Page 83 of Leave Me Behind
This is suicide.
I stand and take off sprinting through the trees. Small branches and twigs smack loudly against my gear and a sharp shout rolls through the air behind me.Good. They’ll follow me. I take off toward the river and ignore the shots they fire at me.
I’ll get them as far away from Bradshaw as I can and then I’ll take care of them. I slide on the beach sand and roll to my stomach, facing the pursuers, M16 aimed at the top of the riverbank. The first soldier that runs over the edge gets a bullet in his neck and the force of it sends him flying to his back. He squirms and covers his throat.
Two more rise over the bank and I fire at the one to the left.
Miss.Shit!
He shoots back and hits my shoulder. The impact alone takes my breath away, but I grit my teeth and shoot a second time. This time I hit him right in the dick. He screams and falls, rolling down the slope and crying like a fucking baby. I smile against the pain that blooms across my shoulder.
The third soldier is on me by the time I face him. He has his knife unsheathed and goes for a thigh stab. I roll in time so he only nicks my calf, but the blood still pours from the wound instantly.
“Fuck you, bitch. You killed my partner!” He stabs at me again and this time he lodges it in my forearm. I scream at thepain and muster all my strength to strike him across the head with my gun. He’s a tough motherfucker, he doesn’t even flinch as blood gushes from the gash above his left eye. He grabs my arm with his knife sticking out of it and pounds it against the ground until I drop my M16.
A guttural scream rips from my throat and tears spring to my eyes, but I refuse to give up. I’ll kill this asshole and anyone else who comes for us.
I buck my hips up as hard as I can and send him flying over my head. I roll to my side and unhitch my pistol from its holster—bang, bang, bang.I shoot him at point-blank range in his chest, but he’s still coming.Bulletproof vest—high grade too.
“Fuck—” I choke out as his hands come around my throat and he pins me against the sand. His grip leaves no air, no hope of finding breath without knocking him off of me.
I gnash my teeth together and grab the knife that’s still lodged between my radial and ulnar bone.One, two, three.I brace myself and pull the knife from my flesh, cutting his throat all the way to the bone with the same singular motion.
His body spasms violently and then slacks. He gurgles blood all over me. “Fuck you. Fuck you!” I scream at him as his eyes start to widen with death. I bury the knife between his collarbone and neck five times until it’s mushy. His blood spills over my chest and neck.
I stagger to my feet and take a few labored breaths. The cold mountain air makes all the blood spilled on the sand steam in plumes.
My entire body trembles with adrenaline. The pain spreads with each breath I take. I know if I can’t stop the bleeding I’ll be dead in twenty minutes.
Gasps and groans bring my mind out of its fog. I look slowly up and stare hollowly at the last two breathing soldiers. I limp to the closest one. He’s still holding his throat and trying to keephimself from bleeding out. I bury my knife deep into his chest. He convulses and chokes on his own blood before going still.
For some reason, I think of Jenkins as I jerk the blade from the soldier’s lungs. He loved killing this closely—loved making me do it too. I did anything he wanted me to, even if I hated it. And I do hate killing this sloppily.
That leaves only one man left.I look over at him, holding his dick and still crying about it. He sees me coming and tries to flee but I keep my limping stride steady. I reach him and tear off his helmet and mask. A scared man stares at me. He shakes uncontrollably.
I keep my tone as smooth as I can. “Are you going to tell me anything or am I wasting my time?” I lift my blade and he gasps, tears and snot mixing down his chin. His eyes trail over to his comrades, the ones I fucking butchered.
He shakes his head, eyes hardening. “Kill me.”
“Done,” I chirp, twisting the blade in my hand for the killing blow.
A sharp knife caresses my throat, giving me pause.
“Drop it.” A deep voice seeps into my spine.
Jenkins taught me how to escape this very situation, although I’m fuzzy now with the blood loss. I breathe and slowly lower my arm as if to drop my weapon. Then I throw my head back against the man’s face and grip the sharp part of his blade so it’s not against my throat. My helmet strap is cut and flies off in the attack.
Blood spurts from my glove and my fingers go limp.Shit.Adrenaline keeps me moving. I reach for my pistol but the soldier already has his pressed against my forehead.
I breathe like a wild animal who’s just run out of options. My chest rises and falls over and over with great burden. I expected him to pull the trigger already, so I slowly look up at him. Hisblack mask covers the majority of his face, but those eyes… They’re practically black as they bore into me vehemently.
I shudder but hold his stare.
“Always look them in the eye. Show them you aren’t afraid to die,”Jenkins told me many times. I do my best to follow his words.
The soldier stands silently for a long time. I’m starting to feel dizzy and my head bobs a few times before he pulls his gun a few inches away.
“Who are you?” he asks.
