My eyes opened slowly when it was time to leave.
I laid on the ground for a few moments, breathing in the crisp air of early morning.
The security and comfort of the base was something I felt gratitude for, but nothing beat the air my lungs breathed outside.
"Are you heading out already?" Sani asked groggily as I slipped on my backpack.
The sun had yet to rise.
I hummed softly in agreement.
"Be careful." She tossed again on the floor.
The girls were informed of the rescue plan and were anxious when Sani and I were a part of it. However, they, like many, also had family that stayed behind.
They also wanted their loved ones to return.
The girls remained huddled, like the night before, searching each other for warmth.
Luckily seasons were on the verge of summer, they wouldn't be cold for long.
I shook my head.
They all should just head inside before they get sick.
What were they hanging around here for?
["We're stubborn. We'll just hold on to you tighter than before."]
Arianna's voice rang in my head.
My eyes squeezed shut and the leaves stopped crunching under me.
Arianna, you said you'd see me later. You never lie. So please- please-
A violent sniffing by my feet pulled me away from my thoughts.
Nukka was nearby, aggressively sniffing a bush.
I let a puff of air that was unconsciously being held in.
"Looking for breakfast are we?"
Nukka's ears perked, as if acknowledging that I was speaking to her. She trotted towards me and rubbed her head against my torso.
I gave her what she asked for, gently rubbing her head.
"You were dying a few months back but now you're fine." I mumbled. "Now you're trotting around without a care in the world."
Nukka's tail began to wag furiously when I scratched her ears tenderly.
"And no one could give a damn about who you are. What you can do. No one is looking for you."
A soft chuckle escaped my lips when Nukka let out a content groan.
Then a twig snapped in the distance.
Both of our heads swirled in that direction.
Nukka began to growl softly.
"Shhhh." I whispered, touching her snout softly as I slowly crouched for my pocket knife.
We carefully made our way behind a large tree and waited for another sound.
It followed soon after. Another crunch of leaves.
The sounds were clearly footsteps.
My grip on the knife tightened.
When the moment was right, I launched myself at the trailer.
They moved to defend themselves but weren't quick enough. They found themselves pinned on the ground, my body pressed against them while my knife pressed against their throat.
"It's me! It's me!"
I leaned back while not moving my knife.
The voice matched the face, a frightened Tristan looked back at me with wide eyes.
"What are you doing here?!" I hissed quietly.
Tristan remained frozen, while his lips trembled. "C-Could you move the knife?"
I quickly pulled it away and put it back into my shoe. "Why are you here?"
"Vans sent me."
I scrunch my eyebrows.
"He- He uh, said something about stopping you from doing something stupid."
"Go back."
Tristan instantly shook his head. "No!"
"Tristan." My voice lowered and he flinched slightly.
"I- I know I'm a burden but- but I can't leave you by yourself. Not after everything that's happened."
A low growl interrupted us.
Nukka grew closer to me, her eyes targeted on Tristan.
He stumbled backwards in fear.
While patting her head gently, I whispered, "He's okay."
"S-Snow."
She must've not hid herself because she thought I was in danger.
Nukka stopped growling but her ears remained folded back and her nose remained scrunched.
"That's a wolf." He squeaked.
I was slightly surprised he hadn't heard about her. I figured Parker had spoken about her at some point.
Why didn't he?
"Snow?"
Tristan's trembling voice called me out of my thoughts.
"Shhhh." I continued to pat her head. "I know him."
"How are you doing that?"
"She's trained."
"You- You trained a wolf?!" Tristan exclaimed.
"Not me."
He stared at Nukka.
She stared at him.
The chirping of a bird pulled me out of my thoughts.
Looking up, I realized morning was starting to pull itself out of its grogginess and was starting to become more alert.
That's enough games.
"Come on." I signaled the both of them to follow me as I trudged forward.
They quickly followed.
"So, why was it so urgent to come? I mean- weren't you going to come later anyway?" He wondered out loud.
I pondered on whether to explain.
I taught him a bit of fighting but tactical thinking is also important.
"If we want to come undetected, we have to know what's going on."
"Hmm?"
"Number of soldiers. Placement of different departments. Entrance and exit routes. The best times. All of this is important if we want to minimize damage."
Tristan nodded slowly. "I never thought of that."
Considering he spent the war underground, it didn't come as a surprise.
Soon enough, we grew closer to the camp.
"From here on out, not a single word must leave your mouth. You do everything I tell you to. Understand?" I ordered.
"Yeah."
I turned to Nukka, "Sit."
She sat.
"Stay here."
Then Tristan and I carefully moved forward, until the base was in sight. As it was barely morning, movement was little but the moment the sun peaked, soldiers began to bustle around in their morning routines.
Tristan glanced at me.
Their quarters were easy to spot, groups of large tents squashed together.
Other tents were guarded and a little harder to distinguish.
However, there was a specific area the soldiers would naturally place their attention. They snickered and chortled while pointing in the direction that was obstructed by a tent.
I signaled Tristan to follow me.
Circling the perimeter of their camp, the area that was once obstructed was now in view.
My stomach dropped.
The slight sound of a twig snapping pulled me back as I swerved my head to look at Tristan.
'Hold yourself together' I glared.
However, his feeling was not any worse than mine. Horror and guilt clawed on my insides violently at the sight before us.
A group of people sat and laid on the ground, battered and bloodied. Tied up and some unable to move.
The mocking laughter from the soldiers caused my hands to clench. Even so, I continued with my purpose. My fingers carefully procured small binoculars from my backpack. Upon closer expectation, I instantly recognized faces that I used to see on a daily basis, only distorted, swollen, and bruised.
Tristan looked at me for some kind of hope but I shook my head grimly.
He closed his eyes.
I continued to observe the group and stopped abruptly when I approached someone in particular. Even if his face was horribly disfigured and painted with blood, I could still tell it was him.
It was Mr. Small.
After a deep breath, my eyes continued to survey the camp.
Five tents in total. About thirty to forty soldiers. It was currently about five-thirty in the morning and training had yet to start. Prisoners seemed to be kept near the leading officer's tent.
My- my father did not seem to be here.
I lowered my binoculars and began to think.
The number of soldiers is too small. As if they know the majority of those who ran away are weak. Right now, it just seems like they're trying to find where we are.
Tristan waved me out of my thoughts.
'What now?' He mouthed.
'We wait.'
At exactly seven, they began their daily routines and at the same time they dragged a man away from the group.
His screams echoed through the woods.
Tristan clenched his hands to stop himself from trembling, while I lifted my binoculars to see who it was.
I had seen that man multiple times during patrol.
He was someone with soft eyes.
The soldiers remained stagnant throughout the rest of the day, as if waiting. The constant screaming made it obvious as to what they were waiting for.
I glanced over at Tristan and my heart was pierced.
He was aggressively covering his ears while squeezing his eyes shut. There were drops of red on his lips as he bit down to prevent himself from making a sound. I watched as his body flinched with every agonizing cry.
My hands reached over to comfort him but faltered.
What right did I have to comfort him?
My hands lowered and I grasped the binoculars.
It was me who placed him in this situation in the first place.
We remained like so the rest of the day, however, as the sun towered over us, something happened.
A singular gunshot echoed.
Tristan froze as I quickly raised the binoculars.
There was movement in a tent by the leading officer's tent.
My hand quickly went to cover Tristan's face when I realized what had occurred.
"Don't look!" I hissed as quietly as possible.
A soldier appeared from the tent, with on hand he dragged a heavily misshapen corpse.
Fingers and a foot were missing. His arms and legs were so violently broken, they bent in ways that were not humanly possible. The clothing soaked with blood.
My hands tightened over Tristan's eyes.
The corpse was placed in front of the group as they mourned in silence. Eyes were squeezed shut as the friend was tossed at them like animal produce.
They were being killed off.
Waiting to see who broke first and sell out those who escaped.
The rescue could not wait two days from now.
It had to happen tomorrow… before the sun rose.