PROJECT ANDERSON

CHAPTER TEN: SARGE

I found her...they put her in my wife's cell...besides the fact that she was two months premature she was healthy, and from what I could tell uninfected.

She was perfect...and she had my red hair and green eyes...but everything else was my Mary-Beth.

"Hey Lilly-Bella, I'm your daddy." I said as I held her in my arms.

Two babies now, but at least I had Andie to help me out.

Even though I would have loved to sit and hold my daughter I knew that Timmy wouldn't be safe forever and he was probably hungry.

I carried Lilly-Bella into the hallway, but we didn't get very far before I saw him.

Marty...my baby brother and second lieutenant...I let him out too.

He slowly began to approach me...his mouth and hands were covered in blood and he was gnashing his teeth.

Although I wanted to shoot him I couldn't, not with a baby in my arms.

"Damnit Marty, why do you always have to show up at the wrong time." I said as I thought about what to do and then I remembered my vest...I had to put her against my body and kill my...my brother.

Thankfully he wasn't going that fast, but the hallway also wasn't that long; so either way this was a stupid idea.

But I panicked...I needed to get out of here with my daughter...alive.

Marty was dragging himself along the wall and sniffed the air with audible snorts and the occasional grunts.

After securing Lilly-Bella inside my vest I pulled out my pistol.

"I'm sorry Marty, I'm sorry that they did this to you." I said before firing my gun and hitting him in the shoulder.

 His body lurched at the impact of the .44 caliber that was now embedded inside him.

"Fuck..." I cursed as the tears ran down my face.

I'm not proud of it, but he was my baby brother damn it; so I had the right to cry.

I aimed my gun again...this time at his head, but as I was about to pull the trigger again...Marty looked at me and I could have sworn he smiled.

His eyes, once a vibrant sea green were now covered in a grey substance.

He looked like he was decomposing.

I pulled the trigger and watched as the bullet pierced his skull.

Black blood and rotten brain matter splattered the wall behind him as he collapsed lifeless on the ground.

My brother was dead and it was all my fault...My wife is gone and it was my fault.

This is all my fault...if I would have just stood up to my father and never would have joined the military...then maybe my wife and brother would still be alive.

Maybe none of this would have happened...

I was broken out of my thoughts by my daughter's soft cries.

"Come on Lilly pad we need to get you and Timmy home." I said as I looked at her little face against my cloth covered chest.

I smiled at her one more time and headed down the hall, as I passed my brother's body...I stopped.

"I need to pay my respects." I said before bowing my head. "Goodbye baby brother...you were a great soldier and an even better brother...even if you did something stupid...you were always there and I will never forget you...they won't get away with doing this to you and the others...I promise that I will make it up to you...I love you Marty and I'm sorry..."

I wiped the tears from my eyes and carefully bent down, and grabbed his dog tags and pulled them off his body...that way I still have a little piece of him.

I headed down the hall again and tried to clear my head.

When I made it out of the building I noticed something sitting in my driver's seat and there was no sign of Andie or her niece.

I headed over to my truck and opened the door...Andie's rifle and ammo was sitting on my seat and covering a hand written note from Andie.

Hey Sarge;

            I'm sorry to leave you like this, but I don't want to hurt you or your daughter or Timmy. I left a walkie talkie and my Daddy's rifle...take care of her...and all the ammo I have for it.

I need to find my home...I need to find out what is happening to me...

Thank you for keeping your promise, when we're near try to use the radio...channel three...and we'll see each other again and I'll repay you.

                                                                                                                                                        THANK YOU,

                                                                                                                                                              Andie

P.S Timmy's been fed, but he could use some more...if you want him to survive he needs to gain weight. P.S.S Thanks Sarge - Ashley.

I moved the rifle and got into my truck.

I looked back down at my daughter, who was now sleeping against my chest.

"We'll be home soon little ones." I said before starting my truck.

And then I thought about Andie...I should let her know that I made it out alright and that I found my daughter.

I grabbed the walkie talkie and turned it to channel three.

"Andie? Are you there? Over..."

"Hey Sarge...glad to hear your voice..." Andie said with an audible smile.

"I made it out...but I lost my wife and brother..." I said choking back my tears.

"I'm sorry Sarge...my brother is home...I don't know what I would do if I lost him...Ashley's already lost one parent..." Andie said as she breathed heavily into the speaker.

"Anderson...as in Olivia Anderson?" I asked finally connecting the two.

"Yeah...she was my sister-in-law...did you know her?"

"She was one of my soldiers..."

"Why did they send her home?"

"She didn't change, so they sent her home...we didn't even notice that she was sick when she left...when did she finally...um...die?"

"Three nights after she got back...James said that she told him about the shots and then she went to sleep and died on the night of March 8...the next day he woke up to her standing in the middle of their bedroom..." Andie's voice trailed off and I didn't want to pry anymore.

"Where are you going?" I asked hoping that she would be safe or at least let me help her.

"Charlotte's Ville." Andie answered softly. "Don't worry we'll be fine."

"I don't doubt that, but what about what is happening to you?"

"I need to figure that out on my own...find me when you are ready to end this..."

"Andie?"

Nothing....

"Andie answer me!"

She was gone...