The Oasis had long since disappeared into the vastness of sand, with rare dry bushes scattered around. The wind blew through the sides of the car, which, unlike the front, didn't have windows.
Fortunately, there were no dunes, which made the vehicle's job much easier. And if there had been any, none of the Ravens thought the car would have been able to pass. The sun was right in the center of the sky, making all six of them sweat. If it weren't for the missing windows that let the air in, they would have been much worse off, even with the heat.
"Guys," Livya said. "What is this subway?"
"They don't teach anything in training anymore?" Samuel asked, incredulously.
"A means of transportation," Naomi replied, ignoring the other. "I believe you've seen train cars before. It's the same, just underground."
"Like a cave," Michel said. "An artificial one, that is."
Another gust of hot air hit the group, making Samuel rub his eyes, which had just gotten filled with sand. Livya liked that.
"But what makes me uneasy," Gabriel said from Naomi's lap, "is what they would want in those tunnels."
"That is, if it's them," Bia muttered from the driver's seat.
"Even so, if it is," Gabriel continued, "there's nothing there. Well, the last time I was near it was about four years ago, more or less."
"One way or another," Samuel replied, having managed to clear the sand from his eyes, "we'll find out."
Where there had only been sand before, pieces of stone, concrete, and even long stretches of the old asphalt road began to emerge, causing the car to jolt from time to time. One of the bumps was so strong that Samuel hit his head against the ceiling, causing Bia to burst into laughter.
"Don't you know how to drive?" he said, rubbing his head.
"No," he replied, still laughing.
"Naomi," Gabriel said.
"Yes?"
"Next time, you'll be on my lap."
"Never. Your butt is softer than mine."
Bia, who was almost recovered from her laughter attack, fell into another fit, and Samuel, sitting next to her, put his hand on the steering wheel as a precaution.
"You didn't have to say that out loud," Gabriel responded, blushing.
"Shut up, soft butt," Bia managed to say while struggling to breathe.
Livya, who was also enjoying the whole situation, was a bit amazed. Anyone who didn't know the Ravens or had only heard the stories about them being heartless monsters would find all of this almost alien.
The desert slowly began to fade as it was swallowed by the remains of a city. There were some walls still standing, rubble, and a few lampposts that had managed to remain intact, though most had broken. They were in the remnants of an ancient city.
Houses, nearly collapsed or already fallen, lined the entire road, and as far as the eye could see, Bia had to turn around a roof that had fallen and blocked part of the road. The only thing more intact was the asphalt, which had already suffered a lot, with pieces missing or streets completely lost to time.
The relaxed atmosphere disappeared in an instant. Livya understood why. She looked from side to side, just like everyone else. They were in a dangerous place; it was certain there were bandits around.
Samuel took out the radiation counter from the glove compartment. After a moment of deep silence and visible relief, he put it back in its place. Bia then turned right onto a street, slowing down.
"We should stop here," she said, turning to the group.
"Yes," Naomi agreed. "We just need to find a place to park the car."
Bia nodded and followed the dirt road, looking to both sides, trying to find somewhere suitable. Michel suddenly said:
"Over there!"
Bia looked to where the man was pointing. A wall in good condition extended behind the remains of a house. The height was more than enough to hide the car.
Without difficulty, Bia drove the vehicle into the space, which was wider than she initially thought. As soon as she turned off the engine, silence prevailed.
"How are we going to do this?" Bia asked.
"One group will go to the subway, and the rest will keep an eye on the car," Michel replied.
Everyone agreed. Livya looked from one person to another, noticing that no one wanted to stay behind, but she felt a knot in her throat from nervousness, almost wishing for it.
"Livya and I will go," Michel said.
"Better not," Gabriel said. "She's still a rookie."
"It'll just be an exploration of the place, folks," Michel continued. "I doubt it'll be dangerous."
With cautious glances, the group finally agreed. Livya felt her heart pounding in her ears. They all got out, stretching after the long trip. Naomi helped Bia check all the equipment, and Michel did it on his own.
Once prepared, Michel led the way, looking in all directions to see if they had been followed. Once satisfied, he gestured for Livya to follow him.
"Good luck," Samuel said to the young woman.
This left her bewildered because she didn't feel the usual morbidity that was typical. She nodded in thanks and followed Michel closely.
They walked along the sidewalk, and like in training, Livya knew she was supposed to look left, since she was behind. Michel was responsible for the right. They kept moving through several streets, until her partner asked:
"Feeling nervous?"
"A little." Seeing the look he gave her, she corrected herself: "Actually, a lot."
"Just don't let your guard down. We're turning here," he said, taking a left at an intersection.
"Do you know this place?"
"I've been here a few times. Bandits and kidnappings, you know? I know where the subway is, I've never entered it."
"Are we far?"
"Not too much."
They continued walking in line, passing an old, completely rusted traffic light. The abundance of places to hide made Livya anxious, as they could have been watched for a long time and never even known.
Then the sound of vehicles reached them. It came from the road they had just taken, making them both look back, suspicious.
"Why are they coming?" Livya asked, referring to their companions.
"Wait a moment," Michel asked, signaling for her to remain completely silent. Listening for a moment more, he quickly said, "It's not them! Quickly, we need to hide."
They ran behind a wall with several missing pieces and lay down flat on the ground, side by side. Livya felt her hands sweating, a little trembling. The Raven grabbed his weapon and stayed still while waiting. Soon, three vehicles passed by: two trucks and a car with a large compartment.
They kept their position until the vehicles disappeared ahead. Michel was the first to move, still holding his weapon. With some effort, the young woman managed to stand up.
"Michel, they had vehicles, how is that possible?"
"I don't know, and I think I know where they went. To the subway."
Livya also grabbed her weapon and stood by her partner, who began to lead the way. Unlike before, the tension was palpable. They moved through deserted streets, hearing only the whistle of the wind.
The Raven stopped and raised his hand for his partner to do the same. He looked around, and when satisfied, he turned to her.
"We'll move to the second floor of that building," he pointed to the remains of an old building that hadn't collapsed. "We'll be able to see the entire subway."
"Are we close?" the girl asked, but was completely ignored.
With extra care, they both proceeded toward the position. Conversations started to appear, several men and women were arguing, but it was impossible to understand what they were saying. Michel passed through the rubble that had once been a gate and crouched down, moving with grace. Livya stepped on the same spots as him.
When they reached the stairs, Michel positioned himself against the wall, moving slowly. He felt his whole body tense and tired. He knew that sneaking around was more exhausting than direct confrontation. He quickly glanced over his shoulder and saw many lines of sweat on his colleague's face.
At the end of the stairs, he lay down flat again, dragging himself to a part of the wall large enough for him to see what those people were doing. He felt chunks of old concrete scrape against his forearms and belly but didn't dare make a sound.
Looking through the gap, he could see the subway. The three vehicles were parked, and their occupants were talking to six others. Shifting his attention from them to the area, he noticed a recently built security guard booth and a staircase that ended in the corpse of a colossal building. There was the entrance: a large dark hole that more resembled a hungry mouth.
Movement in the trucks made the Raven focus on them again. From one of the trucks, they were taking out a machine that resembled a barrel. It had a center hole for the hose, and with extreme care, a woman removed an oval glass container, which she inserted into the top of the strange machine.
Five men took out a thick coiled hose that looked like a white plate. They placed it beside the machine and connected one end to the opening.
"We'll feed them first!" shouted a short man near the large, still closed truck bed.
They opened the truck bed doors and pulled out five pigs with ropes attached to collars, which looked more like flesh-colored blackberries. Each of the men was responsible for one of the animals, while three others took care of the hose. They then led the animals toward the open mouth of the subway.
Two dragged the hose along with the animal procession, while another man held the machine to prevent it from being pulled along. Before entering the cave, everyone grabbed those strange weapons Thomas had shown.
Michel had to rub his face on his shoulder to wipe away the sweat, and his partner breathed heavily beside him. He nudged her with the tip of his foot to remind Livya to control her breathing.
The men hurried almost running out of the subway, descending the stairs two steps at a time. They left the pigs and the hose behind. Their faces showed clear relief as they distanced themselves from the place.
"Everything okay?" asked a woman who was guarding the booth.
"Yes," answered one of the men who had carried the hose. "It was smooth this time, now we just wait."
The entire place was completely silent for five minutes, but it felt like hours when it happened. The pigs' terrified screams echoed out of the cave's mouth. Livya felt her chest freeze and all the hair on her body stand on end. Never in her life had she heard something so desperate.
The men kept their feet in place, but all had their weapons ready as they stared at the staircase, as if waiting for something that didn't come. All the sounds of desperation ceased as suddenly as they had started, leaving only silence.
"Let's hurry up with this," said the man near the strange machine. He pressed a button on its side.
Sounds of something being pumped came from the barrel, and the liquid in the container bubbled as it was sucked in with the low hum of the motor. From the subway's mouth, greenish gas descended to some of the steps, and the entire entrance took on a pasty hue.
Four people grabbed various peculiar objects from the truck carrying the machine. They had transparent bucket-shaped bodies with a pink plastic ball at the end, with a small opening in the center. Along with the items, everyone grabbed gas masks.
"Everyone!" the girl near the stairs, holding her weapon, called out. "You've got five minutes."
Without waiting any longer, the masked group ran up and entered the darkness. Those left outside were tense, some walking back and forth. Two men watched as the container emptied, looking anxious.
Michel, caught up in the atmosphere of the place like his partner, shared the tension with everyone, which was somewhat ironic, considering they were enemies. From inside the mist, the first one came out, followed by the other three.
The strange figures carried pots full of a white-milky substance. The machine was shut off at once, and the two who had been watching the liquid descend began pulling the hose back out.
The group helped the four handle the plastics, taking them to one of the trucks and placing everything in a wooden box.
"Any sign of the pigs?" asked a woman carefully arranging the box.
"No sign," replied another, who removed her mask and wiped her face with her shirt. "Looks like they took them to the back."
"They?" Michel whispered to himself.
Once satisfied with how the box was secured, they turned to the hose, coiling it up while others returned the machine to the vehicle.
"Now we have something to work with," said the woman who helped stow the hose. "Let's go then."
Everyone headed back to the cars, saying their goodbyes, and soon they left. Michel turned his attention to those who had remained. Two stayed near the stairs, and two more in the booth. They held their positions, with shifts changing every hour, but it was always the same four.
Already with his arms a bit numb, Michel nudged his partner, signaling with his head for her to follow him. Slowly, they retraced their steps, making use of the fading daylight to move faster, and once they reached the street, the rest of the journey was quicker.
They seemed like cats moving through the shadows when something caught their attention.
"Hey!" The sound came from the side.
With weapons in hand, the Ravens turned at once, but relaxed when they saw it was Samuel.
"It's me! Lower those things."
"Do you want to get shot?" Michel retorted angrily, putting his revolver away. "What are you doing here?"
"They were taking too long, so they asked me to come check if everything was okay."
"We saw some strange things," Livya managed to say.
Samuel looked at her with sudden interest but didn't ask anything. After all, it was better for them to tell the story only once than twice.
The newly formed trio continued toward the place where the rest of the group was waiting, without incident. Livya noticed that, from crawling, she was bleeding from a small cut on her right thigh, but since it was a minor cut, she ignored it completely.
They walked down the remaining street, and Samuel announced himself before heading back to the alley. The others waited impatiently, but the relief was almost palpable. Naomi went to Michel, offering words of sympathy, while Gabriel patted Livya's shoulder in congratulations.
"We heard cars," Naomi said. "At least more than one."
"We did too," Michel replied. "We saw them up close."
"That doesn't make sense," Bia mused. "The only ones with vehicles are the Bunker people, unless..."
"Yes," Gabriel added. "They must have stolen them from a caravan or convoy."
"But them having vehicles is a fact," Michel cut in. "And that's not the only problem." And he told them everything.
They listened carefully, without interrupting, and were stunned to find out they had more machines than just cars. Bia smiled aggressively when she learned they were in a group, but paled when the pigs were mentioned.
"They were feeding something," Samuel concluded. "Did you not see anything at all?"
Both shook their heads, which made Samuel frown and get lost in thought. Naomi, meanwhile, leaned against the car hood, asking,
"So it's four, right?"
"Yes," Livya answered. "Two guards and two more in the booth."
"We should assume they have those strange weapons," Bia concluded. "Should we attack tonight?"
"I think it's best," Gabriel said.
"Then we'll go with the basic strategy," Naomi added. "Gabriel and Bia will take care of the two guards, after all, ranged combat is your thing." Both agreed. "Michel and Samuel will be in the rear, in case something goes wrong. And it's up to Livya and me to finish off the two in the booth. And don't forget, leave one alive."
It was all decided. The new pairs gathered as they checked their equipment.
Livya approached Naomi, asking,
"Why me with you? Anyone else has more experience than I do."
"Simple. We're the point of the spear," she said simply, checking the edge of the knife strapped to her leg. "Close combat is our job."
Livya agreed, but it wasn't enough to calm the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Ready, they set off as the day ended.
Michel led the team, even though it wasn't necessary, since everyone knew the area. The city, which during the day looked like a sad image of a fallen civilization, at night took on the same energy as a horror story.
Every snap or whistle of the wind made Livya clench her fists tighter, her knuckles turning white. The only sound was the crickets and frogs. Light steps carried the group closer.
Dividing into two groups, the first was Gabriel and Bia. They began to climb through the rubble to keep the two guards in their sights. The other team flanked the building, staying low and using pieces of walls for cover. That's how they got closer.
Once again, the team split. Naomi lay flat on the ground, crawling toward the house. Livya, giving Michel one last look as he stayed behind with Samuel, followed Naomi's example.
Naomi felt every imperfection of the ground against her chest and belly, but that didn't stop her from keeping the pace. She used her forearms for support and her legs to push herself forward. When she was less than three meters from the entrance, she held her breath to make as little noise as possible. Rising smoothly, she pressed against the wall, waiting for the other to do the same.
Squatting down, the Raven drew the knife from her thigh, and by the sound of metal behind her, she realized the rookie had done the same. They waited a bit longer for the signal from the others.
A bonfire on the dirt floor near the stairs lit the entire area. Both men were chatting casually by the fire, and from the closer sounds, it was clear there were two more just behind the door, on the wall where the duo was leaning.
The signal came. A quick flash between the rubble on the right side, and soon after, the same on the left side, making it clear that both were ready. Naomi, using the blade of her knife, also used the fire to produce a similar light.
Livya knew, at least in theory, what would unfold once Naomi responded to the signal. The moment between the communication and the attack lasted only five seconds. She counted each of them in her head, reaching zero.
Both, near the fire, almost simultaneously raised their hands and fell slowly. Almost at the same time, the door less than a meter away from Naomi opened, and a woman stepped out, armed, to see what was happening. But the Corva, already expecting this, lunged at her. Using her free hand, she firmly held the woman's mouth and shoved the blade into her neck. With the motion, she repositioned herself against the wall, holding the woman convulsing in her arms.
Livya passed her colleague and entered the room, ready to take down the last person, but then got momentarily lost. At the back of the room, a bed on the floor hid a fifth member who woke up from all the movement. The lost moment was enough for the more awake man to pull out his weapon, but the Corva's training acted faster. She threw the knife into the man's hand, and he screamed in pain as the blade severed two of his fingers. She charged at the man, still groaning, and with her hatchet in hand, made a half-moon motion, bringing it down and hitting the man's chest.
She felt the flesh tear, the ribs break, and the internal organs crush with the impact. A spray of blood splattered on her face, and the target fell lifeless. With a swift motion, she grabbed the pistol and aimed it at the remaining threat.
Naomi entered with cold, lifeless eyes, analyzing the situation. She was pleased that the rookie had handled everything on her own, but there was no time for that. She went toward the last one, extended her knife, still covered in blood, and said:
"Stay quiet, or you'll die."
It took no more than that for him to fall into complete silence. Seeing Naomi had taken care of the situation, Livya holstered the revolver and pulled the hatchet out of the dead man's chest. It required both hands to remove the blade. It came out with a disgusting sound, accompanied by a thick line of blood running from the body to the metal. She felt her stomach turn.
Maintaining her composure, the young woman exited the room, took five steps, and vomited. Gabriel and Bia passed her by, completely ignoring her, and entered the room. It wasn't long before those in the rear appeared.
When Michel saw Livya, he hurried over to her, with Samuel close behind.
"Are you alright?" the man asked.
"Yeah, none of this blood is mine." She looked at her completely red hands. "I'm still not used to this."
"The worst is over."
"Sand," Samuel said, passing her on his way to the door. "Sand helps remove blood."
Livya found the Corva's advice the strangest thing of the whole day, but she followed it, and it turned out to be true.
The room was small, with only one door that served as both an entrance and an exit, a large crack in front of the subway, and a mattress where a man, cornered, was nervously glancing from one side to the other.
"You're going to tell me everything about this place!" Naomi said, her voice cold and terrifying. "What those people took from the subway, about the S.L., and especially about who this Big Brother is."
For the first time, the man seemed no longer afraid. Hearing about Big Brother, his attitude changed; it was determination speaking.
"I'll never betray the Brother. Stupid Ravens really think they're the first ones after us, but they're just another group that will soon be dead or worse."
"What do you mean?" Samuel asked, his voice filled with hate.
But then the man grabbed one of the strange weapons hidden beneath the pillow, and with a swift motion, shot himself in the head, from below upwards, causing the bullet to explode the top of his skull, splattering the four with chunks of flesh and blood.
"What the hell was that?" Gabriel swore, exiting the room with the others.
Michel appeared beside Livya, both armed, looking at them.
"He killed himself," he answered. "He just killed himself."
"Son of a bitch," Bia muttered under her breath.
Everyone sat against the rubble, in shock. Gabriel then left and headed toward the fire. Naomi, who was cleaning the knife with a piece of torn clothing from one of the bodies, began:
"We have no other choice." Her voice was filled with rage. "We'll have to go."
"Yeah," Michel responded, downcast.
"And I thought the day couldn't get worse," Samuel grumbled.
"This is a fight I don't even want," Bia added.
"Where to?" Livya asked, confused.
"We're going into the subway," Michel replied, emotionless.
The young woman felt the blood drain from her face, unconsciously recalling the pigs' screams, but the only person who could tell her anything about it had just blown his own head off, leaving her options limited.
Gabriel returned, pale.
"Bia," the young man called out suddenly. "Did you do anything with the guards' bodies?"
"No," the colleague replied, suspicious. "Why?"
"They're gone. Something took them."
They drew their weapons, staring at the large, dark mouth that stared back at them. In the darkness, their imagination made it seem like monsters were watching them, hungry.
"I know we'll have to go in," Gabriel said. "But I'll do it tomorrow, during the day."
No one disagreed.