46. Baron : Lenina avenue

Waking up in the morning we immediately dug into rations as well as counted what ammo was left. Everyone was exhausted but now we were given the time to rest in relative safety we felt to be at least functional. Cleaning out my rifle a groan could be heard from outside. Usually that sound would instil terror but this morning I couldn’t help but let a smile break out across my face. Noticed by Duke he returned the expression. Chuckling I turned my attention to the clanking door as a wave of energy passed over.

“Not going to miss this bitch, that’s for sure.”

Helping himself to his feet he managed a chuckle as well. This would be the last scream we would ever have to endure. Looking around smiling I took the time to irritate Yeti calling him his dreaded past nickname papa bear. Dodging a quick swipe giggling like a fool I left him to fume. The end was so close now. Losing brothers in arms gnawed at the back of my mind, especially that of Line and Havoc but we could make their deaths mean something by living on.

Going through a backpack left over throwing out anything I wouldn’t need for the final push I managed to pack everything I needed into my webbing leaving the backpack entirely. If the city was as dreaded as it was fabled to be we couldn’t allow anything to slow us down and if Sparrows extraction was on time we wouldn’t need it anyway. Walking up to Duke who was taking deep breaths looking at the door I slapped him on the back of the head throwing him from his fear.

Going to insult me he looked back to smile in response to my proud expression towards him. He’d come a long way since we came here. He began as a child with foolish dreams of becoming a legendary mercenary and now he was beginning to make that a reality. No one would know of our efforts here but if he continued on with that unbreakable resolve that saved me the day prior anything would be posible for him.

Hearing a rifle being cocked with enthusiasm from behind Bishop began to rally us together for the final trial as Flux, Benedict and Yeti prepared Collette and Fledger’s broken minds for the ordeal ahead. With Sandworm unbarring the door me and Duke left the safety of the warehouse first turning rifles over every angle sluggishly. Though we were functional with a decent night's rest crippling fatigue still threatened to take over.

Moving forward through the last corrupted trees old crumbling buildings rose in the distance. Breaking into a field we stood for a moment admiring the dead city. Not a sound emitted from the monolithic concrete graveyard. It’s streets drowned in fog looked to be filled with strange thin trees that occasionally writhed with the wind.

Passing over the fields our expedition to the courtyard over the other side of the buildings at the end of the main road began. At that location Sparrows fabled helicopters would land at some point today. Approaching the buildings we entered the impenetrable fog immediately leading to absolute silence. All the ambience left the world except for our feet tapping over the ruined concrete.

Splitting into two teams to cover both sides of the street I marched forward behind Duke on point while Sparrow, Collette, Benedict, Flux and Strider followed in formation behind. Looking across the street giving a thumbs up to Yeti to indicate we were ready he led Bishop, Sandworm, Fledger, Bisso, Terra, Karte and Artur.

Pushing through the fog towards the first apartment complexes on both sides whispers broke through the silence. They sang with the voices of the dead, dying and the damned. Quickly spinning round to the voice of Line I saw Flux look past me throwing his hand forward demanding I return my attention to the front. Looking forward again as the crumbling concrete wall of the first apartment complex approached Duke stopped dead in his tracks.

Trying to look through the mess of writhing vine like trees that penetrated the concrete I saw nothing that would cause him to stop marching forward. All of a sudden the voices stopped. Duke turned his head to face me with barred teeth and pure fear in his eyes. It was a fear we all felt in this fog encouraging sudden ambush. Giving him a nod he took a deep breath facing forward to proceed once more.

A massive crack. Blood and cartilage covered my chest as he fell to the ground. Crashing into the concrete Duke let out a blood curdling cry as he clasped his shattered shoulder. Screaming back at the others they were already reacting.

“Sniper! Motherfucker has a bead!”

Dragging Duke out of harm's way behind the building ahead Sparrow immediately assisted me with providing aid while Flux ran through the ruined wall with Strider to clear the building as Benedict and Collette provided cover. Trying to staunch the bleeding from Duke’s decimated shoulder was met with little success. As Sparrow stopped for a moment she took my arm as I pressed the bandage deeper despite Duke’s writhing resistance.

“It’s too much damage. We can’t-” Before she could finish I screamed her down in defiance.

“Either help or fuck off!”

Shocked she went back to trying to assist. Giving him two shots of morphine iron solution to help with the bleeding and pain I threw Duke over my shoulders so I could still fire my rifle. Moving to the breach in the wall bestial screams could be heard from the fields we crossed over into the city. I wouldn’t leave him after he’d endured so much. To die now would be a sick joke. Through choked coughs and system shock Duke struggled to speak.

“I can’t… I’ll slow you down… it’s not worth it.” Lifting my rifle and unleashing a barrage down the corridor Flux and Strider were clearing out I cried out so that even the team on the opposite side of the street could hear me.

“You're not getting left behind! No one else dies today!” Throwing the magazine away loading another and cocking the gun leading through the building with Benedict, Collette and Sparrow behind me my voice cascaded through the corridor.

“Do you understand me?! We’re going home!”

Charging on ahead through the bloodsoaked hall Strider fired rapidly while maintaining precision. Looking over collective cultists fell on the road and from windows allowing the other team to charge across to the second apartment complex along the road. Ahead of us fallen charged forward while Flux leapt out to engage. Letting his hands fall behind to grasp ahold of a bent street sign the ruined concrete gave way. Swinging the steel bar took half of a fallens skull clean off.

Following his example we brought down any creature he failed to dispatch. Reaching the next building as collective took positions to halt our advance Flux discarded the street sign to carve out a path with his knife while his pistol made short work of anything he couldn’t dash towards. Charging up the ramp of concrete into the breach beside Strider holding down the trigger the sights of my rifle darted between targets as they fell in between muzzle flashes.

Clearing another corridor we proceeded without pause breaching the massive building. Turning to my side a cultist leapt forward with knife ready to slash at my throat. Not reacting in time Benedict covered me shoulder barging the cultist to the ground as Collette finished my assailant. Without words we pushed on as bestial screams filled the building entering behind us.

Reaching the exit Benedict threw back an explosive charge detonating it as soon as he considered us a safe distance from the building. The explosion initiated a slow collapse crushing the horrors within giving us a few more precious seconds. As the dust was thrown out from the buildings collapse enveloping us we ran even faster taking advantage of the visual cover offered by its destruction. Reaching the next building Strider was already at the other end of the corridor providing cover fire for the other team.

Pushing on to the last and largest complex we saw the massive courtyard we would have to cross in order to reach our extraction site. It looked as if to be absolutely crawling with mutants, fallen, abominations and cultists. Before we could fall to despair a machine gun screamed from above. Looking up helicopters swooped in silently if not for the rush of air and gunfire. The machine guns fired ceaselessly at either the hostiles on the ground or winged fallen who seeked to bring the helicopters down.

Rockets screeched towards the earth ripping the occupants of the courtyard apart before the helicopter responsible took an impact in the side from one of the winged fallen. Listing badly the pilot barely managed to avoid crashing into one of the buildings as one of the gunners flailed madly from being thrown out the side trying to climb back up his harness.

With hope burning anew and rescue so close we fought with unparalleled ferocity. As Duke stilled groaned from my shoulders we reached the next apartment complex with a large restaurant in the lower floor. Preparing to breach the front and cross the massive distance of the courtyard fallen and abominations flooded in from the side. Regardless of our desperation the creatures pushed us back and as the screams became louder from the rear Strider took a desperate gambit.

“Stairs! Up the stairs we can’t punch through this!”

Following his order with no other alternative we charged up as the creatures got caught in the stairwell. Running up ten floors we reached the roof on the verge of breaking point. Barricading the door with whatever was available we looked for a fire escape to find none. With despair beginning to rise again it reached boiling point as we heard a helicopter approaching.

The helicopters promising evacuation didn’t make a sound. This new helicopter sounded terrifying. Wracking my memory it sounded to be something we fought alongside once before for the Russian federation. Looking down into the fog the helicopter blitzed past the barrier into the open above us in all it’s terror. The Mi-24 swung around revealing a massive cancerous growth from the troop compartment with tendrils reaching into each and every weapon system. Spooling it’s nose mounted minigun we all dived for cover.

Taking refuge behind a ventilation unit the hind’s rounds tore through the cover leaving both me and Duke curled up hoping a stray round wouldn’t make it’s mark. With it’s fire traversing away I left Duke to fire on the atrocity. Sighting the rifle over the cancerous growth on the side I let loose a barrage in the hopes of doing some damage.

With the bulbous growth reacting violently regardless of the helicopters smooth movements I took comfort in the knowledge this thing could be killed. Peeking out again after another barrage came my way I saw a rocket fly past the craft from the buildings on the opposing side. Soldiers took positions to support our escape bolstering our strength and moral. There was hope yet we could escape this place.

Charging to new cover not to endanger Duke by attracting fire the minigun traced my heels just as I approached a new position. Reaching benedict he ripped something from his webbing and held up his last explosive charge with a grin. Turning out of cover firing with unwanted abandon the others joined in my effort to suppress the beast. Running forward Benedict dipped and dived in between cover before lurching the charge forward getting it caught in the rotor blades as it strafed the roof.

As the shock wave emanated through the air metal and blood rained down from the craft. Somehow the helicopter remained airborne holding itself up with abominable mutations trying to compensate for the loss in lift from the damaged remaining rotors. Reloading our rifles we hesitated to see the helicopter attempting to leave the fight as it bobbled to the side. Screaming out Sparrow demanded a cease fire as bangs on the barricaded door could be heard.

Peeking out at the other building one of the soldiers ran forward with a launcher to bring down the beast only to be cut down. Spooked the rest of the soldiers dedicated their fire to the flying atrocity exclusively. Screaming across ordering a ceasefire Sparrow’s voice was drowned out by the desperate fire.

Beginning to falter the atrocity merged with the helicopter began to list badly towards the building. Throwing it’s front around it fired what rockets remained in its pods into the foundations of the building before tearing into it with it’s metal carcass. A rumbling came from below as the building began to tilt forward slightly before slowly descending. Sprinting over to Duke and bracing him for the fall the foundations gave way bringing us back down to the desecrated earth.