Pandemic

FORTY-ONE.

Gray lay in a heap on the bloody asphalt.

Wade stared down at him. What happened?

The man was alive one second, bleeding from a dozen wounds the next.

Fisher backed away from him. “Aw, no, man.”

What’s with him?

Fisher took another step. “No. Please. Please don’t.”

Wade looked down at the bloody knife he held. He looked at Fisher. “You’d better run,” he hissed.

“Why’d you do that, Wade?”

Wade laughed. “He wasn’t one of us.”

Ramos’s parting gift had taken its sweet time, but it had finally taken control. Little worms in his head. Little puppet strings.

He screamed: “Run!”

Fisher yelped and ran off.

Wade looked down at the body and chuckled. He’d stabbed Gray in the kidneys. He licked the blood off the blade and stabbed again. He kept stabbing and stabbing.

Just before Gray died, they looked into each other’s eyes and laughed as brothers.

There was an old saying among warriors: Make pain your friend.

He hadn’t really wanted to kill Gray, but the organism in his body demanded everything. It didn’t appreciate divided loyalties. It wanted it all.

It wanted to see the whole world burn.

That would be so very freaking hilarious.

He heard a splash of gunfire. Below him, his brothers and sisters charged into First Battalion’s guns. He wanted to join the party.

Then he remembered Ramos’s family. They still needed attention. The sergeant would have wanted it that way.

The laughing virus in his skull thought that was a very awesome idea.

“Aw, Wade,” Rawlings said.

He wheeled. At the sight of her, he burst into long, breathless peals of insane laughter.

HAAAWWWW

HAAAAAWWWWWWW

HAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW

He knew why the infected sought out those they loved. The pain was so exquisite. It hurt soooo good.

“Sorry,” he managed. “Rawlings.”

She leveled her carbine. “I’m sorry, too.”

“Shoot me.”

She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t think I can, Private Wade.”

“Shoot me now.”

“Tell me where Ramos’s family lives.”

He doubled over laughing.

She said, “I’ll take care of them. I’ll do that for you.”

He grinned and held up his knife. “Gonna make a hole. Make it—”

He lunged.

She fired.