Designated (Book 1): Designated Infected Read Online Free Page B

silence that had
enveloped them all.
    'What the....Baker, where the hell did they go, I
slotted at least a dozen myself but I can't see a damn thing.'
    Baker's fingers drifted to his throat mike as he stepped
forwards, freeing himself from the confines of his covered position.

    'Watcher, I have no freaking clue. There's nothing down
here but us, no bodies, no blood, nothing.'

    Baker's mind rebelled at what his eyes were seeing, the
featureless dirt road before them stretched off to the horizon, its
rust coloured surface rolling left and right tucking itself like a
blanket under the edges of the buildings around them.
    Baker turned slowly, his feet moving of their own accord
as he tried to fathom where his sanity had gone.
    Rawlings' signal wavered slightly the static making
Baker wince as pain lanced through his ear drum.
    'Then what the hell were we shooting at?'
    Baker didn't answer; his attention suddenly drawn by the
startled yelp behind him. Turning, rifle raised, Baker sprinted back
to where he had last been.
    'Dimi, answer me. Dimi you little fucker, where are
you?'
    Baker screamed into the microphone receiver pressed
tightly against his throat.
    A sharp, scrambling scrape drew Baker down a side alley;
the dust swirling about his ankles as he crept forwards, rifle
pivoting as he scanned the slightly darkened corridor formed by the
buildings.
    'Baker!'
    Derek ignored the warning tone in Rawlings' voice and
ploughed ever further into the dimming gloom of the alleyway.
    'Baker, stop!',Again, Derek ignored the pleading tone
underlying the call as Rawlings stared down his scope, a small tear
sliding down his cheek as he gazed at the sight unfolding below.
    'Baker, seriously, stop mate.' Again Derek ignored him
and once more ploughed on, heading ever deeper into the darkened
depths of the shadowed alley. Heads snapped round at the pain soaked
roar issuing from the shrouded mouth of the alley. Kingsley hared
down the small side street sprinting as fast as his legs would carry
him, his feet skimming the harsh grit covered surface as if the
hounds of Satan were snapping at his heels. Skidding to a halt,
Kingsley felt his stomach lurch as he cast his gaze upon the scene
before him. Baker clasped Dimi's rapidly weakening hand in his own; a
deep claret halo was slowly making its way past his boots.
    The syrup-thick pool clung to the soles of Baker's boots
like molasses, gluing him to the floor as he knelt beside Dimi.
    'Did, we....?'
    A hoarse hacking cough rolled up from the boy's lungs,
blood bubbling up and over his lips coating the sides of his mouth as
he tried in vain to speak. Baker smoothed back the young soldier's
blood matted hair, shushing him gently like a father consoling a
frightened child.
    Dimi locked his gaze with Baker's, reaching up slowly he
tried to pull himself upwards. Sensing what he was trying to do,
Baker gently pushed back. Forcing him back down, he eased Dimi back
to the floor while forcing a smile.
    'Lay still mate; you got a bit of a nasty cut on your
side. We wouldn't want you making it worse.'
    Dimi grinned. 'Yeah, I know, boss. Those rag heads stuck
me good but I gave 'em a thrashing. Kicked the living snot out of
'em.'
    Baker once more pasted a grin over his features as he
gazed down at the slowly fading light in Dimi's eyes.
    'I know, kid, I know.'
    'Chief, did we....did we win?'
    Baker smiled again.'Yeah kid we won'
    A soft smile danced across Dimi's features as he began
to grow heavy.
    'Good.'
    Like a dying star Dimi faded, the light behind his eyes
floating away, carried off with the last, soft breath he took,
vanishing forever. Baker gently lay the boy's head on the ground,
sliding his eye lids shut, the dead stare holding his gaze was not
something he could hold any longer. Standing, he looked down at the
now slowly cooling body of his friend. Stepping back, Baker glanced
at his hands, a rapidly drying sheen of blood clinging to his palms.
    'Chief, you okay?' Kingsley looked down at the