Zombie Theorem (Book 2): The Siege Read online

  Zombie Theorem

  The Siege

  Book 2

  By James Wallace

  Dedicated as always to My wife Julie, and our awesome kids. Thanks for always pushing me to follow my passion. Love you guys!

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  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment upon purchase. This eBook may not be traded or sold to other people. If you want to share this book with others, please purchase an additional copy. If you are reading this but did not purchase it, please return it to where you got it from. Thanks respecting this author’s work.

  Please don’t forget to leave a review! Authors rely on you, the reader, to help widen their audience through word of mouth and feedback. Getting stars and good reviews help us on our way.

  Thank you for reading!

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  Thank you to the following, whom without I would never have published book 1 or book 2. Tanay Williams, my best friend, I can’t live without her. The Allen brother’s Will and M.C., Mike Evans, Ian Smith, Laura Jarvis, Chase P Weggeland, Bobby Akart and all the people on Facebook group Committed Authors and Readers only. The people here are life savers and a great source for new and existing authors. To my Beta Readers Leslie Bryant and Jon Spielman thank you for all your help, support, and kind words. I cannot forget my friend Christy Thornbrugh and her help with the release party and her awesome patches.

  J Wallace’s Author Page on Facebook

  You can contact the Author by emailing him at: [email protected]

  © 2016 James Wallace, All Rights Reserved.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 1

  I slowly became aware I was alive when pain flooded through my body. I dragged myself out of that dark hole in my head, yet my eyes remained closed. I think someone glued them shut… now why would they have done that? “I know you’re awake. Let me get this cloth off your eyes.” The voice was a man’s voice, and, boy was it rough and deep. It surprised the hell out of me.

  I felt the cloth being removed from my face, and the light surprised me. Hell, it blinded me and made me squint like I had a supreme hangover. After blinking a bunch of times, the scene around me slowly cleared. I could make out a mountain of a bearded man looking down at me. “Shit, you know how fucked up it is to wake up to your ugly mug?” I croaked out. Then the coughing started as I tried to sit up. And pain, lots and lots of pain.

  “Whoa, Boss, take it easy man. You’ll rip out your pretty new stitches. Here, let me help you up.” Brian cradled me in his arms, as if I was a toddler, and helped me into a semi sitting position. He handed me a canteen. “Drink that slowly.” I brought the canteen to my lips and sipped the warm water, letting it trickle over my tongue and down my throat. After a bunch more pain and another coughing fit, I finally felt a little more comfortable.

  I was sitting up on a hospital gurney. As I looked around, I found I recognized this place. It was the tent lab at the camp we had invaded. I saw others on gurneys being attended by medics or asleep. I looked up at Brian. “Want to tell me how I am still alive?”

  “You are one lucky, or crazy, son of a bitch. I can’t figure out which! That’s how,” a female’s voice answered from behind me.

  I turned my head slightly and looked back. Apache was standing there with a cup of something hot and shaking her head at me. “Although if you hadn’t been a crazy bastard, Senshi would not be alive. So there’s that.”

  “Son, you surprised and scared the shit out of all of us.” Kuppers and Vic came up from behind Brian.

  “Thanks Kuppers. But is anyone going to answer my damn question? How am I still alive? What happened?” I was getting a little heated and had a headache that was threatening to blow my eyes out of my head.

  “Calm down, little guy. Gee, you put a gun in his hand and he thinks he’s hot shit.” Cupcake entered the group and conversation. It was starting to feel good seeing the team show up.

  “While you were playing action star, Captain Phillips was able to call in two AH-64 Apache attack helicopters that had lifted off from Sacramento and charged here at full speed. They blew the shit out of the APCs and knocked down both Blackhawks. The explosions from their hellfire missiles are what threw you through the air like a rag doll. You took a couple of rounds, my man. One into the armor on your back, and the other went through the outside of your left bicep.” Kuppers produced a dented helmet and handed it to me. “And that took the brunt of a chunk of armor blown off of one of the APCs. If your helmet hadn’t done its job, then you’d be under a tarp waiting to be buried at sea instead of sitting here suffering from a slight concussion.”

  “Welcome to the team by the way. Consider that battle as your initiation.” Senshi came up and patted my knee at that point. “I owe you one.”

  “Just be there when I need you, and we’ll call it even,” I answered back. What do you say when someone drops that on you? You’re welcome just doesn’t seem to cut it.

  “Hey, what about me?” a little voice called out. I looked over and saw Angel in Doc’s arms.

  “Hey, little Angel. Wish I could give you a hug, but I’m afraid I’d pass out from the pain of your Wonder Woman-like strength,” I said winking at her.

  “Wimp. Senshi took four hits to his armor and is up walking around. You take one round in your armor and one in the arm and here you are all laid out in the hospital,” Brian laughed at me.

  “I swear, Brian, if Angel wasn’t here I’d have some choice words and a special finger for you,” I shot back.

  “You really aren’t that bad, but I could see how the pain would suck for you. Hold on, I’ll get some pain killers.” Vic disappeared from the group and returned with a young medic from the NG.

  Everyone backed off and let the young man check me out. He grabbed my free uninjured bicep and injected a cocktail of vitamins and a nice little painkiller. He then checked my pupils with a penlight, gave me a small packet of pills and declared I’d be fine and could leave when I wanted to. I read that as they needed the bed for worse off cases.

  As Brian helped me off of the gurney, I noticed I didn’t have a shirt on. Oh well, I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. “Hey, Captain Phillips donated these for you for saving some of his men.” Kuppers handed over a clean undershirt, a camouflage BDU shirt with lots of pockets, and what looked like body armor. “That armor is next generation stuff; only special operators get to wear it. I have no idea how he got his hands on it. But count yourself lucky.”

  My eyes got big, and I got excited over my new gear. Brian helped to dress me since I had a problem lifting my hand over my head. I was dreading putting the armor on thinking about how heavy it was going to be. But it went on easily and was very light compared to the stuff from earlier. “Quick question: with how light this stuff is; will it protect as well as the armor that protected me from the rounds yesterday?”

  Brian laughed at me. “Yeah, boss. Probably even way better. Shouldn’t hurt as much either, since it’s designed to dissipate the kinetic energy of the rounds instead of letting your body absorb it. Just don’t go testing it.” Everyone around me laughed at my obvious pain of putting all the gear on.

  We left the tent and out into an area transformed from when I was out here last. More industrial tents were up, many more troops present, along with more helicopters of different shapes. I was amazed at the two squat looking tanks. “Someone want to explain how all this happened?”

  “Oh, we linked up with two regular Army units that had been activated by the President before they lost all communication with the Government. They picked up our radio calls and, using some of their big helos, they were able to bring in a sizable amount of equipment and soldiers. You are now looking at a refugee safe camp, aptly named Fort Stinson. A call is going out looking for survivors and for surviving military forces. Oh, and Captain Phillips has been promoted to Colonel and reactivated to the regular Air Force, as well as the rest of his command. We also have a new officer core for the regular Army, and they folded the NG guys in with them. Colonel Phillips also informed the new Army officers of what we found. The good part is they have decided to ignore any orders they are given, unless by the President himself, just in case they are coming from the Initiative,” Vic explained as we made our way toward a tan tent with two armed guards flanking either side of the opening.

  As we walked up they must’ve recognized the team because they stepped aside and saluted us. Kuppers saluted back, and we entered an environment of organized chaos. One side of the tent was packed with computers and radio equipment being manned by twenty or so men and women. The other side had what I guessed was a briefing area, set up with a table of food, coffee urns, and chairs all facing a small stage with a podium at its center.

  “Wow, this is so different from what we had before. Looks like shit just might be changing for the better finally,” I observed.

  “I agree, it’s a big change. Unfortunately, we have only been able to rescue people in ones and twos for now. But we are broadcasting a message on every civilian channel and listening in on every point on the dial.” I turned in a small circle surveying the room in awe of all that had been done. How long had I been unconscious? I thought. I found Colonel Phillips standing nearby giving orders to what seemed to be technicians, since they didn’t have a
sidearm or weren’t carrying a weapon of any kind that I could see.

  We made our way over to the newly promoted Colonel through the crowded area. As he finished with the technicians, he raised his head and noticed us. He stuck his hand out to me and I took it, giving him the firmest hand shake I could muster. “Congratulations on the promotion Colonel.”

  “Thank you, Dan. And thank you for your quick thinking the other day. You saved my men and we will not forget that.” He looked over my new gear and nodded. “Glad the new gear fits you. It’s the least I could do.”

  “Wait, did you say the other day? How long has it been since the battle?” I asked with confusion creeping into my voice.

  “You guys haven’t told him?” the Colonel asked the team. They shook their heads no. “Son, you have been out for almost three days.”

  I took a step back and had to think for a second. “Well, that makes sense with how much has changed here.” I eyed Brian and gave him a sour look. He flipped me off and gave me a lop sided grin back. I laughed and shook my head.

  “So, when are we leaving?” I asked the team.

  “We had to wait on you and Senshi to recover. I think we can leave tomorrow if everything goes well today,” Kuppers answered.

  “Wait, you guys are still going to go on your way? We could really use all your help,” a new voice piped up. First Sergeant Hinton hobbled his way to our group on a pair of crutches.

  “Sorry, but we still have our individual missions to complete,” Vic informed Hinton.

  “I get that, just feels like you guys started all this, and now you are taking off dumping it in our laps,” Hinton sounded a little defensive and a smidgeon upset.

  “First Sergeant, that’s enough. We are the military, and we are tasked to protect the American people. The SFPD ceased to exist, and if it hadn’t, I’d say that these fine men and women have done their job and beyond. You will keep that in mind. Do I make myself clear?” An older man, dressed in military BDUs stepped up just then and dressed down Hinton. He turned his attention to us and held his hand out to shake mine. “I am Brigadier General J.R. Richards, retired, formerly of the 80th Infantry Division out of Fort Hunter Liggett. I know you’re asking yourselves why a retired Brigadier General is in charge of a refugee camp. Well, I only retired two weeks ago. Most of the command structure has been decimated, along with most of the west coast. When the President ordered us to help I was on base signing some documents. When he found out I was the highest ranking official on the base he reactivated me. So here I am.” I took his hand and as he shook it, his eyes crinkled with amusement.

  “Sir, yes sir. I meant no disrespect. But if I may speak?” Hinton requested.

  “Speak your mind, but hold a civil tongue and show some respect,” the General warned.

  “Thank you, sir. What I mean to say is that without these fine people we never would’ve found out about this grievous situation and union between the so-called Initiative and the Ridder Group. We survived most of that battle and saved a number of civilians thanks to this team. I believe we would be more effective with their help then without it,” Hinton explained.

  “I see where you are coming from, First Sergeant, and appreciate your candor. But this team, as you call them, are civilians. I cannot order them to stay,” the General remarked.

  I spoke up at this point. “Gentlemen, we pretty much fell into this situation and did the best we could. We have passed over everything we know and now we are going to follow through on our promises to others. But I’m sure Kuppers will agree that these men and woman have a choice to do what they want. If they chose to join you, we would not stand in the way. But we have fought side by side through the worst imaginable battles between the dead and now the living. We are more a family now than ever before. What happens after we have fulfilled our promises has yet to be determined. Some, or all of us, may return to fight by your side.” I patted Hinton on the back.

  “I think it’s safe that Dan here has spoken for all of us,” Kuppers spoke up. He then turned to the team and offered, “If any of you believe you should stay, speak up now. None of us will hold anything against you.”

  Apache was the first to speak up after a minute of silence passed. “I may return after we are done, but until then, I think we will all answer the same.” The rest of the team nodded their heads with an agreement of her words.

  “That is more than fair, as I am sure we will all agree. But we will be sending you off with two radios, encrypted and set to our frequencies. If you change your mind, find more information, or just plain need help, call us.” The General informed, then turned his head and yelled at someone on his staff. “Corporal Jiménez, bring those radios and the packet I had you make up.”

  A young Mexican man came running up holding a small crate of communication equipment, extra batteries, and an enclosed plastic folder with the name Hondo embossed on it. He handed the crate to Vic, saluted, and made his way back to his station. “Why the name Hondo?” Vic asked.

  The General chuckled. “It was one of my favorite characters on the TV show SWAT from the late 70’s. I thought it fit nicely for a former SWAT Team.”

  “I enjoyed that show, too, General. Thank you, and if you don’t mind, can we maybe procure some supplies and fuel?” Kuppers asked.

  “First Sergeant, see to it these men get anything and everything they request. After fighting like demons for us, we should be able to find it in our hearts to help.” The General snapped off a salute at the team. What surprised me the most is that the team, including myself and Angel, saluted back. I hadn’t even thought about it; I just did it. The General chuckled again and shook each one of our hands, thanking us for all our help and walked away to deal with his staff and duties requiring his attention.

  “Just give me a list of what you need and I will see what we can do. But with a General in your back pocket, I’m sure anything you need within reason I’ll be able to get it for you,” Hinton informed us as he pointed to a computer station nearby. “That’s my desk. I will be there a lot since I have a bum leg. If I am not, my aide will be.”

  “Doc, you know what we got and what we need, so get to it. Cupcake, you know what the Beast needs. Make a list and get it to First Sergeant ASAP. We will be leaving at first light tomorrow,” Kuppers ordered and then turned and abruptly left with Vic in tow.

  “So what do we do in the mean time?” I asked Apache.

  “You, Senshi, and Angel will go spend time healing in our new bunk tent. Brian, do you mind taking them over there and getting them settled in?” Brian shook his head no and motioned for us to follow him out. “I’ll be by in a bit. I need to look into some things.”

  Brian walked us across the new Fort and over to the rear of the cafeteria. I could see a nice grey tent with the Beast parked next to it. Brian rushed up and pulled back the main flaps allowing us entry. Inside we found a hallway running down the middle of the tent with small rooms lining each side. The rooms were big enough for two people to occupy. Inside were placed two Army cots, each with their own foot locker. Angel unzipped and entered one of the rooms. “I get to share mine with Apache. She likes to play cards and is totally awesome. I’m gonna go lay down. I’m tired.” She then ran back out and hugged my waist tight. “I’m very happy you are ok. Goodnight,” she said and ran back into her room.

  Brian showed Senshi to his room, which he would be sharing with Doc. “Excellent. He doesn’t snore like Cupcake. I am tired and am going to take my medicine and pass out now. Wake me for food.” He closed the flap to his room and soon could be heard climbing onto his cot.

  Brian walked down to the end and opened a flap. “We get to share a room. I made sure of it. Since I am so damn big I get to sleep on the floor ‘cause these damn cots are made for little guys like you. By the way I was able to find some extra padding for you. I know you must be hurting, man. I saw your bruises; they cover your entire back.”

  “Thank you, sweetie, but Brian didn’t I tell you I don’t swing that way?” I ribbed him and slowly lowered myself onto my cot, wincing at the pain in my back and arm.

  “Funny. Anyway, I told you I like men not little boys,” he said seriously, giving me a death stare. He then smiled and opened his hands. “Need help getting that armor off so you can lay down boss?”