UNSCDF2 Chapter 28- Unexpected Events

San Francisco, California, USA

UNSC San Francisco Outpost

April 21, 2001

0900 Local Time

            “Take a look at this Sarah.” Fisher pointed at her computer.

            Sarah stood up from her desk and slowly walked to Fisher’s desk and sat down beside her. On the monitor was a report filled with numbers and many words.

            “What’s this?” Sarah studied.

            “Your field report. Well, it includes your performance as well.” Fisher answered.

            “How did I do?” Sarah looked at the numbers.

            “Outstanding.” Fields interrupted from behind as she patted Sarah’s back.

            “I didn’t know you were marking my performance. Had I known…I would have put more effort.” Sarah joked.

            “No, I wanted to see the natural Sarah. You don’t need to impress me at all.” Fields laughed.

            “Any things that needed improvement on?” Sarah asked.

            “Yeah, you have to stop being so professional with your guns.” Fields teased.

            “Hahaha. No, seriously.” Sarah laughed heartily.

            “Well…there’s one thing…” Fields looked away.

            “What Fields? Tell me…” Sarah demanded.

            “I wasn’t sure if it was me or it was nothing too big of a deal.” Fields scratched his head.

            “Tell me.” Sarah nudged Fields gently.

            “Sarah, remember the time we barricaded in the room?” Fields questioned.

            “Yeah? What about it?” Sarah asked with a blank face.

            “Well, you froze for a second in thought and then asked for a way out that wasn’t from the windows. Why?” Fields replied.

            “Um, please refresh me.” Sarah looked at the ceiling in thought.

            “You said that you had a bad feeling.” Fields reminded.

            “Oh that…I remember.” Sarah’s face turned to sadness.

            “Everything okay?” Fields noticed the expressions of Sarah’s face change.

            “Yeah, it just reminded me of something that happened back in Australia.” Sarah sighed.

            “What happened?” Fields asked sympathetically.

            “A few years back, I had a police officer who trained me.” Sarah remembered Taylor’s face.

            “Is this the Officer Taylor White you are referring to?” Fisher interrupted.

            “Yeah…” Sarah nodded.

            “Please continue.” Fields spoke softly.

            “Well…you know about Taylor and that he died. That was only half the truth. The full truth is that I had to kill him. He got infected and had serious wounds. It was only a matter of time before he turned…” Sarah spoke and then paused as a tear trickled down her face.

            “If it’s that hard for you, don’t tell us.” Fields reassured.

            “No, you guys deserve to know the truth. As Taylor was nearing his death, he asked me to kill him and I didn’t have a choice. The day I killed him was the same day we were in training. We had barricaded in a room and found out that he had been bitten. As we looked for a way out, the windows were our only option. The events after escaping from the windows only sealed Taylor’s fate with the zombies.” Sarah took a tissue from Fisher’s desk and wiped her face.

            “I’m so sorry.” Fields replied sympathetically.

            “Sorry Sarah.” Fisher gave Sarah a hug.

            “I need some time alone.” Sarah stood up from her seat and got out of the office.

            Sarah didn’t want to hear what Fields or Fisher was going to say as she left so she ran down the hall without looking back. After a few minutes of running, she reached her quarters and sat on the bed. She felt alone and she wished her husband was with her.

            “Mike always had a way of helping me cope.” Sarah thought as she lay on the bed.

            Sarah could imagine her husband beside her in the bed. The warm smile he always gave her everyday she woke up always made her felt happy with her life. The attention Mike gave her each day made her living in the Outpost more enjoyable and carefree of the apocalypse outside. Sarah reached for the photo frame on the drawer opposite side of the bed and looked at the photo. She missed his company and his love. Sarah touched Mike’s face on the photo and smiled as tears trickled down her warm face. Sarah then hugged the photo and closed her eyes.

            “I love you.” Sarah whispered as she fell asleep.

Erazi, Kandahar, Afghanistan

Russian Communications Outpost

April 21, 2001

1015 Local Time

            “The two of you will be stationed here now with the other professionals. We are receiving lots of valuable Intel from their RaidComm and we need you to help us put some pieces of the puzzle together.” Dimitri spoke to Timothy and Miller as they entered a room filled with computers and three Russian soldiers listening on the radios.

            “Ok.” Timothy replied.

            “Sergeant Nikolai!” Dimitri called out.

            A muscular tall man with stubble stood up from his desk and approached Dimitri.

            “Yes sir?” the man greeted.

            “Nikolai, these are ex UNSC marines. Give them a desk so they can assist in monitoring the RaidComm transmissions.” Dimitri ordered.

            “Understood.” Nikolai nodded.

            “That will be all.” Dimitri walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

           “Are you the marines who allowed us to overhear the UNSC?” Nikolai asked as he led the marines to a vacant desk.

            “Yes, it was my lieutenant.” Timothy replied.

            “We’ve got so many things thanks to you.” Nikolai looked pleased.

            “What do you have so far?” Miller asked.

            “Well, we have the location of the Secronom Research Facility. We also know that there is an air shaft to access the facility without encountering the sentry guns. Also, we know the Control Room is in B215.” Nikolai reported.

            “Have you heard from Vladamir’s team or Sasha’s team that Dimitri sent out?” Timothy asked.

            “We only heard back from Sasha before he entered the shaft. You see, our radios are not that good compared to the UNSC.” Nikolai laughed.

            “What did Sasha have to report?” Miller was curious.

            “Sergeant Sasha mentioned about the UNSC setting a camp up nearby the air shaft.” Nikolai answered.

            “Well...isn’t that easy…” Miller replied sarcastically.

            “It is when Reid and the others are with the UNSC.” Timothy assured.

            “Yes, a very good deception you guys have done. I used to think the double agents tactic was extinct after the zombie apocalypse.” Nikolai agreed.

            “Not yet…it still works.” Timothy smiled.

            “Alright gentlemen, let’s get back to work.” Nikolai pointed at two headsets on the desk.

            Both Timothy and Miller picked up the headsets and sat in their desks while Nikolai went back to his desk. Miller listened carefully in his headset and heard almost little to no chatter.

            “Hear anything?” Miller nudged Timothy.

            “Some. It seems like the UNSC is about to prepare for another exploration.” Timothy turned his speakers on.

            “Lieutenant, is your team all set?” a woman spoke on the RaidComm.

            “Hold on May, let’s make sure we have all our things packed.” another woman replied.

            “If it’s alright with you Forester, I would like to take my team out first.” May spoke.

            “Yeah, sure. Go on ahead and while you’re at it, set up the ropes.” Forester replied back.

            Miller and Timothy listened to the speakers as Nikolai walked up behind them.

            “Status?” Nikolai asked.

            “Sergeant May’s team is heading to the shaft. Their Lieutenant Forester is arriving a bit later.” Timothy reported.

            Suddenly, the speakers buzzed with gunshots in the background.

            “Camp, this is May’s team. We’re near the air shaft, but the Russians are already here. Request backup. Repeat, request backup!” May spoke on the RaidComm with surprise in her voice.

            “Finally, the Russians stroll in.” Nikolai laughed.

            “Indeed.” Timothy nodded in agreement.