Carrion (The Bren Watts Diaries #1)

Chapter 126

BREN

By nightfall, Harrisburg was burning.

It started east, rolling as the tide seeped in fire and blood, slithering toward downtown. Artillery rained down on each neighborhood, filling with bodies and shells, the screams in clangor with gunshots and explosions, a pandemonium that never ceased. Burnt wood, concrete, mortar, and flesh pervaded, a miasma that persisted through the penthouse's thick walls, closed all the doors and windows and tried to block anything from outside: noise, smell, chaos.

In here, we had food, enough to feed twenty-five people for a normal dinner,  Most of the stuff we got from the church, and it was nice to have a decent meal two days in a row. We needed the energy after what we're about to do later that night.

To see the others smile after a good meal, especially tasting Miguel's cooking again, was the little thing in life. To see Wanda and Diana enjoy a sandwich (while secretly feeding Indy under the table), giggling as Miguel, Edgar, and Alfie traded jokes. Even Aubrey smiled after she had just lost her husband. Logan would check on me to see if I was okay, and when I hadn't touched my plate, he would remind me to do so. He's sweet.

This table...we wouldn't have it if we were out there. Death permeated the open grounds while life flourished inside a cage—our new normal.

Murray had been listening on the radio to all the broadcast frequencies across the city. He would often report to me about what was going on, mostly where the fighting was its thickest, but they were awfully getting closer to downtown. Before moving out, I listened to some of the radio chatter with Logan, Miguel, and Charlene.

"The Alphas wanted to take downtown and gain control of the city," Murray told me a few hours ago. "If they succeed, our troops have no choice but to retreat across the river, and the top brass didn't want that to happen. Instead of expecting a battle that can last for a few weeks, we'd end up being here for months."

"Who's the general leading the division?" I asked, hoping it wouldn't be Clemons. I didn't want him near what was going on outside. What if he died?

"General Calchetti. Tough son of a bitch. The brigadier generals are a bit of a wuss, but they know who's in charge. He's the man for the job like this."

Calchetti. I heaved a sigh. Wherever Clemons was, I hoped he was still alive.

"Do we really have to wait until nightfall?" Logan asked.

"We have to. There are still troops crossing the bridge, but once the army is heavily engaged with the Alphas east of the city, we'd have an easier time navigating downtown."

"Well, I hope it's not too late by then. I'm worried about this horde coming."

I nodded. "Yeah, I don't think we should wait."

"Look. If a horde comes, they'll be too preoccupied dealing with ten thousand soldiers than twenty of us. They're the ones at the vanguard, and we're behind them. Let's make sure we don't attract their attention, alright?"

"Sounds good enough for me," Miguel said. "After all that running, the fighting...let the soldiers do the work instead of us." Miguel then shot Murray and Isaacs a wary look. "Er, sorry, guys. We've been with those monsters far longer than you two, so don't take my words as an offense."

"I don't mind," Murray said. "General Calchetti is competent at his job, but it's the suits up top that I worry about. Can you believe that nine senators and a dozen or so governors up for reelection wanted to tour the frontlines three days ago?"