it that we can even
get heat signatures on those creatures—I mean, aren’t they dead?”
“I’m not sure what to make of them—alive,
dead…somewhere in between. But one thing’s for certain, we need to get there
fast. Those students who were just killed are infected and will be adding to
the growing numbers of those things.” Shane slammed the laptop closed and stood
up. “Let’s saddle up. We may not have much time.”
Chapter 24
After Shane was ready, he went down to the
sub-basement where the other three men were preparing to depart in their
Humvee. “Stay in radio contact with your handheld units and keep me updated on
your progress, the road conditions, and eventual return to base,” said Shane.
The men shook hands and hastily climbed
into the tan vehicle while Rory stood at the security entrance. After tapping
in the security code to the concrete barrier door of the subterranean garage,
the Humvees sped up the entrance ramp and into the wave of heat in the streets
above.
Once his men were on their way, Shane
and Rory grabbed duffle bags of weapons and gear and made their way up the
eight floors to the roof. The rotors of the helo were already in motion, as
Matias was inside preparing for departure. After all three men were strapped in,
Shane gave the thumbs-up sign and Matias eased off the helipad.
Veering to the southwest, they flew over
downtown Tucson, past crumpled cars, shattered storefronts, and thousands of
mangled corpses lining the crimson streets below. Three combat tours overseas couldn’t
compare to the staggering death toll Shane observed beneath him.
How could this have happened here in our
own country? My God, this looks more like Somalia or Tikrit. Shane thought
of his men speeding home to their families. Would they make it and would he
ever see them again? And what of Carlie—was she one of the agents still alive
at the university? If those creatures haven’t gotten her, then the
triple-digit heat will. I sure as hell hope she and the others are alive and
that this is going to be a quick snatch-and-grab.
As Matias swung towards the north end of
campus, Shane scanned his laptop map and pointed ahead to the L-shaped
pharmaceutical building in the distance. “It’s only two stories, and those
things might be able to get to us. You’ll have to set it down on the taller
research building two hundred meters to the east,” he said, staring back at the
computer image.
Matias circled around the large cluster
of medical facilities. Shane and Rory both strained to see any signs of
movement on the roof. “Set her down and let’s see about getting into the service
tunnels. My laptop shows the route to be clear of hostiles.”
Matias landed fifty yards away from the
stairwell entrance. As the rotors wound down, Shane and Rory jumped out and
dashed for the entrance with their M4s in low-ready. The wind had increased
considerably and they were pelted by a driving rain. Rory pointed to the south
and they could see a mile-high wall of sand and dark clouds moving in over the
city.
After they regrouped, they headed down
the dark stairwell with their night-vision goggles on while scanning the
landings of each floor they descended. Arriving at the first floor, Shane
raised his left hand in a fist for the others to halt. He pointed below, where
they could see several creatures bustling around the lobby.
Shane and his men secreted themselves
against the cinderblock walls while peeling off to either side of the door and
keeping their rifles at low-ready. He could approximate the footsteps of three creatures
slogging
the others watched helplessly as the creatures broke through the barriers and
flooded inside. The heat signatures of the students were reduced in under a
minute and then the creatures dispersed throughout the hallway as if their
grisly collaboration had never occurred.
“Is this for real, man?” said Rory, who
tightened the baseball cap down on his forehead. “How is it that we can even
get heat signatures on those creatures—I mean, aren’t they dead?”
“I’m not sure what to make of them—alive,
dead…somewhere in between. But one thing’s for certain, we need to get there
fast. Those students who were just killed are infected and will be adding to
the growing numbers of those things.” Shane slammed the laptop closed and stood
up. “Let’s saddle up. We may not have much time.”
Chapter 24
After Shane was ready, he went down to the
sub-basement where the other three men were preparing to depart in their
Humvee. “Stay in radio contact with your handheld units and keep me updated on
your progress, the road conditions, and eventual return to base,” said Shane.
The men shook hands and hastily climbed
into the tan vehicle while Rory stood at the security entrance. After tapping
in the security code to the concrete barrier door of the subterranean garage,
the Humvees sped up the entrance ramp and into the wave of heat in the streets
above.
Once his men were on their way, Shane
and Rory grabbed duffle bags of weapons and gear and made their way up the
eight floors to the roof. The rotors of the helo were already in motion, as
Matias was inside preparing for departure. After all three men were strapped in,
Shane gave the thumbs-up sign and Matias eased off the helipad.
Veering to the southwest, they flew over
downtown Tucson, past crumpled cars, shattered storefronts, and thousands of
mangled corpses lining the crimson streets below. Three combat tours overseas couldn’t
compare to the staggering death toll Shane observed beneath him.
How could this have happened here in our
own country? My God, this looks more like Somalia or Tikrit. Shane thought
of his men speeding home to their families. Would they make it and would he
ever see them again? And what of Carlie—was she one of the agents still alive
at the university? If those creatures haven’t gotten her, then the
triple-digit heat will. I sure as hell hope she and the others are alive and
that this is going to be a quick snatch-and-grab.
As Matias swung towards the north end of
campus, Shane scanned his laptop map and pointed ahead to the L-shaped
pharmaceutical building in the distance. “It’s only two stories, and those
things might be able to get to us. You’ll have to set it down on the taller
research building two hundred meters to the east,” he said, staring back at the
computer image.
Matias circled around the large cluster
of medical facilities. Shane and Rory both strained to see any signs of
movement on the roof. “Set her down and let’s see about getting into the service
tunnels. My laptop shows the route to be clear of hostiles.”
Matias landed fifty yards away from the
stairwell entrance. As the rotors wound down, Shane and Rory jumped out and
dashed for the entrance with their M4s in low-ready. The wind had increased
considerably and they were pelted by a driving rain. Rory pointed to the south
and they could see a mile-high wall of sand and dark clouds moving in over the
city.
After they regrouped, they headed down
the dark stairwell with their night-vision goggles on while scanning the
landings of each floor they descended. Arriving at the first floor, Shane
raised his left hand in a fist for the others to halt. He pointed below, where
they could see several creatures bustling around the lobby.
Shane and his men secreted themselves
against the cinderblock walls while peeling off to either side of the door and
keeping their rifles at low-ready. He could approximate the footsteps of three creatures
slogging
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