Free Zombie Theorem: The End Game by James Wallace

eating as a family, cracking jokes, telling stories, and discussing the newest rumors and gossip from around the base. At one point, Julie brought me a fresh cup of coffee and I took the file folder that Amanda had placed on the table in front of me.
    I sat there drinking my coffee, and went through the newest data and reports from what I’d ordered Amanda to do when I’d left the base for the ill-fated trip to meet with the General. The horde was growing outside our base, and they were coming from mostly the west, out of the state of Washington. According the report Amanda had written, she believed they would be here in three days. I looked over the pictures she’d included, and by the damage being left behind the horde traced them back to the Seattle area. So, it looks like Ridder knows where we are and are making their move.
    When I was done, I put the file back on the table only to find another one in its place. I drained my coffee and put the cup back on the table. I opened the next file and read the top sheet. It explained that the report and pictures found within, were of Seattle and the surrounding cities. It also said the data was less than five hours old. I hesitated for a moment before flipping the cover sheet over and dealing with the contents. I looked up and met Amanda’s eyes. She made contact with mine and nodded her head. I swung my view on to the table and found that my coffee had been refilled. I looked around and saw Brian saluting me with his cup of coffee. I picked mine up and saluted back, making sure to raise my middle finger to let him know he was number one in my book.
    I took a sip, sighed, and got to work examining the photos and report. The first picture was from a southern view of the sound. The aircraft carrier was gone but had been replaced with twelve very large containerships, surrounded by what looked like missile cruisers. The city looked normal, except the docks looked like they were a lesson in sloppy logistics. Freight containers sat everywhere. The next couple of pics showed the SeaTac airport. The airfield was covered in airliners of every make and ownership. Another photo paper clipped to it, showed the nearby Boeing airfield. The runway was clear, but every space of tarmac was filled with airliners also. I looked around and Amanda handed me a grease pencil. That girl could read my mind. I wrote on all the photos, “Chaos can work in our favor.”
    Then, I read the reports she had included. A lot of it was data that meant nothing to me, it was the technical details of how she’d used the satellites, maneuvering them into position. The last sheet had data I could use, after passing through with the first satellite, she’d then tasked her other one to fly over, three hours later. She’d detailed the differences in the photos and data. It seemed the containerships were making deliveries, not pick-ups. I took out my pen and wrote on the edges. What is in the containers? She’d also noted that it looked like the most radio traffic and human traffic was coming out of Joint Base Fort Lewis-McChord. The airfields there were a little less chaotic, but not much. The aircraft she could identify were mostly transports, a mix of C-130s and C-5s. I was amazed to find no mention of fighters.
    I never took my eyes off the report, but inquired to Amanda, “Amanda, at that joint base Lewis–McChord you couldn’t identify any fighter aircraft or there were none?”
    “I had the air boss here on the base look over the photos and data, and he said there were no fighters on that base. He did say, the base was mostly a transport base, unlike what we are set up here for.”
    I wrote down what she’d said. “What is his name?”
    “Captain Mike Williams, call sign ‘Paco.’ His office is in the same building as ours.”
    “Excellent, set up a meeting today with him, Kuppers, Brian, Hase, and Apache, and I want you in there.” I closed her file and put it on the table. “Good job, by the