Feb 2018 v01 online

screams, guns firing, explosions. But inside
everything was quiet, almost peaceful.
He shook his head to clear the strange
wooziness in the back of his mind. Now wasn’t
the time for this. It was just another day, just
another hunt. And this time, he had the upper
hand.
Fingers curling around the gun, he picked up
his pace, heading down to the doorway at the
end of the hall. First, the office.
The research team was huddled in the corner.
Corey stood up when Dave walked in.
what are you waiting for? Kill us all. Isn’t that
what you’re here for? Or are you going to play
God and spare your friends? What a sad bastard
you are.”
Clenching his jaw, Dave brought up his gun
again and clicked off the safety. Sarah stepped
back, her eyes still bright with derision.
“Jane will be so proud of you now,” she spat.
Dave pulled the trigger and Sarah collapsed
like a rag doll. The rest of them screamed and
fell to their knees.
“Please…”
Looking down at their faces, he couldn’t
process anything. Wide eyes, red-rimmed. The
mouths opening and closing, making sound
that grated against Dave’s ears.
I’ve had enough, he thought, bringing up his
gun again.
“Dave, we’ve got to get out, it’s —”
Levelling the gun at his head, Dave shot him
between the eyes. He keeled over, mouth still
gaping in surprise. Shrieks and sobs began to
issue from the mouths of the people on the
ground. Their faces looked distorted, barely
human.
“So what Jane said was true,” said Sarah. She
stood up as well, a strange smile flickering over
her face. “You did betray us. You’re one of
them.”
“It’s for the greater good,” said Dave, the
words bitter in his mouth, “You haven’t seen
the things I’ve seen. Life in the lower caste —”
Sarah laughed. “I should’ve known. Once a
traitor, always a traitor. You betrayed your caste,
and now you’re here to betray us. So what if we
treat them like dogs? That’s what they are. Well,
For a few seconds his ears rang. Then the
room was silent. The bodies slumped in a pile
before him were still. The faces of his colleagues
stared back at him, their half-lidded eyes like
marbles.
He fell to his knees. The gun spun from his
hand.
And then the door opened.
Dave didn’t look up. He knew the footsteps
too well.
“Are you here to kill me?” he asked.
A strong hand grabbed his arm, lifted him.
The gun was pushed back into his fingers.
Standing back, Jane leaned against the wall.
“What are you waiting for?” she said, “Go
ahead. For the greater good.”