Read Online Alice in Deadland by Mainak Dhar - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mainak Dhar
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was the difference between life and death every single day. As she scanned the Zeus troopers around her in the dim light thrown up by their emergency lights, she realized that for all their heavy weaponry and fancy equipment, they looked terrified. Only the officer seemed a bit composed, and as he finished asking for the helicopters to zero in on their lights, he smiled at her.
'I never introduced myself. My name is Colonel Dewan and I am in charge of the North Indian operations for Zeus.'
'Hi, I'm Alice Gladwell.'
Dewan smiled as he packed his radio.
'Alice, everyone knows who you are by now. The only human to be a captive of the Biters and live to tell the tale.'
Alice felt more than heard something and whispered to the Colonel.
'Should your men have those lights on?'
He replied even as he was putting a scope on his rifle.
'All of them have night vision scopes like these on their rifles. We are quite safe here.'
Alice was not so sure. Having lived and fought in the woods since she was a child, she knew that in the darkness, victory went not to those with the most firepower but those who knew how to use the darkness to their advantage. The troopers including the Captain seemed to believe, as she had done just days ago, that the Biters would just mindlessly walk in to be slaughtered. But after what she had seen, she wondered if they even knew what they were up against. Something rustled in the dark to her right and a trooper opened fire. Dewan screamed.
'Cease fire till you have a confirmed target!'
Another trooper screamed as a huge shadow leaped out and grabbed him. Alice noticed the floppy hat in the dim light as the trooper screamed while being dragged away into the trees. The other troopers were now firing wildly, and Alice saw that Dewan was now screaming on his radio for the helicopters to come in. More shadows emerged from the trees and two more troopers fell within seconds. Dewan had picked up the light and shone it to his right, revealing a blood-stained trooper who had now crossed over to the Biters and was now walking towards him with his teeth bared. Dewan calmly raised his pistol and put two rounds in the man's head as he asked Alice to pick up a weapon to defend herself. Alice needed no prompting and had a rifle in her hand and was on her knees, waiting as the Biters emerged from the trees. The remaining troopers were huddled in a tight circle and as the Biters came in sight, Alice selected single round mode and put a bullet into one's head. She then sought out another target and brought him down. Dewan was doing the same, and he had shot three Biters in quick succession.
The troopers took courage from Dewan and Alice and they began firing in a more disciplined way, covering each other, using overlapping fields of fire. As Alice kept squeezing the trigger, she realized this was turning into a slaughter. There were dozens of Biters down now and as others emerged from the trees, it was a matter of seconds before they were cut down.
She heard the sound of helicopters emerging and then the rattle of machine gun fire as one of the helicopter gunships opened fire, scattering the nearest group of Biters, many of them cut to ribbons by the heavy-caliber fire. One helicopter hovered overhead and lowered ropes which the troopers used to climb on board as other helicopters provided covering fire. Alice grabbed the rope when her turn came and then looked into the forest one last time. She thought she caught a glimpse of tall, pointed ears like a rabbit and a frail looking female form next to him. She then heard the Queen scream one last time.
'Alice, remember the truth! Don't believe their lies!'
As she scrambled onto the helicopter, Dewan sat down next to her.
'You're safe now. It's all going to be okay now.'
Alice sat in silence, thinking back to the Queen and everything she had told her.
***
FIVE
It was the first time
'I never introduced myself. My name is Colonel Dewan and I am in charge of the North Indian operations for Zeus.'
'Hi, I'm Alice Gladwell.'
Dewan smiled as he packed his radio.
'Alice, everyone knows who you are by now. The only human to be a captive of the Biters and live to tell the tale.'
Alice felt more than heard something and whispered to the Colonel.
'Should your men have those lights on?'
He replied even as he was putting a scope on his rifle.
'All of them have night vision scopes like these on their rifles. We are quite safe here.'
Alice was not so sure. Having lived and fought in the woods since she was a child, she knew that in the darkness, victory went not to those with the most firepower but those who knew how to use the darkness to their advantage. The troopers including the Captain seemed to believe, as she had done just days ago, that the Biters would just mindlessly walk in to be slaughtered. But after what she had seen, she wondered if they even knew what they were up against. Something rustled in the dark to her right and a trooper opened fire. Dewan screamed.
'Cease fire till you have a confirmed target!'
Another trooper screamed as a huge shadow leaped out and grabbed him. Alice noticed the floppy hat in the dim light as the trooper screamed while being dragged away into the trees. The other troopers were now firing wildly, and Alice saw that Dewan was now screaming on his radio for the helicopters to come in. More shadows emerged from the trees and two more troopers fell within seconds. Dewan had picked up the light and shone it to his right, revealing a blood-stained trooper who had now crossed over to the Biters and was now walking towards him with his teeth bared. Dewan calmly raised his pistol and put two rounds in the man's head as he asked Alice to pick up a weapon to defend herself. Alice needed no prompting and had a rifle in her hand and was on her knees, waiting as the Biters emerged from the trees. The remaining troopers were huddled in a tight circle and as the Biters came in sight, Alice selected single round mode and put a bullet into one's head. She then sought out another target and brought him down. Dewan was doing the same, and he had shot three Biters in quick succession.
The troopers took courage from Dewan and Alice and they began firing in a more disciplined way, covering each other, using overlapping fields of fire. As Alice kept squeezing the trigger, she realized this was turning into a slaughter. There were dozens of Biters down now and as others emerged from the trees, it was a matter of seconds before they were cut down.
She heard the sound of helicopters emerging and then the rattle of machine gun fire as one of the helicopter gunships opened fire, scattering the nearest group of Biters, many of them cut to ribbons by the heavy-caliber fire. One helicopter hovered overhead and lowered ropes which the troopers used to climb on board as other helicopters provided covering fire. Alice grabbed the rope when her turn came and then looked into the forest one last time. She thought she caught a glimpse of tall, pointed ears like a rabbit and a frail looking female form next to him. She then heard the Queen scream one last time.
'Alice, remember the truth! Don't believe their lies!'
As she scrambled onto the helicopter, Dewan sat down next to her.
'You're safe now. It's all going to be okay now.'
Alice sat in silence, thinking back to the Queen and everything she had told her.
***
FIVE
It was the first time
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