OC Honourable Mentions
Peter Dawson
Sarah Mason
Miguel Johnson
Tania Rheed
Nathan Lancaster
Captain Lane
Captain Jackson
~~~
Y/N's POV
"Johnson, how far out are we?"
"Estimated 6 miles from Atlanta Captain"
"Good, let's try to get there asap the sooner we get this over with the sooner we can get home."
"Yes Ma'am."
"Okay guys list up. No one has any idea what this ... disease is. So I want you all to stay calm and avoid contact with anyone who looks sick and avoid being bitten. Is that clear?"
"Ma'am yes Ma'am."
"Remember Atlanta... The US isn't the only country to be hit with this disease. France, Germany, Russia, Greece, England and many more have suffered from this virus. Fortunately it hasn't made it into Wales ...Yet... but it's only a matter of time. Frankly I'm pissed our superiors are sending us out to help when we should be back home locking down the country but such isn't the case. Look, I know a lot of you only see me as a Captain but to me you're family, okay we're in this together, we all have some sort of family we want to get back to so let's do what we can and when things get out of hand we'll retreat. Stay close and stay strong my Reluctant Heroes."
I look at the faces of each of my soldiers knowing some won't be able to come home. Being a front line soldier isn't all it's cracked up to be and by the time nightfall's I'll be returning home with a bunch of name tags that'll get added to the bottom drawer in my office.
"Ma'am may I speak freely?"
"Permission granted, what's up Dawson?"
"Y/n you and I have been friends since we were cadets competing to get top marks on our monthly evaluation and as someone who knows you as well as one can and knowing my fellow soldiers, I think I speak on behalf of us all when I say you're more than a Captain. You're a friend."
"An ally." Chimes Rheed.
"A shoulder to cry on." Says Lancaster.
"DEFINITELY THE MUM OF THE GROUP!" Johnson shouts from the front of the jet.
"We all see each other as family and as your left hand man I'd like to say thank you for always showing us strength even when you were suffering." Dawson looks at me and we both share a small smile.
"You're like a sister to me Y/n, I'm sure your dad and Harvey are so proud of you and praying for your safe return." Mason finishes as I look at the faces of all 50 of my soldiers.
"Wow guys that's... When did I say you could get sappy on me?" A round of chuckles breaks out among my men. "Thanks though and I just have one more thing to say."
"Go ahead." Sarah, my right hand says.
"Over the years since I joined the army I lost so many friends but never forgot them. I'm sure you're aware not all of us will get to go home but if by chance I go down Sarah and Peter I'm sure I can rely on you to get everyone still alive out but I have one request. My name tag on my vest and any others who you find dead. Take them back with you and put them with the others in the bottom drawer of my desk, that way part of me will lay with my fallen comrades and if by chance Skylla survives and Harvey returns, make sure to give her to him as a parting gift. He knows her and I are inseparable, if not then I'm trusting her to whoever takes over next."
Sarah reaches over and places a reassuring hand on my shoulder giving it a light squeeze. "If that is what you want then we will comply but like you said we're a family we go in together and come out together and if not we'll honour your sacrifice with our song." Sarah says, looking at me before turning her attention to everyone else in the jet.
"Remember that everyone, we are front line soldiers because unlike others we have the bravery to go in first. Blinded or with clear sight we always fight till our last day and why is that Captain?" Sarah asks, looking back at me after looking at everyone else.
"Because they're the prey and we are the hunters."
"THEY ARE THE PREY AND WE ARE THE HUNTERS!" Everyone yells out in unison causing a bright smile to form on my face as I look down at the husky that sits by my feet.
"Captain, we're arriving in Atlanta Georgia in approximately 5 minutes. Everyone please remain seated and buckled and prepare for a bumpy landing cause judging from the looks of the city from here. We gunsta be entering hell."
"Thank you Johnson for that lovely description and boost for morale."
"Any day Captain just says the word."
"You're such a goofball honestly."
"Yeah and that's why I'm your favourite."
"Keep dreaming Johnson. We all know I take the top spot on Mama's list of favourite children."
"Uh uh, hell nah, I'm the sassiest queen here you just say you're sisters cause you be trying to shag her twin brother."
"AM NOT! ... Harvey and I are colleagues."
"No offence Sarah but even I can sense the sexual tension between you two."
"Y/n you're supposed to back me up."
"Sorry I only back up my favourites."
"Haha told y-."
"Peter, baby how's you doing?"
"WAIT WHAT?" Johnson and Mason yelled in unison as Peter, myself and the rest of the crew break out in laughter at the two's argument and shocked faces. 'Yeah we really are a family and I'd do anything for these idiots.'
~~~
Soon the jet landed and we were all unloading our supplies and getting ready to head out to the front line.
"Captain L/n correct?"
"That me sir."
"Captain Lane pleasure, I wish we had time for proper introductions and formalities but we need to hurry and get to the front line. If you and your men could follow me this way I'll brief you in the truck."
Nodding my head I turned to my troops and signalled them to follow us to the loading truck which would drive us to the borders of Atlanta to help man down and lock up the city.
"The primary objective right now is to get the city locked down to keep the resurrected dead out. As I'm sure you're aware but one bit from these things or even a scratch can turn you so please keep your distance from them. Hopefully if we can get the city barricaded and quarantined then those who come here will be safe from the dead."
"How do you plan on checking if anyone in the city hasn't been bitten already? No offense but the city already looks like it's gone to shit? What's to say or those who come in aren't going to riot or have been bit and start an outbreak?" I ask as I adjusted my knife holster on my leg.
"The people already rioted that's why the city looks like there's already been an outbreak. Each highway we plan to barricade off, we will have men stationed who will ask people to get out the car and we'll look over them. As for the city, as far as we know no one has made it here yet from outside so it's safe for now."
"And if they do? How are we supposed to handle them and any that are already resurrected?"
"As far as we can tell putting a bullet through their head keeps them down anywhere else and they'll just keep coming."
"This is starting to sound an awful lot like a zombie apocalypse situation sir." Dawson speaks up.
"Well you wouldn't be far off soldier."
"Brilliant lets shoot some zombies then." Dawson says, cocking his gun.
"Glad to see you're so lively, won't be for long once you see what it's like. Anyway try to refrain from saying the z word around civilians, they're already panicked. We don't need any more panic."
"Yes sir."
"Good now let's get to it." Lane says as we begin unloading the trucks and stationing ourselves at the borders of Atlanta. We join the guard, lined up and ready to shoot down anything that comes near us meanwhile others work on piling up sandbags and other objects creating a cut off point.
All of a sudden a growling can be heard not too far away as well as the loud ensemble of vehicles. Looking through my gun scope I see a man limping towards us, blood pouring out his body, his stomach and guts being dragged along with him. "Oh man, that's nasty."
"Welcome to world war Z Captain."
"Dawson now is not the time for one of your Brad Pitt movie references." I say as I cock my gun flicking the safety off and sending a bullet in the direction of the dead guy. Its head flies back slightly from the impact of the bullet. We all watch as the man's body hits the ground to reveal the large amounts of traffic heading our way.
I place my ICR-1 back on my back alongside my Holger as I signal for the trucks to be brought forward so no idiots decide to go all fast and furious on us and try barging through the guard. Soon about 7 trucks are in front of us as the road ahead fills up with cars. People's beeping their horns yelling and demanding to be let in.
We don't budge hoping to spare some time while the men behind us work on the barricade. Some people even decide to jump out their vehicles and try pushing past us but that only lands them on their arses.
Slowly day time becomes night and the others still ain't finished with the barricade and the people on this highway are growing more and more annoyed by the minute. "Dawson, Mason, hold the fort here. I'm running back to see what's going on." After gaining a nod from Peter and Sarah I run towards the soldiers behind us who are supposed to be working on the barricade.
"What's going on over here? What's taking so long?" I ask Captain Lane looking around to see only one third of the wall had been built. "The troops on the other side of the city had an issue. The guys from the supply depot were sent out to help and they just barely got it under control. More men are being deployed now but won't arrive till morning. We're going to have to hold off till then."
"That's too long. I didn't bring my men out here just to stand around like this. Can't you guys head out to gather supplies?"
"We would but higher ups told us not to leave our post."
"This is a joke, the people out there are growing antsy the longer we make them wait. Heck what's to say further up the highway isn't fucking zombieland right now. We need to do something and we need to do it fast otherwise we'll have a herd on our hands and a bloody massacre."
"I'll see what I can do." Lane says as he runs off to his troops I turn around and start heading back to my post.
Once I arrive back between Mason and Dawson they both look down to me with questioning looks. "Supply depots were sent to help out the other end of the city and barely got it under control. More men will be here in the morning with supplies but I've asked them to hurry it up. I doubt anything will change though, especially since we're just the reinforcements."
"So what do we do?" Mason questions.
"We stand guard for now, try to keep this under control."
"Why do I feel like you've had an unsettling hunch?" Dawson asks.
"It's a long shot but this traffic jam is going back miles and something tells me further back there's a bloody massacre going on and soon it'll reach down here."
"Okay and when that happens?"
"See that tree about 2 miles out the one with pinkie orange leaves. If the dead reach this far in we leave head straight for the jet I'm not risking your lives for this. The US is supposed to have this great military system yet they can't even lock down a damn city properly."
"We understand Captain." Dawson says as we share a nod and the two pass the info down to the rest of the troops. Now we play the waiting game.
~~~
7 hours passed since nightfall and now it's currently 2 am. I can see my troops growing tired after all we've been here for nearly 10 hours arriving only three hours before nightfall.
We stood monitoring the growing crowd and keeping people out of the city. Not long after the skies had turned dark the majority of the civilians returned to their vehicles to sleep while others stood conversing with others as they waited to be let in. It was mostly quite apart from the voices of those conversing.
Even at night the atmosphere in America is hot which with all out gear I can tell is slowly depleting my groups of energy. Captain Lane came over 2 hours prior to inform us that he had the go ahead to leave his post and grab supplies from the depot. yet he is still to return with the handful of men he took.
Concerned, I looked behind us to see if there were any cars or trucks coming from behind that may be carrying the supplies we need. I'm met with nothing but the dark sky and street lights which provide very little vision.
"Are you concerned?" Mason questions as she watches me look back and see my facial expressions change from stoic soldier to a pissed off questioning one. "Lane should have been back way before now. heck i could have driven 5 truck loads of supplies down here already."
"I've had the same thoughts. I've also been observing how things look." Sarah says, pointing to the group of American military guards a few feet down from us. "That one in the middle with the bold head. For the last half an hour he has been talking to someone on his walkie. Look at how his facial features contract now."
Peter, Sarah and I all watch as the man says something into the walkie before bringing it to his ear to listen to what's being said back. As he listens we watch as he grits his teeth poking his tongue around in his mouth, eyebrows furrowed and eyes darting in every direction before talking back into the walkie.
"My guess is that something happened further down again."
"They did have an issue with the dead earlier which caused the hold up." Dawson says as I stare ahead, thoughts running through my head. 'Supply depot got deployed to the front lines earlier because of an issue meanwhile we seem to have everything in control here. Could Lane's groups have been re-stationed? Surely he would have walkie me.'
Placing my ICR-1 on my back once more after having pulled it out earlier to scope further up the highways I grab the walkie of my hip belt/holster and channel it to channel 6. I press down on the button on the right of my walkie and raise the walkie to my lips. "This is Captain Y/n L/n front line soldier stationed at highway I-85. Does anyone read?" I say as I release the button, I am met with static.
Looking at my two Lieutenants or as they call themselves my left and right hand Dawson, Mason and I share a similar knowing look and growing gut feeling. I press down on the mic button again. "Captain Lane, do you read me?" Once again I am met with static.
I place my walkie back on my belt after turning it off. "Stay guard, I'm going to talk to baldy over there and try to get some answers. Skylla come." I say as I call my husky to my side. Skylla is a tall Siberian bred husky, with grey and white fur with patches of black. But the most intimidating thing about her isn't her height, which on all four she stands to just below my hip but when she rises to her hind legs she reaches up to 5 foot only 2 inches shorter than myself. It isn't the fact she's part wolf bred either but rather her piercing blue eyes.
(This is what she looks like, except the eyes. See next image for eyes.)
(These are our babies eyes.)
Walking to my right and behind 25 of my tired soldiers I reach the American guard troops approaching the bold man from behind. "Captain Jackson there's a little girl in uniform standing behind you." A man to the left of this Captain Jackson says as he eyes me with a disgusted and disapproving look.
"I'll have you know soldier but I am the Captain of the Welsh reinforcement troops sent to help your sorry arses so I'd show me some respect." I snarl back at him as Skylla growls at the man making him visible gulp.
i watch him look back ahead tutting as he mutters about the British appointing weak women to positions of power. 'Sexist cunt.' I look back at this Captain Jackson who's back still faces me.
"Captain, can I please have a moment of your time?" I asked but I'm answered with silence. "Captain Jackson, a moment of your time please." I press to still be met with silence. Frustrated and tired, a barge in between the two men so that my back is now to the highway but I am facing Captain Baldy.
I watch as the Bald man's face goes from stoic to angered at my actions as he stares down at me. "What do you want Girlie." He growls as he looks between myself and Skylla.
"I'm the same rank as you, sir. I expect you to show me respect." I bite back as I watch his nostrils flare.
"I don't answer to you, much less a girl."
"Are you assuming my gender sir?"
"Don't try that, I see where your tits lie through your jacket."
"Wow first you're sexist then you assume my gender because I have a pair of jugs?" I question knowing I'm angering him. I look over at the man in front of me. He's definitely muscular, thick thighs and biceps. His facial features are hard but more importantly I notice his hands or more specifically the mark left from a wedding ring. 'So he was married.'
"Spit out what you came here for or return to your country. We don't need no help from the Welsh, much less a weak little girl like yourself."
"Whatever, douche. I just came over to ask if you've been able to contact squad 6?"
"No, now leave."
"What other squads are located down south?"
"None of your business bitch."
Pissed off I begin walking away but stop for a moment to look back at him. "It's no wonder your spouse left you." I say with a smirk as I continue back to my troops but not before seeing his shocked face.
"Any luck?" Dawson asks as I just shake my head sighing. As I stand back into formation I notice Skylla staring off to the left towards the words. "What's wrong girl?" I ask knowing she is fully alert of something approaching.
Looking at the other K9 units and hounds I notice them all staring off in all four directions. Some look out towards the highway growling and snarking, others towards woods looking to our right and left with the same behaviour. The most concerning one's though are those who are staring at something behind us growling into the darkness.
All of a sudden a round of growls and snarls as well as the shuffling of feet and snapping of twigs can be heard from all four directions. These movements and sounds are different to any animal I've heard before and I would know since my father brought myself and Harvey up as next gen hunters.
I watch from my crouched position next to Skylla while Sarah and Peter stare from the standing post. After a few moments a herd of around 50 dead people to the right and left of us break through the forest sending the people into a frenzy of panic as the lung themselves forwards biting and ripping into those outside of their cars.
From up the highway screams break out as people begin running between cars to avoid the oncoming herd from straight ahead. The hounds instantly are realised to attack the dead as the troops begin shooting and fanning out across the highway to get it under control.
Skylla sticks close as I cock my Holger, flicking the safety off and firing at the oncoming dead. people begin to run into the city, others locking themselves in their cars. Screams and cries fill the air instantly. My men and I huddled together as we advanced slowly on the dead shooting down those who got too close.
Our efforts are going to waste as those who had been bitten and ripped into, begin to come back and join the army of the dead. Unlike the lone dead man we saw earlier as a group they were more viscous and faster. They tore through the crowd as if they were a pair of scissors cutting paper.
A scream from my right catches my attention as I watch the guard to the right fall to the dead. I watch as Captain Jackson gets pulled on by three dead people biting into his shoulder, arm and face. I watch as his troops get ripped into and fed on in horror before turning my gaze to the left guard seeing something similar happen to them.
Blood splattered and painted the highway roads a dark crimson, the air around us filled with screams, cries and the smell of dead bodies and blood. I stand frozen for a moment as I watch the scenes unfold before me, people pinned to cars or the ground by the dead as they feast on them like rapid animals.
'Lane was right. We ain't so lively now.' I gulp down a lump as I watch people run to get away. I made the decision to retreat not wanting to risk the lives of my men if the American Guard fell so easily.
"Squad 19 RETREAT, RETREAT!" I yelled at my men as we fought through the dead and crowds of civilians. We turned and began to run back into the city however as we made it to the main street, those who had made it into the city were being ripped apart by a herd of military zombies from the south.
Buildings and cars in the city were on fire, blood and guts splattered everywhere painting the streets and windows a similar colour as the highways. "Crap Captain, what do we do now?" Dawson yelled as my troops formed a circle shooting anything coming at us from every direction. Skylla was a bit in front tearing the dead apart with her teeth.
"WE'RE PUSHING THROUGH. KEEP THIS FORMATION AND AIM FOR THE BRAINS. DON'T GET BIT." I yelled as we began advancing further into the city and back towards the direction of the jet. We were in the middle of the massacre firing out guns and killing anything which came at us.
Everything was going well till a dead man got close enough to bite someone at the back of the circle. I heard one of my men scream as the person was ripped into crying for help. "PUSH FORWARD." I yell, having to ignore the fact I just lost someone.
All of a sudden a small herd broke out of a nearby store and managed to break through our defiance causing us to scatter. Skylla stayed hot on my tail with Sarah, Peter and Miguel as we all tried looking for the rest of our troops. unable to find them we decided to push on running between the crowds.
We ran into an empty back street alley as we stopped to take a break and scout to see if we could find a way out. "I don't think we will make it to the jets." Johnson says as we peaked out and shot a dead person who saw us and began making their way.
Suddenly tanks began pushing through the crowds with trucks. "We hijack a truck and get out the city." I say as I reload my Holger. I look back at the other three and Skylla as we all nod our heads and leave the ally legging it towards a nearby truck.
Loud shots and mini explosions broke out around us from the firing tanks. As we made our way over to the truck weaving in and out of people and cars Peter and Miguel ended up getting jumped by a small group of the dead and bitten. Sarah and I tried to help them by firing at the dead but it was pointless once they were bitten.
"Go Captain and Lieutenant, it's too late for us. Get to safety." Miguel yells as he screams in pain as another dead joins in feasting on him. Sarah tugs at my arms as we begin running towards the truck. I look back one more time to see Peter look at me with a sad smile unable to see Miguel anymore among the gathering dead.
We made it to the truck shooting down a few dead on the way. Once I cleared my side of the dead I opened the door and jumped in with Skylla. I turned to look at the passenger side to see Sarah pinned up against the truck, her face looking into the truck as she was bitten. I screamed and reached for my gun to shoot the dead man biting her but she shook her head through her screams looking at the steering wheel and sending me a sad smile and mouthing go.
Tears filled my eyes as I started up the truck and looked back at Sarah one more time mouthing "I'm sorry." I pulled off the curb the truck was on, turning it around and heading southwards out of Atlanta. The entire time crying over the deaths of my comrades.
As I drove my new truck past the exit sign of Atlanta helicopters flew above me. I watched from my wing mirror as they dropped bombs on the now overrun city. More tears left my eyes as I drove the roads unsure of where I was going.
I drove as far away from Atlanta as possible eventually making it to a cabin that I ended up staying in for a few days. During this time I mourned my fallen heroes and tried to figure out how I was going to get back home to Wales. I had tried contacting my base back home but all I got was static. I had tried the emergency channels but got nothing.
Luckily the cabin I found had camping gear, tinned foods and water in it as well as my favourite hunting weapon. A bow and quiver of arrows. After a few days in the cabin waiting for things to die down I decided it was time to move on. Familiarise myself with America and scavenge for supplies. It was clear now after seeing Sarah, Miguel and Peter get eaten the way they did. The world had ended and now began the game for survival of the fittest.
To Be Continued...
Edited (If you see any mistakes please feel free to point them out.)
Word Count: 4576