Free Carlie Simmons (Book 4): The Gathering Darkness by JT Sawyer Page A

of the medical clinic. She slammed the brakes on just
before the staircase to the right. Grabbing her M4, she leapt out of the side
door and ran around the front of the truck to the stairs with Brinkman and
Eliza on her heels.
    Bounding up the steps to the second floor,
Carlie saw the fast-moving mutant rushing into the lobby followed by dozens of
zombies slipping around on the floor like they had paper plates underneath
their shoes. She yelled for the others to continue up and stopped on the
landing with her rifle. The first volley she unleashed struck the left pectoral
of the mutant, only slowing it slightly. It leaped on the back of the truck and
then into the air towards the staircase. Carlie struck it in the head and
throat with several rounds, seeing a spray of sparks fly off the back of the neck.
It landed on the tiled floor amidst the crumbled mix of glass and drywall. She
gazed down at it to make sure it was no longer a threat, noting a jumble of
wires emanating from the cervical region. Carlie squinted at the puzzling sight
but immediately shifted her gaze back to the inbound horde pouring through the
shattered entrance. She dispatched a handful of yellow-faced freaks to create a
temporary jam and then vaulted up the stairs.

 
    Chapter 14
    Duncan was huddled next to Mike, trying to
keep him conscious while Kulovitz covered the stairwell two doors down. Based
upon the radio chatter, he knew that the roar below was probably due to
Carlie’s hasty arrival in the lobby. He leaned towards Mike, whose eyes were
half-open. “The helos will be here in five minutes, buddy—just hang on.”
    He rose up slightly from his kneeling
position and checked the skyline. Got ’em. Inbound at three o’clock . He
helped Mike to his feet and carried most of the man’s weight on his left
shoulder. Duncan moved into the hallway only to see Eliza and Brinkman burst
onto the third-floor landing. “Carlie’s right behind us,” said Eliza, who was
panting.
    Duncan was already moving towards them and
pointed upward. “We gotta go now.” He passed Mike over to Brinkman, who along
with Kulovitz supported the barely alert man as they trotted down the hallway.
They climbed up the rear staircase, which was nothing more than a ladder going
into a square hatchway in the ceiling. Duncan heard gunfire coming from the
opposite stairwell followed by the overwhelming sounds of shrieks permeating
the air. As the rest of the group hurried up the steps, he covered the hallway,
finally seeing Carlie emerge and head towards the now-vacant room. He whistled
and directed her over.
    “Down,” he yelled as he shot three zombies
emerging behind her from the landing. She looked behind her to make sure it was
clear then sprang forward and continued running towards him.
    “You’re almost late for the party—where
are your manners?” he said.
    Carlie frowned and almost motioned for him
to go up but then realized this wasn’t her mission and that he would just deny
her request. She slung her rifle and ascended then covered him as he did the
same. Duncan secured the latch on the opening just as necrotic faces came into
view below.
    As they turned to join the others, he saw
the welcome arrival of the Chinook descending to the
    helipad in the corner near the rest of the
frazzled group.

 
    Chapter 15
    Two hours later, Duncan, Carlie and
several other team leaders met with Secretary of Defense Conrad Lavine in the
briefing room in A-Wing at Fort Lewis.
    “This was a well-planned attack, on many
levels,” said Duncan to the group before him. He waved his hand along a map of southeast
Washington pulled up on the overhead monitor. “This had to have been launched
by the group out of the military prison in Walla Walla that Eliza informed us about
upon her arrival here several months ago.”
    “For what purpose?” said the sec-def. “Our
outpost was not rich in natural resources and the base itself had little to
offer in terms of supplies.”
    “I think