lay with their arms folded under their heads for pillows. My breath caught when I spotted one with long, wavy red hair. She was lying with her back to me, legs pulled up towards her body, as she was most likely chilled from wearing next to nothing. Between the distinctive hair and the small tattoo I could see on her right hip, revealed by the white thong she was wearing, I had no doubt. It was Katie.
43
“We’re in the building.” I heard Zemeck’s voice over my earpiece.
I was working my way back to the far end of the casino after spotting Katie and spending some time locating as many more members of the group that was occupying the building as I could find. Roach and two others were still unaccounted for, my final count four short of the sixty-seven that had been spotted on thermal.
There was any number of reasons for the discrepancy. The satellite image was several hours old and people could have left. There were also a lot of private rooms and offices that I hadn’t been able to approach and check without risking being spotted by a sentry. I was thinking about all of these as I heard the radio call and looked up to find a location to tell Zemeck to meet me.
Each of the large banks of slot machines I was moving through was numbered. Large signs stuck up from the top of each group so that they were easily visible and identifiable to the casino staff from anywhere on the floor. Spotting one a few rows deeper into the casino I activated my radio.
“Meet at 42. Four two.” I said in a very quiet voice.
“Four two. Copy.” He replied then the radio went silent again.
Changing directions I began working my way to the rendezvous point. I was far enough away from the concentration of people that I was once again moving quickly from shadow to shadow, pausing every so often to listen. Nearing my destination I dashed to a dark area, shadowed by a row of video poker machines labeled 38, and froze when I heard the sound of a match being struck from the far side of area 37.
Reaching up to my vest I pressed the manual transmit button on my radio two times in quick succession. This would send two clicks to Zemeck, telling him there was a problem and he needed to go still and silent until I gave the all clear. A moment later there were two answering clicks in my earpiece as he acknowledged my message.
I could smell cigarette smoke now as well as see it drifting up into the faint light above the 37 sign. Scanning the area I didn’t see anything other than quiet machines so I moved to the end of the bank with my short rifle up and ready. When I came to a stop I was close enough to hear the burning of the tobacco as what I presumed was a sentry took a drag, a moment later the soft sigh of his exhale clear to my ears in the quiet.
Risking a quick look I leaned out; rifle aimed and finger moving onto the trigger. The man was seated at the far end of the row, four machines away from where I stood. His back was to me as he stared towards the far end of the casino. Not wanting to make any noise I lowered the rifle to the end of its sling and silently drew my Ka-Bar.
When I’d first entered the building I’d not been in a hurry to start engaging the occupants. They could have been survivors who sought refuge from the infected in the security of the big casino. They could have been employees who had just hunkered down. But when I’d found my wife, obviously being held against her will and forced to dress like she was, any hesitation to kill on my part had been removed.
Ka-Bar gripped tightly in my right hand, I took two long, quiet strides and clapped my hand over the man’s mouth as I thrust the blade into his kidney. A deep strike to the kidneys will send the human body into immediate shock, rendering it unable to fight or flee. Pulling the knife free I stabbed in from the side, the eight inch blade slipping between his ribs and piercing his heart.
Maintaining my hand over his mouth I twisted the Ka-Bar to ensure an instant kill then pulled it out and lowered the