Free Zombie Theorem: The End Game by James Wallace Page B

up an action plan for the team and what I needed from them. I felt a presence to my right and heard Julie cough, to get my attention. I tilted my head up and the Gunny came into view. I put my papers down, unlocked the chair’s wheels, and pushed back from my desk. “Gunny, what can I do for you?”
    “Please call me Neal. I’ve been a Marine for my entire life, my father was a Marine, his daddy was one too. I understand that life has changed, I am just having a problem adjusting. Which is bad for a Marine. We are taught to adapt and overcome any situation. But they never told us that things could change this much and…” He trailed off.

I reached out my hand to him. He stuck his out and took it. I shook it warmly and patted it with my other hand. “Neal, you are forgiven buddy. I need you to buy in to what I am doing and get your ass to work.” He gave a genuine smile and nodded his head ok. I turned and grabbed a sheet of paper off my desk. “I need you to take care of these items for me. I hate to do it, but I need all of that done by sixteen hundred.”
    “You knew I would be back?”
    “Yes Neal. Now you are wasting my time, so get your ass to work, Gunny!”
    “Oorah!” He took his orders and moved quickly to get them done.
    “Yeah, I figured you would do that. Never seen you dress someone down though. That was interesting” Julie said behind me. I turned and stole a quick kiss from her.
    “You know me; I give everyone a second chance. Heck I gave you a second chance.” I moved the chair backwards as fast as my hands could. Her hand occupied the space I’d just vacated. I stuck my tongue out at her and she turned bright red.
    “I know where you sleep lover boy.” She then turned in her seat and went back to work.
    A shadow appeared over me and I knew there was only one man who could cast a shadow like that. “Yes Brian?”
    “Julie, if you’d like, I can scoop him out of that chair and deposit him on the floor.” His gravelly voice said.
    “No thank you, Brian. I will pay him back later. We have important work to get to.” She gave him a smile, and then stuck her tongue out at me and blew a raspberry.
    “Real professional Julie.” I wheeled myself back to my desk and got back to work. Brian continued to stand there. I turned and looked back at him. “Something else I can do for you?”
    He sighed and folded his massive tree trunk arms. “You said you wanted to interview the Librarian before Vic did. I had him moved to a private room for us. A guard owed me.”
    “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go. Gee, you really are a slacker.” I wheeled my chair out of the main room and down the hallway by the time Brian caught up with me.
    “You know; you really are an asshole” he said taking control of my chair.
    “That’s the reason you love me so much” I shot back
    “Someday I think I am going to push you off a cliff” he muttered.
    We continued our banter as he pushed me through the base toward a nondescript concrete building. As we entered we were confronted by a guard standing near the door. “Identification and reason for being here, gentlemen?” Once he saw my rank, he snapped to attention and stammered out “Sorry Major, I did not see your rank, sir.”
    “It’s ok.”
    “Senior Airman.” Brian whispered.
    “Senior Airman Jenkins.”
    “Thank you, sir. May I please ask the Major where his authorization is?” Jenkins was not gonna get caught not doing his job.
    Another voice spoke up then, with much more authority. “I am their authorization Airman Jenkins.”
    Jenkins stayed in attention. “Yes Master Sergeant. Thank you.” He turned to us. “Sorry for delaying you Major.” He saluted and stood rigid.
    I saluted back. “Just doing your job I understand Airman.”
    Brian pushed me to the Master Sergeant, standing in front of an opened steel door. The man was not a very big man, his voice did not fit his figure. He stood around six foot but was skinnier then