Another rainy day here in downtown Milwaukee.
It had been pouring virtually nonstop for the past week. The Great Lake bordering the Milwaukee-Chicago megalopolis had risen a collective inch.
Another rainy, August-the-eighth day.
And Agent Lemafé was sitting out in it.
As she looked down from the top of the forty-story office building that housed the Team’s headquarters, she felt superior to all the insignificant dots on the street far below. The tiny people and cars were nothing to her at this height
It was the first time her ego had any comfort since she moved in with Team 13. The men had all but ignored her, and even seemed to resent her. Especially Johnson.
Lemafé sighed. Then she heard footsteps behind her though the pouring rain. She turned around hastily.
Agent Andy was slowly making his way across the concrete rooftop toward the female agent.
“Raining again, huh?” Andy semi-shouted as he reached the seated female. “In our team, we prefer the rain to any other weather. Well, except Bionic. But he was at a mental institution.”
The two stared ahead toward the massive Ensuringcare office tower a few blocks away. The tallest building in Milwaukee. Even that imposing giant seemed to offer comfort from this rain through warm lights and dry interiors.
“I see you’re not fitting in,” Andy said softly.
“It’s like living in a male convent,” Lemafé retorted.
Andy smirked and replied, “Well, we are a bunch of modern-day Puritans. Well, except Bionic. But even he can’t stand prolonged exposure to women.”
“Why’s that?” Lemafé inquired halfheartedly.
Andy simply answered, “He hated his mother.”
Lemafé displayed some honest curiosity with her next question. “Why is he called ‘Bionic,’anyway?”
Andy stiffened up, still avoiding eye contact with the female. “Some implants or something. Well, I have to get back to the office.”
Lemafé nodded slowly and turned back to face the downtown area. She listened to Andy’s awkward footsteps on the slippery roof. Before Lemafé could sigh again, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket.
Lemafé pulled out the small device, trying to shelter it from the rain as she answered. “Hello?”
“Agent Lemafé, I’ve been trying to contact you on your earpiece for nearly thirty seconds now,” Professor Frink’s annoying voice hissed. “We have been sent an all-call by Bureau headquarters. There’s been an incident at the InCom Research Complex in Minnesota. We must go immediately. Agent Frink out.” The scientist left no room for questions before hanging up.
Lemafé ended up sighing after all, this time in relief.
She would finally have a chance to prove to the others that she was just like one of them. She was going to be one of them after all.
***
Jack Kingston was a proud, strong man of African descent. He worked out daily and could bench around three-forty five. He had worked hard to overcome the obstacles in his life and was a proud member of the American Secret Service until a year ago. That was when he joined Bureau 13 and fought the real bad guys: the paranormals.
He and his team, Team Molotov (aptly named for the four Russians that were also in it), were the first called to handle a minor security breach at a research complex. Jack didn’t personally approve of the research the lab did, but he didn’t have much say in what the government did.
But by now, Jack really wished he did.
If it could have prevented this disaster, he would have lobbied a thousand representatives and senators to close down this hellish facility.
When Team Molotov arrived, the security issue had grown. Almost two scores of security guards had been killed trying to contain an escalating threat. Apparently, more than one creature had escaped, and it was letting other creatures out.
However, Jack really didn’t think things were too bad until some prototype “zombies” had been released. Sure, his team could kill a dozen big, ugly creatures. They just didn’t have enough guns for a small army of humanoid undead.
When more Bureau 13 personnel were called in, Jack was given the unexpected bonus of a small corporate army to help him sent by an insurance corporation. Jack didn’t question the gifts.
Unfortunately, being handed squads of men untrained to fight supernatural opponents had a downside. They quickly lost half of the security officers to the ever-growing zombie hoard. Most of Team Molotov was killed, including the priest. The other Bureau 13 teams had become separated from jack and his remaining troops.
But what frightened Jack the most was the fact that the “outbreak” was no longer confined to the grounds of the research complex.
The zombie and monster hoard had escaped into the town surrounding the InCom Research Complex.
***
Instead of driving all the way to Minnesota, Frink had sprung for a jet. The Professor had also opted to stay at home for this mission. He recalled his former experience at the InCom Research Complex all too well.
At the edge of Mayfair Country, Team 13 discovered that state troopers had been ordered to seal off the area around Janesville. Apparently, there was another outbreak of the “Vitruvian Virus.”
A pity that Team 13 had to go through Janesville to get to the InCom Complex. It was also a pity that Team 13 knew that the “Vitruvian Virus” was a nonexistent virus that was used by the government to cover up zombie-related incidents.
“Shit,” Bionic exclaimed as he drove the rent-a-car past the line of heavily-armed policemen.
“What?” Lemafé asked in the back seat next to Andy. In the distance, they could hear the cry of someone who had tried to get past the quarantine line and promptly met a bullet.
“There is no such thing as the Virtuvian Virus,” Johnson answered uneasily. He seemed unused to telling the truth about a government cover-up.
Before Lemafé could express any confusion, Bionic said, “Zombie invasion. Government cover-up. Long story. Boring story.” The driving agent swerved the car to avoid a deer.
Lemafé, taking the hint, let it go. She silently recounted the methods for effectively eliminating a zombie in her head.
“It’s odd, though,” Andy remarked as he itched his elbow. “I don’t see any military vehicles. Or any black vans.” The male agents knowingly nodded at the last part. No black vans meant the MJ 12 wasn’t yet involved.
Just then, Frink’s voice came over the car radio. “Gentlemen!” the Professor paused before adding, “And, err, women! We have contact from a Bureau agent inside the Janesville town hall. He says you should turn around and tell the military to bomb the hell outta this place. Failing that, he says you should stick to the back streets to avoid traffic and work your way as quickly as possible to the hall. Frink out.”
Bionic smiled and said, “I have a way of avoiding traffic.” Then he maniacally turned the car onto a suburban house’s lawn. Johnson didn’t even chastise Bionic as the crazed agent continued to drive on the well-trimmed lawns deeper into Janesville.
***
Jack Kingston, who had always been a devout Baptist, did not like the thought of Satanic undead overrunning his country. He’d fight tooth and nail, even giving his life, before he’d let that happen.
And, from the look of things, he’d have to.
He and his teammate Ricorv were the only two Bureau agents left in this town. He had hoped Bureau HQ would send more men, but he figured that the military was going to raze this place to stop a zombie invasion.
At least he still had forty of well-armed corporate security guards.
Then his hopes were raised much higher.
The team of reenforcements he requested had arrived. Specially trained processionals like himself. With any luck, they’d have a priest with them. Maybe a medic.
Jack ordered a contingent of guards to secure a path to the town hall. He hoped their organization and training would hold out against the zombies. Of course, only time would tell.
Till that time, Jack had to have faith.
***
Bionic ran over another shambling humanoid. By this time, there was a large group of them following the car. At least the creatures weren’t focusing on the fleeing survivors any more.
Agent Lemafé, unable to contain her fear as the men were, was aiming her Berreta at any zombie that got to close. Of course, her window was up, but it made her feel better. She was astonished by the hardened composure of the stony males.
“Almost there,” Bionic said tersely, trying desperately to avoid the crowds of creatures on the wide sidewalks. The streets were flooded with cars, and fires had engulfed many of the local businesses. Bionic was having a hard time navigating the dying town.
Then a burst of controlled fire took down several zombies in front of the car. The team looked over and saw a line of uniformed men with automatic weapons gunning down undead around the vehicle. It looked like the forces already sent had come to help.
***
The numbers, letters, and images scrolled down the computer screen in front of Charlie Kilo Four Six. The Man in Black interpreted the messages quickly and typed something into another computer.
Then Foxtrot Papa Eight Two opened the back door of the van. “We need to report. Have the terrorists made their move yet?” the leading Man In Black asked electronically.
“Our source reports nothing,” CK46 replied. He switched on a monitoring satellite. The device rotated on top of the black van and locked onto the town hall in Janesville. “The symbol remains untouched.”
“If the terrorists do not come within two hours,” FP82 said emotionlessly, “we will order the sterilization.” Then the lead Man in Black closed the door of the black van and walked back to the temporary command post just outside of the Mayfair County quarantine line.
***
“They’re bound to be watching,” the woman codenamed “Fetus Savior” said grimly over the phone.
“I know,” the woman codenamed “Selena” replied. She finished putting on the grenade-laden assault vest. “We need the Apex, and we need it at any cost. I’m prepared to die to save the world.”
“You’re even willing to die to save a country that wants you dead?” the man codenamed “Poca” asked from his chair next to Selena. He sure as hell wasn’t going to fight through zombieland to find some old symbol of the Gatekeepers. He didn’t even know who the hell the “Gatekeepers” were.
In any case, it looked like Selena was going to have to solo this one.
“We don’t know that they’ll destroy the town hall. If they don’t blow it up, the zombies aren’t going to get to it. This might be, well, unnecessary,” Fetus Savior informed over the phone.
Selena buckled her vest and picked up a handgun. “Oh, they’re going to level this place,” Selena replied, glaring at her lazy partner Poca. “MJ 12 will do anything to keep the secret.” She cocked the gun. “And I’ll do anything to keep us all alive.”
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