Them Bones

THE BOX XVI

Smith’s Diary

I am in charge.

Atwater was killed when they overran the work party. It was a stupid idea and I said so. Then Atwater got himself killed.

A couple of hours later they fired a grenade that landed on top of the command bunker.

Putnam was killed by a piece of wood the size of a little finger. It went in just below his ear. There was very little blood, but he was dead.

Compson is out of it, and has been for weeks. That leaves me.

We are down to fewer than fifty people who can do any good. The CIA people want their own command, which is fine with me. They refuse to accept a warrant officer as commander.

I’ve got Hennesey making a beacon box, so maybe we’ll be found sometime. All the reports and diskettes go in, this diary too, if we have enough time. He’s got an old ammo box, some shellac and pitch. We’ll seal it all in with the beacon, and finish this thing out.

I didn’t want it this way.