Project Zulu by Fred Waltz

firing while he counted the taps… one, two …he
didn’t make it to three, because the third tap never came. The third soldier
had been snagged, and was being wrestled to the ground. The point soldier,
unaware that his weapon was no longer firing was quickly overrun. The remaining
two sentries, both out of ammunition now too, broke from the retreat formation
and began running down the hallway toward the elevator. They stood, back to
back, tactical knives in hand praying that the elevator arrived before the
creatures did.
    Inside the elevator car, Major Chonk is barking into
the satellite phone, “Listen to me Corporal, I don’t give a rat’s ass what he
is doing, you get the general on the phone right now or I am going to make you
wish that your Daddy and Mommy never met. I have a situation here and I need to
brief the General.”
    While he is waiting for the General, the elevator
arrives at level three, and the doors open to reveal the carnage. The final two
soldiers have gone down and the zombies are still feasting on them, biting huge
chunks of flesh from their prone bodies.
    The ‘ding’ of the elevator arriving arouses the
attention of the zombies outside the elevator and they begin to converge on the
open doors. Major Chonk is able to take down three of the zombies with precise
headshots, while desperately trying to get the doors to close, wildly pressing
buttons. He is unsuccessful keeping them out; the zombies move forward and crowd
into the elevator car. Clear of obstruction, the doors glide closed, and the elevator
begins its accent to every floor in the building. He fights as long as he can;
especially considering the circumstances of the close quarter combat he is
involved in, but Major Chonk never sees the second level. The zombie with one
hand delivers the fatal bite, severing the Major’s carotid artery.
    With the Major gone, there is nothing stopping the
zombies from shuffling out at each floor the elevator stops at. Most leave the
car on the first stop, level two, the dorm floor, where the rest of the soldiers
are currently soundly asleep.
    The sleeping soldiers don’t stand a chance. Most are
getting their first few hours of rest since arriving onsite; they are so deep
under that they would probably sleep through just about anything.
    The zombies seem to be attacking strategically,
delivering a quick bite, and then moving to the next sleeping victim. The
awakening soldiers are just on that level on grogginess, unsure if what is
happening is real, or just a bad dream.
    Once all of the sleeping soldiers have been ‘bitten’
awake, the one handed zombie pulls the fire alarm in the sleeping dorm,
engaging the strobe lights and overriding all of the security locks on the
doors within the facility.

Chapter 27
    “Are you kidding me Mike? Or should I say General?”
Jimmy asks sarcastically while issuing a mock salute.
    “Knock it off Jimmy, I just lost contact with Major
Chonk back at Syscorp, and I have a bad feeling about what may have happened. I
do not plan on losing contact with you, or the Doctor. Just stay put and you
can help me interview the girl that Captain Hellatoni is bringing in.”
    “What do you mean lost contact; did you try the
satellite phone?”
    “He called on the satellite, before I could pick it
up, he was gone. I haven’t been able to get him back; I haven’t been able to
reach anyone on the normal transmitter either.”
    Before Jimmy can continue the conversation, Captain
Hellatoni pulls up in the jeep. He helps Amy out, and escorts her toward Jimmy
and Mike. “General, Mr. Gaston, this is Amy Sunoon. She has told me an
interesting story that you might like to hear.”
    “Hello Miss Sunoon, I am General Balchor, and this
is Jimmy Gaston. If you will excuse me for just a moment, Jimmy, please keep
our new guest company. Captain, if I can have a word with you please.” The
General and the Captain walk ten paces away.
    “Captain, I need you to take ten men and go back