Choice of Slaughter

He looked back at me.  There was pain in his face.  Even he had to face the cold hard truth, just as I had to.  No other option.  No other way.

The ashes rained down and settled softly upon the ground like new fallen snow.  It was almost beautiful, but when you walked it didn't have that lovely new snow crunch, and the smell...you were instantly reminded what the reality was.  Fire, destruction, death...everything so far from beauty.  I wasn't even sure I knew what beauty was anymore. 

"Addie, look alive," said Dave quietly pointing towards a building off in the distance.

"What do you reckon is in there?"  I asked him, knowing what the answer was.

"Let's check it out, keep on your toes."

We moved slowly and cautiously towards the run down barn, rifles aimed at the ready...for anything.  As we got closer we began to hear the noises.  The raspy, heavy breathing.  The shambling of feet.  Then the smell of rot and decay began floating out towards us.  Sickening.  Saddening.  I knew what we were about to see.  It was all I could do to hold back the tears.  So many people.  So many innocent lives ruined, corrupted, destroyed.  All in a single night.

We approached the door, one of us on each side.  Dave looked at me, and I looked back.  Our eyes met.  He nodded and we both rushed in.  It was over quickly.  A few ringing gunshots, a couple of shrieks and cries, and it was done.  Dave went outside to radio HQ a status report.  I was glued where I was.  I had killed so many.  So many before.  But this was...different.  It was a family.  Or so it seemed.  What appeared to be a mother and father...and a child.  A small, weak child, couldn't have been more than six or seven years old.  I couldn't hold it in.  A single tear rolled down my cheek and I choked slightly as I began to sob. 

"Addie, let's roll."

"I just need a minute, Dave." 

He nodded and walked out. 

This was it.  All the training, the boot camp, even the two deployments...none of them were close to this.  This was in her own town.  Her own town, ravaged by by a chemical attack.  It had made everyone sick.  It had made them rabid.  So her she was, with Dave, and the other squads hunting them down and slaughtering them.  They didn't have a choice. 

There was no other choice...