First Contact
Davis and his men cleared the barricade set up when the survivors first reached Ikeijima. Consisting of boulders from the nearby hill, it sufficed to keep Them off the settlement. A crude ladder system allowed ingress and egress from the settlement while preventing Them from climbing the rock pile.
First stop, the Marines happened upon a small inn along the south side of the road. First thing the group noticed was the ruins of an impromptu barricade that showed signs of having been overrun recently. Setting his men to give covering fire, Davis and Edmonds approached the main entrance with caution. Edmonds repeated his rock trick from Osaka and threw a large stone down the main hall. The clattering on the hard wood floor had the desired effect as low moans arose from within. Not wanting to waste ammo on a turkey shoot, Davis set to draw Them into the open and dispatch Them with melee attacks.
The trap sprung on three corpses as Davis and his Marines set to work with heavy pipes salvaged from an unused house in the settlement. The procedure was repeated several more times. The second netted two more corpses, middle school girls by the look of the uniforms they wore. The Marines had to swallow their bile as they put Them down. Successive attempts netted no more. Now the Marines were satisfied the inn was empty. Fixing bayonets, the team moved in to sweep the building.
Never allowed to be out of sight of each other, the sweep took much longer than the size of the building would suggest. Safety for his team dictated all of Davis' actions and orders. Once the main inn was swept, the team moved onto the grounds to search the out buildings and surrounding grounds. Heavy vegetation and low trees made the going very slow and tedious. Giving in to fatigue, Davis ordered the pipes fetched into the back and the initial bait and trap routine enacted several more times, as five more were dispatched in quick order.
By late afternoon, the grounds were determined to be free of infected. The nature of the hilly terrain allowed one means of access while a high fence blocked the only path. Davis toggled his throat mic.
"Delta 1 to Mother Goose, come in Mother Goose. Over"
"Mother Goose here, go ahead Delta 1. Over"
"Have secured first objective structure. Repeat, have secured first objective structure. How read? Over"
"Mother Goose reads first objective structure secured. Over."
"Delta 1 in possession of structure and surrounding environs. Terrain enables secure F.O.B. Report beach access road and picnic area to north opposite side of road. Over."
"Copy status all. Mother Goose will send follow up team to further secure new F.O.B. How read? Over"
"Delta 1 reads follow up team. Over."
"Good job, Delta 1. Hold until relieved. Mother Goose out."
"Alright lads," Davis turned to his squad. "We are now in possession of our first real objective. There will be a follow-up team shortly to take over. I want to set up a watch over the road at the only access point to make sure we don't have any uninvited guests popping round."
An improvised watch that put two men on the road at all times was arranged while the rest of the team could poke around their new forward operating base. Sharpe and Williamson volunteered for the first watch while the remaining Marines went in to investigate further. For an older inn, the place was in good shape. The only serious drawbacks were the obvious signs of struggle that ultimately proved futile to the previous defenders.
Edmonds carefully made his way upstairs to check out the rest of the space. Nelson followed behind him as Davis inventoried the kitchen stocks.
Peeking over the top stair, Edmonds caught a glimpse of movement at the opposite end of the hall. He toggled his throat mic and raised Davis.
"I got movement top of stair. Over."
"Hold tight," Davis cautioned. "I'll be there double quick."
Davis gently nudged Nelson who, in turn, alerted Edmonds. The three men topped the stair and found a young woman and two girls peering through the attic access. Davis moved to the front of his column and addressed the woman.
"Konnichi wa," he said with a polite bow. "Are you and the children unhurt?"
The woman slowly nodded her head. Davis slung his weapon behind him and motioned the others to follow suit.
"We are here to help," he said with a warm smile. "Have you been here long?"
"Not long," one young girl volunteered. She was quickly shushed by the woman and nudged back into the attic. Davis advanced slowly all the while holding his hands before him.
"There are no more of Them in the building or on the grounds," Davis assured. "My men and I are here to look for survivors. Do you want our help?"
The woman warily eyed the Marines before she nodded her head. Davis mentally kicked himself for his poor manners. "I am Corporal Davis of Her Britannic Majesty's Royal Marines."
"How many are you?" she asked as she slowly descended the ladder and approached the Marines.
"There are five of us," Davis responded, "and more on the way."
"How many?"
"Enough to hold the place if need be."
"How many is that?"
Unsure of this line of questioning, Davis tried a different tack.
"We are members of her Britannic Majesty's Royal Marines," he repeated. "Even the five of us are more than enough."
"You speak Japanese very well," the woman complimented cautiously.
"I am only a humble fighting man, miss," Davis averred politely. "My skills with Japanese are not very good."
The woman bowed low, offering her gratitude for the rescue. She introduced herself as Kuroi Nanako a teacher from an all girl's school in Saitama. She and her home-room class of middle school children were on a spring trip to Okinawa when the Outbreak happened. When the inn was overrun, she took the kids and hid them in the attic.
"How many are up there?" Davis asked.
"We were twenty-four," Kuroi-sensei said as tears leaked from her eyes. "Yano sensei and two of our girls went for food and water, but they...did...not..."
She broke down and sank to the floor as Davis moved to comfort the woman. Edmonds and Nelson moved back to the first floor to give them time alone.
"We have been here since late spring, maybe three or four weeks," Kuroi-sensei explained. "At first, we stayed quiet and were safe. The inn keeper and his wife did their best to protect us and the inn, but those – things – got past the barricade. We only just made it up the ladder when the inn keeper's wife was bitten."
Davis politely waited for the teacher to regain her composure. Behind him, he could hear movement on the ladder suggesting someone was climbing down. He turned to see the dirty, yet smiling, face of a young adolescent woman as she approached. The girl sat beside her teacher and nodded politely to Davis.
"I am class president, Izumi Sawako, a third year at Saitama Prefectural Middle School number three," the girl introduced herself.
"Corporal Davis, British Royal Marines," Davis said politely. "Please regard me favorably."
At that moment, Davis' radio buzzed to life.
"Sharpe to Davis, I have movement. Over."
Davis gently moved free of the crying teacher and toggled his throat mic. "Where away, Private?"
"Just down the road. Moving up from the settlement. Over."
"Move off the road itself and get behind cover. Await positive ID it is follow up team. Over."
"Understood. Sharpe out."
"Sensei," Davis gently gained the teacher's attention. "Get your class ready to move. The follow up team is on its way."
Wiping her tears, Kuroi smiled weakly and nodded. "I want to give my girls something to drink. We ran out of water yesterday."
"Yes ma'am," Davis smiled again. "I will have my man get everyone something to drink."
Kuroi was on her feet and bowed once again before she climbed the ladder as Davis descended the stairs.
"Davis to Sharpe. Got an ID yet? Over."
"Sharpe to Davis. ID confirmed. It is the follow up team. Over."
"Good. Let them know we have survivors. Twenty middle school children and their teacher. Davis out."
The follow team linked up with the advance team on the grounds just outside the main building. Kuroi-sensei and her students lined up neat and orderly as the combined Marines and sailors whistled in astonishment. As promised, Private Nelson passed each and every one with a cup and bucket. Grateful to finally slake their thirst, the students accepted the impromptu water service with a smile and quick bow.
Sergeant Major Blake greeted Davis with a handshake.
"Good news, Davis?"
Yes, Sar Major," Davis replied happily. "We found survivors in the attic of the main building. Thirsty, but unharmed. Three deceased in an attack, otherwise all correct."
"My God," Blake mused sadly as he reviewed the students in their neat line. "Children, Davis. Children. Let's get them to safety and looked after properly. Captain de Souza and McElroy will want to know about this."
Yes, Sar Major," Davis responded respectfully.
Blake toggled his throat mic, "Sierra Tango to Mother Goose. Come in Mother Goose. Over"
"Mother Goose here, we read you. Over."
"Delta 1 rescues twenty-one actuals. Repeat twenty-one actuals. How read? Over."
"Twenty-one actuals rescued. Over."
"Delta 1 is returning to the nest with the survivors. Over."
"Understood. The nest will be feathered. Mother Goose out."
Blake turned to Davis. "Better get started. It will be dark in a couple of hours."
"Understood," Davis replied. He turned to the students and their teacher. He bowed politely and addressed them all. "Ladies, my name is Corporal Davis. My men and I are going to take you to safety."
Kuroi-sensei took her turn. "Girls, these men are special fighting soldiers. They are here to protect us, but only if we do exactly as they tell us. Understood?"
To a one, the students bowed to their teacher then turned and bowed to Davis.
Davis called out his orders. "Nelson, you and Williamson are on the rear. Edmonds and Sharpe to the left and right respectively." He then switched to Japanese. "Children and their teacher please stay in your line. Move out!"
The line moved slowly at first while everyone arranged themselves. Once that was accomplished, the group marched in quick fashion toward the barricade and safety.
The climb over the rock pile was slow and torturous. Davis sent Edmonds and Sharpe to the top to help the students climb the pile. As each student climbed the ladder system one by one, Davis, Williamson and Nelson formed up at the base to cover the approach from Miyagijima. Near dark, Kuroi-sensei followed the last student over the top. Davis excused his remaining men one at a time up the ladder, only climbing once they had cleared the barricade. Surveying a good day's work, he turned his attentions to the inn recently left in the care of a holding team. Lights illuminated the area and he could see the men scrambling about to fortify the place.
"So close, yet so far away," he said to no one in particular.
Alighting the other side, Davis turned over custody of Kuroi-sensei and her students to the ship's liaison for quartering and ration disbursement. As a formally trained teacher, Kuroi-sensei would hold a prized station in the new world order. Her health and safety would be of paramount importance.
Davis smiled to himself as he and his men moved into town. He had secured one night's leave and decided a bit of light entertainment would be in the offing.