Gunfire erupts from back in the foyer. I hope I have given Josh enough of a chance to kill the rest of the Rabids and protect Emily, I think to myself as my arms weaken and the Rabid nears its victory.
Wretched Rabid blood splatters across my face as the sound of cracking bone fills my ears. The attacking Rabid is sent rolling sideways off me as its head is whacked sideways. My head is spinning as I try to recover myself from the attack, unsure what has happened. Blood is in my eyes and my hand comes to my face so that my fingers can wipe it out.
My senses start to return, and my eyes focus. A figure is standing over me, holding their rifle like a baseball bat. They are talking to me and finally, I hear what the female American voice is saying. “Are you okay, buddy?”
“I wipe my eyes again, “Alice, is that you?”
“Captain Richards, it can’t be, you’re alive?” she replies as another figure comes and stands over me. “Yes, it’s me, Alice,” she tells me as she drops her rifle and bends down to me.
Her hand comes across my face and she starts to wipe it, mopping up the Rabid blood.
“How did, erm—I didn’t recognise you with that blood over your face. I can’t believe it; can you sit up?”
I push myself up with Alice’s help and sit up. Alice stays next to me and there are two other sets of legs in my view. My head rises to see Winters and Dixon standing over me with looks of disbelief etched across their faces.
“Josh and,” Alice cuts me off.
“They are safe, back there in a conference room with Stacey,” she tells me.
“We need to get out of here, now!” I tell them all. “Ask your questions later.”
“I have an evac, we need to get down to the loading bay on the ground floor,” Winters says, immediately getting on point.
I go to stand up and again Alice helps me. Back on my feet, I look around the floor.
“Looking for this?” Dixon says as he bends down to pick up my rifle.
“Thanks,” I say as he passes it to me. “Alice, Winters, go and get the others while we secure the route to the lifts. We haven’t got time for Josh and Emily to see me now. More Rabids are one floor down and they could be here any second, especially after all that noise.” I don’t mention the possible impending nuclear bomb that could arrive at any moment.
Alice and Winters move without question, going back up the corridor. I reload and then Dixon and I move out to secure the lifts. The route is clear and halfway to the lifts, I speak to Dixon.
“Opinion on Winters’ evac?” I ask.
“It’s the only one we have,” he answers bluntly.
“Fair enough, any details?”
“We need to get the lower ground floor, which is separated from the main building, so it should be clear. I’ll fill you in with the rest of the details when we are off this floor, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll go down first as soon as we hear them coming to save any drama,” I tell him.
“Yes, they are going to be elated, when they see you, especially one little girl I know. I’m quite pleased to see you myself,” Dixon informs me with a grin across his rugged face.
“Thanks, mate. They aren’t the only ones who are going to be excited, I can’t wait to see them. It has been a very long road,” I tell him, exhausted.
“I can imagine and I’m looking forward to hearing all about it, with a cold beer in my hand. Here take these, I think you’ll need them before you see your children.” Dixon delves deep into a pouch in his body armour. His hand reappears holding a small packet of wet wipes, a soldier's best friend.
“Ideal, thanks,” I say as I take them from him.
“Here they come, see you down there,” Dixon says.
“Okay, watch that stairwell, that’s where they will come from,” I tell him as I go.
“You got it,” he replies.
The lift door pings open just as the rest of the group turn the corner, back down the corridor. As tempting as it is to steal a look at them, I don’t take the risk. The last thing we need right now is noise and confusion. I step into the lift and look for the button for the lower ground floor. Funnily enough, it has the letters LG printed on it and that’s the one I press.
Thankfully, the lift’s buttons have a mirrored panel above them, and I take a look at myself in it. I’m not surprised Alice didn’t recognise me straight away, what with my new wounds down the side of my cheek and the blood on my face, which is still considerable even after Alice has wiped it. I rip open the packet of wet wipes and quickly go about trying to clean myself up. The small packet of wipes manages to last long enough to clean off the blood from my face and around my neck. I can still feel blood in my hair, and it is still splattered across my body armour. There isn’t much I can do about that now; I doubt Emily will notice when she sees me and hopefully Catherine won’t notice how haggard I look.
I am poised behind my reloaded M4 as the lift door pings open onto a confined, narrower corridor than the ones on the floors above. All is quiet as I move to the lift door and aim the M4 up and down the corridor. There is no sign of any Rabids and no Rabid noises. I exit the lift, covering the corridor while I wait for the
