Everyone is asleep except me. I can't sleep. I decided to get up and go for a walk. I slip my shoes on then take my pass and leave. I am walking around when I see Ezekiel heading towards my room. I stop him before he can go in and wake everyone up.
"Sam, just who I'm looking for." He is still mad at us for not telling him what we found earlier today. "It's time. I have everything all set up, it will just be us three."
"Alright Sir." I follow him to his office. Rocco is sitting in the chair with restrains so he can't run.
"Hello," I say bending down to his face. "Now who's worthless." I crack a smile.
"Sam, sit down," Ezekiel commands. "We aren't killing him here. I want to know what you found."
"That knife," I glance to the one on the table. "If you had sent us to begin with we would have got a lead much quicker." I am still standing. "We did find a lead, but it led to a two way choice. Die or leave with a message."
Ezekiel shows great interest. "What message?"
"He said, Surrender or die. We learnt how to get to their base, but it won't be easy, no way to get close without being seen."
"And Jax?"
"He's alive. That's what the guy known as Erin said."
"Good. Bad that they have him, but good he is still alive. They have officially declared war on us." He walks around the desk. "Thank you for telling me this, now we can do this." He releases Rocco then drags him out, we walk out to the grounds and into a building I've never seen before. He shoves Rocco into the middle of the room and then exits closing the door behind us.
"What you going to do? Kill me?"
"We'll see." I say. I've put my tough act on. I look around, this room is fairly spacious. The floor already has blood stains so I can only assume this room is used for torture or the Commander has some very weird hobbies. "You know, I'm squad leader now. I get to tell underlings what to do." Of course only when I have to. They are my family any other time. "I beat up the tough baddy my first day out. My squad has the fastest recovery badge."
I am playing with him, dragging out the torture I am about to inflict on him. I kick him in the shin and he falls to the floor. "What? Are you not going to fight back? Are you that much of a chicken?" I laugh at him.
"I was wrong." He hangs his head. "I treated you like scum on my boot. I deserve to die. What I did, those things lost me my respect, my ranks. I'm no man." It is pitiful. I actually felt bad for the dude.
I kick him again. "I wish I didn't have to kill you, but I made a deal and I have to hold up my end of the bargain." I kick him again, I can hear his ribs crack as the blow sends him to the floor. Ezekiel does.'t leave me any weapons to kill him with. I see a pipe leaning against the wall I get it and then walk back over to the lump on the floor.
I raise the pipe above my head. "I'm sorry." I bring the pipe down. I feel it break through the skin, he lets out a blood curdling scream and then nothing. Instant death, I remove the pipe and throw it across the room then walk out.
Now I really can not wait for this war to be over. Knowing my luck I will die before this is over.
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"There's a meeting in the mess hall."
"That's weird I haven't been told about any meetings."
"It is last minute. No one knows what it's about."
I take my team to the mess hall. There is a projector with Ezekiel on it waiting. There is also a clock ticking down the time until the meeting starts. This is the most people any of us have seen in the mess hall. Everyone is here.
"This must be serious," Jasper says to me as we take our seats. "Wonder what it's about."
10…9…8…
"No idea," I shrug. Ezekiel hasn't told me anything. We look at the projected hologram.
5…4…
Someone says, "shush it's about to start." The whole room goes quiet. You could hear a pin hit the floor. The only sound in the whole room is the ticking of the clock until it reaches 0.
"Hello everyone," Ezekiel's body moves before we get the sound. "I have an urgent announcement. Yesterday night the troops on patrol duty found bombs planted carefully in and round the trees near the east wing." That is Unit C. "We will be going into emergency lock down and no one is to enter or leave the building. Classes will be held in the mess hall every day. If you are seen outside you will be shot on site, so please remember not to go out. This is not a drill. We suspect that the Blood wolves are behind this."
Numerous people around the room begin to whisper and I can hear people saying they don't want to die. Great way to inform us of the lockdown.
"...Hard work, bravery, teamwork, those are the things that are going to get us through this. I expect everyone to train hard and prepare themselves for an attack. I have reached out to other bases for reinforcement, hopefully they can get back to us soon." Ezekiel looks worried. Perhaps the others are not going to help us.
"We are all going to die." Someone says. The whole mess hall erupts with panic.
"Guys stay calm." I warn. It's difficult to remain calm with all the panic but we manage. Several of the other teams see us and try to get their squads to calm down.
Ezekiel starts speaking again, but the room is now too loud to hear him. I am getting frustrated. I want to know what he is saying. The projection clicks off and I summon my group to leave before others realize and flood the exits. We make it three steps out the door and I begin to hear people shout my name. I turn in time to see three leaders from other squads run up to me.
"Sam," The first one says. "You were with the officers when they died, lead us!"
"Yeah tell us what to do, we will do anything."
"Of any of us, you're squad is the most likely to survive this. Teach us."
I don't need this pressure. I can't deal with this many people. "Okay." What?!? "Spread word to the other leaders to meet here after a few hours and we will come up with a plan." More people to care about… great one sam.
The desperate leaders nod their head then run back into the room to their squads to lead them out. I rush mine back to our room before another swarm attacks me with those questions.
"Great," Zero complains. "They bring war to the front door."
"Zero shut up. I need to think." I plop down on my bed. "Actually, what do you guys recommend I do?" Clearly we are not as prepared for attack as I thought we were.
"Tell them to suck it up their asses. They didn't take training as seriously so now it's too late."
"Zero, Shut the hell up. That's exactly how to make them want to kill us," Jasper throws Zeros way. "I say we sneak out and let this place go to hell, get as many people to join us as we can."
"I think we should stay and fight. We need to honor those we lost. This is our moment."
They left me with a plate full to think about. In the end, I decide we offer to train them hard in the little amount of time we have. The problem is, if we are attacked after an intense training there is a possibility that we won't stand a chance anyway. After everyone is asleep, I go back to the mess hall. Out of all the leaders only six of them are there.
"So what do we do?"
"First I want to hear what you guys think."
"Well obviously we don't know, that's why we asked you."
"Okay, okay," I take a seat with them. "You need to train them on hand in hand combat. They don't give you guns in here so they need to know how to defend themselves in other ways."
"When do we start?"
"Tonight?"
"No, let them sleep, they need to be well rested."
"Look who thinks they are big and tough now," a voice in the door says. "Well you losers can stay here to die, I'm taking my group and leaving. Before I go, anyone want to join?... no one? Suit yourselves." He walks away. A group of people following him, I hear the door shut. A few minutes pass and we hear gunshots, each person shot down.
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(Jax's POV)
"They are scared now." Erin says, a big grin on his face. "Shot down a group of their own. Just a couple days left, then we are going to see if they are ready to surrender."
I hate this man, he is not a man; he is a killer. He brought the old blind man into Luccas house and killed him in cold blood in front of me. His excuse, the old man wouldn't let progress happen.
"Nothing to say?" Erin gets down in my face and holds my chin up. "That's right, you think I'm the monster. Now I'll show you what a monster can do." He laughs evilly. All Erin's men fear him, that's why they do what he says. A bag is shoved over my face again, and I am moved to a new location.
The bag is finally removed. We are hidden in the tree line staring at my home. There's no noise, no lights, nothing. I can see patrols on the roof, they are dressed to match the night sky but occasionally you can see them. There are twenty or so bodies piled up in front of my units doors.
"Look at them. So pathetic. I will make them our slaves." He looks at me. "We are going to use you as bait to make them surrender."
"They won't break over a foot soldier like me. I'm scum on the bottom of their shoes." I lie. I hope they wouldn't. They have Sam, she's a good soldier she will be the one to take my place.
"Bull shit. The changes they made to you, you're practically a walking god. Faster, stronger, smarter…. wait.. you're not the only one are you? They have others, one will replace you."
"About time you catch on. The old man could have told you, but you killed him."
"Shut up." I receive a painful blow to the back of my head and blackout.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere far away from Peace…
"This 'war' has gone on long enough. Forty decades, the people who started it are long gone."
"Sir what do we do then?"
"Take a ship, demand them to stop."
"Yes sir."
"How long will it take for a fleet of thirty ships to make it to Peace?"
"At minimal capacity 10 years sir."
"And the fastest."
"No one knows sir, we would have to leave power saving mode, no one's ever done it before."
"Do your best, I'm tired of this bloodbath of a planet. They are all a disgrace, that is why we cut them off. Oh and if they don't wish to end the war....."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Sam's POV)
A couple days have passed since we decided to train everyone in physical combat. My squad is helping teach the others. We don't have enough time, sadly, even with basic knowledge there is a high possibility they won't make it. Fuck these emotions; the ones that make you care for people.
I am on the roof, I was called to patrol duty. The sun is barely peeking over the east horizon. I have been up all night; I took a double shift.
"Hey guards, wanna play a game," a voice yells from the trees. It sounds like Erin's voice. "Let's have some fun." I can see something go flying through the air, a bomb. It exposes causing several guards to fall back from the blast. No real harm seems to be done. I can hear the ringing in my ears.
I crouch low, scanning the trees to see if I can locate a couple of them. They are blending in well, but I manage to spot three sitting in a tree pointing and laughing where the bomb was thrown.
"Next time it will be closer," Erin yells. I can hear him laugh; he thinks this is a game. "Bring out your leader, I want an answer."
"What answer?" a girl from unit b yells back.
"They didn't bring the message? Well that's just great." Another bomb goes flying through the air. "I'm going to blow up your base, unless you surrender to us." The bomb explodes, the girl loses balance and falls off the building to her death. "Oops. That's gotta be nasty."
"We will never surrender to you, you filth," another person yells. "You have bombs, but guess what.." before the kid can finish their sentence an arrow soars into his chest, knocking him down.
"This is too easy, Where's your badasses?" he yells, he's now mocking us. "You know, the ones that actually stand a chance against us, they have been modified."
There is no way I can sneak out, I either stay quiet or I say something. "Over here." I stand up.
"Oh, so you did make it back."
"Show yourself, then we can talk," I demand.
"Fine, fine. Come down here, bring your leader too."
"Fine. Don't kill anyone else." I make my way to the stairs. Once I reach the first floor I go in search of Ezekiel. To my surprise he is already waiting for me.
"Let's go," He directs, but follows me to the door. We walk out. We stand our ground, the trainees holding our lives in their hands.
"Alright, Erin." I yell. "Where are you?"
"Right here, sweetie," he walks out completely alone.
"Where is Jax?"
"Surrender."
"First we want to know where Jax is." I say.
Erin lifts his hand up, three people come from a different area. One has a bag on their head. They push the guy to Erin and force him to kneel on the gravel. He yanks the back off. Jax has dried up blood coming from his nose, his right eye is swollen. His left arm has a bandage wrap over it, that must have been from his knife.
"Now you have him," Erin smiles. "Surrender or else he dies." I look at Ezekiel. What do we do.
"Don't do it!" Jax yells.
"Silence," Erin kicks Jax in the side. He winces in pain, but keeps his composure. "I said surrender."
"Fuck you brother." a gunshot goes off behind us. The bullet hits Erin and leaves a hole in his right arm. "Get Jax and run!"
I lung for Jax, I grab him and yank him towards the entrance. I can hear gunshots repeatedly fire, I feel a bullet whizz passed my ear. I open the door and shove Jax in. I receive a bullet to the leg, but that doesn't stop me. I have no weapon to fight back so my best option is to get Jax away from this door.
I can hear the guns blasting away. This is what war sounds like. I hear the blasts of bombs as they explode. I have no weapons, nothing to contribute to the fight.
Soon the quiet takes over aside the scuffles of boots on the ground. I can hear a faint voice, Ezekiel's. He is telling the others to gather our dead. The wolves must have retreated. I look back at Jax. He is white, like the white room. He looks like a ghost, that died a very brutal death. On top of his skin there is dried up blood coming from his nose. His lip is busted and he has a black eye.
I am so focused on Jax that I do not realize the pain in my leg; I have to ensure he is okay. I stare at him. He is looking around watching as our people bring their dead to a place to prepare them.