The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion #2)

The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion #2)

Rhiannon Frater




For the fans of The Last Bastion of the Living Dedicated with much affection and gratitude to my husband for encouraging me to be open to another novel set in The Bastion Special thanks to Tim Kirk, who helped create the Constabulary and the Science Warfare Division. You’ll always be my hero!





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Part 1

The End of the Battle





Chapter 1


“Lindsey, I’ve reached the subway door,” Castellan Dwayne Reichardt’s voice said.

Specials Sergeant Lindsey Rooney cast a wary look over her shoulder at the arguing officials at the far end of the Constabulary Command Center. The gleaming black and stainless steel austerity of the room was offset by the diffused glow of the vid screens and workstations. Fingers flowing over her console, she replied in a tone that she prayed didn’t sound too edgy, “Deactivating the locks now.”

Hopefully, if Dwayne detected her nervousness, he’d believe it was associated with his mission. Vanguard Maria Martinez was hiding in the valley that surrounded The Bastion, the last human city on the planet, awaiting rescue along with one of her squad members. Lindsey and Dwayne both had a vested interest in her retrieval. The vanguard was Lindsey’s best friend and the woman Dwayne loved.

As the tiltrotors destroyed the last remaining throngs of the undead, a secret battle was taking place in the upper echelons of the government and military for control of the city. Two of the major players in that fight were in a heated argument on the other side of the room.

Commandant Adeleke Pierce stood with her arms folded across her chest, facing Dr. Beverly Curran of the Science Warfare Division. As the officer in charge of the Constabulary, everything happening within and outside The Bastion was of greatest concern to the formidable commandant. Pierce was imposing with her tall, slim build and strong-featured face, but she was also beautiful, with ebony skin and dark eyes. Her black hair was twisted into many braids, then coiled into a tight bun on top of her head, giving her a sterner appearance.

The scientist Commandant Pierce was facing was just as intimidating. Dr. Curran’s expression was completely devoid of emotion, and with her blond hair skimmed back from her face, she resembled a statue. Lindsey wished she could hear what they were saying, but she had to concentrate on making sure Dwayne was safe.

Lindsey focused on the vid screens in front of her. She’d hacked into the city security systems to open the blast doors in one of the old subway stations so that Dwayne could enter the valley and find the two surviving soldiers. What she was doing could be considered treason, yet, to save her best friend, it was worth the risk.

After fussing with the tendrils of blond hair threatening to fall into her eyes, Lindsey flipped her long braid over one shoulder. There were much more important things to concentrate on other than her hair unfurling from her military hairdo and being an annoyance while she was trying to perform her duties.

Humanity was on the verge of victory over the Inferi Scourge. For nearly half a century, the undead throngs had kept the survivors of the apocalypse trapped within the high walls of The Bastion. The millions of Inferi Scourge that had once resided in the valley were now reduced to radically low numbers, the end result of the secret mission in which Maria had been involved. Tiltrotors from the city now filled the night sky, obliterating the remains of the living dead. Terrifyingly, the men and women in the aircraft were also seeking to destroy her best friend.

It was very difficult for Lindsey to process what had happened. Maria had volunteered for a top-secret mission nearly a half year before. The objective was to seal the massive gate that was the only entrance to the valley where The Bastion was located and eradicate the Inferi Scourge. It wasn’t until after Maria had vanished into the depths of the Science Warfare Division Facility that Lindsey had uncovered that Dr. Curran, an SWD scientist, had altered the virus that made the Inferi Scourge and infected Maria. The mutated virus had made Maria an Inferi Boon, a thinking undead creature able to walk among the Inferi Scourge and kill them without fear or danger.

Now, according to Dr. Curran, the modified virus was returning Maria to life and possibly making her immortal. This information was unknown to the top officials in the SWD. They had ordered the eradication of the Inferi Boon after the mission was a success. Only Maria and one other squad member were alive and on the run. If the SWD found out about the virus restoring life and possibly granting eternal life, Maria would be in even more danger. Lindsey didn’t want to see her best friend vanish into the secret laboratories of the SWD.

Dwayne was violating the security protocols with the knowledge of the commandant of the Constabulary to retrieve Maria and bring her back to headquarters. Lindsey hoped they could keep Maria safe from the SWD, but wasn’t certain if it was possible. The SWD’s grab for power had effectively destabilized the government and robbed the Constabulary of a lot of its power.

The security camera feed revealed the doors creeping open and Dwayne slipping outside. He was a dark, sleek shape in the black armor he’d somehow acquired from the Science Warfare Division. Lindsey suspected Dwayne’s assistant, Petra, had secured it for him. There was little love lost between the military officers of the Constabulary and the scientists and security officers of the SWD, but Petra appeared to have some contacts within the SWD.