Fireteam Delta, J. Halpin [online e book reading .txt] 📗

what Summers suspected, it wasn’t going to last.

“I think they’re communicating somehow.” Summers looked up at the others. “Waiting for more to show up, just like we thought. If something can control the people it’s infected, that would explain that port town. All of that happened at the same time, like it was coordinated.”

“I think there’s more to it than that,” Nowak countered. “If those things could just talk like you’re saying, then they wouldn’t need to watch us. It’s inside you.”

“Right,” Summers agreed.

“Whatever we decide to do, the horses aren’t gonna hold out at this pace,” Cortez suggested. “Fridge is nearly dead, and I think Tank 3 is a special kind of fucked up, maybe got an infection.”

“Did you name the horses? You named it Fridge?”

“Fridge’s the one carrying the food.” Cortez sat in the dirt. “And I’m not kidding. I grew up around ranches, and these things are gonna die if we keep this up.”

“Not sure what our options are here. I got some ideas, but we can’t fight that . . . dragon thing,” Nowak replied. “Not without explosives. And not in the open like this.”

“Then what about a city?” Summers suggested. “If these things are roaming around unchecked, I doubt they’ve got anyone left alive, but it would give us a better place to hide. Streets make for better cover than trees, especially when dealing with something that can shoot us in the back.”

“Are we close to anything like that?” Nowak looked to Synel.

She shook her head.

“Nothing close, and I don’t believe our beasts will last that long. Your base would be closer.”

“There’s no chance they let us get that far without trying to rush us,” Cortez responded.

Summers leaned against the hard rock wall, trying to think. After a few seconds, he saw Nowak stand, heading to his pack to check the handheld radio. He’d done that a few times now, making sure the transmission was still broadcasting, trying to get a response on the open channel. Which was a long shot, at least with the range their tiny handheld could put out. Turning it on confirmed that, yes, the message was still coming through. It sounded just as crisp as it had when they’d first got there.

That struck Summers as a bit odd, actually. Radios could get some serious distance, even with home-made transmission towers, but the quality from California to what would be Nevada was still consistent. That wasn’t normal. Hell, it was only possible in their world because of bases like his.

Relay stations.

“Maybe we don’t need a city.” Summers immediately stood, looking to the mountains around them. “Sarge, how close to the base are we?”

“Two, maybe three days off.”

“The army’s been here for a while. Follows that they have infrastructure, right? Like we were saying, they were setting up for the long haul.”

Summers pulled a high-powered scope from his pack and started looking.

“What are you doing?” Nowak looked at him in confusion.

“Hoping we’re real lucky.”

After a few moments, he found what he’d been searching for.

“On that mountain, there’s an observation post.” Summers indicated the spot. “Looks solid. If we’re going to make a stand anywhere, I think it might be our best shot.”

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“That’s definitely not normal, right?” Summers looked at a perfect sphere carved into the ground. It was one of many. The entire area was pockmarked with the strange formations.

“If I’m going to be honest, I don’t know what normal is anymore,” Nowak responded.

Pat stood beside him, nodding in agreement. Both the twins and Orvar were on high alert, reacting to the slightest noise. It wasn’t a habit Summers was looking to correct right now. They should be paranoid.

They scaled the mountain road slowly. Almost as soon as they’d started, more of the beast-like men had shown up. They heard the snapping of trees in the distance—something massive breaking through the forest. He had a guess as to what that was, and he was not looking forward to that fight.

“We’re getting close,” Nowak announced. “Pat, you and yours good over there?”

Pat nodded in response.

“We are ready.”

Orvar and the twins nodded, as well.

“That’s what I want to hear.” Nowak turned back.

Summers eyed the round, concrete bunker as they approached it. There was a small perimeter made from sandbags and netting. It wasn’t overly large, but it was better than nothing.

“Looks empty,” Cortez announced, hopping down from a sandbag. “Could toss a grenade in there if you wanna be safe, though.”

“Wait.” Summers held up a hand.

Cortez turned to where Summers was looking.

On top of the bunker was a squat, but clearly noticeable antenna.

Summers moved to the front, peering through the small opening in the bunker. The inside was mostly barren, except for one thing.

“Holy shit.” Summers stepped back, allowing the others to see the large, powered radio sitting on the desk inside.

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Summers waited as the others began to pile up sandbags behind the bunker’s entrance.

Cortez tossed their duffel bag full of grenades into his lap.

“All yours.”

“You sure this is safe?” Summers watched the bag warily.

“I’ve been up for about thirty hours now, so no. Just go outside before you start to fuck with it.”

Summers gripped the bag. Cortez had been working on a “surprise” for their new friends since they’d set camp. Seeing her sleep-addled movements as she tried to sit was not in the least bit reassuring. Neither was the shifting weight in his lap.

“The horses secure?”

“Orvar’s got them tied behind the bunker. Assuming this problem gets solved, we might not need them anymore, anyway.”

Summers nodded at her reasoning. She turned toward the radio where Nowak worked.

“How’s it going over there, Sarge?”

“Shit. I have no idea if this is transmitting.” Nowak tapped on the face of the radio. It