John Ringo - Islands of Rage and Hope

“I don’t think we can secure it, ma’am,” Smitty said.

“I’d want to have another night sweep,” Faith said, musingly. She turned and headed back down the pool towards the beach. “But I’m not sure it’s an issue anymore. I mean, by the end of the sweep, we were having almost no contact. The only leakers we had were two at the landing sight and a dog for God’s sake. I mean, face it, we need a secure land base, Smitty. Hell, think of this as a hospital for all the pregnant ladies.”

“That…is an interesting point, ma’am,” Sergeant Smith said.

“Be nice to fence it,” Faith said, kicking a palm frond. “But that would take one hell of a lot of work.” She stopped, bent over and pulled a brochure out from under the frond she’d just kicked.

Sergeant Smith quickly turned around to check six. Security and all that.

“Sweet,” Faith said, continuing to walk as she perused the brochure.

“Ma’am, I think we’re being followed,” Smitty said quietly.

“From the Force?” Faith asked, looking towards the beach and the boats.

“No, ma’am,” Smitty said. “I just saw movement by the main buildings. Too tall to be a dog, ma’am.”

“So you’re saying it’s not clear?” Faith asked, not turning around.

“It’s gone whatever it was,” Smitty said. “But I’ll back out if you don’t mind, ma’am.”

“SEAL spin,” Faith said, drawing a pistol. “Rotate.”

“Rotating,” Sergeant Smith said.

They did a rotational movement, covering each other, until they reached the beach.

“Let’s try to keep an eye on our back trail as we head back,” Faith said.

They walked down the beach for a bit, passing the villas and Faith casually turned and picked up a shoe that was part of the debris.

“Saw it,” Faith said. “Out of the corner of my eye. Darted into cover. Can still see it, though.”

“Infected?” Sergeant Smith asked.

“Human, anyway,” Faith said. She straightened up and tossed the shoe into the bushes. “Why can I never find a pair ? Not to mention in my size. Yeah, I know, I’ve got big paws like a Labrador puppy. Let’s go swimming.”

“Ma’am?” Sergeant Smith said.

“Sling your weapon,” the lieutenant said, holstering her pistol. “If we’re playing in the water, maybe it will come down where we can get a better look.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Smitty said, slinging his weapon. “Uh, first one in the water is a rotten…”

Faith was already running.

“There it is again,” Faith said as she came up out of the water.

“I am just not catching what you’re seeing, ma’am,” Sergeant Smith admitted.

“Young female,” Faith said. She was apparently looking down the beach. “Black. I’m pretty sure it’s an infected. Just not very aggressive.”

“That would be a change,” Smitty said.

“Let’s head back to the official beach,” Faith said. “I need to check in with Hooch. Oh, and I need some more sunscreen…”

“You want to do another night sweep?” Colonel Hamilton said.

“I want to get some training in, first, sir,” Faith said, trying not to squirm. Sophia may have spent half the last six months developing her tan but Faith had spent most of it in uniform. A point she’d forgotten, along with regular application of sunscreen. She, fortunately, had fairly dark skin naturally despite being blond. She’d still picked up one heck of a sunburn. “Notably Close Quarters Battle training onboard the Tan , sir. Then some live fire, possibly on one of the nearby desert islands, sir. Then another sweep of the island, sir.”

“To clear it,” Hamilton said. “I’m not sure that’s possible, Lieutenant. Not thoroughly.”

“Not sure myself, sir,” Faith said. “Not entirely. But it may be clearable enough to secure a land base. Somewhere for a ground hospital even, sir. It’s in better shape, and more securable, than Gitmo, sir. It’s an island, sir. Zombies aren’t going to swim the channel, sir.”

“Have anything to do with that world-class resort you and Sergeant Smith did an unauthorized reconnaissance of?” Colonel Hamilton asked.

“It wasn’t unauthorized, sir,” Faith said.

“ I didn’t authorize it,” Hamilton said.

“Your Marine force ground commander authorized it, sir,” Faith said.

“So, better to beg forgiveness than ask permission, Lieutenant?” Hamilton said.

“I’m not begging forgiveness, sir,” Faith replied. “The orders for the landing party did not define that all personnel must remain within the confines of the secured zone, sir. During the landing, your ground force commander made the determination, based upon experience and the perceived threat level, that a low-support reconnaissance of nearby buildings was a low-risk mission, sir. And, sir, your ground force commander was correct, sir. Should I be begging forgiveness, sir?”

“I would not have authorized it, Lieutenant,” Hamilton said.

“I understand that, sir,” Faith said. “In the future I will keep that in mind, sir.”

“And you really think it was a good idea?” Hamilton said.

“I’m sure you don’t think so, sir,” Faith said. “However, sir, having very briefly swept the two resorts, the smaller one by the main beach and the big one, I’m of the opinion that I could walk from one end of the island stark naked with maybe one pistol and not have a problem. Except I don’t go around stark naked, sir. Obviously. Sir, I think this island is clear , sir. I mean, pretty much deserted. No real threats left. Or so close that I’m not sure we’d pull up leakers with one more sweep. We did detect one possible infected, sir. But it was…shy. It was following us but it was staying away.”

“Really,” Hamilton said, leaning back. “A shy infected doesn’t seem…” He paused and frowned.

“My da ran into something similar one time, sir,” Faith said. “Early on he made a covert landing on one of the small Bermuda islands. It’s where he picked up his little helpers, sir. And he ran into a female that just ran away when he…sort of did like a chimp. Oook! Oook!” she finished, bowing up.

“So some of them are beta?” Hamilton said.

“Yes, sir,” Faith replied. “Still not…word…sounds like sentence…”

“Sentient?” Hamilton said.

“Yes, sir,” Faith said. “They’re still not sentient, sir. But they’re also nonaggressive. Or at least less aggressive. I’m not sure I’d want to try to catch one, sir. On the other hand…I had a clear shot at this one and didn’t take it, sir. She didn’t seem to be a threat, sir.”

“Plausible,” Hamilton said. “The human brain is a tricky thing. But that means the island is not clear.”

“You saw how the zombies act, sir,” Faith said. “Your pe—The personnel from Gitmo had more time watching zombies than any of the rest of us. They are territorial and only…swarm when there’s an apparent food source, sir. Sort of like piranha. The…beta ones that are…smarter have probably learned to not even turn up for the feeding frenzies. Which means they avoid the normal attractors like light and sound, sir. On the other hand, based on this one and the one in Bermuda, they also are low-threat. Sir…we need a secure ground base, sir. I think we have one. Low yellow to…lightish green, sir. Yellowish green.”

“Chartreuse?” Hamilton said.

“Excuse me, sir?” Faith said.

“Yellow with a touch of green, Lieutenant,” Hamilton said drily. “Slightly more yellow and less green than lime or spring-bud. And, no, despite the recall of Don’t ask, don’t tell, I am not gay. Just into information.”

“I would say more lime, sir,” Faith replied. “More green than yellow.”