Free The Gathering Dead by Stephen Knight

like yours. And besides, if we’re not getting any heat, we’re not near the target.”
    “Hooah, first sergeant.” McDaniels turned and started up the flight of stairs. “Let’s get on with it, Finelly.”
    “Right with you, major.”
    The two men climbed steadily upward. Finelly took the lead, as McDaniels was both the commanding officer and carried the satellite communications phone. He set an aggressive pace, and McDaniels found he had to work to keep up. As a field grade officer, he hadn’t been required to do more than just the usual morning PT to stay in shape. However, staying in shape was relative when comparing an officer to an enlisted man who still had to go on field marches, even if he was with a special operations aviation unit. After ten flights, McDaniels was breathing hard.
    They would pause at each landing and listen at the fire door. Again, many were non-entry doors and were locked. Some were unlocked, but neither McDaniels nor Finelly were interested in checking the floors beyond. There was no telling what they might find.
    “Terminator Six, Terminator Five, over.” Gartrell’s voice was all business over the radio. McDaniels looked up at Finelly, but the big sergeant kept on walking. Of course, since only McDaniels could hear the first sergeant.
    “Finelly, hold up.” As Finelly stopped and turned to face him, McDaniels pressed the transmit button on his radio.
    “Five, this is Six. Over.” He kept his voice low, just in case. They were between the sixteenth and seventeenth floors, which meant there was still a lot of unexplored territory ahead and just as much behind. Zombies could be anywhere, and all it would take for the dead to get at them was as much luck as it took to turn a door handle.
    “We’re in the lobby stairwell. Just cracked open the door and took a look without exposing myself. Dozens of stenchers are outside. Looks like they’re still interested in the building. Bad news is that they’re using objects to try and get through the glass. Over.”
    McDaniels was alarmed. “Say what kind of objects, over.”
    “Nothing too credible at the moment, Six. Cell phones, blackberries, notebooks, soda bottles. Looks like items a lot of them might have had on their person. But if one of these things has enough smarts to get a sledgehammer — or maybe start up a car — things’re going to get very interesting. Over.”
    “Understood, Five. Break. Terminator Three, you get that? Over.”
    Leary’s voice came back immediately. “Roger Six, I copied that. Over.”
    “Pass that intel over to Safire, see if it’s of any use to him. Break. Five, this is Six. How are the explosives? Over.”
    “Explosives have been checked and verified as still operational. We can blow the stairwell at any time, over.”
    “Roger that. You think you’re good to stay put for the time being, and keep a watch on the lobby?”
    Gartrell’s voice was firm and matter-of-fact. “Roger that, Six. We’re ready to camp out and keep an eye on things all night. Over.”
    “Well, maybe not all night, Five. We’re on our way to make our call, so we’ll get back to you soon. We’re on sixteen, moving up to seventeen. Over.”
    “Roger that, Six.”
    “Terminator Six, out.” McDaniels released the transmit button and motioned Finelly forward. The big sergeant had questions in his eyes, but he did not pause to ask them. He just turned around and continued his advance up the stairway.
    By the time they reached the twentieth floor, Finelly stopped on the landing. He held out a clenched fist and raised his MP5K slightly. McDaniels froze and firmed his grip on his M4. He watched Finelly as the bigger man slowly crept forward and peered up the next stairwell. He stopped with one foot on the first step and placed his back to the wall, and stayed there for a moment. McDaniels was about to prompt him when he heard something. It was a rhythmic, repetitive banging in the distance, very faint and barely