Rotters: Bravo Company by Carl R Cart Read Free Book Online Page A

would find anybody!” I shot back.
    Hard-on knelt down beside our captive and looked him over. He waved his hand back and forth. “Man, this guy stinks!”
    The creature thrashed and groaned.
    “Hey, he’s pretty active for a dead guy,” Hard-on observed. “You still think he’s a zombie?”
    “I don’t know,” I replied. I wasn’t sure how to tell. I couldn’t tell if he was breathing, and I couldn’t take his pulse with gloves on. I shrugged and shook my head.
    Gunner had moved away from us, I could hear him quietly praying.
    I looked down at my suit. It was covered in slime and mud, but it didn’t appear to be ripped or damaged. I figured I would probably be okay, but I smelled like rotten ass.
    “Let’s get this cocksucker back to camp,” I suggested. “Maybe then they’ll believe us.”
     
    We cut a stout sapling down and thrust it through our captive’s arms, behind his back. Hard-on took one end and I took the other. We lifted the trashing, bloody red bastard and slowly pulled him through the forest. Gunner took point and led us back, pausing occasionally to let us catch up. 
    We had to stop and rest several times, but we finally made it back to our camp.
     
    Everyone turned out to see the bloody monster we had hauled in out of the woods. Major Dorset took one look at it and ordered the corpsmen to take it away, out of sight. According to him it was bad for morale. They pulled the struggling body into a tent and closed the flaps tight. You could still dimly hear its moans.
    The colonel came out of the clean tent and went in after it. He didn’t come back out.
    Everyone stood around in small groups, talking in hushed tones and whispers.
    “The show is over!” the major finally shouted. “Everyone get back to work!” He looked at me with murder in his eyes, but he had ordered us to bring the thing back.
    Sgt. McAllister led me and the others away from the HQ.
    “Go through decontamination, all of you,” he ordered.
     
    We trudged over to the decontamination area, and stood with our arms outstretched. A corpsman sprayed us down with hot soapy water and an anti-viral foam, while another one scrubbed us with a long poled brush. Finally, they hit us with water again and turned us loose. We staggered back towards camp. 
     
    McAllister was waiting for us.
    “You three are something else,” he laughed.
    “What?” I asked.
    “The safest place for you right now is out there in the forest, and you three assholes wander back in here with the elephant man in tow. The major is madder than all Hell.”
    “Well, we were followin his orders,” Hard-on quipped.
    “Don’t be so fucking dense, Hard-on,” the sarge replied. “I don’t think the old man thought you would find anything like that monstrosity you guys dredged up. But since you did, we’re going back out to look for more!”
    “What?” Gunner groaned.
    “Yes, sir,” the sergeant drawled. “You three are to head back out to wherever you found that guy and see what else you can dig up. I’m taking Gordo with me, way, way out there, to see what’s going on. Maybe we can find some locals to talk to.”
    “Shit,” Hard-on moaned. “When will this crap end?”
    “Don’t know,” McAllister answered. “But the colonel wants us to find him one of the missing villagers too. He wants to see if the virus is doing the same thing to them that it is doing to us. Our orders are to acquire an infected villager and bring him back to the HQ. I volunteered your squad for the job, seeing as how you’ve got the most experience with the virus’ victims.”
    “Thanks,” I muttered.
    “You’re welcome,” he replied. “Get your asses back in the brush.”
    “We need to find some duct tape first,” Hard-on joked.
     
    We walked through the forest a short distance away from the camp. I was so hot and tired that I could barely walk. The wet pants legs of my uniform were chaffing my inner thighs, and my feet were squishing inside my