CHAPTER 5 - STARTLING REALIZATIONS

The crew of the Warbird, also known as Arrow One, made their final approach on the XL Center. Atticus, Samuel, and Rebecca got a good look at the camp within the walls. The stadium was filled with wounded and infected civilians. Atticus looked like he was going to puke. Samuel preferred focusing on the fortifications. Not only was the stadium reinforced with iron-plated barricades along the walls, doors, and windows, but mounted hollow-point machine guns and mortar turrets stationed the perimeter of the stadium.

The military was massing for a retake of the city. First Hartford, and then the tactical maneuver would sweep across the coast of the Long Island Sound until the liberation of New York was possible. If that could be attained the other major cities of the eastern seaboard might stand a chance. If the front could not be held now, the infection would spread to every corner of the continent. The end of the world was rapidly approaching, and the United States Armed Forces were doing everything in their power to prevent it.

They no longer fought terrorists; they burned the dead and put a bullet in the head of anything that could walk without a pulse. A soldier, by definition, had a completely different role in society now. An enemy that shot back was virtually unheard of except for the rioters.

Samuel had this ideal image of all the nations of humanity coming together to fight and endure the zombie revolution. That was in no way close to their current reality. A truth Atticus would have to brace Dr. Samuel Chase slowly for. Although Atticus was younger than Samuel, he had lost his youthful hopefulness and optimism, and inherited a soldier’s apathy and cynicism while in the military, making him much older than his years. He knew what this world was coming to, and what it called for now.

Atticus started the landing process. Every soldier around the War Bird looked amazed, like it was an alien spaceship. The outside of the War Bird was smooth, and the engines and boosters were prepped for deep space travel. It’s no wonder why they thought that. Upon landing Atticus adjusted the auxiliary engines on the wings into hover mode and the entire ship shifted. The wings flattened and the bow and the stern contracted, as the booster engines slid under the bird, switched off, and were replaced by sonic pulse emitters pointed at the floor.

Atticus attached the pulse emitter’s coordinates onto the landing pad and brought them in flawlessly. They landed and Atticus shut down all the fancy equipment. Dr. Chase had to tear himself away from the ship. Everything about it was so fascinating to him he briefly regretted specializing in theoretical physics instead of aerodynamics and fusion research. Atticus cherished their mutual affinity for the Warbird and gave the doctor a second to drink it all in.

They exited the ship with Rebecca and had a look around. There was not one person standing still. Those that were not on guard nor out in the fight were building and reinforcing barriers all around, using sandbags, extra benches, and tables. This was nothing they had seen before. Amongst the troops were civilian wearing armor and carrying automatic weapons. “They must be taking volunteers now,” said Atticus. This was all out war. A soldier standing at attention before them broadcasted his intentions clearly. He was there for them.

“General Saarsgard is waiting for you, Captain. Right this way.”

They were brought through the hallways to the middle of the centerstage, an impromptu fortress, made up of mostly tents; they would’ve had a better look hovering up above it. It seemed that the skies felt the safest in this terrible new world. Atticus led them into the room and saluted, Samuel and Rebecca followed suit. The General sat them down at the conference table and began.

“Ms. Pratt, I’m glad that you are safe, but in a couple of minutes the CIA and FBI are going to come through those doors and arrest you, followed by interrogation, and then most likely they will take you away to a laboratory and conduct experiments on you all in search for a cure.”

“Is this a scare tactic, Saarsgard?” Samuel demanded to know.

“I’m afraid not, Doctor.”

“I never took the pills. If it’s a test subject you need, I kept my husband alive and trapped inside my house.”

The General, Dr. Chase, and Atticus all looked shocked to hear it.

“You mean to tell me that patient zero is still attainable?”

“Yes, sir.”

"Ansem’s death might be the cause and cure for all of this,” Samuel pointed out.

"Ansem’s Death…”

“General?”

General Saarsgard walked out of the command center.

“What was that about?” Rebecca asked Atticus.

“Well, Doctor Pratt, the military has a pension for codenames, and I think our General just found the perfect one for this epidemic thanks to Samuel.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Outside, General Saarsgard addressed the FBI and CIA agents and all forces not busy at the front were immediately assigned to the task of retrieving Ansem Weathers. The General walked back in.

“Do we need to get her out of here, General?” Atticus asked.

“For the time being, no. They are distracted. You’ll be safe.”

“If there’s nothing else you need from us then, General. I would like to request Captain Atticus take me to my family.”

“I’m sorry Doctor but there are no personal escorts. NORAD won't admit it. That vessel is one of our strongest weapons, so essential to this operation that I have been awaiting its arrival to commence. Now that it is here, you are asking me if you can take it away again? I am sorry, Doctor Chase. Not while we still have it in one piece. Not while there is still a front to fight.”

Samuel slammed the table and walked out of the room. He was outraged, and there was nothing he could do about it. He was in Hartford, Connecticut. What was that four, maybe five hours away from the city? He had to find a car. Samuel began putting a plan together in his head as he wandered down the hallway, unaware of where he was going. If he kept his cool back there he probably could’ve finagled a vehicle or transport.

Meanwhile, in the command center, Saarsgard gave the strike codes to his lieutenants. He issued Captain Atticus Ross his orders in the Rising Front Op. He was to blaze a path down Interstate 95 and firebomb every major city along the way.

“…along the way to….”

And that’s when he saw the orders, written on a government piece of paper, that which Saarsgard just withheld from Samuel. Atticus looked back up and pulled the general aside.

“Sir, you told him-”

“I told him what he needed to here to stay alive. New York is lost. His family is dead. It’s a suicide mission.”

“Is that you’re call, sir?”

“Yes it is.”

“But sir-”

“Are you questioning my authority, Captain?”

“No, just pointing out that Doctor Chase is a civilian, sir.”

“A civilian employed by the United States government and asking for military resources.”

“Yes, sir.”

“As you were, Captain.”

Atticus left the command center to try and catch up with Samuel. Rebecca watched Atticus stand up for Samuel and all her suspicions and bad feelings about him dispersed into the ether like it never happened. Beneath his rough exterior he was a good man, and she knew what good men do. Rebecca followed Atticus out of the room.

"This is bullshit," Atticus vented, knowing Rebecca was behind him; his soldier's reserve beginning to erode away. "That asshole is going to get us all killed."

"What are you going to do?" Rebecca asked.

"Find Doctor Chase."

They rounded the corner back towards where they came and saw Samuel standing there, looking like he was up to no good.

“Doc?”

He jumped, not expected the two of them to be right behind him. There was something else to his startle. He seemed off, as if trying something out for the first time.

“Samuel, we want to help you get home,” said Rebecca.

“Wait a second,” Atticus’ wheels turned, “Were you gonna steal the War Bird, Doc?”

“I was looking for the best ride to New York,” Samuel said, trying to charm his way out of this awkward situation. Rebecca ping-ponged between them to see who would win the staring contest.

“Well,” Atticus said with an overly pregnant pause, “I can’t blame you for coming to the right place.” He grinned.

"What about the op? What about the fight?"

"I got news for you, Doc." Atticus told his story walking into the War Bird, "I've been trained to look at every scenario from a bird's-eye perspective and this whole clusterfuck reeks, I'm talkin' a success rate of zero."

Rebecca gasped.

"Clusterfuck?" Samuel laughed, "Is that a military term, like FUBAR?"

"Might as well be. It's time we start looking out for our own asses, starting with your family, Doc."

Samuel didn't argue, but Rebecca became the voice of reason, "You're going AWOL and we're betraying our country."

"It's not about that anymore. Times are changing, sweetheart. America is dead and gone. And this might be the only chance we get to save our lives. I mean they've got infected people inside the base for Christ's sake! Did you see that? They’re admitting bitten for research. It's just a matter of time before-"

Suddenly a shake within the foundation of the stadium erupted and an alarm sounded off. Screams down the hall and gunfire scared Samuel and Rebecca into the ship after Atticus, who was already starting the take-off procedures when the General radioed in, “…Captain, come in Captain, Operation Rising Front has been compromised, they have infiltrated the sanctuary, prepare for extraction-”

Atticus turned off the radio.