They both gasped for air, sitting near the river, their chests heaving from the frantic escape. The cold water still clung to their clothes, making them shiver slightly. Kimir scanned the area, his eyes catching sight of a nearby cave among the trees. He pointed it out to Tomoki. "Let's head over there. It'll give us some cover," he suggested. As they stood up, Kimir added, "By the way, newbie, what's your name?"
"Tomoki," he replied, his frustration evident. He was still processing the madness they were caught up in. "And seriously, where are we, and where do we need to go?"
Kimir looked at him with a mix of concern and sadness. After a brief pause, he handed Tomoki a Colt M1911, its weight solid and reassuring in his hand. "Look, kiddo, I'm going to be straight with you. We're about 43 kilometers away from our team's base, and right now, we're in the most dangerous territory imaginable. They call themselves the GHOSTS."
Tomoki's eyes widened as something clicked in his memory. "Wait, you mean like the COD Ghosts? That's a fucking video game character! Don't these guys have any creativity at all?"
Kimir couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head at the absurdity. "Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous, but trust me, these guys are no joke. They're deadly serious, and they don't mess around. So, let's try not to piss them off, alright?"
Tomoki snorted, trying to lighten the mood despite the fear gnawing at him. "Great, so we're stuck in a real-life video game with the world's most unoriginal bad guys. What's next, zombies?"
Kimir smirked as they started making their way to the cave, moving cautiously through the underbrush. "Zombies would probably be easier to deal with. At least they don't strategize."
As they reached the entrance, the cave loomed dark and foreboding, but it was a welcome sight—a place to rest and regroup. They carefully stepped inside, the damp air immediately wrapping around them. The interior was shadowy, with only a few narrow shafts of light piercing through the cracks in the rock. The ground was cold and uneven, but it offered them some much-needed shelter.
They sat down on the cold stone floor, catching their breath after the intense sprint. Tomoki looked around, trying to adjust to the dim light. "So, how do we know this place is safe? What if those Ghosts decide to pay us a visit?"
Kimir leaned back against the wall, his eyes still scanning the cave's entrance. "We don't know for sure. But right now, this is the best option we've got. If we keep moving, we risk running straight into them. Here, we can lay low for a bit, and figure out our next move."
Tomoki nodded, though the uneasy feeling in his gut wouldn't go away. He glanced at the Colt in his hand, then back at Kimir. "So, what's the plan? We just wait here until it's safe to move?"
Kimir sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We'll rest up for a bit, then try to put some distance between us and this territory as soon as possible. The Ghosts patrol these areas, but if we're careful and stick to the shadows, we might be able to slip through unnoticed."
Tomoki leaned back against the cave wall, trying to calm his racing thoughts. "And if they find us?"
Kimir's expression hardened. "Then we fight. But let's hope it doesn't come to that. You're a good shot, right?"
Tomoki shrugged, a small smirk forming on his lips. "I've played enough COD to know my way around a gun. But I'm guessing this is a bit different from gaming."
Kimir laughed softly. "Yeah, just a bit. But you'll learn fast. You have to, out here."
Tomoki took a deep breath, trying to mentally prepare himself. "Alright. Let's do this. But if we run into any more cliché bad guys, I'm going to start keeping score."
Kimir grinned. "Deal. Now get some rest. We're going to need all the energy we can get."
The cave fell into a tense, watchful silence as the two of them settled in, knowing that the real challenges were yet to come.
"So, what's the plan?" Tomoki asked, gripping the gun tightly. Kimir sighed. "We need to get to our base, but it's not going to be easy. "We'll move at night when it's harder for them to spot us. Until then, we rest and keep a low profile." Tomoki nodded, trying to stay calm. "Alright. I'm with you."
As the sun began to set, they prepared to move. Kimir explained the route they would take, avoiding main roads and sticking to the shadows. Tomoki listened carefully, realizing just how dangerous their situation was. Night fell, and they slipped out of the cave, moving silently through the forest. The darkness was both their ally and enemy, hiding them but also concealing potential threats. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves made Tomoki's heart race.
GUNSHOTS rang out. "Climb a tree, now!" Kimir shouted to Tomoki as he scrambled up a nearby tree. Everything went silent. Smoke billowed from a tree about 300 meters away, the silence speaking volumes. Tomoki looked directly at Kimir, both confused and scared. "What's going on?"
Kimir took a deep breath. "It's the GHOSTS... They captured some of our allies." Tomoki was baffled. "How did they get our allies?" Kimir ignored the question for a moment, staring in the direction of the smoke. "I can't believe it. How the fk did this happen?" He banged his hand on the tree, his expression a mix of grief and anger. He was also scared and looking down...
Tomoki watched him, feeling the tension. "What do we do now?" he asked.
Kimir, getting back on his feet, had only anger in his eyes. "We need to retreat. We don't stand a chance right now." He rolled his backpack off his shoulders and pulled out a pair of binoculars, trying to see what was happening. Just five seconds later, he was trembling with fear.
"What happened?" Tomoki asked as the binoculars fell from Kimir's hand.
"It's Gen 1 of the GHOSTS... and he looked directly at me, how the fk he know where we are?" Kimir said, his voice shaking. He met Tomoki's eyes. "RUN, TOMOKI, OR WE WILL DIE!"
Tomoki was terrified, his feet trembling. "What is this aura? I can sense a killing urge... IT'S SCARY." He glanced at Kimir, who was just as frightened. They jumped from the tree and started running. "Stay with me, TOMOKI! I MUST PROTECT YOU!"
Back at the camp, where the flames flickered, a man laughed maniacally, his face partially hidden by his hand. "AH, I SEE," he screamed, pulling a gun from his pocket. He shot both captives. "YOU HAVE ARRIVED, TOMOKI!" he continued to laugh. "SO IT FINALLY STARTED."