Ben turned to her, Tony, and Eric, and lifted the short-distance radio to his lips. “Jack, do you copy? Over.”
Static buzzed over to Dee.
“Receiving, over.”
“Right. Listen up, Renegades. Radar is down. We have unfriendly ships coming in. I suspect, from the class, that they are Indonesian. Why they are here, we don’t know, so for now they are to be treated as hostile. Colonel Mahana has ordered us down the mountain. We are to proceed to Kiwiriki Bay, where a chopper will extract us. We shall then proceed to Mayor Island, where we are to improve the fortifications in case of hostilities. Jack, stay put. We are coming to you. In the interim, plot the most direct route to the LZ. We have 90 minutes. Understood?”
A chorus of “Yes Sir” answered. Ben’s eyes meet Dee’s, concern showing in his usually twinkling eyes. He grasped Dee’s shoulder. “Move out, soldier.”
Dee gave him a tight-lipped smile as she hoisted her pack onto her shoulders and positioned her weapons. She tried to adjust her raincoat to keep the cold drizzling rain from dripping down her neck, but after a few attempts she gave up and concentrated on keeping her feet from slipping on the rocks scattered on the mountain pass.
Here we go again.
Jack stretched out his tired legs as he waited for the other Renegades to reach his position. He watched the approaching Indonesian Navy ships warily, their silhouettes looming ever closer to island. The whole situation bothered him. If it was indeed the Indonesians, why the hell were they here in New Zealand? The mainland was gone, overtaken by the Variants. He had heard rumours of failed operations the Americans had attempted in eradicating the Variants hordes from the vast landmass of continental United States. Jack tugged on his ear and wiped some of the rain off his neck.
Musing over his concerns, Jack pulled out his map of the mountain and double-checked the route he had found. He remembered a hiking trip to Great Barrier Island some years ago. Some gloriously sunny days had been spent exploring the old timber trails. The island had a rich history in logging kauri trees, and the hardy loggers had left some long-forgotten trails snaking their way down rocky valleys. The kauri tree was a much-prized piece of timber. Tall, straight, and strong, it soared above the other trees in the forest. Now only a few pockets remained, standing as they always had, sentinels, watching the world. Jack could just imagine when Captain Cook and his crew first saw the majestic trees. They’d immediately valued them for masts on their tall ships. He shook his head at the short-sightedness of the early settlers and their relentless pursuit of the timber.
So few remain… a bit like us.
Jack risked a quick flash of his light to check he had the correct compass bearing. He secured his map away and took up a covering position, overlooking the trail. A faint scrape over the light patter of the rain alerting him to the approach of his fellow Renegades. His heart skipped a beat as he recognised the petite frame of Dee emerging out of the darkness, her Katana poking out from her pack and her rifle slung on her shoulder within easy reach. Their eyes met, and Jack couldn’t help but grin. Those eyes gazing at him always softened his mood, picking him up when he needed it most.
Dee reached out as she came up beside him and grasped his hand. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.” Jack placed a hand on her waist and drew her into an embrace, kissing her on the nape of her neck. “I’m sorry about being a grumpy.”
Dee kissed him back, her warm lips lingering on his cheek. “Thanks, Jack. It’s us till the end, remember?”
Jack nodded. “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. Till the end.” He smiled at her as he disengaged from the hug. He gazed back down the track, watching as the Joneses joined them. Ben brought up the rear, his long beard slinking out of the night like a glowworm waiting for its prey. Jack tilted his head in acknowledgement, meeting his gaze.
“What have you got for us, Jack?”
“I found us an old logging trail. It cuts down through the valley before meeting up with that river we crossed. That should take us to Kiwiriki Bay and the LZ.” Jack indicated with his arm the direction he was talking about.
Ben took his hand off his rifle and clasped Jack’s shoulder. “Nice work, Jack.”
Ben then turned to face the other Renegades. “All right. We maintain radio discipline and keep our torches off. When we get to the valley floor, we can switch them on. Tread carefully, Renegades, I don’t want any injuries or delays. And be ready for any hostiles, human or Variant.”
They all answered with a quiet “Yes, Sir.”
Jack caught Tony smirking at him holding Dee’s hand. “Do the love-birds want to get a nice room first?” said Tony.
Dee reached out and punched him in the arm. Tony grabbed her arm and twisted it. Dee pivoted around, sweeping her leg out. The muscled soldier tumbled to the ground, surprise etched on his face. Standing over the now-prone gunner, Dee replied, “I know you and Eric want one, but it will have to wait.” She turned back to Jack, grinning from ear to ear. He couldn’t help the laugh barking out. The other Renegades joined in. The muscled Tony was no match for Dee’s speed.
Still chortling at Dee’s witty remark, Jack adjusted the rifle on his shoulder and moved past the Joneses to the front, with Dee following behind. He turned his head, looking Ben in the eyes.
Ben gave him a quick nod. “Lead on, McDuff.”
Jack turned, wiping at the rain dripping down his temple, and trudged into the gloom. The Renegades followed silently.
FIVE
The chaotic sounds of the battle bounced around between the buildings as Boss raced towards the games room. He glanced left and right, searching for Variants, his Glock 17 held up like Ben had taught him. He reached the corner of the building and peered around it. A square of light shone on the ground in front of him. Shadows of figures danced in the open window. He peered through the darkness towards the front of the building. The constant gunfire was rattling him. He took some deep breaths and adjusted his new leg, trying to find a comfortable spot. It was throbbing after only a few moments. He should have grabbed his crutches; now was really not the time to test out his prosthetic. Boss looked once more at the window and went through the actions in his mind. He pushed off with his good leg and ran to the window. He knocked the gun against the glass and peered in. One of the figures turned and, seeing him, ran over. Boss mimed for her to open the window, but the girl looked back at him, terror plastered across her cherub face. She shook her head. Peering deeper into the room, he saw the blonde hair of Beth shining. He rapped louder on the window, praying she would hear.
Boss was struggling to come to terms with what was happening. After a month of peace and solitude, his world had come crashing down again. He thought he had left the monsters behind on that mountain. He had paid for his escape with his lower leg cruelly ripped away. If the chopper hadn’t arrived, and if courageous George hadn’t stabbed his little screwdriver into the Trophy King, he wouldn’t be standing here now. He needed to repay his life debt to George.
The rat-a-tat-tat of the machine guns reached him. Boss looked up and slammed his gun against the glass, cracking it. Beth turned at the noise and stared at Boss. Wide eyed, she nodded her head and grasped the shoulders of the children next to her.
A screech echoed out, and Boss turned to the noise. Three Variants scampered down the small alley, their reptilian eyes glowing in the night. Boss raised his gun, aiming for the head of the middle one. It glared back at him, as if daring him to fire. Boss squeezed the trigger. A black arc of gunk sprayed out behind it as the bullet tore through its skull. The other two Variants sprang off the ground in opposite directions. They used the buildings on either side like springboards and bounced off, leaping at Boss. He raised his Glock at one and got off a round, dropping it. Pain raced up his good leg as he was lifted off the ground and slammed into the building behind him. The children inside screamed. The Variant on top of Boss howled, and spat thick gobbets of sludgy goo onto him. He desperately tried to bring his gun up and fire it, but the Variant knocked it aside, howling.