Day 2 Part 5
We approached the hummer slowly and cautiously. As Casey and I walked toward the military vehicle, we noticed a number of spent shell casings. It was clear there had been a firefight, but not a soul-or a body-remained to give any indication of the victor.
There was no one at the driver’s seat, but we could see that the rear hatch was open, so we circled around to the back. Blood was dripping from the tailgate and pooling under the vehicle, so I held a hand up; I didn’t want Casey to have to see this.
The man lying in the back of the humvee was clearly dying. His skin was pale from blood loss, and he had large wounds on his abdomen and left shoulder. The only sign of life was his chest slowly rising and falling. I thought I heard a sound escape his lips, so I pressed closer, “What’d you say, man? Are you alright?”
“Ge-…get away. D-d-d-don’t come any closer!” he said with surprising urgency.
I held up my palms reassuringly, “It’s okay, I’m not one of…one of them,” I said as I took another step forward. The look in his eyes changed then, and he sat upright abruptly. I reached out to help him up, when his right hand closed on my wrist with the strength of steel.
“Tried to…warn you…” he said through clenched teeth, a look of determination in his eyes. “Can barely…control-”
He was cut off by a shriek as Casey came round the back of the hummer. “Dennis! Ohmygod, are you alright?”
The man’s left arm twitched uselessly at his side as I struggled in his grip; I couldn’t tell if that was his natural strength or some power derived from the infection, but either way, I couldn’t get my hand free. I met his eyes for a second, and he glanced pointedly to his hip. I followed his gaze down to the pistol at his waist, then recoiled in horror at his implication.
“Do it…Dennis, right? I’m al….already wasted…Don’t let me…become one of…” his voice trailed off in a grunt of pain.
I reached down with my free hand and awkwardly pulled the gun from its holster. Thumbing off the safety, I placed the gun over his heart. “I’m sorry,” I said, eyes finding his name on his fatigues, “Sergeant Wood,” and squeezed the trigger.
