Read Online The Dead Walk The Earth II by Luke Duffy - Free Book Online
Authors: Luke Duffy
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commanders on their findings during their patrol.
As the Chinook approached the landing pad the Loadmaster hit the button to begin lowering the ramp. Bull and Danny took a handle each on the cumbersome box and stood ready to exit the aircraft. The men felt the wheels touch the pad and the fuselage rocked slightly as the machine settled into place. Marty, standing at the front and watching as the tailgate slowly lowered, suddenly turned to Danny and Bull with a sour expression on his face.
“Heads up,” he shouted back to them. “I think we’re in trouble, ‘Kevlar Knickers’ is already here, waiting for us.”
Bull peered over his shoulder and saw Samantha standing beside an army Land Rover on the helicopter landing pad. She was standing with her arms folded across her chest as usual and staring back at them. Her expression was hard to read, as always, and it was difficult to work out whether or not she was there to greet them or escort them back to Newport and ensure that they reported to HQ.
“Bollocks,” Bull grunted as he tightened his grip on the handle of the box. “I should’ve known she’d be here.”
Marty knew exactly why Samantha had come to meet them. She would don the guise of being interested solely in their mission and that she wanted a summary of their report before the in-depth debrief with Gerry, the Operations Officer. However, her real motive was that she actually cared and over the previous four months, her façade of indifference had become more and more brittle.
“Why doesn’t she just admit that she thinks we’re fucking awesome?” Bull shouted into Marty’s ear.
“Because she’s a woman. She’s stubborn and likes to play hard to get. Have you not figured that out yet?” Marty grinned back at him.
Outside on the concrete pad, with the sound of the Chinook’s engines winding down and the hot exhaust fumes filling the air, Samantha took a couple of steps towards them. She took a mental note of each of them and silently assessed their condition. After being away from the island for so long and dragging themselves through the mainland the three of them looked dirty and unkempt. Their beards were thick with grime and the dirt and grease matted into their hair made it stand out on end from their scalp. She dreaded sitting in close proximity to them and breathing in their foul stink.
“How did you get on?” She asked while eying the crate that Bull and Danny carried between them and began loading into the back of her vehicle.
Marty shrugged.
“The usual,” he replied casually as he headed for the passenger seat. “The urban areas are getting pretty congested. I wouldn’t recommend buying property there just yet.”
Samantha climbed in behind the wheel as Danny and Bull jumped into the rear compartment and made themselves comfortable.
“What about the airfield and the routes in?” She asked as she turned the key in the ignition and pulled the Land Rover away from the landing pad.
Marty smiled at her and watched her for a long moment. She kept her attention on the track that led them onto a narrow and twisting country lane. She could feel his eyes studying her, but she refused to meet his gaze.
“You always have to be the first one in the know, don’t you, Sam?” He said finally as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He offered one to her but she shook her head.
“Still not smoking then? How long has it been?”
“Four months,” she replied thoughtfully.
“Good for you,” Marty mused. “Anyway, routes in and out; nothing special. There are a few obstacles and villages to clear along the way but in general, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem to secure them. The roads will take a bit of work to clear but with the right equipment they’ll be easy enough to manage. As long as there are enough troops with close air support, the corridor could stay open long enough for us to secure the objectives.”
“The
As the Chinook approached the landing pad the Loadmaster hit the button to begin lowering the ramp. Bull and Danny took a handle each on the cumbersome box and stood ready to exit the aircraft. The men felt the wheels touch the pad and the fuselage rocked slightly as the machine settled into place. Marty, standing at the front and watching as the tailgate slowly lowered, suddenly turned to Danny and Bull with a sour expression on his face.
“Heads up,” he shouted back to them. “I think we’re in trouble, ‘Kevlar Knickers’ is already here, waiting for us.”
Bull peered over his shoulder and saw Samantha standing beside an army Land Rover on the helicopter landing pad. She was standing with her arms folded across her chest as usual and staring back at them. Her expression was hard to read, as always, and it was difficult to work out whether or not she was there to greet them or escort them back to Newport and ensure that they reported to HQ.
“Bollocks,” Bull grunted as he tightened his grip on the handle of the box. “I should’ve known she’d be here.”
Marty knew exactly why Samantha had come to meet them. She would don the guise of being interested solely in their mission and that she wanted a summary of their report before the in-depth debrief with Gerry, the Operations Officer. However, her real motive was that she actually cared and over the previous four months, her façade of indifference had become more and more brittle.
“Why doesn’t she just admit that she thinks we’re fucking awesome?” Bull shouted into Marty’s ear.
“Because she’s a woman. She’s stubborn and likes to play hard to get. Have you not figured that out yet?” Marty grinned back at him.
Outside on the concrete pad, with the sound of the Chinook’s engines winding down and the hot exhaust fumes filling the air, Samantha took a couple of steps towards them. She took a mental note of each of them and silently assessed their condition. After being away from the island for so long and dragging themselves through the mainland the three of them looked dirty and unkempt. Their beards were thick with grime and the dirt and grease matted into their hair made it stand out on end from their scalp. She dreaded sitting in close proximity to them and breathing in their foul stink.
“How did you get on?” She asked while eying the crate that Bull and Danny carried between them and began loading into the back of her vehicle.
Marty shrugged.
“The usual,” he replied casually as he headed for the passenger seat. “The urban areas are getting pretty congested. I wouldn’t recommend buying property there just yet.”
Samantha climbed in behind the wheel as Danny and Bull jumped into the rear compartment and made themselves comfortable.
“What about the airfield and the routes in?” She asked as she turned the key in the ignition and pulled the Land Rover away from the landing pad.
Marty smiled at her and watched her for a long moment. She kept her attention on the track that led them onto a narrow and twisting country lane. She could feel his eyes studying her, but she refused to meet his gaze.
“You always have to be the first one in the know, don’t you, Sam?” He said finally as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He offered one to her but she shook her head.
“Still not smoking then? How long has it been?”
“Four months,” she replied thoughtfully.
“Good for you,” Marty mused. “Anyway, routes in and out; nothing special. There are a few obstacles and villages to clear along the way but in general, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem to secure them. The roads will take a bit of work to clear but with the right equipment they’ll be easy enough to manage. As long as there are enough troops with close air support, the corridor could stay open long enough for us to secure the objectives.”
“The
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