CHAPTER SEVEN

        Come hell, or highwater, I can’t stand feeling this way. The fear. The worry. The hopelessness. It all weighs down on me in a way that is just too much to bear.

        It’s times like this I don’t know what to do. But when you’re paralyzed from the eyeballs down, there’s not much you can do. And that’s exactly what I plan on doing – nothing.

        Sure, I might’ve been able to scream, or thrash my arms around for good measure if I really wanted to; but in the end where would that have gotten me? Nowhere.

        So, I decide to simply lie here in hopeless discontent as my captor takes me on a journey through the bowels of hell. Not literally, of course. But it is pretty darn close considering the no-man’s-land of broken corpses, and rotting flesh that awaits us just beyond the second guard station.

        Looking back now, I wish I could’ve covered my nose or, at the very least, closed my eyes. At least then I might’ve been able to use a small figment of my imagination to block out some fraction of the horror that surrounded me.

        Had I done that, though, I would’ve missed… Dan? No, that can’t be right.

        For a moment, my heartbeat quickens. But as my captor drags me forever closer to the third and final guard station, reality catches up to me; and my heartbeat stalls. The man I thought was Dan is just an average man. Same looks. Same build. Yet different in every way.

        I can tell by the way he’s staring me down. Dan would never look at me with such disgust in his eyes. It almost sickens me a little to think I would ever mistake this man for Dan.

        If he was still alive, and somehow managed to find out about this, I doubt he’d be anything but disappointed. And that pains me, which is why I’m more than thankful when I’m eventually brought to an abrupt and sudden halt.

        Among other things, it allows me to get a grip on reality; and focus on the conversation taking place between the two men standing over me.

        “Michael! It’s about time you got back, man! Where’ve you been?” asks the guardsman as he clasps my captor’s free hand with one of his own before bringing him in close.

        When they separate, Michael responds with a simple shrug of his shoulder. “Out doin’ a quick perimeter check. Why?”

        “Because Dr. Martinez’s pissed as hell. She claims you never reported back to her after your last recon mission.”

        “What? That’s complete poppycock!”

        “I’m sure it is, but you know how she is,” says the guardsman. “Whenever she feels like someone’s disobeyed a direct order of hers, she tends to lash out; and whenever she lashes out, things tend to get ugly.”

        “W-what’re you saying, Major?”

        “I’m saying I’ve been left with no other choice, Private. I’ve gotta take you into custody. You’re being court-martialed. Now, if you’d be so kind as to let go of your… friend there, we can –”

        “We can what, Clyde?” demands Michael. “Do this the civil way?”

        “Yes.”

        “Spssh! Please! We both know there’s nothing civil about what you’re about to do to me. So, why don’t you just do me the favor of killing me now, hmm?”

        “Okay. If that’s really how you want this to go down, then that’s how we’ll do it,” says Clyde as he turns his attention to the device strapped to his wrist. “I’m sorry it had to be this way, Michael. We had a good run, you and I, didn’t we?”

        “That we did,” says Michael as he reaches behind his back; retrieving a small, compact pistol as he goes.

        “Michael, please don’t –!” is all Clyde can get out before Michael raises his pistol, and plants a bullet square between the man’s eyes.

        Then, for the longest time, Michael doesn’t move. He just stands there, staring at the limp body lying before him.

        Eventually, though, he holsters his pistol; and turns to me. “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t mention a word of this to anyone. Understand?”

        I can’t really nod my head in agreement, but I try my best anyway. As soon as this dawns on him, Michael reaffirms his hold on me; and drags me into the belly of the beast.