Deadrise (35 page)

"Do we want them to know where we are?" Jennifer Black asked.

"They have more to worry about than where we are." Matt said. Jenkins wasn’t waiting for approval. He tuned the radio to a restricted frequency, used only by Military Command.

"General Parker do you have a copy? General Donald Parker, do you have a copy?"

"This is Park City Command. You are using a restricted frequency. Identify yourself."

"I am trying to contact General Parker. I have important information about the zombies attacking the city."

"Identify yourself!"

"Sgt. Blake Jenkins."

"What is your location?"

"My location doesn’t matter. I need to speak to General Parker. It is extremely urgent. I have information about the attacking zombies that the General will find most useful."

"What is this information?"

"The zombies that are carrying guns and fighting like soldiers can only be destroyed with fire. Repeat the zombie soldiers can only be destroyed with fire. Explosives will disable them but only fire will destroy them. Do you copy?"

"I copy Sgt. Jenkins. Please stand bye." A few moments later the radio crackled and someone new was on the radio.

"Now it's Sgt
.
Jenkins is it?" Jenkins recognized the voice of the afore mentioned asshead Captain that had interrogated them yesterday while in custody.

"We never did get your name, Captain?" Jenkins pressed.

"No you didn’t."

"I requested to speak to General Parker."

"You’ll have to settle for me." A pause… "Is that all the information you have to offer about the attack?"

"Yes. Fire and explosives are the only way to destroy an Alpha."

"You told me this yesterday during your debriefing. Are you sure that’s all you know about them?" The Captains tone suggested he was holding something back.

"That’s all. I just wanted to make sure the information got to the troops in the field." Jenkins tone suggested the information would not have been shared otherwise.

"You had no idea the attack was coming?" The Captains tone was accusatory.

Jenkins got a smile out of the Captain trying to taunt him. "None at all. Just trying to help out my fellow frontliners."

"You and your companions were in an awful hurry to get out of Park City. And not a moment too soon it seems."

"The only reason we stopped in Park City was to get medical help for our friend."

"Still no sign of him. It was a hunting party searching for him that tipped us off to the attack. They reported hundreds of zombies moving through the forest just a couple of miles from the city. It was rough, mountainous terrain so they must have been herding them there for some time. The Apache gunship in the area went for a look and was shot down by a missile fired from within the zombie horde."

"An Alpha." Jenkins commented.

"The latest report says there are at least six of them…"

"How are the perimeter defenses holding?" Jenkins asked.

"Solid. The terrain is not suitable for the zombies. The Alphas are doing most of the damage, trying to punch holes for the deadfucks to spill in."

"What about the troops at Kimball Junction? When we first encountered Alphas they were going really hard at the Tank’s and APC’s; commanding them for their own use."

"So you did have more information after all." The amusement could be heard in the Captains voice.

"Stop playing word games!" Jenkins barked into the radio. "I’m trying to help you save lives!" The Captain didn’t respond for several seconds.

"Kimball Junction has not been attacked. But we will take what you said into consideration."

"We were well defended at the U." Jenkins said. "Air support, tanks, flame-throwers, mortars, grenades…But they still got in. Those fucking Alphas got into the base through the sewer system and started wreaking hell in our back yard."

"The sewer system? We hadn’t considered that possibility. We didn’t think them that cunning."

Jenkins got a good laugh out of that. "Cunning? They’re predators, and we are their prey."

"What can you offer in the way of fighting men?" The Captain asked.

"Me and my people are tired Captain. Fighting is all we’ve been doing since this shit began. Fighting for our lives every single day."

"So you are a deserter." The Captain had called him that when they first met. It had angered Jenkins then and it angered him now.

"Like I told you before I’m a survivor. All of us are survivors. Besides, most the people with me are civilians, not soldiers."

"You are a soldier Sgt. Jenkins. A Ranger." Jenkins didn’t answer, and Matt could see the Captains word’s having an effect on Jenkins.

"Don’t listen to that son of a bitch Jenkins. You did your duty. Your place is with us. We are partners, remember?" Matt said.

"You have first hand experience in battling these creatures," The Captain came over the radio. "You’ve seen the Alphas fight. You know something of their tactics. We need you here Sgt. Jenkins. Not out on the front line fighting deadfucks but here at Command."

Nearly a minute of silence passed, and Jenkins used this time to examine the warring emotions in his gut. He was Partner’s with Matt. He was needed here. This was his future. Ron, Zack, and Susan and David’s father, Sharon’s husband, Frank, had died to get here. When he looked at the collected faces here watching him with hope and expectation to keep them safe he knew that this was his family. They had wakened within him something he though buried beneath all the horrors he’d witnessed in the past six months. But then when he thought about the Captains words, they too stirred him. He had sworn an oath of loyalty upon entering the Army. The military had been the wife and children he never had. How could he turn his back on that now? Especially when they needed him.

"Sgt. Jenkins? This is General Parker. Do you copy?" The Generals voice was deep and hard as nails.

"Go ahead Sir." Jenkins showed him the respect he hadn’t shown the Captain.

"Soldier, I order you to report back here for duty at once! I know you have a helicopter so I’ll expect you shortly." Something about the Generals tone of voice, as if he dared Jenkins to defy him sat with Jenkins wrong. In that instant, his loyalties were placed in priority.

"With all due respect sir I no longer take orders. As far as I’m concerned my military service ended when the U and Fort Douglas fell. I’m not a deserter General, I’m a survivor."

"I see. Well then perhaps I could appeal to your mercenary nature."

"I’m listening." Jenkins said.

"Name your price." The General said.

"Just like that?" Jenkins was surprised.

"We are in a desperate time Sgt. Jenkins. While I have no doubt about my Militia’s ability to defend the city against an army of zombies the Alphas are a whole new enemy. We heard scattered reports about them during the siege of Fort Douglas but you and your companions are the only ones who can give us hard information about them. Your presence is needed here in Command Sgt. Jenkins. So I say again, name your price." Jenkins put down the radio and looked at his companions.

"What do you think?" He asked. Matt could see the indecision in his face.

"It shouldn’t take more than a day or two." Matt said. "And you won’t be in the fighting."

"And if anything should go wrong I can just jump in the bird and get the hell out of there?" It sounded too good to be true.

"Didn’t you see enough back at the U?" Jennifer asked, amazed that he was even considering going back.

"I’m not just doing it for them I’m doing it for us." Jenkins said, gesturing to include everyone in the room. "If Park City should fall they’ll get to us sooner or later."

"And they are going to pay him for helping." Susan said. She thought Jenkins was a chauvinist asshole, but like Matt had told her, he was smart, resourceful, and good to have around in a fight. She didn’t want to lose him, even for a couple of days, but if it was going to get them more supplies, and he was going to be relatively safe, she was for it.

"I’ll be there." Jenkins said into the radio. "But there are a few conditions I want to lay out."

"I’m listening." General Parker said.

"First of all, I’m no longer in the military. So I won’t be ordered around and snapping to attention or any of that bullshit. Second, I’m free to leave whenever I choose. And third, I want my birds fuel tanks topped off and the equivalent of one ton of food in trade credit and two hundred gallons of diesel fuel. None of these conditions are negotiable. Did you copy that General Parker?"

"I copy Sgt. Jenkins, and agree to all of your terms. How soon can I expect you?"

"In less than an hour." He was surprised at how quickly the General had agreed to his terms. They must be clueless in Park City.

"Report to me as soon as you arrive. Parker out."

"I don’t want any of you going with me." Jenkins said. "No one else can fly the chopper and if anything should happen to me you would be stuck there. And you would only be taking up valuable cargo space in the chopper."

"You stay in contact." Matt said. "If anything happens and you find yourself stuck there we’ll come and get you."

"I know you will…" Jenkins said and patted Matt on the shoulder. "But nothing is going to happen to me. They are going to repel this attack and in a couple of days I’ll be back."

Jenkins made his way to the chopper without any further delay. They all watched him go in silence, blinking away the dust kicked up by his takeoff…

Chapter 38

Monday, June 25, 2001

Rainbow Lake, UT

1:37 PM

Zack smelled death on the air; fresh blood and the sweet hint of entrails. It caused him to salivate uncontrollably as his hunger became agony. He must feed! The energy exerted to reach Rainbow Lake so quickly followed by healing himself after being shot had tapped his already drained reserves. If he did not feed, his accelerated metabolism would quickly begin to consume his body's reserves and given long enough he might literally melt off his bones!

I must feed!

The scent of fresh blood came to him again. The wind was blowing in from the west. When Zack had first arrived at Rainbow Lake early this morning he had come upon the house on the far side of the lake. He had observed it from a discreet distance, seeing that the grounds were well patrolled. He had smelled the scent of death from that house then, and he had almost been overcome with the urge to feed right then, but finding the cabin had been his highest priority.

I must feed!

With a snarl he came down from his resting place in a tree near the lake and dove into the water. He found swimming came naturally to him. He moved through the water with the ease of an eel and his slime slick body gave him reduced surface tension, allowing him to swim five times the speed of a normal human. And he could see remarkably well underwater, almost as if he had goggles on. And he could hold his breath for several minutes, which he did now and dove deep under the surface, swimming for the west side of the lake…

The swim refreshed him, cooling the burning hunger to a manageable level. But he must feed soon. He exited the water into the forest one hundred yards south of the house. He stayed low to the ground and kept behind cover as he advanced. Up ahead the trees opened onto the clearing of the yard. His psychic sense suddenly flashed and up ahead he saw two drones step out of the trees. They were both naked and both looked as if their hearts had been removed and the chest cavity left gaping open. Their movements were slow and stiff and Zack could sense they had been dead for some time.

'Back!'

His telepathic command sent them stumbling back into the forest. He looked around, probing out with his psychic radar and sensing over a dozen more drones within a fifty-foot radius. Why were they just standing out here in the forest? He continued on, the edge of the trees just twenty feet ahead. At the tree line he went low to the ground, peering in upon the yard where a bonfire burned in the center. He spotted two sentries on the third floor of the house and another walking around front. All three sentries wore white hooded robes and carried AK-47 assault rifles. He dared not try and prowl across the yard in the day. And his hunger couldn’t wait until it was dark.

Just then he felt the psychic probe of the Master reach him, read him. Anger filled him. He was not here to do the Masters bidding! Red rage filled his mind and the Masters touch was lost. Matt seethed with anger now. Combined with his hunger he felt himself on the cusp of a berserker rage.

FEED! I MUST FEED NOW!

It took what little willpower he had left to keep from charging across the yard and attacking the nearest sentry.

Movement from the house caught his eye. A lone man, wearing a white hooded robe made his way across the lawn toward the lake. Zack saw that the boathouse was his destination. The small structure was no bigger than a normal garage but built right onto the water. Without a backward glance Zack made his way back to the lake. He entered the water less than thirty yards down shore, slipping in as silent as a snake. A few powerful strokes and he was under the wooden dock and inside the boathouse. The water was less than six feet deep here and Zack was able to stand. His head silently broke the surface and his senses probed the room. A small ski boat was in the water next to the dock. The man had climbed in the boat and was working with tools. He whistled softly as he worked; an old tune that nibbled on the back of Zack’s brain.