Chapter 260: Defense - II

Thousands of infected moved through Silverpeak’s roads, bridges and narrower streets toward the sectors held by the MDC.

The horde did not move as one solid mass. Some groups filled the wider roads while others pushed through side streets and between buildings, joining the larger movement whenever the terrain opened again.

Civilians who had not reached the evacuation routes locked whatever doors and windows they could. Some hid inside bathrooms or storage rooms, while others stayed low behind whatever part of their homes felt safest.

Outside, one of the leading infected groups rounded a bend farther north.

Boom!

A tank shell struck the middle of the group and exploded.

The blast tore through the infected packed along the road. Several disappeared inside the explosion while others were thrown against abandoned cars and the nearby walls.

The sudden blast caught the attention of the MDC soldiers holding the next intersection.

"Big Rhino’s back on duty, boys!" the commander shouted inside the tank. "Time to kill more infected!"

"Hoorah!"

Boom!

Big Rhino fired again.

Another shell landed farther down the road and tore into a second group before they could spread into the nearby streets.

Several MDC soldiers near the intersection stared at the Vanguard.

They had seen armored vehicles before the Event, but the tank sitting across the road was unlike anything currently operating inside Silverpeak. Its turret was already shifting toward another concentration farther ahead.

One of the officers behind them noticed where everyone was looking.

"Jackasses! What are you staring at? Move those civilians out of the way!"

Before the soldiers could move much farther, several Guardian APCs came out from a nearby street and crossed the bridge ahead of them.

Their engines filled the road as they passed Big Rhino and continued toward the blocks still being evacuated.

"Spear One moving ahead of the formation. Big Rhino, keep your fire clear of our route, over."

"Got that, Spear One Actual!"

The lead Guardian’s autocannon turned toward a group of infected spilling out from another street.

Its 30-mm gun opened fire.

The first burst cut through the front of the group and carried into those behind them, leaving the road open long enough for the APCs to continue.

Spear One Actual stopped beside a six-story apartment building.

Several windows on the lower floors were broken, while others had been covered from inside with furniture or pieces of wood. The entrance remained shut.

On the shared tactical picture, several gray markers were clustered inside the building.

"Spear One Actual at the first civilian location. Dismounting."

The rear ramp lowered.

Four DASFs came out and spread around the APC, two covering the street while the others moved toward the apartment entrance.

The remaining Guardians continued toward their assigned buildings nearby.

"Who’s there?"

The voice came from somewhere behind the entrance.

"We’re the Golden Eagle Army. Mountain Defense Command sent us. We’re evacuating this building."

Nothing happened for a moment.

Hurried footsteps moved across the other side. Something heavy scraped against the floor before the door opened only a few centimeters.

An older man looked through the gap.

His eyes moved from the two DASFs standing outside to the Guardian behind them, then toward the gunfire coming from the next street.

"You’re really with the MDC?"

"Yes. We don’t have much time. Get everyone downstairs."

The man hesitated only another second before pulling the door open.

"Come on! They’re here! Everybody downstairs!"

The inside of the apartment building became louder.

Doors opened across the lower floors. People called to one another from the stairwell while someone farther inside shouted for the children to bring nothing except what they could carry.

The first group appeared several moments later.

There were nineteen people in total. Seven men, eight women and four children came down from the upper floors, some carrying small bags while others had nothing with them at all.

One woman held a little boy against her chest while another elderly man leaned heavily against the railing as he descended.

The DASFs moved closer to the entrance.

"Keep together. Don’t stop outside."

"Where are you taking us?" one of the men asked.

"Behind the MDC defensive line. You’ll be moved again once this sector is clear."

The people flinched as another explosion sounded farther down the road.

"Move, move, move!"

The civilians hurried toward the Guardian. Two DASFs stayed near the building entrance while the other two covered the street.

A woman near the rear of the group looked toward one of them.

"Will we be okay?"

"Yes, ma’am. Get inside the vehicle and stay low until we reach the rear."

She nodded quickly and pulled the girl beside her forward.

The first civilians were already climbing into the Guardian when one of the DASFs near the road suddenly raised his weapon.

"Contact!"

Everyone froze.

"Keep moving!" another DASF shouted. "Don’t stop!"

Two Leapers came over the wreckage near the opposite sidewalk.

The first one landed on the hood of an abandoned car before jumping again toward the road. A Spitter appeared behind them a moment later, its swollen mouth already opening.

The DASFs fired almost at the same time.

One shot struck the first Leaper through the head before it finished its second jump. The other tried to change direction, but another round caught it through the shoulder and threw it sideways onto the pavement.

The Spitter barely managed to lean forward before the third shot entered through its forehead and collapsed beside the curb.

Dark green liquid spilled from its mouth and spread across the pavement, leaving a faint hiss where it touched the concrete.

The entire exchange lasted only a few seconds.

The civilians stared at the DASFs. Most of them had probably expected soldiers to escort them out, not four people who could drop mutated infected before they even reached the vehicle.

"Inside, keep moving!"

One of the DASFs waved them toward the APC again. Several people hurried through the rear ramp while the others followed close behind.

The woman with the child looked back once toward the three infected lying across the road, then quickly entered the Guardian.

"Spear One Actual receiving civilians."

The DASF near the entrance checked the building again.

"Last civilian group is out."

"Copy."

Spear One Actual switched to the group channel.

"All Spear One units, status."

"Spear One-Two. Civilians secured. Moving out."

"Spear One-Three. Still loading. We have more infected coming in from the east."

"Spear One-Four. Building clear. Returning to route."

Another transmission followed a second later.

"Spear One-Five. Twenty civilians onboard. Three more waiting for the next run. No casualties."

Spear One Actual’s commander looked over the reports.

"All units return through the bridge once you’re loaded. Do not stop for isolated contacts unless they block the route."

Acknowledgments came back one after another.

The rear ramp closed.

There was no room left for the DASFs in the troop compartment. All four moved alongside the Guardian for the first few meters before climbing onto the upper hull once the vehicle began moving back toward the bridge.

Two stayed facing forward while the others watched the streets behind them.

Elsewhere, the other Guardians began doing the same.

Some returned quickly with only a handful of civilians. Others filled their compartments and had to leave people behind under DASF protection until the next run.

The Guardians did not stay at the rear after unloading. As soon as the civilians were handed over to the MDC, several turned around and headed back across the bridge.

The bridge became crowded with Golden Eagle vehicles moving in both directions.

Guardians entering the sector stayed to one side while those carrying civilians returned along the other. As soon as one unloaded behind the MDC line, it turned around and joined the next group heading back across.

For several minutes, the bridge worked almost like a conveyor. Empty APCs went in while loaded ones came out.

Big Rhino continued firing from farther down the road.

Each shot rolled through the surrounding blocks before another shell landed among the infected gathering along the wider approaches.

A few minutes later, the last Spear One Guardian returned across the bridge.

Major Federick watched them come back from the intersection beside several MDC officers.

A Guardian APC stopped near the rear position and lowered its ramp.

Civilians came out under the direction of MDC soldiers. Before the last of them had moved far from the vehicle, its crew was already preparing to turn around and make another run.

A radio operator ran toward Federick before the conversation could start.

"Major!"

Federick turned.

"Report."

"More infected from the south. Fourth and Fifth Recon both report another concentration joining the main horde."

"How large?"

"At least tens of thousands. Maybe more. And that thing in the central sector is active again."

Federick’s expression fell.