He kneeled in front of his friend, but he didn’t think Rollie could see him. “Rollie, it’s Adam. What the hell happened?”

Rollie’s eyes were bloody orbs, the lids burned away. “Please kill me,” he said.

“Rollie, what happened?”

“I think it was bombs. I know there were bombs earlier. We all took shelter from that, and then . . . God, it was awful.”

Adam scanned the carnage in front of him, and then scanned the scorched and collapsed buildings. “Are you all that’s left?”

“I don’t know. I’m blind.” Every syllable appeared to be agonizing. “Everything caught fire all at once. We were sheltered in Tyler, and the whole building caught fire in, like, a second. Cadets were burning, Adam. Like torches. Oh, my God, the screams.”

“Come on,” Adam said. “We’ve got to get you to a doctor.” He reached under Rollie’s biceps to help him rise, triggering an animal scream that was pure agony.

“Don’t! Don’t! Ah, Jesus, don’t touch me!”

Adam jumped back, fell on his ass. “I–I’m sorry.”

“We both know I’m beyond help,” Rollie said. His tone was terrifyingly normal. “This hurts so, so bad. Please, Adam. Please kill me.”

Adam rose again to his knees. “I can’t do that, Rollie.”

“There aren’t any doctors anymore, Adam. Sure as hell there aren’t any here. Please. Please send me to God and let this be over.”

Adam worked his jaws hard to keep the tears at bay. Rollie had been his best friend since the first moments they arrived at the academy. Watching him here, like this, was too much. Clearly, every breath hurt. The air seemed to turn to liquid in his lungs, creating a horrid gurgling sound.

Adam thought back to the heat of the fire in the woods. They weren’t even burned, yet the pain was frightening. Vivid. Was that what Rollie was feeling now? If he was going to die, anyway, wasn’t euthanasia the merciful decision?

Without another word, Adam pressed himself up to his feet. When he turned, he was startled to see Emma right there.

“I’m sorry, Adam,” she said.

She spread her arms to hug him, but he sidestepped her. He had a thing to do here. It was an awful, sinful thing that would end with him in hell, but if he paused even for a few seconds, he’d lose his nerve and Rollie’s suffering would continue.

Adam strode back to the Bronco and pulled open the tailgate.

“Adam, what are you going to do?”

He grabbed his rucksack and pulled it back to the opening. He found his old-school KA-BAR survival knife in the external pocket, where it belonged. He lifted it out, scabbard and all, and started back toward Rollie.

Emma looked terrified. “Adam, you can’t do this.”