Monster
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Five
I bit my lip. Coach was marching on ahead, with Ellis unconscious in his arms, but Nick was lagging behind. We had bandaged his leg as best we could, but without an experienced doctor there was no way we could fix the wound. It had been three days since the Tank had attacked. Nick was pale; sweat running down his face, his broken leg trembling when he laid weight on it. I stood by him, one of his arms slung around my shoulders.
"Look!" I glanced up. Coach was using his elbow to point something out. Following his motions, I made out small lights, shining through the dense, silhouetted branches of the bare trees ahead.
"People!" I gasped, a broad smile covering my face despite our predicament. Even Nick managed a shaky laugh. We moved faster; navigating through the dense forests and swamps quicker than before, until the lights were only a hundred yards away, up a hill. Nick limped ahead, alone. I ran forwards and reached the lights. They were the headlights of a jeep - and there were people inside.
-Monster-Monster-Monster-Monster-
Sobbing with relief, I knocked on the dashboard. The four people inside seemed to be in deep conversation, but when my knuckles came into contact with the glass they swung round to face me. Their eyes were the cold, emotionless voids that were the eyes of CEDA agents - or Infected. I stepped back, now unsure. Then the men kicked the jeep's doors open with steel-tipped boots, standard-issue army assault rifles held steadily in their gloves hands. Their faces were covered in masks, goggles lifted onto helmets on their heads, and it was impossible to identify who they were - if I knew them. I certainly didn't. Their sights were trained on the floor, however, instead of on me, and I stepped forwards again. Their eyes followed me.
"Hello? We need your help, we have injured-" I began to speak when they stayed staring at me in silence.
"We can't help you." One of the men, a tall, broad-shouldered man, spoke. I paused and gave him a hard look. He returned it with his cold gray eyes.
"Why?" I used my commanding, journalist voice, but instead if shuffling and mumbling like a civilian, he remained silent. I waited a few moments for a reply, and when I didn't get one, I stepped even closer. None of the men moved. Moving close enough to hear their breath, I saw that their eyes weren't emotionless with hostility - they were haunted. Dark with fear. Swallowing, I reached out and lowered the mask of one soldier. He flinched at my touch - something a strong man shouldn't do. When his face was revealed, he did nothing to bring the mask back up; he just stood still, cold breath sending clouds of mist into the cool night air. I frowned.
"Please leave us," he begged suddenly, his voice trembling.
"Why?" I repeated the same question from earlier. He shook his head. I shook my head too, my hair bobbing with the motion, and they all turned their blank gazes upon me. I pulled the soldier's mask back up, stepping in front of all four of them.
"Look, woman, we don't know you. Leave us, or we'll shoot you and your companions." I turned to the tallest soldier, who had spoken. His gaze was fixed on something behind me. Turning, I saw Coach rising over the hilltop, Ellis still asleep in his arms, Nick hobbling slowly behind.
"We don't need more injured," spat one soldier; a stocky man with pale green eyes. The others turned to him.
"What do you mean?" The tallest man seemed confused, and I was bewildered. The green eyes of the soldier widened, and he shrank back. The scared soldier from before stared at him with wide blue eyes, and the last man, a leanly-built man with piercing green eyes, growled,
"David. Tell us what you meant!" The soldier called David shook his head defiantly, composure regained.
"I refuse, Stephen. No!" he snapped. He turned to the scared soldier. "Come on, Chris, you can't force me. Remember?" Chris shrank back, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.
"I don't want to take sides," he mumbled. David spat a curse, them turned to the tallest soldier, who glared at him with angry gray eyes.
"Pete-"
"Save it," Pete snapped. "Tell us, or I'll put a bullet through your skull."
"It would be better to," David snarled through clenched teeth, but as he spoke, he lowered one hand to his shirt hem. He wrenched the coarse fabric back with one tug. He revealed a tattoo - an inscription on his skin. It read,
'Model-Omega Strain-Nine Three'.
-Monster-Monster-Monster-Monster-
I heard Ellis gasp behind me. I turned to see him lifting the hem of his shirt, and, to my surprise and confusion, there were similar words inked onto his hip - Model-Alpha Strain-Eight One. The soldiers were equally as shocked as Coach, Nick and I.
"Son of a bitch!" Pete spat, and before I knew what was happening, there were gunshots and David was on the floor, blood oozing from bullet holes in his head. Chris yanked down his mask, falling to his knees and immediately throwing up onto the dirt beside David's corpse. Nick swore behind me, and I heard Ellis snarl. I spun and lifted my arms, but he was a shadow, darting past my outstretched limbs onto Pete. The soldier wasn't ready for the attack, and he fell to the ground silently as Ellis collided with him. His gray eyes were wide with shock, and his teammates stood stationary as Ellis' claws ripped open his stomach. A scream burst from his throat, and I stumbled back, covering my ears. He began thrashing around, eyes rolling, mouth foaming, screaming. And still Ellis tore. Soon, his shrieks died down, leaving a sick gurgling as his entrails were scattered. Blood surrounded him in a crimson pool. Chris still kneeled, petrified, and Stephen had run into the forest. Then there was silence. Any chances we had of adequate help was now gone.
