Free Crucifixion - 02 by Dirk Patton

tapped on the door with the barrel of my rifle.  No
screaming or pounding from within the room so I turned the knob and cracked the
door open, ready to fire if anyone or anything charged at me.
    The woman was still huddled behind the overturned table,
eyes wide in fear.  I motioned her to come to me, but she was frozen in place. 
Reading the situation, Rachel stepped past me and into the room, talking to the
frightened woman in a calming voice.  A minute later she had her on her feet
and rejoined the group, giving the woman an assignment of helping with the
wounded.  I had maintained watch on the remainder of the hall and the exit
ahead while Rachel brought the woman out to the group, and started moving
forward again when I felt Rachel’s hand on top of my left shoulder.
    “Major,” Anderson’s voice came over my earpiece.
    “Go,” I replied in a low voice, keeping my focus on the exit
door at the end of the hall.
    “It’s getting damn scary out here.  Infected are coming from
every direction.  Seems like there’s a major outbreak and the explosion and
fire are drawing them in.”
    “What’s your status?”
    “Aircraft is fueled, re-armed and ready to go, but we’re
going to have to start burning through ammo real quick.  We’ve got a pretty
large group headed our way.”
    “Copy,” I replied.  “Get your ass in the air and stay in the
area.  I’m about to exit flight ops with a group of survivors.  That Globemaster
should be touching down any minute and I’ll probably need air support to get
these people on board.”
    “Copy that,” he replied and I could already hear the Pave
Hawk’s engines spooling up over the radio.  “We’ll be on station when you need
us.”

Chapter 10
     
    I pushed out through the metal exit door and the first thing
that hit me was the smell of burning jet fuel from the massive fire at the far
end of the flight line.  The fire was close to half a mile away but it was
large enough to light up the entire area.  Silhouetted between me and the fire
were hundreds of infected, some shambling in our direction, others apparently
mesmerized by the fire and just standing there staring.  Closer to the fire
several figures stumbled along as their clothing burned.  As I watched they
eventually fell to the ground.
    There were a couple of dozen infected males within 50 yards
of us and I started firing single head shots, dropping them as we moved
forward.  Behind and to my left another rifle started firing single shots and
the two of us quickly dispatched all the infected that were too close for
comfort.  When the last one fell I glanced around, expecting to see Roach, but
Rachel smiled at me and lowered her rifle.  I guess the time on the firing
range had paid off.
    Overhead I could hear the heavy rotor of the Pave Hawk as
Anderson kept it in a tight orbit over the area.  Masuka came forward and
touched my arm and pointed off to the right, her arm indicating a spot a few
degrees above the horizon.  I looked and saw an impossibly large jet that
appeared to be hanging suspended in the air.  The optical illusion was quickly
dispelled as it grew larger by the second.  The Globemaster is the heavy lift
aircraft for the Air Force.  It’s almost 200 feet long with a wingspan as wide
as the aircraft is long.  They are capable of carrying armor and troops
anywhere in the world and are one of the largest aircraft in the US Military
inventory.
    As I watched the pilot brought the gigantic plane down onto
the runway closest to us and the four massive engines roared loud enough to
shake the ground when he activated the thrust reversers to slow down.  The
plane rolled for a long way as speed bled off then the noise reduced as it
rolled to a stop and the engines were throttled back to idle.  I glanced around
in dismay as every infected in sight zeroed in on the new arrival and started
shambling towards it.
    “OK people, double time.  Let’s move!”  I shouted and