1 - To Save A Life

I waited impatiently for the slab of meat to finish cooking over the fire. The smell drove me wild and reminded me that I haven't had a decent meal in months. It's been quite a long time since the survivor camps were destroyed. I've spent my days roaming the mountain sides trying to stay alive. My hand, in an unconscious habit, strayed to my side to be sure that my DMR rifle was still present. Even in the middle of this mountain forest, death seemed to lurk around every tree, just waiting to devour its next victim. Speaking of devouring a victim, my meat seems to be fully cooked now. Out of my pack, I grab a small bag of Pistachios and my last Coke. Despite this infection, today, I shall eat like a king!

I finished the incredible meal, put out the fire, and was working myself into a nap; or a food coma, as if after a Thanksgiving day meal. The thoughts of a Thanksgiving meal comforted me until I was abruptly awoken by the sound of vehicle engines and gunshots ringing out across the forest. I quickly grabbed my DMR rifle and made my way South West to the top of the hill, where I thought the sounds were coming from. I breach the peak just in time to see, in the distance, a Humvee that was bellowing smoke from it's engine and flying down a mountain road closely pursued by a black SUV. The shots originated from the SUV. One shot hit the Humvees tire, causing it lose control. The Humvee turned sideways in a cloud of dust and smashed through the guard rail where the road veered sharply and started sliding down a steep hill into a valley. On it's way down, the Humvee suddenly overturned and came to rest upside down in the valley. The crunching and scraping of the metal shot shivers through my body. I winced with pain as if I were the one in the crash. The smoke and massive dust trail that followed plumed outward like a mushroom cloud as it hit the valley floor. To my surprise, a man and a woman climbed out of the wreckage. I peered through the scope of my rifle to get a closer view. The man was a bloody mess but relatively unharmed. The woman, on the other hand, was injured with a broken leg and was bleeding badly. The pursuing SUV waisted no time. They drove a short distance down the road and found a less steep hill that led down into the valley. I saw two automatic weapons peek out of the SUV windows and began to suppress the overturned Humvee. I wanted so badly to help the survivors but I couldn't get a clear shot on the SUV. The man did his very best to defend himself and the woman but he caught a few bullets in his chest from the suppression fire. The SUV came to a halt beside the wreckage and five bandits jumped out. Bandits are the most despicable people that prey on the innocent and each other. Two of the bandits ran ahead to finish off the male survivor by firing a bullet into his head. Next, they grabbed the injured woman and kneeled her down before their leader. This was my chance to help. The leader unholstered his pistol and aimed it at the womans head. I couldn't make out the words but he was shouting at her while waving the gun. My hands were trembling from adrenaline and nervousness as I peered down my scope at the leader. The range was about 480 meters. I adjusted my crosshairs on the leaders center mass to take into account travel distance and gravity. I stilled my breathing, calmed my nerves, and fired the first shot. The bandit leader fell backwards, dead. Time felt like it had sped up at that point. I did my very best to calm my sporadic emotions as I was bordering on utter panic. I realined my rifle and took another shot, killing a second bandit as they all ran for cover behind the SUV. Three bandits remained. Shots rang out across the valley in my general direction. A few rounds landed with a thud close to me, kicking up dirt in all directions. They still didn't know my exact position. I wiped the sweat and dirt from my face and took aim once again. I fired off two more rounds before I caught a third bandit in the head as he peered over the SUVs hood. His head snapped back as he fell out of sight behind the vehicle. Two bandits remain. I can only imagine that the bandits were in a full fledged panic by now because one of the remaining two bandits tried to get in and start the SUV and drive off. He barely got his keys in the ignition before I nailed him in his head and side. The final bandit gave up and made a run for the forest to the North of his position. I did my best to lead the target as I fired. Three rounds to the back later, he fell face first into the ground, dead. As quickly as my trembling body would allow, I ran down to the wrecked Humvee, intent on saving that woman's life. My chest burned from the running but I made it. She was screaming in pain and partially delirious from the blood loss. I yelled to her to hang on and that I would help her. If I could get the bleeding under control, I would be able to save her life. In desperation, I turn around to the lifeless body of the leader to search for some bandages and other medical supplies. I keep shouting for her to hold on and that she will be ok. While I'm frantically searching, I hear a faint metallic click followed shortly by a single gunshot. My heart dropped harder than a bowling ball onto asphalt. Horrified by what I might see behind me, I slowly turned around to see the woman clutching a pistol with smoke rising from the barrel. She lay there; void of all life. The world faded out for a moment. I could have saved her if she had just held on. I kneeled there, unable to process all that had happened. Several minutes later, the world snapped back. The noise from the crash and the gunfight had drawn the attention of many of the infected. I grabbed what supplies I could and piled them into the SUV. I drove away with a few tears flowing from my eyes. I despise this infection.