a matter of execution

All Quiet. Subdued voices, the occasional bark of laughter. The myriad insects’ hum resonates with that of the generators.
Then…
A percussive roar and a blinding flash.
Screams.
Brian dropped the M-16 and grabbed for his throat with both hands. He fell to his knees in the mud, head forward, tongue out, gurgling, choking, spraying blood. He desperately tried to control his breathing as every jagged breath sucked blood into his lungs, causing the gurgling, the choking. He tipped forward onto his hands, faced the earth and kept his mouth open. Blood spilled out and he could breathe, just. He fought to control the reflex to swallow – it made him want to gag and the blood already in his stomach threatened nausea.