Dead Team Alpha: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller Read Free Page A

says. “And right now you are hiding something. And that something is bugging the shit out of you.”
    TL Mills shrugs. “Not for me to say.”
    “Bullshit, Josh,” Cook snaps. “I was there when you got married and there when Millie was born. We used to tell stories of the Great El and Granny G around the campfire together as kids. If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you always have something to say.”
    TL Mills looks at the map a while longer, and then finally turns to Cook. “Before we left the Stronghold I walked in on Lee and Mayor Coolidge arguing. I only caught the last couple of words, but what I heard has me more than worried.”
    “And…?” Cook prompts.
    “The commander was telling off Coolidge about something,” TL Mills explains, “something about information being kept from everyone in the Stronghold. They shut up as soon as I walked through the door.”
    “What information?” Cook asks.
    “I don’t know,” TL Mills says, tapping the map, “but my guess is it has to do with the silos. It’s been a long time since Commander Lee last sent STA out to the Silo Park on extended recon missions. The fact that she sent STA out first tells me she expects trouble. This type of sweep and clear job should be for a Beta Team, not an Alpha Team.”
    “Huh,” Cook responds.
    “Yeah, huh, exactly,” TL Mills nods. “It’s not the way the teams work, keeping back intel. Ignorance gets Mates killed. It’s as deadly as a herd of Zs.”
    “All clear,” Morrissey says as he walks into the LCC with Chinn and Blackmore. “LF is secure.”
    Chinn sets the clipboard down on one of the control panels and looks at TL Mills. “We did see some scuffing by one of the ventilation grates.”
    “Scuffing?” TL Mills asks as he stands, his back popping and cracking into place.
    “Jesus, TL,” Blackmore laughs. “If I heard that in a Denver alley I’d think a group of Zs was coming to get me. You’re lucky I didn’t draw down on you.”
    “Give a veteran a break, Blackmore,” TL Mills says. He picks up the clipboard and reads the notation then sets it back down. “Nothing else?”
    “That’s it,” Chinn says. “No signs of anyone. No signs of Zs. Just some scuffs on the wall by a grate.”
    “Could be anything,” Blackmore says.
    “Hmmm,” TL Mills says. “Could be…” He points at Miller and nods towards the door. “Go relieve Lazzar. Chinn , show me the marks. I want to see them for myself.”
     
    ***
     
    “There they are,” Chinn says, showing TL Mills the wall. “I’ll give you a boost so you can check the shaft, if you want.”
    “Do that,” TL Mills says, stepping into Chinn’s hands. He’s lifted up to the grate and he scans the shaft with his NVGs. “Looks clean to…wait. Do you hear that?”
    “What?” Chinn asks.
    “Let me down,” TL Mills says and Chinn obliges.
    TL Mills looks up and down the corridor then spots another grate about ten yards away. He walks over to it and cocks his head.
    “Hear that?” TL Mills whispers. Chinn listens, but shakes his head no. “Lift me back up.”
    Again, Chinn laces his hands together and boosts TL Mills up. The sound of quiet scraping reaches Chinn’s ears.
    “I hear that now, TL,” Chinn whispers. “What is-?”
    Blood rains down on the man and he jumps away, letting TL Mills fall to the floor. Sticking from the right eye of the Team Leader’s NVGs is a short, steel rod. The man twitches a couple times, and then stills, black blood pooling around his head. Chinn reaches for his carbine strapped to his back, but screams instead as his hand becomes nothing but pain.
    “What the fuck?” Chinn s hrieks as he brings the bloody stump up to his NVGs, the black blood spurting to the rhythm of his heart.
    He starts to scream again, but his throat is slit from ear to ear as a hand yanks his NVGs from his face and grips his forehead. Above, the ventilation grate came flying out of the wall and clatters to the floor