--Chapter 4--
--Rescue Party--
?We?ve got to get around them!? Yelled Fitz ?Everyone down onto the fucking tracks!?
?Roger!? The squad scrambled across the platform and down onto the tracks. The human voices moaned beneath their unearthly tormentors as the zombies lumbered after them. Mark felt a hand against his back. He turned, ready to fire on a zombie. He paused at the sight of one of the squad members. He was staring into marks face with no emotion, no life.
Mark looked down to where the man?s legs should have been to see nothing but blood and organs dangling in the air. The zombies had devoured him so quickly Mark hadn?t even realised he was there. He took the mans hand which clutched to his saddle bag and ripped it away. The torso fell to the floor with a thump just as the creatures were within reach of Mark. They pulled the remains into the horde and paused to feed for mere seconds of time. The mass of the creatures meant that one man wasn?t enough. Two, Three and even more were required to quench their thirst for blood.
?They?re fucking ripping us apart sir!? Yelled Tower. ?This is hopeless!?
Just as he finished the radio crackled into life.
?This is Resistance Charlie 13. We picked up some movement in this area. Are there any fighters in the area? Respond! Over.?
Fitz jumped into action, grabbing the radio and clicking it to send out. ?Yes, were in a subway station and there?s a ton of fucking nasty things in here!?
?Roger!? The voice replied, ?I suggest you hit the deck.?
?What? I can?t quite hear you. Repeat. Over.?
?HIT THE GOD DAMNED DECK!?
?Oh shit,? Fitz looked up. ?Get down!?
The men all hit the floor looking up at the horde, which still approached them. There was a tremendous explosion behind the maintenance door at the opposite end. The door flew across the platform, smashing a zombie into the tiled wall and sending blood and brains up the wall to the ceiling. A hail of gunfire poured into the station ripping through the horde. Yellow puss splattered in all directions at the horde fell to the floor like a set of mutilated dominoes. The men looked up to the door to see 3 resistance fighters standing in the doorway.
?How many?? yelled a voice
?9! You??
?Damn it! 6!?
?I got 5!?
?Shut up! Nobody cares.?
Mark was looking up at the ceiling, stunned by the blast. A figure lumbered over him and knelt down so that his face came into view. He was an older guy, grey stubble ran across his square jaw and a cigar protruded from the right of his mouth. A second man came over and started helping people up. A second medic signified by the patches he wore on his arms. A third man lingered at the back. He was short, thin and had spectacles resting at an angle on his nose. He straightened them and attempted to step forward. The older guy pushed him back.
?Get out of my way maggot!? He growled, ?I don?t want you messing up again.?
?Hey, it was a bloody accident!? he stammered
?So was finding you!?
?I?ll be of use someday and you?ll wish you never doubted me!?
Mark focused on the older guy as he was lifted off the floor.
?Thanks.? He said, ?Who are you guys??
?We?re the sorry bastards who opted to defend this station.?
?Ah!? Fitz piped up. ?You?re meant to be carrying supplies for us right??
?Meant to be yes.? He said, he shook Fitz?s hand. ?Sergeant Barry Greenwood.?
?Sergeant Joe Fitzgerald.?
?I expected more of you.? Said Greenwood
?We lost 4 to the zombies. Boy am I glad to see you guys. We?ve lost most of our ammo.?
?We would equip you with more but unfortunately our supply guys were in this station waiting for you. Looks like the crabs got here first. The supplies are up in the maintenance area through that door. Only problem is we used the explosives to get through the door and about half the ammo to kill these things. The entire station is teaming with them.?
?Lets get to higher ground!? yelled the medic.
?Good idea. Move out.?
The men walked out through the subways maintenance sector towards the exit. They passed countless numbers of mutilated bodies.
?This was my squad.? Said Greenwood ?Well actually it was his.?
He gestured towards the small skinny guy from before.
?What?s the deal with him.? Asked Mark.
?He was the squad leader.? He said with anger in his voice ?Sergeant Graham Holden. He?s a sniper. He was given a recon squad and was told to guard the station. For a while we didn?t loose anyone. Then they started kicking back with striders and he his himself under some rubble. When he ordered the retreat we had lost half of our men. He ordered us to crab into the subway system and barred the doors. Nothing could get in. Nothing could get out.?
?So you were trapped?? Mark asked
?Exactly. Then the head crabs came. He led us down to the station only to see that the crabs had been swarming down there. They would have followed us out until we were all dead. So what does he do? He bars 21 of our friends into the station so they don?t follow. Then there were only 10 of us. The combine broke our barricades and killed off the other 7. We really could have done with the extra 21 men that he?d locked up. After that he said he didn?t want to be squad leader anymore so I snapped up the role myself.?
The men had been walking for an hour until they reached a metal grate blocking the way. There was a symbol above the grate. It looked like a Greek symbol inside a circle.
?Where are we?? asked mark
?Resistance station 71.? Said Greenwood
?Hold on,? Holden said, Squeezing through the crowd. He was being kicked and tripped the entire way through. ?Charlie 13 reporting in.?
?Roger Charlie 13.? The grate shifted and was winched up into the ceiling.
?Come on in.? Said Holden.
?Shut up.? Greenwood shoved past.
The resistance point was busting with activity. Men were running from one side to the other. Weapons crates were being winched up into holes in the ceiling while men were shouting and corpses were being buried below. The men were ordered to restock on ammo while Greenwood spoke to the Resistance Captain. Mark took 8 clips of MG rounds and was examining a pistol when Greenwood ran back to the squad.?
?Ok boys. I?ve just checked in with Calhoun. Freeman?s already passed the supply point and is nearly at Eli?s place. I?m afraid the supply run is a no go.?
?Damn.? Said Fitz ?Dan?s going to be pissed.?
?We got 2 new missions that need doign and we have to sort out a transfer as well.?
?Transfer?? asked Tower
?Yes Corporal. Is there a problem??
?No,? Tower shifted uneasily. ?No sir.?
?Ok. I know you guys aren?t that well acquainted at all so I?m leaving to choice to you. Here?s what we got.?
A) You can transfer to Eli?s lab. I?m sending Holden as squad leader because it?s guard duty and he could get by without screwing that up.
B) You can go with me to the coast too back up the squads at the Shore point, New Little Odessa and Lighthouse point.
C) Or you can go with Calhoun into the City to hold back the combine striders.