Left 4 Dead: Gemini Strain

Chapter XXXIX - The Calm Before the Storm – Adam

"It looks like you are going to be alright, Adam. Can you stand well enough yet?" Latvia asked me as she finished bandaging the wounds I had from broken glass and shards of wood. Our trip through the university was an arduous one full of Infected, dead ends, and shattered hopes. Throughout the building we came across numerous corpses both civilian and military, all seemingly packing heat. If we were not so set on getting out of this damnable city we most likely would have turned back at the evident lack of fortification and hopes of escape. I told Latvia that I could stand and got up with a pained wince. Fortunate me for having shallow leg wounds unlike my left arm.
Latvia gave me a weak smile as I got up. Her face was covered in grime, sweat and blood that made her look more exhausted then she really was. She looked at my bandaged arm with concern. I told her that it was alright and I did not blame her at all. Getting pounced by that weird jumping Infected was terrifying and she felt responsible for letting it happen. Even as I reassured her that another second and I would have been gored and that her protection alone was enough she still felt troubled.
We both looked in the direction of a loud noise and what we assumed to be a rather large expletive in Russian. Cassius had taken it upon himself to fix the equipment on the rooftop. The searchlights were easy enough to fix, all that was needed was to start up the generator located in the corner and soon lights were swiveling up above. Since he was the only one who had any kind of experience with technological repair we left that up to him.
"We've made it far...Adam." Latvia said softly to me, rummaging casually through the ammo crates that were so abundant. Her assault rifle was loaded of course but there was something about how even with all this ammo the military personal that were dead on the roof had no time to use it all made me nervous. We were under a canopy that looked like something stolen from a home and garden store, it did protect from the elements I'm sure.
"Yeah...we have. Soon it will be over, Lat. Soon we won't have to worry about whether or not our next breath will be our last" I told her, exhaling sharply and breathing in the musty smell of the night and corpses. I got used to this smell.
I had a slight limp but nothing I could not manage. I made my way over to her and closed the ammo crate, proceeding to sit down on it. It did not take long for her to sit beside me. I wanted to make some comment at how they managed to bring sandbags and a minigun up here no problem. The university roof was tiered with a helipad at the end. From what I understood, this college was one that had a fairly ritzy student populace. Latvia told me awhile ago that it wasn't used that often, only when prestigious figures came to give lectures.
"So the Russian and I are the only ones doing something useful? Must be nice to just sit around at a time like this. Aren't you two gonna do something?" Samuel alerted us from behind. We would have been startled if we had not obviously heard him coming.
"Fuck of, Sam." Latvia snapped, "I had to patch Adam up for your information."
"Sure we can do something, Samuel!" I smiled sweetly, "We could put a bullet in your head, or maybe even break your arms and legs...what do you think Latvia?"
"Oh we could always toss him off the roof and listen for some kind of satisfying crunch. Then again the idea of a bullet is much quicker." Latvia replied as she pulled out the handgun from my strap and pointed it in Samuel's direction. The look on his face suggested he might have pissed himself.
"Aww, c'mon guys! I was only joking!" He stammered to the two of us with wild eyes. He was too much of a coward to have his own rebuttal with word and gun. He scratched his head with nervousness and gave us a pleading look.
"Funny because..."
"We're not." I finished for her. I decided to quickly change the subject and gave him a much nicer look. We needed him so it was in our best interest to keep his morale high. "What exactly are you working on?"
He seemed to perk up at this bit and Latvia putting my gun back in its holster only made his mood pick up even more. He began his words with excitement. "Molotovs! They have a large amount of Vodka up here along with other kinds of alcohol."
"That's a good plan, actually. Good job Samuel." Latvia praised him with her own smile. I decided it was time for me to get up and see how Cassius was faring with the radio equipment. The walk was not long to my relief and he did not seem to notice me immediately until I greeted him.
"Is everything alright, Cassius?"

"Да, it is." He answered me, not gazing up at me from his position. He was fiddling with the wiring of the radio. I was not sure how that would make it serviceable but then again everything here looked all too confusing for me.
"If only Russ were her to toss it to the floor!" I joked with a laugh that quickly died away and was replaced by a sadness. I was not sure why but I sat down at my recollection of my friends. Cassius seemed to notice this, and stopped what he was doing to look at me.
"Are you alright, Любовь?" He asked me casually. I suppose he meant it as something that would make me feel at ease knowing someone cared but coming from him it only made me feel at odds.
"Yeah, I am. I was just thinking of how the others have not made it here yet. Would you stop speaking to me in that language? I have no idea what you're saying."
"Да сэр." He replied with a smirk that seemed more pleasant than antagonistic. It still seemed to press my buttons but I was willing to dismiss it.
"Latvia once asked me if we had a chance to escape without the others around would we take it knowing that they could be doomed." I told him as I experimented with the movement of my left arm.
"And your answer was?" Cassius asked me flatly, returning to his job messing with the wires which left me with thoughts.
"I'm not sure..." I replied with agitation.
"We are all selfish, Любовь. I wanted no one but me to kill you. You want to escape no matter what. The girl wants nothing more than to stick by your decision alone no matter how terrible it is. That spas over there wants us to protect him with no concern for ourselves. Thing is, Adam, sometimes you have to be selfish--" he began to me as soon the dials for the radio glowed softly and a low hiss of static that seemed like angels whispering to my ears came out. "--in order to live another day. I'm giving you a decision you alone will make for us all." He got up and made his way over to me, crouching down and staring at me with those familiar eyes of a murderer.
"Hello is anyone out there, please respond. over."
"Do we wait for your friends...or do we leave?" He asked me calmly, his face showing indifference to my decision. I stare blankly at him, torn between my morals and my own conscience.
"Hello is anyone out there, please respond. over."