Infestation

- 20 -

Svetlanova watched the three men walk away until they were lost in the gloom farther down the corridor. She couldn’t see that far quite as well as before but this wasn’t more cloud cover coming over.

It’s getting dark again already.

Mac tried to get a cigarette from his packet but even that was too much of an effort for him. Green spittle flecked his lips and his eyes weren’t red now but milky – opaque, with a hint of green.

“Are you still there, lass?” he said softly. “It’s getting awful dark in here.”

“I’m here, Mac,” she replied and took his good hand in both of hers. It felt cold, clammy – a dead man’s hand.

“I’m damned sorry you have to see me like this,” he said. “But I don’t want you fretting after I’m gone. This is the life I chose; it was always going to end in some deserted boat, or a road in the desert, or an empty power station. I was always going to be somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be. Same as it ever was for me, ask my maw when you see her.”

“I will,” she said and knew she meant it. “I promise.”

She lit a cigarette for them both and put one gently between his lips, where he puffed on it feebly.

“Last one,” he said. “Something else that will please maw.”

They smoked in silence, Mac enjoying the cigarette, Svetlanova because she had no clue what she might say to help in any way to ease what was imminent. Mac smoked his cigarette all the way down to the butt, then spat it out, leaving Svetlanova to grind it out with her heel.

“That’s that then, lass,” he said. “Time to go.”

He pulled away from her grip and reached, fumbling blindly for his weapon.

“No!” Svetlanova said and knocked his hand away from the weapon.

“Yes,” he replied softly and reached for the gun again. “I told you earlier. I don’t want to go like Nolan. I’m a soldier. Let me die like one.”

She helped him find the rifle and put it in his hand but he couldn’t grip it; all the strength had gone from him.

“I’ll need a bit of help here, lass,” he said. He coughed and watery green fluid flecked with blood ran over his chin. “Quickly now. Please? It’s getting really fucking dark in here.”

She helped him get the weapon under his chin.

“Tell my maw I always loved her,” he said. “And give her a kiss from me.”

They both had fingers on the trigger but Svetlanova was the one who pulled it, sending two rounds into Mac’s head. He slumped aside, leaving a smear on the wall where he’d rested.

It was mainly green.

Svetlanova rose, tears blinding her, hefted a rifle in her arms and headed off, not really caring where she was going, needing to put as much space as she could for now between herself and the body of her dead friend.