THE MILITARY BASE |
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THE MILITARY BASE
A third place contest entry by Fco. Julio Garc a Montejano
It was sunset of a suffocating summer day, not a cloud in the sky, when they came back to the camp. Corporal Brooks hurried into Captain Jameson's office, in the farthest building from the entrance, while the rest took McKormick to the Doc.
Corporal Brooks presenting, sir - pouring sweat, breathing fast, the hands tensed holding the camouflage helmet he just removed at the door.
"Report," said the Captain, sitting in his chair behind the desk.
"We're just back from standard field maneuvers, sir. We proceeded to a recon mission of the forest south of the camp, close to the Indian cemetery..." he breathed deeply, with a pale face and horror in his eyes.
"Go on," urged Captain Jameson, beginning to realize there was an emergency.
"Lieutenant Ryan sent me with four men to cover the cemetery surroundings. About an hour ago we heard a scream, then regrouped and found out Private Jameson was missing. We ran after him, but when we found him he was convulsing, the helmet removed, with a wound in the neck and another in the top of the head, bleeding to death. He died after a while. Also saw... something, a shadow among the trees, just before reaching there."
"Lieutenant Ryan sent a platoon to seek that shadow, I guess?" asked the Captain, getting up.
"Sir, the whole company began the search while we were bringing McKormick back ASAP. Lieutenant Vargas is now examining the corpse." He seemed near collapse.
Captain Jameson took a glance through the window. Night had fallen and the base was now shadows' reign, too bad for emergencies.
Communications lost and just a small garrison while all maneuvers hadn't finish. Definitely not the best day for an emergency.
"Ok, I'm going to meet Doc, sent for the Mayor to join us... and take a break, Brooks." The Captain ordered.
"Thanks, sir." Brooks hesitated at the door and turned. "What about the men seeking that shadow, sir?"
"Don't worry Brooks, if they're not back in half an hour we'll sent for them," said the Captain. "Go now."
After Lieutenant Brooks left the office, Jameson took his regulation gun, and check if it was loaded, then had to take some ammo. It has been a quiet destination till then. He put his helmet on and ran out of the office straight to the infirmary. In his way he heard an alarm scream coming from the surveillance post at the entry, so he and a few soldiers around ran to the watchtower. Captain Jameson asked first to the Private on duty, while everybody else keep silence. "What's going on, soldier?" he required to the man in the top of the tower.
"I, I... I'm not sure, sir. Looks like Lieutenant Ryan's company, sir, but.." Jameson could sense fear in the man's voice.
"But what" The Captain asked firmly.
"They..." the man stopped again.
"Go on!" This time it was an order. "What's happening?"
"They're not alone... and they seem to be living dead..."
The expecting soldiery began to talk, clearly worried. The Captain could not believe what he had just heard from the Private.
"What? What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind? Let me see!"
He quickly climbed the ladder to the top to take a look with his own eyes. As Jameson was reaching the top of the tower he began to notice a stinky smell. The poor man had just crapped his pants. He took the binoculars the man handed him and stared to the field south of the base. Just couldn't believe his eyes. There was Ryan's company, and a hundred more bodies, with visible wounds, bloody clothes and, those not with empty sockets or hanging eyeballs, a lost gaze in the eyes, all crawling towards the base with clumsy movements. As the Captain, with a pale face, slowly returned the binoculars and began to climb down the ladder, he heard another scream coming from the infirmary, so he and all the soldiers ran in that direction.
As they were reaching the building he made a sign to slow down and then stop. There he was, Mayor Vargas, with some wounds in his arms and neck, laying in the ground, trying to creep towards the troop, but with five bodies, including Doc's, a few steps behind. Captain Jameson pointed with his gun.
"James, they... they are..." babbled the dying man.
Jameson pulled the trigger and blowed Mayor's brains out.
"I know," he shouted. "They're ZOMBIES!!!"
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