The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion #2)(4)

“You can trust me,” Lindsey said, lifting her chin. “I want what’s best for The Bastion, too.”

Commandant Pierce met her gaze evenly, and then slightly smiled. “I’m glad we understand each other. Now, take care of Denman’s body. I don’t want Curran getting any samples off Denman.”

“But doesn’t the SWD already have the virus?”

“Admiral Kirkpatrick ordered all the viruses destroyed after the Inferi Boon were successful as a precaution against further outbreaks, but it was probably a move against Curran. I have a feeling that Kirkpatrick regards her as a wildcard. He also ordered all the Boon bodies to be burned. Dr. Curran presently doesn’t have any sway with the SWD, but that could change once the worm goes out tonight.” Commandant Pierce started to reach for the controls next to the door, then hesitated. “Dr. Curran is a temporary ally. Though I do believe she will do everything she can to destroy Mr. Peterson and Admiral Kirkpatrick’s designs on taking over the city, she’s also going to be maneuvering herself into a position of power.”

“And she knows about me, Vaja, Petra...” Lindsey narrowed her eyes on her wristlet. She could instantly make herself invisible to the city sensors, but she had nowhere to really hide.

“We’re going to have to be hyper-vigilant.”

“You’re afraid of what she might do, aren’t you?”

“She likes to play with people’s lives and viruses.”

“Will she tell the SWD about Maria’s virus? And that she might still be alive?”

Commandant Pierce lowered her brows, obviously pondering the question. “Once she’s in power again, I wouldn’t be surprised if she tries to find Maria. But she’ll keep it to herself for now.”

“Because she wouldn’t want anyone else getting the glory.”

“Exactly. Vanguard Rooney, this isn’t over yet. But we will be victorious.” The commandant extended her hand, a small silver star-shaped rank pin in her palm.

Lindsey arched her eyebrows, realizing she’d just been promoted to vanguard. “Yes, sir.”

The commandant deftly attached the pip to Lindsey’s collar. “Suit up and get things done.”

“Yes, sir!” Lindsey saluted, her heart wildly fluttering.

With a satisfied look, the commandant opened the doors and strode out.

In a daze, Lindsey followed, her fingers tight around her cane. Gradually, a smile slid onto her lips as she realized the commandant hadn’t even questioned if she could fulfill her assigned task. It was the first time in a very long while that someone hadn’t doubted her abilities because of her damaged leg. Lifting a hand, she touched the small star on her collar in awe.

With a straight spine and determination in her stuttering gait, Lindsey rushed to suit up.





Chapter 2


The wind sweeping off the mountain range enclosing the vast valley buffeted the tiltrotors as the vehicles circled over the drop zone. The darkness of the night was broken by the bright flashes of the tiltrotors’ bombardment against the howling Inferi Scourge. In the distance, near the hydroelectric plant, there were fires, but Master Seeker Torran MacDonald and his squad were being set down near the mines. Firebombs were not allowed in that area due to the underground coal deposits.

The tiltrotors banked and swooped low over the dwindling horde of Inferi Scourge. Instead of fleeing, the rampaging undead creatures raced toward the deadly flying craft. Even when the tiltrotors opened fire, the bullets shredding through the flesh of the undead, the survivors continued to race along the ground, following the flight path of the tiltrotors.

“Fuckin’ Scrags,” Fortis Plebis Sara Goodwin grunted beside her superior officer. “They act like they can somehow grab us right out of the sky.”

“Maybe they think they can,” Torran answered. “They do have one track minds.”

“Yeah, to bite us.” Goodwin’s round, pale face was grim behind the facemask of her helmet. A strand of red hair clung to her sweaty brow. “Fuckers are not going to get a chance with me. No way I’ll ever be a Scrag.”

The Scrags, as the military nicknamed them, had no sense of self-preservation or awareness. The Inferi Scourge Plague Virus not only returned the infected to life, but compelled them to bite and infect the living. The sole purpose of the reanimated dead was to spread the virus

“Keep alert, follow orders, and don’t try to be a hero, and you’ll do fine,” Torran assured her.

Strapped into the tiltrotor, Torran’s squad was preparing to disembark once the area was cleared of the immediate threat of the Inferi Scourge horde. The readout on the facemask of his helmet was a fast scroll of updated information from the battlefield. At last, the final campaign for the land and resources surrounding The Bastion was well under way.

In the distance, the massive gate into the valley was closed. Decades before, it had been sabotaged by a group called the Gaia Cult. The cult had been devoted to exterminating humanity in order to save the planet. They’d opened the gate and escorted a massive horde of the Inferi Scourge through the opening. The Scrags had swept into the valley and destroyed the city’s resources such as farms, ranches, mines, fuel depots, and settlements, effectively trapping humanity behind the high walls of The Bastion.

Tonight, all that had gone wrong was being set right. The gate was closed, the Inferi Scourge were nearly eradicated from the valley, and Torran MacDonald was leading one of the Science Warfare Divisions search and destroy squads on a mission to clean up the last pockets of the Scrags. He was grateful to the mysterious special ops team that had wiped out nearly all the undead in the valley. They had his utmost respect. Sadly, word was that the last of the special ops team had died earlier in the day near the hydroelectric plant and now it was up to the SWD search and destroy teams to mop up the Inferi Scourge in their honor. The pride that swelled within him at the thought of the successes the mission had garnered so far was tempered by the fact that they weren’t done yet. The night stretched long and treacherous before him and his squad.