Traitors (Damned of the 2/19th - Book Five) - Finished

Run, Atlas, Run

2/19th Special Weapons Group Barracks
Restricted Area - Western Germany
Early Winter - 1986
Day: Eighteen

"JUST FUCKING DIE!" Bomber and I bellowed together, both stepping forward into the snow, left foot first, at the same time, fingers both pulling triggers.

Two in the chest, one in the head on the LT, swivelling my sight picture, so that I put two in the chest and one in the head on the figure wearing the cold weather mask. Bomber had pulled back the trigger on the rifle, firing two quick bursts into the chest of the masked figure, then his fire crossing mine and dropping two bursts into the LT.

Both figures staggered back, the axe falling from the LT's grip, black fluid spattering on the unblemished snow.

"Get back, get back!" Nagle yelled. The LT snarled, revealing yellowed teeth smeared with blood. The figure in the cold weather mask seemed to grow in size, almost looming, as the shoulders lifted and steam plumed out past the cold weather mask.

I put two more into the figure in the cold weather mask as Bomber slammed shut the door, my third and fourth bullets slamming through the door.

"What the fuck was that?" Kebble shrieked as the door slammed shut. "Who the fuck was the guy in the mask?

We both stepped backwards, slamming the door as soon as we were clear of the doorway.

"He's who was killing us last winter." Nagle said, her voice low, defeated sounding. "We're fucking finished."

"What the fuck was with the snowmen?" Logan asked, pointing at the door. "What the hell was that shit?"

"He's telling us he's going to kill us." I added, turning away from the doorway and dropping the smoking pistol by my side.

"Fuck." Bomber muttered, walking toward the back of the room and the supplies. He set the rifle on the table that Nagle had operated on, and I followed with the pistol, both weapons clacking loudly in the silence. "We're fucking boned."

There was whispering behind us as we dug in different boxes of MRE's, looking for food. Bomber was looking for ham slices, which were usually grabbed first, I was looking for something soft, like Chicken-ala-King, which was usually just thrown away.

I found it before he found his, and tore into it, dropping the package and then the cardboard box on the table before ripping open the food and starting to squeeze it into my mouth.

"Get up, Nagle." Logan suddenly said. "Now."

I turned around, the foil pocket of food still in my mouth, and saw Logan pointing the rifle at Nagle, who was sitting up with an angry expression on her face.

"Logan, what are you doing?" Raleigh asked.

"You saw the snowmen, they want Stillwater, Nagle, and Bomber, not us." Logan said. Kebble was pointing her weapon at Bomber and me, the arrogant nasty expression back on her face. "So lets give them to them."

"They'll be killed, you can't do that." Taggart said, staring at both.

"Logan, I don't know if I can keep them alive." Raleigh half-pleaded, referring to Hendricks, Nelson, and Clifton. Logan ignored her, glaring at Nancy.

"Go over the with them, if you like them so much, you little slut." Kebble snarled, motioning with her weapon. Taggart stood up, paling, her left hand covering her belly protectively.

"Put on your field jacket, honey." Nagle said, grabbing hers and glaring at Logan. "I oughta feed you that fucking rifle."

Logan aimed the barrel at the ceiling and pulled the trigger, the shot punishingly loud in the enclosed room. "NOW, BITCHES!" He bellowed.

Kebble moved over and pulled the weapons away, yelping when she grabbed the pistol by its hot barrel. I shifted, one hand sliding behind my back, under my field jacket, but she dropped the pistol onto the floor, kicking it away as she leveled the rifle at me.

"Go ahead and try it." She said softly. The rifle barrel was unsteady, but her eyes weren't.

She was willing and ready to shoot me.

Nagle stood up and stomped over by the door, Taggart following her quietly, her face pale and tears running down her face.

"Don't do this." she pleaded.

Kebble just laughed. "Shoulda thought about that before you sided with them, slut."

"Next time I see you, I'm going to kill you." Nagle said, her voice a deadly hiss. Kebble paled but didn't back down.

"You two, get over to the door." Logan ordered. "Slowly. Keep your hands where I can see them."

Bomber and I moved over by Taggart and Nagle. My head was pounding with the urge to kill both Kebble and Logan. Marks just stared at the floor, holding onto his friend's hand, removing himself from the situation by ignoring it all.

"Don't worry, buddy, we'll be fine." He whispered to Hendricks. Kebble snickered, and I glared at her.

"Open the door." Logan ordered.

I reached out, grabbing the handle and whipping open the door. The floodlight was still on, dim, but casting enough light to let us see.

The snowmen were gone, the snow smooth and blameless, glimmering in the dim red light from the emergency light. Not even footprints remained of the two apparitions we'd shot the shit out of minutes before.

"Get out." Kebble ordered.

We crunched out into the snow, Nancy pulling right quickly and pulling Taggart with her, stopping when she was out of the door's field of view. Bomber and I turned around to face the door. Logan had moved up next to the door that we'd opened, grabbing it with one hand and staring at us.

"Goodbye, assholes." He snarled.

And slammed the door.

Above us, someone shouted, and boots thudded on the floor. From the ice sealed stairwell a shriek sounded. From the darkness of the hallway of Titty Territory Oakes screamed in agony.

The door to the bathroom where Tandy had vanished stood open, revealing nothing but darkness.

From the darkness came a low, liquid chuckle.

"Run." Nancy breathed.

We ran.