ARISEN, Book Eight - Empire of the Dead by Michael Stephen Fuchs & Glynn James

Author:Michael Stephen Fuchs & Glynn James [Fuchs, Michael Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: SEAL Team Six, SOF, high-tech weapons, Increment, serial fiction, fast zombies, spec-ops, techno-thriller, naval adventure, SAS, dystopian fiction, special operations, zombies, supercarrier, Delta Force, Hereford, military, horror, Zombie Apocalypse
Publisher: Glynn James & Michael Stephen Fuchs
Published: 2014-12-10T00:00:00+00:00

Going Toward the Light

JFK - Bridge

Drake finally seemed to come back to the room, taking in his XO’s urgent advice – that, after their Predator had been shot down, they couldn’t long survive without having eyes on the enemy ship. “Okay,” he said. “Recommendations?”

“We’ve only got one option,” said Abrams. “Re-task the Fire Scout.”

Drake crinkled his brow, considering this. “Just give me a second…”

“Sir, we don’t have a second.” He picked up a desk mic. “CIC, Bridge.”

“CIC, go ahead.”

“You need to re-task the Fire Scout UAV. We need it up at 15,000 feet, to give us radar and video imaging of the enemy surface contact. And we need it urgently.”

“Copy that, Bridge. Wait one.” There was a one-second pause, after which Campbell herself came back on.

“Bridge, CIC. That is negative, negative on re-tasking the Fire Scout. Right now the shore team is in heavy contact. We are using that asset both as ISR for their maneuver – and close air support for their breakout and exfil. Repeat: we have troops in contact, and are doing fire support with that asset.”

Abrams looked over at Drake, then responded. “Copy that, LT. But be advised: this is a priority highest tasking. We have to have eyes on that battlecruiser.”

“Copy that. How long do we have?”

Abrams wanted to tell her they had 0.0 seconds. But he knew that, with the Russians a bit over 400km out, and the range of their Shipwreck missiles only 200km, they had a little time left. It was terrible not to know what the Russian ship was doing. But it wouldn’t necessarily be lethal. Not right away, anyway.

Campbell came back on. “Sir, let me finish my gun runs. And clear the Marines’ way out of there.”

Abrams exhaled. “Get it done – ASAFP.”

“Roger that. ETA ten minutes for that re-task.”

Abrams put the mic back down. He started to look over at Drake to see how he was faring. But then his gaze was immediately drawn back out the screens, on the landward side. Onshore, they could now make out tiny explosions blossoming across the base. They seemed to be starting inland and walking out toward the docks, and the water.

The faint sounds of the blasts reached them through the open hatch a few seconds afterward.

* * *

Nine minutes later, Campbell was back on the line.

“Bridge, CIC. I’m ready to re-task the drone. But be advised: unless we can find, engage, and suppress that missile shooter on shore, the one who took down the Predator… then in order to move the Fire Scout without losing it, we’re going to have to get it way down on the deck, keep it at that altitude until it’s way offshore, and then climb. All of which is going to take time.”

This time, Drake responded before Abrams could. And Abrams was nothing but relieved. The last thing he wanted was to see the strike group’s acting commander so incapable that he had to be worked around, or kicked upstairs.

“That’s understood,” Drake said. “Make it happen.”

“Already in progress,” Campbell said.

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