The raiders maintaining defensive positions out of habit, and their entering a secure zone didn’t change that. David kept his spiritual hearing active, monitoring for any threats, even as he nodded in approval. The speed with which his people were adapting was incredibly positive.
He paused for a second, his people. That felt right. Felt good in fact. Food for thought as he planned for the future.
His scan complete he concluded that, as expected, the Nath presence was minimal. Probably just whatever dregs were stuck somewhere they couldn’t escape even when agitated.
The staff and administrative area Harrison led them to was interesting. A great deal more basic and functional, and due to being enclosed and set in the ‘low value’ real estate in the center of the terminal buildings a lot darker than the public areas with their windowed walls. Here most of the limited natural light was coming in through skylights and the lack of artificial lighting made the whole place dim enough that the group was using their torches and lanterns to see clearly.
When they reached the survivors, the area was pretty much what he expected. They went up some steps and with more access to the roof natural light increased markedly. At the top there were several anxious people behind a barricade that looked like it was made from cubicle dividers and a hefty metal desk.
After a brief pause the people on the other side started moving the barrier, revealing what lay beyond.
They were in a basic open-plan office area with a large break room and a couple of reasonable sized meeting rooms plus a scattering of private offices. He could see people moving around or sitting listlessly in chairs that screamed ‘cheaper by the hundred’.
Someone had created an improvised barricade at one end of the corridor with furniture and equipment, and he could just see a door beyond that with a tinted glass viewport. Presumably also leading out to areas where zombies might be roaming.
Harrisons return with help caused an immediate hubbub of activity and not a little crying.
As the raiders spread out, talking to people and offering the kids snacks, something he was sure they would have done even if Carl hadn’t threatened them, the adults started asking questions.
A woman appeared in front of David, eyes wide with a mixture of hope and fear.
"Is it really safe?"
Another man, clearly an airport employee spoke "CBPO Cooper said there were zombies, like from a horror movie, and we had to stay here. It sounded crazy but what with all the glowing boxes and stuff…"
Harrison heard this and moved in their direction.
"Jenkins, they're here to help, don’t give them a hard time. Though it seems I might owe you an apology for the system boxes thing…"
The other man looked relieved at that. “I half convinced myself I was seeing things.”
As the raiders kept moving through the area Mark kept being called over to assess people and the hubbub of questions took on a distinctly more optimistic tone.
David finished handing out the snacks he had and repeating the message that people were safe and that they would bring some more food. Once people had gathered their strength they could get them to their vehicles to travel to safety.
He noticed Harrison sitting down just looking lost and drained with a silly smile on his face. Turning he caught Sarah’s eye and indicated the guy with a jerk of his head. She gave him a quizzical look then nodded with understanding and moved over to join him.
“Officer Cooper, I don’t know if you met my friend Sarah yet?” When he mutely shook his head, she held out her hand and introduced herself.
“Sarah, Sarah Mayr. I’m part of David’s core team.”
“So, Sarah and I wanted to bring you up to speed on what’s going on outside a little and try to get your help…”
They were interrupted by the arrival of Katie and more food which immediately caused something of a commotion as it became clear that something approximating a full meal, albeit one heavy on packaged snacks and sandwiches, which Katie seemed to create almost by magic, would be available to everyone.
After Harrison finally accepted something to eat in the form of a simple sandwich he turned to David and Sarah.
"I didn't think anyone would come," he admitted quietly. "Thought we'd have to wait for the military or FEMA or something."
"The military might not be coming,"
David told him, keeping his voice low. "The whole country, hell the whole world, is dealing with this. It’s been rough out there."
Harrison's expression darkened. "Seriously? Where did it start?”
“Everywhere” After that David gave the man a compressed version of what had happened focused on local events. His response surprised David a little, but only a little.
“Heck, I got the wrong movie didn’t I. This isn’t Resident Evil or 28 Days Later. This is more like Independence Day.”
Sarah, who had been adding bits of context and watching the man closely chipped in there.
“Not really like that either, maybe it’s better not to try and understand it through the lens of popular culture but look at it like its own thing.”
He nodded thoughtfully.
“We came here for three reasons; to collect our dead, to rescue people, and to get as many supplies as possible.”
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
The other man nodded thoughtfully as David laid out his case.
"What sort of supplies?" Harrison asked. "The airport has resources, probably more than you realize as a civvy.”
David grinned, maybe he wouldn’t need Sarah to convince this guy to help out after all…
“Why don’t you tell us what you think would be the most useful?”
Harrrison nodded seriously. Then laid out his thoughts.
“I’ve been working here in the airport since I was fresh out of high school, I guess I always loved planes, metalwork and that sort of thing. I started in facilities, wanted to be in plane maintenance, then I learned what maintaining a modern plane is all about, computers and checklists. So, I moved around a bit before I ended up in CBP. Fifteen years, lots of jobs and just doing what was needed.
You want to focus on the gear that you can’t get out in the city, at least not easily. My top items would be: One, fuel tenders, the diesel ones not the aviation fuel type. Two, the moving equipment from the freight terminal. Three, the cooking equipment from the catering kitchens, assuming you have the time and resources to rip them out. Which leads me to the real prize – the diesel powered portable generators and other kit for repairs and maintenance. Finally, I guess, the passenger buses to move these people if you don’t have vehicles.”
“Fuel, vehicles, equipment. You know where to get all of this and how to access it given the state of things?"
Harrison just nodded.
David felt his mind shift into planning mode. This was the kind of problem he could work with.
"How easy are they to operate? Could people without commercial driver’s licenses move them safely? Even if they had to deal with obstacles and the like?”
Harrison thought, then came back with his answer.
“Sure some of them, the smaller stuff but the really big stuff needs special training to operate, not even a CGV license is much help without it.”
“That's what I was afraid of." David nodded. Then he looked at the people around them.
“So how many people here on your side can operate that stuff?”
Looking around Camila was already organizing, her natural leadership and get on with it style asserting themselves. Seeing that David had surfaced from his conversation she addressed him.
"We need to get these people back to the safe zone. It's protected, has more food and water. Plus, they can get the system. We need to get back before dark, with the diversion and things that could take hours, especially if we need to get some food to appease ‘the Council’."
Everyone could hear the contempt in her voice when she said the last, causing some of the newly rescued survivors to look up curiously.
Before David could jump in and argue with Camila Sarah did it for him.
“Cammie, we just learned from Officer Cooper that there are some very valuable supplies, including cooking supplies and food…” she emphasized the last and looked pointedly at Harrison who nodded an affirmative.
“So, before we leave the airport we really ought to pick up some stuff!”
Now Carl got involved. “What kinda stuff?”
Sarah smiled like a cheshire cat “Big vehicles, goods haulers and fuel tenders as well as food and other stuff.”
Charlie's eyes lit up. "Dude, we could load up everything. Like, can you imagine if we used those cool road train things that they use to take bags out to the airplanes, like a whole group of trailers snaking along behind us!”
"We'd need people who know how to drive them," Carl pointed out, his greater experience with these sorts of things showing.
"I can drive some of the stuff, so can a few others here," Harrison said. "Some of us either did it for a living or used to."
David started calculating. The raid had been more successful than expected, but this opened new possibilities. With proper vehicles and fuel, they could expand operations. Then he had a thought.
“Now if we bring a lot of supplies back, nobody is going to mind if we put some effort into creating a separate supply pool for the raiders…”
He saw that Carl got it instantly, Charlie and Sarah a moment later. He made his point to the rest clearer.
“That way we can move supplies more efficiently, more independently. Maybe even establish outposts with cached supplies. That’s going to make it a lot easier to help people…”
Now Camila got it too.
"We clear the rest of the airport first," Camila decided. "Make sure it's secure. Then we load up everything useful and get back to the park."
Harrison asked the question that was clearly on the minds of a lot of the people they had just rescued.
"There's more zombies, like everywhere? Does that mean that humanity lost?”
David got in front of that one quickly.
"We, humanity, are in trouble. But we've got magic that can help now. That’s one thing you will all have a chance to do when we get back, get real magic.”
There was some skeptical muttering from the group of people they were rescuing. Apparently, zombies were one thing, but magic?
Charlie ended that in an instant as he conjured a firebolt and left it hanging in the air above his hand until Sarah snuffed it out with a carefully maneuvered shard of ice.
Carl spoke softly, adding his two cents. "We can handle zombies and the other stuff that’s out there. Y’all don’t have to become no Harry Potter, me I’m just unnaturally good at shooting now…"
With that statement and demonstration, the group started to get organized. Well, except for the kids. They wanted to see more magic. Lots more magic. Eventually they had to tell Charlie off for using his magic to entertain kids after he started waving a tiny firebolt around and ended up setting someone’s in-tray on fire.
They had no choice but to divide the group, there were too many people who were noncombatants and a few were still unconscious. The number of passengers rescued also meant they had a lot of people who were frankly little help with getting round the secure parts of the airport or accessing the freight terminal.
Mark was confident that everyone was stable, reasonably hydrated and treated with his increasingly powerful healing magic and borrowed health if there were any doubts.
As they made the final division of people he approached David with a couple of questions.
“So, Man. First off, how do you want to divide people? I’m just putting it out there that I’m not waiting behind this time…”
“Mark, don’t worry. I’m not splitting our group up unless we have no other choice, I get nervous enough when one of you goes to the trucks to pick up supplies, I want you all better levelled before we start splitting up!”
Mark looked relieved and then moved on to his other question.
“I know you and Charlie have a lot figured out, so I was wondering if there is any way that we can get me in contact with the Obelisk out here? I advanced Infuse during the last fight and I got to the point where I can get a new skill. It sounds promising; cure wound.”
David nodded, then started talking Mark through the steps to access the System through the Obelisk remotely using him as an anchor point.
As they headed out into the secure areas of the airport Harrison pulled David and Camila aside.
"The freight terminal is bigger. Less about people and more about secure stuff, customs you know? Lots of places for zombies to be."
"We've cleared bigger areas," Camila said. "We know what we're doing now."
"I can help," Harrison offered. "The others who are coming along too. I know the deal is we don’t fight and follow orders if there is danger, but we can help. I’ve got my gun, so have a few others.”
David nodded. “Wait until you actually see action and how we deal with stuff before you get into this, until then you can drive, carry supplies, keep watch. Most importantly you can guide us to where we need to be."
Charlie appeared at David's elbow.
"Dude, this is huge. We came for a rescue mission and we're leaving with like a hundred people and a bunch of vehicles."
"Don't count chickens," Carl warned. "We still have to clear the other terminal and get everyone back safe."
"Yeah, but still." Charlie's grin was infectious. "This is working."
David felt it too, that sense of accomplishment.
They'd come yesterday to save people and they were succeeding.
More than that, they were building something. A community. A force that could actually make a difference. More plans were swirling in his head as he thought about not just surviving but taking the initiative.
They had an airport to loot.
