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Keeping one eye on Maria as she toiled at her console inside the carrier, he observed all facets of the unfolding events. Lindsey cursed under her breath at her work station, attempting to contact Chief Defender Omondi again.
On screen the carrier started to reduce speed as it exited onto a curving off ramp that ducked under the road before emerging on the other side to end at a three-way intersection. Commandant Pierce folded her arms over her breasts as she stared at the primary screen. The sheer force of her will that the carrier succeed was a palatable energy. Dwayne silently prayed as he prepared to signal the tiltrotor.
For a few seconds the carrier vanished from the screens as it journeyed through the underpass. When it emerged unscathed and turned onto the road that would carry it to its destination, Dwayne exhaled and transmitted a signal to the tiltrotor.
The screens flashed as the aircraft fired two missiles into the side of the stone formation. Massive explosions blinded the cameras, filling the screens with white light.
“What the hell was that?” Mr. Petersen twisted about in his chair, glaring at Dwayne and the commandant.
“Missiles,” the commandant answered with a wry smile. “You have heard of those?”
As the images on the screens returned to normal, the passage the carrier had taken was blocked by a massive landslide. Part of the Scourge horde was buried under the dirt and boulders. The rest of the horde scrambled around the edges of the destruction, their path redirected away from the escaping carrier.
“I didn’t sign any clearance for you to use missiles! Those were in reserve for the final attack!” Mr. Petersen snapped.
“Well, at least now the mission is back on track,” Commandant Pierce said with an even bigger smile.
“I didn’t approve of the use of those missiles! All the remaining stock was to be used in the—”
“They got the job done. Let it go,” Dr. Curran spoke up from across the room.
Mr. Petersen glared at her, but fell silent. With one last thoughtful look at the commandant and Dwayne, he swiveled about to peer at his console.
Lindsey gave Dwayne a wide grin before returning to her task.
“Now let’s hope they find our people and get them out of there safely,” Commandant Pierce said.
Nodding, Dwayne tried to sweep away his worrisome thoughts to concentrate on the next dangerous step of the mission.
* * *
The carrier roared down the road, the Scourge horde that had been following it stuck behind the barricade created by the tiltrotor. As the aircraft returned to the city, Maria focused her attention on mapping out the rescue mission using the schematic of the hydroelectric station. There was no power in the building, so they would have to wear their helmets and rely on night vision.
Leaning over her, Denman muted her feed. “I transmitted your readings to Dr. Curran. ”
She threw him a dark look, her brow furrowing. “Why?”
“Because she might be able to figure out what is happening and how much danger you may possibly be in. ”
“I’ll be okay. I have armor,” Maria said in a low, tight voice.
“I’m not talking about just the Scrags attacking you, but. . . the Anomaly situation. What if you’re becoming one of them?”
Her frown deepened, but Maria understood his concern. She shared his fear. “Fine, but you should have told me first. ”
“The standing order is to send her all our readings. This does concern us all. You were the first of us. Whatever is happening to you most likely will happen to us. Maybe Jameson’s transformation was accelerated by the bite. ”
Denman had a point. She had been transformed into Inferi Boon weeks before anyone else. So far she was the only one other than Jameson who was showing signs of the virus mutating in her system. It had to be the virus that was restoring her to life.
She gave him a curt nod, dismissing him. Opening up her feed, she said, “Unless there is significant damage to the interior of the facility, I have our projected path to Chief Defender Omondi mapped out. ” Maria watched the screen as Dwayne reviewed her plans. Her heart was beating regularly now, slower than it should be, but at a steady pace. She felt flush with life and it was a terrifying sensation.
“The road is clear and we should be at the hydroelectric station within ten minutes,” Cormier said crisply. The driver had been performing admirably all day and Maria had already noted this in her log.
Directing her attention forward, Maria gazed at the massive white granite dam that bisected the lake that was fed from an underground river. The station was tucked on the shoreline. It not only housed the massive generators, but had also been a recreational facility for the people living in the valley. Maria had seen vids of the old playgrounds and picnic areas where people had relaxed during bright sunny days. There was a museum, educational facilities, recreational hall, and small restaurant all tucked into the building. Now the long squat building with its broken windows looked like a prison.
“It’s almost pretty,” Denman said as he returned to his station.
The medic had applied fresh ointment and bandaging to Holm’s face. She still couldn’t speak, but the virus was doing its job preserving her. It upset Maria that they weren’t going to airlift her wounded people, but there was not much she could do other than file an angry complaint later.
Checking her screens, she was relieved to see no Inferi Scourge movement toward their location. The carrier had pulled the horde away from the station just as they had planned.
“Vanguard Martinez, your retrieval strategy appears solid,” Mr. Petersen’s voice said in her ear. “But perhaps you should clear the station before retrieving Chief Defender Omondi and his people from the basement. We need to make sure all the Anomalies are destroyed. ”
“The last report from the Chief Defender was that they were in a dire situation,” Maria pointed out curtly.
“Rescue the Chief Defender, Vanguard Martinez. Our people’s retrieval is your top priority,” Commandant Pierce said briskly. “We will deal with the Anomalies afterward. ”
“Very well,” Mr. Petersen said, his voice cold.
The carrier reduced speed as it neared the drive that led to the building. Inspecting her weapon one more time, Maria ignored the bland little face on her screen.
“You must retrieve all the dog tags,” Mr. Petersen continued. “We must make sure all the Anomalies are destroyed. ”
“How do you know how many there are?” Maria asked.
Mr. Petersen closed his mouth and stared into the camera for a long moment. “We don’t. ”
“Vanguard Martinez, we have the utmost confidence that you will do an excellent job,” Commandant Pierce’s voice cut in.
“Thank you, sir,” Maria answered, and donned her helmet. She redirected all the information she needed to the visor before abandoning her console. Dwayne’s feed was framed in a small square on the left hand side of her visor. It was a comforting sight.
“Helmets on, weapons at the ready,” Maria ordered.
The squad shoved their helmets onto their heads, securing the clasps and activating their displays and cameras. The bolt weapons and rifles hung from their shoulders, extra ammunition tucked into their belts.
“We keep to the path I’ve laid out. We kill any Scrags and Anomalies we come across. Remember, short bursts. Conserve your ammunition. Aim for their heads. Retrieve any dog tags you find on the bodies. Mark the location of the corpses on the schematic I have sent to your helm-units. This is different from fighting the Scrags. Anomalies can think and function at a much higher level. According to Chief Defender Omondi they have created projectile weapons. Our armor is older issue, so we’re vulnerable. Don’t play the hero. Take cover if you need to. We go in, we rescue the squad, we clear the building. Understood?”
The “yes, sirs” echoed within her helmet.
“Cormier, b
ring us to a full stop at the front entrance. ”
“Yes, sir. Almost there. ”
The carrier shuddered as Cormier applied the brakes. The vehicle decelerated near the front of the building. The once-white granite walls of the facility were stained dark from the passage of time and the elements. There was no sign of movement outside or inside the building.
Maria studied the faces of her squad behind their visors. The men and women returned her steady gaze, resolute and ready to do their job. The bandages covering most of Holm’s face didn’t hide her determined stare.
With a sharp little jerk, the carrier came to a stop. Maria stared out the front window at the silent building. Dark clouds were sliding over the mountaintops, casting dark shadows over the lake. The last thing they needed was rain.
“Mikado, open up this tin can,” Maria said.
“Yes, sir!”
Mikado sprang forward to obey, Cruz right on his heels. Together they jumped out and covered the rest of the squad as they disembarked.
“Cormier, secure the carrier on your way out. ” Maria leaped to the ground and nodded with approval at the squad’s quick deployment and efficient securing of the area. They were not just killing machines sent to exterminate the mindless Inferi Scourge anymore. They were soldiers again.