17:23 hours, 19th October 2012
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U.S Military UH-60 Black Hawk assault helicopter, 132nd SOAR division
[[UNDISCLOSED LOCATION]]
Jonathan Carmine, Sergeant, U.S Marine Force,
The rain whipped past the Black Hawk as it thundered through the deluge. I adjusted my goggles, wiping droplets of moisture from the plastic, and struggled to keep my equipment dry. The roar of the rotors above blocked out all noise of the storm. The rain came at us sideways, whipped into stinging mist by the wind. I grimaced. Visibility would be terrible.
?Two minutes??
The pilots voice, slightly garbled by the radio, spoke through my headset.
I motioned to my squad, holding up two fingers. They nodded and grimly began their last equipment checks, faces shrouded by heavy-duty gasmasks which we had been assigned to wear in the brief. We had no idea if the virus was airborne yet, and all precautions had to be taken.
I checked my own M4A1 carbine, making sure the mag was secure in the receiver, and tried to clear the fog from the ACOG. I flipped the safety off.
?1 minute, prepare for touchdown??
I quickly adjusted the mask on my face, and pulled my helmet down lower. My body tensed. Behind me, no-one was moving, locked in a psychological struggle against terror.
Sweat began to bead on my face, despite the freezing cold.
None of us had ever faced anything like this before?
?30 seconds??
I pulled back the charging handle and let it snap back, feeling the round go into the barrel. I adjusted my grip on the weapon?
?10 seconds??
I shifted my position, and took a final glance at the rest of the chalk. I couldn?t see through the masks, but I could tell several of them were on the verge of nervous breakdown?
?Touchdown!! Go, go, go!!!?
I leapt from my seat and felt my feet hit the soft, slippery ground.
Like someone had flipped a switch, I heard the yells of soldiers, the clatter of gunfire, and the spine-chilling screech of the undead.
17:25 hours, 19th October 2012
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Boots on the ground
[[UNDISCLOSED LOCATION]]
Jonathan Carmine, Sergeant, U.S Marine Force,
The first thing that struck me was how dark it was. It was barely evening, and it was almost as pitch black as midnight. I switched on my rifle-flashlight and raised it to my shoulder. I had no idea what to do next. What are we supposed to do now? Where do we go?
I heard someone behind me yelling my name, and turned to see the rest of the chalk running away in the opposite direction. I turned and followed them, my boots churning the wet ground into mud. The flash of gunfire illuminated the area briefly, and I saw the silhouetted figures of fellow marines, firing from fortified positions? and the swarm of writhing, screaming creatures charging up the street, barely kept back by the hail of gunfire.
I gritted my teeth and pushed harder, trying to catch up with my squad.
I was already drenched to the skin. I heard a scream behind me, and I spun around to see a soldier struck to the ground by a twisted grey figure, claws ripping at the man?s flesh.
My first thoughts were drowned by a mixture of horror and fascination. I automatically raised my rifle to my shoulder. Then it seemed to look at me. It?s pale, milk white eyes glared, and it started to shuffle towards me, emitting a low, growling moan, rain dripping from its ruined body.
I pulled the trigger and fired a burst of three bullets at it, the cracking reports muffled by my ear protection. Blood sprayed onto the ground and the creature emitted a high-pitched screech. It recoiled backwards at the waist but stayed upright? And then it jumped. Shit, it was like lightning. I still can?t believe it. I dodged to the side as its claws ripped at my shoulder, then I spun around. I jammed the trigger down and ripped the bastard to shreds. It was the first time I?d ever shot anyone before?it fell into the mud, writhing, tearing at itself. I almost pitied it? almost? I walked up to it, put my rifle in its face, and put its suffering to an end. I stood upright and looked around, wincing at the claw marks in my left shoulder. Blood ran down my arm.
The radio on my left shoulder crackled to life.
?Carmine, where are you??
I hit the reply button.
?Sorry sir, I?m on my way.?
I turned and sprinted down the street, in the direction I had last seen my squad go. I went past another squad running in the opposite direction, the Sergeant yelling orders to his men. I saw two marines attempting to restrain a man who seemed to be having a panic attack, but worst of all, illuminated by a fresh flash of lightning, the silhouettes of the creatures running along the rooftops above us. Then they started leaping down among the marine defenders, screaming, screaming? My eyes widened in terror.
I saw men torn apart by the savaging of the creatures, thrown to the ground, yelling in pain, smothered by the grey, dead bodies of the undead.
I tore myself out of my dazed horror. I raised my rifle and fired at the nearest creature. It crumpled to the ground, dead, but a dozen more took its place, charging at me and screaming bloodlust?
17:26 hours, 19th October 2012
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Boots on the ground
[[UNDISCLOSED LOCATION]]
Jackson, Delta Sniper, U.S Marine Force,
Keep calm and steady, I thought to myself. Remember your training. Calm and cool. People who panic die.
I adjusted my prone position and lifted my M40 to my shoulder. From the building I was in, up on the second floor, I had a perfect view, right down the main street. Pockets of marines were piled up on both sides in whatever cover they could find. Armoured vehicles, behind them, and closer to me, fired heavy machine guns? at the massive writhing black horde that stampeded up the street, leaping over civilian cars, and tearing each other apart in their madness to get to the defenders.
My job was to make sure none of the infected personnel flanked our troops. It was my job to cover the rooftops, as it was Tramp?s, my backup, my spotter.
?Infected personnel?? what a joke. The word was already spreading through the ranks. Whispers of what the creatures were? zombies. Like one of those stupid fucking horror movies.
?Five of ?em, left side, office block.?
I looked to where Tramp indicated and saw a group of figures climbing up the concrete wall, in an attempt to get onto the rooftops.
?I got it??
I looked down the scope of my rifle, and levelled the sights on the figures.
A tricky shot. I estimated them to be about 600 metres away. I chose the uppermost of the climbers, dragged the crosshair across it?s centre of mass, and fired. The crack of the high calibre rifle echoed through the building.
?Perfect! Right through the chest?? Tramp crowed in triumph.
I looked back through the scope and saw that the creature I hit had fallen, taking one of the other climbers with it.
I cycled the bolt, and then held my breath for the next shot?
This time, the bullet took one of the thing?s legs off. It lost it?s footing, and fell back into the horde at ground level?
I cycled the bolt again. By this time the two creatures left were on the top of the office block, and were running down the street, leaping from roof to roof.
I took my third shot, and this one was a direct hit. The creature was cut in half as it leapt through the air. I cycled the bolt and prepared to take my last shot? I held my breath, my finger squeezed the trigger?
Suddenly there was a deafening scream behind me, a throaty yell? and the sound of ripping, and a body hitting the floor. I spun around, and leapt to my feet, ripping out my sidearm as I did. Tramp lay on the floor? dead. And above him stood one of the grey, twisted figures? I?d never seen one so close before. My enemy?
It pulled back its lips in a chilling snarl, blood dripping from its hands and mouth? Its eyes seemed to glow.
I was caught in revulsion. This thing had once been a human being? reduced to this, half-lived corpse. I hit the safety on my pistol, pulled back the rail? Then it struck, it was so fast, it caught me by surprise. My pistol went spinning out of my hand. It attacked again, aiming for my face. I ducked and dove into it, pulling both of us to the ground.
I struggled to get on top. The creature was going mental, twisting and writhing. It clawed at my chest- it ripped straight through the material but was stopped by the layer of armour in my vest. I forced it into the ground, stood up and tried to pull out my bayonet?
It was up on its feet before the blade had left the sheath. Then it seemed to shudder? it convulsed and thrashed, it opened its mouth? and spat a globule of some burning, black liquid. I raised my hands to protect my face. The liquid spattered all over my arms. Immediately it started to burn through the material, and into my skin. I yelled and attempted to rub it off on my jacket, but it stuck like glue. I grimaced through the pain and looked up. The creature was stalking towards me, opening its blood stained mouth again, reaching towards me. I ripped my knife out of its sheath, pulled back my arm and threw it. The eight-inch blade spun through the air and with a wet crunch embedded itself in the creature?s skull. It collapsed immediately, hitting the ground with a thud. I knelt to the floor, panting, holding my acid-burnt arms carefully away from my body?
I turned to Tramp?s body? my backup, my friend?
I knelt beside him, my hand on his chest. Then I took his dog-tags, tucking them away in my chest pocket.
My radio crackled?
?We?re being over-run! Fall back to second positions!?
I looked out through the window, the one that looked out onto the street, and froze in horror? The creatures were swarming all over the rooftops, leaping down behind and among the marines, compromising the defence. The central mass of creatures surged forward, engulfing the front line.
The armoured vehicles were turning around, and survivors on foot were running for their lives.
The radio crackled again?
?Sir, we?re finished. We can?t hold them back!!?
I reached down and picked up my rifle?
The screams and panicked orders of men gargled over the radio?
I turned and made my way out of the building?
Desertion was a crime punishable by death, not that I care?
I have nothing left to live for.
I hefted my rifle and strode out into the city, ignoring the sounds of death behind me?
I am a traitor.
But a traitor survives.