small stall shower.
Brad hadn’t returned his weapons yet and Wally figured he didn’t own anything worth unpacking at the moment. He shrugged his backpack from his shoulders and placed it by the bed. Stripping off his layers of filth-encrusted clothing, he headed for the shower.
* * *
Bree completed the repair to the circuit board she was working on and slid it back into place, closing the cover on the Mark III Wolf’s arm. The Wolf armor was her brainchild, a way to give humanity equal footing against the beasts’ growing numbers. Each of the three Wolf designs had its own strengths and problems. The Wolf Mark III suit she’d just fixed was a perfect example of that. The Mark III was the fastest and sleekest of the series and the only model with any true maneuverability, but it tended to overheat thus frying its control systems. In all, The Bunker housed three Mark I suits, four Mark II suits, and only two of the new Mark IIIs. Overseeing their construction and field tests had taken the last six years of her life, and had she not already been in the employ of the military with almost everything she needed stockpiled inside this facility before the dead rose, none of the suits would exist now.
The door slid open and Brad strolled into the workroom. There was mischief in his eyes. “What’s up, Doc?” he asked with a grin.
“I just finished getting this Mark III back online. I still have a ton of new data to sort through so I can fix this overheating glitch. I’m not exactly in the mood for anything cute so you better—”
“Does the name ‘Wally Morgan’ mean anything to you?”
Bree felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Her hand slapped against the Mark III’s armor to brace herself and keep her on her feet. “How could you possibly know that name?”
He shrugged. “Because he’s here and he says he’s looking for you. From the sound of it, he’s been hunting for you a long time.”
Bree steadied herself, struggling to regain control of raging emotions. “Take me to him,” she said.
“Somehow, boss” —Brad chuckled— “I had a feeling you were going to say that.”
* * *
Thane stood on the hilltop, peering through a set of high-powered binoculars. Far below in the valley, a gathering unlike anything he’d ever seen was taking place. He’d stopped trying to count the number of beasts when he hit three hundred. There was easily several times that number and more continued to emerge from the trees in small packs to join the horde.
What in the blazes is happening down there? he wondered as he stared at them all.
“General Thane?” Brian called from behind.
“It’s like they’re gathering their forces to go to war, but with who?”
“Thane!” Roberts said, getting his attention, and grabbed his shoulder to spin him around.
Thane knocked her hand from him, taking hold of it in the process. He twisted her arm close to the breaking point as the giant, Amazon-like woman went to her knees before him from the pain. Thane heard the clicking noise of a hammer being pulled back on a revolver as Sebastian leveled a .44 Magnum at the side of his head.
“Let her go, Thane,” Sebastian said.
With a sneer, Thane released his hold on Roberts. She fell backwards onto her butt with a loud thump. Her eyes blazed with anger at the humiliation.
“Lower the gun before I kill you where you stand,” Thane said. The younger man complied, putting away his weapon.
“Uh, guys . . . aren’t we all on the same side, here?” Brian asked.
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Sebastian said as Thane tossed him the binoculars he’d just been using.
Thane pointed at the horde below. “Something big is happening. I’m not sure there’s ever been a gathering like that one down there. The beasts must know something we don’t. We need to find out what it is.”
“Actually, General,” Brian said, “I think I might have an idea, sir.”
Thane turned his attention towards
Brad hadn’t returned his weapons yet and Wally figured he didn’t own anything worth unpacking at the moment. He shrugged his backpack from his shoulders and placed it by the bed. Stripping off his layers of filth-encrusted clothing, he headed for the shower.
* * *
Bree completed the repair to the circuit board she was working on and slid it back into place, closing the cover on the Mark III Wolf’s arm. The Wolf armor was her brainchild, a way to give humanity equal footing against the beasts’ growing numbers. Each of the three Wolf designs had its own strengths and problems. The Wolf Mark III suit she’d just fixed was a perfect example of that. The Mark III was the fastest and sleekest of the series and the only model with any true maneuverability, but it tended to overheat thus frying its control systems. In all, The Bunker housed three Mark I suits, four Mark II suits, and only two of the new Mark IIIs. Overseeing their construction and field tests had taken the last six years of her life, and had she not already been in the employ of the military with almost everything she needed stockpiled inside this facility before the dead rose, none of the suits would exist now.
The door slid open and Brad strolled into the workroom. There was mischief in his eyes. “What’s up, Doc?” he asked with a grin.
“I just finished getting this Mark III back online. I still have a ton of new data to sort through so I can fix this overheating glitch. I’m not exactly in the mood for anything cute so you better—”
“Does the name ‘Wally Morgan’ mean anything to you?”
Bree felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Her hand slapped against the Mark III’s armor to brace herself and keep her on her feet. “How could you possibly know that name?”
He shrugged. “Because he’s here and he says he’s looking for you. From the sound of it, he’s been hunting for you a long time.”
Bree steadied herself, struggling to regain control of raging emotions. “Take me to him,” she said.
“Somehow, boss” —Brad chuckled— “I had a feeling you were going to say that.”
* * *
Thane stood on the hilltop, peering through a set of high-powered binoculars. Far below in the valley, a gathering unlike anything he’d ever seen was taking place. He’d stopped trying to count the number of beasts when he hit three hundred. There was easily several times that number and more continued to emerge from the trees in small packs to join the horde.
What in the blazes is happening down there? he wondered as he stared at them all.
“General Thane?” Brian called from behind.
“It’s like they’re gathering their forces to go to war, but with who?”
“Thane!” Roberts said, getting his attention, and grabbed his shoulder to spin him around.
Thane knocked her hand from him, taking hold of it in the process. He twisted her arm close to the breaking point as the giant, Amazon-like woman went to her knees before him from the pain. Thane heard the clicking noise of a hammer being pulled back on a revolver as Sebastian leveled a .44 Magnum at the side of his head.
“Let her go, Thane,” Sebastian said.
With a sneer, Thane released his hold on Roberts. She fell backwards onto her butt with a loud thump. Her eyes blazed with anger at the humiliation.
“Lower the gun before I kill you where you stand,” Thane said. The younger man complied, putting away his weapon.
“Uh, guys . . . aren’t we all on the same side, here?” Brian asked.
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Sebastian said as Thane tossed him the binoculars he’d just been using.
Thane pointed at the horde below. “Something big is happening. I’m not sure there’s ever been a gathering like that one down there. The beasts must know something we don’t. We need to find out what it is.”
“Actually, General,” Brian said, “I think I might have an idea, sir.”
Thane turned his attention towards
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