Under a Graveyard Sky

attenuated vaccine. However, there is a significant infected presence on the base.”

“I think I can clear it,” Steve said, rubbing his chin. “Possibly. Probably.”

“How?” Galloway asked.

“Well, you have information I need,” Steve said. “Is there a large source of fifty caliber ammunition somewhere nearby? At sea, I mean. I’m thinking of a SeaLift ship. There aren’t any on the AIS I’ve got. But that’s not complete. AIS stops working when the ship does.”

“Standby… There is a Marine amphibious assault carrier, the Iwo Jima, approximately eight hundred nautical miles southeast of Bermuda. According to my senior Marine that would have a large store of fifty caliber. You need fifty caliber to take Guantanamo I take it.”

“Mount fifties, water cooled, at the level of the docks,” Steve said. “Make lots of light and noise overnight. Open fire at dawn. Then continue clearance on land. If there are survivors on the Iwo Jima… That would increase our chances. So far we’ve only found the one life raft from the Iwo. Most of them probably went east of Bermuda and we’ve been searching west. God knows I could use some Marines. As well as trained Navy people.”

“The question of your ability to prepare the vaccine has been raised again. Is your tech… Without naming any names or… Oh, skip that. Can he or she do it?”

“Quality control is the issue,” Steve said. “We have the recipe if you will. But the doctor checked the quality and we won’t have the materials or equipment he had. Then again… We don’t know what we’re going to get off this cruise ship. In terms of help, that is. There are people alive.”

“Yes, we’re getting a live feed from the Dallas,” Galloway said.

“Some of them could be doctors,” Steve said. “Biologists or MDs. Possibly. Or not. That’s the problem with making plans with this job. You never know what you’re going to get. You change your plans on the basis of whatever shows up, however it shows up. Fortunately, my masters is based on that.”

“Excuse me?” Galloway said.

“Have you ever wondered why my daughter is called Faith?” Steve said.

“I had assumed you were a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Galloway said. “Or at least that was suggested by one of my advisors.”

“Never saw it until after she was born,” Steve said. “My masters was on logistics in a low support condition, specifically keeping the Gloster Gladiators flying on Malta during the Siege.”

“I have a lot of history, but… Standby… Ah, my senior Air Force advisor just filled me in. Faith, Hope and Charity. I see.”

“Three obsolete biplanes faced down the Luftwaffe for nearly two years and kept flying, sir,” Steve said. “Their crews had to make parts from scrap metal. Parts would come in for Hurricanes. Hurricanes. They didn’t see their first Hurricane until 1943. So they would rework Hurricane parts to work in Glosters. They would beg, borrow or steal. Rework, refit, literally use chewing gum. When they had chewing gum.”

“That makes sense,” Galloway said. “I guess you are well prepared for your current situation.”

“Does your Air Force advisor know which aircraft had the most kills, sir? That never missed so much as one battle?”

“She admits that as a bomber pilot she’d sort of consider them the bad guys, so, no.”

“Put it this way, sir,” Steve said. “Whenever they went to battle, they always had Faith.”

* * *

“We decontaminated everything,” Sophia said over the loudhailer.

The submariners had taken the “lifeboat” alternative. Although it was a zodiac with an outboard.

They waved as the packet of vaccine floated towards them.

“Thanks for the assist,” Faith said, waving back. It had been quite an assist.

First the Dallas had approached to within a few hundred meters of the cruise ship. The sub was also dwarfed but the sail was fairly high. Then a team clad in MOPP gear came out on the sail. The team first mounted their machine gun, then set off multiple flares as well as repeated blasts from a loudhailer. The combination had drawn a large herd of zombies to the lifeboat deck.

After there was a fair concentration, the team opened fire. Much of the fire struck the side of the ship but quite a bit had managed to hit the zombies. It had taken about thirty minutes of short bursts and two barrel changes but they finally cleared all of the obvious infecteds from the lifeboat deck.

Then the team clambered down, got out the zodiac and the boarding ladder and approached the ship. Getting the line up would probably have been the tough part for the Wolf crews. The submariners made it look easy. Among other things, they used a line thrower. But Hooch had explained that that was not usually considered “the easy way.”

With the ladder in place they backed off to pick up their vaccine.

“We got to get in there before more zombies come around,” Faith said.

“Da said wait til he got here,” Sophia said.

“Bring us in close,” Faith said, picking up the radio.

* * *

“Toy, Shewolf. Da, you there?”

“Roger,” Steve said. “Closing your position. ETA, one hour.”

“Da, the Dallas cleared off a deck and put in a ladder. If we wait, the zombies are going to come around again. You know how they are. Permission to, I dunno… Get a foothold is what Soph just said.”

Steve thought about that and looked at Stacey. She was looking at him and bending her head as if waiting for a punch.

“Do you have a back-up plan?” Steve said.

“No, but I’ve got lots of guns and knives and a machete. I’m still looking for a chainsaw.”

* * *

“Sir,” the Chief of Boat, Senior NCO, of the Dallas said, standing at parade rest. “Might I suggest, with no disrespect, that it is unseemly for a commander in the United States Navy, skipper of this mighty engine of war, to literally roll around on the deck laughing…?”

* * *

“Authorized.”

“And you had better be okay when we get there or I’ll tan your hide!”

“Yes, Mother,” Faith said. “Shewolf out. Hey, Hooch, let’s LOCK AND LOAD!”

* * *

“Let me go first at least,” Hocieniec said.

“Hooch, you’re a Marine,” Faith said, tightening the strap on her helmet. She was wearing what had become her standard “extreme zombie fighting” kit. Tactical boots and tacticals. Firefighting bunker gear. Nomex head cover tucked under the collar of the bunker gear. Full face respirator. Helmet with integrated visor. Body armor with integral MOLLE. Knee, elbow and shin guards. Nitrile gloves. Tactical gloves. Rubber gloves. Assault pack with hydration unit. Saiga shotgun on friction strap rig. 45 USP in tactical fast-draw holster. 2x.45 USP in chest holsters. 14 Saiga 10 round 12 gauge magazines plus one in the weapon. Nine pistol magazines in holster plus three in weapons. Kukri in waist sheathe. Machete in over shoulder sheathe, right. Halligan tool in over shoulder sheathe, left. Tactical knife in chest sheathe. Tactical knife in waist sheathe. Bowie knife in thigh sheathe. Calf tactical knife x 2. Few clasp knives dangling in various places.

There was the head of a teddy bear peaking out of her assault pack.

“And you’re a grown up. That says you should go. But you’re also not back in shape, it’s been a while since you’ve done a boarding ladder, you’re still in training at zombie killing and I’ve done these things a few times, lately. Just make damned sure the soft part of the boat stays under the ladder. And if I drop in the drink, you’d better get me in fast. Kay?”

“No, but… I guess you’re in charge.”

“Damn straight,” Faith said, clipping the safety line to her waist. “And no paying attention to my butt. Keep