Last Alarm-Book One Chapter 55-The Alamo-Part Six, a highschool of the dead fanfic

55.

Last Alarm

Chapter 51

"The Alamo"

Part Six

Dedicated to the memory of:

Firefighter Scott Deems

Engine #35

San Antonio Fire Department

LODD 5-18-2017

"Honor, Duty, Courage"

"Rest in Peace Brother, we'll take it from here"

And Dedicated to:

Firefighter Brad Phipps

San Antonio Fire Department

Engine #35

Get well quick, Brother.

"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer." _Ralph Waldo Emerson

Time: 0500

Location:

Combat Information Center (CIC) of U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard LHD-6 (aka "The Bonnie Dick")

Anchored near the Northeastern section of Tokonosu International Airport (aka "The Floating Island")

Z-Day Times Five

"So what exactly is it I'm supposed to be seeing here, Commander?" Captain Thomas Chandler, the skipper of the "Bonnie Dick" said with a bit of an edge in his voice as he and his Executive Officer, Commander Mike Slattery, examined the recent satellite images of the Japanese city of Tokonosu that were currently displayed on one of the large video screens mounted in the *CIC as the **CICWO on watch, Lieutenant Commander Kara Green, took a deep breath to steady her nerves before replying to her irate superior.

*(Combat Information Center)

*(CICWO- Combat Information Center Watch Officer)

While the majority of the personnel aboard every ship in the small task force considered the "Bonnie Dick's" "Old Man" to be one of those rare types of naval officer that had actually earned the respect of both his superiors as well as those who served under him, the "Skipper's" temper in regards to any signs of incompetence from either junior or even senior officers had become legendary, and no one ever wished to be on the "Skipper's" bad side, especially anyone who had been unlucky enough to become the focus of his wrath before.

And unfortunately for the young female officer, the information that Lt. Cmdr. Kara Green was about to present to the "Bonnie Dick's" commanding officer would undoubtedly do little to improve the "Skipper's" foul mood which had already been thoroughly soured by the day's events.

The day itself had been a particularly stressful one for every man and woman in the entire naval task force as they were all busily engaged with the landing operations of the amphibious forces involved in the re-taking of Tokonosu International Airport.

And while the stress of dealing with so-called "normal" amphibious operations during peacetime were hazardous enough for the crews aboard every ship, during actual wartime conditions the hazards of amphibious operations increased significantly.

And now with the addition of hastily-trained civilian "volunteers" being involved with ship's operations, even the simplest tasks had become increasingly difficult and had slowed operations down to almost a crawl causing considerable stress on everyone, especially for the "Old Man."

And as if things weren't stressful enough, the possibility of a second nuclear strike still loomed over everyone's heads as well, leaving little wonder as to Captain Chandler's increased edginess, and with less than eight hours of sleep in the past four days, waking him up less than two hours after he had gone off to his cabin hadn't done much to improve his mood either, as Lt. Cmdr. Green realized that she had better get to the point, and quickly.

"Sir..." Lt. Cmdr. Green began as she gestured towards the satellite image of Tokonosu City displayed on the viewscreen. "...what you're seeing here are the most recent satellite images of the Japanese City of Tokonosu that we were able to retrieve once our communications uplinks were restored with our orbiting satellites."

"Yes, we can see that, Commander..." Captain Chandler replied irritably as he rubbed the spot between his eyes with his right hand and tried to stifle a yawn but failed. "...what about it?"

"Well, as you may have also already noticed, sir..." Lt. Cmdr. Green said taking another deep breath before responding. "...the satellite images also shows several large heat fields located in the port area, as well as several other areas around the city."

"Initially we had believed that these heat fields were actually large concentrations of the city's populace congregating themselves at these locations all around the city..." The young female officer added. "... and the reason we thought that they were clumped together this way was possibly because they were unable to evacuate the city in time before the Infected cut off their exit routes."

"Previously believed...?" The "Bonnie Dick's" Executive Officer, Commander Mike Slattery, said with a raised eyebrow. "...what do you mean by that, Commander?"

"Well, considering how densely populated the city was before this "Outbreak", or whatever you want to call it, sir..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied with a troubled frown forming on her face as she continued her briefing. "...the reason I had originally come to the conclusion that these large heat fields that we're looking at here were human, was because I was under the assumption that unlike normal human beings, the Infected did not give off any body heat."

"And why did you come to that conclusion, Commander?" Captain Chandler asked as he gazed over at his junior officer.

"Well sir, that's because I was under the impression that, um..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied a sheepish look of embarrassment forming on her face. "...well, because I assumed that they were...*ahem*, well...zombies."

"You know, like in the movies?" The young female officer said as both of her superior officers seemed to be somewhat amused by her words.

"I see, so you assumed that the Infected are in actuality, walking corpses, is that what you're saying, Lt. Cmdr. Green?" Captain Chandler said a hint of a smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

"Ummmm, yes sir..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied as she began to feel her face burning with embarrassment at the amused looks visible on her superior's faces. "...my assumption was based entirely on the fact that their behavior as well as their appetite for human flesh, was very similar to zombies."

"I realize now that seems stupid..." The young female officer added, the color rising in her cheeks.

"That's alright, Commander..." Captain Chandler said with a chuckle at the embarrassed look on the younger female officer's face. "...I admit, I was under the same assumption as well."

"So was I..." Cmdr. Slattery said with a grin. "...kinda hard not to believe them as anything else but zombies, if you think about."

"Yes sir, Commander..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied as the embarrassed look disappeared from her face as she then pointed to the viewscreen. "...unfortunately, I wish that they had been zombies, because now things have become a lot more complicated."

"In what way, Commander Green?" Captain Chandler asked his face suddenly turning serious at the young female officer's words.

"Well sir, once we were able to finally launch our one remaining operable UAV and do a fly-by over the port area for confirmation as to what exactly these heat fields are..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied as she waved her hand over the viewscreen. "...the images we received back from the UAV's cameras showed that the large heat field located here that we originally thought were civilian evacuees, was actually a large concentration made up of both civilian refugees and Infected."

"Come again, Commander?" Captain Chandler said as he gazed directly at the young officer's face, his eyes like flint chips. "...you're saying that the images we're seeing here are not just survivors?"

"I'm afraid not, sir..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied her voice grim as both of her superior officer's glanced at each other before turning their attention back to the viewscreen and stared at it even more intensely than before.

"In fact, sir..." Lt. Cmdr. Green continued as she reached up and traced her finger in a small circle over the lower section of the satellite image on the view screen. "...the only survivors we've been able to confirm so far are located here on this side of the canal separating the port area from the rest of the city."

"Just that small section...?!" Cmdr. Slattery said aghast his jaw dropping slightly. "...why, that's barely a fraction of what the *"sat" imagery is showing!"

*("sat"- short for "satellite")

"Yes, sir..." Lt. Cmdr. Green said with a tired sigh. "...and after even closer review of the UAV feed, I estimate that small section there represents roughly only thirty percent of the entire heat field that we're actually seeing."

"Are you absolutely sure, Kara?" Captain Chandler said disregarding protocol as he gazed at his junior officer in disbelief. "...only that small percentile located there are actually still human?"

"I'm afraid so sir, I even had the UAV operators do several passes all along the port area in order to confirm it, just to be safe..." The young female officer said shaking her head sadly. "...and from what we could tell, there are absolutely no survivors visible anywhere beyond the north shore of the canal...at least, in the port area."

"So the Infected actually give off body heat the same as someone who isn't infected..." Cmdr. Slattery said his eyes widened in disbelief. "...so they're still basically human, then?"

"I couldn't venture to say, Commander..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied with a shrug. "...all I can say is that based on what our satellites and UAV cameras are showing us, the Infected give off heat signatures very similar to a normal human being."

"Which would therefore make trying to use thermal imagery to differentiate them from uninfected people next to impossible..." Captain Chandler said scratching his chin as he then sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "...which means we're going to have to rely completely on visual confirmation in order to tell who's human and who isn't before any type of rescue operations can be attempted."

"That, as well as before we plan to take any type of offensive actions as well, Skipper..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied looking uncomfortable as her senior officers stood in silence for a long moment as if pondering heavily on this latest development.

"Agreed..." Captain Chandler said finally with a tired sigh as he again gazed over at the satellite image on the viewscreen. "...with this latest development our ability to target the Infected from the rest of the populace has now become even more complex."

"So much for the whole undead zombie apocalypse theory..." Cmdr. Slattery said with noticeable frustration in his voice. "...if they're not really zombies in the traditional sense, then just what the hell exactly are these things?"

"That's definitely one for the eggheads to try to figure out, Mike..." Captain Chandler replied shrugging his shoulders in response.

"Hmmmm, maybe we should advise the skipper of the Nathan James about what we've learned, Skipper..." Cmdr. Slattery said as a grin began to form on his face. "...I hear his passenger has been screaming her head off about getting a closer look at those things, maybe if she can examine one, she could figure out what exactly the hell they are."

"Oh, geez Mike...you don't mean Dr. Scott...?" Captain Chandler said rolling his eyes in response to his executive officer's remark at the mere mention of the Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyer Nathan James's passenger, a brilliant but extremely arrogant paleomicrobiolist by the name of Dr. Rachel Scott whom had made quite the name for herself among the Nathan James's crew, and not in a good way.

"I'd really hate to do that to poor Eric..." Captain Chandler said a thin smile also forming on his lips. "...his entire crew looks like they're on the verge of mutiny if he doesn't get her off his boat, but soon."

"Uhmm sir, I'm afraid that's not all..." Lt. Cmdr. Green interrupted as the two senior officers turned their attention back towards her. "...in fact, I believe we may have another, more serious, situation on our hands."

"What do you mean, Commander?" Captain Chandler asked the frown returning as the young female officer hesitated a moment before answering.

"Well sir, as you mentioned before, since the Infected give off heat signatures very similar to what a normal human being would..." Lt. Cmdr. Green began as beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead in reaction to the piercing stare Captain Chandler was giving her as she spoke. "...there's really no way we can tell if these other heat fields are large gatherings of survivors, or Infected, without visual confirmation."

"And with all of our aircraft currently involved in support operations at the airport, sir..." Lt. Cmdr. Green added as Captain Chandler raised his hand to silence her.

"So what you're trying to say, Kara..." Captain Chandler interjected his face softening. "...is that in order to confirm if these other heat signatures are human or Infected, then you'll need the UAV operators to do a sweep of each and every one of these heat fields located all around the city and get visual confirmation, is that it?"

"Yes sir, but I'm afraid that's not all..." Lt. Cmdr. Green said with a nod as she then turned her attention back towards the video screen and pointed a finger towards a small blob located on the furthermost section of the city. "...based on what we've seen so far, I think it is absolutely vital that we get visual confirmation on this particular heat field located right here in the northwest section of the city, as soon as possible."

"What, that little blob all the way over there...?" Cmdr. Slattery said with a scoff as he stared intently at the viewscreen. "...why, that heat field barely shows up on the "sat" image, why not check out these other ones closest to the UAV's current position, first?"

"Normally I would agree with you, Commander..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied with a nod of her head. "...however, I think that in this particular case it would be best if we expedited confirmation of whether that particular target is human or not, sir."

"Any particular reason why, Kara?" Captain Chandler asked with a raise of his eyebrows as his curiosity began to pique. "...what's so special about that one?"

"At first glance I didn't think too much of it either, sir..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied with a frown. "...but after examining each heat signature in respect to its location around the city, I discovered that the coordinates of that particular heat signature are located dangerously close to where one of the strike teams from the British Special Air Service Command currently quartered aboard ship will be conducting an operation, shortly."

"Come again...?" Cmdr. Slattery asked growing alarmed. "...are you saying one of our Allied Spec Ops teams might be flying right into the middle of a horde of those things?"

"That's what I'm afraid of, Commander..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied, her frown becoming more pronounced. "...which is exactly why I'd like to get confirmation from the UAV fly-by as soon as possible so that we can determine what exactly is out there before the SAS team gets ready to go wheels up."

"What time are the SAS scheduled to leave?" Captain Chandler asked glancing down at his wrist and then scowling upon remembering that his watch had been destroyed by the effects of the EMP and that he had removed the useless timepiece earlier.

"They are scheduled to depart at exactly 0600, sir..." Lt. Cmdr. Green replied a thin smile forming at the corners of her mouth upon noticing her commanding officer's goof. "...I've already called their Commanding Officer and requested that he come up to the CIC so that I can brief him on my findings."

"Very well Kara, keep me advised, I'll be on the bridge for a while..." Captain Chandler said with a nod of his head as he then turned towards his *"Exec" and motioned for his second-in-command to follow him as both men began to head towards the exit.

*("Exec"- short for Executive Officer)

"Aye-aye, sir." Lt. Cmdr. Green acknowledged as both men headed silently towards the exit.

"Wonder how that SAS Commander is gonna react to all this once Kara gives him the news..." Cmdr. Slattery said after he and Captain Chandler had finally exited the CIC.

"Good question, Mike..." Captain Chandler said with a shrug of his shoulders as the two men walked down the empty corridor. "...I'm sure this latest bit of news is definitely going to throw one hell of a monkey wrench in whatever OP he and his men had planned today if what Lieutenant Commander Green says is true and his men are flying right into a nightmare."

"You still think he'll green light the OP even after she debriefs him, Tom?" Cmdr. Slattery said in disbelief.

"Knowing the SAS's reputation for taking on almost any challenge..."Captain Chandler replied with a quick nod of his head. "...I'd say the odds are good, especially if the extraction site isn't compromised...yet."

"Well I for one, sincerely hope that UAV fly-by turns out to be a false alarm, Skipper..." Cmdr. Slattery said making a face as they approached a metal staircase leading up to the next level. "...I can't imagine what it would be like flying into something like that on purpose."

"Neither do I Mike, and quite frankly, I don't think I want to either..." Captain Chandler replied as both men then began their ascent up the steel staircase on their way to the ship's bridge.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor – Outside Driveway Terrace

Z-Day Times Five

"How much do you think the children overheard, Cxxxxxxx-san?" Soichiro Takagi asked the American Security Contractor as the two men watched his wife Yuriko storm angrily towards the crowded doorway of the mansion in order to vent her wrath upon the group of nosy teens who had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

"With that bunch, it'd be a safe bet they heard everything, Mr. Takagi." Jim replied as he watched with amusement as the crowd of people who had been blocking the open doorway quickly scrambled to get out of the way of the infuriated Matriarch of Takagi Manor as Yuriko stormed past everyone, her eyes ablaze with fury.

"And even if the kids didn't hear every_... shit!" The American security contractor replied wincing in response to the sudden sound of Yuriko Takagi's angry voice echoing outside as she angrily berated the teens for several moments which was then followed by the sound of a loud "BANG" of a set of doors being slammed shut followed by the tinkle of shattered glass.

"So much for not trying to attract any attention…" Jim muttered sourly as both men quickly glanced down the hill towards the front gate and then let out a sigh of relief that the Infected did not seem to have heard all the noise that Yuriko had made as Jim then turned to face Saya's father again.

"But anyway, as I was about to say, Mr. Takagi..." Jim continued letting out a sigh of frustration. "...even if the kids didn't hear every word we said, I can tell you from experience that they're not stupid and more than likely they've probably already figured out what we're up to, anyway."

"And if that's the case…" The American contractor continued with a shrug of his shoulders. "...we'd better be very careful on how we proceed with this plan of ours, any further."

"Agreed…" Soichiro said grimly as he and all the other men standing on the terrace noticed Yuriko Takagi emerge from the front doorway as she walked briskly towards the small group of men, the split seam of her dress fully exposing her naked left thigh with each step.

"Frickin' rich guys have all the luck…" Jim thought to himself with a shake of his head as he averted his eyes away from the vision of beauty approaching them, lest he be caught staring.

"Do you think they heard everything_?" Yuriko began as she approached the group of men, her eyes no longer angry but filled with worried concern as she finally rejoined the group of men.

"YES!" Each of the men amongst the group said aloud in response to Yuriko's query, which at any other time would have been considered comical if not for the extremely tense situation.

"Well, no sense in playing dumb anymore, so you might as well break out the goodies after all, Mr. Takagi..." Jim said with a smirk as Saya's father glanced at him with a puzzled expression before frowning deeply as he finally grasped the American's meaning.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into doing this, Cxxxxxxx-san..." Soichiro swore under his breath as he paused for a moment and then sighed heavily in defeat before gesturing to one of his guards, who immediately stepped forward and then stood at attention in front of Saya's father.

"Kinjo-san…" Soichiro said placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder and squeezing gently as he gazed over at the front door of the mansion with vacant eyes. "…in my study, you'll find a long red case sitting on top of my desk."

"Bring it to me…" Soichiro said as he then cast his gaze down at the younger man's face, his eyes appearing distant and hollow. "…and hurry, please."

"Hai, Takagi-sama!" The young man replied with a nod of his head as he immediately dashed off to do his master's bidding just as another guard who had run off to the garage earlier came running up the terrace stairs carrying a pair of rifles and a green tactical vest filled with magazines.

"Yoshioka-san…!" The man said breathing heavily from having run down to the garage and then back up the hill as he presented the rifles and vest to the Security Chief. "…Yoshioka-san, here are the weapons you requested, sir."

"Good work, Maasaki-san." Yoshioka said as he took the items from the exhausted guard. "...any word from Matsudo-san about the Humvee, yet?"

"Ten…ten more minutes, sir…" The man replied in English, still gasping for air. "…Matsudo-san said that the problem with the vehicle is that the component needing repair is in a hard to reach place, but he said that he would have it running again in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes…" The American said under his breath although still loud enough for everyone to hear. "…the way the Infected are pressing in on it that gate might not even last five."

"Which means we had better brace that gate quickly or none of us are gonna make it out of here…." Jim added as he then gazed over at the Security Chief.

"Yoshioka-san..." The American contractor asked as he pointed at the two guards that the Security Chief had been speaking to earlier. "...have you explained to these men what we need to do?"

"Yes, I have..." Yoshioka replied as he gestured towards the two men standing silently nearby who immediately stepped forward at the Security Chiefs signal. "...they have volunteered to go with you and help you secure the gate."

"The man here on the right is Ogata-san." Yoshioka said as the taller of the two men bowed politely at the mention of his name. "...he is also my second-in-command here."

"The other man is Adachi-san..." Yoshioka continued as the other man who was shorter but had the build of a wrestler bowed politely in response. "...he is former JGSDF, and the most experienced out of all my men."

"They also both speak perfect English by the way..." Yoshioka added. "...so there should be no problems relaying any orders you may have to them, or to any of the other guards."

"That'll certainly be a big help." The American contractor said as he nodded politely to both men.

"Wish we had more time to talk and exchange pleasantries, guys..." Jim said jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the front gate. "...but unfortunately, our present circumstances dictate that we need to get moving, and fast."

"So if you guys are ready, let's hustle down there before things really get ugly." Jim said gesturing for the two men to follow him as he then glanced over at Saya's parents.

"Break it to the kid's gently, Mr. Takagi…" The American contractor said as he adjusted the sling attached to his carbine as he began to head for the stairway. "…they're not gonna be too happy with what we're doing."

"That would be easier said than done, my American friend…" Soichiro said dryly as a thin smile then began to form on his face. "…unless perchance you would like to trade places perhaps, Cxxxxxxx-san?"

"Oh hell no…!" Jim replied with a mischievous grin on his face. "…in fact, I do believe I'd much rather take my chances with the man-eating monsters, my Japanese friend."

"At least with them I'll stand a chance…" The American said with a chuckle as he then waved goodbye to everyone before he and the two guards then ran down the staircase and out onto the sprawling grounds of the mansion until they finally joined up with a group of men standing in the middle of the lawn.

And as they watched Ogata and Adachi begin speaking to the group of men it was obvious from their body language that the group of men were definitely not happy at all with what they were being ordered to do, as they watched the group of men beginning to argue in whispers to the two guards.

"As much as I hate to admit it, for being an American, he certainly has courage…" Yoshioka said as they watched the group of men reluctantly begin to follow the American towards the disabled truck.

"Hmmmm…I'm not so sure, in fact, I truly do believe Cxxxxxxx-san would rather face the dead than_…" Soichiro said with mirth as the three adults suddenly noticed movement at the open door of the mansion and saw the group of teenagers wrestling with each other in the open doorway, each of them trying desperately to restrain Saya who was trying to push her way through all of them, her eyes filled with fury.

"Oh yes,…" Soichiro said with a heavy sigh as he gazed upon the furious face of his daughter as she ignored her friend's pleas to calm herself. "… as I suspected, Cxxxxxxx-san truly did take the easy way out, after all."

"Surely I am not seeing what I think I'm seeing...?" Yuriko said with disbelief as her blood began to boil as she watched Saya finally manage to wrestle her arm out of Takashi's grasp and then began to push her way through the crowded doorway. "...even after I strictly warned Saya-chan and her friends not to leave the parlor, she still dares to disobey me?"

"Now dear..." Soichiro began as he placed his hand on his wife's shoulder in an effort to calm her and avoid further disaster. "...now is not the time to lose our_."

"Otosan!" Saya said angrily in a voice that was nearly a shout as she charged forward angrily towards her parents as the heads of all of the civilian refugees standing nearby immediately snapped around in the direction of the irate teen.

"Is it true that you are trying to have Cxxxxxxx-san smuggle us out of here?!" Saya snapped angrily as the mouths of both of Saya's parents dropped in horror as the onlookers gasped in shock at Saya's words.

"Ohhhh,...I am absolutely going to kill that child!" Soichiro suddenly thundered his face immediately turning purple with rage as Yuriko quickly placed both of her hands on her husband's shoulders in an effort to calm him before he could make good on his threat.

"PAPA!" Saya shouted as she approached her parents completely ignoring the fact that her father was on the verge of exploding. "...IS IT TRUE?!"

"SAYA, BE SILENT!" Soichiro roared as everyone standing nearby winced at his outburst and then cast anxious glances towards the front gate, all of them fearfully awaiting the sudden rush of the Infected to come in response to all the noise coming from the family feud erupting before them.

"I WON'T!" Saya retorted her face defiant as several women gasped aloud in fear at her outburst as they continued to wait for any response from the Infected. "...AND I AM NOT LEAVING HERE WITHOUT YOU AND MOM!"

"SAYA-CHAN...!" Yuriko snapped angrily before taking a deep breath and calming herself after noticing the frightened looks of the guards standing nearby who were actually holding their breath out of fear. "...keep your voice down, we don't want the others to know about this!"

"About what...mom?!" Saya shot back. "...about the fact that you and dad are trying to sneak me and my friends out of here while the rest of you stay behind and get killed by the Infected?!"

"Well, I'm not going to let you..!" Saya continued the anger in her eyes intensifying. "...you're not leaving me out there all alone again!"

"You're not going to be alone, Saya-chan..." Soichiro replied his voice softening in an attempt to calm the situation. "...your mother will be accompanying you as well."

"Why...so you can play the hero again, dad?!" Saya spat with unmistakable contempt in her voice. "...is being labeled a hero mean so much more important to you than being with your family?!"

"That's the real reason why mom had to go looking for me and you didn't, isn't it?!" Saya said as tears suddenly began to fall down her face. "...because you just had to be everybody's hero, isn't it?!"

"Saya, you know that's not true...!" Yuriko replied in shock at her daughter's words as she felt her husband's body tense again. "...your father wanted desperately to find you, in fact_"

"IT IS TRUE...!" Saya shouted as everyone, including the nearby onlookers, immediately tried to shush her. "...IF IT WASN'T TRUE THEN WHY WERE YOU THE ONE THAT FOUND ME AND NOT HIM, HUH, MOM?

"Takagi...!" Takashi hissed at Saya as he gazed upon the faces if the crowd behind them who were all staring at them and speaking in hushed whispers. "...your mom's right, keep your voice down!"

"YOU SHUT UP KOMURO-KUN...THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU_!" Saya snapped at Takashi when her mother suddenly rushed forward and slapped her daughter hard across the face.

"Saya-chan, enough!" Yuriko snapped angrily her eyes filled with fury as Saya nearly stumbled backwards from the force of the blow as she then placed her hand on the sore spot on her cheek and stared vacantly at her mother with her mouth wide open in shock.

"Mama…" Saya said with visible shock on her face as her eyes began to tear. "...you…you hit me."

"S-Saya-chan,...I...I...I'm sorry...I..." Yuriko stammered her own eyes widened in shock at having struck her daughter in anger, something she had never, ever, done before.

"You hit me..." Saya repeated as tears began streaming down her cheeks as her initial shock at being struck immediately began to wear off and she began to lose control of her emotions. "...you never hit me before, mama."

"You never hit me befoooore...!" Saya bawled as she finally lost all control and began to weep profusely as Yuriko immediately rushed forward and held her daughter tightly in her arms.

"Gomen nasai, Saya-chan..." Yuriko said tears falling from her own eyes as she held her daughter in her arms as Saya continued to sob uncontrollably against her breast. "...I wish you could understand how hard this is."

"So it's true, then, Takagi-sama...?" Soichiro Takagi heard Takashi asking him in a low voice as he turned to face the young man who was gazing directly at him while the others were watching on in silence at the two weeping women. "...you are sending us away then, aren't you?"

"I'm afraid the answer to your question is yes, Komuro-san..." Soichiro Takagi replied with a tired sigh as he continued to watch his wife and child sobbing uncontrollably in each other's arms. "...our plan was to have Cxxxxxxx-san extract all of you off of the premises before the Infected breached our defenses."

"So you believe the gates will then indeed fail after all, Takagi-sama?" Saeko asked as Saya's father turned around and then noticed that the young woman was standing near the terrace railing behind him and staring towards the front gate of the mansion where the shadows of untold numbers of Infected were shuffling around just beyond the dim light glowing from all the lawn torches.

"Unfortunately, the answer to your question is also yes, Busujima-san..." Soichiro replied tightening his grip on his katana as the eyes of all of the teens widened at his frank response. "...in fact, I believe it is only a matter of time now."

"How can you be so sure, Takagi-sama...?" Takashi said in disbelief as he also glanced nervously over towards the front gate. "...the Infected can't climb the walls, and they're not strong enough to break down the gates, are they?"

"True, but while the walls and gates surrounding our home are indeed stout, Komuro-san..." Soichiro went on. "...as your American friend pointed out, they were never intended to endure anything even remotely resembling a siege."

"And if indeed the Infected do begin to sense that we are here and rush the gate..." Soichiro continued. "...even as strong as those gates and the surrounding walls are, it wouldn't be long before the Infected would work themselves into a frenzy and began to climb over one another in order to get to us."

"And being as there are literally thousands of Infected lurking about out there...'' Saya's father said his eyes seeming to shift their gaze out towards the darkness just beyond the crowd of Infected milling about in front of the gates. "...once they began to pour over the walls, there will be no stopping them, especially with what meager forces we currently have at our disposal."

"As I said, it's only a matter of time..." Soichiro said as he turned his head and gazed down sadly at his daughter who was still crying pitifully in her mother's arms.

"I am truly sorry, my young friends..." Soichiro said gazing down at Saya as Saeko gasped at the sad look in the eyes of her father's former pupil, a look of resignation and utter defeat that she had never, ever seen before. "...but I am afraid that there really is no other option left other than to have Cxxxxxxx-san "extract" all of you away from here as soon as possible."

"However..." Soichiro began, his voice turning noticeably grave as he began to move towards his wife and daughter who were still kneeling on the ground in each other's arms. "...at this time the only means of transporting all of you away from here is currently in a state of disrepair, and there's no telling if Matsudo-san will be able to repair it in time."

"Which makes all of our plans to whisk you out of harm's way a moot point if the Infected manage to breach the walls before the needed repairs to your vehicle can be made." Saya's father said as he placed his hand on Saya's head and patted her head gently before turning to face Takashi.

"And that being the case…" Soichiro said as he then placed his hand in the right hand pocket of his coat and removed the American mercenary's chrome-plated H&K P7 pistol encased in its holster and held it out to the teenage boy. "...you're American friend thought it best that perhaps all of you should be allowed the means to defend yourself, in case the worst were indeed to happen."

"And while I am still at odds with allowing you and your companions to bear arms within the confines of my home…" Saya's father said in a gruff voice as he motioned for Takashi to accept the pistol.

"Under the present circumstances, I have to agree that Cxxxxxxx-san has a valid point that you and your friends deserve a fighting chance if we are no longer able to protect any of you." Soichiro added as Takashi hesitated for a moment before finally accepting the pistol from Saya's father.

"Based upon what I witnessed the other day, I trust that you are very familiar with this particular weapon, Komuro-san?" Saya's father asked with unmistakable skepticism in his voice as Takashi removed the pistol from its holster and nodded in response.

"Hai, Takagi-sama..." Takashi replied hefting the pistol in his left hand as he attached the holster to his belt with his right, letting it hang on his right hip. "...this was the pistol Cxxxxxxx-san taught me how to use when we were traveling along the river."

"It's is a Heckler and Koch P7M8 pistol…" Takashi said switching the pistol to his right hand as he expertly dropped the magazine from the pistol and then pulled back on the slide to check the chamber to see if it was clear.

"It was originally designed as a police-issue weapon that fires nine-millimeter ammunition from an eight-round magazine." Takashi continued as he shoved the magazine back into the magwell of the pistol.

"And one of the cool things Jimu-san showed me about this pistol was that not only does the grip safety also release the slide…" Takashi said as he squeezed the grip of the pistol and the slide slammed forward as a startled gasp escaped from everyone's lips.

"But he also taught me that unless the grip safety is engaged…." Takashi added smiling in response to everyone's frightened reaction as he released the pressure on the grip and squeezed the trigger several times without any effect. "...this weapon won't fire no matter how many times you squeeze the trigger."

"As Jimu-san said, it's one of the safest handguns in the world…" Takashi said at last as he then placed the pistol back into its holster and then snapped the restraining strap in place over it.

"Impressive…" Soichiro said genuinely impressed as a slight smile formed at the corners of his mouth as he reached into his pocket again and then handed Takashi two more full magazines for the pistol.

"Cxxxxxxx-san seems to have trained you well…." Soichiro said as Takashi accepted the two magazines from him as Takashi smiled and then bowed politely as he stuffed the two magazines into his left trouser pocket.

"Well, now that I'm confident that you have the means and the skill to defend yourself, Kumoro-san..." Saya's father said as he then turned away from Takashi and focused his attention on Rei as he then motioned to the guard carrying Kota's tactical vest and the two rifles that they had found at Rika Minami's condo to come near. "...allow me to do the same for your companions."

"I believe this was the same weapon you were using to keep that scoundrel in line yesterday, am I correct, Miyamoto-san?" Soichiro said as the guard stepped forward and handed the Springfield Super Match rifle to Rei.

"Hai, Takagi-san...it is." Rei replied as she accepted the rifle from the guard.

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid my men could only find one magazine for that particular firearm, Miyamoto-san..." Soichiro added as Rei removed the magazine and checked it. "...and I'm sorry, but at this time we really have no other weapons available to offer you."

"That's all right Takagi-san..." Rei replied as she shoved the magazine back into the magwell of the rifle and then pulled back on the charging handle. "...if I run out of bullets, I can always just use the bayonet to fight with."

"Yes, I suppose you could if given no other choice..." Soichiro said with a frown as he gazed down at Rei's weapon. "...but if the worst were indeed to happen, I would still much rather have you in possession of a far better weapon, than that one."

"To be honest, I'm not terribly fond of guns at all, Takagi-san..." Rei said with a slightly embarrassed smile as she hefted the rifle and then took a defensive stance. "...and quite frankly, I'd much rather be using my father's yari to fight with."

"After all, I am a member of the sojutsu club at school..."Rei added as her face then took on a more serious expression as she then lunged forward and made a powerful forward thrust with the bayonet at an imaginary attacker.

"But under the circumstances, this will do..."..."Rei said with a confident smile returning to her face as she then recovered from her stance and then began to fiddle with the sling that was hanging from the rifle.

"Very well, my dear..." Soichiro replied with a sigh as he then glanced over at his wife who was staring at him with a worried expression on her face, obviously less than confident in the teen's prowess with their weapons than her husband was.

"Just the same, I pray that the situation will not require any of you to use these weapons." Saya's father added his voice uneasy as he then motioned for Kouta to step forward as the guard then handed the teen the green tactical vest filled with loaded magazines which Kouta then proceeded to don.

"Cxxxxxxx-san also tells me that your prowess with this particular rifle is unmatched, Hirano-san…" Soichiro said as he then motioned for Yoshika to hand him the rifle the guard had brought earlier as Kouta's eyes lit up in anticipation as Saya's father gripped the Mk 11 rifle in his left hand and then held it out to him.

"It's true, Hirano-kun helped cover us when we rescued Arisu-chan, Takagi-sama…" Takashi said as Kouta reached up and placed both of his hands on the rifle. "…I don't remember how far away we were, but he never missed a shot."

"Indeed?" Soichiro said as Kouta placed his hands on the rifle and attempted to take it from Saya's father but was prevented from doing so when Saya's father suddenly refused to let go of it.

"Takagi-sama…?" Kouta said meekly growing confused with each awkward passing moment as Saya's father continued to hold the rifle in one hand in a vise-like grip.

"Hirano-kun…." Soichiro Takagi said at last his voice almost like a rumbling thunder as his eyes stared at the teenage boy with all the ferocity of a hawk about to swoop down onto its prey.

"Hai…?" Kouta said meekly wishing that he had not reached for the rifle after all as his knees felt like they were going to buckle underneath him.

"I beseech you to please protect my daughter at all costs..." Saya's father said at last his face softening somewhat as he released the rifle at last as Kouta stared in surprised wonder at Saya's father before he let out a sigh of relief.

"Hai, Takagi-sama...I will protect her with my life." Kouta said bowing respectfully as Saya's father nodded his head in response and then turned his attention towards Saeko when his eyes suddenly became fixated upon the "skirt" that Saeko was wearing and he suddenly and unexpectedly froze.

"Yuriko..." Soichiro Takagi said in a low voice so that the others wouldn't hear as he leaned closer to his wife who was still holding Saya in her arms. "...isn't that the same skirt_?"

"Yes." Yuriko replied curtly, turning her head away in embarrassment as Soichiro Takagi stared at his wife in confusion.

"I don't suppose you care to tell me why_." Soichiro asked cocking an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"No." Yuriko replied just as curtly as before as her husband then glanced down at the large split in his wife's torn dress and the generous view of her naked thigh and exposed underwear, beneath.

"I see, and I assume that also pertains to asking about what happened to your dress then, as well?" Soichiro added as Yuriko turned her head and glared icily at her husband.

"I'll take that as a "no" then." Soichiro said backing away from the frosty gaze of his wife as he then turned towards the man named Kinjo, who had already returned from retrieving the item in Soichiro Takagi's study and was now standing nearby with a long, wooden case in his arms.

"Busujima-san..." Soichiro said clearing his throat as he opened the case and retrieved a long-bladed katana that was lying within. "...I noticed that you are carrying one of the survival knives that Cxxxxxxx-san kept in his pack."

"Hai, Takagi-dono..." Saeko said bowing her head respectfully. "...Ji-san gave it to me in order to protect myself."

"Yes, and a fine blade, to be sure..." Soichiro said nodding his head as he removed the katana from its case and then closed the lid and bowed slightly to the guard who returned the bow and then walked back into the mansion carrying the case with him. "...but hardly a weapon worthy of your skill."

"Please accept this, as a gift from one of your father's most grateful of pupils..." Soichiro said holding out the katana to Saeko whose eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the weapon being offered her.

"Takagi-dono..." Saeko said aghast as her eyes scanned over every inch of the katana and her eyes then became transfixed on the fine silk-wrapped grip on the handle and especially on the ornately carved tsuba fastened to it.

"Masaka…" Saeko said as she graciously accepted the weapon from Saya's father and then closely examined the katana in the dim red light of the chem-stick hanging around her neck. "…this couldn't possibly be_."

"Do you recognize this particular blade, Busujima-san?" Saya's father said as Saeko slowly removed the katana from its scabbard and then sucked in her breath upon closer examination of the blade.

"Hai, Takagi-dono…this…this, is a Murata-to..." Saeko said her eyes widening in disbelief at the priceless weapon in her hand. "...one of the most famous swords built in all Japan."

"I-I couldn't possibly accept such a...such a_." Saeko stammered as Soichiro shook his head and then stared directly into Saeko's eyes in disbelief at the prize being given her.

"As skilled as Hirano-kun is with his rifle..." Saya's father interrupted holding his hand up in order to silence Saeko. "...he will still need help protecting my daughter from harm if the Infected do indeed breach these walls."

"I trust that you would be willing to help him protect my daughter, if the need so arises?" Soichiro said without emotion as Saeko hesitated a moment longer before finally sheathing the sword.

"It would be my honor, Takagi-dono..." Saeko said as she then bowed deeply in respect as Saya's father nodded his head in response.

"It is settled then..." Soichiro said as he then turned and gazed over at the group of men who were now in the process of pushing the large truck towards the gate.

"Thank the heavens, it would appear that Cxxxxxxx-san and his men will be able to block the gate in time, after all..." Soichiro said as the Lord of Takagi Manor actually seemed to relax slightly.

"Hai, it would seem that they will, thank goodness..." Yuriko replied blowing out a sigh of relief as she then turned and glanced over at the three armed teens.

"It would seem that arming you children might have been a bit premature after all_." Saya's mother said in a joking manner when the sound of a loud roar sounded from amongst the Infected startling everyone as a strange hush suddenly swept over the Infected who had immediately stopped their ceaseless moaning.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor – 400 meters outside the front gate of Takagi Manor

Z-Day Times Five

"It" was starving.

The distant, blaring noise that had first attracted "It" and several thousand of "It's" brethren had long ago gone silent leaving "It" and "It's" slower-moving brethren without any means of finding the unknown prey that they now so hungrily craved for, forcing the enormous herd of Infected to continue to wander aimlessly along the now abandoned city streets for miles in a fruitless search for their quarry.

But now after having expended so much energy on their long journey from the far side of the city in search of prey, the nagging hunger that constantly gnawed at "It's" belly had now reached a level of ferocity that "It" had never experienced before, with the result being that "It" began to attack anything that even remotely sounded like prey.

And thus it had been late into the evening when the very faintest sound of voices had been detected by "It" and "It's" brethren from afar off, immediately causing the entire herd to change direction towards the source of the sounds, the gnawing hunger in their bellies driving all of "Them" forward at an ever increasing pace as the voices of their prey became louder and louder with each lumbering step.

Eager to fill her maw with the raw, sweet taste of human blood and flesh, "It's" desire to lunge forward and race toward "It's" prey had been frustratingly hampered by the large crowd of Infected surrounding "It" on all sides, forcing "It" to lumber along at the same maddening pace as "It's" fellows, which only increased "It's" malevolence as the sounds of their quarry, which was now so maddeningly close, filled "It's" ears.

Unfortunately, just when their quarry was seemingly almost within reach, the Infected's forward progress suddenly came to a sudden and completely unexpected halt against some unknown object, causing "It's" slower-moving brethren to accidentally build up a seemingly impenetrable wall that completely confounded "It's" ability to finally reach "It's" quarry.

And now with each passing moment of time that "It" was unable to sate "It's" overwhelming hunger, "It" and others like "It", had now begun to reach a level of malevolence far beyond the ferocity of their slower moving brethren as an unknown instinct finally took over as "It" threw back its head and roared loudly into the night.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor – Outside Driveway Terrace

Z-Day Times Five

"What the hell was that?!" Takashi said as he felt his stomach suddenly twist into knots at the horrific sound that echoed loudly all around them as he noticed the Security Chief and the other guards reflexively gripping their rifles tightly as an eerie silence then suddenly surrounded them.

"It would seem that the creature that we heard earlier this evening has finally found its way to our home, Komuro-san..." Soichiro replied as a cold chill immediately ran through everyone at the memory of the loud roaring they had heard in the city just after the nuclear airburst had occurred overhead.

"What exactly is it...?" Saeko said nervously as her grip on the handle of her own katana tightened. "...I've never heard any of the Infected ever make such a sound as that before."

"I believe that's because whatever's out there might be something else entirely, Busujima-sempai..." Saya said suddenly as everyone turned their attention towards the pink-haired teen who was no longer crying and was staring silently towards the front gate.

"Something else entirely...?" Saeko asked noticing as everyone else did the lack of fear in Saya's eyes as she continued to stare out towards the front gate as if she were looking intently for something."...what do you mean, Takagi-san?"

"I mean, I think what we are now facing may be an Alpha predator, sempai..." Saya said in a low voice her eyes unblinking as everyone turned and then glanced at each other in confusion.

"An Alpha predator, you mean to say that you think those things have a leader, Saya-chan?!" Yuriko said in disbelief as she continued to grip her daughter protectively in her arms. "...that can't possibly be, those things are just mindless creatures, how could they possibly have one of "Them" acting as a leader?"

"Our daughter does not mean "Alpha", as in say, the leader of a pack of wolves, Yuriko..." Soichiro replied gripping the handle of his katana tightly as they all stared into the darkness beyond the gates at the mass of Infected who, much to everyone's further surprise, had ceased all movement of any kind and were merely standing in place like an army of stone statues.

"What I believe that what our daughter is actually suggesting..." Soichiro added as another bone-chilling roar rent the air coming from somewhere near the west wall of the mansion as everyone instinctively glanced in that direction. "...is that there is something out there even far more dangerous than the Infected."

"Exactly, Papa..." Saya said her face still like stone as another roar echoed from somewhere far down the hill as everyone jumped at the unearthly howl.

"Something even more dangerous than the Infected?" Rei squeaked as she immediately slung her rifle and then reached up and wrapped both of her arms around Takashi's waist and held him tightly as Takashi could feel her body trembling against him.

"Yes Miyamoto-san, something we haven't seen before..." Saya replied adjusting her glasses as she continued to peer into the night as she and the others then let out a reflexive gasp of fright as another loud roar echoed in the night from somewhere near the front gate. "...and it's brought friends."

"A lot of friends..." Takashi said with a gulp as another loud roar split the night.

"Why are they roaring like that...?!" Yuriko asked as her maternal instincts quickly went into overdrive and she reflexively pulled Saya even closer to her. "...are they actually communicating with one another?"

"I don't know..." Saya replied not embarrassed at all that her mother was holding her tightly in her arms as if she were still a little girl as another loud roar sounded in the darkness. "...it does almost sound like they're talking to each other, doesn't it?"

"Actually, it almost sounds like they're coordinating an attack..." Yuriko replied as another loud roar sounded nearby.

"Hmmm, actually it sounds more like what I've seen lions do when they_." Soichiro began but then stopped as he noticed movement coming from within the refugee camp.

"Yoshioka-san...!" Soichiro said anxiously as he pointed at the refugee camp where everyone was now emerging from their tents and staring in open-mouthed shock at the sight of all the Infected gathered at the front gate. "...get some men down there and expedite the evacuation of those people as quickly and quietly as you can into the mansion before people start to panic!"

"Hai, Takagi-dono!" Yoshioka replied as he spoke some words to two of his men standing nearby before they then sprinted quietly down the hill towards the camp.

"I'm actually surprised that the refugees haven't heard all this noise and broken out into a panic yet." Yuriko said gazing over at the camp at all the people still staring at the front gate in horror some of them mothers holding their hands over their children's mouths to keep them from screaming.

"Survival instinct, mama…" Saya said her eyes narrowing as she continued to gaze out into the darkness. "…subconsciously all those people here have finally come to realize that if they want to live, they mustn't make the slightest bit of noise."

"Don't let their current sense of self-control fool any of you…" Soichiro interjected gritting his teeth in frustration. "…it won't take much more of this before they will all completely come unhinged and then scatter like frightened sheep."

"Takagi-sama...?" Saeko said in a hollow voice as she stared blankly into the night. "...what did you mean by what you said earlier about how you've seen lions acting in the same manner when they're about to do...what, exactly?"

"Something I once saw a pack of female lions doing during one of my hunting trips in the African bush..." Soichiro replied and then unintentionally winced as another roar rent the air as some of women and children in the camp jumped in fright at the sound but somehow miraculously managed to keep from screaming in fear. "...they were doing that in order to flush a small group of antelope from hiding."

"So you think that the reason they're making all that noise is to scare us into making some sort of noise so that they can find us, Takagi-san?" Takashi asked aloud as Saya's father nodded his head in response.

"It would appear so." Soichiro replied glancing over at Takashi.

"I can't believe these creatures have the intelligence to be capable of using such a tactic..." Yoshioka said in disbelief. "...they've shown no signs of intelligence before."

"Whether they are intelligent or no matters not, Yoshioka-san..." Soichiro replied grimly as another loud roar erupted nearby. "...if this keeps up, it's only a matter of time before someone screams in panic and causes the Infected to rush the gate enmasse."

"Ji-san..!" Saeko said suddenly with unmistakable anxiousness in her voice as everyone then turned and sucked in their breath at the sight of the American contractor standing with his carbine raised to his shoulder and his left arm raised in the air with his hand closed in a fist as a signal for his men standing nearby to stay absolutely still.

"What is he doing?!" Saeko said, her voice rising an octave as she gripped her katana. "...they need to get out of there!"

"He knows that, Sempai..." Kouta replied in a low voice as Takashi glanced over at the pudgy teen and noticed that Kouta was very carefully removing a loaded magazine from one of the pouches of his tactical vest and quietly shoving it into the magwell of his rifle as he then began flipping open the lens covers of his rifle scope.

"But he also knows that the Infected don't yet realize that he and his men are standing right there..." Kouta added as he pulled the legs of the bipod mounted on his rifle and set the feet down on the terrace wall and positioned himself behind it. "...and if he and his men make any noise, that'll just be like ringing the dinner bell."

"But he can't just stand there forever, Hirano-kun!" Saeko said her voice becoming anxiety driven as she began to step toward the flight of stairs leading down towards the front lawn. "...we have to go out there and help him!"

"Busujima-sempai...do...not...move." Kouta said in a warning tone without taking his eye away from the scope of his rifle as Saeko stopped in her tracks in response to the sudden change in Kouta's voice. "...keep absolutely still and keep your voice down, no matter what happens."

"But..." Saeko began in protest as Kouta then turned his head and gazed at her, his eyes cold.

"He's a trained operator, Busujima-sempai..." Kouta went on as he jerked his head in the direction of the American contractor still standing completely still with his fist raised in the air. "...and right now he realizes that with he and his men being so close to the gate, any sound from them at all, will not just give away their position, but ours."

"And if Takagi-dono's theory is true and the Infected are actually trying to flush us out…" Kouta continued as he turned his head and began peering through the scope of his rifle again. "…then their remaining absolutely silent is the only thing keeping '"Them" from charging the gate and killing everyone inside."

"And while I realize that this last thing you want to hear, sempai…" Kouta said gritting his teeth as he began to adjust the windage and elevation knobs on his riflescope. "…the fact remains that the best thing that we can do for Cxxxxxxx-san and his men at the moment, is to do nothing."

"At least not yet…." Kouta said as he pulled back on the charging handle of his rifle and then flipped off the safety as Saeko bit her lip and gripped her katana so tightly that the wooden scabbard of her sword began to crackle as she and the rest of the group continued to watch anxiously at the small group of men still standing as motionless as statues, as one loud piercing roar suddenly came from somewhere near the front gate.

But unlike before, the response that came was no beastly growl of menace in response from any of the other alpha predators that lay hidden amongst the sea of Infected still standing silently in place as the night was suddenly pierced by the sound of several women screaming loudly in fear from somewhere within the camp.

And as feared, the expected response from the Infected in reaction to the women's screams...was immediate.

"OH SHIT!" Takashi swore aloud as his hand instinctively went for the butt of his pistol in response to the sight of the Infected suddenly rushing the outer walls of the mansion and slamming themselves heavily against stone and steel like a huge wave of moving flesh.

"Chikusho...!" Saya heard her father swear under his breath as she and the eyes of everyone standing within the walls of the mansion stared transfixed at the terrifying sight of thousands of the Infected pushing themselves heavily against the heavy steel bars of the front gate, their insatiable need to feed overwhelming them as they pressed relentlessly forward crushing their brethren already pressed against the gate into bloody pulp.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor - Jim's Position

Z-Day Times Five

"Okaaaay...that's about the most disgusting thing I've seen all week." I muttered to myself half-jokingly, half-scared out of my mind, as I watched about a dozen Infected doing their impression of raw hamburger being squeezed out of a meat grinder as their bodies literally exploded in a spray of blood and gore by the combined weight of the thousands of their fellow Infected pushing them against the steel bars of the front gate before their remains were then pushed through the steel bars into a large mass of unrecognizable gelatinous goo on the other side.

Say what you will about the Infected, when it really came down to it there was just not another critter crawling around on earth more single-minded towards a common goal than they were, even if that one goal was just to take a huge bite out of our ass as I watched the next batch of pureed Infected come slewing through the iron bars of the gate and go "splat" on the ground as the Infected continued to crush even more of their buddies into paste in an effort to get to us.

Of course, their tenacity really wasn't something you could just stand around and admire, especially if it was your ass that the Infected were so damn determined to sink their teeth into, as I immediately lowered my M4 carbine and then yelled at Ogata and his men to follow me as I then hauled ass towards the disabled JSDF version of an army "deuce-and-a-half" parked nearby hoping that the men standing behind me had understood what it was I had said and were not just scattering off in all directions in blind panic.

Turns out, I had nothing to worry about as I noticed some of our so-called "volunteers" who probably were about a hairbreadth away from full blown panic after seeing the Infected pureeing themselves against the front gate actually passed me up on the way to the truck as I then quickly motioned for Ogata to jump into the cab of the truck and steer while the rest of us grabbed a handhold and desperately began to push the heavy military truck towards the front gate.

Truth be told, a part of me was still amazed that the thick steel security gates had managed to remain intact after the Infected had first surged toward the gate in response to the screams we had all heard coming from somewhere in the refugee camp, and I had no doubt whatsoever that the reason for the steel gates structural integrity had all been thanks to Andy's beefing up of Takagi Manor's security measures years ago when he was working as a "Security Consultant" for the Takagi's.

Despite what most people believe, any and all so-called "impenetrable fortresses" of any kind are actually more vulnerable than you would think, and one vulnerable spot that history has often proved to be one of the weakest links to any fortress is surprisingly enough, the front door.

And so when Andy had first arrived as Chief of Security at Takagi Manor, one of the first things to go were the decorative wrought iron gates that served as the main entrance into Takagi Manor which were by far, one of the worst kind the Takagi's could have chosen to secure their home.

But once Andy had taken a good look at it and realized what needed to be done, he then called in a favor from an old buddy of his that dealt with the construction of government buildings, in particular, covert government buildings constructed in certain areas of the globe that were not all that particularly friendly with anyone from British Intelligence, or any other members of the NATO Alliance for that matter.

And it wasn't long before the extremely decorative swinging iron gate was replaced with a completely new one made out of high tensile strength steel running on a steel track that was capable of at least slowing down a medium-sized vehicle traveling at high speed, if not stopping it altogether.

However, despite Andy's upgrades I knew that it was only a matter of time before even this particular gate would begin to give way under the weight of thousands of Infected pushing against it without something to help brace it as I quickly placed my shoulder against the rear of the truck and then pushed with all my might.

"C'mon you bucket of shit...!" I swore though gritted teeth as every man around me grunted and groaned as we strained our backs in an effort to push the heavy vehicle forward as it ever...so... slowly began to roll forward through the thick grass.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor – Outside Driveway Terrace

Z-Day Times Five

"Hurry Cxxxxxxx-san, hurry...!" Soichiro said under his breath, his desperate words of urgency directed towards the American security contractor and his group who were struggling desperately to wrestle the heavy vehicle towards the front gate just as a loud "CRACK!" was heard from across the lawn and a collective gasp escaped from everyone's lips as the head of a large bolt anchoring the frame of the gate to the brick wall was sheared off by the overwhelming pressure of the Infected pushing against the gate and was sent spinning through the air.

"Chikusho..." Soichiro muttered in shocked disbelief as an audible hush fell upon everyone standing around him as all eyes stared at the sight of the large bolt spinning through the air in a lazy arc before landing with a loud tinkle on the driveway.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor – Jim's Position

Z-Day Times Five

When I had first heard the loud "CRACK!" that had occurred as we were pushing the vehicle towards the gate, I had originally thought that one of our illustrious "volunteers" had panicked and accidentally capped off a round as I immediately swore out loud and instinctively unslung my carbine and raised the muzzle in the direction of the front gate, half-expecting to see the Infected begin to start pouring over the wall in response to the loud report of the gunshot.

Almost immediately however, I then realized that what I had heard had not been panic fire at all but had instead been the sound of one of the many heavy steel bolts anchoring the frame of the gate to the masonry wall suddenly being sheared off by the enormous strain being placed on it from the weight of all the Infected as I watched the large bolt flying through the air in a long, lazy arc until it fell onto the Takagi's driveway and skidded several feet across the pavement.

Many times before I had seen movies about submarines in World War II diving really deep to escape the depth charges being dropped from destroyers above them, and often times I would watch as the sub would go too deep, and the heads of large bolts securing piping and machinery against the inner hull would begin shearing off and ricocheting like bullets all around the interior of the sub as the increasing water pressure from the depths squeezed the hull of the submarine like a tin can.

This however, was no movie, and as I watched the bolt finally skid to a stop my suspicions that what I had heard had indeed been the bolt shearing off by the strain being placed on it and not a gunshot were confirmed when another loud "CRACK!" suddenly erupted from the direction of the front gate and another spinning bolt went flying through the air.

"F_CKING MOOOOOVE!" I immediately yelled out to all the men standing around the truck who had stopped in their tracks to stare in shock at the broken bolt flying through the air as they finally snapped out of their trance and we all then immediately renewed our attempts to push the heavy vehicle towards the gate with a desperation like no other.

"Damn, it all...we're so f_cking close!" I swore under my breath as my heart suddenly skipped a beat as the sound of another loud "CRACK!" reached my ears followed by the tinkling sound of another sheared bolt skidding across driveway.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor – Outside Driveway Terrace

Z-Day Times Five

"THE GATES GIVING WAY!" Takashi heard one of the civilian refugees standing near the open doorway of the mansion scream in panic as a mad scramble for cover suddenly ensued as panicked men and women began to violently shove against one other in an effort to get inside the mansion and hide themselves from the impending horror threatening them all.

"Yoshioka-san..!" Soichiro snapped angrily, a visible sneer of disgust forming on his face at the sight of the panicked refugees practically killing each other as they tried to push their way through the narrow doorway. "...get some of your men to settle those people down now before those fools kill one another!"

"Hai, Takagi-sama!" The Security Chief replied as he barked at a couple of his men to follow him as they then ran off to the main entrance of the mansion and attempted to control the panicked refugees.

"Abe-san, go down there and get as many men as you can to help Cxxxxxxx-san and his men push that vehicle against the gate!" Soichiro roared to one of the other guards standing nearby who immediately turned tail and ran down the steps without a word.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor – Jim's Position

Z-Day Times Five

"DAMMIT!...C'MON GUYS PUT YOUR F_CKING BACKS INTO IT!...PUSH!" I shouted at the top of my lungs the time for stealth now past as the urgency of our situation pushed us to the point of literally tearing our own muscle tissue apart in an effort to block the gate before it was too late.

But try as we might though, the heavy vehicle just absolutely refused to go any faster no matter how hard we pushed it or how loudly we cussed at it as we crept along at a snail's pace towards the front gate as I heard the sound of another bolt breaking loose.

"WE COULD REALLY USE A HAND DOWN HERE, DAMMMIT!" I roared aloud and then swore a blue streak both at the pain from the wound on my scalp and also because of my rage towards all the people hiding within the walls of Takagi Manor who were more concerned with their own self-preservation than the lives of their fellows.

"Awww shit..." I swore under my breath, my rage at the civilian refugees immediately forgotten as my blood suddenly turned cold as another sound reached my ears over the loud moaning of the Infected.

The sound of steel bars bending under extreme force.

It was a sound more terrifying than the loud crack of the bolts being sheared off the gate, and as soon as I heard it, I realized that we were now probably mere millimeters away from total disaster.

"C'MON GUYS...F_CKING MOVE!" I shouted with even more urgency (as if that were even possible at this point) as we all tripled our efforts to push the dead vehicle just as I heard the welcome sound of running feet coming towards us as I turned my head and saw about a dozen men running towards us.

"About frickin' time, somebody showed up!" I muttered angrily as about a handful of the Takagi's security force ran up to us and then broke off from each other and surrounded the truck on all sides and began to help us push.

"C'MON GUYS...JUST A LITTLE MORE!" I shouted along with several other guys who were probably yelling the same thing in Japanese, or the next closest thing to it, as the truck slowly began to pick up speed thanks to the extra boost in manpower as the sounds of the Infected began to grow louder and louder along with the sounds of the front gate giving way.

"OGATA, HOW FAR AWAY FROM THE GATE ARE WE?!" I shouted to Ogata, hoping against hope that the guy could hear what I was saying above all the noise the Infected were making, which at this time had grown into a steady roar.

"FIVE METERS!" Ogata shouted in reply, his voice filled with building anxiety, no doubt at the sight of the gate giving way, of which he had a much better view of than I did.

"ALL RIGHT!...START STEERING THE TRUCK SO THAT IT'S PARRALLEL TO THE GATE!..." I shouted as I summoned up what little reserves of strength I had left as I continued to push against the heavy vehicle. "...MAKE SURE TO GET THE ENTIRE TRUCK AS CLOSE TO THE GATE AS YOU CAN SO THAT WE'RE BRACING THE ENTIRE GATE!"

"BUT Cxxxxxxx-SAN...ONE SIDE OF THE GATE IS ALREADY GIVING WAY!" Ogata shouted back at me, the fear unmistakable in his voice. "...WE REALLY NEED TO BRACE THE TRUCK AGAINST THAT SECTION OF THE GATE NOW!"

"WE NEED TO BRACE THE ENTIRE GATE OGATA, OR WE'RE ALL DEAD, NOW TURN THAT F_CKING WHEEL WILL YOU?!" I hollered back at Ogata as every one of us groaned in agony as we felt the truck becoming even more sluggish in response to the front wheels shifting direction as Ogata struggled to steer the large vehicle towards the gate.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor – Outside Driveway Terrace

Z-Day Times Five

"They're not going to make it in time, are they?" Saeko heard Rei's frightened voice from behind her as Saeko's grip tightened on the grip of her katana as Rei's question went unanswered as all eyes watched in absolute silence at the group of men struggling desperately against the heavy vehicle on the grounds below.

"Chikusho!" Soichiro swore under his breath as he watched the gap between the left side of the gate and the masonry wall steadily widen under the strain of the Infected pressing against it.

"Ji-san...please, hurry!" Saeko whispered under her breath, her voice pleading as she watched the small group of men struggling to push the heavy vehicle against the front gate just as another group of armed men suddenly appeared from out of the darkness from somewhere near the garage and quickly sprinted towards the American's position.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Saya's mother said with a sigh of relief as they watched the group of running men approach the truck and then place themselves on all sides of the vehicle and help push as Saeko noticed that the vehicle seemed to be moving at a much quicker pace.

"Don't celebrate yet, my dear..." Soichiro warned, the scowl on his face not wavering as they continued to watch the life or death struggle being played out before them as everyone collectively held their breaths as the small group of men neared the gate. "...they still have quite a bit of distance to go, yet."

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor– Jim's Position

Z-Day Times Five

As many years as I had served as a firefighter-paramedic it still never ceased to amaze me how time always seemed to actually slow down whenever I was involved in a high stress situation that was outside the bounds of what we often considered just a "routine" call.

And after all those years of being involved in such extreme situations, you would think that I'd been used to being under such extreme stress all the time and that the phenomena of the appearance of time slowing down wouldn't even be a factor anymore for an old veteran like myself.

But surprisingly enough, that same old illusion caused by the brain being stressed beyond what it is capable of dealing with at that particular moment occurred to me more times than I could count, and in this case it had probably been less than a minute since Ogata had told me that we had only five meters to go before reaching the gate, and yet to me, it had seemed like an eternity had passed since then.

And with the horrifying sounds of the Infected moaning their heads off filling my ears, added with the sickening sound of the bars of the steel gate bending under all that crushing weight, it was definitely safe to say that my brain and my sanity were definitely on the brink of overload.

But just when I was at the teetering point of losing my sanity, I suddenly noticed the men that had been helping us push the truck on the right side suddenly come running out from around that side and began helping us push the truck from the back, which could only mean one thing.

"We must be getting close." I thought to myself as I could feel the front of the truck suddenly beginning to swerve even more to the left indicating that Ogata was now attempting to maneuver the truck parallel with the gate which was confirmed a moment later when the front of the truck suddenly lurched slightly as the front wheels rolled over the greasy pile of remains at the gate.

"Finally!" I muttered out loud as the sweetest sound I'd ever heard in all my life filled my ears as the truck hissed loudly as Ogata engaged the air brake.

"We're here!" Ogata said aloud even though there really had been no need for him to say anything since every one of us knew exactly what the sound of the air brakes being engaged signified as everyone immediately backed away from the truck.

"All right guys, all of you keep your voices down..." I said in a low voice as I then held one finger to my lips as a signal for everyone to keep quiet just in case they didn't understand English as I unslung my carbine and aimed the muzzle towards the front gate as the rest of the Takagi guards and the armed civilian "volunteers" followed suit and we all then moved a few yards away from the front gate before I finally raised my fist in the air as a signal for everyone to halt.

"Ogata, come here a sec..." I said in a low voice as I motioned for the young security guard to join me as I kept my weapon aimed towards the front gate.

"Hai?" Ogata said whispering once he had joined me as I jerked my thumb over my shoulder at the group of men standing nearby.

"Tell all of the guys that are armed that I want to set up a defensive line right over there..." I said waving my hand in a "chopping" motion towards a spot about twenty feet behind me. "...just in case any of the Infected decide to start climbing over the wall, I want every man here ready to be able to drive them back, immediately."

"Wakatta." Ogata replied as he turned and began to whisper to his men as they all then began to form a defensive line behind us.

"Cxxxxxxx-san...?" Ogata whispered to me as soon as his men had gotten into position. "...what do want me to do about these other men?"

"What other men?" I asked Ogata, not taking my eyes off the front gate.

"These other men who came to help us." Ogata replied as I noticed out of the corner of my eye about maybe six men or more standing off to the side staring back at us with panic-filled eyes and not one of them carrying anything even remotely resembling a weapon on their person.

"Tell them to go grab a gun and come back here..." I said with a hint of sarcasm in my voice, knowing full well that there was just no way in hell those men were coming back, armed or not.

"Hai..." Ogata replied rather dubiously, obviously not at all convinced either that the men were likely to return as well, as he said a few quick words in Japanese to the small group of men who immediately bowed and then ran past the other guards and up the hill without saying a word.

"I told them to secure a weapon and rejoin us as soon as possible like you said, Cxxxxxxx-san..." Ogata said with a bit of an edge in his voice as I saw him out of the corner of my eye watching the group of fleeing men running up the hill towards the mansion. "...but I do not believe they will be returning, however."

"Pffft...buddy, I can tell without looking that they ain't coming back..." I snorted in disgust as the sound of running feet grew fainter and fainter in my ears. "...I guess we should be grateful that they helped us push the truck."

"Actually, Adachi and I had threatened to shoot them if they didn't..." Ogata replied with a visible sneer of disgust on his face. "...they wouldn't have done so otherwise."

"You don't say..." I said with a snort of disgust as I suddenly began to snicker at what Ogata had said as he and I began to laugh silently as well at the image of those "volunteers" hauling ass as fast as their legs could carry them away from danger.

"By the way Ogata-san..." I said after gaining my composure."...I'm not too sure about these other "volunteers" standing here with us either, so do me a favor and make them understand that they are not to shoot unless you or I give the command, okay?"

"Agreed..." Ogata said with a nod of his head as he glanced over at the small group of armed "volunteers" standing nervously amongst his men who seemed a mere breath away from throwing down their arms and bolting away as well. "...I for one, do not relish the idea of accidentally being shot in the back by one of these amateurs, either."

"On that note, Cxxxxxxx-san..." Ogata said suddenly becoming serious. "...perhaps it would be wise for us to move towards the others?"

"Be there in a sec, Ogata-san..." I said lowering the muzzle of my carbine as I gazed towards the front gate as it seemed that the Infected were finally beginning to settle down. "...I just wanna stand here for a bit and make sure that the gate's gonna hold."

"Wakatta..." Ogata replied as he then bowed his head politely and then went up to talk to his men as I watched the front gate for a few minutes in silence before finally relaxing and letting my carbine rest on its sling.

"Whewwww..." I said letting out a big sigh of relief as the Infected eventually began to quiet down and the surge that had threatened to collapse the gate seemed to finally have eased down.

"Sure as hell dodged one hell of a bullet this time..." I said with a relieved smile forming on my face just as the night was pierced by the sound of a loud roar coming from somewhere on the other side of the wall.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor – 400 meters outside the front gate of Takagi Manor

Z-Day Times Five

"It" was starving.

Yet the insatiable need to feed was no longer the only driving force that drove "It" and the other "alphas" like "It" anymore as "It" struggled uselessly against the weight of all "It's" slower moving brethren crushing their bodies against "It" on all sides.

And with each passing moment that "It" and the others like "It" were prevented from reaching their prey, the measure of malevolence "It" and the other "alphas" like "It" began to increase to a level surpassing even the most vicious of creatures known to have ever walked the earth.

And then suddenly, from deep within itself, a low rumble began to grow deep within "It's" belly, growing slowly at first and then gaining strength as "It" began to display a show of behavior previously unseen by "It's" kind before.

Anger.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor – Outside Driveway Terrace

Z-Day Times Five

The small group of adults and teenagers gathered together on the small terrace in front of the mansion continued to stare in absolute silence at the American contractor and his men standing completely still with their weapons aimed at the front gate while Ogata and the other Takagi guards were visibly trying to keep the other "volunteers" from losing their nerve and bolting after the other men who had come running up the hill earlier.

Despite the fact that imminent disaster had seemed to have been averted by the placement of the large JGSDF transport vehicle against the front gate, in the back of each individual's mind everyone knew that the danger was far from over as they watched the Infected continue their efforts to force their way through the front gate.

However, after a few more heart pounding moments had passed and the Infected seemed to have settled down and the front gate no longer seemed under threat of collapse, everyone then began to breathe a sigh of relief that the immediate threat was over as Saya's father glanced over at Saeko.

"It would seem, Busujima-san..." Soichiro said mopping his brow with a kerchief he had fished out of his coat pocket. "...that once again your adopted father has somehow managed to prevent certain disaster from falling upon us again."

"In fact I_" Soichiro began but was interrupted as the air was suddenly filled with the sound of a loud roar that was immediately followed by three others, then several more, and then finally by perhaps what sounded like hundreds roaring in unison that seemed to steadily increase in volume.

But unlike the loud roaring that the Infected had made before, Takashi couldn't help but notice that the cries of the Infected were remarkably different this time...and louder.

"They're not making the same sound they did before..." Takashi said holding his hands over his ears as the unearthly sounds began to rise in volume. "...it almost sounds like they're howling in pain!"

"Why are they screaming like that...?!" Saya shouted almost at the top of her lungs in order to be heard while holding her fingers in her ears to keep from going deaf. "...they're not making the same noise like they did last time!"

"I know, it almost sounds like they're in pain or something!" Takashi replied as he noticed Saya's father suddenly move in front of everyone and then place his hand on the handle of his katana.

"That is not the sound of pain you hear, Komuro-san." Soichiro Takagi said aloud glancing over at Takashi as he suddenly unsheathed his katana from his scabbard.

"That, my boy...is the sound of rage." Soichiro added as Takashi heard a loud shout erupt from one of the civilian "volunteers" standing near the gate followed by several loud cries of terror erupting from the other "volunteers" as the night sky was suddenly lit up by the flashes of gunfire as all of the civilians standing next to the Takagi guards suddenly opened up with their weapons on full automatic.

"FOOLS!' Soichiro swore out loud as he angrily slammed his fist on the brick wall of the terrace in front of him as the roar of automatic gunfire began to echo loudly all around.

"THE THREAT WAS OVER FOR NOW, FOR WHAT POSSIBLE REASON DID THEY OPEN FI_...?! Soichiro roared his voice trailing off and as his anger quickly abating as he gazed over the walls surrounding his home and saw at last in the illumination of the muzzle flashes what it was that the "volunteers" had spotted.

"Oh, shit...!" Takashi said aghast, as he suddenly felt his knees go weak at the hellish sight illuminated by the muzzle flashes of the "volunteers" weapons as he suddenly heard Saeko suck in her breath.

"JI-SAN!" Saeko shouted, her voice filled with panic as Takashi glanced over at the American who was down on one knee with his weapon aimed in the direction of the men who had fired their weapons over his head.

"He's looking the wrong way, he doesn't know..." Takashi said feeling his entire body going numb as he watched in horrified silence at the disaster unfolding before his eyes.

Time: Zero Dark Thirty

Location: Takagi Manor – Jim's Position

Z-Day Times Five

"What the f_ck was that?!" I muttered under my breath at the unearthly howling sound coming from the Infected that seemed to be echoing all around us as I settled the glowing green dot of the tritium front sight of my weapon just above the top of the wall and waited for something to present itself.

And as I stood there in complete silence waiting for something to poke its ugly head up, I once again cursed the loss of all my electronics to the EMP, especially the Eotech holosight, Dbal laser unit, and weaponlight that I usually had mounted on my carbine as well as my NVG's which would have really been a great help to me in the dim light right now.

Although I had been trained extensively in the use of the back-up iron sights on my carbine just in case I ever did lose the use of my electronic equipment, it still sucked using regular iron sights in the dark, even ones with glowing tritium dots like the ones I had mounted on my carbine.

But as anyone who's been in combat will tell you, seldom do things ever work out to your advantage when you need it most, and right now, we definitely had very little going for us.

But while we were definitely at a disadvantage with our limited arms and manpower, fortunately for us, what we did have going for us compared to most combat situations was that our enemy was both dumb and blind and couldn't shoot back at us.

Or at least, I had thought that was our advantage at the time...

Regardless of that fact however, that still didn't mean that our enemy didn't completely scare the absolute shit out of us as I suddenly found myself ducking for cover as some idiot behind me started screaming bloody murder and then started shooting over my head as immediately it seemed like every one of the "volunteers" standing behind me suddenly began freaking out and then opened up with their Skorpion machine pistols on full automatic as well.

Just to be clear, I've never had much affection for the Skorpion machine pistol mostly because in my opinion, not only is it a butt ugly gun, but it also lacks the dependability and accuracy of the H&K MP5, which is second to none as far as subguns go, in my opinion.

But even if I did like the Skorpion, I still didn't like the idea of having almost a dozen of them being fired on full auto over my head as I immediately hollered at those idiots at the top of my voice to stop shooting as the sound of bullets snapped over my head and I once again cursed myself for having agreed to allow Yoshioka to put guns into the hands of these idiots in the first place.

"QUIT SHOOTING, YOU F_CKING PENDEJOS!" I roared at the top of my lungs just as the sound of all the gunfire stopped and I immediately twisted my body to my left and swung the muzzle of my carbine up and aimed it towards the line of dumb shits standing behind me who all looked as if they had just peed themselves, including the Takagi guards, who like me, had instinctively thrown themselves on the ground to keep from getting their asses shot off by the "volunteers".

"THE F_CK IS WRONG WITH YOU GUYS?!" I shouted, stealth no longer a concern anymore thanks to these trigger-happy pricks as I kept the muzzle of my carbine aimed directly at them as a warning for them to not even think about shooting over my head again as I noticed one "volunteer" trying frantically to reload his weapon in a way that would have given any military drill sergeant a shit-fit.

And as I watched in complete disbelief as the moron tried frantically to reload his weapon, I couldn't help but be filled with absolute disgust as I watched the guy pull a full magazine from his back pocket before he had even extracted the empty magazine from his weapon as he then fumbled around looking for the mag release before finally giving up altogether and throwing both the Skorpion and the full magazine onto the ground before hauling ass up the hill towards the mansion.

"Are you frickin' kidding me?!" I swore under my breath just as several more of the "volunteers" suddenly turned tail and hauled ass right after their companion as Ogata shouted something at me in Japanese and I immediately whipped back around to face the front gate.

"Oooh,...f_ck me...!" I muttered under my breath in response to the horrifying sight that had just presented itself on top of the wall as I immediately settled the glowing green dot of the front sight of my carbine on the first aberration amongst the dozens of others beginning to scuttle up over the wall and opened fire.

Disclaimer: Any and all characters used from the TV series HOTD and The Last Ship are the property of their respective owners. I do not own these characters.

Author's Notes:

Let the carnage begin...

It's taken four years to get to this point and believe me, I'm really glad that I'm finally here at last.

This chapter was actually supposed to be longer with lots of shooting, but as long as it's been since I posted my last chapter, I figured I'd post this for all of you that have been patiently waiting all this time, especially my friend Poynton90, who has only seen "fragments" of this chapter and not the whole thing.

There's a lot of carnage and mayhem about to occur before the end, but I'm hoping to be finished with Book One by the end of this year, hopefully.

Just so you know, I'm not doing a Resident Evil thing where the Infected begin to mutate into superhuman beings. But because of the lack of food now, some of the Infected are becoming more aggressive, much like a hungry predator in the wild becomes more vicious when all sources of food start to disappear.

Anyway, it's been a lot of fun writing Last Alarm and I'm grateful to my co-author and great friend Poynton90 for all his contributions and encouragement over the years.

I'm hoping that Book's Two and Three go a lot smoother, depending on my health which has improved greatly, although I continue to remain cautious just the same.

Poynton90 and I have discussed what we wanted to do for two books over the years and we're both hoping that all of you will enjoy what happens when Jim and his group are all alone in the city which promises to have a lot more action than Book One.

There'll also be the introduction of some new characters in the next two books as well as a few things that will happen to the group that are completely different from the original manga, although I still plan to use the mall scene and the school scene where Takashi's mom works .

Andrew and his team have their work cut out for them as well, especially when they finally meet up with the teens, so prepare yourself for a few more literary "punches to the gut" and cliff hangers to come.

Until then, Poynton90 and I are really working hard towards making the finale of Book One an extremely memorable one, and I'm pretty sure that all of you won't be disappointed.

I'm hoping the next chapter will be done within the next month or so, and now that it's all carnage and mayhem from this point on, things should write out a lot smoother.

Until next time...

On a personal note:

For anyone asking if I knew either of the two brother firemen that this chapter is dedicated to, the answer is yes.

Please be respectful of any comments you may have, please.

Jim