Brent Acuff - Undead Nation 03 Read Online Free Page B
Author: Revenge
into the wild? Adopt them out like a lost puppy?" Donovan advanced on the private causing the young man to retreat backwards. Donovan pointed at one of the infected men. "Do you want to meet him again? Out there? As he tries to kill you?"
Jackson's eyes were wide with fright and he was breathing hard, desperately backing away from this man who was descending on him. Donovan stopped his advance and gave the young private a moment to compose himself.
"So what do we do?" he asked timidly. Donovan suspected Jackson already knew most of that answer.
"We do take care of them, as much as possible." Donovan moved to stand directly in front of the private, this time without any hint of aggression. "When someone is found to be infected with the virus, they are placed under armed escort immediately. We have no idea how long they have been carrying, so there is no way to know when they might go. Everyone is taken to meet with a doctor to confirm the injury, then immediately to see the shrink."
"A shrink?" Jackson asked surprised. "They meet with a psychiatrist?"
Donovan nodded. "These people have just been told they are going to die, and in one of the most horrible ways imaginable. They all need to talk."
Donovan moved to Jackson's side and put an arm across the boy's shoulders. "These people here," and he motioned to the cells before them, "are the few who refused to accept their fate and refused option A."
Jackson looked at Donovan confused. "What is option A?"
"Option A," Donovan explained, "is when you are given a gun with one bullet." Jackson's eyes widened in surprise again. "Don't be naive, private. There is no shame in choosing death in order to protect your family and friends. Those people are given every amount of respect and honor they deserve.
"These people," and Donovan brought Jackson's attention back to the cells. "These are the cowards. Unable and unwilling to accept the inevitable"
"And what happens to them?"
"They are taken care of as best we can. They are allowed their last moments and the infection is left to run its course."
An alarm rang through the Z block and soldiers jumped to action.
"You need to see this," Donovan said and pushed the private in the direction of the alarm. "Someone has just succumbed to the virus."
A small knot of armed soldiers gathered in front of a single cell. Inside, a man lay on the floor, unmoving, yet every soldier had their weapon trained on the body. A doctor in dirty blue scrubs hurried forward and two men leaned a plexiglass shield with a small opening against the front of the cell. One soldier stepped up to the shield and slid the bolt back on his Glock 45. He was as white as a ghost.
Everything fell quiet as the gathered soldiers waited for what they knew was coming. The doctor stood next to the soldier standing watch at the plexiglass shield. For what seemed an eternity, nothing happened. Just as Jackson was about to ask what everyone was waiting for, the body in the cell moved.
Awkwardly, as if a young child were first learning to push themselves up and walk, the body rose. It turned its eyes on the gathered crowed and Jackson shuddered.
The creature's eyes were cloudy and lifeless. Its mouth opened and the monster let out an unholy moan that chilled the private's blood. The doctor's hand raised to the soldier's shoulder and he gave a squeeze. The Glock barked and the creature's right eye socket exploded in blood and gore. The remains of its destroyed eye sprayed across the plexiglass shield as the creature's skull was ripped apart. The moan stopped instantly and the now dead creature slumped back to the ground.
Jackson watched as the gathered soldiers seemed to deflate, but none more than the one who had pulled the trigger. The doctor took the man by the arm to lead him away. "What just happened?" Jackson asked, despite being witness to all the events. He watched as the remaining soldiers slowly slung and holstered their weapons and began clearing the area.
Jackson's eyes were wide with fright and he was breathing hard, desperately backing away from this man who was descending on him. Donovan stopped his advance and gave the young private a moment to compose himself.
"So what do we do?" he asked timidly. Donovan suspected Jackson already knew most of that answer.
"We do take care of them, as much as possible." Donovan moved to stand directly in front of the private, this time without any hint of aggression. "When someone is found to be infected with the virus, they are placed under armed escort immediately. We have no idea how long they have been carrying, so there is no way to know when they might go. Everyone is taken to meet with a doctor to confirm the injury, then immediately to see the shrink."
"A shrink?" Jackson asked surprised. "They meet with a psychiatrist?"
Donovan nodded. "These people have just been told they are going to die, and in one of the most horrible ways imaginable. They all need to talk."
Donovan moved to Jackson's side and put an arm across the boy's shoulders. "These people here," and he motioned to the cells before them, "are the few who refused to accept their fate and refused option A."
Jackson looked at Donovan confused. "What is option A?"
"Option A," Donovan explained, "is when you are given a gun with one bullet." Jackson's eyes widened in surprise again. "Don't be naive, private. There is no shame in choosing death in order to protect your family and friends. Those people are given every amount of respect and honor they deserve.
"These people," and Donovan brought Jackson's attention back to the cells. "These are the cowards. Unable and unwilling to accept the inevitable"
"And what happens to them?"
"They are taken care of as best we can. They are allowed their last moments and the infection is left to run its course."
An alarm rang through the Z block and soldiers jumped to action.
"You need to see this," Donovan said and pushed the private in the direction of the alarm. "Someone has just succumbed to the virus."
A small knot of armed soldiers gathered in front of a single cell. Inside, a man lay on the floor, unmoving, yet every soldier had their weapon trained on the body. A doctor in dirty blue scrubs hurried forward and two men leaned a plexiglass shield with a small opening against the front of the cell. One soldier stepped up to the shield and slid the bolt back on his Glock 45. He was as white as a ghost.
Everything fell quiet as the gathered soldiers waited for what they knew was coming. The doctor stood next to the soldier standing watch at the plexiglass shield. For what seemed an eternity, nothing happened. Just as Jackson was about to ask what everyone was waiting for, the body in the cell moved.
Awkwardly, as if a young child were first learning to push themselves up and walk, the body rose. It turned its eyes on the gathered crowed and Jackson shuddered.
The creature's eyes were cloudy and lifeless. Its mouth opened and the monster let out an unholy moan that chilled the private's blood. The doctor's hand raised to the soldier's shoulder and he gave a squeeze. The Glock barked and the creature's right eye socket exploded in blood and gore. The remains of its destroyed eye sprayed across the plexiglass shield as the creature's skull was ripped apart. The moan stopped instantly and the now dead creature slumped back to the ground.
Jackson watched as the gathered soldiers seemed to deflate, but none more than the one who had pulled the trigger. The doctor took the man by the arm to lead him away. "What just happened?" Jackson asked, despite being witness to all the events. He watched as the remaining soldiers slowly slung and holstered their weapons and began clearing the area.
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