Chapter 12 The south is safe

Strategies and tactics were quickly developed against the infected, hordes and groups were lured in and shot or blown up. 

The order was given that the troops were not to act alone against the infected, but as a wall. They also had air superiority, so they could destroy large herds from the air.

When they had taken ¼ of Denmark, they received signs of life from the Danish troops. 

John handed him the radio, they had just taken the town of Vojens. Alex looked at the troops regrouping and throwing the bodies of the infected in piles.

"We need to change the radio frequency Alex, any asshole can listen in." 

"Didn't you say yourself that we don't have radios for this?" 

John groaned. 

Alex took the radio.

"Here." 

He could hear gunfire on the other side. 

" We're calling for troop support!"

He looked at John.

"Are those ours?" 

"No. My boys say they're from the north." 

Alex frowned.

"We've seen warships heading south, so we need help." 

"Soldiers, this is going to be difficult because everything is in combat."

" Anyway, they're slowly overrunning us. "

" Pass on the position, I'll send some planes to bomb. "

He wrote down the coordinates and gave them to John. 

" Tell the planes to fly over and help and send a ship or two in that direction." 

" Hopefully they're not monsters like in the other bays." 

" If they are, tell them to unload everything they have in their arsenal. "

" Understood " John left and Alex had his peace again, he waved to continue and got into his combat vehicle. 

30 minutes later his radio buzzed.

" Yes? " 

" The airmen say they're not monsters, they're soldiers fighting, we got radio messages that they want to meet you."

" I see, and where?"

" Nyborg... wherever that is, we're stuck. " 

"John tell them we'll meet them." 

2 days later he met the Danish troops on the bridge at Nyborg, a man in full battle gear came towards him. Alex had to think, because he looked familiar. Then he noticed a son of the Danish monarch. He shook his hand.

"We had almost given up until we saw ships. They sailed past. Has NATO finally pulled something up? " 

Alex looked at him, the prince looking at the changed crests on his and the other soldiers' BDUs.

"We are, if you like, failures and left for dead by the old government." 

The prince took a step back.

"You're deserters?" 

" In the eyes of the government, yes, my troops are securing the rest of Denmark, so at least there's a safe space for the civilian population."

"They are crazy! Are they going to shoot us then? "

Alex considered, he hadn't thought that far ahead. So when he meets other governments. 

"What do they think of an alliance. We have a council in charge of the state, they can meet with them and then decide. "

The prince looked at him in silence. He turned and left. 

Alex sighed and beckoned his men to leave. He needed them for the battle. On the way back, John radioed him that the Danes had agreed and that he should come to Copenhagen. Alex groaned, while refueling a radio operator came up to him with a tablet.

"Uh sir... you should take a look at this, it was recorded by a technician down in Kiel." 

He raised his eyebrow questioningly and looked at the tablet. It showed a barren landscape, panning to several anti-aircraft guns standing along a canal. 

"What's that?" 

" Well," he said, " that's the security zone to the south. "

Alex looked at him questioningly, the technician ran the video again, infected could be seen staggering in masses, the guns came to life and fired roaring at the infected, who turned to mud. 

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

"I need a helicopter and Uther's coordinates.

It didn't help that Uther was acting like he always did when he flew to him. He had done the impossible and with what kind of people. He had taken all the soldiers with him and in Kiel there were only civilians settling in. 

From all the testimonies he had gathered, the only thing that came out was that they had no idea. The only thing he and the others knew was that Uther had soldiers. He remembered that Uther had once said that his men had found him. 

Anyway, he accompanied him to Copenhagen to meet the monarch and persuade her to join the Northern Bloc. Alex found it interesting how Uther could be charming when he wanted to be and say things in a way that the monarch thought would only benefit her. Without having any disadvantages himself.

He sat thoughtfully in the radio room and smoked a cigarette. Will came up to him.

"Alex, you look stressed."

He looked at him.

"Well ..." 

Will was his rock next to Uther.

"So, what did you find out about our man from the underworld?"

Alex sighed.

"Well, apart from the fact that he's started hijacking trains and ships, just the usual. The resources are coming. I'm not supposed to worry. "

He glanced at the pile of leaves.

"Did you know he's been setting up supply networks?" 

Will smiled.

"Well, I knew that. He sent me a message that I could send bored citizens to the production sites. "

Alex rubbed his nose.

"Right, and Johns is grumbling around, snooping through the databases. Tell Alex there's something wrong with that guy ..."

" Alex, from what I can see, and after hitting Tes with a stack of books on cultivation."

"Cultivation?" He looked at him questioningly.

Will sat down.

"She said she had no idea and wanted to find out for herself. I mean, what was your first thought when you saw her then? I read that Uther was married and the picture of her in the file reminded me more of those Hollywood rabbit types. The ones running around like that. "

"Yeah. She looked more like a punk when she came back from what she called her little adventure as a warlord." 

Will grinned. 

"Look at the broads she dragged along."

"They're actually nice, because I had to talk to them. Tes seems to have handled it civilly."

 Civilized... Gitte went straight at her just to get punched in the face."

He sighed. 

"And then get drunk. "

Will laughed. 

"Not funny, she came and said she'd drunk herself into unconsciousness and woke up in the camper van. Where Uther lives."

"I thought he lived in the café?"

"It was only temporary according to him. Well, according to Gitte, it's one of those expedition things and I thought I'd go for something exotic. "

He took a drag on the fag. A soldier appeared at the door.

"Sir, we've apprehended a suspicious person on the base."

Alex looked at him. The soldier nodded to the side and two others pulled Tes towards the door. She looked more like she was on her way to yoga class, what stood out was that her t-shirt had an omega sign on it that read " You will die".

Alex sighed.

" Alright, leave her here."

" Hey sir, shouldn't we take her to the cells? "

Alex rubbed his nose. Will cleared his throat.

"You can leave her here, she won't do anything wrong?"

Tes smiled innocently.

" Tes, what are you doing in this part of the base?"

" I was doing yoga and well, Gitte said. Since she's fitter than me and I'm only a Warlord Queen, she wouldn't be beatable in hand-to-hand combat."

Alex sighed. Will looked at him.

"I don't know why it's so exciting to see you as a rival ..."

Tes grinned and patted her head. 

"She's afraid I'll get you."

Will cleared his throat. 

"What? It's not my fault she's so uptight. To both your relief. I'm happy with my husband."

"What was Uther like before the outburst?" Will asked.

"Hhmm. No different to now. He doesn't really give a damn about the outburst, to put it that way. "

"And you?" 

She smiled Alex was really amazed at how clean her teeth were.

" Oh, I don't give a shit. I should be popping stupid flu shots right now. "

Will looked at her.

"He said you opened a chain gym in Hollywood?"

Tes looked at him.

"Cheap classes for expensive money, pulling the money out of the bank accounts for the booze."

"I see, but according to your file..." 

"Uh, you kept a file on me? " Her eyes lit up.

" More like what John could get and before the system broke down." 

Will pulled out a tablet and activated it.

"So, Tes short version of Tesa. 10 years younger than Uther, born in Gainsville." Will looked at her.

Tes grinned.

"Parents own an alligator farm, both eaten up, raised by relatives. High school in the same town, college with courses in business and sports. Then Navy Marines. Several overseas deployments."

Tes nodded.

"Wanted to get out of the sticks and, well, that's how I met Uther. In a coffee shop in Frisco." 

Alex shook his head.

"Why am I not surprised..."

" Well, he was there with his girlfriend, having fun and all. "

"Hhmm according to Uther's file he's European..." came from Will, who called something up.

Tes continued to pat Alex's head.

"Is that true?" came from Will, who looked at Tes.

" Huh? He is what he wants to be. "

Will looked at her questioningly.

" Will, Uther sees himself as a citizen of this planet, never of a state. If there is one thing he loves most. It's to stand on the shore and look out at the sea and the little things." 

She let go of Alex and took a few steps back.

"But I won't tell you that. Look at it this way, he said he helps Alex. So that's what he's doing. John can snoop all he wants. But," she smiled.

"He'll cut his teeth on my husband, I know that. He helps his friends, his family even more. If someone hurts one of them, he'll use everything he's got. He pursues enemies until he has destroyed them." At the last part, his expression became serious. 

"He considers you friends, even family in some cases."

"Hm." Alex looked at her. "Tes..."