The Fourth Phase

FOUR

Dee stirred the soup in the aluminium billy, watching the thick red liquid bubble. The acidic smell of the tomatoes made her lick her lips. She hadn’t eaten a decent meal for a couple of days. She could hear Ben and the gunners Jones, Eric and Tony, rustling around as they packed up the rest of the camp. What were the odds of Eric and Tony having the same surname? Even at the end of the world, it was common. Well, at least I don’t have to keep up with them. Dee smiled to herself at her little joke. Jack would have liked that one. Thinking of Jack, she hummed a few bars of their favourite song, Freebird. On a normal Saturday, she and Jack would be settling in, watching a movie, with Jack adding little facts as she enjoyed the warmth of his body pressed against hers. She loved watching movies with Jack; the sheer joy they brought him amazed her. His eyes would light up as each scene played out on the screen. He would grin and look at her, watching to see her excitement. He would cheer as Ripley swung her flamethrower over the xenomorph eggs, cooking them. He would cry as E.T. left Elliot and soared into the sky, leaving a rainbow. He would laugh as Baby learnt her dance moves. Movies were his thing, and now they were gone.

Dee sighed and stood up, stretching. She was looking forward to getting some sleep tonight. The squawk of the radio reached her, and she turned and looked at Ben. He flicked his eyes up at her, a flash of confusion dancing across his face. Dee watched as he turned up the volume and raised it to his ear.

Jack’s voice hissed out. “Ahh, Captain, receiving? Over.”

“Receiving.”

“Possible bogies spotted. Bearing north north east. Over.”

Ben exchanged a look with Dee before turning and looking out to sea. She followed his gaze, and strained to peer through the falling drizzle. She gasped. Three ships were cutting through the choppy sea towards the island.

What the hell?

Ben spun around. “Dee, put that fire out, now! Jones, lights out!” Dee could tell from the stern tone that he meant business. Gone was the friendly, wise man. The official, hardened, former NZ SAS soldier took over. The joking and backchat from the Joneses vanished as they quickly switched off all the lights and crouched down behind their gear. Ben raised the radio back to his lips. “Jack, do you copy? Over.”

“Receiving.”

“Go dark, Jack. And stay put. Maintain radio silence. Over.”

“Wilco, out.”

Ben crouched down next to Dee. “Eric, get me eyes on those ships. I want to know whose they are. They’re not allies, that’s for sure.”

Eric nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

Seeing his acknowledgement, Ben turned his attention to Tony. “Tony, get the Colonel on the horn. Let him know what’s going on and tell him that damn radar still isn’t operational.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Then Ben looked at Dee, concern showing on his normally stoic face. “Dee, break camp. We’re going to have to hightail it back to the FOB.”

She gave him a curt nod and started packing away the campstove. Seeing the soup, she shoveled a few spoonfuls into her mouth. She tipped out the rest of the contents of the billy. She hated seeing the food going to waste, as it had become an ever-increasing luxury. She listened as Ben spoke softly to Eric.

“What do you see, Gunner? Give me details.”

There was a pause, so long that Dee thought Eric hadn’t heard Ben.

“Two frigates, and one cruiser, maybe a corvette. No markings, no numbers, no lights, Sir. They’re sailing dark. Bearing straight for us.”

“Tony, give me that radio.” Ben walked the few steps to him and raised the long-distance radio to his lips. The drizzle made it difficult for Dee to hear the conversation, so she busied herself by packing away the remainder of the camp. Eric came over and helped take the tarpaulin down. Some of the collected rain tipped over Dee, running down the inside of her raincoat. The icy water making her shiver. Thoughts of standing under a nice warm shower, and a decent sleep, were now forgotten.

Dee snapped the last clasps shut on her pack and checked that her rifle was loaded and safety on. She patted her side, feeling for the Glock and knife. She looked at her Katana tucked into the back webbing of her pack, and smiled. There was no way she was going anywhere without it. That Katana had saved her life many times over. Something deep down inside told her that it had a bigger role to play. She sat on her haunches, awaiting news from Ben.

Ben turned to her, Tony, and Eric, and lifted the short-distance radio to his lips. “Jack, do you copy? Over.”

Static buzzed over to Dee.

“Receiving, over.”

“Right. Listen up, Renegades. Radar is down. We have unfriendly ships coming in. I suspect, from the class, that they are Indonesian. Why they are here, we don’t know, so for now they are to be treated as hostile. Colonel Mahana has ordered us down the mountain. We are to proceed to Kiwiriki Bay, where a chopper will extract us. We shall then proceed to Mayor Island, where we are to improve the fortifications in case of hostilities. Jack, stay put. We are coming to you. In the interim, plot the most direct route to the LZ. We have 90 minutes. Understood?”

A chorus of “Yes Sir” answered. Ben’s eyes meet Dee’s, concern showing in his usually twinkling eyes. He grasped Dee’s shoulder. “Move out, soldier.”

Dee gave him a tight-lipped smile as she hoisted her pack onto her shoulders and positioned her weapons. She tried to adjust her raincoat to keep the cold drizzling rain from dripping down her neck, but after a few attempts she gave up and concentrated on keeping her feet from slipping on the rocks scattered on the mountain pass.

Here we go again.

Jack stretched out his tired legs as he waited for the other Renegades to reach his position. He watched the approaching Indonesian Navy ships warily, their silhouettes looming ever closer to island. The whole situation bothered him. If it was indeed the Indonesians, why the hell were they here in New Zealand? The mainland was gone, overtaken by the Variants. He had heard rumours of failed operations the Americans had attempted in eradicating the Variants hordes from the vast landmass of continental United States. Jack tugged on his ear and wiped some of the rain off his neck.

Musing over his concerns, Jack pulled out his map of the mountain and double-checked the route he had found. He remembered a hiking trip to Great Barrier Island some years ago. Some gloriously sunny days had been spent exploring the old timber trails. The island had a rich history in logging kauri trees, and the hardy loggers had left some long-forgotten trails snaking their way down rocky valleys. The kauri tree was a much-prized piece of timber. Tall, straight, and strong, it soared above the other trees in the forest. Now only a few pockets remained, standing as they always had, sentinels, watching the world. Jack could just imagine when Captain Cook and his crew first saw the majestic trees. They’d immediately valued them for masts on their tall ships. He shook his head at the short-sightedness of the early settlers and their relentless pursuit of the timber.

So few remain… a bit like us.

Jack risked a quick flash of his light to check he had the correct compass bearing. He secured his map away and took up a covering position, overlooking the trail. A faint scrape over the light patter of the rain alerting him to the approach of his fellow Renegades. His heart skipped a beat as he recognised the petite frame of Dee emerging out of the darkness, her Katana poking out from her pack and her rifle slung on her shoulder within easy reach. Their eyes met, and Jack couldn’t help but grin. Those eyes gazing at him always softened his mood, picking him up when he needed it most.

Dee reached out as she came up beside him and grasped his hand. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself.” Jack placed a hand on her waist and drew her into an embrace, kissing her on the nape of her neck. “I’m sorry about being a grumpy.”

Dee kissed him back, her warm lips lingering on his cheek. “Thanks, Jack. It’s us till the end, remember?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. Till the end.” He smiled at her as he disengaged from the hug. He gazed back down the track, watching as the Joneses joined them. Ben brought up the rear, his long beard slinking out of the night like a glowworm waiting for its prey. Jack tilted his head in acknowledgement, meeting his gaze.

“What have you got for us, Jack?”

“I found us an old logging trail. It cuts down through the valley before meeting up with that river we crossed. That should take us to Kiwiriki Bay and the LZ.” Jack indicated with his arm the direction he was talking about.

Ben took his hand off his rifle and clasped Jack’s shoulder. “Nice work, Jack.”

Ben then turned to face the other Renegades. “All right. We maintain radio discipline and keep our torches off. When we get to the valley floor, we can switch them on. Tread carefully, Renegades, I don’t want any injuries or delays. And be ready for any hostiles, human or Variant.”

They all answered with a quiet “Yes, Sir.”

Jack caught Tony smirking at him holding Dee’s hand. “Do the love-birds want to get a nice room first?” said Tony.

Dee reached out and punched him in the arm. Tony grabbed her arm and twisted it. Dee pivoted around, sweeping her leg out. The muscled soldier tumbled to the ground, surprise etched on his face. Standing over the now-prone gunner, Dee replied, “I know you and Eric want one, but it will have to wait.” She turned back to Jack, grinning from ear to ear. He couldn’t help the laugh barking out. The other Renegades joined in. The muscled Tony was no match for Dee’s speed.

Still chortling at Dee’s witty remark, Jack adjusted the rifle on his shoulder and moved past the Joneses to the front, with Dee following behind. He turned his head, looking Ben in the eyes.

Ben gave him a quick nod. “Lead on, McDuff.”

Jack turned, wiping at the rain dripping down his temple, and trudged into the gloom. The Renegades followed silently.