State of Emergency: Jack Emery 2 by Steve P. Vincent

her team was busy planting were a mix of high explosives and incendiary devices, so whatever didn’t blow would hopefully burn. They wouldn’t destroy the entire facility or even all of the supplies, but they’d make a mess. It was all a small team could do to such a large facility. She was confident the result would be the same: a vital facility crippled, a state short of critical supplies further stretched and a nation stressed.
    “Uh, incoming.” Five’s voice drawled in her ear. “A pair of State Guard Humvees are closing on gate B. They're a few minutes out.”
    She stopped in her tracks. They’d planned to be gone before any reinforcements arrived. The nearest State Guard units should have been over an hour away, and local law enforcement wouldn’t respond to such a dangerous situation. It was a problem. Given the amount of explosives they’d had to haul along, the team had packed lightly: they certainly weren’t geared up for a prolonged fire fight with any sort of capable foe. She considered her options for a moment and then decided.
    “Okay, Five, Six, stay cool for now. The rest of you finish up, then find some cover just inside gate B and await my order. You’ve got one minute.”
    She planted her last bomb.
    ***
    Callum drummed his hands on the back of the passenger seat as the Humvee raced along the road. Pettine was at the wheel, singing along to the song at the top of his voice, while Bowles simply laughed and shook his head. The newest addition to their small squad – a small guy named Tony Harrington – didn’t seem to know what to make of the situation, so simply smiled and cradled his carbine. A second Humvee followed them.
    They were all in good spirits considering the lack of sleep they’d all had. The order had come through that afternoon to redeploy from Bartlett, where Callum had spent three uneventful months since the liquor store shooting. Their new assignment was to guard one of the large FEMA distribution centers. They were nearly there, but it was almost midnight. Callum knew he’d be paying for the lack of a full night’s sleep for days.
    The car started to slow. Pettine turned his head. “Hey, Cal, there’s something wrong.”
    Callum sat higher, leaned to his left and looked through the windshield. Up ahead the Humvee’s headlights brightened the gatehouse of the distribution facility. It should have been flooded with light, even at this hour, and there should have been a pair of State Guard troops looking to share a joke before they were relieved. Instead, all they saw was a closed chain-link gate and an empty hut with blood sprayed all over the glass.
    “Heads up guys, I’m going to call it in.” Callum held his carbine in one hand and reached for the radio with the other. “Command this is Mobile Four.”
    There was a brief pause before the radio squawked back. “Go, Four.”
    “We’ve reached Distribution Center Echo. The lights are out, nobody’s around and there’s blood. No visible bodies but they can’t be far away. Any info for me?”
    “Standby.”
    Callum placed the radio handset on the seat beside him and checked his weapon. The carbine was cradled between his legs, barrel facing the floor. Callum ejected then reloaded the magazine and checked the safety. Around him, Bowles and Harrington had their weapons ready, while Pettine had one hand on the wheel and the other on his sidearm. Callum hoped that the troops in the other Humvee were ready as well.
    The radio crackled. “Mobile Four, we’ve no reports of power outages at that facility and the guards haven’t reported any problems.”
    Callum tensed. “Well, I’m staring at a problem. They haven’t reported anything because they’re most likely all dead.”
    “Move in with Mobile Three to investigate. We’re routing Mobile Seven, Mobile Twelve and Air One to you.” The voice on the other end was dispassionate.
    “ETA?”
    “Unknown. Will advise. The facility is critical. Repeat order: Move