The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion #2)(68)

Lindsey was silent as she sent her updates to the chief defender. When she was done, she showed him the message. She’d included his name. He appreciated her devotion to their partnership in leading the squad.

“You need to drag me out of here before I find something else to fret over,” she said to him.

“Sleeping over?” he asked escorting her to the door.

“I want a hot shower, sex, and several hours of blissful sleep snuggled into your side,” she answered.

“Yeah. So demanding.” He playfully ruffled her hair.

“You’re the one who said hello on the bridge that day. This is all your fault.”

“You didn’t have to say yes to my invitation to a walk.”

“You didn’t have to say yes to my invitation to hot sex.”

“Yes I did. Otherwise I’d be certifiably mad.”

Lindsey laughed as the door opened. “Well, don’t you know? We’re all mad here.”

“Ah, a Louis Carroll quote. Another reason to tolerate you.”

Together, they left the training room.





Chapter 20


“Scrag concentration around the food depot is higher than reported,” the pilot’s voice said through the comm unit.

“Scoggins, direct the feed to my screens,” Lindsey responded.

The tiltrotor shuddered as the aircraft sluiced through the wind gusts billowing before an oncoming storm front. The aerial drones had already been recalled to the tiltrotor due to the harsh weather. The small aircraft were unable to fly in the bad conditions and were now attached to the tiltrotor’s outer hull like insects. The screens on Lindsey’s console altered with the new data streamed from the long-range sensors. They weren’t as clear as they fresh feeds from the aerial drones, but they would have to do.

Again, the tiltrotor rocked. A few of the soldiers strapped into the seats in rows behind her let out agonized grunts. The flight over the mountains had been difficult and treacherous. A few times, Lindsey had been convinced the tiltrotor was about to be smashed into the summits. The pilot had done an amazing job -- considering the bad weather conditions and the fact she’d only flown an actual aircraft a handful of times -- and ferried them safely over the mountain range. Now the tiltrotor rushed over a thick, green forest toward the towers of Beta City in the distance.

The chief defender sat at her own console across the aisle, while Torran sat directly behind Solomon communicating with the cargo aircraft that was trailing twenty minutes behind the tiltrotor and just about to crest the mountains. The workstations received intel from not only the tiltrotor, but Beta City sensors being activated by the pulses being sent out by the Bastion. Torran and Lindsey quickly evaluated the information, then transmitted the vital details to the chief defender for her review.

Again, the tiltrotor hit a pocket of rough air and pitched to one side. Lindsey glanced at Dr. Curran at the Med Console. The blond woman was intently watching the vitals of the soldiers under her care. Curious, Lindsey examined the incoming information from the Med-Con transmitted to her screen. Dr. Curran had the suits administering anti-nausea medication to most of the squad. Each suit was outfitted with med packs with small dosages of various types of medication -- such as antihistamines, anti-nausea and pain relief -- that were administered when needed. Lindsey noted that neither she nor Torran required a dose, but the chief defender did. For some reason she found that amusing.

“The Scrags have definitely shifted,” Lindsey said into the comm. “Evaluating the situation now.”

The mob of undead had moved closer to the front of the complex, and Lindsey wondered why. Had the aerial drones caught their attention? The relocation of the mob actually worked to their benefit. A lower concentration of Scrags near the likely breach point in the rear of the complex would possibly buy them a little more time. She sent the updated information to the chief defender with her suggestion to alter their approach in order to avoid pulling the mob toward the rear of the complex. Several seconds later, Solomon gave the order to tweak the flight plan.

The cameras from the exterior of the tiltrotor continued to feed data to her screens, while Lindsey struggled to not be distracted at the vastness of the land spread out below them. The forest was broken by small bodies of water, pastures, and crumbling towns. The world appeared to stretch out forever in every direction. It was awe-inspiring. For so long, her world had been a single city in an isolated valley. She wished the tiltrotor had windows so she could peer out and see the panorama with her own eyes. Instead, she watched through the electronic eyes of the cameras.

There had been some discussion about having a reporter embedded with the squad, but the idea had been scrubbed. Also, a media remote camera had been eliminated as an option. Lindsey was glad. If the citizens of The Bastion saw what she was witnessing, their unrest would only grow. How could she ever return to the gray world of The Bastion after seeing such beauty?

Her gaze shifted to the footage of the Scrags, and her reverie was over.

It was a beautiful and incredibly deadly world.

“We’re on final approach,” Scoggins announced.

“Get ready to deploy,” Torran ordered.

Lindsey swiped the feed onto her wristlet and unfastened the straps on her chair. As the tiltrotor descended, the rear door opened as the ramp extended.

“Make this fast and smooth,” Chief Defender Solomon commanded, making her way past the squad rising to disembark.