Chapter 36

He had multiple ramps prepared. Almost forty one shot rockets and a battle plan, which was best described as charge and awe with some tactical blocking of the access stairwell.

While he had no intelligence on the threats that faced them below level sixteen, he was confident the ferals were a spent force. The night had not been kind to them. His conservative estimates had over half of them dying, each and all a victim of the bloodbath that played out over night. They had been subjected and when the collar was removed; they had responded with ferociousness and vindictiveness that outstripped what even deranged humans could usually manage.

There was the softest of knocks on the door.

“You can come in. I’m awake.”

“Have you moved at all?”

“Good morning Dan, it’s wonderful to see you, Daniel.”

“It’s too early to be cheery,” Tamara complained, and a small ball of light allowed her to move through the mass of weapons he had piled haphazardly throughout the room.

“Finigan off.” Daniel ordered.

With a very annoyed feeling, Finigan jumped down from the seat.

“No,” Tamara protested. “That’s unfair.” She grabbed the animal and placed it on her lap after she was seated.

A sense of contentment radiated from the dog.

“Stop stealing my pet’s affection.”

“I wouldn’t be able to do it if you were nicer to them. Have you moved at all?”

“Yes, of course. I had to rearrange some piles.”

“And you really don’t sleep?”

“Less than an hour each night.”

He noticed Tamara’s face softening and realised she had spotted Priscilla who was curled up on his shoulder.

“She looks exhausted.”

Daniel smiled indulgently and almost reached out to pat her before stopping himself. “She was busy all night getting intelligence on our enemies. The ferals had a civil war last night. Today we’re killing them all.”

Before there is another super, he thought, but kept that fear to himself. `

Tamara examined him. “You’re serious aren’t you?”

“Yes, the only real threat we’re facing are the other two ultras and with all of us gathered those two aren’t strong enough to hurt us. Especially if we’re getting healing magic support from the back.”

She nodded. “It just feels very non-Dan.”

“You mean because I’m not articulating a strategy of exhaustively placing a thousand traps to make sure we kill zombies one at a time?”

“I would describe it as you being less cautious than usual.”

“It’s the right strategy. They’re broken. We’ll blast through them before they can crack the humans below. That’s the biggest concern, now.” Then Daniel shook his head. He would not lie to her. “That’s not true.”

“What that we’ll blast through them?”

“No, I’m confident the ferals was crumble but the humans downstairs are not why we’re rushing. The biggest risk we face is if another super emerges and if we give them time. Well I’m worried.”

She considered that for a moment. “I assume in the civil war last night lots of cores were eaten.”

He nodded.

“Then I agree. We definitely need to go fast then. But if a super appears it’ll be prudent to bunker down till Ivey can deal with them.”

“Or for me to master my skills.”

“I didn’t say that.” She protested and patted him on the arm. “But any time now would be good.”

Daniel triggered animal sense. Blasting it out and checking the details. The speedster elite he had been monitoring since Pricilla had shared its battle was definitely stronger, but not to the degree where it was about to jump a tier of strength to an ultra’s level. It had merely progressed from low-level elite to peak. A similar trend was apparent across all the bodies he touched. The entire population was slightly more powerful, but nothing dramatic.

The major change was that there were less of them. Hopefully, the ferals were like him and would take time to get benefit from the cores that they had consumed and from what Daniel observed that was exactly what was happening.

He remembered the speedster and the feel of its energy. It was definitely not receiving an instant boost.

Tamara nudged him. “Breakfast?”

“It’s still dark.”

She shrugged. “Judy gets going early and my stomach’s rumbling.”

“Fine.”

She stood and linked elbows with him. “To be clear this is not a date.”

“No, I didn’t think it was. We need to get a bit more secure before doing that.”

“Really. I’m pretty happy with champaign and a sunset and most evening have been free.”

Daniel chuckled.

“I’m serious. I’m an easy date.” There was an awkward pause. Her hand went to her mouth in shock. “I didn’t mean it like that. I mean I’m not fussy… um… about the food and surroundings.”

“I’ll make sure there’s a lot of champaign.”

She looked at him suspiciously. Then elbowed him. “None of that.”

Daniel laughed at her expression.

“Dan.” She said dangerously. “You remember our little contest.”

“I do… What were we talking about again?”

She chuckled. “Breakfast.”

When they reached the dining room, Daniel was not at all surprised to have both Luke and Alex come up to talk to him the moment he and Tamara had sat down with their full English breakfast. Or at least an approximation of that traditional dish that missed the annoying standard additions of tomato, spinach and mushrooms. He was not sure if that was Judy being sensible or if they just lacked those ingredients. Daniel liked to think it was the former.

“Eating.” Daniel said, waving his fork in the air. “And it’s still dark.”

“Like anyone cares,” Alex said. “And I need to do that, too. But business comes first. What’s the plans for today?”

Daniel laughed. “What the hell do you normally do in an apocalypse?”

Luke raised his hands. “I know the answer to this. For most people, it’s bunker down and survive, but since Daniel asked it, I’m guessing violence.”

Daniel pointed at him. “Got it in one.” He kept eating.

Tamara explained everything that they had discussed downstairs.

Alex caught Daniel’s eyes. “My impression of you is that you’re a cautious guy. Are you sure this is the best way?”

Daniel stopped chewing and nodded. “The faster we clear the zombies, the sooner we can help the people below and find out exactly what a carnivorous plant is.”

“Of course you want to study that. Jordan has been crapping on about killer plant’s and there’s bloody one in the building.” Alex muttered.

Luke chuckled. “Yeah, I figured Daniel’s eyes would light up. When I heard Richard say that I was like, yep, we’ve got that monster covered.”

“I honestly don’t know till I see it.” Daniel admitted. “But it seems like something I should be able to defeat easily enough.”

“We’re not getting ahead of ourselves.” Alex interrupted firmly. “For all we know that plant might be so strong that it’s as good as insurmountable at least in the short term.”

Daniel nodded agreement while eating sausage. He knew how they were made and this was almost certainly rabbit. It tasted a lot like pork and breakfast was even beating yesterday’s stew. He had succumbed. It had taken a literal apocalypse, but he was becoming a foodie.

“And when are we starting?” Luke asked.

Daniel made a point of looking outside. “Maybe in an hour when it’s light enough to see in the corridors.”

“And to spot any predators targeting us on the ramps.” Alex said.

“Yeah.” Daniel agreed. “That was one of my considerations.”

He had another bite of the sausage and eyed the two still on Tamara’s plate. She picked one up on her fork and dumped it onto his plate.

“After this.” Daniel told them. “I’m going downstairs to put the final touches on the attack plan. Can you guys get food sent down to the fighters down there? Or should we send them up in shifts?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Luke interrupted him. “I’ve already taken care of it. But on that note, if we’re truly leaving in an hour I need to run. There’s still heaps to do.”

With that, the other two got up to get breakfast on the run and rushed out to get everyone ready. It was amusing to hear Luke immediately ordering someone to get food taken downstairs.

“I thought he had already done that.” Tamara said.

Daniel shrugged in answer. “I’m sure he just meant it was already on its list.”

“What now?” Tamara asked. “Are you heading back to twenty?”

“I was going to make time to see Ivey. Do you want to come?”

“Yes, Definitely.”

Together, they left the kitchen and were attacked the moment they stepped into the corridor.

Small bodies hit him. Five kids were assaulting him. For a moment, he considered ignoring them and continuing on with his day, but that wasn’t the right thing to do. His knees buckled and he let himself be dragged to the floor. His enhanced strength and agility meant he could do it fast without damaging any of attackers. One hand guided his fall and with the other he supported the children so they did not trip because of him falling over.

The blunt end of a spear poked into him as Janice swung her weapon as hard as she could.

“I’ve slayed the terrible beast.” Zach yelled. “Now we need to kill the evil sorceress.”

“No,” Tamara screamed in mock terror. “I raise thee, most terrifying tickle monster.”

With a grunt, Daniel sprang to his feet and seized his closest victim, a squealing Zach. “Rah.” Carefully so he wouldn’t be hurt him Daniel tossed the smaller body down the corridor and then spun. He got a hand on Janice. She started squealing in abject terror.

He captured an eight-year-old boy who must have been one of the recent rescues because Daniel did not recognise him and then causally pinned him under a leg. Gabby and a recovered Zach jumped on him. They smacked him on the head.

Daniel focused his effort on tickling them as they swarmed over him. They were laughing and squealing.

“Help, its got me.” Gabby yelled.

“Kids,” a sharp voice echoed down the corridor.

Zach and Gabby retreated like they were being whipped and they looked up at a very disapproving stern faced Trudy. A baby started crying and the stern face went darker. “What are you doing? People were sleeping. Be more considerate.”

She spun around and disappeared.

It was like it broke a spell and a dozen people had burst into the corridor with everyone of them holding makeshift weapons. Almost as one they halted. He saw a number rubbing sleep out of their eyes. Dave was there as well, with his mace held tightly in his hand.

One by one they registered that instead of people dying it had only been a game. Faces flushed with anger and annoyance.

Daniel rubbed the back of his head ruefully. “Sorry guys.”