“Okay, sir. We’ll be out in a jiff.”
“Keep in mind that there may be someone inside, night runner or survivors, so stay alert and watch for itchy trigger fingers,” Jack says.
“Hooah, sir,” Red Team responds.
Jack just closes his eyes and shakes his head. “Get going.”
McCafferty follows Gonzalez to the porch. The front door is open and, from the wood splintered by the latch, it appears to have been forced. Gonzalez directs Henderson and Denton to the front window to see if they can get a look inside while McCafferty stacks next to the partially open door opposite Gonzalez. Robert and Bri, who Jack has allowed to come with them, are behind McCafferty against the wall.
As with almost everything else, the partly open doorway has a heaped pile of dirt that extends inside. The open door itself is a warning sign to her as she remembers having to enter another house like this one — Gonzalez’. She is about to enter into yet another darkened structure with the possibility of night runners inside.
The last time they did this, she had to shoot Gonzalez’ dad. She doesn’t want to have to do anything even remotely like that again. That had to be the single most horrible thing she has ever had to do. The only positive thing she sees looking at the front door is that there aren’t any visible tracks in the sand.
Henderson peeks in the side of the front window quickly and then, when nothing erupts, takes a longer look. He turns to them, stacked and ready to enter, and gives an indication that he can’t see inside.
Gonzalez hefts her M-4 and looks McCafferty in the eyes, “You ready for this?”
“Hell no, but let’s do it.”
With a nod from Gonzalez, she throws the door open the rest of the way. Gonzalez lowers her NVGs and rushes in. McCafferty lowers hers and follows.
Gonzalez darts to the right along the front wall while McCafferty goes in along the left one. Robert follows, taking station by the front door while Bri tracks along behind Gonzalez. They enter like a fast moving mist — quickly and quietly. The thin beams of light from their IR lasers sweep inside looking for movement — either targets or survivors. There is nothing but the dark, cool interior cast in a greenish glow. She hears Henderson and Denton enter behind her and take up positions.
They find themselves in a great room with an open kitchen and dining room near the back of the house. A hallway opens to the left extending to three back bedrooms and a bathroom. It’s much the same setup as in Gonzalez’ house. The continued similarity sends a chill up McCafferty’s spine. Large amounts of dust covers the furniture. The dining room table has plates, silverware scattered across the top with a couple of overturned glasses. Pieces of a broken plate and more silverware lie on the gritty floor beside the table. Two of the four dining chairs are scooted away from the table and a third lies on its side. A single pot sits on the stove. The whole scene gives the impression that something happened quickly while those living here were sitting down at a meal.
“Robert, McCafferty, cover the hallway,” McCafferty hears Gonzalez say over the radio.
Robert slides up beside her and they peek down the hall. She feels the thudding of her heart in her chest from both being inside another shadowy interior and from the remembrance of another hallway. What she sees increases it even more. Four bodies, stretching down the length of the hall, lie motionless — prone or slumped in various positions. One of the doors at the end of the hall is open. She listens for any sound, but it remains eerily quiet except for hers and Robert’s breathing.
Not wanting to broadcast the find over the radio because of the soldier waiting for news outside, she waves Gonzalez over and points to the bodies and the open door. One other door lies halfway open down the hall with another closed across from it. A third door is closed adjacent to the open one at the end of the corridor.
“Check out the rooms and make sure those bodies are indeed visiting the afterlife. Bri and I will be behind you to provide backup if needed,” Gonzalez whispers with a hand on her shoulder.
McCafferty nods and rises. With Robert beside her, she edges into the hall. She’s hyper-alert and half expects a night runner to charge from the opening to the side and just in front of her. With Robert covering the hall, she pushes the partially open door. Ready for anything, she quickly peers inside. An empty bathroom.
“Empty,” she calls softly.
“Move to the back rooms. Bri and I have the side door,” Gonzalez replies.
McCafferty pokes the first body before stepping over it to ensure it isn’t going to rise unexpectedly. Its head is turned to the side and, as she passes it, she sees that the skin is shrunken against the skull giving it a mummified appearance. A small hole is visible just above the left eye. Stepping around the remaining bodies, the last which lies near the open door, she sees the same thing — mummified bodies with various injuries.
“Don’t shoot. We’re coming in,” McCafferty hears Gonzalez softly call out behind her.
She and Robert reach the open door leading to bedroom. The room is in total disarray. Blankets and sheets cover the floor. A table lamp is knocked over and lies on the floor by the bed. Telling an even more horrendous tale are the dark stains on the sheet covering the bed and splashed on the wall. A couple more of the mummified bodies lie just inside the door. Two skeletal remains lie on the floor near the bed — one at the side and the other at the foot — with a third on the bed itself.
“Fuck me!” Robert breathes beside her.
“You aren’t shitting,” she responds.
Gonzalez and Bri join them after checking the side room and finding it empty. Checking the adjacent room, they find that one empty as well. They all step in. Several shell casings are scattered in the debris. By looking at the scene it’s pretty apparent what happened. They were eating dinner when night runners attacked so they quickly folded into this back bedroom, making a last stand.
She can’t imagine the fear they must have felt in those last few minutes. The shrieking outside following by pounding on the door; seeing it burst open and night runners rush inside. Fleeing down the hallway…the screams of terror folding in with the loud screeches of the night runners filling the house. Adrenaline filling their bodies, fear for their loved ones and knowing death is closing in. Grabbing a gun and firing at those charging down the hall. Hearing the terrified screams or sobbing of your wife and daughter huddled in terror on the bed…hearing their cries of pain as the night runners tore into the room. The heart-break of knowing all is lost. This same story told in millions of homes across the world. Yeah, she’s glad to be alive but hopes she doesn’t have to come across any more scenes like this one. It’s just too wrenching to imagine the last moments of those that were here.
Looking on, McCafferty feels like she’s intruding at the final moments of the ones who were here. In a semblance of shock and pity, they all stare at the carnage for several minutes; each lost in their own thoughts.
“Let’s get out of here,” Gonzalez finally says, breaking the silence.
“Yeah,” Bri says, continuing to stare into the room.
They gather Henderson and Denton and exit the house feeling sad and a little depressed. McCafferty feels bad for the soldier as his eager anticipation is going to be met with sad news. She knows the loss of a loved one and the heartbreak. That’s something that never leaves. They meet with Jack and Greg and relay what they saw. Their heads drop with Jack shaking his head slowly side-to-side.
“Thanks,” he says after a moment. “If you wouldn’t mind going inside and finding something to wrap them in, I’d appreciate it. We owe them a decent burial at the very least.”
“Will do, sir,” Gonzalez responds.
“Sir, I’d like to stay when you talk to him,” McCafferty says, to which Jack nods. He then calls the soldier to him.
The soldier arrives and immediately knows the answer from the look in their eyes and from the fact that there isn’t any of his family there. He drops to his knees and buries his face in his hands, sobbing.
Jack lays a hand on his shoulder and says, “I’m sorry, son.”
McCafferty kneels down beside the soldier and puts her arm around him. After a while, he rises and wants to go inside to see what’s left of his family.
“That’s not a very good idea,” she says.
“I just… I just need to see for myself,” he says, sniffling.
“No. Just remember them as they were.”
