John Ringo - To Sail a Darkling Sea

“Yacht’s clear. Dead batteries. Fuel. Some stores. No infected. Mechanic’s working on it. As usual, he’s afraid of the dark. What do you want us to do?”

“Stand by,” Sophia said. “Division, can we get another repair crew? We’ve got four yachts. Topsides are clear on at least two so far. Doors are locked. They’re all going to need batteries. Over.”

“Away Team, Division. Roger, we’ll scrounge up another mechanic.”

“Have Hill and Hadley stop checking topsides,” Sophia said. “One of them can stand by and help the engineer on the first yacht then the other on the second.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sergeant Major Barney said. “We need more than one frequency. Hill, Sergeant Major. Status.”

“Topside is clear. Door’s locked.”

“Send Hadley back to the first yacht. You stand by on the second, the one that you are on. Just wait there. Over.”

“Ok… Roger, Sergeant Major.”

“Uh… Sergeant Major, Rusty. We’ve got an infected coming down the way… ”

“Gunboat,” Sophia said, looking through her binoculars. “That’s on me, I think.”

“Very well, ma’am,” Sergeant Major Barney said. “but if I may… Singer Team. Stand by. Gunboat should take care of it. Do not fire unless ordered.”

“Uh… Roger, Sergeant Major.”

* * *

“We’re Singer Team, right?” Rusty said.

“Hell, I dunno… ”

* * *

“ Guppy , Away Team, over.”

“Away Team, Guppy. Yes, we can.”

“If you would, please,” Sophia radioed. “Nuke ’em from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.”

* * *

“Aim,” Chief Schmidt growled, pointing at the oncoming infected. It was approaching more or less directly at the gunboat’s position. “If you cannot hit that target with your first burst, I will find a new gunner and you can just spend the rest of your career humping ammo.”

“Yes, Chief,” the Seaman Recruit said, sweating.

“One burst,” Schmidt said. “Take your time.”

“Yes, Chief,” the gunner said.

“Wait,” the Chief said. “Your sight’s off for this range.” He clicked the ladder sight. “You’d have fired over.”

“Thanks,” the gunner said.

“Fire.”

The burst, fortunately for the gunner, hit the infected with one of its rounds.

“And you get to keep your job,” Schmidt said, taking off his earmuffs. “For now.”

“Thanks,” the gunner said.

“That would be… what?”

“Thank you, Chief,” the gunner said and gulped.

“Better.”

* * *

“Okay,” Sophia said as the last yacht cleared the marina and joined the growing Flotilla. “Now we need wheels if we’re going to clear this town.”

With the yachts cleared, the team had gathered at the point that the breakwater reached the shore for a little huddle.

“Very well, ma’am,” the Sergeant Major said. “If I may?”

“On you, Sergeant Major,” Sophia said, nodding.

“First, all but Zelenova Team and Singer Team, drop your magazines and clear your weapons.”

“Sergeant Major?” Rusty said, raising his hand. He had the 240 slung.

“You’re not in bloody primary school, Seaman Apprentice,” the Sergeant Major said. “Seaman Recruit Steinholtz, what is the proper way to ask a question?”

“Permission to speak, Sergeant Major,” Steinholtz said.

“So, Seaman Apprentice,” the Sergeant Major said. “Try it again.”

“Permission to speak, Sergeant Major?” Rusty said.

“Permission granted, Seaman Apprentice,” Barney said.

“Uh… ” Rusty said. “I forgot what I was gonna ask… ”

Sophia turned around and covered her mouth to keep from bursting out laughing. She coughed instead.

“Bloody hell… ” Sergeant Major Barney said, just getting warmed up.

“Sergeant Major!” the assistant gunner said, quickly raising his hand. “Permission to speak, Sergeant Major!”

“Permission bloody granted,” Barney said. “And it had better be bloody important!”

“Are we Singer Team, Sergeant Major?” the AG asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Rusty said. “ That was it… ”

“Yes,” Sergeant Major Barney said, nodding. “You and Seaman Apprentice Bennett are Singer Team. That was my mistake. Singer is British Army slang for a machine gun. Now, everyone but the machine-gun team and Olga’s team, clear your weapons. And don’t bloody ask why. You know why. Right. Hadley, carry the jumper cables. Steinholtz, carry the battery. Zelenova team has point. Then the Lieutenant, Singer Team, Hadley and Steinholtz, myself and Hill. Is that clear?”

“Clear Sergeant Major,” Olga said.

“There’s gates on this marina,” Sophia said. “Get them closed so we have a secure fallback point.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Barney said. “SR Zelenova, move out.”

The reason the infected had only been trickling in to the marina was clear when they got to the gate. There were two. The larger rolling gate was locked. The smaller swing gate was jammed by a small car that had hit the partially open gate and rolled over, blocking the entrance. The passenger side window had been smashed out.

“Yu,” Barney said. “Climb up on the car and see what the other side looks like.”

“Nothing, Sergeant Major,” Yu said, looking around. “Some cars scattered around. I don’t see any infected.”

“Orders, ma’am?” Barney asked. “Do we clear the gate or try to get the other open?”

“Can we clear it?” Sophia asked.

“Oh, yes , ma’am,” the Sergeant Major said.

“Clear the gate, Sergeant Major,” Sophia said, stepping back.

“Singer team, drop your Singer,” the Sergeant Major said. “Jumper team, drop your gear. Over there to the side you bloody idiots, not in the bloody way. Zelenova team, outside and keep an eye both directions. Hill team, that’s Hadley and Hill, over the car to the far side. Singer Team, take the bonnet side. Steinholtz, that side, I’ve got this. Now, the trick is for everyone to lift on command, with your knees… The command will be a two part, prepare to lift and lift. Team, prepare to lift… Lift! Walk it to the water… careful… ”

The Fiat 500 only weighed 2400 pounds. Six reasonably in shape guys could lift it easily. Once it was out of the gate, they set it down.

“Keys are in it, ma’am,” the Sergeant Major said. “Tip it upright and try to get it started?”

“We’re going to need cars that are a bit bigger,” Sophia said. “But might as well just to get it out of the way.”

“Right, and here’s how you do that … ”

* * *

After several months upside down the Fiat wouldn’t start but there were plenty of cars abandoned outside the gates.

“Orders, ma’am,” the Sergeant Major said as the abandoned small SUV finally caught.

“The way the Marines usually do this is two-man teams,” Sophia said. “I don’t think we should split up, though. Find a car with a sunroof. Put the Singer up there. Put that in the lead. I’ll take that one. Then the rest of the teams, two to a car. Wait… ” She stopped and thought. “Standby. Division, Away Team.”

“Away team, Division.”

“We can secure this marina. There are gates and we can get them closed. Request additional support for hand-off of refugees at the marina gate. We’ll handle the town. Over.”

“Roger, away team, we’re observing that. We’ll unload the security element from the Guppy to hold the gate, over. Also going to check on the fuel situation. One of these yachts is nearly dry.”

“Thanks, Division. Seawolf out. Okay, that’s got us a secure point to fall back on. We’ll go as a group forward. If we find refugees, we’ll send them back with a two-man security team. Does that sound like a plan?”