Dead On Arrival~ Episode 24: From One Hell to Another (Part 2)

Warning: Gore and Strong language.

Episode 24: From One Hell to Another (Part 2)

What is going on?” I repeated inching closer to the pair. “I don’t know what happen just now, but we all need to calm down before someone gets hurt.

“Nothing’s going on. Just discussing the fate of our friend here,” Mark smirked lowering his weapon. “She wants to save him and I just want to put the poor guy out of his misery.”

Audrey fumed still brandishing hers, “Don’t listen to him! He’s lying!”

“Lying? Weren’t we just discussing David being bit and what to do?”

I sighed, “So he’ bit?”

“Well yes, but he…”

Mark laughed, “You mean the babble David just sprouted out about me being dangerous? He’s obviously delusional and succumbing to the virus.”

“I’m not delusional! David complained breathlessly. "I arrested Mark…”

“I was arrested for embezzlement. Getting your arrest mixed up aren’t we David?” Mark chided eyeing the cop and cutting his eye at Audrey. “Look. I think we all need to sleep. Our imaginations are obviously running wild tonight.”

“But but…,” she stuttered looking from one to other panicked. Beads of sweats forming on her brow. “I know…”

“Audrey are you OK?”

“He’s full it!” she snapped. He’s full of shit! I know it! Just ask David!“

Mark scoffed, "David. The same man who screwed over Vince? Screwed you over? The same man who’s infected and is obviously off his rocker now? Yes, let’s ask him. Oh, wait he’s unconscious and possibly dead. Look.”

David was indeed unconscious. He was slumped over now with blood dripping from his mouth and nose. His skin even paler than before. Audrey rushed over to him bending down to his eye level.

She gave him a good shake practically shaking herself. “David! David!”

“He’s dead. Now step away before he wakes up and tries to kill us all,” Mark said aiming the gun at him.

“No. No more shooting. We can’t risk someone or something hearing the shot. We also need to conserve bullets,” I said stepping in front of his target. “Besides its cleaner to stab him in the head. Leaves less mess.”

I kneeled down with my machete ignoring Mark’s viable annoyance with me and reached for the officer’s cranium. I hesitated looking him over for a second wondering if he was still alive. Still human. Then without warning, he grabbed me pulling me towards him and whispered in my ear, “Vince listen carefully…”

“Oh God! Vince?!” Audrey shrieked.

“He’s alive,” I muttered all the while breathing a sigh of relief. Mark came closer looking down at us both menacingly. I glared back up at him but turned back to the now eager and wheezing cop.

“Listen to me,” he whispered in my ear while struggling to breathe. “I’m sorry…for everything. I…I should have been a better person. I should have…I’m sorry.”

“It’s OK. It’s alright. I..I forgive you, man.”

“No…Don’t forgive me. You don’t have to. I made my bed. Let me lie in it.”

“But…”

“I killed that man. You didn’t. It’s as simple as that.”

He grasped both my hands placing something in them. “What’s this?” I asked staring down at my hands. A crumbled up paper rested in them with something heavy inside.

“My family. They left me before this. A little before we met. If they’re out there somewhere I would like them to know that I never forgot about them and that I’m sorry.”

“Man…I can’t..”

“Also let your family know you’re a good man. Find that little girl of yours. Find your girlfriend. Give them what’s inside. Think of it as a pardon.”

I shook my head in disbelief.“I don’t even know what to say.”

“I’m full of surprises am I?” he joked coughing. He then became serious staring up at Mark. “Listen to Audrey. She knows. I should have…”

“Huh? Knows what?”

Then suddenly David’s eyes widen in fear as I heard Audrey being pushed to the ground. The gun went off and the cop was no more. The bullet hit his head splattering blood and carnage everywhere. On the walls, on the carpet, on me. I fell over shaking as the bullet barely missed me.

“You…you killed him,” Audrey gasped sitting up.

“I put that fucker out of his misery. That’s what I did,” Mark snarled standing between us now.

“Vince. Vince are you OK?” she then said clasping her hands on her face.

I didn’t know what to say. I was fine. Alive at least, but I wasn’t OK. Not one bit. I hadn’t been blown to pieces, but something inside me felt like it. Seeing a man die was one thing, but seeing a man die directly in front of your face. Seeing his very last moment. His expression. It was horrifying.

“Put the gun down, Mark!” I roared finding my voice. I scrambled to my feet grabbing my machete. “Put the gun down now!!!”

“No,” he said frankly smirking. “I think we need to set some boundaries”

“And I think you need to put the gun down.”

He aimed the gun at my chest still smirking. I stepped forward staring into his cold dark eyes. The gun digging into my chest. He had the upper hand, but my anger made me feel fearless and careless. I refused to back down.

He looked at me almost taken aback, but shrugged lowering the gun. "Look, the cop was just fucking with us. Trying to turn you against me. I saved both of your lives. Back at the jail and at the bunker. If you want to forget that suit yourselves.”

“But you didn’t have to kill him!,” Audrey cried.

“Yes. I did. He was bitten and someone had to do it. It’s better this way,” he said bluntly. The gun-toting ex-con then walked away taking his gun with him leaving the two of us to only stare.

Part 1

Part 3- The conclusion to be posted this weekend. 

No new polls for now. The next chapter will include a poll and then we move on to Vol. 2.