Beyond The Frontline

Fragment Golf

As they continued their grim task, Colt and Dani eventually reached the end of the sea of corpses. The process had been grueling, both physically and emotionally. Each step, each thrust of the blade, carried the weight of their mixed feelings. They were ensuring the mercenaries were truly dead, sparing them from suffering further.

For a seasoned soldier such as Colt, he had seen and done things that would haunt many, but this felt different. These were not just faceless enemies; they were people who had once breathed, dreamed, and fought for reasons he might never fully understand. But at the same time, he reminded himself that these were the very same people who had brutally attacked a town and possibly other nearby settlements, leaving devastation in their wake. That thought alone was enough to steady his hands.

Dani, on the other hand, struggled more visibly. Each motion was heavy with reluctance, his young face pale and eyes wide with the enormity of what they were doing. He understood the necessity, yet it felt profoundly wrong. The line between black and white blurred, leaving everything in a moral grey zone.

Once the task was done, they turned away from the carnage and were about to head back to the village. But before they started walking, Dani looked down and noticed something unusual. Colt, seeing his friend's sudden pause, asked, "What is it?"

Dani crouched down, the damp earth cold against his knees, and picked up an empty vial. "It's a healing potion," he said, examining it closely.

He turned his head and noticed a trail of blood leading away from the scene. Dani sighed before commenting, "Looks like we've got a survivor."

Colt followed the direction of the trail before muttering, "Shit."

Without another word, Colt set off following the blood trail, his senses on high alert. Dani quickly followed behind, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the face of this new threat. The implication that a member of the Black Dogs had survived was problematic, and Colt knew well what that could mean. But if there was a survivor, Colt could extract some intel from him before killing him off. Essentially, hitting two birds with one stone, or in this case, one bullet.

The trail led them through the tree line, and they both entered with extreme caution. As Colt and Dani began the search, they moved vigilantly, scanning for any signs of the survivor. Eventually, they encountered spots of blood here and there and followed the trail. Finally, they heard the sound of labored breathing and rustling just up ahead.

Colt signaled Dani to stay low and approached silently, his rifle raised and ready. They emerged into a small clearing where they discovered the wounded Black Dog, slumped against a tree, his hand clutching a makeshift bandage over a severe wound on his left leg. Sweat glistened on his forehead, his face pale and contorted in pain. His eyes widened in fear as Colt and Dani approached him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here," Colt said in a cold tone, his weapon trained on the mercenary.

"Tell me everything you know, and I'll consider easing your pain," he demanded, his voice a deadly whisper.

The mercenary coughed, blood staining his lips. "You...think...you can stop...what's coming?" he spat between labored breaths.

"This...is just...the beginning," he wheezed.

"We...are everywhere," he continued with a faltering voice.

"You can't stop...the inevitable," he managed to let out, his breath hitching.

Colt saw how the mercenary tried to be tough during his last moments, but he simply wasn't having it. "Was that supposed to intimidate me? If so, then you're gonna have to come up with something better," he commented, eyes narrowed as he moved closer.