Read Online The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion Book 2) by Rhiannon Frater - Free Book Online

slid his pack off and opened it so he could easily remove his last clips. Grabbing a pouch of water, he tore off the top and gulped it down. Torran spotted the nameplate on the commanding officer’s armor: Rooney. It explained the lilt in her voice.
    “Give the situation status.” The woman in charge stared at him. The faint light from her helmet readouts illuminated her features, revealing a grim line to her full lips and incredible hazel eyes.
    “The Abscrags...which are thinking Scrags—”
    “I know what they are,” Vanguard Rooney interjected.
    Torran regarded her in surprise. “Oh, well, they have electroshock rifles.”
    “From a downed tiltrotor,” Rooney said with a nod.
    “So that’s how they got them. When my squad split up to cover the area, the Abscrags used the rifles to immobilize them. Then they infected them.”
    “One bite is all it takes,” Rooney muttered. “So even though they’re… Abscrags… they still want to infect?”
    “Yeah, but for their own reasons. A soldier running with me took a hit from one of the rifles. I didn’t realize she was down until I took cover, and then I couldn’t get to her. One of the Abscrags took off her glove and bit into her hand.”
    “Shit,” Rooney swore.
    “They’re making more Abscrags because they want more numbers to their cause. They want into the city.”
    “They won’t make it,” Vanguard Rooney replied, her eyes hard.
    Torran appreciated her determination. “The two most dangerous ones are in Constabulary uniforms. A white woman and a black man. I heard their names: Alkan and Reese. They’re a lot smarter and faster than the rest. The only really stupid thing they did was take off the helmets of most of the squad to infect them. Which means it’s a lot easier to kill those particular infected. Though, three bullets to the faceplate of a helmet will shatter it.”
    Rooney nodded. “Understood. Hobbes, get to the top of this structure. Giacomi, watch our backs. Franklin, join Hobbes. You’re our best sniper. MacDonald, you’re with me.”
    “Yes, sir!” was the chorused reply.
    The man named Hobbes sprang onto the top of the wall, then leaped and caught the edge of the roof. Boosting his body up and over the lip, he disappeared out of view.
    Behind the clear facemask of her helmet, Vanguard Rooney was obviously assessing the information scrolling across it. She was young, blond, and had a fierce look in her hazel eyes that Torran instantly respected.
    Franklin’s weapon continued to bark out single shots while swiftly following in Hobbes wake. Giacomi and the vanguard took over weeding out the strays while Franklin ran along the back wall and jumped to grab Hobbe’s hand. He easily swung her up onto the roof.
    The newly made Abscrags sprinted into range, screeching at the top of their lungs. In the mix were a few of the older Scrags, but Torran saw far too many of the faces of people who’d been comrades and friends. There were many more in the herd than he’d anticipated and, unexpectedly, the chance of any of them surviving was questionable. Yet now that he was in cover, the illusion of protection made it harder to pull the trigger. Gritting his teeth, he fought his hesitation, fired, and watched the bullets shred through human flesh and skulls.
    On the ground, the three soldiers had their weapons at full auto. On top of the structure, Hobbes and Franklin took up sniper positions.
    “Aim for the heads,” the vanguard growled, her frustration clear as a few Scrags managed to evade the bullets peppering the ground.
    Six Abscrags raced through the killing zone and straight for the three soldiers taking cover below the low wall. They were all former SWD soldiers and their weapons slapped against their backs.
    “Hungry,” their voices growled through din, animalistic and terrifying.
    “If they’re so smart, why aren’t they using their weapons?” Giacomi pounded up a few steps and fired directly at the helmets of several