"No god damn it!"

Leonardo stood upon the brink of Camp Pendleton, he had been too damn late to make it back, his recon his want to protect this base, everything was now going to hell and there was nothing he could do. Leonardo slowly removed the Hitachi from his back and took it in his hand, there was not much he could do now but he was not going to turn tail and run not if he could help some of these people to survive at least another ten minutes. Leonardo took off in a full sprint, the entire base was being overrun from almost every side, he needed and entry point and he needed it now. He scanned each section of fence for any holes he could slip in, but it seemed like there were barely any he would ever make it too, the horde of infected were everywhere. As Leonardo neared the section of fence the infected were pouring through like a damn wave of water, he could hear the screams from inside the base, and could see the soldiers were abandoning their posts trying desperately to escape the turmoil that was erupting all over the Camp. 

"Come on I just need and entry point..."

Leonardo kept scanning until he finally spotted a weak section of fence that was trampled, the infected were slim pickings around the section and that would be his way in now. Leonardo changed his direction and ran straight for the weak section of fence. Reaching down he pulled the Beretta from its holster at his side, pulling off a couple shots the bullets quickly found their marks as the nearest infected fell in a cascade of blood and brain matter. Leonardo heightened his speed as a couple infected tried to reach for him, he pulled away hard as he reached the section of fence and in one hard leap he jumped the broken down peice of fence and got himself into the Camp, swinging the sword he quickly sliced an infected woman straight in the neck, her head slowly fell to the ground as he body followed with it. Leonardo was breathing hard, he was not used to that kind of running anymore and he damn well knew it. All around him the entire place was in turmoil, he had to find the Major, he had to know his old friend was okay.

"John!"

Leonardo screamed but it would be fruitless, the hell that was taking Pendleton would quickly stifle any attempts he made to find his friend. Leonardo caught a couple more breaths of air and took off in the direction of Johns tent. As Leonardo ran bodies littered the ground on both sides of his, people on top of people, eating each other, it was the same as the other camps, the only difference was that Leonardo had someone to lose at this one. Leonardo ran past many infected who were feasting on corpses too busy eating to pay him any attention, upon reaching Johns tent Leonardo quickly came to the flap and came in quickly looking around the small area. It was empty, damn it the tent was empty... Leonardo had been stupid to think John would be here it was obvious he would not be hiding in his tent. Leonardo cursed under his breath and ran back outside the tent, he was surprised when he ran into a young boy knocking him down to the ground hard. The boy tumbled back in fright almost immediately and tried to back away unknowing that he was backing right into a infected man.

"Look out boy!"

Leonardo pulled the Beretta up and pulled off a shot striking the infected in the head splattering blood all over the young boys back. The boy yelped in fright as he quickly turned and back away he was trying desperately just to get away from the hell that was all over the place. Leonardo quickly came over to him and pulled him up to his feet, a group of infected were coming towards them now hearing the gun shot.

"Come on kid we gotta move now!"

The kid was scared out of his mind, that was obvious but he quickly looked back and then back at Leonardo with a look of desperation, for the man before him to help him to survive. Leonardo took the kids hand and quickly pulled him off in the opposite direction, they quickly put the infected behind... for now but they were far from being safe and Leonardo knew that all to well. As Leonardo changed direction he could see the airstrip in the distance and he could see large crowd of people that were still alive struggling and trying to escape the doomed camp on the last air craft leaving, in the background Leonardo could see the infected making their way from the back fence. There was no way John would be over there he was smarter then that. Leonardo pulled the kids hand to get him moving but he felt the tug and quickly looked back, the boy was breathing hard now, the small amount of running had been too much for him at such a quick pace.

"Come on kid we gotta keep moving."

"I can't.... can't breath... Asthma..."

Leonardo instantly caught on now, the boy had a lung condition which did not bode well, the stress alone was going to kill him, Leonardo had to do something to get this boy to calm down enough to fight his closing wind pipe. Leonardo quickly holstered his Beretta and bent forward picking the boy up with a grunt and quickly put him over his back.

"Wrap your arms around my neck kid, I don't want you to worry I am gonna keep you safe, just hold on and try to calm down its gonna be all right."

Leonardo took the sword in one hand and put his free hand on the boys leg that was now wrapped around his waist and took off in a sprint, the boy was not light weight for sure but Leonardo would stifle it for now. Leonardo ran onto the small strip of the base and turned his back away from the many civilians struggling to board the air craft, going over there would mean certain death, he would regret not trying to help, but he knew that no one was going to listen their fear would out win the day now... Leonardo knew this well he had seen it more then once. Leonardo quickly ran to a more abandoned part of the base to get away from the mass turmoil slowing down he breathed hard, catching his breath, that was when he heard the weak call out of his name, slowly turning Leonardo saw John laying on the ground in the distance, he was laying against and over turned humvee, quickly Leonardo turned and went to him. Slowly setting the boy down beside him Leonardo quickly looked over his friends, and saw the bite mark on his neck and his heart quickly sank.

Leonardo quickly pressed his hand against Johns neck to try and keep the blood pressure from dropping anymore, but even if he could stop it he knew that it was too late. As the pain in Leonardos chest started to rise he looked at John who looked back weakly.

"You... made it... back... was hoping... to see that ugly... mug one...one more time."

"Your gonna be ok John, your ex wife has bitten you worse then this out of anger, you remember... when you had that girl at your house and she walked in and bit you in the neck to try and kill you..."

John weakly smiled as he no doubt recounted the memory, slowly raising his hand he put it on Leonardos shoulder and squeezed it gently as he coughed hard and blood spurted from his mouth.

"I'm dieing Leo I tried... but I couldn't stop it from...couldnt stop it... I failed."

Leonardo put his hand on Johns hand and squeezed it tightly, Leonardo was fighting back the tears that were stemming at the base of his eye's the sinking feeling in his stomach was putting knots everywhere.

"You didn't fail John, you didn't fail, don't say that to yourself... it was an impossible situation and you gave your all..."

Leonardo choked up a bit and stopped speaking, he didn't know what to say, he felt the pain piercing his heart and it hurt so bad, a pain he had not felt since his wife died, he tried so hard to keep it at bay but he was no longer able too. Feeling Johns grip slightly weaken Leonardo looked in his eyes trying to find any words to say but none were coming too him as tears fell down his cheeks now.

"Leo... do me a favor... I don't want to be one of those things... an i can't... take my own life...i'm scared..."

"John... I can't... I can't do that your my only friend in the world, I can't..."

"Leo do you remember when we were in that POW camp together, how they tortured us day in and day out? An we made a pact that if we could never escape those walls together then the other would... would... end the others life out of.... respect? I don't wanna die... but I... don't wanna be one of them... things out there... please Leo... please..."

Leonardo closed his eyes hard as the tears dripped from his cheeks, the situation was almost surreal to him, in his head he just wanted this to be a bad dream, and he would wake up in a bed somewhere and life would be the way it was before. But Leonardo could not trick himself into believing that, he wanted so much to believe it, but he could not do it not even now that his best friend was going to die. Slowly Leonardo pulled the Colt 45 from Johns holster, looking at the metal in his hand he wanted to throw it as far away as possible... but he would respect John's wishes... he would not let John die in vain.

"I love you my brother, you saved me from that POW camp, you didn't leave me, and because of that I will respect your final wishes. It was an honor to be your friend and your brother in arms, and I swear to you I won't let your death be in vain... I swear it my friend."

"Good bye Leo, I hope we meet again in a better place... some day..."

As John closed his eye's Leonardo slowly raised the gun and pointed it at Johns head, slowly pulling the trigger back the hammer slowly went back and in one flash of the barrel... John and the man he was... was gone. Leonardo let the gun fall to the ground, he wanted to scream as loud as he could. to pound the ground, to just die right then and there. But he woudn't do it, he had to live on if not for himself then for the people he lost and cared about. Slowly turning his head the young boy was near by, tears were rolling down his cheeks, even in his fright the scene that had just unfolded had saddened him. Slowly Leonardo pulled the boy to him and slowly stood up.

"Come on we gotta go, the infected will have heard that shot, there is no more reason for me to be here..."

With that Leonardo turned and picked the boy back up and placed him on his back, turned back he slowly saluted his old friend and then took off in the opposite direction.