4
The Military
On the outskirts of Haven City, approximately two miles from the barricade around the city at the abandoned Northfield Surplus warehouse where the United States Military Special Ops had set up a makeshift base, soldiers worked to unload crates of supplies and weapons from the back of large military supply trucks. There were teams inspecting the warehouse's fence, ensuring that the perimeter was secure, and a squad at the gate, checking anyone who went in or came out. A helicopter was sitting atop the building, only a few soldiers guarding it.
Suddenly, over the bustle of the teams working to secure the area, came the outraged voice of Sergeant William Dylan.
"Where is he?!"
Bitterly gritting his teeth as he scoured the area, lower-ranking officers were quick to get out of his way as Sgt. Dylan stormed through the base toward the warehouse. Inside, the lights cast a dim glow over the tables of laptops, cases, and other gear that had been set up as the headquarters of their base here. Captain Harrison Vance glanced up from the monitors as the Sergeant entered, coming to a stop in front of his commanding officer.
"What the hell, Captain?!" Dylan demanded, slamming his hands down on the table. "My men were ready, dammit! The humvees were stocked, the tactics were reviewed, and I'd finished going over the extraction plan for the survivors! We were all set to move into the city when I received the order that we are not entering the outbreak zone!"
"What are your grievances, Sarge?" the captain asked tiredly.
"I want to know why you made that decision!" Dylan said. "We've sealed off the city and quarantined the outbreak, as per protocol! The Coast Guard is watching the shores! Now we have to move in before the virus can develop the potential to evolve like in Fortune City. I want to know why you gave the order to keep the city on lockdown, but refused us the clearance to enter. Was it because of Hemlock?"
Captain Vance couldn't help but shudder at the sound of General Hemlock's name. Although Hemlock was often hands-on with incidents involving the undead, this time he was preoccupied. The man was in an uproar right now, calling all anti-zombie advocates to pressure Congress for mandatory Zombrex chipping.
"Of course not," Vance shook his head. "My orders came from Senator Paddock."
"Paddock?! She's just as bad as he is! Hemlock's got her ear, he's probably the one who told her to send out the order!" Dylan protested. "Captain, you can see how ridiculous this is. There are survivors in Haven City; it's important that we move in as soon as possible!"
"And we will. In three day's time," Vance nodded. "We're following a procedure closely to pre-Fortune City. For now, keep the situation contained, shut down all access in and out of the area, and then we'll move in to eliminate the infected and rescue the survivors."
Dylan groaned, taking a moment to take a deep breath, "I can't believe that you're going along with this. You know how dangerous this is. The casualty count could be a disaster!"
"I'm going along with it because they were my orders," Vance replied firmly, "and I think that you have some orders of your own that do not involve mouthing off to your commanding officer."
"Sometimes a soldier needs to think for himself," the sergeant answered, hanging his head as he turned to leave.
"That's how we'll end up with another Brock Mason," Captain Vance shot back, returning his attention to the monitors. His attention lingered on one of them, featuring Channel 6 Action News set up outside the quarantine zone where gates and barricades were being constructed on the main roads and expressways. He couldn't hear what the reporter was saying, but he gestured to the line of cars stuck in gridlock in the background to show that people were anxious to get out, and Vance knew that they were questioning the decision not to allow anyone out of the city.
He sighed, turning away from the monitor and deliberately ignoring it, trying to focus on his work. In the back of the captain's mind, however, he was questioning that decision too.