“I don’t think you do,” the Private replied. “You know I can lead that mission, and you’re letting your personal feelings endanger the whole operation.”
Herrera shook his head and stood up straight. “Wrong,” he spat, and pointed to the chair to his left. “Sit.”
Gilbert sat, near pouting, and the Corporal turned the map towards him.
“Three and a half miles of zombie infested terrain to get to our target,” Herrera said, pointing, and the Private leaned forward to study the paper. “We have half as many men as the mission parameters called for, and only four people capable of driving a truck, meaning we’re going to have to make two trips on the bridges.” He raised an eyebrow. “What would you do?”
Gilbert studied the map carefully, reading a few of the handwritten notes, and then following several of the lines going north with his finger. All of them went through neighborhoods and paused at a circled building halfway up with CHURCH written beside it.
“Well,” he drawled, “for starters, given the resistance we found in the neighborhood by the school, I would adjust course right out of the gate.”
Herrera nodded. “And go where?”
“I’d go right back through the woods where we were supposed to land, to get to this church rally point,” the Private said with a shrug. “If we cross over some open areas, there are two more wooded areas that will take us all the way up to that church, leaving only a mile or so to the target.”
The Corporal shook his head. “You heard Dixon, the woods are a nightmare,” he said. “Dark and infested with zombies. You still want to go that route?”
“Absolutely,” Gilbert replied with a nod. “We’re going to face heavy resistance no matter how we go. At least in the woods, we’d have a fighting chance to lose whatever is pursuing us.”
Herrera nodded as well. “I came to the same conclusion,” he said. “What next?”
Gilbert continued poring over the map. “Looks like there’s about six blocks of dense residential housing before the shopping center,” he mused, “so since we’re not going to have an overwhelming force to take them on, we’ll have to improvise.”
“How so?” the Corporal prompted.
“Diversion,” Gilbert replied with a shrug. “Car alarms, blow something up, whatever it is, it’ll have to be big enough to draw enough of them away so we can slip behind the lines and move up.”
Herrera cocked his head. “What about the two trips?”
“There’s nine of us,” the Private replied, “so four drivers on the trucks, and five riding pickup duty.”
The Corporal raised an eyebrow. “And if we lose people on the way?”
“We pick up some ten speed bikes and get our exercise in for the day,” Gilbert replied.
Herrera nodded. “Now do you see why you aren’t on the docks?” he asked.
“I really don’t,” the Private replied petulantly.
“Because blocking off those bridges is the most important objective,” the Corporal said firmly. “If those docks don’t get cleared, the landing party can handle it if need be, even if it takes a couple of waves. If we don’t block those bridges, then they’re going to get overwhelmed once the shooting starts. If something happens to me, I need someone capable who can pick up the reins and deliver.”
Gilbert sneered. “So you’re back to trusting me?”
“Fuck no,” Herrera snapped. “Wouldn’t trust you as far as a kindergartner could throw you. But you’re experienced, and despite your major fuckup on the bridge, you’re better equipped to see this through than anybody else in the room.”
The Private chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ll take it,” he admitted. “When do we leave?”
Herrera checked his watch. “We’re out in ten.”
“I guess I should get prepped, then,” Gilbert said, and shoved back his chair, heading off to check his weapons.
The Corporal picked up the map and stared at the wooded area they’d be heading into. “I really hope Dixon was exaggerating.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Herrera led the group of eight up to the edge of the woods. They stood there, listening to the light rustling and moaning coming from the trees.
“We sure this is the best way through?” Choi asked.
The Corporal nodded. “Surface streets are jam-packed,” he replied. “You’re more than welcome to try, but you’ll be doing it alone.”
“Guess I’ll take my chances with you guys, then,” the Private muttered.
“How do you want to do it?” Gilbert asked.
Eason took a deep breath. “Guessing eight of us going together in a big pack isn’t a great strategy,” he said.
“We go in two teams of four,” Herrera declared. “Choi, you’re with me, Gilbert, I want you to lead the other team along with Eason. If something happens to one team, at least there will be a truck driving tandem left.”
Gilbert nodded. “Rendezvous at the church?”
“Yep,” the Corporal agreed. “You all have a map, so you know where we’re headed if you get separated from the group. If things go really south, or you can’t make it to the church, fall back to Dixon’s group and try again a different way.” He pulled out his knife along with a retractable metal baton, jetting it out with a quick flick of his wrist. “We have to move quietly through these woods. One gunshot could doom us.”
The men exchanged worried glances, clutching their guns with white knuckles.
“You heard the man, holster those guns,” Gilbert snapped, putting away his own.
The soldiers complied reluctantly, switching their guns for blades and blunt objects.
“And one more thing,” Herrera said. “Based on what Dixon told me about the rough landing, it’s unlikely we’re going to find any survivors out here. But we could have runners, so stay frosty.”
The soldiers shared worried looks about the prospect of runners chasing them through the darkened woods.
“Let’s head out,” Gilbert cut in. “We’ll see you on the other side, Corporal.”
Herrera nodded and watched the ex-Sergeant lead his crew down the tree line a couple hundred yards before vanishing into the forest.
“Let’s go,”
