“That doesn’t make the Marines from Gitmo bad or even bad Marines, sir. That makes them utterly unprepared, sir. And it shows, sir. Specifically, sir, what happened was that Curran swept across Goodwin’s back ’cause they thought they had movement and jerked the trigger. Because he, Curran, hadn’t been dropped and yelled at, repeatedly, by Gunny Sands and Staff Sergeant Januscheitis, about sweeping his fellow Marines and because he was nervous about sweeping a building that had live infected, sir. Especially since they were coming from everywhere, sir. Not enough to overrun us, but enough to make everybody jumpy.”
“I understand,” Hamilton said. “We’ll cover it in the after action report.”
“Roger, sir,” Faith said. “In the meantime, sir, as soon as Staff Sergeant Barnard returns with the other five-ton and the rest of the platoon, we will continue the mission, sir. By your leave.”
“Carry on, Lieutenant,” Hamilton said.
“You okay, Sis?” Sophia asked as they were boarding the five-tons.
“Had better days,” Faith said. “Had worse. At least I’m not having to put up with you all the time on the Mile Seven,” she added with a grin.
“I sort of miss those days,” Sophia said.
“Days like this so do I,” Faith admitted. “I just hope Goodwin survives. I really need him.” She stopped and grimaced, then put her game face back on.
“Be advised, Sis, there’s no such thing as ‘clear’ on this island. We found what I thought was a field on the overhead and it turned out to be a pond.”
“Aggh,” Sophia said. “I was figuring a lot of them would have died of dehydration.”
“Nope,” Faith said. “So they just pop up. Tell your teams to keep their heads up. And for God’s sake, don’t sweep each other. We’re going to have to sweep the shit out of this island tonight to have it clear enough for… You know.”
“Will do,” Sophia said. “Looks like we’re loaded.”
“What’s that thing about ‘actions of a tiger’?” Faith said.
“Once more into the breach?” Sophia said, rolling her eyes.
“It’s ‘unto,’” Faith said, grinning. “Unto the breach. Thought you were the smart one?”
“I hate you.”
Colonel Hamilton was waiting when they arrived back at the pier.
“Bust, sir,” Sophia said, waving an extended hand in front of her throat. “We even checked the little drugstore. The hospital and drug store had been ransacked, actually ransacked, before the Fall from the looks of it. The medical school had some textbooks and disks we grabbed but it was pretty much a bust. No real labs at all.”
“Permission to ask how Goodwin is, sir,” Faith said, her face tight.
“Mr. Walker is a much better doctor than he lets on,” Hamilton said. “He was able to patch everything up. It just missed the kidneys and passed through, hitting only intestines. If infection doesn’t get him, he should be fine. He’s already out of recovery and conscious.”
“Oh, thank God,” Faith said, turning away and putting her hand over her face.
“I’ll call it in,” Hamilton said. “Time to start the real mission.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” Faith said. “Staff Sergeant Barnard! Set out security…!”
“We’re going back, ma’am,” Staff Sergeant Barnard said, neutrally.
“Roger,” Faith said. “Commander’s intent is to thoroughly sweep the island and ensure that all remaining infected are drawn to lights and sound, by making that light and sound and drawing them to ourselves. Where we will then give those poor infected all the courtesy and friendliness for which the United States Marine Corps is known. Due to the potential, given limited visibility, of actions getting to close quarters, we will rerig in full contained-space combat equipment. After clearance, Marines will remain in combat gear pending further orders.
“The exception in the sweep are Staff Sergeant Decker and PFC Condrey,” Faith said, looking at Decker, “who will direct Naval Landing Force personnel on the proper manner and method of detail cleaning the back of one of the five-tons. They will, for the period, be under the command of my sister, Ensign Smith, oorah, and they will follow her orders and give her all the professional courtesy they give any officer, oorah? Further, after the five-ton is fully detail cleaned they will assist in sealing it against environmental factors in a manner consistent with Nuclear, Biological and Chemical procedures to ensure no trace of exterior infection can enter the five-ton while in movement. Any further questions on that will be directed to the ensign, Staff Sergeant Decker. No questions from any personnel as to the precise nature of this mission will be entertained. Is that all clear, Staff Sergeant Barnard?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Barnard said. She had her professional mien on but she was clearly curious.
“Staff Sergeant Decker?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Decker said, his face wooden.
“Ah,” Faith said. “Staff Sergeant Decker, anybody can sweep an island for infected. Both the colonel and I, independently, chose you for the mission of making sure that there is not one single influenza virus on the interior of that five-ton. You were not, in other words, left out of the fun of continuing to kill zombies. You were the only one trusted enough to be sure that the job was done right. I am aware that you’ve been counseled that at a certain point things are as good as they are going to get. In this case, that does not hold, Staff Sergeant. There is no such thing as ‘too clean’ for the interior of that vehicle. Are we clear, Staff Sergeant?”
“Aye, aye, ma’am,” Decker said, relaxing ever so slightly. It was clear that he really didn’t care why he was being given an order to GI a five-ton as long as it wasn’t because he was considered incompetent to lead troops in combat in the dark.
“In that case, Staff Sergeant Barnard, it is time for you to go round up my devil dogs and git it on,” Faith said, grinning ferally. “We shall have the joy of glorious battle upon this glorious night. Ain’t nothin’ better than fighting zombies on an island in the dark. Yuh git in scrums that way.”
“Ahayt!” Faith bellowed as she approached the Marines assembled on the back deck of the Grace Tan. She had her full “liner” clearance gear on, her helmet under her arm and her gas mask pushed back on her head. It was hot as shit. And she’d worn it so much in so many hot spots she’d almost started to not notice. “Listen up, Devil Dogs! We are going to have a party tooo-night! Commander’s intent. We shall attract and eliminate every motherfucking zombie on this motherfucking island. We shall do that by using light and sound to draw them to our position and then shooting them repeatedly until they are good infected and lie down.
“Method: The Platoon, led by their fearless leader, shall proceed by five-ton and local vehicles, previously acquired, to the Quarter. There they will disperse. Bravo Team, squad two, led by Sergeant Hoag, shall remain with the five-ton aaand their fearless leader in the Quarter as a rapid response team.