UNSCDF3 Chapter 14- Experienced Soldiers

Downtown Kandahar, Kandahar, Afghanistan

British Embassy

May 12, 2001

1400 Local Time

            “Almost done yet?” Sarah shouted from outside the room.

            Zyrok stood in the shower as warm water trickled down his dirty body. The pair had managed to find a section of the embassy that was untouched with the facilities still running. He had been showering for well over ten minutes in the change room with Sarah keeping guard outside.

            “You’ll get your turn Sarah!” Zyrok hollered.

            “You’re going to use up all the water!” Sarah pouted.

            Zyrok ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to straighten his hair. He grabbed a nearby soap and applied it to his arms. Dirt and blood turned the soap into brown bubbly foam and dripped to the ground. The hot water splashed against the ground and created a little steam and some condensation on the walls. Zyrok was relaxed and almost carefree. This was the break that he had been looking for ever since he was out in Afghanistan by himself. The shower was washing his past behind him and a new sense of hope renewed his strength. Feeling satisfied, Zyrok turned off the shower and stepped out whilst grabbing a towel. The hot water had warmed up the air and the room that was cold was no longer more.

            “Sarah, I’m done.” Zyrok dried himself with the towel and grabbed a new set of clothes hanging on the wall in front of him.

            It was a standard dress shirt and trousers he had acquired from one of the lockers. The shirt was a good fit, but the pants were too short. They were clean so Zyrok wore the trousers with a smirk.

            “Maybe I’ll find another one later.” Zyrok buttoned his dress shirt.

            Zyrok walked to the door while drying his hair with a towel. Sarah was sitting down on a bench swinging her legs with her arms crossed.

            “Finally.” Sarah jumped up.

            “Don’t take too long.” Zyrok watched as Sarah closed the door.

            He sat down on the bench and looked at a fully loaded M16 and Lock 17 he had found on one of the corpses. He removed the magazine from the M16 and looked inside the gun. He pulled the firing mechanism back and began to disassemble it for cleaning. He was bored and had nothing else to do than to sit and wait until Sarah was done taking a shower. From the corner of his eye, the main door into the change room creaked open a bit and closed back.

            “Hello?” Zyrok stood up and held the Lock 17 in front of him.

            The only sound Zyrok could hear was the sound of the shower and Sarah quietly humming in a melodious tune. Zyrok quickly holstered his sidearm and began to reassemble the M16. He wasn’t going to scout, but he wanted to be prepared to defend in the event that something did occur. In his gut feeling, something wasn’t feeling right. As Zyrok placed the magazine back into the M16 and cocked it, the lights suddenly turned off. Sarah cried out loud and Zyrok quickly pushed the door to the shower room open. Keeping his face forward to the main door, he turned on his flashlight and shone it behind him without looking.

            “Sarah, get dressed quickly. Get my flashlight.” Zyrok clicked on his flashlight on and off.

            “Ok.” Sarah whispered.

            Zyrok could feel Sarah’s wet hands touch his as she took the flashlight from behind him.

            “Close the door and get dressed.” Zyrok walked forward to allow Sarah to close the shower room door.

            Once the door clicked shut and Sarah was getting dressed, Zyrok steadied his M16 and slowly walked to the main door. Something wasn’t right about the door because of the shadows underneath it. It didn’t seem like the walking of an infected, but rather of a trained soldier preparing to clear a room. As Zyrok walked a step closer, he heard a beeping sound and he quickly turned his head just in time as the door exploded.

            “Sarah! Run!” Zyrok shouted as he rolled for cover.

            Just as Zyrok had expected, the Russians had somehow found them in the British Embassy. Maybe, there were soldiers already stationed here and that is why the facilities worked. Zyrok stuck his head out of cover behind the lockers and heard a series of gunshots. He ducked back into cover and looked at his weapons. He was no match for the Russians, but he had to protect Sarah. He slid to the next cover while spraying a light cover. A flashbang grenade rolled onto the ground in front of him and he quickly covered his eyes. The deafening bang briefly stunned Zyrok, but he quickly recovered just in time to shoot his gun at a Russian soldier.

            “Sarah! Run!” Zyrok shouted again as he saw more soldiers pour in.

            The room was lit up by the firing of guns and a smoke grenade which the Russians had tossed in. Zyrok coughed loudly and attempted to maintain his alertness. Suddenly, he heard a scream from behind him.

            “Sarah.” Zyrok immediately thought and had his eyes filled with fear.

            Using Sarah’s scream as his focus, Zyrok dashed into the change room and noticed a soldier holding Sarah and muffling her screams of help. Zyrok pointed his gun at the soldier and noticed he had a combat knife to her throat.

            “Let her go.” Zyrok commanded angrily.

            “Drop your weapon or I slit her throat.” the Russian soldier countered.

            “She’s just a child.” Zyrok held his gun firmly.

            A pistol click was heard at the back of Zyrok’s head. Before, he was about to shoot Sarah’s captor, but now he didn’t stand a chance to attempt a rescue.

            “You are a coward.” Zyrok felt his finger tingle on the trigger.

            “No, I’m a Russian and I don’t bluff.” the Russian pressed the blade on the neck of Sarah.

            From Sarah’s eyes, she was scared and unsure of what to do. The blade had cut the outer layer of her skin and a trickle of blood oozed onto the knife. Zyrok had no choice but to surrender.

            “Alright, don’t hurt her please. I’ll drop the gun.” Zyrok removed his finger off the trigger.

            “On the floor and kick your gun away.” the soldier ordered.

            Zyrok listened obediently and placed the M16 to the ground. Then, he kicked it with one foot and held his hands up.

            “Done.” Zyrok announced.

            Sarah’s eyes widened in horror as she saw something come up behind Zyrok. A Russian bashed his gun at the back of Zyrok’s head and knocked him out cold. Sarah tried to scream, but her mouth was covered. No one was going to protect her from the Russians now. She watched as two soldiers dragged Zyrok’s body out of the room and then saw another soldier with a cloth. Before she knew what was happening, the soldier gagged her mouth and placed a black hood over her head.

UNSCDF3 Chapter 6- Reaching Out

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.

UNSCDF3 Chapter 5- Girl in the Dark

Downtown Kandahar, Kandahar, Afghanistan

Zyrok’s Hideout

May 10, 2001

1000 Local Time

            Zyrok woke up with blurry vision obscuring his surroundings. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. He looked at the Desert Fox pistol beside him and turned around.

            “Am I dead?” Zyrok stood up and looked around.

            He remembered the previous night where he held the gun to his head and that was it. Darkness and vague memories followed after. Maybe he had passed out from the lack of water. Zyrok walked to a counter and picked up a water bottle. He placed the bottle to his dry lips and only tasted a few drops.

            “I’m not dead…not yet.” Zyrok told himself as he licked his lips.

            Zyrok decided to go on one last loot run to try his luck.

            “If I don’t find anything, I’m done. I quit.” Zyrok pulled out the photo of Sarah and said with a straight face.

            There had been various times where he would talk to the photo as if she was with him and days where he’d break down to tears. The photo of Sarah had kept him going, but it wasn’t going to last forever. With a sigh, Zyrok slung an empty backpack and holstered his sidearm. He exited his hideout and headed to the apartments he was in the day before. He didn’t search the whole building so he decided to finish the remaining floors. After a few minutes of walking in the shade of various buildings, Zyrok reached the building marked “521 Apartments”. He headed for the stairwell and quickly got to the fifth floor. As he reached the door exiting the stairwell, he pulled out his kukri and clicked on his flashlight. With a gentle push, he opened the door and readied himself.

            “Shit.” Zyrok muttered as his flashlight suddenly dimmed as he scanned the halls.

            Zyrok hit the flashlight against his side hoping to keep the light working. The impact only made it worse and the batteries died. The darkness quickly took over and engulfed him. Zyrok placed the flashlight to his belt and pulled out his Desert Fox sidearm. A knife in one hand and a pistol in the other, Zyrok slowly walked forward letting his eyes adjust to the colorless environment. He noticed a body lying on the ground in front of him and slowly made his way past it by sliding next to the walls. Once he saw the first room, he pushed it open and walked inside. Zyrok noticed the blinds covering the sunlight and quickly ran and opened them. A stream of light illuminated the room and temporary blinded Zyrok. As Zyrok shielded his eyes from the glaring sun, he noticed a figure standing at the door. It was a little girl dress in worn out clothes. Zyrok raised his pistol towards the girl, but the girl ran away into the dark halls.

            “Wait!” Zyrok shouted as he realized the girl was human and not a zombie.

            “God damn it.” Zyrok cursed as he chased after the girl.

            As much as the complete darkness in the halls scared Zyrok, he had to find her. She was probably the only living thing he had seen in a while.

            “Hello? Hello?” Zyrok called out holding both weapons closely to his body in case anything jumped out at him.

            A series of footsteps was heard in front of him followed by the closing of a door. Zyrok quickened his pace and came across a damaged door. He turned the handle, but it was locked.

            “Hey, I know you are in here. I’m not going to hurt you.” Zyrok knocked on the door.

            Zyrok attempted to wedge the door open, but it appeared to be barricaded.

            “Please open the door. I’m not a zombie and I’m not bitten.” Zyrok pushed the door with his body.

            Zyrok turned his head behind him and noticed a couple of figures limping towards him.

            “Aw hell…” Zyrok heard the moaning of zombies as the figures got closer.

            “There are zombies coming now. I’m going to break the door down.” Zyrok placed his pistol into his holster.

            Zyrok kicked the door with all his might and the frame cracked. A zombie leapt behind him, but Zyrok took a step to the side and impaled the kukri into its eye. Zyrok quickly turned to the door and did another kick, only this time, the door caved in. A small cry was heard in the room as Zyrok crawled in. Once he was in, he quickly pushed a few tables and cabinets to block the entrance.

            “Hey, where are you?” Zyrok looked in the dark room.

            A faint growl was heard outside and Zyrok assessed his barricade. It was going to hold for a while. Just as Zyrok turned to look at the room, a blur of darkness came and hit him right in the head. Zyrok cried out briefly and was knocked out cold unconscious of what hit him.

Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan

UNSC Cobra Squad’s Camp

May 10, 2001

1500 Local Time

            “Comms are functional Lieutenant.” Parker looked at a computer screen.

            “Good. What are those crates?” Frederick pointed at some metal crates marked “UNSC”.

            “Food supply. I’d say we can last two weeks with that.” Parker replied.

            “Hey Johnson, do you have a tactical map?” Sears searched some boxes.

            “There are more crates on the roof. Try up there.” Daniels pointed up as he placed a box on a desk.

            “LT, what can I do?” Hariprasad asked.

            “Go help your Sarge move the crates down here.” Frederick answered as she looked at her datapad.

            “Ok.” Hariprasad ran off.

            “Parker! Where are Blake and the others?” Frederick called out.

            “Blake is in charge of UNSC Perth. The rest of the squad should be inbound once we unload all our gear. After all, we only got one Falcon.” Parker responded.

            “Ok.” Frederick thanked.

            After a few minutes, Sears and Hariprasad walked into the room with a few crates.

            “Any more?” Frederick asked.

            “Just a couple.” Sears placed a crate onto the ground.

            “Ok. When you get the tactical map out, can you mark Kilo’s hidden assets?” Frederick requested.

            “Will do LT.” Sears saluted.

            “Hariprasad, patrol the ground floor. Make sure no zombies get too close.” Frederick ordered.

            “On it ma’am.” Hariprasad dropped his crate and picked up a M16 on a table.

            “Guys, I’m going to the roof and see what we have left.” Frederick walked out of the room.

            Frederick exited the roof stairwell and glanced at the Falcon. Beside the Falcon were two more crates. Just as she was about to pick up a crate, the cockpit of the Falcon beeped. Frederick walked to the cockpit and stuck her head in. She saw a message on the screen and frowned.

            “Weather conditions are going to be windy…unable to land Falcon back to UNSC Perth.” Frederick stared at the message.

            Frederick noticed a photograph on one of the screens and picked it up. There was a woman standing beside a small boy in front of a cozy house.

            “Ah…I see you met my wife and kid.” Daniels spoke from behind.

            “Oh, I’m sorry.” Frederick put the photo back to where she found it.

            “Where are they at?” Frederick asked.

            “There.” Daniels pointed at the sky.

            “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Frederick apologized.

            “I’m still alive so I can kill each and every zombie.” Daniels spoke seriously.

            “You are a courageous man.” Frederick stated.

            “They take my family…I’ll take out their race.” Daniels spoke angrily.

            Suddenly, a few shots echoed from the streets below them and Frederick rushed to the ledge.

            “Hariprasad…” Frederick muttered as she saw a group of zombies tackle the marine to the ground.

UNSCDF3 Chapter 4- Yellow Smoke

Arabian Sea, Coast of Karachi, Pakistan

UNSC Perth

May 10, 2001

0845 Local Time

            “Alright Blake, we’ll be back in a couple of hours.” Frederick waved at Blake as she climbed into the boat with her marines.

            “All set?” Sears looked at the marines seated in the boat.

            “Yeah, we’re ready.” Johnson spoke for himself and Parker.

            “Let’s go before the sun really starts to burn.” Hariprasad pointed at the sun.

            Sears pushed the throttle forward and sped the boat away from UNSC Perth. The boat sailed across the choppy waters and came across a wooden dock. Two zombies stood motionless on the dock looking for meat to eat. Johnson aimed his SA80 at one zombie whilst Parker fired her MSG-9 rifle at the other zombie. In a split second, the two zombies dropped to the ground dead unaware of what hit their heads.

            “Move out.” Frederick ordered as she clutched her SA80 and hopped onto the dock.

            Hariprasad wielded his M16 and jogged up beside Frederick.

            “Where can we set up a base?” Hariprasad pointed at some buildings nearby.

            “We need to find a place where there’s cover, but also room for a Falcon.” Frederick pointed at the Falcon on UNSC Perth.

            “Leave that to us ma’am.” Parker interrupted with a smile.

            “Lieutenant, we can do it.” Johnson pulled out a set of binoculars from his backpack.

            “I’m coming with you guys.” Frederick cocked her SA80.

            “What about us ma’am?” Sears asked.

            “You and Hariprasad can watch the boat.” Frederick replied swiftly.

            “Alright.” Sears walked back to the boat and sat down.

            “Move out Cobra!” Frederick commanded.

            The three marines hurried into the city keeping alert of their surroundings. Johnson took point while Parker watched the back. After a few blocks, the group saw a mob of zombies roaming around in the intersection.

            “Hold up.” Johnson halted to a stop.

            “Should we go around?” Frederick asked.

            “I don’t know, but this place looks like a good base.” Johnson pointed at a building behind the mob of zombies.

            “It sure does…little windows and a roof big enough to land a Falcon.” Parker eyed the structure.

            “Behind the mob of zombies…” Frederick reminded.

            “We can take them out. I count roughly…twenty…thirty of them?” Johnson estimated.

            “Shall I call Fire Team Kilo to assist?” Frederick suggested.

            “That won’t be necessary Lieutenant.” Parker adjusted her scope on the MSG-9.

            “You ready Parker? I’ll beat you to kills this time.” Johnson laughed.

            “Try me.” Parker grinned and aimed her rifle.

            “What about me?” Frederick joked.

            “We’ll see.” Johnson fired a round into a zombie’s head.

            The moment the first shot was fired, the mob of zombies turned to face their threat. As they slowly paced themselves to the marines, Parker was lining up headshots one after the other.

            “This is too easy.” Parker bragged as she quickly reloaded her gun.

            “Watch this.” Johnson ran towards the mob and fired two rounds at the closest zombie.

            Johnson bashed the butt of his gun at one zombie and fired; killing two zombies in one fluid motion. Frederick fired a couple of shots and watched the two marines pick off the zombies with deadly precision and skill. Shots echoed the vacant streets as the marines continued their shootout. After a few minutes, the silence resumed and tons of corpses littered the streets.

            “Wow…” Frederick’s face hinted slight amusement.

            “Welcome to Cobra.” Johnson kicked a dead zombie with his boot.

            “Spec Ops at its finest.” Parker slapped on a new magazine into her gun.

            “Indeed.” Frederick nodded quietly.

            Frederick waved forward as she led the team to the building. She bashed the door open with her shoulder and quickly clicked on the flashlight on her gun. A zombie sprung from the darkness and charged at her. Showing her preparedness, Frederick shoved the barrel of the gun into the zombie’s mouth and fired once. Immediately after the shot echoed into the darkness, vicious growls were heard nearby.

            “Light them up.” Frederick ordered as her flashlight illuminated a group of hungry meat-eaters.

            Johnson ran to a table and steadied his gun on the table to shoot whilst Parker went to prone position and began to snipe. On the other side, Frederick was firing burst of three in an attempt to hold the line while using the muzzle flashes from her gun to brighten their surroundings.

            “Reloading!” Frederick emptied out her spent clip.

            “Covering!” Johnson responded by increasing his rate of fire.

            “Take them out marines.” Frederick inserted a fresh clip into her gun and quickly pummeled a zombie with the stock of her gun.

            Parker felt the lack of mobility from her MSG-9 and immediately switched to her USP sidearm. She stood up and fired the pistol with superb accuracy as she danced around the zombies. Just when a zombie was about to get her when the pistol ran out of ammo, she quickly ducked and tripped the zombie. Pulling her combat knife from her belt with one hand and bashing the pistol on the downed zombie, Parker thrusted the sharp blade into the zombie’s forehead putting a stop to the zombie’s flesh-eating career.

            “More zombies…three o’clock.” Frederick warned Johnson.

            Johnson turned his head right and saw a few zombies headed his way. He slung the SA80 to his back and pulled out his sidearm. He charged with his USP firing as he met face to face with his threat. Upon meeting the last zombie in his path, he slid on the floor and tripped the zombie. The zombie growled and slashed its arms wildly, but it was not fast enough to get a hold of the agile marine. Johnson hopped onto its back and grabbed its head with both hands and twisted sideways. A sickening crack was heard and Johnson let go of the zombie. Johnson turned to realize that all the threats had been neutralized and quickly ran towards Frederick.

            “All clear.” Johnson breathed deeply.

            “Huh…I didn’t even break a sweat.” Parker joked.

            “Well Parker…you used more rounds.” Johnson pointed at the spent shells scattered around the floor.

            “Marines…” Frederick attempted to bring the team back to focus.

            “Sorry.” Parker apologized quickly.

            “The two of you can clear the upper floors one by one. I’ll call Kilo here.” Frederick pointed at the stairwell.

            Johnson nodded and waved at Parker to follow him. Frederick tugged her flak jacket and sat down comfortably on a chair.

            “Fire Team Kilo, this is Frederick. Do you copy?” Frederick spoke on the RaidComm.

            “Loud and clear LT. What can we do for you?” Hariprasad replied back.

            “Come to our location. I’ll pop yellow smoke.” Frederick walked out of the building and unclipped a smoke grenade from her belt.

            “Alright ma’am.” Hariprasad responded.

            Frederick pulled the pin and gently rolled the smoke grenade across the street. A small bang was heard and yellow smoke began to form.

            “Visual contact with smoke.” Sears spoke on the RaidComm.

            “UNSC Perth, this is Frederick. Area is clear. Repeat, area is a go. Send in the Falcon.” Frederick looked at the sky and spoke on the RaidComm.

            “Roger, Falcon on station and ready to go.” Daniels replied with enthusiasm.

            “Hit it then.” Frederick commanded.

UNSCDF3 Chapter 1- The Team

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

UNSC North Haven Outpost

May 1, 2001

1100 Local Time

            “Frederick, are you sure you want to do this?” a tall blonde brunette Sergeant asked a tall blonde bearing the rank of a Second Lieutenant looking at her watch.

            “Yes May, you and the others are staying here.” Frederick replied briskly.

            “Are you sure you don’t need our help?” May crossed her arms.

            “No May, Jackal Squadron will remain here in Australia. Besides, I’ve got Staff Sergeant Sears and Private Hariprasad from Fire Team Kilo to be my guides.” Frederick answered.

            From the dark cloudy skies, a Pelican slowly appeared from the clouds and descended on a platform beside the two marines. A young dark skinned marine rushed out clutching a MP5 and saluted Frederick.

            “Hariprasad.” Frederick saluted back.

            “Lieutenant.” Hariprasad waved at Frederick to climb aboard the aircraft.

            “Nice to see you again.” May greeted.

            “Yeah, sure is Sergeant.” Hariprasad nodded.

            “May, you’re in charge until I get back. Make sure the team doesn’t slack off.” Frederick joked.

            “Alright ma’am.” May grinned.

            Frederick brushed her hair behind her back and walked inside the Pelican followed by Hariprasad.

            “The LT inside?” the pilot hollered from the cockpit.

            “Yeah Sears, she’s on. Let’s go.” Hariprasad shouted in response.

            “Buckle up.” Sears replied as he closed the hatch at the rear of the Pelican.

            Just as the hatch was about to fully lock into place, Frederick smiled at May before turning her head to face Hariprasad.

            “What’s the plan Lieutenant?” Hariprasad asked curiously.

            “Find Zyrok.” Frederick replied easily.

            “Are you sure he’s…?” Hariprasad’s voice trailed off.

            “Alive? I hope so.” Frederick answered Hariprasad’s question and frowned.

            The Pelican slowly ascended into the sky and got engulfed by the dark clouds. Sears looked at the console on the Pelican and flipped some switches above him. The lighting in the Pelican hull dimmed to a faint eerie red.

            “Take some rest. It will be a few hours before we reach Perth.” Sears announced.

            “Perth?” Frederick’s eyes widened with surprise.

            “We’re going to Perth first to get a ship.” Hariprasad said with a grin.

            “A ship?” Frederick scratched her head.

            “Since we don’t know the situation in Afghanistan, we’re going by sea.” Sears reasoned.

            “As we get close, we’ll get airborne again. That way we should have some sort of surprise for the Russians if they are still there.” Hariprasad added.

            “Ah…I see.” Frederick closed her eyes to rest.

            On Frederick’s belt, her datapad beeped. Frederick pulled it out and it displayed “Incoming Transmission.” She pressed a button and a blonde female marine with a ponytail smiled.

            “Lieutenant Forester.” Frederick looked at the screen.

            “Lieutenant Frederick, sorry that I’m not able to join you. As you already know, we are trying to hold onto the remaining UNSC Outposts from the mutated zombies and the new spider zombies.” Forester spoke calmly.

            “I know.” Frederick nodded.

            “Since Echo Squad is in need of a Commanding Officer, High Command has ordered that I take Zyrok’s place and assist other UNSC forces in the zombie extermination. Also, I’ve heard that only you and the rest of Fire Team Kilo are on this search.” Forester briefed.

            “That’s correct.” Frederick looked at Sears in the cockpit and then H

ariprasad sitting in front of her.

            “Well, I’ve managed to pull some strings for you knowing that you might encounter the Russian forces in Afghanistan.” Forester smiled.

            “Thanks, I appreciate it.” Frederick thanked.

            “Upon arrival in Perth, a Captain Matthew Blake will rendezvous with you to board his ship along with Cobra Squad.” Forester continued to brief.

            “Cobra Squad?” Frederick raised an eyebrow.

            “Cobra’s a small specialized team focused on quick elimination of targets as well as locating assets.” Forester answered.

            “So…Spec Ops?” Frederick concluded.

            “Pretty much. Anyways Frederick, we’ve got work to do there. Good luck and I’ll see you later.” Forester ended the transmission.

            “We got ourselves a team.” Hariprasad grinned.

            “Yeah.” Frederick placed the datapad back onto her belt and closed her eyes to rest.

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

UNSC Fremantle Outpost

May 1, 2001

1315 Local Time

            “We’re here Lieutenant.” Hariprasad gently shook a sleeping Frederick.

            “Ah.” Frederick rubbed her eyes and stood up to stretch.

            The hatch of the Pelican opened and an Outpost was visible below them. A breeze of cool air rushed into the warm hull.

            “Refreshing.” Frederick breathed deeply and walked out of the Pelican.

            Two marines dressed in black combat gear armed with M16s greeted Frederick.

            “Second Lieutenant Frederick.” a young brunette marine offered her hand.

            “That’s me.” Frederick shook the marine’s hand.

            “Lance Corporal Laura Parker of Cobra Squad.” the marine introduced herself.

            “Corporal Chris Johnson.” the marine adjacent to Parker stuck his hand out.

            “Nice to meet you.” Frederick shook Johnson’s hand firmly.

            “Follow me ma’am, chopper’s waiting for you.” Johnson waved.

            “What about the Pelican Corporal?” Sears stepped off the Pelican and slung a backpack over his shoulder.

            “UNSC Perth can’t carry a Pelican. So a Falcon is the alternative.” Johnson answered.

            “Get your gear marines, we’re moving out.” Frederick ordered.

            “Understood.” Hariprasad nodded.

            Once the marines of Fire Team Kilo got their gear, they quickly hurried behind Frederick. After a couple meters of walking, a Falcon was docked on a platform with its rotors still spinning steadily.

            “Hop on!” Parker shouted over the roar of the rotors.

            Frederick nodded and climbed into the center seats whilst Parker and Johnson mounted on the side M60 turrets. Sears sat beside Frederick while Hariprasad sat directly in front of her.

            “Welcome aboard ladies and gentlemen. I’m Corporal Jeff Daniels.” the pilot chirped on the comms.

            “Strap in.” Johnson shouted and gave a thumbs-up sign to Daniels.

            “And we have a go.” Daniels pushed the throttle forward and the Falcon dusted off the ground majestically.

            The hum of the propellers quieted down as the engines reached its optimal speed. Below the Pelican was a clear harbor with ships neatly docked at their ports.

            “Which one is UNSC Perth?” Frederick pointed at the boats below them.

            “It’s not here Lieutenant. Perth is docked in the Rocky Bay on Rottnest Island.” Parker answered and pointed at a distant land mass a couple hundred kilometers away.

            “Carrier? Frigate?” Frederick asked.

            “Destroyer class.” Johnson said proudly.

            After a few minutes, the Falcon descended over a medium ship. The aircraft circled the ship once as Frederick eyed the ship. On the starboard side, the words “UNSC Perth” were painted on the hull.

            “Meet UNSC Perth. Home to Cobra Squad.” Daniels chirped proudly on the comms as he eyed the ship.

            The Falcon landed at a platform at the rear of the ship and Johnson and Parker quickly got out.

            “This way Lieutenant.” Parker waved as she pointed at the bridge a couple meters away.

            “Ok.” Frederick nodded and followed Parker up some stairs leading to the bridge.

            Parker opened the door to the bridge and a tall man with a beard in his late thirties turned his head from the ship controls.

            “Captain Matthew Blake.” the man greeted and tipped his officer’s cap.

            “Second Lieutenant Jenny Frederick.” Frederick saluted.

            “Parker, we’re all set?” Blake asked Parker as she stood motionless next to the bridge door.

            “Yes sir we are.” Parker nodded.

            “Stewart, release the anchors and leave this bay.” Blake commanded to a young man sitting at some controls with markings of a Private First Class.

            “Aye Captain.” Stewart acknowledged by pressing a button on his console.

            “Grab a seat Lieutenant, let me give the instructions to my marines and we’ll talk.” Blake fished out a pair of binoculars from his utility belt and eyed the horizon.

            “Parker, get the controls.” Blake commanded as the marines from the Falcon entered the bridge.

            “Understood.” Parker paced quickly to the controls.

            Frederick grabbed a seat nearby and waved at Sears and Hariprasad to sit. Blake walked to a printer and read a piece of paper.

            “Stewart, forward throttle to sixty percent. Parker, turn heading to 270. Johnson, system check on weapons.” Blake ordered and sat down in a seat centered in the middle of the bridge.

            “Accelerating forward.” Stewart pushed the throttle forward.

            “Turning 270.” Parker repeated and turned the helm right.

            “Checking weapons.” Johnson pushed a series of buttons.

            The ship turned and quickly left the dock as members of Cobra Squad navigated the ship. In a few minutes, the land of Australia was no longer in view as the engines reached its speed.

            “Weapons are a go, sir.” Johnson looked at a computer and flashed a thumbs-up.

            “Excellent! Ladies and gentlemen, Middle East, here we come.” Blake clapped his hands in excitement.

            “Hell yeah!” Johnson and Stewart shouted in enthusiasm.