then fell over sideways. Wu could see that the big mercenary was out cold. Brooks turned to Iosif. The smaller Russian started to shiver and babble in his native tongue.
"Easy, Ivan," Brooks smiled. "I know you speak English, so knock off the mother Russian bullshit. Okay?" Iosif nodded, wide-eyed. "Good. Answer my questions, and you'll live, okay?"
"Yes! Yes!" He looked over at Alona's giant, limp form. "Ask! Ask!"
"Alright." She glanced over at Wu. The sergeant was watching their surrounding area for movement. "Any more on your patrol?"
"No, just us two. We were checking on our boat," he groaned.
"It's gone, Ivan. Boom! Just like the IEDs you guys planted." Iosif shook his head and looked down at the grass between his legs. Brooks noticed the radio in his right leg pocket. She grabbed it out and looked it over. Satisfied, she whistled and tossed it to Wu.
"Captain?" Wu said, catching the walkie talkie.
"Can you fix that?"
"Why, ‘cause I'm Asian?"
"No, because you used to be a radioman, dumbass."
Wu laughed and gave the radio a once-over. "No, it's pretty fucked up. This guy must have smashed it with his knee when he went down." Wu threw the radio back to Brooks, who just tossed it behind her.
"Damn, Ivan!"
"Iosif." He corrected. "Iosif."
"Okay, Iosif. How many of you are on this island?"
"There were twenty of us. Now fifteen. Two were bitten."
"That's a real shame. Who do you work for?"
"Eurosec," Iosif said. "Private contractors like you."
"Heard of them," Brooks told Wu. "Bad guys. So, what's the mission?"
"I-I can't." Iosif fidgeted in his restraints.
"Now, now, Iosif." Brooks knelt down in front of him. "You've been doing good so far. Don't fuck it up now."
"Okay, okay." He swallowed. "We are here for the zombie virus."
"For whom?"
"Eurosec."
"No, who is the client?"
"That I do not know. I just answer to Eurosec. You know how it is."
"Sounds about right. What kind of weapons does your team possess?"
"AK-74s, a few grenade launchers, and handguns."
"Good." Brooks stood up. "Is there an alternate way for your team off this island?"
"No." Iosif winced in pain. "Commander Arkady was going to have us take your plane if our boat was gone."
"That's what I would do. Sergeant Wu, zip tie their feet."
"Wait!" Iosif shouted.
"Thank you for your help," Brooks grinned.
"Wait!" Iosif panicked.
"I am not going to kill you, but we can't take you along, can we?" She handed Wu two more pairs of zip ties. "When we are finished, someone will be back to set you free."
"No! No!" Iosif cried. "The zombies!"
"You'll be fine." Wu pulled off the Russian's boots and slipped the ties around his ankles. "Be quiet, and hopefully you'll be okay." Iosif started to say something but realized the sergeant was right. "Don't move around a lot either." The Russian wanted to cry, but he just lay hopelessly back in the tall grass.
"Let's get to the bikes and let Hale know what we are dealing with." She grabbed up the Russians’ weapons and handed an AK-74 to Wu. "Sarge."
"Thanks, Captain." He glanced back at the two mercenaries and was thankful it wasn't the other way around.
CHAPTER 29: THE TRAIL TO HELL
"How far have we gone?" Cord asked, sweat dripping, breathing heavily.
"Couple miles, kiddo," Newman said. He wiped his forehead with a shemagh and adjusting his boonie hat. "Hell, Cord, I used to walk farther 'n this 'ta 'git me mail back 'ome."
"Yeah, yeah." Cord wiped some sweat with a bandana. "I get it, Alby, you're Australian."
"Naw, jus' tough." He smiled as they fast-walked up the trail. "Australian is jus' icin' on the cake."
Amante walked point ahead of the team, followed by Lieutenant Wickham, Sergeant Diamond, West, Clarke, and Major Hale. Newman, Cord, Winger, and Gonzo followed them. Mac, Gibson, Jayne, and Lucas trailed behind them while Jefferson and Washington brought up the rear. It was a miserably hot hike for all of them.
"Major," Diamond turned and stopped next to Hale. He held
"Easy, Ivan," Brooks smiled. "I know you speak English, so knock off the mother Russian bullshit. Okay?" Iosif nodded, wide-eyed. "Good. Answer my questions, and you'll live, okay?"
"Yes! Yes!" He looked over at Alona's giant, limp form. "Ask! Ask!"
"Alright." She glanced over at Wu. The sergeant was watching their surrounding area for movement. "Any more on your patrol?"
"No, just us two. We were checking on our boat," he groaned.
"It's gone, Ivan. Boom! Just like the IEDs you guys planted." Iosif shook his head and looked down at the grass between his legs. Brooks noticed the radio in his right leg pocket. She grabbed it out and looked it over. Satisfied, she whistled and tossed it to Wu.
"Captain?" Wu said, catching the walkie talkie.
"Can you fix that?"
"Why, ‘cause I'm Asian?"
"No, because you used to be a radioman, dumbass."
Wu laughed and gave the radio a once-over. "No, it's pretty fucked up. This guy must have smashed it with his knee when he went down." Wu threw the radio back to Brooks, who just tossed it behind her.
"Damn, Ivan!"
"Iosif." He corrected. "Iosif."
"Okay, Iosif. How many of you are on this island?"
"There were twenty of us. Now fifteen. Two were bitten."
"That's a real shame. Who do you work for?"
"Eurosec," Iosif said. "Private contractors like you."
"Heard of them," Brooks told Wu. "Bad guys. So, what's the mission?"
"I-I can't." Iosif fidgeted in his restraints.
"Now, now, Iosif." Brooks knelt down in front of him. "You've been doing good so far. Don't fuck it up now."
"Okay, okay." He swallowed. "We are here for the zombie virus."
"For whom?"
"Eurosec."
"No, who is the client?"
"That I do not know. I just answer to Eurosec. You know how it is."
"Sounds about right. What kind of weapons does your team possess?"
"AK-74s, a few grenade launchers, and handguns."
"Good." Brooks stood up. "Is there an alternate way for your team off this island?"
"No." Iosif winced in pain. "Commander Arkady was going to have us take your plane if our boat was gone."
"That's what I would do. Sergeant Wu, zip tie their feet."
"Wait!" Iosif shouted.
"Thank you for your help," Brooks grinned.
"Wait!" Iosif panicked.
"I am not going to kill you, but we can't take you along, can we?" She handed Wu two more pairs of zip ties. "When we are finished, someone will be back to set you free."
"No! No!" Iosif cried. "The zombies!"
"You'll be fine." Wu pulled off the Russian's boots and slipped the ties around his ankles. "Be quiet, and hopefully you'll be okay." Iosif started to say something but realized the sergeant was right. "Don't move around a lot either." The Russian wanted to cry, but he just lay hopelessly back in the tall grass.
"Let's get to the bikes and let Hale know what we are dealing with." She grabbed up the Russians’ weapons and handed an AK-74 to Wu. "Sarge."
"Thanks, Captain." He glanced back at the two mercenaries and was thankful it wasn't the other way around.
CHAPTER 29: THE TRAIL TO HELL
"How far have we gone?" Cord asked, sweat dripping, breathing heavily.
"Couple miles, kiddo," Newman said. He wiped his forehead with a shemagh and adjusting his boonie hat. "Hell, Cord, I used to walk farther 'n this 'ta 'git me mail back 'ome."
"Yeah, yeah." Cord wiped some sweat with a bandana. "I get it, Alby, you're Australian."
"Naw, jus' tough." He smiled as they fast-walked up the trail. "Australian is jus' icin' on the cake."
Amante walked point ahead of the team, followed by Lieutenant Wickham, Sergeant Diamond, West, Clarke, and Major Hale. Newman, Cord, Winger, and Gonzo followed them. Mac, Gibson, Jayne, and Lucas trailed behind them while Jefferson and Washington brought up the rear. It was a miserably hot hike for all of them.
"Major," Diamond turned and stopped next to Hale. He held
Similar Books
The Practical Navigator
Stephen Metcalfe
Lieberman's Law
Stuart M. Kaminsky
His Perfect Game
Jenn Langston
The Shape of a Pocket
John Berger
Accomplice
Kristi Lea
In Bed With a Stranger
India Grey
Steel and Sorrow
Joshua P. Simon
The Thirteenth Coffin
Nigel McCrery
Misplaced Legion (Videssos Cycle)
Harry Turtledove
