Free Betrayal by Michael S. Gardner

others in power. But now, after Jared’s encounter with dead that hadn’t acted normal—living dead who possessed the same bright hue in their eyes as Jonathan saw in the Sarge’s orbs—he was beginning to believe all the stories.
    The gunnery sergeant, moving quicker than Jonathan’s eyes could process, lunged and grabbed the mechanic.
    Feeling the air escape his lungs and the floor fall from his feet, he choked out: “W-Why are you—”
    “I said,” Bell lifted Jonathan up a few more inches and tightened his grip, “where is the pilot ?”
    Jonathan, spittle dribbling down his cheek, said, “The… grocery store up… the… street.”
    “There,” said Bell, releasing the mechanic. “Wasn’t so hard, now was it?”
    Gulping air as if his lungs had never tasted the stuff, Jonathan backed up to the wall. “Sarge, what the —” He exhaled and rubbed his eyes. “—hell happened to you. Why are you looking for Spence, and why are your—”
    “That pilot,” barked Bell, “left me and Payton for dead.”
    “I had a feeling that prick might have done that. Carol did too.” Jonathan straightened up.
    Bell silently puffed his cigar . Jonathan noticed that the air smelled of rot; not overbearing like out in the city, but it was still present. Like it was wafting off the marine. Rubbing his sore neck, a thought occurred to Jonathan.
    “You said Payton made it,” he said. “Where is he?”
    “Scoping out the Colony?”
    “The Colony?” replied Jonathan. “Why?”
    “Say, how’s that daughter of yours?”
    “Sick.”
    “Isn’t that sad?” Bell tossed his cigar and cracked his neck.
    “What?”
    “Don’t worry,” said Bell, “Payton and a few new friends’ll take care of the Colony. You’ll die happy knowing that your daughter will continue on.”
    “What the hell are you talking about?” Jonathan took a step back and reached for his sidearm with a shaky hand.
    Bell balled up his left fist and craned his head as he stared at it. “The Colony, Jonathan, abandoned us. Left us for dead.” He took a step toward the mechanic.
    “I-I told you,” Jonathan said, resting his hand on his sidearm, “that Trevor said you’d all been killed.”
    “And you believed him.”
    The glow of Bell’s eyes intensified. Jonathan’s stomach went light, and he took in a few deep breaths. Was the Sarge actually blaming him for the cowardly pilot’s betrayal? How the hell was he supposed to know Spencer’s story had been a farce?
    “L-Look, Sarge, I don’t know what’s wrong—”
    The air in his lungs was forced out with a dreadful sidekick from Bell. Jonathan flew backward, hitting the wall. Every part of his body was immediately in pain. He was pulled up, his back dragging across the wall. When Jonathan was finally able to focus, he saw a bite wound on Bell’s neck.
    “What’s wrong, mechanic , is that you, and everyone else at that goddamn farmhouse, are the reason that me and Payton are what we are. We should be dead, but instead we’re something else. And you, and everyone else, are going to pay for it.” The Sarge released his grip and let Jonathan fall back to the floor. Before Jonathan could even search for his next words, Bell hit him with a swift right hook that loosened some teeth and sent a few more crashing to the floor.
    “You see,” Bell continued, leaning over Jonathan, “everyone needed us. Needed what we could do. You all looked at me and the other marines as if we were your last fucking hope. You said that you couldn’t do it without out us, that the Colony would be doomed if we didn’t go out and scavenge these streets, these apartments, these dark alleys you and the rest were oh so afraid to explore.
    “We were so goddamn important, yet no one came and searched for us.”
    “Sarge,” pleaded Jonathan, “Spence told us you were all—”
    A backhand silenced him.
    “Payton and I, we waited on the roof of a corner store surrounded by those pus fucks for fifteen hours