Chapter 3: Coming Undone

[Corporal Ross meets me at his driveway just thirty miles north west of the greater New York area. As I step out my car we exchange pleasantries, and he offers me a beer as we enters his house.]

First I can't apologize for what I did, and I won't just use the terrible cliché of saying that I was just following orders. See that's what the Goddamn humanists don't understand. They weren't there; they weren't in the middle of this mess. When I did my first couple of tours of combat four years ago it was different. The enemy was another man another person, but this was something different. Back then we had a front line and so did they, but this fight was all around us. They could be anywhere not just the buildings or streets but on the walls and in the sewer. I've seen a lot of soldiers walk too close to manholes and then simply disappear the next second only to here their echoed screams.

[So what were your duties initially?]

I began security detail of the quarantine centers. My orders were to make sure all the presumed infected did not rebel or cause a scene. That was the most important part. We had to illustrate to the people of New York that the situation was under control. If I failed and I actually had to kill one of those people think of the repercussion. No one would think they were safe from the symbiote and now they would think that we are here to eliminate them. This would give them the "there is no one on my side," thought which just spirals into chaos.

I must say we were doing a damn good job until that sparking nut bag showed up. I think he was looking for a sibling or something. It doesn't matter who he was looking for because either way he ripped through nearly all of the quarantine centers. Yeah. He killed fourteen agents, thirty-three civilians and then got himself infected along the way, not to mention he completely undid everything we had started. Stupid bastard, my sector was able to shut down the entire city block and en large the quarantine, but that was when the reality of the situation hit me. That sad excuse for a light show had torn open all of our security measures so the infected starting jumping out and scrambling.

There were about twelve of them. They moved quickly from wall to wall making a hell of a target. I followed one target as it bounced off the wall and jumped on to a light post. Personally I think it was tougher to shoot before they turned into those black ugly monsters. I mean try imagining a deranged psycho who looks like your average Joe or Jane hissing, screaming, and becoming this monster. It sort of catches you off guard when you viewing them down your sights. Anyway I was about to put one of them down when suddenly another one blindsided me. She knocked me clear off my feet and cold. Then what was crazy was this little girl who was infected started dragging me down the road. With my eyes closed and I could feel my back being scrapped against the pavement. I guess she must have dragged me about one hundred yards before I snapped to again. The sound got me moving fast. I heard their growling and then some deep bellowing and I looked ahead of me as I was being scrapped across the pavement and there was this giant bulbous plant. Except this was some kind of plant from the armpit of hell. Tendrils veined out in every direction from this thing. It was the first time I had been scared like that in a while. As soon as I got my bearings straight I fashioned my side arm and gave the girl three in the back. Two of the rounds impacted on the upper back and the last landed at the base of her skull. Her body fell limp as the last shot exited her head, I never saw her face, but then again it was probably better that way. That thought quickly escaped my mind as one of those tendrils wrapped around my leg and started pulling me towards it. I screamed and kicked violently around as I was losing my mind. I tried to grab onto anything but nothing was helping. Finally I just tried to dig my hands into the pavement. It didn't do shit. The steroid raging plant was about to eat me for dinner when the rest of my squad showed up and emptied everything they had into it. I mean not just bullets they used are their fragmentation grenades and even our 40mm rounds before it gave in. Black slime was splashing everywhere from the explosions almost like a black rain. Anyway we got control back all right it took nearly seven hours to process everyone within our new zone but we got it done.

As I said earlier we had to show the people that we were in control, but then that all happened and people panicked. Things started to unravel fast, naturally we lost control some infected would slip by and it became impossible to contain. So HQ made the choice to quarantine Manhattan. So everyone, civilian or military was SOL. We had to act quick so some of our engineers setup the best safe zone they could fashion, given the lack of time and hostile environment it was very formidable. You got to hand it to those guys they know their shit.

[So were you stationed at the head quarters for security?]

[Ross's tone suddenly changed as his face seemed burdened with grief]

Two days after we had established our safe zone on the southern part of the island I was assigned to one of those half-cocked energy barriers. They were supposed to be shelters and collection pools for anyone who could make it into its protective energy dome. Yeah I would like to talk to the genius who thought it was a good idea. They quickly became feeding grounds for the symbiotes. We made it easy for them, we just put out a huge sign saying if your having a hard time finding a human just come over to this bright beacon of light and you're bound to find one staggering their way here. I couldn't give you an exact number of the times people were picked up and carried off just inches away from safety. And here I am trying to prevent just that. I was a good shot so my fire team leader gave me a rifle and put me on a roof. My orders were easier said than done: make sure you kill any of those bastards before they can snatch any civilians. I couldn't do it alone. There were too many targets and they were all mixed in together. Sometimes I could save a life, sometimes I couldn't. Sometimes they would get away with someone and sometimes I would have to play God. I'll never forget that. Those times I would have to look at some innocent boy, girl, man, or woman and then their life would disappear behind the flash of my rifle. If I missed the first the shot, by the time I reloaded my rifle I had about three seconds to take the surest shot I could. It was easier to hit my mark now because by the time I had missed the first shot they were looking right at me. Bang… I had no other choice so I did the only human thing I could think of… a shot of grace. At least they would not have to go through the hell of turning into one of those monsters.

[Corporal Ross led me down into his basement. As I walk down the stairs I see his work out station and dead weights neatly placed in descending order. Next to the weights Ross ushers me over to two large footlockers. As he opens the footlockers the chime of empty bullet casings echoes throughout the basement.]

Every person I let down is right here. Their last moment is found right here inside these casings.

A few days after I had been assigned to watch over our safe zone I heard a friend of mine over the radio Simon Dukick was his name. He had been assigned by command for deep search and rescue of a few people that we could really use to combat this new enemy people like biochemist and medical physicians. Anyway I was checking my field and I heard his voice crackle over the coms channel. I immediately recognized his voice and I yelled over the radio to him to see what he was doing. He told me that he had three of these priority targets with him and he was in a hell of a hurry to get to the nearest collection point. So he gave me his position and I see that I am actually his closest safe zone so I start routing him over to me. I could not help myself but I offered him that I would get us a cold one as soon as we got out of this place. As soon as I said that he told me if I got him to the safe zone he would cover my drinks for a long while. So I said back to him "sounds like you're in some trouble" and he called back "Yeah Ross uh it's getting a little hostile over here. Shit, keep your head down!" I could here the echo of him shooting over the radio and then spilt seconds later I heard it again at my position. "Ross, how far is it to your location?" "You're about sixty meters to the next block then head east or left and you'll see me." It seemed like it took him forever to make it into my sight but he finally peered around the corner about six blocks from the collection point. I suddenly realized the reason for his hurry. Eight of those black bastards were almost on top of them. "Ross I could really use some cover right now!" "All right I gotcha just don't stop moving." I quickly chambered a round and flipped my laser guide on. The symbiotes were jumping from one side of the road to the other trying to grab the civilians as they passed.

[As Ross explains he opens a small cigar case. Inside are seven bullet shells and one unfired round.]

As Simon was running and gunning his way to my safe zone I sent those things to hell. [Ross began to count out loud as he dropped each of the shells on the floor]

One, two, three, four, five, six…seven. I can still see all them. Each shot was like a photograph in my mind.

[Ross looks at me with a question.]

You know how a rifle operates?

[I shrug at his question as he begins to explain]

Once the bullet has been cocked and chambered into the rifle it is armed and ready to be fired. As you pull the trigger back a small hammer is cocked back just behind the live round. And once you pull the trigger back to the full position the hammer then releases and slams on the back of the bullet. Now on the back of every bullet there is a small primer charge, it sets off the explosive charge that propels the bullet out of the rifle.

I swear to you that I got every single last one of those monsters. Simon and his VIPs were only twenty meters away from the zone when he was knocked over. He wrestled and fought for his life and I couldn't get a clear shot. I watched as he screamed at me over the radio to take the bastard out. I chocked. I have never in my long career chocked in combat, but seeing my friend struggle for his life got me off balance. I lost my friend that day. I never want that put on me again. All of these lives you see before you I let them all down and then sent to their maker. Here take this. Out of this mess one thing is for sure, none of us will ever make it to heaven.

[Ross hands me the unfired round in the cigar case. As he ushers me to the door I look at the back of the bullet and notice something. The primer charge had a dimple on it. I realize now that the unfired round was not meant to kill the symbiote. Ross knew he had no clear shot at the symbiote. So he had to look at his friend down that scope and play God one more time. He pulled the trigger and "click" nothing fired. The hammer didn't strike the primer charge and not only could Ross not save his friend; he also couldn't save him from being taken away and turning into one of those monsters.]

A/N: please tell me what you think.