Downtown
Kandahar, Kandahar,
Afghanistan
521
Apartments
May
10, 2001
1545
Local Time
Zyrok opened his heavy eyelids while
his head throbbed with pain. He moaned and looked around to see where he was.
It was the same room which he had entered to find the girl. As Zyrok tried to
touch his head, he realized that his hands were tied to his back against a
table. Suddenly, a little girl with black smudges on her face approached Zyrok
with a golf club.
“No, don’t!” Zyrok shouted as the
girl lifted the club.
The girl stopped and studied him
like a toy. She nudged Zyrok’s legs with the club and watched for a reaction.
However, Zyrok decided to remain calm even though he could have easily snatched
the golf club with his feet.
“It’s okay…it’s okay.” Zyrok
reassured with a soft smile.
The girl walked up beside Zyrok’s
backpack on the ground and searched it. She pulled out a bag of mixed nuts and
examined it.
“Go ahead, you can eat it.” Zyrok
studied the girl’s movements as he attempted to wriggle his hands free from the
ropes.
As the girl opened the bag of nuts
and sniffed it, Zyrok slowly loosened the knots. The girl put one nut in her
mouth to taste and then quickly stuffed the remaining contents into her mouth.
“This girl is hungry.” Zyrok thought
as he managed to pull one hand free.
In a split second, Zyrok pulled
himself free and quickly stood up. The girl cried and snatched her club, but
Zyrok was faster and yanked the club out of the young girl’s hands. Upon
realizing what had happened, the girl cried and ran to a corner as Zyrok
blocked her escape. She covered her face and huddled in the corner whimpering
in fear.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Zyrok
crouched and threw the golf club away.
She shivered and covered her eyes.
She was terrified and her breathing speed increased.
“Hey…hey. I’m a soldier and I’m not
going to hurt you.” Zyrok said in a soft voice.
Zyrok sat on the ground next to the
girl and looked at her. She was young and her parents were probably dead or had
become zombies. Zyrok looked around the room and saw a picture frame. He picked
it up and saw the girl with a man and a woman behind her.
“Is this you?” Zyrok held the
picture close to the girl.
The girl removed her hands from her
face and looked shyly.
“You got a name? I’m Zyrok, can you talk?”
Zyrok spoke quietly.
She nodded her head and looked at
the photo. Tears streamed down her face as she studied the photograph.
“It’s alright. It’s okay.” Zyrok
slowly made his way to the girl and comforted her with a hug.
“Everything’s going to be okay now.”
Zyrok whispered.
The girl sobbed and hugged Zyrok
tightly as tears dripped from her face. Zyrok patted her on the back and
released his embrace. He looked at the girl and wiped her face with his shirt
sleeve.
“There, you’re all clean. Don’t cry,
you are so pretty.” Zyrok cleaned the girl’s face.
The girl smiled shyly and touched
her cheeks. Zyrok knew the girl wasn’t a local because of her skin color and
her hair.
“You’re not from here aren’t you?”
Zyrok asked.
Within a second, she reached into a
pocket and produced an ID card. Zyrok took the card and examined what it wrote.
“Your parents worked at the British
embassy?” Zyrok examined the card.
A nod was all it took to acknowledge
and answer Zyrok’s question. Zyrok knew that their chances of survival
increased drastically if there was an embassy. There was going to be food,
water, shelter, and defenses. If he was lucky, he might be able to contact the
UNSC.
“Where’s the embassy?” Zyrok asked
politely.
The girl pointed at the window and
Zyrok stood up to see where she was pointing. From the height of the current
building, Zyrok noticed a fancy structure with a British flag on the room. The
only problem was that the building was dark and smoke came out of it.
“Did you come from there?” Zyrok
pointed at the embassy.
She nodded with a scared face and
Zyrok understood what she had experienced.
“Do you have food or water?” Zyrok
looked around the room.
Zyrok watched as the girl ran into a
closet and pulled out a small bag. Inside the bag were two bags of candy and
one bottle of water.
“Can I drink some water? I haven’t
drank in a while.” Zyrok pointed at the water.
The girl opened the bottle and
handed it to Zyrok with an uncertain look. Zyrok took the bottle graciously and
poured a bit into his dry mouth.
“Thanks.” Zyrok thanked as he handed
the bottle back.
“Look, I’m going to go to the
embassy to see if I can get us some supplies.” Zyrok walked across the room to
pick up his kukri and Desert Fox on the ground.
He turned to the entrance and began
to remove the barricade.
“Don’t go…” the girl spoke in a
pleading voice.
“Oh…so you talk.” Zyrok turned his
head.
“Yeah…” the girl nodded.
“What’s your name?” Zyrok asked.
“Sarah.” the girl responded.
The name hit Zyrok like a train and
he froze. His facial expressions changed and he stopped in his tracks.
Clifton, Karachi,
Pakistan
UNSC
Cobra Squad’s Camp
May
10, 2001
1550
Local Time
Hariprasad fell to the ground and
tried to move away from the sea of hands. One zombie grabbed his leg and sank
its teeth into the flesh.
“Argh!” Hariprasad screamed in pain.
Suddenly, a few shots came from
behind him followed by the sounds of heavy footsteps. Bullets whizzed past
Hariprasad and struck the zombies.
“You alright?” Parker rushed over
with her MSG-9 rifle.
“Hell, I’m bit.” Hariprasad looked
at his left leg with a bloody bite mark.
“Hold on.” Parker pulled out a medic
kit from her belt and took out a roll of bandages.
Hariprasad winced in pain as Parker
sprayed an antiseptic spray on the wound. Hariprasad knew he hadn’t taken the
nanite shot and that only High Command issued to key members.
“I’m not going to make it…right?”
Hariprasad stared at his leg.
Frederick and Sears rushed out of
the building with guns in their hands and knelt beside the injured marine.
“You alright?” Sears asked with
concern.
“No Sarge.” Hariprasad pointed at
his leg as Parker was applying pressure to the wound.
“What happened?” Frederick looked at the dead zombies.
“Turned a corner and they were
there.” Hariprasad pointed at the edge of the structure.
“Damn it. Do you have nanites?” Frederick asked.
“No, do you have the shots?”
Hariprasad looked worried.
“No…I think it’s on UNSC Perth.” Frederick waved her hand
behind her.
“Yeah, it is in the medic bay on the
ship.” Parker added.
“Take him onto the Falcon and
airlift him out of here.” Sears pointed at the roof.
“Problem…when I was up there, UNSC
Perth sent a transmission saying it can’t allow the Falcon to land due to
weather.” Frederick
pointed at the distant stormy clouds.
“Aw hell, what are our options?”
Sears crossed his arms in frustration.
“Um…” Hariprasad looked lost.
“Let’s bring him inside and figure
out our options. It will be a while till we get reinforcements.” Frederick waved.
“Agreed.” Sears assisted Hariprasad
to his feet.
Parker walked a few meters and
picked up the M16 Hariprasad had dropped while Frederick assisted by opening the doors.
“How long do I have before I turn?”
Hariprasad spoke with a groan.
“Listen, I’m not going to let you
turn.” Sears reassured.
“I’m the first casualty and we
haven’t even found Zyrok.” Hariprasad chuckled weakly.
As the pair continued walking,
Parker and Frederick assisted by opening the doors. Suddenly Hariprasad stopped
talking and collapsed to the floor.
“He’s unconscious.” Sears checked
the pulse of his comrade.
“Don’t you die on me Hariprasad.” Frederick shook her head
in frustration.