The Reaper: No Mercy (28 page)

*****

Andy heard the shout to attack come over the headset within the helmet he had taken from Shue. It had been a last minute decision to take it, and one he did not regret. He prayed Shue would survive, but the man had been totally bullet-ridden, and Andy doubted he had made it. All he really knew about this headset was that it appeared to be on some sort of command channel. He had seen Shue operate it, and he pushed the tiny lever over his right ear forward. It was the first time he had used it and he didn't want to fuck up.

"What's going on? What do we do?"

"
Andy
!" The voice was that of the dude known as the Reaper, and he sounded as cold as ice.

"Yeah, Reaper."

"
Attack. Everyone over the fence. Time to drive them east and north from your position. Everyone is attacking and driving them to the arranged location. Assault Team Two is in place and ready. When you hear me say 'Cease Fire’, I need you to stop shooting and get all your people on the ground. This is important. If you don't, you'll be in Assault Two's possible line of fire
."

"OK Reaper, I understand. I hear cease fire and we stop shooting and hug the ground until it's over. Attacking now."

Andy released the switch and shouted at those around him, "The Reaper says to attack. Drive them straight and to the left. Everyone's attacking and they need us! When I shout to cease fire, drop your weapons and hug the ground!"

"What about us? I'm getting tired of killing zombies!" Janet’s plaintive voice could be heard from behind them. Andy liked her, for she had grit; she reminded him of his own wife, Darcie.

"Get your asses over the wall and ignore those dead fuckers. We attack." Less than a minute later, they were all there, lined up, weapons ready. Andy pointed forward.

"Attack!" he shouted, as the hot, iron rage of bloodlust filled his veins.

And they attacked with weapons blazing!

*****

Janet heard Andy's voice call out, telling those with him that they needed to attack, and that pissed her off. She wanted to be part of this, and not on some damn zombie-killing sideline. The zombies were getting too easy to kill, and even the fast ones did not move fast enough to escape her fire. Besides, she had a grudge going on.

"What about us?" she called out, and then heard Andy's response for her group's team to join them. Things suddenly became more exciting. Bill was standing beside her and she gave him a tired smile; he grinned hopefully in return.

Jesus.
She just simply wasn't interested in him. She wished he'd get it, but that understanding on his part was proving elusive. He thought she might be interested in his company after what she had been through?
He had to be kidding, right
?

"Men," she grumbled as she inserted a fresh magazine in her AR-15. She had called them clips until rudely instructed by Scott that the proper term was a ‘magazine'.
Oh, my God
! Like, what difference did it make anyways, what you called them? They held a lot of bullets and she now had thirty ready to go.

"Help me over before they change their minds," she said to Bill, and a quick foot in his waiting hands had her over the fence and dropping to the other side, her rifle ready. The others quickly dropped beside her and she started running forward to Andy's position. She could see him ahead, and she realized that the sky was growing brighter in the early morning dawn. Suddenly Scott grabbed her arm.

"Wait until the others are over and ready. We go as a group!"

She nodded silently at his words and waited impatiently. It took only moments, yet seemed forever until they were lined up with Andy. He and Bruce exchanged a nod, and then Andy shouted "Attack!" She ran with the others, and when she saw a moving form before her that was male ... she fired!

*****

Jason stroked the cross embedded in the stock of his rifle and fired again, taking out yet another of the ungodly, then switched magazines for the second time that morning. Nineteen fewer men would be on this earth to harm the innocents. Slowly, he scanned the cemetery from his perch high atop the silo. It was happening! They were starting to run towards their only escape, the parked cars and trucks in the lot near the front entrance. Several vehicles started up, and as the Reaper watched, he saw the large bus blocking the main entrance moved to the side, the tiny figure of its driver running to the lead truck afterward. He keyed his microphone.

"Assault Two, ready up! Targets are moving out. Repeat, targets are headed your way!"

"
Copy that, Paris. We'll be ready for the cease fire
." Olsen's voice came through loud and clear in the Reaper’s headset. He used his scope to continually scan the seminary as he watched the godless driving their vehicles through the open front entrance. He waited, for Assault One was driving the remnants hard.

"Stand by, Assault Two. Red Six, what's your situation?" he growled.

"
Doing our job, and if it wasn't for the casualties, having fun,
" Sokowski's cold tone came over the radio, causing the Reaper to smile inwardly.

"All units, get ready for cease fire. Andy report. Are you ready to stop and drop?"

Andy almost immediately responded. "
Yes sir! They already hit four of ours and I'm anxious to finish this.
"

"Serious?"

"
Not really. Light wounds, but according to them ... painful.
"

A chuckle burst forth from the Reaper as he continued to survey the field, and he held his finger close to the toggle. There. The last vehicle was through the gates, the remaining marauders raising their hands or dropping their weapons and diving into bushes.

"Assault One, cease fire, cease fire, cease fire. Two, execute!"

"Cease fire copied,"
responded Sokowski, and within a span of seconds the north and east flanks went silent.

"Copy that Andy!" shouted the Reaper.

"Cease fire, we got it. Going to ground now. Kick their ass Reaper!
" Andy responded.

"Assault Two, confirm execution of target!" barked the Reaper.

"Two on it, Reaper. they are in range but not optimal. Waiting ... ten more seconds. Over."

"Take them out, Paris Six standing by!" and the Reaper smiled grimly as he finally pulled his finger away from the trigger of his modified M40A1. His men were doing their jobs.

*****

"
Assault One, cease fire, cease fire, cease fire. Two execute
!" The hard growl of Reaper's voice prompted Sokowski to dive to the ground while shouting into his own tac set as he switched channels.

"Red Team and elements, Assault One, stand down and cease fire. Repeat, stand down and cease fire."

"Standing down," Rodriguez's voice contained a mixture of relief and anger as he shut down his M-ATVs to provide the opportunity for Assault Team Two to advance.

"Cease fire, we got it. Going to ground now. Kick their ass Reaper!
" group leader Andy responded.

"Cease fire confirmed, Paris! It's on your boys now, Assault Two!" barked Sokowski as he aimed his M4 from the prone position, ready, able, and willing to take out any marauder that was foolish enough to appear.

"
We'll make Red Team proud
," laughed Olsen as he signed off, and Sokowski grinned, knowing full well that he would.

*****

"Ready up, boys and girls," Olsen called out. Hearing the gunfire cease with the exception of a sporadic shot or two, he stood. It was early dawn, and he could see the enemy vehicles approaching. "Remember what I taught you, remember what you learned!" he called out again. Quickly he ran down the line, making sure that everyone had formed up and was holding their AT4s as he'd shown them.

"Sights up! Transport safety pin pulled! Tuck it on your shoulder! Everyone ready?" A chorus of
yes sirs
,
hell yeses
and other assorted words of agreement sounded from around him as he took his place in the line. They were lined up in a single row, as Olsen didn't want anyone behind them. That would not have been a wise thing, as the back blast from the rockets firing could put a major hurt on anyone foolish enough to stand too close.

The vehicles were rapidly approaching and, holding his own AT4 in one hand, he pulled the remote detonator console from his right cargo pocket. "Wait for it ..." he breathed as his thumb hovered over the three remaining switches. He had already flipped the safety covers up and was just waiting for the trucks to approach the foremost IEDs.
What? Only seven vehicles
?

"Seven targets, two on each in the order I taught you!" he shouted again. Another chorus of agreement reached his ears and he hoped they did get it, but it was too late to go over it again as the lead vehicle was coming up to the last two IED's. Shrugging internally as he pressed all three buttons in a row.

Instantly the IEDs exploded just as the lead vehicle approached, and then Olsen was dropping the detonator to shoulder his launcher. "Safety lever depressed, aim and fire at will!" he shouted. The enemy was just under a hundred yards away, which was well within the range of the AT4, and sighting carefully, Olsen pressed the firing button.

Simultaneously, rockets exploded from the tubes held in the hands of those he had trained, and he watched as his own rocket punched through the side of the fourth vehicle to explode in a huge fireball. He then watched as four rockets passed over the vehicles that were all bunched together, and three hit the ground before even reaching them. But that still left more than enough for massive overkill, except that two of the vehicles still remained unscathed. Inward Olsen groaned.

As instructed, his people threw their launchers to the ground in front of them, then kneeled to pick up their second AT4, making them ready.

"Last two targets people, make them count!" Then he was firing on the last of the vehicles as it was turning, obviously trying to get away as fifteen new rockets headed outward.

This time there were fewer missed and Olsen shielded his eyes at the tremendous explosions that engulfed both remaining vehicles. He quickly scanned the surrounding area but so far no runners were seen.

"Cease fire, cease fire. Do not fire your second launcher. That's it people, we did it and good job!"

Cheers rang out around him as the assembled men and women hugged and slapped each other on the backs. Olsen grunted as his own back was slapped, then shook hands with several of those closest to him before activating his headset.

"Assault Force Two to Paris Six, over," he called.

"
Paris to Two, report!
" the Reaper’s brusque voice was heard.

"Mission executed and objective complete!"

"
Good work, Two
,"

"Well Reaper, there weren't as many as we thought there would be."

"
That's because many are surrendering. Now get your people along phase line four and watch for stragglers.
"

"Roger that Paris, Two out!" Olsen nodded at the words, and then began calling his people together. Fourteen smiling faces greeted him as they crowded close.

"All right troops, grab your guns, and double-time to those three houses. Stay in cover beside the windows and watch for any stragglers to come out of the woods." Phase line four was the three houses bordering the open field south of the cemetery, and right next to Olsen's position. The north side of the field butted against a thick stand of trees, where on the far side stood the cemetery fence. The field was wide enough to afford them a clear view of anyone that might try to escape in that direction. Operational orders indicated his force was to give any enemy spotted a single chance to surrender. If they raised a weapon or tried to run, they were to be shot. Olsen hoped for both.

*****

The Reaper frowned as he watched the proceedings below him through the lens of his binoculars. There were a lot of raised hands down there, and already teams were carrying wounded combatants to the triage set up at the catacombs while others were rounding up the prisoners. Every man had a pocketful of zip ties taken from an electrical warehouse the day before, and Jason continued to watch as an ever-larger group of seated figures accumulated in an open area of the parking lot.

He had already issued orders to round up the prisoners, send the wounded to be field treated, and for warm blankets to be brought to the captives. They would decide later what to do with the captives. The Reaper would let them make that decision for themselves, as he was satisfied with the number they had just sent to Hell. Quickly he scanned the woods across the cemetery to the east, but the distance was too great to see if any of the godless had made it to safety there. He was sure that some had escaped, but shrugged, for he knew that those that had would be running for a very long time. He keyed his radio one last time and spoke.