Dead All Around Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Zombies and snipers in the snows of Switzerland



         

Julius popped out of the snow drift, gun drawn, optics casting the world into diffractions of neon green and black. A few turned to look at him, but no one stopped as they went about getting ready.

         They had landed in an open meadow. Beyond that, on all sides, pine forests poked up like tightly packed dwarves, lined up as if for someone to use them on a bowling lane.  A thick layer of snow covered it like a flooded plain.

“This is Team Leader Beta, Captain Julius reporting in. DZ secured”, he called in over his radio.

“Roger that. You’re the last to report in. Assemble your team and give a head count.

Julius rolled out of the bank with a little less grace than when he landed.

“Team 2, Form up.”

They emerged from the windblown snow, shapes from the mist, living dead from the world beyond. The crunch of snow under their boots was a welcoming indication that they weren’t ghosts.

“We’re all here” said Max, short for Maximus, his auto shotgun held relaxed in his hand. Like Max, Julius and Israel were specialty units. Julius, designated CQCS (close-quarters combat specialist), carried a P-90, two .50 caliber pistols and the only one on Team 2 with a full length sword. Israel, designated sniper, was packing the AWSM sniper rifle (Arctic Warfare Super Magnum), not her favorite but it was a rifle designed specifically for the extreme cold. Max, with his shotgun, was the team’s explosive expert. Everyone else carried M-4’s with laser dot sights that had been upgraded to fire larger rounds. Smaller rounds might work on humans, but they were practically worthless in fighting other beings.

Julius did a double head count anyways.

“We’re all here”, reported Julius as he strapped on his snow shoes, slinging his sub-machine gun around front. Everyone had flash suppressors/silencers on their guns, except Max.

“Roger that. All teams report the same. From here on out you are not to contact us. Team to Team communication only. Switching command over to designate Field Major Jebidai. You have the green light to proceed. Mother Bird out.”

“Ok guys”, the radio crackled as it projected the ruff and gruff voice of a kid barely three months older than Julius’s 16 years. “After this we’ve got a long drive and a hot bath waiting for us back at school. But first the mission. Captains, your got 5 minutes to brief your teams and then we move out. I will be with Team Alpha and we will take the north side. Team Beta commanded by Captain Julius will take the East side…” Julius tuned out the rest of it as Jeb regurgitated information already known.

“Ok everyone, gather round” Julius took out his compass and a map. Everyone did so, squatting close for a look. Someone spread out a parachute overhead to cover them and keep the wind and snow out. Julius flicked on his LED flashlight.

Poking his head out from their improvised command post, Julius confirmed their position using his compass and the mountain looming over them like a giant earth-bound god, fading fast in the growing storm.

“Ok, we are here” the close quarters were getting uncomfortably warm. “And the town is here” he traced his finger to pointed to a shallow depression to the south-east where the objective was located.

“The situation is that a group of non-humans took over the town yesterday just before dawn. An informant in the town contacted us about the incident yesterday. In his last communication he said there was about thirty of them. Beyond that we have no information.”

“From what I’ve overheard from high command, we are to recapture the town before morning.”

Julius plotted their course in reverse, from where he wanted to end up, back to their location.

“Hm, what’s that, a 2 mile walk? Through these pine forests, mostly flat…” the map displayed the topographic lines for the local terrain. “We’ve got East side so it’s the shortest walk.”

“We’re going to divide and conquer, right? One team to cover each side” stated Max as he finished listening to the last of Jeb’s rambling. “Hm… then secure the primate and gather information. Wait for order to attack.”

“Ok guys. Israel, your point. Max, by me. Everyone know what they’re doing? Let’s move out.”

         They stood up and removed the temporary roof. Immediately the heat was sucked away into the night.



         On the edge of the forest the trees were windblown, snow and ice building up on one side until it curved around, making them look like the support columns of a bridge as they split the living river below. But once inside the forest the trees closed in around them, cutting out all notion of a world beyond. They spread out, each person responsible for checking the area around them with both thermal and night vision.

         Silence was the rule, stealth the key; a quick learned rule and one they practiced now as they marched on. Any quick person to person communication was done by body language or hand signals. Only Julius, responsible for communication between Team 2 and the others, had his radio on.

Israel took off ahead, well within visual range, poking her head around every tree and hill. She was the most likely to spot if anyone else was out there. If she did a job, she did it well, usually with a bit of overkill: this applied to both her scouting and sniping.

They were nearing the town. Above the horizon dim lights grazed the blackened snow clouds of the sky. Israel peaked over a short rise, and then dropped to the ground as if struck by a bullet. Julius held up a hand and everyone went to a knee. Israel rolled over on her back, signaling rapidly with one hand: Targets, unknown. Three. Coming this way, very soon. Get under cover.

Everyone could see her hands. Julius formed loose snow around his edges, helping him become one with the landscape. He stuck a mitten full of snow in his mouth to hide the steam of his breath. Israel took cover where she was and now was almost undistinguishable, unless you knew where to look.  They waited.

They heard them before they approached. Roaring over the snow, they tore up the snow and spit it out like a wood chipper working overtime. The lead snow mobile was flying, its engine whining as its rider sought inevitable destruction through even more speed. He found it too, when he hit a deep depression in the snow and his runners caught. He was catapulted cross the white landscape, narrowly missing trees. 

The other two slowed, easing their chase as they closed in on their prey. Surprisingly their target got to his feet. He stumbled, tripped, caught himself, and pressed on as the sharks circled. The party passed Israel position without a second look.

One of the men on the snow mobiles ventured too close and was met by a shot from the running man’s gun. Surprisingly he hit him. The man on the snow mobile tumbled from his machine and it rammed itself into a tree. A lucky shot.

Now the second gunned his ride and charged. The target fired once, missed, and the snow mobile crashed into him. He was sent over the mobile and crashed into the snow. This time he did not get up. 

The one who had been shot emerged from where he had fallen, brushed himself off as if grazed by a snowball and walked over to where the fun was to be had.

“Hey, Philip, why did you have to go and do something like that for? We were just having fun with him.”

Their voices were clearly audible, the only sound since the last rider had shut his machine off. It took Julius a minute to realize they were speaking in French, his mind translating it automatically.

“You dead John-Paul” called Philip as he dismounted.

“No, too bad I’m dead already” he replied, “The little son of a bitch caught me in the stomach. It’s only a flesh wound.”

“Hope that didn’t ruin your appetite.”

“Not a chance. But it sure busted the snow mobile.” 

They surrounded their victim on two sides.

Neither was dressed very warmly, only light sweaters. Julius inched his hand slowly and carefully, switching optics sights to thermal. The two standing were warm but fading fast to cold. No internal heat source, nothing to keep warm either. Undead.

Philip rolled him over, and as the man raised his gun John-Paul kicked it from his hand.

“Your dinner now,” announced Philip, simply drooling over the prone form.

“You monster” the man got out through gritted teeth.

John-Paul shrugged his shoulder. “At least we know what we are,… and what you’re about to become.” They moved in for the kill.

A shot. It was no louder than a high-five between friends but unmistakable in the “pru” sound of a silenced gun. Philip, dropped to his knees and keeled over onto his side, his head obliterated.

John-Paul looked puzzled at Philip, even as his body finished the twitches of sudden and violent death. Then he looked over to where his victim’s gun lay out of reach, then squinted to where he thought the shot came from.

Julius brought his gun up to bare but it wasn’t necessary. John-Paul hit the ground next to his companion; either could have applied as a replacement for the headless horsemen.

Julius looked once more at the dead men and then to Israel. Unwatched, she had turned around and brought the men into her sights. Now she was racking in a new clip, her shaking hands betraying her otherwise iron resolve.

Julius flashed her a few signals. In response Israel dashed over to the edge of bluff and looked over for a long minute before answering back with a negative.

He signaled back: your lookout, keep watch.

Julius motioned Rebecca, the team medic, to his side.

“Check him out” he motioned to the only living member of the original three.

Rebecca dropped by his side. At first the man protected but submitted after Rebecca was able to talk to him.

  Julius was kneeling next to the dead men. He dipped his finger in their blood and stuck it in his mouth. It was nasty, not the sweetness of human blood, but bitter, the flavor of the paranormal.

“How is it?” Max was standing over the bodies.

“Gross” Julius spit out the blood and popped an altoid to counter the vile taste.

“I’d say they were corpses before magic affected them, hm, undead, lesser race, probably a servant class, maybe a zombie?”

“Ghoul” Max pointed at the exposed hand of one. With death the polymorph surrounding the body faded, revealing its true form. The skin was pulling in tight to the body, so it looked like old leather. The hand itself was forming into a claw of sorts. “Like zombies but with a mind of their own. Strange that they were acting on their own. No control from a head Necromancer? Rogues?”

“Julius” Rebbeca was motioning him over. Julius dropped beside her. She turned to talk to him without the man overhearing.

“His name is Bo Nilsson. Says he’s from the village over yonder. He’s delirious, keeps mumbling about everyone being dead. He asked to see our leader, that’s you.”

“How is he?”

  He’s got a compound fracture of his left arm, fractured his left wrist and a concussion. He needs spell healing, otherwise he’s not going to make it. I know this mission is supposed to test our non-magic skill, but…”

“Go ahead; I’ll take responsibility if they call us on it.” They moved back to the man.

“Hey Bo, I’m the leader of Team 2, what can I do for you.” Julius shifted himself to block Bo’s view of Rebbeca as she began her healing spell. Faint green light pulsing from her crossed hands, knitting back together bone, skin and flesh.

“Bo” Julius pressed, “What can you tell me about your village?” 

“You’ve got to save them, if they haven’t been eaten already!” Then Bo’s gaze shifted from Julius to some point direct above him. He reached out his good hand as it to take a hold of something. “Alisa” he said to the empty air, “I brought help. Wait for me, we’ll be together soon.” He closed his eyes. His hand remained locked in place, forever reaching for Alisa to take it and carry him away.

Rebbeca cursed. “I’m losing him, need to stabilize. Where’s Eddy?!”

As if summoned by her words he appeared.  Together they worked frantically to save Bo.

Everyone one else was hiding the bodies and all traces.

After the two medics had done all they could, Eddy took the man and vanished into the night, bound for a medical transport and the closes hospital. 

Julius radioed in the situation.

“Team Beta here. Two targets engaged and neutralized. Ghouls. Probably master-less. Had no choice.”

Curses from more than one person.

“They were in pursuit of a runaway. They probably won’t be missed anytime soon.”

“Julius,” came Jeb, his anger bleeding through the connection, “darn you and your cowboy ways.” This brought a smirk from Julius. It wasn’t even his fault this time. “Now get into position” Jeb ranted on, “and begin observation. We’re changing the schedule, attack at 0100 hours.”

The dead hidden in the snow, they joined Israel on the bluff.

A gentle grade sloped down for nearly a football field length of open ground. Below, the town was laid out, its lights playing havoc with their night vision. They had been briefed on the town before they dropped: it was situated 4,500 feet above sea level with a permanent population of 250. Its location, an out of the way town, lead to only one road connecting it to the rest of Europe. Team Gama, Team 3, was to secure that road, located to the west. The town itself appeared to have two main streets; most of the buildings, of stone or woodwork with their sharp sloping roofs, were located along these.

One particular building caught Julius’s eye. Even through the snow he could make out the square cut stone of its walls and parapet. It was a relic from another time when men would go at each other with swords and bows and built structures of earth and stone to protect them from the horrors of the world beyond. It stood separate from the town, closer to their concealed position. It wasn’t very large, originally a watch tower. It had been added onto until it resembled a lighthouse more than anything, looking over a town smothered in an ocean of snow. It was perfect: closer and it provided a fortified position with an excellent field of view.

Israel directed his gaze to five objects standing upright a dozen feet from the tower.

They looked like old fashioned tanning racks, forms already strung up on them. But that was stupid. This was the wrong weather for tanning. In fact those forms didn’t look like any animal he could think of. Too big, the heads were all wrong with only a single bunch of hair, and one even had a beer belly. Then it clicked, and Julius felt his stomach churn the same way he’d made butter by hand.

Max followed where Israel pointed. His face was a mask of impassive stone, but the hate in his eyes was unmistakable.

“Want to take that?” he was redirecting his anger to something productive, like scouting out the tower.

“Debating that.”

“Target by the front door” reported Israel.

“He’s smoking.” Julius found him through his binoculars, the red tip of his cigarette a signal flare in the night.

“Sentry engaged and neutralized” came the report over the radio. “Was watching the road, high point of west side”.

“Roger that” came Jeb. “Everyone please observe and report, try to refrain from making contact if possible.”

Team 2 sat and watched, the snow dusting them with a fine layer. Julius reported in everything that could be seen from the east side. The minutes ticked by. The time to “advance” and find a forwards position was fast approaching.