Dead Frontier/Issue 77

This is a preview for Issue #77 of Dead Frontier by Walkerbait22, titled ''Mercy. This is the fifth issue in 'Volume 4. '''The entire issue is planned to be posted the week of May 20, 2013.

Issue 77 - Mercy (preview)
Roxie gazes at the carnage around her. Of what's left of Martin's camp. Several of the decrepit and unsturdy cabins are up in flames, leaving layers of ash over the bright snow, dead bodies strewn around the ground in front of them. Her men begin filling boxes with anything they can scavenge and piling everything into the cars.

Coughing and sputtering, Walter and Sterling appear from a smoking cabin, carrying Martin by the arms. The left side of Martin's face is burned, the pale skin now pink and peeling. His shirt is torn to disuse, and he wears no shoes. In Roxie's eyes, it's absolutely pathetic. Walter and Sterling throw him to the ground, where his face collides with the melting snow. He lies there, defeated and pained, and Roxie nudges him with her foot.

"Hey, Marty," she says, and she kneels next to him, "You alive?" He groans in response. "Good." With how scrawny Martin is, she can easily turn him over onto his back. He stares up at her, his pale green eyes conveying total despair and hopelessness. They seem to plead with her to get it over with, to just kill him already. His lips move as he tries to say something, but his throat is so raw that no words come out.

"What's that?" Roxie asks, and Martin moans in response. "Mhm. Interesting," she replies sarcastically. She presses the bottom of her boot onto Martin's neck, restricting his breathing. "Wanna repeat that?" Martin's eyes go wide and she presses her foot harder on his throat. He grabs at her leg, trying to move it, but the weakness caused by the burn injuries makes it impossible. He tries to talk, but makes a guttural choking sound.

"This is it then," Roxie says with a nostalgic sigh, "You had a good run. Longer than most. You know where you went wrong and looking at you now, I know you're wishing you could take all of those mistakes back. But you know what? Too little, too late, Marty."

Martin’s attempts at breathing turn into rapid, painful gasps as Roxie pulls a long, sleek knife from her weapons belt. “Pl-plea...” Martin manages to croak out. “I’ll do...a--any--anyth...”

“Really?” Roxie asks. She moves positions; instead of using her foot, she kneels and presses her knee into Martin’s chest. With airflow now less restricted, he takes deep breaths, gulping up the smokey air around him. “How about you shut up long enough for me to kill you, yeah?”

“Good one,” Sterling adds in quickly.

Roxie looks up at him and shakes her head; still, a small grin forms on her face. “Shut up. You’re ruining my intimidation speech I’ve got going on.”

“Oh, my apologies.”

“Anyways”--she looks back down at Martin--”nice knowing you.” She places the blade to his neck, and with one clean swipe of her wrist, slices his throat.