HRM legation, Tokyo Japan, 1845hrs.
Inside the embassy, the Marines hunkered down as the earth-shaking explosion that heralded the arrival of nuclear war shook the very foundations. Within seconds, the attendant EMP knocked out all lights and communications within the city, the embassy included. Trapped in pitch black, Blake called out to his troop.
"Drop where you are. That loony McDonnough clipped one of us when he finished off the girl Zed and now there is at least one of 'them' inside. Remember, they hunt by sound. Absolutely no noise and no movement until the emergency generator kicks over in two minutes."
At that moment a flash of flickering light pierced the gloom and made its way steadily down the main stair and into the foyer. Someone had a cigarette lighter and was making their way towards the main contingent.
"Oi," the soft whisper of Lt Symons called out. "Where is everyone? Sound off."
'Shut the fuck up, you bloody fool,' Blake thought to himself as he hid behind the receptionist's station. Did the Leftenant understand nothing of what happened over the last two days?
Too late, Symons felt cold hands grab at his tunic.
"What the bloody hell! Let go of me this-" he was cut off as he felt teeth sink into his chest through the fabric of his combat smock. A gut wrenching scream went out followed shortly by a blast of fully automatic gunfire. The Marines in the foyer hit the deck as the muzzle flashes punctuated the darkness. Moans were heard interspersed with cries of pain and the sloshy sounds of innards being pulled out of body cavities. Symons let out one last gurgling sound and then fell silent. His rifle clattered to the marble floor. The sounds of feasting continued and each man was left to imagine any number of horrible sights to accompany that sound.
Shortly after Lt. Symons met his gruesome fate, the emergency generator whirred to life. Floodlights lit the gloom and everyone poked his head from his hiding place. Blake, to his horror, found himself without his rifle and within two meters of Symons' resting place; two of his men gorging themselves on his corpse. As quietly as he could, he signaled Edmonds and one other man to take aim at each target and fire simultaneously. Edmonds pointed to one of the selected targets then pointed at his own head. Confused for a second, Blake's heart sank into his stomach as he came to realize that one of "them" had a combat helmet on.
'Of course,' Blake thought. 'SOP is brain buckets on during air attack. This bastard actually thought to put his on.'
The silence and tension pervading the room was broken by the subdued hiss of a large caliber bolt sliding home, chambering a round as it went. A single red dot appeared just below the rim of the helmet Zed wore as it looked up from its feast to investigate the noise. Sgt White had rigged a laser designator in place of the scope for close quarters shooting. Blake smiled at him and nodded to White and Edmonds to each take their shot. Edmonds beat White to the trigger by a split second and the muffled sound of White's .338cal was drowned out by the sharp crack of Edmonds' 5.56mm. Both Zeds hit the floor, one missing its head, the other with a clean shot right between the eyes.
Blake rallied all the survivors, made a head count and came up short. Factoring in the two now former Royal Marines and what was left of Lt. Symons, the Marines were still short three men.
"Where are Major Giles and Corporals McDonnough and Davis?" Blake whispered.
"Last I 'eard, Staff Sergeant," L/Corporal Edmonds whispered in reply, "Davis was down in Communications. McDonnough would have been taken to barracks and I don't know 'bout the Major."
Blake pinched the bridge of his nose in thought before speaking in a more normal, indoor voice.
"Until they are accounted for, these three men must now be considered either food or one of 'them'."
Blake gazed upon the remnants of his command. He had now just thirteen men remaining from a contingent of twenty.
"I want five men on me, split into two man teams to fan out and conduct a search. The other seven are to remain on station here as this is now our rally point. We are now engaged in a hard target search. If you encounter anyone in this building who has become one of 'them', remember; that man is now a walking corpse and should be dealt with extreme prejudice."
Static, crackled over Blake's handset. 'The bloody thing still works?'
Corporal Davis' voice could be heard weakly through the static jamming the signal.
"Staff Sergeant Blake? Hulloo? Are you thea?"
Blake toggled the squawk.
"Corporal Davis, report your position, over."
More static.
"Staff Sergeant Blake? Are you thea? Over"
"Damn, he can't receive me," Blake spat. "Still, that means at least one man is alive. Edmonds, you are on me to Communications. The other two teams, Pvts Smith and Jones to the second floor with Brown and Sharpe to the third. Weapon discipline is enforced. I want only semi-auto fire, is that understood?"
The Marines all saluted silently. Blake nodded in approval.
"Move out, lads."
Blake and Edmonds crept silently down the stairs into the sub floor where Communications were kept. The back-up flood lights casting an eerie light into the hallway, every shadow a potential hiding place for one of "them." Blake took point with Edmonds watching six*. Since the MoD emplaced SUSAT scopes on every assault rifle in service, Blake and Edmonds were glad they did not have burned out ACOG or red-dot scopes to deal with. The SUSAT made aiming ridiculously simple; put the obelisk on your target and pull the trigger.
Setting foot on the floor at the base of the stairs, Blake brought his rifle to the ready, his trigger finger resting on the frame of his rifle just above and outside the trigger guard. Slipping slightly on a puddle of blood, Blake reached out and steadied himself against the wall. He felt Edmonds lightly tap his flanks to signal he had reached the bottom as well. Three doors with weak light spilling from within lined the left of the hall, the right side blessedly free of doors and thus of any potential surprises. At the end of the hall, the lift doors were closed and the mechanism silent. Blake tapped Edmonds' flank, gained his attention and silently signaled that they were going to sweep each room in sequence. Edmonds came up with a different plan. Having been privy to the conversations between Sgts White and Pegg, Edmonds suggested simply knocking lightly on each door. A shuffle and moan meant "do not open". If Corporal Davis answered, the room was safe to enter.
Liking this idea better, Blake proceeded to knock lightly on the first door, the armory as it turned out. No response, good or foul. Wait three seconds for any action in the hall. Nothing. The barracks door stood open. Blake cautiously crouched and poked his head inside. Sweeping the room, Blake noticed a few drops of blood forming a trail into the hall, but otherwise all clear. Gaining Edmonds' attention, Blake lead the two men to the third and final door. The two men now stood in front of the Communications room. Movement was heard inside. Blake cautiously knocked on the door. A slow shuffle towards them and then…
Click.
The Communications room door opened to reveal a slightly confused, but otherwise unhurt Corporal Davis. Visibly relieved, Blake and Edmonds hurriedly shoved Davis back into the room and silently shut the door behind them.
Davis was about to say something when Blake motioned to be quiet.
"One of 'them' got into the building shortly before the blast. At least two of the men were infected. Lt Symons is dead and Major Giles and Corporal McDonnough are unaccounted for."
"Actually, Staff Sergeant, McDonnough is over in the corner," Davis said, pointing to a figure slumped over a desk.
Blake's eyes went wide as he raised his weapon at the figure.
"No, Staff Sergeant, he's dead," Davis explained. "He came to me just before the lights went out, said he'd been bitten, gave me his knife and begged me to end it."
"Take a look, Edmonds," Blake said. Edmonds cautiously approached the body. It was McDonnough, alright, his vicious kukri buried in his forehead. Blake relaxed his weapon as Edmonds returned.
"That still leaves the Major," Blake sighed, his command shrinking by the moment. At this rate only the three men in this room would be around for evac.
"Is he not with you, Staff Sergeant?" Davis asked.
Blake looked at Davis, a confused look on his face.
"No he is not."
"Oh, well, then, I guess he's back on the third floor in his office," Davis said.
"What are you talking about, Corporal?" Blake asked.
"Well, Major Giles was down here with me talking to The Ark when Corporal McDonnough was brought down," Davis explained. "I heard a scuffle, assumed it was McDonnough having a tussle with the other two with him. The Major went out to have a word. I poked my head out and saw the Major walking out of barracks."
"Did the Major take the lift?" Blake asked.
"Yes, Staff Sergeant." Davis replied. "Curious thing, tho. Had this sad smile on his face, like he was sayin' goodbye, or something."
"Did the Major say anything to you?" Blake pressed. "Anything look amiss?"
"Yes, Staff Sergeant. He told me to stay put and keep the door locked," Davis said. "I assumed McDonnough here was taken into barracks and kept under guard. The Major just got into the lift and that was the end of it until Mac pops 'round and...well...you know the rest."
"The Major took the lift. That would explain why he did not pass us in the the lobby," Blake surmised.
"ere, d'you fink the Major's infected then?" Edmonds spoke up.
"I would not rule it impossible," Blake said, then his face dropped. "Bloody hell, Brown and Sharpe..."
Edmonds and Davis looked at Blake.
"Staff Sergeant...?" Edmonds said.
"Brown and Sharpe are on the third floor with Maj. Giles," Blake said. "If the Major is one of 'them', there is a good chance those two ran afoul of him."
Blake sat on a stool near McDonnough's corpse. He sank his head into his hands.
"Those two were just kids, fresh from Lympstone...I should not have sent them up there by themselves."
No one spoke for several minutes, until...
"Staff Sergeant, I have been in constant contact with the Ark Royal," Davis broke the silence, a hopeful smile on his face.
"What?" Blake asked incredulously, shaking the guilt from his brain. "I would have thought the EMP knocked everything out."
"Normally yes, but in this case," Davis gestured around the room, "when the MoD and the Foreign Office designed this room, they wanted to ensure that communications were secure and that listening devices could not broadcast sound from within this room. So a copper cage was build into the walls, floor, ceilings…even the door and its frame. Staff Sergeant, we are sitting in a big Faraday Cage. The EMP dissipated into the copper. I only realized the EMP hit when the main lights went off."
"Thank God for small miracles," Blake sighed in relief. "Any news on evac?"
"The Ark Royal rode it out fine. They said they will have to wait until first light, tho," Davis explained. "With no lights or IR beacons to guide the helos in, they would be trying to land blind."
"This is getting more and more fucked by the minute," Blake muttered. "Do we have any replacement radios?"
"Plenty, Staff Sergeant," Davis smiled, pointing to the massive charge and docking station on the far wall, near McDonnough's body. Blake walked over, muttered a silent prayer for his late mad bomber and then helped himself to enough radios for the remaining Marines to operate in tandem.
"Edmonds, you remain here with Davis," Blake said, handing Edmonds a working radio. "Davis, keep talking to the Ark Royal. I am going back to the rest of the squad."
"Are you shoa…by yosewf?" Edmonds stammered.
"Corporal Davis is now the most important man in this building," Blake said. "Your job, Edmonds, is to keep him safe and alive. If we lose contact with our evac team, we may as well turn up our toes and die. Understood?"
"Understood," Edmonds replied.
Blake cautiously opened the door and peeked out into the ill lit hall. Nothing could be heard, but that meant nothing. He pulled out his MoD issue Fairbairn-Sykes knife and rapped the blade against the wall near the door jamb. Still nothing. Blake stepped into the gloom, his knife at the ready and silently crept toward the stairs. As he rounded the landing, Blake saw a figure slowly approach in the gloom. Crouching, Blake made ready and let out a low whistle.
The figure let out a slow moan and tuned to face the direction of the sound. In the semi-darkness, Blake could make out what was left of the man's face as it began to stumble down the stairs towards him. Leaping out of the way, Blake buried his fighting knife into Zed's brains and scrambled them with all his might. The struggle stopped and Zed came to rest.
'Now I have only twelve men, possibly less', Blake cursed under his breath. 'I am so sorry, Smith.'
Reaching the top of the stairs without further incident, Blake entered the foyer. He scanned the gloom, but could not find the rest of his men. The bodies of Lt Symons, the two Marines and the woman who started it all were right as he left them. Venturing further into the main lobby, he tripped and stumbled over an unaccounted for body. This man and the man in the stairwell were the team he sent to the second floor.
'Eleven,' Blake counted downward and included himself. 'Where is the rest of my command?'
At this moment, White and Pegg materialized out of the shadows. Pegg offered his hand while White went on over watch.
"Smith and Jones," Pegg said regretfully. "I think the Major is infected now, too."
"I am inclined to agree," Blake said, getting to his feet. "No word from Brown and Sharpe on the third floor?"
"Not since you went to find Davis with Edmonds," Pegg said, a questioning look on his face.
"They're both safe in Comms," Blake replied. "McDonnough is dead, infected. Davis killed him. Edmonds is guarding him now."
"We're going to die in here, aren't we, Staff Sergeant?" White spoke up.
"Not yet," the waver in Blake's voice belied his feelings. "Where are the rest of the men?"
"We're holed up in civilian quarters," Pegg said, pointing down the opposite hall from where Blake had come. "The seven of us drew lots to keep watch over the entry, hoping someone not infected would show up, and here you are."
The three men returned to the civilian wing unmolested. The five men in the first dorm turned to face the door with weapons ready as the signal knock was heard. The door was opened, revealing White, Pegg and Blake. A collective sigh was heard, as the door was shut and bolted.
"Still no word from Brown and Sharpe," Blake reported. "Davis is safe and alive with Edmonds. They are holed up in comms. By a miracle, the room was hardened against EMP and Davis has been in contact with the Ark Royal. We are going to have to spend one more night, I am afraid, as the EMP knocked out all landing lights and the IR beacons."
Someone let out a low whistle as the news sank in. Surrounded outside and now within. Occasionally, banging could be heard against the blast shutters at random places and times. The men would jump at sounds dangerously close to them.
"Men," Blake stood up and faced the remnants of his command. "At first light, we are going to extricate Davis and Edmonds from comms and make our way to the roof landing pad. I want four men to get into the armory and carry off with as much ammunition as is possible to carry. The remaining four will be with me aiding Davis and Edmonds. We then move into the barracks and get any field rations we can find. We then meet up at the head of the main lobby stairs and move as a group to the roof, Understood?"
In unison, the Marines nodded and saluted.
Blake toggled the working handy-talkie and called to Corporal Davis. Apprised of the situation, Davis and Edmonds proceeded to secure the room as much as possible, before hunkering in for the night. Davis informed Blake that he would keep tabs on the Ark Royal and give a thirty minute head's up before the helo's arrival.
"That should give us enough time to clear the second and third floors and deal with who - or what - ever is up there," Blake sighed.
A/N: *six, or on six means covering to the rear, as if standing on an analogue clock face and facing to the twelve o'clock position. BTW, I am not really sure if a Faraday Cage would actually stop a nuclear released EMP in real life, but then, zombies don't exist in real life, either...do they?