Designated (Book 1): Designated Infected (18 page)

The trooper raised an eyebrow at the other man.

'What's up boss.'

Sharp let a small smile curl his lips as he prepared his
answer.

'How we getting up there?'

Jones simply pointed upwards in reply. Nodding in
appreciation, Sharp stood. 'Not bad Jonesy, not bad at all. Right
boys high and tight, up the telegraph pole on the double.'

The seventeen men scrambled up the eighteen inch wide
post en-mass. Davies leaping upwards, latched his hands round the
post as he planted his feet against it, then in a jerking shuffle
quickly shimmied upwards. The rest of the team followed in quick
succession, and one by one made the tense fifteen second over hand
run along the high tension cables to the roof.

Davies scuttled to the roof edge, glancing over it he
blanched at the sight below; the roadway was awash with the mass
collective of psychotic cannibals that was the Infected horde.
Forcing the bile and viscous vomit back down his throat he turned to
the others.

'Do yourselves a favour lads; don't look down there.'

Davies slightly pale face betrayed the reason to the
rest, who, drawn by simple curiosity, clambered to the edge of the
roof only to recoil as one in sheer disgust at what lay below.

The writhing mass of flesh seemed to glisten in the
sunlight, their twisting arms and snapping jaws yearning to taste the
flesh held beyond their reach. The garbled cries and guttural moans
which drifted up, carried along by the soft lulling breeze made it
all the more unnerving as the infected clambered over each other in
their need for sustenance.

Pulling back from the edge the men checked their gear
over, doing anything to shake the sounds from their minds as the
Infected called from below.

The belt and vest kit they wore was the latest in
tactical assault equipment combining body armour, climbing harness,
ammunition and storage pouches into one light-weight-rig designed
specifically for the unit.

'Okay boys, one at a time, hook up and zip across to the
opposite roof. Double time gentlemen, we're running against the clock
here'

Stepping up onto the raised edge of the roof Davies
hoisted himself up and snapped the Carabineer over the high tension
wire, then hand-over-hand made the tense and arduous journey into the
void.

His legs hung limp below him; dragging down, pulling him
deeper into the harness making it bite into his thighs and inner leg
as he pushed himself hand over hand along the wire. The carabineer
clicked over the spun threads of steel sending a steady vibration
through him that sliced a little more off his nerves the further he
travelled. Gritting his teeth he pushed on, moving out head first
along the cable.

Davies dropped his head backwards, feeling the blood
rush into his sinuses, making his head pound as he pushed himself out
along the line. Lifting his head he looked back along his body,
watching as the others made ready to hook up and move out. He shook
his head in frustration and anger, more at himself than anything, for
letting his mind wander. He knew what he was, a soldier, it was what
he had been born to do, and to him this was fun. He simply couldn't
wrap his head around why he was suddenly feeling like a raw recruit
on the first day of training. Biting down he viciously ground his
teeth together and pulled sending himself surging hand over hand
along the inch thick wire cable.

His hands felt slick inside the cotton-lined, leather
tactical gloves he wore, reaching his left hand up, he curled his
fingers round the cable just as his right gave out and slipped his
grip vanishing in an instant. Every fibre in his being tensed at that
one moment where his irrational mind seized control and he waited for
the soul crushing impact of his ninety-eight kilo body slamming into
the concrete below.

Looking up he saw he was still firmly attached by his
harness, sighing and cursing himself he reached up once more,
grasping the cable and pulled himself ever further onward, he kicked
himself mentally with every inch of the distance covered. He had and
still did face terrorists, insurgents, enemy combatants, and enemy
soldiers; but never in all his years had he faced something that for
all intents and purposes defied the natural order of a world he was
firmly entrenched in.

The moans and gnashing teeth did nothing to sooth his
shattered nerves, he knew one more slip, one minor failure by him or
his kit and he was as good as dead. He had no problem with dying, he
just wanted it to be for a reason, not some stupid training mistake,
too many good lads had lost it that way and he wasn't going to add to
the list.

A wave of relief washed over him as he felt his feet
graze the raised edge of the roof. Turning his attention to the men
across the way he grinned as he hoisted himself up and unsnapped the
carabineer letting himself drop the two feet back to solid ground.

Waving his hand above his head, fingers splayed open in
the all's safe gesture; Davies waited for the rest to follow him
across. Turning John drew his Browning from its holster and stepped
away from the wall, something was nagging at him; a small sliver of
trepidation was worming its way up his spine and he just couldn't for
the life of him figure out why.

Sharp saw the movement and immediately stopped the
others from moving off, Fisher paused hanging on the wire like a
dried salami as he watched Davies' cautious advance across the roof.
Swinging his legs up he locked his ankles over the cable taking the
pressure off his harness; despite it being rated for in excess of
double his weight he knew it was bad practice to rely solely on that
for safety.

He raised his arm to his face and checked the Luminox
watch strapped to his wrist. Three minutes left until the chopper
left without them and still sixteen men and over a quarter of a mile
to cover, grinding his teeth together he swallowed a frustrated
curse, and resigned himself to waiting.

Mariani and Roberts exchanged nervous glances as Davies
continued his sweep of the roof, they watched as Davies spun and
dropped to one knee, his gun barking three well aimed quick shots,
two Infected falling face first from a door way leading to the roof.

'
Move
it now, Infected coming up the stairs, every one across now.'

Davies' echoing voice jerked an immediate response from
them all, Fisher sprang back to life hauling himself across the cable
so quickly that his harnesses clip mount began to smoke slightly from
the friction as the plastic coating was eaten away.

The other sixteen men followed in rapid succession not
bothering to wait for the rest to unclasp before jumping on and
hauling themselves across.

Fisher dropped to a knee beside Davies his Browning up
and firing before he had even said a word.

'How long we got.'

Without breaking rhythm, Fisher responded.

'Two minutes thirty by my count then we are well and
truly fucked, mag change.' Fisher dropped the magazine from his
pistol, smoothly sliding another home in a well practised precise
motion.

'That going to be enough time? We got about seven more
boys to get over here, mag out.' Fisher shrugged as he fired, sending
the shot off target slightly and watched as it hit the Infected
beside the one he aimed at.

'Possibly or we are going to be jumping to a moving
chopper.'

Davies groaned as he fired off another three rounds
dropping two Infected and incapacitating another, he cringed slightly
as he watched the round blast through the creature's throat, severing
its spine. The Infected hit the floor, jaws snapping open and closed
as its compatriots crushed it underfoot. Glancing over his shoulder
he watched the last of the men unhook themselves from the cable and
drop to the floor.

'Right boys, time to move.'

Davies snapped a shot off catching
an Infected in the head, he watched in morbid fascination as the top
of its skull vanished exposing the still semi functioning grey
matter. The Infected stumbled slightly, but stayed up right the
glazed eyes stared balefully forwards as the unfortunate being was
pushed aside by it's brethren.

The damage however, was done, the Infected although
still very much alive and conscious, stood stock still unable to
move. Davies' bullet although not fatal had destroyed any and all
motor functions it had once possessed. The thing would remain there
immobile and still very much cognizant of its former life until
nature took its course and returned the being back to the earth from
whence it came.

Turning on his heel Davies ran, sprinting across the
roof to the three metre jump to the next building, but was stopped
short when he heard the familiar retort of a nine millimeter
Browning. Turning his head in the direction of the noise he saw
Fisher still on one knee desperately holding back the tide of
Infected, slipping his hand through the drag hoop of Fishers harness,
he pulled the soldier to his feet,

'Come on Soldier, we are leaving!'

Fisher shook his head, a severe
sense of d
éjà-vu
taking
hold of him as he was pushed to the leading edge of the roof top.

Both men leapt the gap, time seeming to hang still as
they sailed through the air, the Infected behind them reaching out in
desperation, Fisher glanced back, to see several pitch head-first
into the void between the buildings, the weight of those behind them
tipping the balance on their footing, and sending them plummeting to
the callous arms of the world below.

Davies watched the flat grey expanse of tarmac covered
roof top as it rushed up to meet his descending body. He went limp,
tucking his legs into his chest, as he hit the floor. Rolling over
his shoulder, Davies was up and running before Fisher had even
landed, seconds later the other man was sprinting to his side. The
howling faded as both men continued running flat-out to catch the
rest of team. The eighteen man squad stopped as one as they hit the
far side of the final house. Thirty-six eyes stared out at what lay
before them, time seemed to stand still as they froze in awe of the
scene.

'Are they...is that...'

Kerr seemed lost for words, as he
stared into the sea of dying flesh, the entire intersection was awash
with Infected, in the midst of it all sat the CH-178 helicopter, the
rotors turning lazily as the pilot watched in detached boredom the
milling mass of Infected beyond the concrete and chain link barrier
that surrounded the heliport.

'There's no way we're getting through that lot.'

Turning to the rest Sharp shook his head. 'Kerr's right,
we aren't getting through this lot, any ideas Lads? We have,' he
pulled up his sleeve and stared at his watch, 'One minute until he
clears out and we're stranded.'

Simultaneously, Sheperd and Williams stepped forwards, a
set look of utter finality painted on their stern features.

'We'll draw them off, run interference among them and
get a path open for the rest of you, we can make another three days
here easy. It's my fault you're in this mess anyway and Sheperd is
our main path finder; so me and him will be fine, just drop us all
the ammunition you can spare, and we should be good.'

The rest of the men opened their mouths to protest the
decision as Williams raised his hand silencing them.

'No questions, no comments, this is a done deal, as I
said this is my fault so you lot have no say. Sheperd is staying with
me dunno why, but he is, so where's the mags lads?'

As Williams finished speaking, a rising roar was heard
as the sixteen team members opened their vest pouches, the Velcro
pulling apart as they dumped out their remaining magazines. Williams
and Sheperd watched the ever increasing pile appear at their feet,
then as if a switch was flipped the pair scrambled like mad, stuffing
the magazines into the pouches on their stomachs and chests, the
overflow spilling into the pockets of their jeans.

Looking at the others they nodded short curt
acknowledgements, and turned to leave.

Stepping forwards, Davies stopped the two men.

'Here take this.' He held out his own pistol to
Williams who shook his head as he glanced left and saw Woodwrow do
the same with Sheperd. 'No point we'll be fine with the ones we have,
more accurate that way.'

Davies nodded his assent.

'Give 'em hell.'

With that Williams grinned, cocked his pistol, and left
the roof top. The sixteen strong fire team didn't have to wait long
for the show to start as both men burst from the doors below.

****

Williams and Sheperd crashed through the doors like men
possessed, their pistols raised flashes of light bursting before them
as they fired emptying the clips in seconds. Snapping their hands
down their pistols were loaded and brought to bare so quickly that
anyone left watching wouldn't even follow the movement.

They sliced through the mass of Infected before them,
the bodies forming a pathway of death. Sheperd grinned as he fired, a
quotation coming to him as he pushed ever onwards.