Chapter 20

A group of soldiers stood guard in front of the hideout, keeping a watchful eye. Suddenly, soldier 1 exclaimed, "Hey guys, look over there!"

Soldier 2 swiftly turned to follow the pointed finger, spotting a fellow soldier sprinting towards them. He tightened his grip on his gun, caution evident in his voice as he warned, "Hey guys, don't hesitate to shoot him down. He might be infected. We can't take any chances."

As soldier 3 (infected soldier) approached, his desperation echoed in his plea, "Wait, please don't shoot! I ain't infected. Help me, please!" The urgency in his voice hung in the air, the tension palpable as the soldiers grappled with a critical decision.

The soldier's desperate cry pierced the air, urging soldier 1 and 2 to abandon their weapons in a rush. They sprinted toward the distressed comrade, their boots pounding the dusty ground as they closed the distance. With a shared determination, they reached the fallen soldier, ready to lend a helping hand.

"Go and relay this intel to the Sergeant; I've got this covered," declared soldier 1, taking charge of the situation.

"Alright, I'll be quick. You take care," responded soldier 2, swiftly dashing ahead to locate the Sergeant and deliver the urgent message.

—------

Two figures emerged from the distance, Soldier 2 and Sergeant Sean, advancing toward the base gate.

"What, did you just mention? One of our guys from any platoon returned?" inquired Sergeant Sean.

"Yes, sir," Soldier 2 affirmed.

"Could you figure out who he was and his platoon division?" asked the sergeant, his voice tinged with concern.

"No, sir. When we spotted him, our first instinct was to whisk him to safety and get you, sir," Soldier 2 reported, his words reflecting a sense of urgency.

Sergeant Sean scanned the scene ahead, spotting a gathering of soldiers. Among them, one soldier's agonized screams echoed. Determined, Sean briskly approached to assess the situation.

Reaching the distressed soldier, he turned to the medic, urgency in his voice. "Hey, medic, what's happening here?" inquired the sergeant.

Apologizing, the medic explained, "I'm sorry, sir. We rushed him over to this nearby couch for immediate treatment. His leg wounds are bad, and it looks like we might have to amputate to prevent the infection from spreading, sir."

A plea rang out from the injured soldier, desperation in his eyes. "Please, sir, my legs hurt so bad. I don't want to die," he cried, tugging at the heartstrings of those present.

"Medic, we need to amputate his leg right now," urged the sergeant.

"Sir, it's impossible in this situation. We lack the equipment," explained the medic.

Daniel, Helen, and the old man overheard the urgency. Daniel, curious, moved forward, trying to get a glimpse of the situation. The old man quickly intervened, pulling both Helen and Daniel back.

"Hey, both of you, come over here," the old man instructed.

"What?" Daniel questioned.

"Just follow me," the old man directed, guiding them toward the fiery scene.

"Hey, you take it," said the old man, pointing with a nod towards the flamethrower. His eyes darted around, keeping a close watch for any approaching soldiers.

"What? Why should I take it?" Daniel asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"For God's sake!" the old man exclaimed as he snatched the flamethrower. He continued, "Let's get moving. I've got it, and you don't want to end up dead, right? Transporting this many people is like asking for trouble, and I'm not ready to kick the bucket just yet."

"If you wanna make it in this messed-up world, it's smarter to roll with a smaller crew, don't you think, kid? Come on, let's hustle and get out of this place," urged the old man, a sense of urgency in his voice.

Daniel stood in contemplative silence, the vivid image of the little girl etching itself into his mind. Determination welled within him as he realized he couldn't abandon them. Turning to the old man, he declared, "No, I can't leave them alone."

The old man, perplexed, questioned, "What do you mean by that? Don't you want to stay alive to meet your family? If you continue down this path, you'll be dead before even seeing your family, kid."

While maintaining his resolve, Daniel explained, "Yes, I do want to see my family, but abandoning people I believe I can save ,that's something I cannot do."

Beside Daniel, Helen wore a smile, having heard his unwavering commitment.

The old man, still baffled, stared at Daniel and cautioned, "Hey kid, you'll really die before reaching your family."

—-------

"Alright, let's give it a shot, cutting those legs off," the medic declared as he extended a saw handed over by one of the soldiers.

"Brace yourself, no painkillers, so you're in for a rough ride. Can you handle it?" The medic asked, awaiting the infected soldier's response.

"Hey, are you listening?" The medic questioned, leaving the soldier and the sergeant puzzled. The medic reached out, touched the soldier's neck, and sensing no pulse, he shook his head. The solemn nod confirmed the soldier's demise.

The sergeant took slow steps toward the fallen soldier, his eyes fixed on the lifeless body. He reached out, fingers stretching for the dogtag hanging around the infected soldier's neck. As his hand closed around the cold metal, an unexpected jolt seized the scene , the supposedly deceased soldier snapped to life, sinking his teeth into the sergeant's neck with a swift, gruesome motion. The sergeant crumpled to the ground, life extinguished in an instant.

The shocking spectacle unfolded before the wide-eyed soldiers, one of them recoiling in fear at the gruesome turn of events. Reacting on pure instinct, he hurled a grenade towards the infected soldier and the sergeant's lifeless form. The explosion reverberated through the building, shattering walls and sending debris flying. Chaos ensued as fragments of the structure rained down, claiming the lives of some unfortunate soldiers caught in the destructive cascade. A handful managed to scramble to safety on the floor above.

The tremors of the explosion rippled through the surroundings, reaching the old man, Daniel, and Helen. Smoke billowed from the room where the soldiers had been, prompting Daniel to gasp, "What was that?"