Ten Years Later

Logan Walker
It's been ten years since the ODIN attack and we now lived in a world very different from how it used to be. The Federation had taken over a quarter of the U.S and we struggled everyday to to survive, guarding The Wall and making sure no Federation got into the part of the city that was resisting them.

I was walking with Hesh and Riley, our German Sheppard that we had gotten and trained during the ten years after the ODIN terrorist attack. Riley was a great pet as he was deadly to Federation enemies or anyone who posed a threat to me or Hesh.

I hefted my military 45 rifle and prepared to round a corner when Riley started growling quietly. I paused and knelt beside Riley, placing my right hand on his head, just between his ears.

"What is it boy?" I whispered.

Riley growled a little louder which had to mean whoever it was...was moving closer to our position. I told Riley to search and stay out of sight and lowered my rifle. I picked up the tablet and monitored the GoPro camera on Riley's bulletproof vest.

As Riley made his way around the area I saw six guys with guns and the Federation uniform on. They were all spread out and one was closest to Riley with his back turned.

"Get 'em Riley." I whispered.

Riley jumped on the Federation soldier, his jaws already around his throat, moving his head from side to side violently. The sound of crunching bones made me cringe. No matter how many times I've sent Riley to do that, it never got better.

"How many?" Hesh asked.

"Five now." I told him. "Riley got one so there's just five."

Hesh nodded and radioed back to dad. "We have six Federation soldiers out by the wall. What do you want us to do, sir?"

I waited a heartbeat, raising my rifle up and looking down the sight aiming at the closest one. I was waiting for the word to kill them.

"Drop 'em."

I fired without hesitation and didn't pause to watch the bullet pierce the guys head as I moved on to the next one. I knew I hadn't missed. I rarely did. It was over in seconds and I moved forward, checking the bodies and making sure there weren't any trackers.

"Riley heel." Hesh says and our dog comes to walk at Hesh's feet behind me.

I keep moving and as I do, a message comes through my earpiece. It's Merrick.

"We're pinned down at a gas station by the northeast of The Wall and we need assistance, Alpha 5."

I glance over at Hesh and we both break into a sprint, heading for the gas station by the Wall. We were sure that that's where Merrick and his team were. I easily passed my brother and came to a gas station overrun with at least twenty or thirty Federation soldiers.

I raised my rifle and immediately began firing at the soldiers, taking body shots and head shots. Riley had taken down two soldiers by ripping their throat out and Hesh had taken out six with his Bersa .25. I sprinted forward, pulling my army knife from my leg sheath and slid between a soldiers legs, coming up behind them and jabbing my knife into his throat.

I quickly ducked down as someone swung at me from behind and came up roundhouse kicking them in the side of the head. I reloaded my mag and fired into his chest cavity. He was dead in seconds and I whirled around throwing my knife. It flipped end over end before embedding itself in a Federation soldier's neck.

I'll get that later, I thought.

A Federation soldier punched me in the face and grabbed for my gun. We grappled with it and seeing that I wasn't going to snatch it out of his grip with brute force, I kicked him full in the chest sending him flying back and before he could even hit the ground, I emptied the rest of my mag into his chest and torso. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Hesh strolled up to me as I massaged my jaw and patted me on the shoulder. "You okay Logan?"

I nodded. "Yeah I'm fine."

Hesh and I made our way over to the gas station shed just as Merrick, Keegan, and Callaghan walked out. Keegan smiled and chuckled.

"Never thought I'd be glad to see you guys!" Merrick exclaimed.

"Thanks for the assist." Keegan said staring at me.

I feel a small smile tug at my lips and I'm surprised that Keegan smiles back at me. Hesh rested his hand on my shoulder and said, "Logan here killed most of them. I only got six and Riley got two."

To make a point I glance over at Riley, prepared to tell him to heel but he started growling and barking and I moved towards him, reloading my gun. Riley was standing over a man who was trying to crawl away. He was badly injured and trailing blood and I walked over to him, flipping him onto his back.

"How are you guys getting in here?" I demanded. The man only coughed up blood and didn't say anything. "You're dying anyway but I can make your last few minutes alive hell so you better start talking."

The man coughed and said, "Never."

I stared down at him and thought of how pathetic and weak he was without a gun. Without friends or allies. He reminded me of myself when I had been training in the military. I had been beat down and broken inti nothing. I had been alone.

And he was dying. Alone.

I pulled my handgun and held it up to his head. I ended his life, thinking of how alone he must feel and the pain...had to have been unbearable. I wasn't a coldhearted person; I just showed this man mercy by ending his life now instead of letting him suffer.

I stared down at his body and I felt Hesh take my gun and place it back in my leg holster, before he grabbed me and led me away. I felt four pairs of eyes me and I wondered if they thought what I did was an act of weakness. God I hope not.

"Logan, he was dying anyway. He wasn't going to tell us anything." Hesh tries to tell me.

I shook my head. "It's not that. Hesh...he was alone. He died alone. Remember my military training? How I had no one? I saw myself in that man. I couldn't let him suffer."

Hesh sighed and we continued walking. "Yeah I remember. And I wish you didn't have to go through that alone. And don't worry. Showing mercy to our enemies doesn't make you weak, it makes you better than them."

I took a deep breath and almost gasped when I felt someone grab my hand. I looked to my left and saw that it was Keegan. He smiled at me softly and I couldn't help but give him a small smile back.

"It's okay." Keegan says.

And I know it is.