I ignored my captain calling for me and stepped up to Doc’s side. “Here.”
He jumped before whipping around to face me. “What?”
I furrowed my brow.
I’d never seen Doc jumpy like that.
I pulled my hand out of my pocket and unfurled it, showcasing the little camera and microphone. “Here.”
Doc’s eyes darted to my face before he sighed and took them. “Thanks. Any idea how to hook them up.”
“Brutus, goddamn it, where the fuck are you!?” Cap exclaimed as he marched toward us.
I turned toward the sound and watched him round the corner.
“Boss,” I said with a nod of my head. I thumbed over my shoulder. “Doc found a space for that camera I got handed. Still looking for a mic perch, though.”
Cap’s eyes darted to Doc behind me. “You good?”
I peered over my shoulder and saw Doc a little paler than normal. I lowered my voice. “You need anything?”
His gaze flickered to me before he shook his head. He looked back at Cap. “We’re good here. If you need Brutus.”
Doc shooed his hand away before I watched him lean against the door he just opened. A quick flick of my gaze showed me one of the dead women whose stench crept through the door. I heard Cap start down the hallway, grumbling to himself about the smell. But when he got to where we were, he froze.
He stared.
For a long time, actually.
“Doc,” Cap said.
“Yeah?” Doc asked.
Cap patted his back. “Brutus, stay with Doc and help him with that camera, then come find me. Ranger needs your help placing a mic.”
I nodded as I handed him the microphone in my hand. “You find a place for that one then, so I don’t forget about it.”
Cap nodded and took the small device from my palm. “Done. Come find me when you have that camera mounted. Ranger’s testing everything before we head out.”
“How long ‘til we head out?” Doc asked as he stepped over the first body that blocked the door.
“No more than twenty. I’ll give shout-out countdowns, provided the space is still cleared by then,” Cap said.
I just tapped my ear and gave him a thumbs up to let him know that I had heard him.
Ever smelled a dead body? Yeah, it wasn’t a smell anyone ever got used to. I saw a lot of carnage during my days as a senior pilot in the Air Force. I know, I know. Doesn’t sound like a job that’s full of carnage, but you’d be surprised what you see from the sky when you’re dropping bombs and bullets alike.
The stench of death wasn’t something that was easily wiped from olfactory memories.
“Good God,” Doc muttered as he looked around. “There has to be at least ten of them.”
I refused to count the bodies.
I stopped counting the dead a long time ago.
I pointed to a darkened perch in the corner. “There.”
“What?” Doc asked.
