Mouser
06-08-2007, 01:39 PM
Sunrise
The snipers had come off the walls.
The tables heaped with coffee and doughnuts had been consumed.
The threat was over. For now.
Steve stood shivering in the warming air as he watched false sunrise through the trees. The only weapons he carried were his personal firearm and the folding knife clipped to the inside of his pocket.
He sipped on a large cup of steaming coffee, savoring the sweetness and heat. He watched Jimmy leaning against his "new" truck, the zombie guts hosed off, and wondered how the hell Jimmy was gonna get them to allow him to put it on the C-130.
He figured Jimmy could figure something out.
He wondered where he lost control of the group.
Was it making jokes to lighten the mood about Mike's condition? Could that explain why Jimmy drove a truckful of highly trained black ops personnel into a group of zombies when he could have followed the plan and done a series of drive-by's. With all of the ammo and rifles they had in the truck, they could have taken out all twelve without any losses.
He was sure Mike hated him. It wasn't enough that he almost got Mike killed? He had to mock him while he thought he was dying? How do you apologize to someone for that?
And Aefe? She just didn't seem to care. She kept running off and doing things without thinking. How could he keep his oath? How could he keep her safe?
He knew he was destined to be an oathbreaker.
He was sure they were all going to die, and it was going to be his fault.
His lack of experience.
His failure of leadership.
Despite all of his efforts, the zombies were eradicated. The thought came to him unbidden.
I'm a failure.
They'll figure it out soon enough, but by then, they'll all be dead.
He fingered his pistol.
Uh-uh. No way.
He shook his head derisively.
You don't get to take the easy way out. You have a mission. You have a purpose. You owe it to your Mom and Dad and brother. You don't get out of it that easy.
Besides. A wry smile came to his mouth. Hamlet said you gotta do it with a bare bodkin. A Sig in the mouth doesn't qualify.
He finished his coffee and went to pour himself another, but the catering trucks were pulling away.
He looked at his empty cup and looked around for a trashcan.
Aefe came up then, still sniffling, her eyes red with tears. She hadn't stopped crying since the night before. He held her head to his chest as she burst into sobs once again, soaking the front of his BDU blouse, her small frame shaking against his big one.
He stilled himself so he wouldn't shiver, then realized the sun had risen, warming him. Warming her. The dawning of a new day.
He put on his sunglasses and lowered his cap.
He didn't deserve it.
The snipers had come off the walls.
The tables heaped with coffee and doughnuts had been consumed.
The threat was over. For now.
Steve stood shivering in the warming air as he watched false sunrise through the trees. The only weapons he carried were his personal firearm and the folding knife clipped to the inside of his pocket.
He sipped on a large cup of steaming coffee, savoring the sweetness and heat. He watched Jimmy leaning against his "new" truck, the zombie guts hosed off, and wondered how the hell Jimmy was gonna get them to allow him to put it on the C-130.
He figured Jimmy could figure something out.
He wondered where he lost control of the group.
Was it making jokes to lighten the mood about Mike's condition? Could that explain why Jimmy drove a truckful of highly trained black ops personnel into a group of zombies when he could have followed the plan and done a series of drive-by's. With all of the ammo and rifles they had in the truck, they could have taken out all twelve without any losses.
He was sure Mike hated him. It wasn't enough that he almost got Mike killed? He had to mock him while he thought he was dying? How do you apologize to someone for that?
And Aefe? She just didn't seem to care. She kept running off and doing things without thinking. How could he keep his oath? How could he keep her safe?
He knew he was destined to be an oathbreaker.
He was sure they were all going to die, and it was going to be his fault.
His lack of experience.
His failure of leadership.
Despite all of his efforts, the zombies were eradicated. The thought came to him unbidden.
I'm a failure.
They'll figure it out soon enough, but by then, they'll all be dead.
He fingered his pistol.
Uh-uh. No way.
He shook his head derisively.
You don't get to take the easy way out. You have a mission. You have a purpose. You owe it to your Mom and Dad and brother. You don't get out of it that easy.
Besides. A wry smile came to his mouth. Hamlet said you gotta do it with a bare bodkin. A Sig in the mouth doesn't qualify.
He finished his coffee and went to pour himself another, but the catering trucks were pulling away.
He looked at his empty cup and looked around for a trashcan.
Aefe came up then, still sniffling, her eyes red with tears. She hadn't stopped crying since the night before. He held her head to his chest as she burst into sobs once again, soaking the front of his BDU blouse, her small frame shaking against his big one.
He stilled himself so he wouldn't shiver, then realized the sun had risen, warming him. Warming her. The dawning of a new day.
He put on his sunglasses and lowered his cap.
He didn't deserve it.