Disclaimer:: I unfortunately do NOT own "The Walking Dead" or any of its character. I do however own all non-Canon additions to this fic and some of the plot. This fanfic will loosely follow Canon but sill deviate greatly from both the Comic and TV Series Plot. Eventually becomes AU from the deviations but stay in the ZA universe.
Chapter 3: Fort Benning
Two Weeks and Five Days After Outbreak
Gareth looked down at his phone. Nine letters blinked across the screen every half a second causing him to sigh.
No Service
He had been in the middle of a call with his sister when the line had gone dead. His last words to her had been orders. He had instructed her to pack up the house, lock the doors tight, load the dogs into the pick-up, find his son and get to Fort Benning—where he was stationed. He knew that it had been a lot to ask his baby sister, but he didn't have many options. The four things he cared about the most in his life were in New York and he couldn't exactly abandon his post to go and retrieve them. He had a team to lead. He had orders. Sure, shit hit the fan and this virus was taking over every dead, or rather not-so-dead, human and turning them into cannibals. But that didn't mean he could abandon his duties to his country. He still had a commanding officer relaying him orders. Gareth still had a team of fourteen men to lead and another group of thirty-eight to oversee.
During the first few days, teams had been sent out to various places across the country. The Commanding officer had been lucky. He and his team had been selected to guard the safe zone that the army had created for government officials right there on the Army Base. The Safe Zone had been a stop however. It wasn't safe to keep important officials all in one place.
"Devereux, you copy?" a voice questioned from his pocket.
Gareth sighed before taking the walkie out of his pocket. "Reading you loud and clear, Franklin. What is the status on those helos?"
There was a short wave of static before the same voice broke through again. "About 10 minutes out. What's the ground looking like?"
Gareth looked out of the tower window he had been unknowingly pacing in front of just moments ago. He brought the walkie back up to his mouth. "Maybe half a hundred geeks at the South Gate and another couple dozen playing in the East Field."
There was a pause before Gareth heard laughter over the communications system. "Since when do they play?" Franklin snorted.
Gareth shook his head with a smile on his face. "What else do you want me to call it? They're chasing random ass critters around the grass." Franklin's laughter could be heard as someone near him asked who was winning. Gareth ignored the question and continued looking out over the surrounding area. "How many crafts are they sending again?"
It was a new voice that answered this time. "Westley said that they are sending two Chinooks and a standard Helo. Something about loss of planes back at initial outbreak. Didn't you pay attention in the briefing Commander?"
Gareth sighed before responding to his fellow Officer. "Of course I paid attention. The numbers just slipped my mind…" he trailed off. "Besides I was a little preoccupied by the fact that he told me that he was sending half my men on the chopper without me." That was half true of course. Ever since communications went down, Gareth's family was constantly on his mind. He was worried about his sister and his son of course. On top of the two most important humans in his life, he was worried about his former partner, Thor. His best four-legged friend lived with his sister now that he was once again stationed so far from home. It was impossible for the canine to return to work after his last injury.
Honorably Discharged.
Even after he recovered, being military again was never going to be an option for that dog. He made a good ranch hand though. And Gareth was sure that the dog was enjoying retirement alongside his mate, Beatrix.
"Awe," a voice cooed over the walkies. "We're gonna miss you too Gare-bear."
Gareth stared at his own walkie for a long moment. "Franklin," he said slowly. He was mildly appalled by what was just said. "You make me want to take it back Franklin. I really don't think that I am going to miss you after that one." Laughter was heard through the army base, and the Commander didn't need his walkie to hear the majority of the soldiers on the property laughing.
Frankin's voice chimed back over the channel. "Awe man, Commander. You wound me. However, will I move on?"
Without missing a beat Gareth responded to one of his team. "Go get laid at the next stop. I hear that does wonders for a broken heart." It was Gareth's turn to laugh as he watched the perimeter of the base from his tower. He looked over at the man sharing the watch shift with him to see the over Officer giving him a thumbs up.
"No one is getting laid at the next stop!" an angry voice crackled through the small speaker in the man's hand. "No more of this talk. The choppers will be her in any moment and the last thing I need is all my men laughing at some stupid sexed up jokes. That landing area better be cleared when I walk outside in two minutes. If not there will be hell to pay."
Gareth shook his head at Westley's words. "In what the form of push-ups? We're already in hell. Not like Westley noticed that detail, what with being cooped up in that Office all time."
"Don't let him hear you say that, Devereux," the man in the tower with him said with a grin on his face.
Gareth shrugged. "Westley and I are the same rank. Majors. He's lucky I don't report him for being a lazy piece of shit. That man wouldn't know how to lead a group of Rangers to save his life. This is why I get to stay behind and his ass gets to leave. Between civilians, troops and medical, personnel we are dropping from one-fifty-four to thirty-six."
The Ranger beside him laughed. "I always knew there was a reason behind why I liked you Devereux." The man put down his rifle, resting it against the wall. He wasn't quite sure what the point was to the guns. It wasn't exactly like he was supposed to fire them off and shoot down geeks while he was up here. "And before you say anything, no, it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you are really good at setting up a guy on blind dates with pretty girls."
Gareth sighed. "Way to not mention the fact that I have saved your ass more times than I can count in the last two weeks. Thanks man," he sighed before picking up a piece of chalk from the ground and chucking it at the younger recruit. He leant against the rock structure before sliding down and taking a seat on the stone floor. "Why in the world do you lot doodle in the tower like a group of elementary school girls?" He found another piece of chalk on the ground and threw it at the man again, this time hitting him square in the chest. The Ranger hadn't stopped laughing since the first one bounced off his toe.
There was something oddly, welcome, about the sight of the older man throwing chalk at his fellow teammate. Gareth was the highest in the command chair for his men, his commanding officer had been bit only a few days in. The man had been a bit too noble. Had wanted to save everyone. Unfortunately, that wasn't exactly an option.
There had been a breech one of their first days after outbreak. The place was secure, of course, it was a military establishment after all. But things had been so chaotic. The virus was something that these men and women couldn't explain. In the beginning the majority of the men and women stationed here were sent out to help towns and cities. Many units had been sent to Atlanta to help secure the city. The four Ranger units stationed at Benning had not been one of those units sent to Atlanta. In fact, there was now only one unit of Rangers at the Fort, and the group was a mixed bunch, a mixture of three teams. Gareth's original group of nine and the rest, the surviving bunch from the two teams that returned via road vehicles to Benning. No one had heard from the group that was told to fly out and secure a hospital just outside of Atlanta. In the back of his mind, the Ranger hoped that the men had either made it out in one piece or died quickly. The highest ranking officers stationed at Benning fell victim to all of this. The one, having gone to the hospital to never return and the other, bit right here in the base's living quarters.
A soldier had returned, scratched of all things. It wasn't really known that a scratch could infect the victim if bad enough. And to top it all off, it of course was more than a simply scratch. The soldier had come back to Benning complaining that he had been shot through the shoulder. In reality, a geek had stabbed him in the shoulder with what had remained of the creature's arm. This detail wasn't found out until much later, when one of the soldier's teammate's woke up in the infirmary, three days after the man turned. By then it had been too late.
Upon passing in his sleep from a fever from the infection, the man had turned and proceeded to attack his roommates and other people bunking in the same residential unit as himself. By the time things got back under control, Gareth's boss has been bit and over fifteen men had become infected—and that didn't include the amount of soldiers that were eaten before the last of the geeks were put down for good in that area. It had been a sad day. There was no cure so it was left up to those who were bit. Be put down before there was a chance to turn, or be used for purposes of research. In fact, the General was still on base.
Gareth casted a look in the direction of the building that held those whom had turned, those that were being used for study. The lower level grunts didn't know about what was going on in that building. All they knew was that it was beyond their level of clearance and that they were not allowed anywhere near it, even when on patrol. The research building was off limits to all personnel besides officers and well, researchers.
"Incoming!" a voice shouted over the walkie, shaking Gareth from his own thoughts. He shot to his feet and grabbed his own rifle from against the well. Using the scope, he peered into the sky, watching the first Chinook hit the ground. He sighed before lowering his weapon.
"Stay up here," he ordered the man that was now focused on once again watching the geeks. He slung his rifle over his shoulder before heading for the steps. He had soldiers and supplies to load onto choppers, and an annoying Major to say his good-byes too, and for some reason, even though, the world was crashing down around him, he couldn't be happier.
/AN:: I'M BACK! I am so so so sorry for disappearing. Unfortunately life has not been kind to me lately but I have decided with it being 2016 that I would try to better myself, do things that make me happy. And lucky for anyone that enjoys this story, one of the things that make me happy is writing. I will be attempting to post a chapter every week, either Friday or Saturday. I know have a Beta Reader of sorts that will be reading my chapters before I press the send button. My boyfriend [though not a Walking Dead fan] has been so generous in agreeing to read and edit all of my work that I do for here [yes, Harry Potter too, and no he is not a fan of that one either]. Anyway just wanted to let everyone know that I am back. Feel free to PM me here or leave a review to let me know what you think. Did a flashback character of sorts, to get back into the swing of writing. Don't worry we will be back on the road with our "nameless" heroine and Sophia in the next chapter!
Much Love xxoo
-Kat
