"Hey, I didn't expect to see you here"
The two turned to see Colt
"Hey, What are you doing here?"
"I'm helping organize the evacuation. We're trying to get as many people out of the city as possible."
"I see."
Colt nodded
"Come on, I can get you to the new HQ, Thanks, Rodge."
The Guard nodded and saluted
"Good luck."
Colt waved and he led the two through the crowds.
"How's the evacuation going?"
"It's slow and steady, but we're managing."
"Is it going to be enough?"
"Hopefully."
The two followed Colt as he led them out of the station.
"Are the tunnels going to be okay? It's getting crowded in here."
"They're going to be fine. The tunnels are big enough to hold the entire population of the city. It's going to be tight, but we'll manage."
"I'm sure you will."
The three walked through the crowd and up to a set of stairs.
"This way."
The two followed Colt up the stairs.
"It's nice to see you, I was starting to worry you'd gotten caught up in all the madness." Colt turned to the two
"Nah, We were able to slip away from the traffic"
"That's good. What about the others?"
"They're safe. Maverick's with Maria and her kids. They're heading out of town."
"Thank god. I was worried."
They stepped out onto the street into a chaotic view. Trucks filled with soldiers in various gear raced past.
"God. This is really happening isn't it?"
"Yeah, We've got a long road ahead of us."
The three stood there watching the chaos.
"Let's go."
Jarvis and Isa followed Colt as he led them through the chaos, weaving between soldiers and trucks, dodging around civilians.
"Jesus. There are a lot of people here."
"Yeah, It's crazy. They're trying to evacuate the city, Some though want to stay and defend, Honorable folks.."
Colt waved down a truck
"Hey, you guys going in the direction of the HQ?"
"Yeah, need a ride? We're headed that way."
"Yes, please. We need to get there quickly."
"Alright, get in."
The two jumped into the back of the truck and Colt climbed in behind them.
"Alright, let's get moving."
"Thanks."
The driver nodded and the truck sped off.
As they drove down the street now filled with military personnel, Jarvis and Isa both took their seats at the back of the truck, Isa was still nervous but Isa tried her best to remain calm.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You're trembling."
"It's nothing."
"If you're scared, then I'm scared."
"I'm not scared."
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Come on, Talk to me."
"I'm fine, Really."
"Alright, Well, If you need anything, Let me know."
"Thanks."
The two sat in silence, the truck speeding down the road, the sounds of the chaos of the city filling the air.
Isa stared out the window, Trucks and cars filled with gear and armed soldiers zoomed past.
"Jesus. They're really serious about this."
"Yeah. They're taking this very seriously."
"I can tell."
The truck slowed to a stop.
"Alright, Here's your stop."
"Thank you."
The three jumped out of the truck and onto the street.
"Come on, It's this way."
The two followed Colt down the street.
"You sure you're alright?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Okay. Let's keep moving."
The two followed Colt down the street, weaving between soldiers and trucks.
"It's a bit crazy, isn't it?"
"It is."
They walked into the main area, the once bustling office now a hive of activity.
"They're setting up a temporary command post. We need to figure out when and where this attack will happen.
"I see."
The three walked into the building.
Isa and Jarvis looked around. Soldiers ran around the room, carrying equipment and weapons.
"God this really is going to be war.." replied Isa in shock
They were led upstairs as the lights flickered
"What's going on with the lights?"
"They cut the power a while back, they've been using backup generators."
"Ahh"
They walked into a room filled with people running back and forth, radios, screens, maps, and computers filled the room.
"Woah."
They walked past
"This is our situation room."
There sat some of the councilors and other high-ranking officers.
"Isa. Jarvis. I expected you two, Glad you made it here ok."
"Of course, I'm not about to let myself die to some assholes." chuckled Isa
"Haha. Yeah" sighed Jarvis
"Well, I guess I should catch you up. We got info that the US Marshals declared warrants for the councils' heads. And they were going to raid us. So we evacuated the HQ and planned a trap, we caught them off guard. Even hit one of their helicopters. But with the Governor, They will probably enact a full-scale invasion."
"What happened to the HQ?"
"The top floor was wrecked. So were a few buildings around it they landed on in order to provide cover for the main fighting force."
"Jesus."
"Yeah. It was a bloodbath."
"I bet."
"We were lucky, they lost a lot of men, we only had a couple injured" Kalia paused "And five men."
"Wow."
"I'm so upset still." sighed Kalia "We had a deal. He agreed. I don't understand why he would do this."
"Money. Greed. Power. The usual reasons."
"I guess."
"Well, I suppose that's it."
"I guess, what's the next plan of action?"
"We'll continue to gather intelligence and try to find out their next move."
"Sounds good."
"And what about us?"
"Well, Get the public to see that what we want isn't a terrorist act, but freedom for Quitianians and anyone else who is oppressed. With that, we have more of a chance at securing a peace deal."
"We're gonna need a lot more than that to pull that off"
"Yeah, But it's something, and the first step towards freedom."
Some in the room clap and cheer at Kalia's words, others look at her with revered vigor.
"You really think it's possible?"
"It's not an impossible goal, and that's what we aim for."
"Well, good luck."
"Thank you."
"In the meantime, we need to focus on making sure that the people of this city are safe."
"Agreed."
"We have a long road ahead of us."
"And a long fight."
"Indeed."
The two sat in silence.
"Well, I guess we'll be off, Nice seeing you're ok."
"Thank you. It was wonderful meeting you and I'm glad you're ok!" Waved Isa
"Same to you, and thank you, Isa and Jarvis. For coming here, supporting our cause."
"Of course."
"We wouldn't abandon you"
Kalia smiled and hugged the two, "thank you" she said with a shaky breath
The two smiled and hugged back
"We'll do our best."
"You're not the only one"
The two laughed as Kalia wiped her eyes
Colt opened the door "I'll take you to your living quarters, we'll meet later"
"We'll see you later"
"Later"
The three walked out the door and down the hall
"This place is huge. It's like a damn fortress."
"Yeah, It's a little intimidating."
"I'll say. It's got everything."
The two followed Colt through the hallways.
"We've got everything from training facilities, to barracks, to offices, and even a hospital."
"Damn, You guys weren't kidding about being ready."
"Nope, We knew it would come to this eventually."
"You sound like you've been expecting this."
"To a certain degree, We've known the Marshals have been keeping tabs on us for the last few months. We figured they would do something eventually." Colt spoke to them as they walked outside, the sun low in the sky as the sound of the city echoed below
"I guess you've had this whole thing planned out."
"We've had to. If we didn't, we'd be dead by now"
The two walked down the street, the once crowded center of the zone was now mostly empty, and the few remaining people scurried around.
"I don't think I've ever seen the city so quiet." Sighed Colt
"It's a little unnerving, isn't it?"
"Yeah. It makes me a little nervous."
The three walked into what seemed to be a hotel that was turned into a residential building.
"This is the main dorm building. Most of our forces are quartered here."
"Woah."
The inside was a large, open area, with multiple rooms and hallways.
"It's pretty impressive, isn't it?"
"Definitely."
The three walked up to the front desk, which a soldier manned.
"Evening, Sir. These are Isa Bellas and Jarvis, reporters and friends."
"Oh, hello. It's nice to meet you. You can call me Jim. I'm the quartermaster for this facility.
"Nice to meet you Jim" replied Isa
"Nice to meet you, sir," Jarvis replied
"I'll get you two set up with some rooms."
Jim opened a laptop and typed something in
"Okay, We've got a couple of rooms available, nice ones too. You can take your pick.
Isa and Jarvis looked over the list
"These look nice."
"Yeah. They're good."
"Which one would you like?"
Isa and Jarvis looked over the options
"We'll take these."
Jim nodded and typed something down.
"Okay, They're all yours."
"Thank you."
"No problem."
Isa and Jarvis looked over the key
"I'll see you two later. I need to get back to the situation room."
"Ok, See ya"
"Bye"
Colt walked out of the building, leaving Isa and Jarvis alone.
"Well, I guess we should get settled in."
"Yeah."
Isa and Jarvis walked over to the elevator.
"What floor?"
"Fourth."
Jarvis pressed the button, and the elevator started moving
"I'll miss the old HQ. It had a certain charm to it."
"Yeah. It did."
The elevator reached the fourth floor and the two stepped out.
"Alright, Let's find our rooms."
Isa and Jarvis walked down the hall
"Here's mine."
"Okay, I'll be next door if you need anything."
"Okay."
Jarvis opened the door to his room, putting his camera gear down, and collapsing onto the bed
the room was simple, with a nice bed, a nice bathroom, a kitchenette, and a nice, big window.
"God am I so tired....." He mumbled to nobody in particular "I hope we can end this mess...."
He rolled over, trying to relax, but the stress of the situation wouldn't leave him.
"Just another day....."
----------------------------
Isa looked out the window of her room.
"God....What a view....."
She looked over the city, the streets, the buildings, the scattered lights and cars.
Bwing!
It was from her phone.
"Oh, the press conference... This is going to be good"
She collapsed on the bed and opened her laptop, searching for the press conference on YouTube
The Governor, Mayor, and several other officials, some including the Commanding general for the Texas National Guard, The Mayor of Atlas, The Chief of the Atlas Police Department, Texas Public Safety, and various other counties in Atlas were sitting at a table, in front of a crowd of reporters and cameras.
"Good evening, citizens of the United States. My name is Governor James Henson. I'm joined here today by several fellow leaders. We're here to give you a progress update on the current situation, As you are all aware, early this morning. A team of our brave men and women of the US Marshal Service, Attempted to arrest the leaders of the terrorist organization in Atlas known as the Council, Who are responsible for a series of violent attacks on the brave officers of the APD. And have killed many innocents. During the arrest attempt, killed 6 Marshals, and wounded 15. I've declared a state of emergency and have deployed the National Guard to protect the city."
"This is going to be interesting...."
"Our goal is to secure the safety of the citizens of this great city and prevent any further loss of life so under my order. The City of Atlas is under Martial Law, I have directed the police, along with the National Guard, to shut down exits in the city, Those near Uptown will be moved into refugee camps in various high schools and theaters across Atlas, But traffic will be shut down. All roads and highways in the city have been closed and will remain closed until the crisis has passed.
"They're going for the innocent civilians angle..." she chuckled at the circus on her screen.
"We're also working closely with the federal government, the FBI, ATF, and the United States Military, to ensure the safety of our citizens, and to prevent any more guns from being put in the hands of these terrorists, We will do whatever is necessary to restore order and protect the citizens of this great city. We will not allow our freedoms to be taken away by a few individuals, who choose to use violence to further their own personal and political agendas."
"This isn't about politics... They just want Quitianians out of here, and will do anything to keep them out."
"I've directed the local and state governments to work with the federal government, to ensure that the resources that the citizens of Atlas need are available, And we've already begun the process of setting up food and medical stations around the city, To help the citizens in need. The National Guard has set up a system of checkpoints, And patrols, throughout the city, and they're working closely with the APD, To provide protection and safety for the people. We have also increased the number of troops patrolling the borders of the city.
"Oh great, More racism...." Isa sighed
"I will now allow our commanding general to speak, General Sven Rhymes."
"Thank you, Governor, As you've heard from the governor, The National Guard is working closely with the APD, To protect and serve the citizens of Atlas, And to prevent the violence and destruction caused by the actions of the Council."
"So you're blaming them for everything that happened? That's so fucking moronic."
"I will be overseeing all military operations within the city, Our primary mission is to establish a perimeter around the city, To protect against potential attack, and to prevent any movement of the enemy within the city, Our soldiers are well trained and have been fully equipped for the task, We've established several checkpoints along the major roads, And we've established a patrol network, Which will ensure the safety of the citizens of the city."
"So basically, You're just going to kill anyone who moves, Great job assholes"
"Our mission is clear, Secure the safety of the citizens of the city, Prevent the spread of the disease known as the Council, and restore order, In the name of the United States of America."
"That's bullshit"
"With that, I'd like to thank the governor and the mayor, And the brave men and women of the military, For their efforts in helping the citizens of Atlas."
"Yeah, I'm sure they're gonna help a lot."
Suddenly a flurry of questions from the crowd of reporters
"Governor, Will the council surrender?"
"No comment"
"What happened with the ongoing negotiations?"
The Governor momentarily froze up
"They....Made unrealistic demands"
"Like what?"
"No comment"
"And are you concerned that your actions have emboldened the council? That we possibly might have a rebellion on American soil for the first time in 166 years?"
"No, Because the council is a small group of radical extremists, They will not be able to withstand the forces that are currently assembled to fight them, The council has no legitimacy, No credibility, They're not even an official organization. Their so-called 'revolution' is doomed to fail, They've only managed to make themselves look bad."
"So you believe that they'll surrender, or that they'll die?"
"We have the upper hand, We've already established a perimeter around the city, And the number of forces that have been committed to this operation, are much greater than those of the council, And our forces are far better equipped and trained, and the council is no match for them, They've made it very clear, That their objective is to terrorize the people of Atlas, But their efforts are in vain, Our people will not be intimidated by these extremists."
"But what will the outcome be, Will this be a massacre, a war, or a surrender?"
A silence surrounded the conference for a moment.
"I believe that the council will make a wise decision, and surrender, To prevent any further violence, or unnecessary bloodshed, They will realize the futility of their actions, And they will choose to lay down their weapons and give themselves up."
"You're kidding" Mumbled Isa
"Will there be any reprisals? What will happen if they surrender?"
"The council has caused a lot of pain and suffering, I believe that they will be brought to justice, For their crimes, But they will be treated fairly, And they will be given a fair trial, The law is the law, and they will be prosecuted according to it."
"Do you have any plans for the future?"
"Our main priority is to ensure the safety of the citizens of Atlas, And to bring the council to justice, After that, We'll focus on the restoration and recovery efforts."
"Thank you." The reporter sat down, another popping up
"Governor, You've repeatedly spoken about the Council's crimes, And the dangers that they pose, Is it fair to say, That the city is facing a unique threat?"
"Yes, I'd say that's a fair statement."
"Do you think, That the city needs more resources?"
"I believe, That the city needs a stronger police force, I believe, That the city needs an effective counter-terrorism unit, And I believe, That the city needs better equipment, To combat the dangers posed by the Council, and I will work with the President, And with the state legislature, To get the funding that is needed, To provide the city, With the tools, That it needs, To keep the people safe."
"But will the funding ever come? Or are we just going to suffer until we die?" Isa sarcastically laughed
"Thank you, Governor, I have no more questions."
"Governor, I know you have a tight schedule, But one last question, What do you think, The best way forward for the city, Would be?"
"We need to focus on the future, We need to focus on the reconstruction and the recovery efforts, We need to focus on rebuilding, And ensuring that the people have the ability to move forward, That's the only way that we'll be able to defeat the council, And move past the violence, And the tragedy, That has plagued the city, For the past 4 months, That's the only way that we'll be able to ensure a future, For our city."
"Thank you, Governor"
"Do we have any more questions for tonight?"
"Yes, One last question."
"Go ahead."
"Why did the Marshals try to arrest the council in the first place?"
The Governor paused for a moment.
"We received a tip, That the council had weapons, That could potentially be used to attack the brave Armed Forces, They were going to make a move, And we had to act."
"But I thought negotiations were a way of peacefully disarming them, Why would the marshals be sent? You guys knew they had weapons, didn't you? You did, didn't you?! SO WHY WOULD YOU SEND MEN IN THERE KNOWING THAT?" The person stood up and threw their microphone at the governor and the rest of the officials, The reporter would get tackled by a mixture of police and security, The room erupted into chaos.
"Shit."
"MY BROTHER WAS KILLED IN THAT RAID, HE GOT INTO THE WRONG CROWD AND ENDED UP THERE, WHERE YOUR MEN KILLED HIM." The reporter began pushing on the guards restraining him, trying to break free "THAT'S NOT PEACE, THAT'S NOTHING, YOU LIARS, LIES, LIES, LIES, LIES." The guard tazed him, he collapsed to the ground and the reporter was dragged out.
"So they're trying to blame the whole thing on the council, They're not even acknowledging the fact that their own men were the ones that attacked, God, this is such a fucking mess"
Isa shut off her laptop and fell onto her bed, letting out a sigh, and closing her eyes, trying to clear her mind, but that reporter's anger was all she could hear, the tazing, the screams, the chaos, It was all too much.
"What a mess"
She turned over and tried to relax, but the images and the sounds wouldn't leave her head, She couldn't get it out of her mind, she couldn't get rid of it.
How many others would have to experience what that poor man did? How many more would have to suffer, how many would have to die?
"It's not fair...."
She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but sleep didn't come.