Rain drizzled down yet again, just another fall. "Anything?" came Dan's voice in John's radio, "Na, nothing, you sure our Intel was right?" John asked back. "No doubt about it John, This is where he was supposed to be hiding, I don't know what to tell you man" Dan said back, disappointment in his voice, "I'll check our sources again, but this is total bullshit man"
Standing up from his point, John radioed in to 2 other men telling them to head back home and that nothing was going to happen, but unfortunately, he said it a little too nastily. He was literally tearing himself apart with guilt, because he believed that what happened was because of him, and unfortunately, he was pulling himself away from his own team.
By the time he got back, the entire group was waiting in the main hall, and Andy was at the front, his hands behind his back. He looked at John and immediately, he saw that something had happened, and whatever it was, it certainly wasn't a good thing. "What's going on Andrew?" but still nobody spoke a word, with all except Andy looking at the floor … as if their heads were bowed.
"I'm sorry John" Andy said, and at first, John assumed that someone else had been killed, but then again, surely he would of head the news. "Well, what's going on?" John asked again, getting impatient as his 2nd in Command refused to answer the question, until he finally did – "The board voted, you're out"
John felt sucker punched, and only just managed to say the words "What?"Andrew stepped forwards, still looking sorrowful, "I said, the board has voted to remove you from the position of Supreme Commander in Chief, I'm sorry John". That was all John could take, and with that, walked briskly out of the room and to his office, were he slammed the door shut.
Sitting behind his desk, he looked at the computer screen that still said nothing. Obviously pH had slipped back under the radar once more and wasn't of any importance to anyone. John guessed that people had been lulled into security once the pH War was over. Feeling anger welling up again, he lashed out, knocking over a picture of him and Chris Hollis.
Chris was the 2nd Commander of STARS, and he led it to the most prosperous times they had, John was willing to admit that. The picture was taken a few weeks before his death, and the handing over of power to Serge –
"Sir, they're closing in fast, what should I do!" The recruit yelled, the pistol in his hands shaking uncontrollably. John looked at Chris, who was stood calmly against a wall, looking outside the window at the oncoming zombies. They knew the men were there, and they lusted after blood and flesh.
"Simple, aim down the gun, pull the trigger and kill one of them, doesn't matter which one" Chris said, still looking out the window, "Though the Burt Reynolds wannabe looks like the best target to be honest" the last part was aimed at John, to try and get a laugh at the expense of the recruit.
"You're insane! Nobody can hit the target from this range, especially when the fucking target is moving!" the recruit screamed, then ducked when John pulled his pistol out and shot out of the window, taking a zombie to the floor as the bullet punctured its leg. "There see, it's possible, we don't care were you hit, just kill one" John said simply.
"No, you're fucking crazy, I'm not taking this shit" the recruit screamed again, turning the gun this time, to Chris. Suddenly, John's gun was aimed at the recruit, "Stand down and aim that thing out the window" he ordered. But the recruit shook his head, "No, I won't" and with that, he pulled the trigger, sending a bullet into Chris's chest. Simultaneously, a bullet left John's gun as he shot the recruit square in the temple.
"You ok man?" Dan said, pulling John out of his memories. Looking down, the glass had smashed in the frame, shards sprayed all over the floor in the immediate vicinity of the picture. Not answering him, John bent down and picked up the picture, brushing off the glass that was left. The picture was fine luckily.
"John?" Dan said, and this time, John answered him, "Lead them". Dan looked puzzled, "Lead them? What do you mean?" Brushing past him to grab his jacket off a hook on the wall, John repeated what he'd said "I said lead them" and with that, he walked out the office, and out of his old job.