Patrick D'Orazio - Into the Dark

“You need to wrap one around his upper leg, like a tourniquet.” Jeff nodded in acknowledgement at George’s instruction from behind him. Ray moaned loudly and began weeping.

“He’s going to be okay, right? He’s not going to die, is he?” Teddy leaned in, nearly knocking Jeff into the injured boy. Jeff ignored the question, but Ray didn’t. He wailed, and his eyes filled with fear.

“I’m not going to die, am I?” Ray repeated the question over and over as Jeff mumbled a response the boy did not hear. Finally, after Ray’s voice reached a high-pitched squeal, Jeff shook the boy roughly. The babbling stopped and Ray gaped at Jeff, eyes wide with fear.

“Listen carefully to me, Ray. I’m going to take good care of you, but you have to calm down. I need to get the bleeding to stop so we can get you back to camp.” He looked at Teddy and forced his expression to become gentler. Teddy was almost as much of a mess as Ray was. “Everything is going to be fine.”

The smaller boy’s chest heaved, fat tears rolling down his face. Teddy looked bewildered and hurt, but there was a glint of comprehension there. Jeff continued to look at him as George put his hands on the boy’s narrow shoulders and squeezed soothingly. Teddy did not shrug him away, but leaned back, his knees suddenly weak. He gave Jeff a half nod. It wasn’t much, but would have to do as Jeff turned back to face Ray and repeated himself. “Everything is going to be fine.”

“Like hell it is.”

Everyone, including Ray, looked at Marcus, who had arrived from across the street and was walking up to them with the shotgun pointed lazily in Jeff and Ray’s direction, the small crate of booze still snug under his other arm.

“What the fuck did you do, boy?” Before Ray could respond, Marcus answered his own question. “Went and got yourself in a mess of trouble, and now we’re all in deep shit.” He looked around, scanning the area nervously.

Jeff closed his eyes and sighed as he heard moaning off in the distance. In his haste to deal with Ray, he hadn’t noticed the cries of the infected, which were growing louder by the second.

“Fuck,” Jeff mumbled as he leaned toward Ray and spoke quietly to the boy. “I’m going to wrap a bandage tightly around your upper thigh, Ray.” He paused and made sure the teen was looking and listening only to him. “It’ll help stop the infection from climbing up your leg and give us a chance to get you back to camp.”

Jeff smiled and gently put his hand on the boy’s terrified face, wiping away a tear. His hands were smeared with blood, but most of it was gone now. Jeff had used his entire shirt to staunch the flow and wipe away the excess. His concerns about the blood-borne virus were great, but overshadowed by his fear of letting Ray bleed to death in the general store parking lot.

“Step aside, Jeff.”

The next noise Jeff heard was unmistakable: a shotgun shell being chambered. Marcus sounded calmer and less vicious than he had just a few seconds before, but still firm and determined. Jeff looked at Ray, who was panicking, and shifted his weight. Ray grabbed for him, fearful he was going to obey Marcus’s command. Splatters of Ray’s blood painted Jeff’s biceps as the youngster’s hands scrabbled at the man’s arms.

“No… no, please, God no!” The look in his eyes made it clear that Ray understood exactly what Marcus planned to do. He repeated himself, his voice getting higher and higher in pitch as he begged Jeff to do something to help him. “Please don’t let him shoot me. Please, I don’t want to die, Jeff, pleeeease!”

Jeff shushed him and whispered assurances as he wrapped the tourniquet around Ray’s injured leg, ignoring Marcus’s command.

“Jeff, I said step aside. You best start listening to me, or I swear I’ll take you out along with Ray.”

Teddy, all but forgotten in the last few moments, pushed away from George and moved toward Marcus, a look of rage tattooed across his face. “You’re not going to hurt my friend, you fucking creep. I’ll kill you first!” He clenched his fists, and before George could grab him, he took off toward the man whose slender build was similar to his own. Marcus had already set down the crate of liquor and only held the shotgun, which was pointed at Jeff’s back. Teddy built up speed when he saw that Marcus was not going to turn toward him.

As Teddy lunged, Marcus nimbly stepped backwards and kicked, sending his foot straight into Teddy’s gut. The boy collapsed like a house of cards, doubled up and wheezing. He began coughing violently.

George rushed toward Marcus. The shotgun, which had remained pointed at Jeff even as he launched his kick at Teddy, swung toward the big man. George stopped short, a look of embarrassed surprise on his face. He clenched his fists, his eyes darting between the muzzle of the shotgun and the boy who lay crumpled on the ground. He pointed at Teddy. “I just want to check on him, make sure he’s okay.” George did his best to look sincere, but his jaw twitched nervously. He looked at Teddy, who pulled his knees up underneath him and hacked up a small wad of vomit.

“You stay right where you are unless you want to join these two.” Marcus gestured toward Jeff and Ray. Jeff had finished with the tourniquet and was whispering something to the injured boy. The tears were still coming, but Ray appeared to have calmed down.

George froze in place, his hands elevated for Marcus to see. He could hear moans cascading off the buildings surrounding them, and his eyes darted toward the street. He spotted a pack of ghouls only a few blocks away. It was not clear how many there were, but their ranks were swelling as more crawled out of the shadows to join their rotting brethren. George suppressed a shiver at the sight of the monster leading the pack dragging a ruined foot behind it as it trudged forward with dogged persistence.

The shotgun swung back toward Jeff when Marcus seemed satisfied that George wouldn’t give him any more trouble. He took a step forward.

Jeff stood and could see the smile of anticipation on Marcus’s face.

“So what’s it going to be, hotshot? I’m gonna give you one last chance to realize Ray is already dead.” Marcus paused for effect. “We don’t have much time to screw around, so you better hurry up.”

The reedy man’s expression changed momentarily as he looked past Jeff toward the boy propped against the building. His voice dropped low, and his grin disappeared.

“It’s a mercy killing. Don’t you realize that? Or are you just stupid?”

“Just go. Leave him behind with me,” Jeff said, his mind already made up as to what he was going to do. It was suicide, but he was beyond caring. “Take Teddy and George back to camp, and I’ll watch over Ray.”

Marcus squinted at Jeff and looked confused for a moment. He appeared to be mulling over the offer, and Jeff’s hopes rose. They were dashed, however, when Marcus shook his head.

“Can’t leave you behind. You’ll probably dump him somewhere along the way and then lead the stiffs back to us. I can’t have that.”

“I won’t lead them back, I promise. We’ll find a place to hide out. Some building… maybe a house. I won’t lead them back. I swear to God.”

Marcus shook his head again as he raised the shotgun. “God?” he snarled. “Why the hell do you think I give a shit if you swear to God?” He moved forward another step, pushing Jeff closer to the wall. “Take a good look around, you stupid asshole. Do you really think there’s a God?” Marcus laughed contemptuously and gripped the shotgun tighter to his shoulder as he took aim. “I can’t say it’s been a pleasure knowing ya-”

“Drop the gun, Marcus.”

Jeff’s eyes, which had been closing in fear, popped back open in time to see Marcus raising his head from the sights on the shotgun. He turned, allowing Jeff to see that George had picked up Teddy’s rifle and was pointing it at the hick.