0-SA (The Last Ship Series)

Chapter Five: Attempting Return

"You really think pulling the truck up is going to do much for us? If that thing wakes up, we're screwed." Sage glanced down at her gun as it dangled on her side, "I didn't know they could do that."

"Do what?" Jacques walked ahead a bit, his eyes scanning the area for any infected. Human and Irinaut alike. It didn't matter. Most had starved themselves out over the years or were eliminated on sight in this area, but that didn't mean that there wasn't any hanging around.

"The way it just turned my gun. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Two more seconds and I would of blown off my own head." She trotted forward next to Captain Jacques, "Why would they want to bring that back to base? We don't know what it could do."

"I don't know how it did that, Sage, but we're soldiers. It's our job to follow the orders and complete the mission. As long as they keep it asleep until we get back, there will be no issue. You won't have to see that leech head again after this. The first one to be seen without the sickness. Without a spot on it..yeah. I could see a hefty reward." Jacques was always one for luxury. One for just having more. Even if he did follow orders, that didn't mean he did it for free.

"At what cost? We bring it back to base. We don't have just soldiers. We have children there. I just don't know if this is the best-"

"Sage, are you saying we abort the mission? Go against the Faction?" Jacques spoke in a harsh tone, "You are under me, you follow my orders, and we're getting it back to base. End of story. I thought Raven would be the one I'd have to fight about this."

"What? Sir I would never go against orders." Sage said quite bluntly. Even if she was against this and near her breaking point after the near blow up, she was doing her best to follow the orders. The woman brushed past the Captain and kept walking as if to change subject herself. The faster they got to the vehicle and loaded up, the quicker they were going to get home.

Jacques didn't hesitate to follow, mumbling under his breath as he made his way up to hill back towards the truck, "We're not far from the truck now. As soon as we get to it we'll just glide it down the hill, load up, and head back. Easy as that."

"You make this sound like a cake walk." Sage scoffed. The woman looked around. By now they usually would have encountered something, but nothing. It was eerily quiet and that alone sent chills up the soldier's spine, "The faster, the better. That's all I'm saying."

_____

"See? What did I tell you." Jacques saw the truck in the distance. They had been walking for about a hour. The man was relieved himself to have made it. The odd silence had been bothering him as well. Not a noise. Not even the distant screams of the infected. They were sensitive in daylight. The spores victims would go out in it, but only if it was an extreme measure. Some who were severely covered often met fate with the sunlight, which for the infected, was the best way to send out the disease.

Where the truck was, it was surrounded by old buildings. One building was toppled over and leaned against another, almost like a bridge way, and leaving most of the area nicely shaded from the scorching sun. They had parked themselves behind the toppled building as a mark, and the bottom of the weaponized vehicle could be seen.

"Yeah, I get it. Just still find it odd. We haven't heard a sound the entire way here." Sage picked up the pace; eager to get to the vehicle and head back home.

"Last thing I would do is question it. We're here. Let's just get back." Jacques felt the same way, but he didn't want to put anymore worry into Sage. The woman was already stressed out being on the field.

As they walked beneath the fallen building, Sage looked up at it, observing the glass windows. Some were shattered, others still pretty well in tact.

It wasn't until she saw a set of feet running up the tower that she tensed, "Captain..!" She grabbed his arm to stop him, pointing up with haste. It was a infected human running up the inside of the building. They could be seen only for a moment more before disappearing into the other building.