Dead Team Alpha: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller (14 page)

The Team spreads out and checks every inch of the concrete platform, mindful of the eight other corpses they find.

“TL,” Duster says. “This ain’t good.”

“No shit,” Tiny D says. “What gave you that idea?”

“Respect,” TL Lafferty scolds. “What is it, Duster?”

“DTB One,” Duster says, kneeling next to a mangled corpse. “See the tat on that flap of skin?”

“Yes,” TL Lafferty says. “A thunderbird, right? That’s Scotty Ming, isn’t it?”

“That’s him,” Duster says. He stands and looks at the other corpses. “Should we check the rest?”

“Yes,” TL Lafferty says. “If the faces aren’t recognizable, then look over the bodies for identifying marks. You know these people, Mates. Think what makes them unique.”

The Team split
s up and starts the painful process of identifying the bodies. Some they know as sentries they’ve worked and lived with. Others are the group of Runners that man Sector One at all times, ready to sprint from station to station, passing on news as needed. By the time they are finished rolling over torsos, reassembling limbs, pressing flesh back into place on skulls, they identify each corpse.

“
TL Wright and Mate Franks are missing,” Bobby says. “The rest we can account for.”

“All of DTB One?” TL Lafferty asks.

“Yes,” Bobby says, “but not all the sentries or Runners. There are three Runners missing and two sentries.”

“Maybe they escaped as well,” TL Lafferty says.

“Maybe, but if they did, they aren’t doing so well,” Bobby says.

“Explain.”

“We have too many arms,” Alastair says.

“And tongues,” Tiny D adds.

“Too many…?” TL Lafferty says. “How many is too many?”

“Enough to make up for the Runners and sentries,” Val says, shaking her head. “They don’t belong to Cole or Anna Lee. Cole has a birthmark on his right bicep. Anna Lee has that broken pinky finger that sticks out. None of the arms match that.”

“So where are they?” TL Lafferty asks. “Where are these armless, tongueless bodies?”

“TL,” Bobby calls, having climbed up next to the pyre. “I think I can answer that.”

They all quickly look where he is pointing. Mouths hang open and eyes go wide as they watch what comes at them.

“Ammo check now!” TL Lafferty shouts. “Find the c
ache on this platform! We need every single cartridge we can get our hands on!”

***

Tears stream down her face as she stumbles along, the life dripping from the bloody stumps at her shoulders. When Runner Mila Hafferkamp woke up that morning, she had no idea her life would turn into a nightmare just a few hours later. Being a Runner in the Denver wasteland means dealing with a considerable amount of horrors daily, but they are always of the undead kind. She’s never seen the living act so viciously in her short eighteen years of life in the apocalypse.

The g
roans and hisses behind her keep her from stopping and giving up. She can see the movement up by the pyre and all she wants to do is get to the safety of the platforms. The thought of “safety” makes her laugh, but it hurts the ragged stump in her mouth and she just ends up weeping silent tears. She would risk a look over her shoulder, but she’s terrified she’ll freeze up and never make it. It’s a testament to the survival instinct of the citizens of the Stronghold that Mila even thinks she still has a chance to live.

If she did look over her
shoulder, she would know that chance is firmly rooted in Hell.

***

The ground is uneven and sentry Bill Viglia wishes more than anything in the world he had arms to stop him from faceplanting every few feet. He knows his time is short as the dizziness from blood loss messes with his vision and coordination, but the sight of the pyre gives him hope. Only a few hundred yards and he will be at the first gate. It’s so close he can almost taste it; if he had a tongue left to taste anything.

He takes another
tumble, goes down hard on his knees, screeching through blood-slicked lips as a sharp hunk of concrete pierces his jeans and tears into his patella. He hears the kneecap snap and when he tries to stand, his worst fear is confirmed. He can’t get up. His armless torso is wracked with sobs as he closes his eyes and waits for what’s behind him to catch up and end it all.

***

Fuck it
, sentry Amy Patron thinks.
Fuck them using me like this
.

She stops her stumbling, futile escape from the hungry mouths behind her. Turning to face them, she tries to spit at them in defiance, but lacking a
tongue, she just coughs a hunk of bloody phlegm onto her chest. Her eyes narrow as she watches the monsters get closer and closer. The cry bubbles up from her throat and she takes off running, but not away.

She runs head long into the waiting death of teeth and nails.

***

Determined to make it, Runner Brian Wingdon pumps his legs, ignoring the stabbing pains that pummel his body with every footfall. The spots before his eyes spread and he knows his brain isn’t getting enough oxygen
. It’s a side effect of quickly bleeding out. Brian shoves every negative thought away, relying on his never say die attitude to get him through. It led him to be the lead Runner in Sector One and to break all sprint records in the Stronghold.

Brian Wingdon will not give up.

He dodges around a large pothole in the pavement and hurries past the last building between him and the platforms. Movement off to his left catches his attention and he risks a glance, surprised to see his fellow Runner, Jordan Keith, keeping pace with him only thirty yards away. The competitive instinct kicks in and Brian wills his legs to move faster.

The first ramp gate is only one hundred yards
away, moving closer, and closer by the second. At his peak, he can cover forty yards in less than five seconds, but he is not at his peak. His trained Runner mind calculates his speed coupled with the distance and comes up with twelve seconds to the gate.

He can make it. He knows he can. Twelve seconds and he’s safe from what pursues him. Safe up on the platforms with what he prays is Dead Team Alpha.

***

“Sir?” Bobby says from above the Team. “Every person counts, but if they get here…”

“I know, Mate,” TL Lafferty replies as she watches the two armless men sprinting towards the ramp. “But I can’t condone killing our own.”

“They’re dead anyway, TL,” Diaz says. “You know that, right?”

“Every person counts,” TL Lafferty says. “Get down there and open the gate for them, then haul ass back up here. We’ll need to regroup and go down the other side.”

“Out into the Plains?” Duster asks. “Then we’ll have to
circle around for half a mile before we can get back in the city.”

“Well, we aren’t fucking going that way!” Tiny D shouts and points at what stretches before them.

The herd of Zs is the largest any of them have ever seen in their lives. For miles, the ocean of undead stretches back into Denver. Thousands of hungry zombies shuffle, stumble, stagger towards the platforms, led by the trails of blood left in the wakes of the sprinting amputees.

“TL,” Diaz pleads. “One shot each. It will give us time to get the fuck out of here and circle around the herd.”

“There has to be at least three, maybe four thousand down there,” Alastair says. “And that’s what we can see. We aren’t fucking circling shit, Diaz. TL is right; we exit out the front and go the Plains route.”

“Jesus!” Diaz shouts. “Have you gone insane? It doesn’t matter which way we go! Look at all the fuckers! TL, please!”

“Every person counts, man!” Tiny D yells. “I’m going down there and helping them inside! Then I’ll carry one and you get to fucking carry the other as we bug out of this death trap!”

A scream pulls their attention to Runner Keith. His legs go out from under him and he falls
headfirst. The sound of his skull cracking on the pavement echoes up to the Team and everyone winces.

“We have another one!” Duster yells, pointing north. “She’s not going to make it!”

“Diaz, Tiny D,” TL Lafferty says. “Get that gate open and help that Runner inside.” She looks up at Bobby. “Is the fallen one moving?”

“No,” Bobby says. “Should I put one in his head? Just to make sure?”

“No,” TL Lafferty says. “Save the round for the woman. When they catch her, show her some mercy.”

Bobby nods and switches out scopes on his M-4.

“Nothing,” Val says as she walks up to TL Lafferty. “The caches are empty. Whoever attacked took the ammunition with them.”

“Shit,” TL Lafferty says. “Mate Breitenberg? Belay that order. We can’t lose even one round at this point.”

The Team can hear the clanging of the ramp gate below and they hurry to the stairs as Diaz and Tiny D carry the mutilated Runner up to the main platform.

“Wingdon, right?” TL Lafferty asks as Diaz and Tiny D set him down onto the concrete. “I saw you break Strowbridge’s record a few years ago. You’re a fine Runner, son.”

The man looks up at her with pained and panicked eyes.

“I need to ask you some questions, okay?” TL Lafferty asks.

Brian shakes his head and opens his mouth to show his lack of tongue.

“I know, I know,” TL Lafferty nods. “Yes or no questions.”

Brian nods in return.

“Were the attackers cannies? Was it cannibals?”

Brian shakes his head no.

“Wasteland trash? Stragglers that got out of hand?”

Another no.

“TL, we have to get the fuck gone,” Diaz says. TL Lafferty holds up her hand, silencing him.

“Crazies? Hopped up on something?”

No.

TL Lafferty takes a deep breath. “Cult? Brian, was it one of the cults?”

Brian shakes his head no then nods yes.

“I’m taking that is a maybe,” Val says. Brian nods.

“Maybe? So maybe a cult, but you aren’t sure?”

Brian nods.

“What makes you think they might be a cult?”

“TL!” Diaz shouts. “And don’t fucking shush me with your hand! WE HAVE TO GO!”

The whole Team, except for TL Lafferty,
watches as the herd descends on the ramps. The two facing the city are quickly overrun as the mass of undead slam into the steel gates. The sound of metal groaning and protesting can barely be heard over the moaning of the Zs. The Team can feel the platforms shaking from the pressure of the thousands and thousands of bodies wanting to get up to them.

“Go,” TL Lafferty orders. “Get to the other side and get down to the Plains! Run far and wide, split up into two
squads, and then double back to the city. The Bell Tower is the rendezvous point. Get your asses to the Bell Tower.”

“Ah, fuck,” Bobby says. “Look!”

They all turn and watch as one by one the pyres in the city go out. They all assume the worst.

“Keep the plan!” TL Lafferty says. “The Bell Tower! Now go!”

“TL?” Tiny D asks. “What about you?”

“Get your fucking ass off these platforms, Peters!” TL roars. “GO!”

The Team all nods and then turns and runs, hopping over rails and sliding down rope ladders to the platforms below, all headed for the ramps that lead to the Plains side of Denver.

“I’m staying,” Val says, her M-4 up and aimed at the overrun ramps below. Zs have pile
d up against the gates and started climbing over each other. In seconds, they will tumble over onto the ramps. “Ask him what you want to ask. It’s obviously pretty fucking important.”

TL doesn’t argue, just leans down to Brian’s ear.

“Did they have eyes?” she asks and pulls back. Brian shakes his head no over and over, his own eyes wide with fear and pain. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

“You know something, right?” Val says. “You know who these blind fucks are, don’t you?”

“I think so,” TL Lafferty says, standing and putting her carbine to her shoulder. “If I’m right, then we are in deep, deep shit.”

“How about we get out of some of this shit and book it of
f the platforms?” Val says, reaching out and tugging at TL Lafferty’s arm. “We can’t fight all of those Zs.”

“We stay until Runner Wingdon
passes,” TL Lafferty replies. “Every person counts.”

“And we always remember,” Val says. “But we can’t remember shit if we’re dead! We need to leave him!” Val looks down at the shivering man and frowns. “I’m sorry, Brian. We can’t save you.”

He nods again and again and then kicks out, his foot catching TL Lafferty in the calf. She refuses to look down at him and he starts to thrash until she relents, her eyes meeting his.

“It’s dishonorable to leave a man,” TL Lafferty says.

Brian rolls his head and looks over at the stairs that will be swarming with Zs any second. He looks back at TL Lafferty and shakes his head violently.