Chapter 664 - Morning Till Noon, The Looming Chaos in the Camp of the Rebels (1/2)

Day 148 - 7:45 AM - Military Base, Catanduanes Military Settlement, Codon, San Andres, Catanduanes

Inside the Military Base, the soldiers off-duty from their shifts gathered around the infirmary instead of resting. It could not be helped as something absurd was going on.

Many of them witnessed as Master Sergeant Lucerio Bayola was being transported to the infirmary while screaming in agonizing pain. All those that heard his cries shivered as goosebumps enveloped their bodies. It was a scream of a person that wanted to die but could not.

While being transported in a stretcher, the Master Sergeant was as stiff as a mannequin, with only his head seemed to be capable of moving. Due to the pain that he was feeling, his eyes were already red with tears that seemed to be slightly red because of blood. His nose was overflowing with bloody snot as that only the medics would dare wipe off.

In the end, doctors decided to administer general anesthesia because of an unexpected action from the officer. Extreme pain was known to lead anyone to make unnecessary actions. In more usual cases, it would cause a person to grab the source of pain while rolling in the ground, instinctually trying to relieve the pain. And in cases where the person could not move, it might lead to more absurd actions.

While wailing in pain, Master Sergeant Bayola forced to move his arm. The soldiers managed to stop him. However, it still caused his arm to rupture a bit, letting metal that solidified in his veins protruding out of his skin. His blood, of course, splattered, leading the doctors to scramble to stop the bleeding.

Soon, while the doctors were taking care of the officer, General Padilla, who seemed to have quite a headache, arrived with few of his usual assistants.

”Has the bleeding stabilized?”

The General asked the head doctor after hearing what happened.

”We managed by reducing the blood pressure on his arm. If possible, we wanted to do an operation. However...”

The doctor did not finish his sentence and only looked at the protruding metals on the unconscious officer's arm.

”This metal substance seemed to be embedded in the blood vessels in his entire body. The only exceptions are the major arteries near the heart and his head.” The doctor whipped out some x-ray sheets, showing the eerily cl.u.s.tered metallic substance occupying half of the officer's bloodstream. The metal is also unexpectedly hard. We tried to cut it with a bone saw, but we only managed to take off this little piece.”

The doctor then placed a sealed plastic bag on the table. It contained a grain of salt sized metal fragment.

”I recommend analyzing this metal fragment if we want to save him.”

But then, to the doctor's surprise, the General shook his head.

”He is not brought here to be saved. Just keeping him alive is enough. Just make sure to stop the bleeding and constrain him so that it would not happen in the future.”

The doctor hesitated as he confronted General Padilla.

”General, I heard about the situation. Are we really going to do this inhuman thing? If there's no saving him, isn't it better to Euthanize him?”

”I know that.” The General replied. ”Leaving Bayola in that state could also cause repercussions in terms of trust and welfare among our soldiers. However, there's nothing we can do. He offended someone that he should not have.”

”Is that courier that frightening, General?”

The doctor asked, seemingly privy of some circ.u.mstances in the settlement.

”It's not undisclosed to the public yet, but that very same courier you mentioned is the one that saved us from the infected last night. At first, I did not exactly believe the letters from Faustino. However, the events yesterday afternoon and last night led us to believe it.”

The General then let out a deep sigh.

”It is better to assume that his group might have the ability to wipe out this settlement off the face of Earth. Between the life of an immoral soldier and the populace, you already knew what to choose, right?”

”That is why you should not ask or do anything unnecessary. Just keep Bayola alive as much as possible.”

The General added.

”Yes, General.”

The doctor nodded. It might be heavy in his heart to see a patient suffering like hell, but there was nothing they would be able to do in the face of a far greater threat.

***

Day 148 - 8:05 AM - Mt. Obi, Obi, Caramoran, Catanduanes

Flying over the forest-covered mountain of Obi in Caramoran, the two young soldiers smoothly integrated into the group.

Unlike Berrak, who was mostly silent because he was afraid of Mark, the two were more outgoing. Of course, they felt goosebumps due to the punishment that Mark gave that officer. But considering the reason, they really could not blame Mark.

But then, the truth came to light soon enough.

”It's really amazing how you can lie straight-faced, like that,” Pefile remarked. ”But it's a very clever move to declare that your family is already dead.”

”Wait, Boss...” Padua immediately asked. ”You're family is still alive?”

”Dude!”

Of course, Geronimo started jabbing his friend with his elbow to stop him from asking.

”It's fine,” Mark said to the two before turning to Pefile. ”It's better that way, right? Declaring them dead is a good way of protecting them. There are a lot of rats in that settlement, after all.”

By confessing what he was looking for at the settlement, he answered the suspicions of the people tailing them at that time. Then, telling them all what happened, declaring that his family had already passed on, and punishing the culprit with something worse than death would force everyone to go to conclusions that he expected them to.

If he did not confess that he was looking for his family, some smart brains might start investigating it, and it could lead to his family being found by unnecessary people. The military trying to make a connection with them was one thing, but the other rats might instead try to capture them and use his family to tie him up.

Mark did not want that to happen.

At this time, Mark then looked at the two young soldiers. It was when the two soldiers could only open their mouths in shock and amazement as Mark opened a black hole in front of him and took out two M16 Machine Guns and several ammunition cases.

”You two divide these.”

Mark said to the two.

Aside from their things, the only weapon the two currently had were pistols. Their other military equipment had to be surrendered after they were relieved from their duties. Of course, they had credits in the settlement that could be exchanged for other things since they were soldiers.

However, deciding to follow Mark meant leaving the settlement from the start. The credits they had in this settlement would be rendered useless. They could have exchanged the credits for weapons, but Mark already told them not to when he invited them. Instead, after exchanging for some necessities, the two transferred their remaining credits to their close friends in the army who had families to feed.

Now, they knew why Mark told them that.