Countdown: The Wasteland Chronicles Book One Read online

  He narrowed his eyes as a blur of shadows seemed to morph out of the very desert. They slipped in and out of Lenny’s field of vision, quickly moving in his direction.

  There were at least six of them, but an accurate count was hard to get. In the dark they all looked like one big figure.

  Lenny groaned then crawled out of the brush and stood up. He wiped his pants off and looked ahead to the six man team moving towards him.

  “Brewster?” one of the men called. “This op just went to hell in a hand basket.”

  Lenny laughed. “Ash, I’d recognize that girly voice anywhere.”

  A stocky man dressed in all black wearing a ski cap stepped away from the group and extended his arm. Lenny shook his hand and smiled.

  “So this is where the wash-ups find themselves huh?” Lenny said lowly.

  “Nah, this is a promotion,” Ash responded.

  Gene and the other members of Lenny’s team slid from their hiding places and closed in. They gathered together in a circle, the moon the only source of light.

  “You guys are rolling light. I thought it was a twelve man team?” a tall, skinny pale man with black paint on his face said.

  “It was,” Gene said. “LZ wasn’t as clear as promised, we lost five.”

  “Fuck!” the man responded. “Sorry about your men.”

  “So is this still a go?” another shorter man cut in.

  Gene looked at him from the corner of his eye with daggers. “Yeah…yeah we’re set,” he mumbled. “Where you fella’s taking us?”

  “I’m Nate,” the tall man said and shook Gene’s hand. “Team leader, the rude bastard is Crowley, our sniper.”

  Gene nodded then shot an angry glance at Crowley. “The name’s Gene, but if it’s all the same to you, we can skip the introductions.”

  “Not a problem. The border is about three klicks from here. We don’t expect much resistance up til that point, but you know the way these things go.”

  “Shitty,” Lenny grumbled.

  Nate tilted his head at him and continued. “Ten klicks in from there is the Quds base. We need to secure it then your guys provide perimeter while we do some searching. After that it’s an easy extract and everyone goes home.”

  “Let’s get it done then,” Gene said and knocked his fist against Lenny’s.

  Under the cover of dark they moved out, silent and deadly as a black mamba slithering through the empty desert. They were an elite team of Special Forces soldiers and paramilitary professionals. A cloud of walking death as lethal as anything on the face of the Earth. They were who the grim reaper called when he needed help.

  The men were swift and even with the gear they made record time crossing the Iranian border. As Nate suspected, there was no resistance heading into the country, but now that they were in Iran he expected all of that to change.

  Stealthily they moved through a forest of dry twisted trees down a gradually declining mountain. Tiny rocks shifted and tumbled with each misplaced footstep, echoing the treacherous landscape. At the bottom was the Quds base, a home to more than thirty highly trained soldiers willing to die for their cause.

  “Eyes on the nest,” Grimes whispered as he slid into position.

  “Ditto,” Crowley grumbled.

  The plan was simple enough. There were two teams, one attacking from the east, the other from the west and converging in the middle. One sniper from each team would provide over watch and Gene’s team would secure the perimeter once all threats had been neutralized.

  The Quds base was little more than a series of tents surrounded by a thick clay wall. A ten foot wide dirt road led into the compound and was protected by two soldiers in watch towers. In the center of the base was a round hut with a satellite tower on the top. That was priority number one.

  “Mark that,” Nate mumbled as he pulled the binoculars from his face.

  “With what? They may as well have given us a sling shot,” Ash replied.

  Nate turned and glared at him. Even in the dark his eyes conveyed a stern message. He sighed and shook his head from side to side.

  Ash laughed it off quietly and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m just saying…not a whole lot of tracking going on with a damn RPG.”

  Nate gave him the universal signal for “shut your damn mouth,” then edged towards the compound. The Quds fighters had decided to keep their base concealed in an overgrown valley instead of taking the high ground. It suited their gorilla-ambush style of warfare, but the tactical vulnerability it presented was about to be exposed.

  “Alpha team almost in position,” Gene’s voice crackled through the earpiece.

  He and Lenny moved steadily closer, crawling on all fours through the mangled brush. The rest of their team was only feet away, stalking like a pack of wolves. Even with seven members they were as deadly a force as any.

  Nate and team Bravo slipped in an out of the night like wisps of smoke. They were the ghosts of this region, the faceless phantoms that attacked and vanished in the wind. They set up at the west side of the compound and prepared to demo a part of the wall. Ash pressed a fistful of C-4 against the lumpy clay then vanished back into the darkness.

  “Bravo team is a go,” Nate said lowly.

  Lenny patted Gene on the back and he nodded back at him.

  “Grimes, Crowley. Shift’s up,” Gene said in a raspy voice.

  A moment later two indistinguishable snaps sizzled through the air. The two guards on the towers dropped like stones and Lenny and his team rushed forward.

  On the other side of the compound Ash squeezed the tiny black detonator. An explosion shook the air and chunks of rock blew into the sky. Screams and shouts of anger and panic rang out into the night. They were answered with the clatter of gunfire, the sharp pings and cracks playing like a death symphony under the moonlight.

  “You’re up Mick,” Nate said.

  Grumbling, a scruffy faced redhead stood up and hoisted an RPG onto his shoulder. He spit out a toothpick he’d been chewing and focused in on the tiny reticle at the end of the tube.

  “Here’s your bomb back,” Mick laughed as he squeezed the trigger.

  With a hair-raising hiss, the rocket zipped through the air and slammed into the top of the hut in the center of the base. The communications tower toppled over and exploded upon impact with the ground. Mick looked on with satisfaction then tossed the empty launcher down and followed his team towards the hole in the wall.

  “I hate this place,” Ash snapped as he tumbled through the dense, dry vegetation.

  Parallel to them, Lenny and company surged forward. He moved undaunted as the intermittent crackle of gunfire streaking over his head signaled that Grimes was still on his job. The fire from the communications tower glowed brightly in the night sky, the flickering flames a primal harkening to battle.

  Suddenly a man lunged out from one of the tents, his face barely clearing the beige fabric before Lenny unleashed a triplet of shots. The man groaned and collapsed at Lenny’s feet, the life evaporating from him like rain puddles in the summer.

  Lenny continued to push forward, taking down one soldier after another. Smoke sizzled from the barrel of his gun as it glowed red in the dark. Pausing for a second, he gathered himself and wiped the sweat from his face.

  “Nothing like a good manhunt,” he grumbled then fell in line.

  The Quds base was like a maze. The tents were so densely packed together that it was impossible to know which ones had been checked and which ones hadn’t. Lenny and the rest of his team got turned around several times, almost shooting each other in the confusion.

  “Grimes, I need you to help direct traffic, we can’t find shit in here,” Gene said.

  Grimes looked down at the burning compound and groaned. Dense, black smoked floated into the air like a tarp, but the fire was the real problem. “No can do boss,” Grimes replied. “Put that damn fire out, the glare is screwing up my optics. Maybe Crowley’s gotta a better position.”

  “A bit b
usy keeping Nate out of a casket,” Crowley responded.

  Across the compound Nate and the other SA team members were pinned down behind the remnants of the communications building. Crowley was trying his hardest to keep them from being overrun, but he was having the same problems as Grimes.

  “Nate, where are you?” Gene asked.

  “Hell if I know. Just follow the sound of bullets.”

  “Head to the fire,” Crowley broke in. “They’re behind the hut.”

  “Wilson you, Harris and Blackwell start working the perimeter. Keep it tight. Lenny and Hancock you’re on me.”

  Wilson and the others quickly slipped off as Gene and his team headed deeper into the compound. They moved cautiously past each tent, peeking inside before going further. The thunderous clapping of AK-47’s rumbled the air like the theme music to their every step.

  “You hear that?” Gene looked to Lenny and stopped walking.

  Before Lenny could respond, a volley of bullets ripped through the tarp next to them. Lenny dove to the side and rolled to his feet. He immediately shouldered his M4 and opened fire, charging forward like a madman.

  “Contact left,” he yelled as he moved toward the threat.

  As he cleared the tent, a bullet whizzed by his face. It was so close he could feel the heat radiating from the copper.

  A Quds soldier was standing a bit more than an arms-length away. His rifle was pointed straight at Lenny and he was pulling the trigger desperately.

  Lenny froze. It took him a moment to realize the gun had jammed. The soldier was still banging away at the trigger, but no more bullets were coming out.

  Lenny looked himself over with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. All of his limbs were still intact, no bullet holes or patches of blood. He sighed then looked up at the soldier still tinkering with the malfunctioning rifle.

  “They don’t jam much,” Lenny said as he started towards the man. He released his M4 and let it hang from the sling around his shoulder. “But when they do…” Lenny continued as he pulled a knife from his front vest. In one swift motion he lunged forward, grabbed the back of the man’s head and buried the knife into his throat.

  Lenny forced his hand over the soldier’s mouth, stifling his death groans. He slowly lowered him to the ground as blood bubbled from the hole in his neck.

  He wiped the crimson stains from his knife using the man’s uniform then tucked it back into his case. The man was still twitching on the ground when he left him and headed back to Gene and Hancock.

  “I’ve gotta be the luckiest son of a bitch out there,” Lenny started to say as he rounded the corner.

  He stopped short and gasped. Gene was laid on the ground with Hancock leaning over him. Hancock’s med kit was open and he was pressing a bandage onto Gene.

  “Captain?” Lenny mumbled.

  Hancock turned around and gave him a half smile. “Took one in the leg, it was clean though.”

  “Can’t believe that asshole got me,” Gene popped his head up and growled. “I’ll be fine, round up the others and let’s clear this shit.”

  Lenny let out a deep breath. “Hancock keep your head on a swivel, I’ll be back. Grimes you and Crowley get down here and hook up with Wilson on the perimeter,” he barked.

  With that, Lenny turned around and ran off into the dark. He moved swiftly with a single-minded purpose. As he neared the burning building he could hear the men’s angry shouts in between the erratic gunfire.

  He hid behind a stack of crates twenty yards away. From there he could see Nate and his team pinned down on the nearside of the crumbling building. The remaining Quds soldiers had focused their efforts there firing on Nate’s position from both sides.

  Lenny could see them clearly from his vantage point. There were six soldiers on one side and eight on the other. Their bullets hadn’t hit anyone yet, but a small group had split off and was trying to flank them.

  “Nate, I can see you guys,” Lenny whispered. “You’ve got a team of three trying to flank you from the east.”

  “You got a plan?” Nate asked desperately.

  “I’m gonna draw their fire, when I do take out the guys to the rear then push West.”

  “Roger that,” Nate replied.

  “Moving now,” Lenny said and stepped around the crates. He opened fire, his first round of shots hitting two of the soldiers in the back and dropping them instantly.

  He got a few more rounds off before the others turned around and started shooting. Lenny ran backwards still firing, drawing all of their attention towards him. He managed to hit two more before he turned around and ran towards the tents.

  “Let’s go!” Nate shouted and swung around to the back, unleashing a hail of searing metal.

  Three soldiers cleared the smoldering debris and were hit with the bullets full on. Nate didn’t even watch the bodies drop. He moved to his left and with the others, started taking on the small force of Quds soldiers to the front. Now that they weren’t taking fire from the other side, they quickly neutralized them and followed after the group that was pursuing Lenny.

  Lenny was ducking bullets and tearing through the tents as he searched for a hard structure to take cover behind. He looked back and fired a three round burst before skidding around a row of tents and running for his life.

  Another Quds soldier bellowed in pain as he dropped to the ground. Three of them were still following him, determined to end Lenny’s life and take back their base.

  Up ahead was a row of metal barrels filled with water. Grinning, Lenny slid behind them and took aim. As the soldiers cleared the tents Lenny unloaded on them.

  The first soldier that came into view was immediately killed. The other two dove to the side and scurried back around the tents. Lenny slammed another magazine into the rifle and glared down the barrel, waiting for the slightest movement.

  Under the glow of the moonlight Lenny caught a glimpse of something being tossed into the air. He’d barely figured out what it was when the grenade hit the ground a few feet in front of him and exploded.

  Lenny was blown off of his feet and into the dirt. His face slammed into the ground with a jarring thud. The barrels in front of him took the brunt of the blast. They exploded into the air as water erupted from them like a volcano.

  Lenny rolled over, gripping his head and groaning. He clenched his jaw and cracked his eyes open. His ears rang loudly like church bells. Smoke clouded the night air and bits of debris swirled and fell into his eyes.

  “Fucking American’s,” a voice called from above him in a thick Iranian accent.

  Lenny looked up and as his eyes slowly started to clear, the image of two Quds soldiers materialized. They loomed over him, rifles in hand, their faces smeared in dirt and sweat.

  One of them was short and chubby. He wore uniform pants, but a dirty white tank-top like he was getting ready for bed when the attack began. The other man was stocky with a hardened face. He had a thick mustache that was caked in desert sand.

  The shorter man stomped his boot onto Lenny’s chest and shouted something in Farsi. Lenny had no clue what it meant, but he was certain he only had seconds left to live. His fears were confirmed as the two men shouted the few words that he could understand.

  “You die! You die!” they both yelled and jabbed at him with the barrels of their guns.

  The stocky man kicked him in the face then pressed his gun to his head. He stared at Lenny with a sinister grin and a cold look in his eyes.

  Lenny’s life flashed before him. He thought of his mother who had died years ago and the bastard of a father that reluctantly followed her. He thought of the family he’d never have. But what bothered him the most was the thought that two half-ass terrorists were gonna be the last thing he saw.

  “Do it! Do it you piece of shit!” Lenny yelled.

  The man tightened his jaw and twisted his face in disgust. Lenny braced himself and closed his eyes. He balled his fists up then suddenly two gunshots crackled the air. Lenny froze, he was
n’t sure if he was dead or alive, but he stayed as still as he could.

  “Get up you sissy,” Gene’s voice blared loudly.

  Lenny opened his eyes to find the two soldiers slumped beside him with blood oozing from their heads. Gene and Hancock were behind them, clutching their rifles with slight grins on their faces.

  “Boss,” Grimes voice came through the earpiece. “Location secure.”

  “Good job,” Gene said then pulled Lenny to his feet.

  “How’s the leg?” Lenny asked.

  “Lucky for you, it still works.”

  “I guess so. I thought I was dead.”

  “Not yet buddy. Let’s get moving.”

  Lenny shook his head and popped his jaw around trying to clear his ears. He grabbed his rifle then took a quick glance around and fell in line with the others.

  The compound seemed eerily quiet. Gunshots and explosions had filled the night with explosions, but now Lenny could hear the sand crunch under his boots with every step.

  As they made their way across the compound they passed a small building that they hadn’t seen before. The communication tower had been the only real hard structure that they knew of, now they’d stumbled upon something else.

  “What’s this?” Hancock asked. He walked up to the door and grabbed the knob. “It’s locked.”

  Gene gave Lenny a look and he nodded back.

  “Slide over,” Lenny said.

  Lifting his boot he brought it crashing down on the door and it swung open. Gene immediately rushed in and swept to his left. Hancock followed behind him and Lenny after that.

  “Clear,” they all called in unison.

  The room was small with a single table in the middle and a filing cabinet in the corner. A dim bulb swung from the ceiling, providing the only source of light. There was a faint tart smell in the air that Lenny couldn’t put his finger on.

  Clicking the light on his gun, Lenny started rifling through the filing cabinet, tossing papers onto the floor. Under the table there was a box stuffed with file folders that Gene pulled out. Hancock grabbed one of the thick, beige folders and looked it over.

  “Project Genesis?” he mumbled.

  “What the hell is all this stuff?” Gene asked. “It’s written in English.