Sergeant Serena

In this chapter we are getting close to the source of the Zom Wars problem - the one who started it all..... now for some character development....

Sergeant Serena, President of Gewesia who chose to fight in the ranks against the seemingly never-ending zombie hordes, returned from her reccie into Zom territory in the city of Angels.... alone!  She walked by the Command Chronicler Temple with a savage, inward-turned look fixed on a horizon that only she could see - and Temps knew, without being told, that any attempt to stop Serena, especially by putting a hand on her, might well result in Serena trying to blow her, Temple's, head off!  Best to wait until Serena had settled down - from whatever she'd just been through.  Let it ride, Trooper �" she told herself �" let it ride!

 

Whatever it was - it had to be rough - and Temple started figuring out what they'd be needing the next morning when they launched deep into that same territory - IF they did after what Serena had just been through.

 

She hurried off to see The Hustler, Supply Sergeant HiWatt, to make sure that skunk knew exactly what would be required for HER troops tomorrow morning - and no excuses!  Mentally she ticked off her list.... extra canteens, back-up from some armour if they could get it from Ops Tent, air support?  What a laugh!  The only air support they got these days was the smell of the Zombie hordes as they swarmed towards them.  No point taking any AP crap - no AP round is going to do any more than a bullet to a Zom - and was too great a weight penalty - see if Heavy Weaps could lay on some heavy machine gun and mortar support, if they had the ammo - too much to ask for artillery - those guys thought twenty miles back was too close these days - after their battery was over-run at St Crispin's Wood - just holding themselves in reserve in case of a breakthrough - strap-hanging swines!  Need lots of bangs, though - as many as we can carry - and a few mules to carry extra - plus I want a heavy calibre - 7.62 at least - sniper team with some solid fire support laid on.. coupla bloopers wouldn't go astray, HE only since gas and white phos hardly phased the Zoms until the phos burned right down into them..- not enough ammo for the mini gun... aha!  Flame throwers!   That's it!  Cooking with gas now!

 

MREs? ..she chuckled at the old soldier's joke - three lies for the price of one - not a meal, not ready and you can't eat it! Maybe we could just sit down with the Zoms and eat some dead people instead - taste better, surely!  Watch out for the small bones on the little ones!

 

Temple shook her head in disbelief at her own sick sense of humour... I need a vacation, she thought - yeah - some time soon!

 

Temple laughed as she went into Hustler Hiwatt 's door without knocking, startling him with that blonde corporal Glinda on his knee like a grand-daddy - and laid down her order while he was still trying to adjust his clothing....

 

                   *    *     *

 

Serena drank off half a pint of vodka - then considered how to tell the colonel what had happened.... and where Dark Eyes and Poweranni were now - in the hands of the Zom transfusers - who were going to soak their brains with madness and turn their blood to green ichor while they still lived.... Serena brushed away a tear, and strode into the colonel's office like a woman.........

 

 As she entered, stiff as a poker, the colonel's orderly handed her a cup of hot, sweet coffee, and the colonel signaled to her to just sit down.  She took the coffee and held it tight to stem the shaking of her hands.  Only one way to get through this, girl - she said to herself - and that's just do it - get it all out...she took a deep swig of the hot, sweet liquid, feeling ti go down deep to where she felt cold - so very cold inside....

 

"I lost Dark Eyes and Poweranni - the Zoms got them while I was out on my own checking on something we spotted - when I got back there were these.. Zoms I suppose they were - all on top of them.. there was nothing I could do alone - must have come out of nowhere or something - but these Zoms looked like ordinary people.  Maybe that's how they got close...."

 

"OK - describe them"

 

"It fits with what we spotted earlier - that needed me to take a look.  There was this..woman.. not a Zom.. and she was directing the Zoms, as if she was their leader or whatever.  Never seen anything like it.... so maybe they were like her...anyway - as they dragged Dark Eyes and Poweranni away, I grabbed one of these Zom humans... he was stupid enough to stop for a piss and he talked... believe me - he talked..but I couldn't get him back on my own, so...you know.  It's what he told me before…. that counts now!  These ..humans.. who are working with the Zoms - they ARE humans..and the woman who runs them is called Ramona Gryce...she was some sort of petro-chemical engineer before The War started... and  had a lot of experiments going even then.  This... man... told me before he died that this Gryce had started the whole Zombie thing off - with a cocktail of chemicals that she produced that was supposed to make the perfect soldier."

 

"It's OK, Serene - I'm taking notes in my head - photographic memory for this stuff - too much to write down fast... keep going".

 

Serena took another swig of coffee, and went on.

 

"It seems that they are holding Dark and Power overnight until daylight - in this Gryce chick's headquarters... then they're going to inject them with this stuff, watch them ‘change’ and watch them squirm until it takes effect on them, and then send them back against us... just for a laugh.  That's how she works.. I think she's crazy!" 

 

She the last came out with a shudder and a sudden forlorn look as if she was a little girl who had lost her puppy…..

 

“OK �" Serene �" take it easy!  Now �" you know exactly where that HQ is?  The Gryce woman’s?”

 

“Sure �" got it right here in my head!”

 

Serena visibly collected herself and the colonel saw the pain replaced by anger �" a good sign - tapped her forehead with an expression that says it all �" I want to get back there and settle this one!

 

“Right!  We’re going back in �" with a small team!  Grab some food and a break �" it’s…2030 hours now �" make it 2100 �" at Captain Barking’s tent…..no �" get that look off your face!  He’s not coming with us .. I just want him to get back to that artillery battery and shove a pistol up their arses until they get those pieces back here!  We might need them just to get out, and he’s the only one crazy enough to scare the s**t out of them enough to force them to move!  That’s why they call him Barking Tardloaf!  Barking F*****g Mad!  Something else?”

 

“Sir.. ah.. you’re coming with us?”

 

“Of course, Serena �" there’s two of our people out there �" and they’re alive �" for now anyway.  And we’re going to get them back!  See you at 2100.  Grab a bite and a rest.  I’ll get the team together!”

 

Serena turned to go…

 

“Oh, Serene?  No more vodka, OK?  We need to be sharp out there tonight!”

 

Serena nodded without turning and left quietly… she’d be OK.

 

Sergeant Major Jess, who had been standing behind the colonel, came forward as Serena left, and said without hesitation:-

 

“I hope you know I’m coming along on this one, too!”

 

“Sure �" never thought differently �" just keep a tight rein on that killer instinct of yours.  I’m not sure yet if we need prisoners, but I’d like them to be live ones when we get back if that’s possible, thanks!”

 

“Sure thing, colonel!  You know me �" always ready to take orders �" and prisoners on order �" as if we ever take f*****g Zoms prisoner!  Who do we want for this team tonight?”

 

The colonel studied Jess for a moment �"

 

“Yeah �" always knew you were good on taking orders �" that’s why you’re here!  But we also need that killer instinct sometimes �" don’t lose it just yet.  We might need it tonight!  Now �" who do we want with us on this one?  How about Fereshte �" she’s got the experience and the language skills?”…..

 

“Feresht is still out of action �" she copped a load at Brinker’s Pass, remember?”

 

“Damn �" yeah �" I forgot to send flowers, too! Too much on my mind �" yeah �" I’m joking! Who else we got that can translate?”

 

“How about Casual?  He’s got a lot of funny s**t tucked up in that head of his �" maybe wants to be the fucken’ writer of The Great Fucken War Story about the Zom Wars �" but he’s pretty sound on languages �" even that freaky Zom crap!  And he knows some petro stuff �" did a part course at GrapplerTech in �" oh �" 2036, I think!”

 

“OK �" Casual �" but we don’t want him near the front �" not a point man at all �" especially when we need to be quiet as death!  He’s too damned noisy!  We need about three more �" this is a quick in and out �" not a f*****g parade!”

 

“’K �" ummm �" what about Gun Fanatic?  He’s a pretty good backup man - damned good on a sniper rifle!  I know �" Wyett �" he knows that Russkiye s**t backwards �" and we might need the firepower of a couple of AKs �" just in case we need to lay down some fast lead and split quick!  Travel light and lay down a s**t-load of lead, I always say!”

 

“OK �" GF and Wyett �" one more �" we need a good comms trooper - what about Kimiko?  She’s maybe the best we’ve got on the wires �" though not much combat experience.  That’d be seven including us and Serena �" that’s enough of a team to handle at night �" maybe a bit too much �" but we need the backup!  Now �" what fire support do we need?  Can we put Raga’s Indian platoon in as an ambush and a firm base �" to give us something to fall back on when the s**t hits the fan?  They’re pretty good on their feet!”

 

“Yeah �" Raga is sure good with the feet!  OK �" you, me, Kimi and Serena as the command group �" Wyett on forward scout  �" Gun Fanatic for fire support and Casual as our Tail End Charlie!  Seven �" a lucky enough number!  And Raga’s curry munchers for the firm base and fire support!  What about those artillery tubes - we might need to lay down some covering fire as we pull out �" and them fucken wastes of good steel have their uses sometimes?”

 

“Can’t guarantee it �" but you heard I’m putting Captain Tardloaf on the job �" he’ll get some sort of result �" not sure when, though!  Those cannon cockers are bound to find some excuse not to move out of their warm beds, but if anyone can move them �" he can �" even if he shoots the battery commander.  Which he just might.  Either way �" we have to move with or without them �" no time to wait.  Let’s get cracking to Tardloaf’s tent”….

 

“Yeah, well �" let's hope he’s not out on one of his lone wolf fucken midnight walks like some fucken vampire, collecting Zom ears again.  That guy’s a fucken nut case!”

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Author's Note

Just give it to me straight, Pilgrims - I can take it!

Reviews

[CrashQueen♛]

Oh wow! This is amazing Colonel :) You really thought this through. Sorry I took so long, I thought you would send me a read request and so I never checked. 5 stars.

[Derek Cummings]

You definitely have some interesting action going here. Your dialogue makes the story flow well and the story is interesting. I would just go easy with the adverbs that end with 'ly' It doesn't me, but people have told me agents and publishers don't like it:( I didn't see a lot anyhow. You seem focused and to know your stuff well. I like forward to reading more.