as soon as possible so he could revise his plan and extend the exclusion zone. Although, she privately thought it may already be too late.
The driver sneezed again, and swung hard on the wheel, Sophie screamed, and almost tipped from the motoring vehicle. He braked harshly, leaped from the jeep, and ripped off his annoying helmet.
“No, don’t!” she shouted, then stared in amazement as she realized that his face had taken on a black hue, mainly on the tip of his nose and ears. “Put the helmet back on,” Sophie said in an even tone.
“I t hink it’s goddamn obvious that it’s too late for me, don’tcha think?”
“It’s not for your safety it’s for the others. You are spreading the disease around.”
“Put it back on, that’s an order,” snapped the sergeant.
“No point wearing it now, I’m gonna die, and that’s a fact,” he replied.
“Calm down, soldier, we’ll get you attention,” the sergeant said. Yet the soldier stubbornly ignored his superior, enraging him further. “Put your helmet back on, or I’ll put you on a charge.”
The soldier sneered, “I’m dying. Do your worst.”
“That’s it, I’m writing you up. You’re on a charge, disobeying orders, get in the back of the jeep, I’m driving the rest of the way.” He hopped into the driver-seat and fired the engine, Sophie scrambled back into the front passenger seat. The soldier crouched down and vomited a thick, black, foul-smelling discharge.
He reeled back on his heels, and looked at Sophie pleadingly. “Help me . . . please.”
“Get in the jeep. We must get to the compound,” the sergeant told him.
“There’s nothing you can do for me. We were told that in orientation.” He wiped the black-colored blood from his nostrils. Sophie noticed his skin getting darker. She calculated that he would not make it as far as the compound.
The sergeant turned to the soldier. “Get in the jeep, soldier. Do not disobey me again.”
“Fuck you, Serge. I’m staying here.”
“Negative, soldier. You’ll infect anyone you come into contact with.”
The solider stood and stared out his superior challengingly. “So what? I don’t give a flying fuck about them.” He glared, then turned on his heels and walked in the opposite direction.
“I can’t let you do it, soldier, do not disobey me. Come back, halt or I will shoot.”
Sophie stared in disbelief as the sergeant raised his rifle and she yelled. “What a re you doing?” She moved into his line-of-sight stopping him in his tracks.
“I’m following my orders, doctor. Stand aside.” He re-aimed, and shot.
Sophie starred open-mouthed as the bullet hit between the soldier’s shoulder blades; and exited his rib cage in a plume of blackish blood. She watched in horror, as the driver dropped to his knees, turned and caught her eye, blood bubbled from his mouth, his eyed registered total surprise. He tried to stand, wobbled, then flopped face first into the dirt.
CHAPTER 9
Sh e steeled herself and tried to match the sergeant’s defiant glare. “I’ll report you for murder, when we reach the compound,” she declared, feeling her
self tremble with rage as she spoke.
“I followed orders, ma’am, nothing more, nothing less,” he said matter-of-factly.
“What orders?” she asked.
“For your information southern Florida is under martial law, and I have the authority to shoot on sight if I deem it necessary.”
“Oh yeah, sure, since when?” she scoffed.
He checked his wristwatch. “Since about thirty minutes ago.” He smiled mockingly, watching her face drop, taking in the information. “Now,” he said, indicating the vehicle, “Get back in the fucking jeep . . . ma’am.”
15.30 PM
General Malloy prowled the war room deep in the heart of the Pentagon. At last, finally the moment he’d been waiting his entire life for - martial law. Now, he’d be able to get the American people under control. To make the country great again,
The driver sneezed again, and swung hard on the wheel, Sophie screamed, and almost tipped from the motoring vehicle. He braked harshly, leaped from the jeep, and ripped off his annoying helmet.
“No, don’t!” she shouted, then stared in amazement as she realized that his face had taken on a black hue, mainly on the tip of his nose and ears. “Put the helmet back on,” Sophie said in an even tone.
“I t hink it’s goddamn obvious that it’s too late for me, don’tcha think?”
“It’s not for your safety it’s for the others. You are spreading the disease around.”
“Put it back on, that’s an order,” snapped the sergeant.
“No point wearing it now, I’m gonna die, and that’s a fact,” he replied.
“Calm down, soldier, we’ll get you attention,” the sergeant said. Yet the soldier stubbornly ignored his superior, enraging him further. “Put your helmet back on, or I’ll put you on a charge.”
The soldier sneered, “I’m dying. Do your worst.”
“That’s it, I’m writing you up. You’re on a charge, disobeying orders, get in the back of the jeep, I’m driving the rest of the way.” He hopped into the driver-seat and fired the engine, Sophie scrambled back into the front passenger seat. The soldier crouched down and vomited a thick, black, foul-smelling discharge.
He reeled back on his heels, and looked at Sophie pleadingly. “Help me . . . please.”
“Get in the jeep. We must get to the compound,” the sergeant told him.
“There’s nothing you can do for me. We were told that in orientation.” He wiped the black-colored blood from his nostrils. Sophie noticed his skin getting darker. She calculated that he would not make it as far as the compound.
The sergeant turned to the soldier. “Get in the jeep, soldier. Do not disobey me again.”
“Fuck you, Serge. I’m staying here.”
“Negative, soldier. You’ll infect anyone you come into contact with.”
The solider stood and stared out his superior challengingly. “So what? I don’t give a flying fuck about them.” He glared, then turned on his heels and walked in the opposite direction.
“I can’t let you do it, soldier, do not disobey me. Come back, halt or I will shoot.”
Sophie stared in disbelief as the sergeant raised his rifle and she yelled. “What a re you doing?” She moved into his line-of-sight stopping him in his tracks.
“I’m following my orders, doctor. Stand aside.” He re-aimed, and shot.
Sophie starred open-mouthed as the bullet hit between the soldier’s shoulder blades; and exited his rib cage in a plume of blackish blood. She watched in horror, as the driver dropped to his knees, turned and caught her eye, blood bubbled from his mouth, his eyed registered total surprise. He tried to stand, wobbled, then flopped face first into the dirt.
CHAPTER 9
Sh e steeled herself and tried to match the sergeant’s defiant glare. “I’ll report you for murder, when we reach the compound,” she declared, feeling her
self tremble with rage as she spoke.
“I followed orders, ma’am, nothing more, nothing less,” he said matter-of-factly.
“What orders?” she asked.
“For your information southern Florida is under martial law, and I have the authority to shoot on sight if I deem it necessary.”
“Oh yeah, sure, since when?” she scoffed.
He checked his wristwatch. “Since about thirty minutes ago.” He smiled mockingly, watching her face drop, taking in the information. “Now,” he said, indicating the vehicle, “Get back in the fucking jeep . . . ma’am.”
15.30 PM
General Malloy prowled the war room deep in the heart of the Pentagon. At last, finally the moment he’d been waiting his entire life for - martial law. Now, he’d be able to get the American people under control. To make the country great again,
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