drabblewriter

allbingo

Leon's mission is simple. When a bioweapons engineering lab was destroyed by a DSO strike team a year ago, a handful of lab animals, BOW hybrids, managed to escape and avoided being tracked down. Now there's new intel that a pack of them has been spotted with an apparent home in a cave a few miles away. It's Leon's job to eliminate them.

The cave is simple to find with the coordinates he's been given, and soon he starts to hear noises: animals moving around, little growls, and odd-sounding barks. He knows they're dog hybrids, so it makes sense. A moment later, he crests a ridge and can see them in the distance.

Slightly bigger the average large dog, smooth black hides with the telltale ragged patches of infection. There are a pair tussling in the dirt outside the entrance to the cage. As Leon watches, another emerges and growls at them, prompting them to part.

That's three. The intel had suggested a dozen, and he'll have to do his level best to wipe them out. If even one slips away, they may be able to start breeding again with local populations and continue presenting a possible danger.

Leon raises his gun, unwavering. Three quick shots, three dark bodies dropping still to the ground.

He waits, still under cover, to see if any more emerge, and soon enough they do. He takes out three more, simple, clean, then steps out of his hiding place and advances on the cave entrance.

He's halfway across the clearing when another trio appears, skulking, growling. The one in the middle is huge, maybe the alpha, if these things work like that. He catches sight of Leon and rumbles, low and menacing and not quite natural.

Leon raises his gun. Part of him doesn't like this. One reason is easier. He's not animal control. This is almost a waste of his time and skills. The other he wouldn't admit aloud. These are animals. He doesn't doubt they're dangerous, but there's also an innocence about them that rankles. They didn't choose to be experimented on, infected, tainted. They didn't choose any of this. Maybe the initial dogs came from a shelter or were stolen; maybe they followed an evil man with treats and a deceptively soft voice. And then they escaped the first wave of destruction, got away. A small, quiet part of him thinks they deserve their peace.

The big creature lunches, and Leon fires. Two heartbeats later, the others are down as well, the clearing littered with bodies now.

He takes a breath, flicks on a headlamp, and steps into the shade of the cave.

And the second things come into focus, his heart lurches. The last of the adults run at him, and he puts them down without thought, but that doesn't mean the cave is now empty.

Because there are nests. Three of them. Right at the back of the cave in the deepest shadows. Filled with young. The leaking bodies at his feet must be their mothers, the last line of defense.

Leon steps forward for a closer look, distantly aware that his gun should still be up, but these aren't threats.

Two of the nests are full of tiny squirming bundles of shiny back and gray fur, their eyes not even open yet. The ones in the center nest are a bit older. There are four of them, all sitting up, blinking big whitish eyes at him. It's the only thing that cuts through the illusion of them being normal puppies.

And then they move. Tumbling out of the nest one after the other, tripping over floppy ears, yipping excitedly - like they're happy to see him.

Leon's heart cracks.

Because this doesn't change anything. It doesn't matter that they look like normal baby animals, that they're running around his feet, sniffing curiously, not the least bit aggressive.

It doesn't matter. They have that danger in their genes, and there's no way to change that. They'll grow up. There's nothing to be done with them.

The logic doesn't make it hurt less.

He can't shoot them. There's no way. And he's grateful he doesn't have to. Because there are explosive charges in his pack to bring down the cave, to make sure nothing ever leaves this place. He takes a shaky breath and starts pulling them out, eyeing weak points in the rock walls like the second nature it is.

The puppies follow him as he does his work, having no idea what's coming. Part of Leon wishes they would run. He doesn't know if he would have it in him to go after them. But they don't, just watch him, nip at his boots. One pads over and starts nudging at one of the dead adults, and he has to look away.

It only takes a few minutes to set everything up. When he finishes, he returns to that back wall and places the final charge among the nests. He wants to be sure. To have it be fast. To not hurt them any more than he has to.

Something in his chest aches as the curious pups nose at the charge. They have no idea. They're so innocent. They deserve so much more.

But there's a still a job to do. He goes back outside, grateful the little ones don't follow him this time, and drags each of the bodies back in. It'll be clean and simple. The collapsed cave will become a cairn for the whole situation.

And then he looks at the nests one last time. The pups have toddled back into theirs, curled up like the sleepy babies they are, drifted off again. He wants to weep looking at them. He's never felt less like the cold, capable government agent he's meant to be.

But he's glad they're asleep. He hopes they stay that way until...

His breath hitches, and he dashes away a tear. "I'm sorry," he murmurs.

Then he tears his gaze away, turns, walks out of the cave. Doesn't let himself hesitate as he primes the detonator - can't - then pushes the button.

Quick, clean. Easy.

Mission accomplished.