"We cant just leave him out there. Lets go get him." Adam decided.
"Whatever you say, sir." The solider responded. "We got a sand rail ready."
"Seriously, a fucking sand rail?" Adam asked.
"Its what we got." The solider responded as he walked away towards the vehicle. "I'll follow behind you on an ATV." He said as Adam climbed into the sand rail and turned it on. It may not exactly be military grade, but it should work.
"Open the gate then!" Adam called. A guard stationed at the gate opened the large metal gates and Adam and the other solider speed through, going towards the man.
........
The sand rail slid to a stop in the desert, kicking dust everywhere. Adam climbed out and was soon joined by the other solider. Together they slowly approached the collapsed man.
"Sir, are you alright?" Adam called.
"I don't think he's alive." The solider called. Adam crouched next to the man and checked his pulse.
"Your right. He's dead. But do you notice anything odd?" Adam asked the solider.
"No sir." The solider answered.
"Look at him. He hasn't been in the desert that long. He wasn't killed by dehydration." Adam said.
"Then what killed him?" The solider asked.
"Poison." Adam said, rolling up the mans sleeve to reveal a set of bite marks. "Rattlesnake. Most likely. He didn't stand a chance."
"What do we do now?" The solider asked.
"I guess we head back." Adam said.
"And leave him like this?" The solider asked.
"We cant spare any resources on this stuff." Adam said.
"Sir..." The solider spoke.
"What is it?" Adam asked.
"Am I just seeing things or is that a truck coming at us?" The solider asked. Adam looked up and in the direction the solider was looking, he indeed saw a truck. An M939.
"That's not one of ours. We don't have any M939's in our possession." Adam said.
"Then who is it?" The solider asked. Adam looked at the approaching truck, any symbol or anything on it would help him...
"I don't know. Get your gun ready. If they don't stop, get ready to shoot." Adam said as he raised his hand at the approaching truck motioning for it to stop. When it didn't show any signs that it wanted to stop Adam raised his rec7 at the truck, firing off a single shot. Suddenly the truck slammed on the brakes and a screen of dust blinded Adam. He swatted at the sand until it was clear enough to see. He looked back up and the truck was parked a few feet away. He saw the passenger side door open and he raised his rifle again.
"Don't move! Show me your hands!" He called as he moved around towards the open passenger side door. The passenger complied and stuck their hands out into the sky. Adam did a double take when he saw the passengers hands were soaked in blood.
"Are you injured?" He called.
"She's been shot!" The passenger called out.
"Come out of the truck, we can help you!" Adam said. The passengers hands disappeared and a moment later they reappeared on the ground. The driver got out of the truck and approached him. Adam instinctively aimed his rifle in the drivers direction.
"Whoa there, take it slowly. Are you armed?" Adam asked.
"N-no, I left my gun in the truck." The driver answered.
"Alright, both of you come over here and sit in front of the truck." Adam commanded.
"But..." The passenger interrupted.
"Now!" Adam yelled.
"Carmen, just sit down." The driver commanded. The one named Carmen reluctantly walked over and sat next to the driver.
"Check the truck." Adam told the solider, who quickly rushed over to the truck.
"So where are you two headed?" Adam asked.
"Here, we have a wounded girl in there. She needs help." The driver said.
"What are your names?" Adam asked.
"Carmen." The passenger said.
"Ann." The driver said.
"The girl is Riley." Carmen said.
"Sir, they weren't lying. They have wounded. And it looks bad." The solider called from the truck. Adam turned to the women.
"Follow us into Cormack. " He commanded.
"We cant." Ann said.
"Why?" Adam asked.
"Were being followed. We'd put you all at risk, but Riley can stay. They wont know she's here." Carmen said.
"Who's following you?" Adam asked.
"We don't have time for fucking twenty questions! Were being followed and Riley is bleeding to death!" Carmen yelled.
"Carmen, calm down." Ann instructed.
"You have to help her, you have to!" Carmen continued. Adam didn't know theses people, they could be dangerous. Plus they said they were being follow and wouldn't tell him who was following them. Helping this girl could put all of Cormack at risk. But it wasn't like him to leave people to die. And they said whoever was following them wouldn't know they had helped them, right?
Corporal Adam Johnson
"We cant just leave him out there. Lets go get him." Adam decided.
"Whatever you say, sir." The solider responde… mored. "We got a sand rail ready."
"Seriously, a fucking sand rail?" Adam asked.
"Its what we got." The solider responded as he walked away towards the vehicle. "I'll follow behind you on an ATV." He said as Adam climbed into the sand rail and turned it on. It may not exactly be military grade, but it should work.
"Open the gate then!" Adam called. A guard stationed at the gate opened the large metal gates and Adam and the other solider speed through, going towards the man.
........
The sand rail slid to a stop in the desert, kicking dust everywhere. Adam climbed out and was soon joined by the other solider. Together they slowly approached the collapsed man.
"Sir, are you alright?" Adam called.
"I don't think he's alive." The solider called. Adam crouched next to the man and checked his … [view original content]
Corporal Adam Johnson
"We cant just leave him out there. Lets go get him." Adam decided.
"Whatever you say, sir." The solider responde… mored. "We got a sand rail ready."
"Seriously, a fucking sand rail?" Adam asked.
"Its what we got." The solider responded as he walked away towards the vehicle. "I'll follow behind you on an ATV." He said as Adam climbed into the sand rail and turned it on. It may not exactly be military grade, but it should work.
"Open the gate then!" Adam called. A guard stationed at the gate opened the large metal gates and Adam and the other solider speed through, going towards the man.
........
The sand rail slid to a stop in the desert, kicking dust everywhere. Adam climbed out and was soon joined by the other solider. Together they slowly approached the collapsed man.
"Sir, are you alright?" Adam called.
"I don't think he's alive." The solider called. Adam crouched next to the man and checked his … [view original content]
Corporal Adam Johnson
"We cant just leave him out there. Lets go get him." Adam decided.
"Whatever you say, sir." The solider responde… mored. "We got a sand rail ready."
"Seriously, a fucking sand rail?" Adam asked.
"Its what we got." The solider responded as he walked away towards the vehicle. "I'll follow behind you on an ATV." He said as Adam climbed into the sand rail and turned it on. It may not exactly be military grade, but it should work.
"Open the gate then!" Adam called. A guard stationed at the gate opened the large metal gates and Adam and the other solider speed through, going towards the man.
........
The sand rail slid to a stop in the desert, kicking dust everywhere. Adam climbed out and was soon joined by the other solider. Together they slowly approached the collapsed man.
"Sir, are you alright?" Adam called.
"I don't think he's alive." The solider called. Adam crouched next to the man and checked his … [view original content]
Corporal Johnson scratched his head then threw his arm to his sides. He looked her and Ann over with obvious resent.
"Get the girl in the sand rail." Johnson said without looking away from Ann and Carmen.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" Ann exclaimed,
"Don't thank me yet." Johnson said as the solider pulled Riley out of the truck and began walking back towards the parked vehicles. Johnson pulled a water canteen off his belt and handed it to Carmen.
"Whats this for?" She asked.
"You got blood all over you." Johnson said. Carmen looked at the canteen for a moment before unscrewing the cap with shaky hands and pouring the water over her palms washing away the blood.
"Hey, were going to try everything we can to keep her safe." Johnson said. "I got to go now. Stay safe, and if you ever need anything, we aren't going anywhere." Johnson said as he began walking away from the two. He noticed the solider that came with him had taken his sand rail so he took the ATV and began heading back towards the base.
.......
"Why in the hell did you bring her here? You know were already short on supplies." The medic yelled.
"We cant let people die out in the desert." Johnson said.
"We cant bring everyone in and slowly strangle ourselves to death either." The medic grumbled.
"I out rank you, do your damn job." Johnson growled. The medic sighed in defeat and walked back over to the other medics huddled around the girl. Johnson took a breath and walked out of the medics tent into the sand streets of Cormac. He noticed a solider running towards him, the solider came to a stop right in front of him and snapped his arm into a salute.
"What is it private?" Johnson asked as he began walking away. The private began following him.
"Sir, one of our soldiers has gone missing. No one's seen her since this morning." The private said.
"So, why aren't you looking for her?" Johnson asked.
"We are sir, it just that, you were the last one to have contact with her. " The private said.
"Your talking about Brooke aren't you?" Johnson asked.
"Yes sir. She couldn't have gotten far on her own. She's injured."
"But still, why are you asking me?" Johnson asked.
"We didn't know if she said anything to you, anything about... anything?"
"No. She never said anything." Johnson said.
"Thank you sir." The private said as he began to run off.
"Wait." Johnson called, stopping the private.
"Yes sir?" He asked.
"A train. She said something about a train on the east side in a hangar." Johnson said.
"Well shit."
"What?" Johnson asked.
"that's a minefield around that hangar. If she's gone over there she might have blown herself up already."
Santiago Martinez
"Get moving." The solider ordered. Santiago quickly complied and picked himself off the ground, regaining his footing. He wiped the mud away from his face with his sleeve and continued to run. His lungs burned and his heart raced as he struggled to keep up with the rest of the group.
"Pick up the pace Santiago." Another kid smirked. This kid was seriously strange, he almost seemed to enjoy being here. What was his name? Joel sounded right.
"Yeah Santi, your going to get left behind." Oh yeah, Joel's little brother Damon.
"Both of you shut up and keep moving." Another one said. She seemed to be the oldest of this group.
"How much farther is it Alex?" Joel asked her.
"Fuck if I know." Alex responded.
"Stop!" A solider commanded and all four of them stopped moving. "This way." The solider said ushering the group under the shade of a big tree. A pickup truck skidded to a stop in front of them and Mosaiah jumped out of the passenger side. He calmly walked over to the back of the truck and pulled something out... No, someone. A woman who had her hands bound together and a bag over her head. Mosaiah hefted her onto his shoulder like she weighed nothing. The truck began driving off back in the direction it came. "Form a line!" A solider yelled, and the group scrambled into a line.
"Well." Mosaiah began. "You runts weren't exactly what I wanted, but you'll have to do." He said as he threw the woman to the ground in front of him. "Today you will be taught an important skill. Obedience." He said. "This here woman has been found guilty of committing acts of treason against the Network. The punishment for such offence is death." He said as he walked down the line. "Now, on a regular day I would do this myself... But not today. Today we will try something else, one of you will kill her." He said as he eyed them. He pulled out a revolver and held it in his hand. "So, who will it be?"
"Give me the gun! I'll do it!" Joel said.
"I can do it to!" Damon said. Then the two got into an argument over who was more fit to shoot. Santiago hung his head and looked to the ground.
"Ah, Santiago. Such and innocent young boy. Time to get some blood on your hands boy." Mosaiah said. For a moment this did not register in Santiago's mind until Alex nudged his shoulder. "Santiago. Come here." Mosaiah commanded. Santiago hesitantly stepped forward. Mosaiah shoved the revolver into Santiago's hands and pointed to the woman. "Shoot her." He said. Santiago looked back at the rest of the group. He saw Joel and Damon looking extremely disappointed, did they think this was some kind of game? Then he saw Alex, she was staring directly at him.
"Run." She mouthed to him. Santiago looked down at the metal revolver in his hands, it felt like it was burning a hole in his flesh.
Adam Johnson
Corporal Johnson scratched his head then threw his arm to his sides. He looked her and Ann over with obvious resent.
"Get… more the girl in the sand rail." Johnson said without looking away from Ann and Carmen.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" Ann exclaimed,
"Don't thank me yet." Johnson said as the solider pulled Riley out of the truck and began walking back towards the parked vehicles. Johnson pulled a water canteen off his belt and handed it to Carmen.
"Whats this for?" She asked.
"You got blood all over you." Johnson said. Carmen looked at the canteen for a moment before unscrewing the cap with shaky hands and pouring the water over her palms washing away the blood.
"Hey, were going to try everything we can to keep her safe." Johnson said. "I got to go now. Stay safe, and if you ever need anything, we aren't going anywhere." Johnson said as he began walking away from the two. He noticed the solider that came wit… [view original content]
Adam Johnson
Corporal Johnson scratched his head then threw his arm to his sides. He looked her and Ann over with obvious resent.
"Get… more the girl in the sand rail." Johnson said without looking away from Ann and Carmen.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" Ann exclaimed,
"Don't thank me yet." Johnson said as the solider pulled Riley out of the truck and began walking back towards the parked vehicles. Johnson pulled a water canteen off his belt and handed it to Carmen.
"Whats this for?" She asked.
"You got blood all over you." Johnson said. Carmen looked at the canteen for a moment before unscrewing the cap with shaky hands and pouring the water over her palms washing away the blood.
"Hey, were going to try everything we can to keep her safe." Johnson said. "I got to go now. Stay safe, and if you ever need anything, we aren't going anywhere." Johnson said as he began walking away from the two. He noticed the solider that came wit… [view original content]
I'm torn. Maybe running could be his chance for freedom, or maybe this puts him in great danger. I know that nothing good can ever come from following Mosaiah's orders. On the other hand, it's probably not very wise to refuse his orders either and thinking about it, it seems too dangerous to try it.
Adam Johnson
Corporal Johnson scratched his head then threw his arm to his sides. He looked her and Ann over with obvious resent.
"Get… more the girl in the sand rail." Johnson said without looking away from Ann and Carmen.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" Ann exclaimed,
"Don't thank me yet." Johnson said as the solider pulled Riley out of the truck and began walking back towards the parked vehicles. Johnson pulled a water canteen off his belt and handed it to Carmen.
"Whats this for?" She asked.
"You got blood all over you." Johnson said. Carmen looked at the canteen for a moment before unscrewing the cap with shaky hands and pouring the water over her palms washing away the blood.
"Hey, were going to try everything we can to keep her safe." Johnson said. "I got to go now. Stay safe, and if you ever need anything, we aren't going anywhere." Johnson said as he began walking away from the two. He noticed the solider that came wit… [view original content]
Adam Johnson
Corporal Johnson scratched his head then threw his arm to his sides. He looked her and Ann over with obvious resent.
"Get… more the girl in the sand rail." Johnson said without looking away from Ann and Carmen.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" Ann exclaimed,
"Don't thank me yet." Johnson said as the solider pulled Riley out of the truck and began walking back towards the parked vehicles. Johnson pulled a water canteen off his belt and handed it to Carmen.
"Whats this for?" She asked.
"You got blood all over you." Johnson said. Carmen looked at the canteen for a moment before unscrewing the cap with shaky hands and pouring the water over her palms washing away the blood.
"Hey, were going to try everything we can to keep her safe." Johnson said. "I got to go now. Stay safe, and if you ever need anything, we aren't going anywhere." Johnson said as he began walking away from the two. He noticed the solider that came wit… [view original content]
Santiago's hands still shook, even though he'd shot her over an hour ago. He sat in the tent with the others, just staring blankly a the side while everyone else played a game of cards. Occasionally someone would look over and as what his problem was. Soon, Alex walked in the tent and took a seat next to Santiago. After a brief moment of silence, she spoke up.
"I don't blame you for not running. It was a hard choice. I think i probably would've done the same thing." She said.
"I-I didnt want to shoot her... I don't want to kill anyone." Santiago said.
"None of us do. No one in their right mind would want to kill someone, and I'm sorry this had to happen to you." She said.
"Do you think it will ever end?" Santiago asked.
"The only end we have right now is death, Santi." Alex said.
"Alex?" Santiago asked.
"Where do you think your parents are now?" He asked.
"Dead." She said.
"Why do you think that?" Santiago asked.
"I... I was forced to kill them." She said, as tears formed in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. "I'm sorry. I dont want to talk about it."
"I'm sorry... I really am. Mosaiah killed my parents and my sister, she's at a Network prison camp somewhere." Santiago said.
"Santiago... You don't know?" Alex asked.
"Know what?" Santiago asked.
"The Network kills all of their prisoners. They line them up and shoot them, the ones that survive are buried alive." Alex said.
"You mean she's dead?" Santiago asked.
"I'm so sorry Santiago, I really am. I just though you should know." Alex said.
"I'd hate to break up you two's little romance going on here." A solider said, entering the tent. "But you're needed in Mosaiah's office. Now." He ordered, then left.
"We probably shouldnt keep him waiting." Alex said.
"What are the chances of this being something good?" Santiago asked.
"Low."
"Santiago, right on time." Mosaiah said as he paced around Santiago.
"what is this about?" Santiago asked.
"You know, When I was your age i was in the exact same spot you're in right now?" Mosaiah asked.
"No." Santiago said.
"What was that, Santiago?" Mosaiah asked.'
"No, sir." Santiago corrected himself.
"Good. And yes, I was a child solider like you to once. I grew up in it, killing people just to live. I became well respected, i was placed in charge of an entire squad. Together we terrorized Somalia. Then one day, I killed an American doctor who stood in the way, And the entire Damn United States made it their own problem. They bombed my camp, killed my men, and knocked me out. I woke up being able to see the good and bad of the world, and realized i needed a bigger force. I was contacted by a man, who organizes and plans the Network. I saw this as my chance and joined them. Now look at me, I'm king of the world." He finished.
"But, what does this have to do with me, sir?" Santiago asked.
"You are like me. You're strong, you just dont know it. Today you were faced with a difficult task, and you preformed well. But, you were given a choice." He said.
"What?" Santiago asked. Mosaiah hit a switch on the wall and the far side of the room lit up. He saw Alex, chained to a chair. She looked shocked and scared.
"She gave you a choice. You either run, or fight. And you chose to fight. She is weak. She must be taught to be strong. Now Santiago, you don't have to stay and watch this, you can defiantly go back to your tent and play some cards, but you can stay if you wish." Mosaiah said.
"You're going to kill her?" Santiago asked frightened.
"No. Not exactly. But, things happen." He said. Just then Santiago noticed a pistol laying under his chair. Alex seemed to notice it to, since she begged him with her eyes, he instantly knew she had put it there. Santiago looked around the room, sound proof so no sound would escape, no windows, so no one would see in. And no one was inside this building when Santiago came in. He was alone, with Mosaiah, Alex and himself. He could shoot Mosaiah and escape undetected. He'd be seen as a hero, and any Federal force would recognize him and keep him safe. But there was always the danger of getting caught... But what would happen if this guy lived? How many people would he kill? He'd already killed all of those people in New York. What was stopping him form doing it again... And using Santiago as a weapon? Santiago flashed back to when he was a kid, reading through his mother's old Bible, for some reason this moment had stuck with him, he'd flipped open to John 15:13 and began to read. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."
Santiago Martinez
Santiago's hands still shook, even though he'd shot her over an hour ago. He sat in the tent with the others, just star… moreing blankly a the side while everyone else played a game of cards. Occasionally someone would look over and as what his problem was. Soon, Alex walked in the tent and took a seat next to Santiago. After a brief moment of silence, she spoke up.
"I don't blame you for not running. It was a hard choice. I think i probably would've done the same thing." She said.
"I-I didnt want to shoot her... I don't want to kill anyone." Santiago said.
"None of us do. No one in their right mind would want to kill someone, and I'm sorry this had to happen to you." She said.
"Do you think it will ever end?" Santiago asked.
"The only end we have right now is death, Santi." Alex said.
"Alex?" Santiago asked.
"Where do you think your parents are now?" He asked.
"Dead." She said.
"Why do you think that… [view original content]
That statement was supposed to infer Alex had snuck the Gun in. I won't say much, but why would she sneak in an unloaded gun? I will confirm the gun is loaded. But thats all.
...He instantly knew she put to there.
That statement was supposed to infer Alex had snuck the Gun in. I won't say much, but why would she sneak in an unloaded gun? I will confirm the gun is loaded. But thats all.
Santiago Martinez
Santiago's hands still shook, even though he'd shot her over an hour ago. He sat in the tent with the others, just star… moreing blankly a the side while everyone else played a game of cards. Occasionally someone would look over and as what his problem was. Soon, Alex walked in the tent and took a seat next to Santiago. After a brief moment of silence, she spoke up.
"I don't blame you for not running. It was a hard choice. I think i probably would've done the same thing." She said.
"I-I didnt want to shoot her... I don't want to kill anyone." Santiago said.
"None of us do. No one in their right mind would want to kill someone, and I'm sorry this had to happen to you." She said.
"Do you think it will ever end?" Santiago asked.
"The only end we have right now is death, Santi." Alex said.
"Alex?" Santiago asked.
"Where do you think your parents are now?" He asked.
"Dead." She said.
"Why do you think that… [view original content]
Adam Johnson
Corporal Johnson scratched his head then threw his arm to his sides. He looked her and Ann over with obvious resent.
"Get… more the girl in the sand rail." Johnson said without looking away from Ann and Carmen.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" Ann exclaimed,
"Don't thank me yet." Johnson said as the solider pulled Riley out of the truck and began walking back towards the parked vehicles. Johnson pulled a water canteen off his belt and handed it to Carmen.
"Whats this for?" She asked.
"You got blood all over you." Johnson said. Carmen looked at the canteen for a moment before unscrewing the cap with shaky hands and pouring the water over her palms washing away the blood.
"Hey, were going to try everything we can to keep her safe." Johnson said. "I got to go now. Stay safe, and if you ever need anything, we aren't going anywhere." Johnson said as he began walking away from the two. He noticed the solider that came wit… [view original content]
Santiago Martinez
Santiago's hands still shook, even though he'd shot her over an hour ago. He sat in the tent with the others, just star… moreing blankly a the side while everyone else played a game of cards. Occasionally someone would look over and as what his problem was. Soon, Alex walked in the tent and took a seat next to Santiago. After a brief moment of silence, she spoke up.
"I don't blame you for not running. It was a hard choice. I think i probably would've done the same thing." She said.
"I-I didnt want to shoot her... I don't want to kill anyone." Santiago said.
"None of us do. No one in their right mind would want to kill someone, and I'm sorry this had to happen to you." She said.
"Do you think it will ever end?" Santiago asked.
"The only end we have right now is death, Santi." Alex said.
"Alex?" Santiago asked.
"Where do you think your parents are now?" He asked.
"Dead." She said.
"Why do you think that… [view original content]
Santiago Martinez
Santiago's hands still shook, even though he'd shot her over an hour ago. He sat in the tent with the others, just star… moreing blankly a the side while everyone else played a game of cards. Occasionally someone would look over and as what his problem was. Soon, Alex walked in the tent and took a seat next to Santiago. After a brief moment of silence, she spoke up.
"I don't blame you for not running. It was a hard choice. I think i probably would've done the same thing." She said.
"I-I didnt want to shoot her... I don't want to kill anyone." Santiago said.
"None of us do. No one in their right mind would want to kill someone, and I'm sorry this had to happen to you." She said.
"Do you think it will ever end?" Santiago asked.
"The only end we have right now is death, Santi." Alex said.
"Alex?" Santiago asked.
"Where do you think your parents are now?" He asked.
"Dead." She said.
"Why do you think that… [view original content]
Santiago Martinez
Santiago's hands still shook, even though he'd shot her over an hour ago. He sat in the tent with the others, just star… moreing blankly a the side while everyone else played a game of cards. Occasionally someone would look over and as what his problem was. Soon, Alex walked in the tent and took a seat next to Santiago. After a brief moment of silence, she spoke up.
"I don't blame you for not running. It was a hard choice. I think i probably would've done the same thing." She said.
"I-I didnt want to shoot her... I don't want to kill anyone." Santiago said.
"None of us do. No one in their right mind would want to kill someone, and I'm sorry this had to happen to you." She said.
"Do you think it will ever end?" Santiago asked.
"The only end we have right now is death, Santi." Alex said.
"Alex?" Santiago asked.
"Where do you think your parents are now?" He asked.
"Dead." She said.
"Why do you think that… [view original content]
Mosaiah turned his back and marched up to Alex, picking up a baton up off a nearby table.
"This is going to hurt you a lot more than it will hurt me." He sneered as he swung the baton, striking her in the face. Santiago recoiled at the sight of blood. Mosaiah, although, was not satisfied. He continued to strike Alex multiple times without stopping. Santiago snapped himself back to reality. He had to do something. He jumped out of the chair and reached for the pistol. The sounds of the baton making contact with Alex's body continued as he rushed to cock the pistol. Once he'd gotten the clip in he stood up and faced Mosaiah. He pulled the slide back, cambering a round and causing a loud tell-tale sound. Mosaiah stopped attacking Alex and turned to face Santiago. His eyes widened when he sighted the pistol.
"Put the gun down Santiago, I wasn't going to kill her." He said. Santiago's hands trembled as he held the gun up. "You know, we're not that different after all Santiago, are we?" He said.
"I'm nothing like you." Santiago said as he pulled off a round onto Mosaiah's chest. Mosaiah stood shocked for a moment at the blood leaking out of his shirt.
"You shot me! You son of a bitch you shot me!" He yelled, as he started moving forward towards Santiago. Santiago shot once more, hitting Mosaiah square in the head. His body fell to the ground, lifeless. Santiago looked at the pistol in his hands; he'd killed two people... He threw the gun to the side as he looked up and saw Alex, and rushed to her side. Her head was slumped forward and her brown hair was covering her face, but Santiago could see blood dripping onto the floor.
“Alex? Are you alive?” Santiago asked stupidly. He reached up checking for a pulse, and thankfully he found one. “I’m going to get you out of here. Just hold on.” He said, as if she was going to wake up and walk away. Santiago looked at the chains that were holding her to the chair; they were held on by a pad lock. He needed the key to open it. Mosaiah. Santiago looked over at his dead body and almost instantly saw the keys dangling from his belt, looting dead bodies weren’t his thing, but he made an exception for this. He grabbed the keys and ran back over to Alex, fumbling to undo the lock.
“Santiago?” Alex asked weakly without looking up.
“Yeah, it’s me.” Santiago replied.
“You killed him?” She asked.
“Yes. I killed him.” Santiago said as he unlocked the lock and pulled the chains off her wrists. “Here.” He said, holding out his hand to Alex, but she swatted it away.
“I can walk.” She said as she pushed herself out of the chair. As soon as she was standing, color drained from her face and she crumbled back to the floor.
“Let me help you.” Santiago said.
“Okay… Okay.” Alex said, reaching out and grabbing hold of Santiago’s hand. Santiago pulled her up and she leaned on him for support.
“Where are we going?” Santiago asked.
“Out the back door and through the woods. They won’t waste time trying to track down two runaway kids.” Alex wheezed.
“But they will waste time trying to track down two murders.” Santiago said.
“Let’s just go.” Alex demanded. Together, she and Santiago began moving forward out towards the back door. Once they were out the back door, they simply crossed an empty street into the woods. They continued to trek deeper into the woods, to ensure no one would follow them. The camp faded behind them as the foliage and brush got thicker.
“Where are we headed?” Santiago asked.
“It’s not far from here now… It’s…Jus t that way.” She said pointing weakly in the direction as she stumbled forward.
“Hey, slow down. Take it easy okay? You can’t see you, I can.” Santiago said.
“Yeah… I just need.. A minute.” She said as she suddenly fell forward, Santiago caught her and pulled her back up before she hit the ground.
“Alex? You alright?” He asked. “Alex?” He asked again after not receiving a response. “shit.” He mumbled to himself as he began lurching forward dragging Alex along with him. He contemplated yelling for help, but that probably wouldn’t end well with Network all around this area. He kept dragging her limp body through the forest deeper and deeper until he couldn’t drag her anymore. He then just gave up and sat down in the dirt breathing heavily. He stared off into the woods back towards the camp to make sure nothing was following them. He hear a rustle in the bushes behind him and he turned to look, only to see a squirrel running around. He turned back towards the direction of the camp and this time, saw a person. Right in front of him. With a gun, pointed at his head.
“I saw where you came from.” He said, staring at Santiago. “We don’t like Network.”
“I’m not Network! I swear!” Santiago said
“I’ve heard that so many times before. It never works, they always turn out to be Network.” He said.
“I not! I was just escaping them with her! Just let us go, please.” Santiago pleaded.
“Who?” The man asked.
“her.” Santiago said pointing to Alex’s body which he’d just kinda thrown on the ground. The man stood up and walked over to her, turning her over to see her face.
“Holy shit…” He said.
“You know her?” He said.
“Yes. We escaped the Network camp together. I was forced to kill a commander to save her.” Santiago said.
“Any friend of hers is a friend of mine. My name is Samu Kuusi, I came here from California on a lead. We have a camp up that way, concealed from sight. You’re welcome to stay the night with us if you want, hell, stay forever if you want. What happened to her?” Samu asked, looking at Alex.
“The commander was going crazy, he was hitting her with a baton and was going to kill her. I- I had to kill him.” Santiago said.
“Kid, the Network are not good people. You did the right thing. Alex was lucky to have you. What was the guys name?” He asked.
“Mosaiah.” Santiago said, and Samu’s face dropped.
“What? Mosaiah? We’ve been trying to kill him for weeks! All this planning and coordinating, and you just waltz in and kill him?” Samu asked, surprised.
“Yes.” Santiago said.
“Damn. There is hope left in this world after all.” Samu said. “Lets get her back to camp and see what the medic has to say. Are you coming with us or are you headed north like everyone else?” Samu asked.
“Whats up north?” Santiago asked.’
“You haven’t heard? The state of Maine has been declared a neutral zone, no ones in it. No Fed’s, no Neo’s. It’s a bunch of horse shit if you ask me. The way there, its covered with hazardous terrain and fucking Neo’s every step of the way. You’d be lucky to get there, but I’ve heard if you survive, Maine is the safest place on the planet. So you coming or not?” Samu asked.
Choice.
[Head for Maine]
[Stay at the resistance camp with Samu.]
Yeah, I know it’s a little odd that I moved Samu from Cali to NY. But, it was needed for the story…
Burn in the deepest corners of hell, Mosaiah! First time I made a real villain, and while I enjoyed how you wrote him, I'm more than glad that he is gone. I guess I'll stick to creating heroes or at least less villainous characters. Which reminds me, I really want to submit another character. Is there any group and location in particular where you could need one?
[Stay at the resistance camp with Samu.]
I like Samu and think Santiago could be a good addition to the Resistance. The journey to Maine also sounds very dangerous, so I think staying with the resistance sounds like a good choice.
Santiago Martinez
Mosaiah turned his back and marched up to Alex, picking up a baton up off a nearby table.
"This is going to hurt you… more a lot more than it will hurt me." He sneered as he swung the baton, striking her in the face. Santiago recoiled at the sight of blood. Mosaiah, although, was not satisfied. He continued to strike Alex multiple times without stopping. Santiago snapped himself back to reality. He had to do something. He jumped out of the chair and reached for the pistol. The sounds of the baton making contact with Alex's body continued as he rushed to cock the pistol. Once he'd gotten the clip in he stood up and faced Mosaiah. He pulled the slide back, cambering a round and causing a loud tell-tale sound. Mosaiah stopped attacking Alex and turned to face Santiago. His eyes widened when he sighted the pistol.
"Put the gun down Santiago, I wasn't going to kill her." He said. Santiago's hands trembled as he held the gun up… [view original content]
Thank you very much! Mosaiah was a very interesting and joyous character for me to write... and kill. He was very instrumental in this story. Also, if you are going to make another character, i would like it in the New York area, or surrounding regions, that'd be great. Thanks!
Burn in the deepest corners of hell, Mosaiah! First time I made a real villain, and while I enjoyed how you wrote him, I'm more than glad th… moreat he is gone. I guess I'll stick to creating heroes or at least less villainous characters. Which reminds me, I really want to submit another character. Is there any group and location in particular where you could need one?
[Stay at the resistance camp with Samu.]
I like Samu and think Santiago could be a good addition to the Resistance. The journey to Maine also sounds very dangerous, so I think staying with the resistance sounds like a good choice.
Santiago Martinez
Mosaiah turned his back and marched up to Alex, picking up a baton up off a nearby table.
"This is going to hurt you… more a lot more than it will hurt me." He sneered as he swung the baton, striking her in the face. Santiago recoiled at the sight of blood. Mosaiah, although, was not satisfied. He continued to strike Alex multiple times without stopping. Santiago snapped himself back to reality. He had to do something. He jumped out of the chair and reached for the pistol. The sounds of the baton making contact with Alex's body continued as he rushed to cock the pistol. Once he'd gotten the clip in he stood up and faced Mosaiah. He pulled the slide back, cambering a round and causing a loud tell-tale sound. Mosaiah stopped attacking Alex and turned to face Santiago. His eyes widened when he sighted the pistol.
"Put the gun down Santiago, I wasn't going to kill her." He said. Santiago's hands trembled as he held the gun up… [view original content]
Santiago Martinez
Mosaiah turned his back and marched up to Alex, picking up a baton up off a nearby table.
"This is going to hurt you… more a lot more than it will hurt me." He sneered as he swung the baton, striking her in the face. Santiago recoiled at the sight of blood. Mosaiah, although, was not satisfied. He continued to strike Alex multiple times without stopping. Santiago snapped himself back to reality. He had to do something. He jumped out of the chair and reached for the pistol. The sounds of the baton making contact with Alex's body continued as he rushed to cock the pistol. Once he'd gotten the clip in he stood up and faced Mosaiah. He pulled the slide back, cambering a round and causing a loud tell-tale sound. Mosaiah stopped attacking Alex and turned to face Santiago. His eyes widened when he sighted the pistol.
"Put the gun down Santiago, I wasn't going to kill her." He said. Santiago's hands trembled as he held the gun up… [view original content]
Santiago Martinez
Mosaiah turned his back and marched up to Alex, picking up a baton up off a nearby table.
"This is going to hurt you… more a lot more than it will hurt me." He sneered as he swung the baton, striking her in the face. Santiago recoiled at the sight of blood. Mosaiah, although, was not satisfied. He continued to strike Alex multiple times without stopping. Santiago snapped himself back to reality. He had to do something. He jumped out of the chair and reached for the pistol. The sounds of the baton making contact with Alex's body continued as he rushed to cock the pistol. Once he'd gotten the clip in he stood up and faced Mosaiah. He pulled the slide back, cambering a round and causing a loud tell-tale sound. Mosaiah stopped attacking Alex and turned to face Santiago. His eyes widened when he sighted the pistol.
"Put the gun down Santiago, I wasn't going to kill her." He said. Santiago's hands trembled as he held the gun up… [view original content]
Yeah, I'm just going to upfront and honest with you guys. My summer break just started and I seriously fell like taking some time off, from everything. I cant tell you when I will start writing again, but i guess this is it for now. I'll still be around to read your stories 'n stuff. Just, I dont feel like writing. So, I guess you could call this an indefinite hiatus... Sorry.
Yeah, I'm just going to upfront and honest with you guys. My summer break just started and I seriously fell like taking some time off, from … moreeverything. I cant tell you when I will start writing again, but i guess this is it for now. I'll still be around to read your stories 'n stuff. Just, I dont feel like writing. So, I guess you could call this an indefinite hiatus... Sorry.
It's okay, if you don't feel like writing it's certainly the right decision to take a break! And as soon you decide that you want to continue your stories, I'm definitely still around to read them. By the way, enjoy your summer holidays!
Yeah, I'm just going to upfront and honest with you guys. My summer break just started and I seriously fell like taking some time off, from … moreeverything. I cant tell you when I will start writing again, but i guess this is it for now. I'll still be around to read your stories 'n stuff. Just, I dont feel like writing. So, I guess you could call this an indefinite hiatus... Sorry.
Don't worry, take all the time you need. In here our summers are a lot shorter than there, so I really need to do shit in the summer when I still can (and when it's still warm), so I really don't focus on writing too much. So yeah, I understand why you're feeling like that.
Yeah, I'm just going to upfront and honest with you guys. My summer break just started and I seriously fell like taking some time off, from … moreeverything. I cant tell you when I will start writing again, but i guess this is it for now. I'll still be around to read your stories 'n stuff. Just, I dont feel like writing. So, I guess you could call this an indefinite hiatus... Sorry.
Yeah, I'm just going to upfront and honest with you guys. My summer break just started and I seriously fell like taking some time off, from … moreeverything. I cant tell you when I will start writing again, but i guess this is it for now. I'll still be around to read your stories 'n stuff. Just, I dont feel like writing. So, I guess you could call this an indefinite hiatus... Sorry.
"Come on!" Dillon yelled at the television as the power flickered and went out. The biggest football game of the season, and just his luck, the power goes out.
"Whats going on?" Dillons dad asked from the garage.
"The power went out." Dillon responded.
"Of course. Do the neighbors have power?" Dillons dad asked. Dillon stood up and walked over to the window and looked across the street towards the neighbors house. All the lights were out and the old man was standing on the front steps looking angry.
"No, I think power went out to the whole neighborhood." Dillon said.
"Some idiot probably drove into a telephone pole or something. The electric company will fix it eventually." Dillons dad said. Dillon sunk back into his chair wonder who would win the game. It seemed pretty even, but on this one it looked to be favoring the Colts. A sudden knock at the door shook Dillon out of his thought.
"Dillon, get the door." Dillons mom called. Dillon rose from the chair and walked to the front door, opening it to reveal a bewildered looking man. He was breathing heavily and was bleeding just above his eyebrow.
"Sir, are you alright?" Dillon asked.
"You gotta help me, they're comin. They're gonna kill us." The man said, looking over his shoulder down the road.
"Sir,Have you been drinking?" Dillon asked, catching a whiff of the man's breath.
"I tried to warn you. I tried. This is on your hands. Not mine." The man said as he began to run away down the street.
"The hell was that?" Dillon asked himself.
"Dillon, who was that?" Dillon's mom asked.
"No clue. Some drunk idiot." Dillon said.
"You'd think people would have more sense than that." Dillons mom said.
“This world these days.” Dillion said.
“Hey, would you give me-“Dillon’s dad began but was cut off by a crashing sound.
“What was that?” Dillon’s dad asked. Dillon walked into the living room where he’d heard the noise come from. As he entered the living room he noticed a rock lying on the floor and the window smashed open.
“A rock. Someone threw a damn rock through the window.” Dillon said angrily. He looked through the window and saw a man harassing the elderly neighbor. He stormed out the front door and down the steps towards the neighbors. He quickly marched up to the man and threw him to the ground.
“Hey, you alright?” Dillon asked the old man, offering him his hand. The old man stayed silent, lifting his hand and pointing down the street. Dillon turned to look and saw a huge mass of people rushing towards him.
“Shit.”
One week later
“Ugh. Oww.” Dillon moaned as he rubbed his head.
“Easy there son. You got yourself pretty messed up.” A voice called.
“Who is that?” Dillon called into the darkness of the room. Suddenly the lights came on and Dillon saw a man standing in the far corner of the room.
“I’m just a doctor. I found you dying on the side of the road. Thought I could help.” He said.
“What happened?” Dillon asked.
“The whole damn state went into a blackout and people started to riot. You were unlucky enough to get caught up in that.” He answered.
“Then how do you have power?” Dillon asked.
“It was only out for about an hour. Then it came back on. Makes me wonder why people decided to riot.” He said.
“Where am I?” Dillon asked.
“Well, this is my house. Just south of Dallas. I found you a few miles south of here.” He said.
“How? I live near Austin.” Dillon said.
“Then you’re a long ways from home.” He said.
“I got to get home. I need to find my family.” Dillon said as he forced himself up. A sudden light headedness over took him.
“Son, you ain’t going to make it to Austin alone in your condition.” He said.
“But I have to.” Dillon said as he began stumbling towards the front door.
“Wait. It’s too dangerous to walk. I’ll drive you. Just let me get some things.” The doctor said.
A few hours later
“This is it?” The doctor asked.
“Yes. This is it.” Dillon said as he opened the truck door and stepped out. He began walking towards the front door. He heard the trucks engine stop and the doctor stepped out. Dillon walked up to the front door and knocked on it.
“Mom, Dad? It’s me, Dillon.” Dillon called. After a few moments he heard nothing.
“Is it locked?” The doctor asked. Dillon turned to door knob and to his surprise the door opened. He was shocked at what greeted him. The place was a mess. The cabinets were all thrown open and everything was a mess.
“What happened?” Dillon asked.
“Looters.” The doctor responded. Dillon moved deeper into the house towards his parents’ bedroom.
“Wait.” The doctor said, placing a hand on Dillon’s shoulder. “Looters might be in there.” He said pulling out a pistol. He walked up to the door and quickly pushed it open, sweeping the room. Then he fired two shots.
“What was that?” Dillon asked.
“You don’t want to see this.” The doctor said.
“What?” Dillon asked as he pushed past the doctor into the room. He saw his mom, dad, and a random person dead. “No… No.. This can’t be happening. No.”
“Motherfucker.” The doctor said. “It’s the Network.”
Today
“Please, no. I Have a family!” The man begged.
“You should’ve thought of that before joining the Network.” Dillon said, shoving the sword into the man’s chest. Dillon looked back at the others. Seven? Eight? It was a pretty successful mission for the resistance. The Network stood no chance. Dillon lights a match, throwing it on the floor where he’d dumped some gasoline, and walked out of the building. He saw down on his motorcycle looking at the burning bar, admiring his handy work. The Network would see this for sure. After a few moments he started the motorcycle and tore down the road towards base.
“Damn boy, your turning out to be one of the most valuable members of this group.” Robert said. Robert Thomas was almost like the head chief around here, although there really wasn’t one.
“Anyways, with you around. The Network will never mess with us.” Robert said, as he began to walk away.
“Hey Robert, I picked this up for you.” Dillon said, pulling a bottle of whiskey out of his pack and handing it to Robert.
“You know me to well. You can take the rest of the day off. HQ will radio in with our next assignments in the morning.” Robert said. Dillon walked off towards his tent, happy with today’s results. He sat down on his cot and pulled out his small radio. He twisted the knob and turned it on.
“This is KNX 1070 Am with an urgent announcement.” A voice spoke, shocking Dillon. It was usually only static. “As the United States rages through a bloody war, we would like to inform you on the condition of the States…”
“Fallen: Utah, Georgia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Michigan, Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma, Alabama, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Washington, Mississippi, Kansas, Nebraska, Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. “
“Federal: Ohio, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode island, New Hampshire.”
“Clashing: California, Texas, Virginia”
“Independent: Maine.”
Dillon quickly shut off the radio and put it back under his cot. This was a lot worse than he realized. He walked out of his tent and found Robert sitting around a map of the United States. Each state was marked with a blue or red flag. Maine was marked with yellow.
“Sir.” Dillon said.
“What is it? This isn’t a real army, you don’t need to call me sir.” Robert said.
“We lost Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana. But we’ve gained Ohio and Colorado.” Dillon said.
“Damn it. How did you find out?” Robert asked.
“Radio broadcast.” Dillon said.
“Radio broadcast? All the radio towers were destroyed by the Network.” Robert said.
“Not this one. It was KNX 1070.” Dillon said.
“That’s not far from here. If we can capture it, we can control Texas radio. And if we control Texas Radio, we can coordinate and communicate. There has to be more of us out there. There has to.” Robert said. “Dillon, are you in for this?” Robert asked.
Dillon, day of the initial attack
"Come on!" Dillon yelled at the television as the power flickered and went out. The biggest football ga… moreme of the season, and just his luck, the power goes out.
"Whats going on?" Dillons dad asked from the garage.
"The power went out." Dillon responded.
"Of course. Do the neighbors have power?" Dillons dad asked. Dillon stood up and walked over to the window and looked across the street towards the neighbors house. All the lights were out and the old man was standing on the front steps looking angry.
"No, I think power went out to the whole neighborhood." Dillon said.
"Some idiot probably drove into a telephone pole or something. The electric company will fix it eventually." Dillons dad said. Dillon sunk back into his chair wonder who would win the game. It seemed pretty even, but on this one it looked to be favoring the Colts. A sudden knock at the door shook Dillon out of his thought.
"D… [view original content]
That was a great part, I'm glad to see this back I especially liked the long flashback scenes here. Dillon seems to be a cool guy, I'm looking forward for his storyline.
Dillon, day of the initial attack
"Come on!" Dillon yelled at the television as the power flickered and went out. The biggest football ga… moreme of the season, and just his luck, the power goes out.
"Whats going on?" Dillons dad asked from the garage.
"The power went out." Dillon responded.
"Of course. Do the neighbors have power?" Dillons dad asked. Dillon stood up and walked over to the window and looked across the street towards the neighbors house. All the lights were out and the old man was standing on the front steps looking angry.
"No, I think power went out to the whole neighborhood." Dillon said.
"Some idiot probably drove into a telephone pole or something. The electric company will fix it eventually." Dillons dad said. Dillon sunk back into his chair wonder who would win the game. It seemed pretty even, but on this one it looked to be favoring the Colts. A sudden knock at the door shook Dillon out of his thought.
"D… [view original content]
Dillon, day of the initial attack
"Come on!" Dillon yelled at the television as the power flickered and went out. The biggest football ga… moreme of the season, and just his luck, the power goes out.
"Whats going on?" Dillons dad asked from the garage.
"The power went out." Dillon responded.
"Of course. Do the neighbors have power?" Dillons dad asked. Dillon stood up and walked over to the window and looked across the street towards the neighbors house. All the lights were out and the old man was standing on the front steps looking angry.
"No, I think power went out to the whole neighborhood." Dillon said.
"Some idiot probably drove into a telephone pole or something. The electric company will fix it eventually." Dillons dad said. Dillon sunk back into his chair wonder who would win the game. It seemed pretty even, but on this one it looked to be favoring the Colts. A sudden knock at the door shook Dillon out of his thought.
"D… [view original content]
"Yes. I'm all in. This radio tower might be the most important thing to us right now." Dillon said.
"Good to hear kid. Now, get your gear and get ready. Meet me in the main cabin in ten." Robert said. Dillon walked off towards his tent to get his stuff. He grabbed his pack and slung it around his shoulder, then grabbed his sword and attached it to his belt. He scanned the tent one last time, and finding nothing useful, he walked out towards the main cabin. It was the only actual building in the camp. A large wooden cabin out in the middle of the Sabine forest. Funny, how close this place was to Louisiana. Dillon walked up the front steps and walked through the open door. He saw Robert talking with another man, Captain Angelo. Robert looked up from the Texas map he was slouched over and saw Dillon and waved him over.
"Come here Dillon." He instructed and Dillon walked up to the map. "Now, We're right here." Robert said, pointing out an area right between Texas and Louisiana.
"The radio station, KNX 1070, Is up here in Carthage. Which is about seventy miles from Milam. Which is where we stand. Thats over a days walk." Captain Angelo said.
"Then why don't we take a car?" Dillon asked.
"Great idea son! Why didn't I think of that? All the cars are gone or totaled." Captain Angelo said.
"Angelo, we don't have time for sarcasm. Now, we don't necessarily have to walk." Robert said.
"How the hell else are we going to get there?" Angelo asked.
"We have bikes." Robert said.
"You want me to get on a bike and ride from here to Carthage?" Angelo asked.
"Yes. If we pace ourselves we could get there in under seven hours, just in time for sundown." Robert said.
"Fucking fine. But if I fall of the damn bike I swear I will kick your ass into next week." Angelo said. Robert smirked a little.
"I guess its settled. Gentlemen, we have a radio station to seize." Robert said.
Santiago Martinez
"I'd rather not run off into the wood right now. Especially with Network all over my tail." Santiago said.
"Smart choice kid. Neo's aren't particularly friendly people." Samu said. "How long you been in New York?"
"Not long. My family is from Argentina." Santiago said.
"What were you doing here?" Samu asked.
"Just vacationing, I guess." Santiago said.
"Not a good time to get caught abroad, huh? Well. We better get moving unless we want to get caught by a Network patrol. I know a camp not far from here. Their holed up in the old Fort Ticonderoga." Samu said as he picked up Alex off the ground.
"Fort Ticonderoga?" Santiago asked.
"Its an old revolutionary war fort. Its a miracle the place is still standing after that mortar strike." Samu said. Just great, Santiago thought, Network Patrols, random mortar strikes, and a creepy ass fort in the middle of hell knows where. Just another day in paradise.
"This is it." Samu said, motioning to the large stone fort. "Looks like they fixed the western wall since i was gone."
"What happened to this place?" Santiago asked.
"Mortar strike. We couldn't tell if it was Neo's or Mercs. And frankly, I don't want to find out." Samu said.
"Dont move! This is Resistance territory. State your business." A voice called.
"Cut the crap and open the gates Walker." Samu called. After a few moments of silence the large front gates creaked open. "What are you waiting for kid, go on in." Samu said.
"Did I miss anything while I was gone?" Samu asked.
"A few things. Rickson blew himself up with a faulty grenade. And Eleanora died while you were gone." The guard at the front gate answered.
"Damn it. How many do we have left now?" Samu asked.
"32" The guard answered.
"This is hopeless. We lost New York before it's even started." Samu said.
"Sir, Commander Arlie would like to see you in her office." The guard said. "And, who is this?" He said looking at Santiago.
"Santiago Martinez. Killer of Mosaiah." Samu said.
"Mosaiah? Like... The Mosaiah?" The guard asked.
"Yes. He killed Mosaiah, and saved Alex here." Samu said.
"Kid, your a real hero." The guard said. Funny, Santiago didn't feel like a hero. He felt like a murderer.
"We should get inside the fort. Walker, Take Alex and Santiago while I go see what Arile wants." Samu said.
"Yes sir." Walker said.
Samu Kuusi
Samu walked through the fort trying to ignore the horrible smell of death in the air. He could still see the craters from the mortar strikes as he walked. They were lucky, very lucky it didn't kill any more people. He rushed his way into the south barracks and up to Arile's room. He knocked on the door.
"Its not locked." Arile's voice called. Samu opened the door and slowly walked in, as to not excite the guards flaking either side of the door. The guards, although, quickly stepped in front of him to prevent him from getting to Arile. "It's alright. Let him in." Arile called and the guards backed off. Samu saw Arile standing near the window looking out into the fort.
"Commander Arile, you asked to see me." Samu said.
"Yes. Samu, sit. We need to talk." Arile said. Samu walked into the room and took a seat in one of the old wooden chairs. Arile turned away from the window and looked at Samu.
"Guards, a little privacy, please." Arile said. The guards quickly shuffled out of the room and closed the door behind them. No doubt the were just standing outside the door though. They took Arile's safety very seriously.
"Would you like something to drink?" Arile asked.
"Yes. Please." Samu said. Arile grabbed a glass bottle and poured some into a cup and handed it to Samu.
"It's the last bit of bourbon we have left at the fort." Arile smiled.
"Thank you, mama." Samu said.
"Lieutenant Kuusi, there is no need for all the formalities. We're friends after all, aren't we?" Arile asked.
"Of course we are. They seem to be upping security around here." Samu said.
"Yes. The mortar strike scared them, I'm just making them feel safe by establishing regular patrols." Arile said.
"It cant be easy." Samu said.
"What cant be easy?" Arile asked.
"Trying to command an entire New York campaign when you cant even communicate with other units." Samu said.
"Your more right than I'd like to admit Samu. New York is crumpling and the Fed's are in retreat. Neo's are right on our asses and we have no where to run." Arile said. "We should probably discuss the matter at hand though." She said.
"And what would that be?" Samu asked.
"Eleanora." Arile said.
"That poor girl, what was she? seventeen? God Damn mortars." Samu said.
"It wasnt the mortars that got her. Eleanora had been spying on Network commanders for a long time now. She was found out and shot, but escaped. A patrol found her dead at the front gates. But she wrote out everything she knew before she died." Arile said, as she opened a drawer and pulled out a blood soaked piece of paper. "Excuse the mess." Arile said. Samu read over the letter quickly.
"This isn't making any sense. Why would the Network be attacking Brooklyn. They have no business there. Its only civilians." Samu said.
"Samu, what we see as civilians, they see as slaves. They dont have many defenses and the Fed's wont help." Arile said. "And worst of all, its not even the Network themselves that are seizing the city. They're sending in mercs to do it for them. And you know how Mercs operate. There will be next to no survivors." Arile said. Samu could see the pain in her brown eyes.
"Why are you telling me this?" Samu asked.
"We have a hard choice and I dont think I can make it on my own. We could either pack our shit and go to Brooklyn, and lose the fort. Or we could stay here and let everyone in Brooklyn face execution. But keep this fort." Arile said.
"You cant expect me to make this choice Arile." Samu said. Arile reached out and grabbed his shoulder.
"Please Samu. Since the moment you showed up here good things started happening to our camp. The fighters look up to you. They respect you, more than me. I need you to back me up." Arile said. "I want to make you my second in command in the New York campaign." Arile said. "But first, we neeed to know where were going."
Dillon
"Yes. I'm all in. This radio tower might be the most important thing to us right now." Dillon said.
"Good to hear kid. Now, get… more your gear and get ready. Meet me in the main cabin in ten." Robert said. Dillon walked off towards his tent to get his stuff. He grabbed his pack and slung it around his shoulder, then grabbed his sword and attached it to his belt. He scanned the tent one last time, and finding nothing useful, he walked out towards the main cabin. It was the only actual building in the camp. A large wooden cabin out in the middle of the Sabine forest. Funny, how close this place was to Louisiana. Dillon walked up the front steps and walked through the open door. He saw Robert talking with another man, Captain Angelo. Robert looked up from the Texas map he was slouched over and saw Dillon and waved him over.
"Come here Dillon." He instructed and Dillon walked up to the map. "Now, We're right here." Robert said, pointin… [view original content]
Dillon
"Yes. I'm all in. This radio tower might be the most important thing to us right now." Dillon said.
"Good to hear kid. Now, get… more your gear and get ready. Meet me in the main cabin in ten." Robert said. Dillon walked off towards his tent to get his stuff. He grabbed his pack and slung it around his shoulder, then grabbed his sword and attached it to his belt. He scanned the tent one last time, and finding nothing useful, he walked out towards the main cabin. It was the only actual building in the camp. A large wooden cabin out in the middle of the Sabine forest. Funny, how close this place was to Louisiana. Dillon walked up the front steps and walked through the open door. He saw Robert talking with another man, Captain Angelo. Robert looked up from the Texas map he was slouched over and saw Dillon and waved him over.
"Come here Dillon." He instructed and Dillon walked up to the map. "Now, We're right here." Robert said, pointin… [view original content]
[Go to Brooklyn] - a tactical retreat isn't always the most glamorous option, but if it can save lives, it'll be worth it.
I'm sorry for my absence and all, I'm gonna try to keep up with this awesome story the best I can. And on a side note, I like the representation of Dillon's story. Very nice and awesome work!
Dillon
"Yes. I'm all in. This radio tower might be the most important thing to us right now." Dillon said.
"Good to hear kid. Now, get… more your gear and get ready. Meet me in the main cabin in ten." Robert said. Dillon walked off towards his tent to get his stuff. He grabbed his pack and slung it around his shoulder, then grabbed his sword and attached it to his belt. He scanned the tent one last time, and finding nothing useful, he walked out towards the main cabin. It was the only actual building in the camp. A large wooden cabin out in the middle of the Sabine forest. Funny, how close this place was to Louisiana. Dillon walked up the front steps and walked through the open door. He saw Robert talking with another man, Captain Angelo. Robert looked up from the Texas map he was slouched over and saw Dillon and waved him over.
"Come here Dillon." He instructed and Dillon walked up to the map. "Now, We're right here." Robert said, pointin… [view original content]
[Go to Brooklyn] - a tactical retreat isn't always the most glamorous option, but if it can save lives, it'll be worth it.
I'm sorry for … moremy absence and all, I'm gonna try to keep up with this awesome story the best I can. And on a side note, I like the representation of Dillon's story. Very nice and awesome work!
Comments
https://www.telltalegames.com/community/discussion/95205/the-20th-hunger-games
Corporal Adam Johnson
"We cant just leave him out there. Lets go get him." Adam decided.
"Whatever you say, sir." The solider responded. "We got a sand rail ready."
"Seriously, a fucking sand rail?" Adam asked.
"Its what we got." The solider responded as he walked away towards the vehicle. "I'll follow behind you on an ATV." He said as Adam climbed into the sand rail and turned it on. It may not exactly be military grade, but it should work.
"Open the gate then!" Adam called. A guard stationed at the gate opened the large metal gates and Adam and the other solider speed through, going towards the man.
........
The sand rail slid to a stop in the desert, kicking dust everywhere. Adam climbed out and was soon joined by the other solider. Together they slowly approached the collapsed man.
"Sir, are you alright?" Adam called.
"I don't think he's alive." The solider called. Adam crouched next to the man and checked his pulse.
"Your right. He's dead. But do you notice anything odd?" Adam asked the solider.
"No sir." The solider answered.
"Look at him. He hasn't been in the desert that long. He wasn't killed by dehydration." Adam said.
"Then what killed him?" The solider asked.
"Poison." Adam said, rolling up the mans sleeve to reveal a set of bite marks. "Rattlesnake. Most likely. He didn't stand a chance."
"What do we do now?" The solider asked.
"I guess we head back." Adam said.
"And leave him like this?" The solider asked.
"We cant spare any resources on this stuff." Adam said.
"Sir..." The solider spoke.
"What is it?" Adam asked.
"Am I just seeing things or is that a truck coming at us?" The solider asked. Adam looked up and in the direction the solider was looking, he indeed saw a truck. An M939.
"That's not one of ours. We don't have any M939's in our possession." Adam said.
"Then who is it?" The solider asked. Adam looked at the approaching truck, any symbol or anything on it would help him...
"I don't know. Get your gun ready. If they don't stop, get ready to shoot." Adam said as he raised his hand at the approaching truck motioning for it to stop. When it didn't show any signs that it wanted to stop Adam raised his rec7 at the truck, firing off a single shot. Suddenly the truck slammed on the brakes and a screen of dust blinded Adam. He swatted at the sand until it was clear enough to see. He looked back up and the truck was parked a few feet away. He saw the passenger side door open and he raised his rifle again.
"Don't move! Show me your hands!" He called as he moved around towards the open passenger side door. The passenger complied and stuck their hands out into the sky. Adam did a double take when he saw the passengers hands were soaked in blood.
"Are you injured?" He called.
"She's been shot!" The passenger called out.
"Come out of the truck, we can help you!" Adam said. The passengers hands disappeared and a moment later they reappeared on the ground. The driver got out of the truck and approached him. Adam instinctively aimed his rifle in the drivers direction.
"Whoa there, take it slowly. Are you armed?" Adam asked.
"N-no, I left my gun in the truck." The driver answered.
"Alright, both of you come over here and sit in front of the truck." Adam commanded.
"But..." The passenger interrupted.
"Now!" Adam yelled.
"Carmen, just sit down." The driver commanded. The one named Carmen reluctantly walked over and sat next to the driver.
"Check the truck." Adam told the solider, who quickly rushed over to the truck.
"So where are you two headed?" Adam asked.
"Here, we have a wounded girl in there. She needs help." The driver said.
"What are your names?" Adam asked.
"Carmen." The passenger said.
"Ann." The driver said.
"The girl is Riley." Carmen said.
"Sir, they weren't lying. They have wounded. And it looks bad." The solider called from the truck. Adam turned to the women.
"Follow us into Cormack. " He commanded.
"We cant." Ann said.
"Why?" Adam asked.
"Were being followed. We'd put you all at risk, but Riley can stay. They wont know she's here." Carmen said.
"Who's following you?" Adam asked.
"We don't have time for fucking twenty questions! Were being followed and Riley is bleeding to death!" Carmen yelled.
"Carmen, calm down." Ann instructed.
"You have to help her, you have to!" Carmen continued. Adam didn't know theses people, they could be dangerous. Plus they said they were being follow and wouldn't tell him who was following them. Helping this girl could put all of Cormack at risk. But it wasn't like him to leave people to die. And they said whoever was following them wouldn't know they had helped them, right?
Choice
[help]
[Send them away]
[help]
Maybe they can save Riley. I think it's worth a try.
Help them pls
Awesome part
[Help]
Adam Johnson
Corporal Johnson scratched his head then threw his arm to his sides. He looked her and Ann over with obvious resent.
"Get the girl in the sand rail." Johnson said without looking away from Ann and Carmen.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" Ann exclaimed,
"Don't thank me yet." Johnson said as the solider pulled Riley out of the truck and began walking back towards the parked vehicles. Johnson pulled a water canteen off his belt and handed it to Carmen.
"Whats this for?" She asked.
"You got blood all over you." Johnson said. Carmen looked at the canteen for a moment before unscrewing the cap with shaky hands and pouring the water over her palms washing away the blood.
"Hey, were going to try everything we can to keep her safe." Johnson said. "I got to go now. Stay safe, and if you ever need anything, we aren't going anywhere." Johnson said as he began walking away from the two. He noticed the solider that came with him had taken his sand rail so he took the ATV and began heading back towards the base.
.......
"Why in the hell did you bring her here? You know were already short on supplies." The medic yelled.
"We cant let people die out in the desert." Johnson said.
"We cant bring everyone in and slowly strangle ourselves to death either." The medic grumbled.
"I out rank you, do your damn job." Johnson growled. The medic sighed in defeat and walked back over to the other medics huddled around the girl. Johnson took a breath and walked out of the medics tent into the sand streets of Cormac. He noticed a solider running towards him, the solider came to a stop right in front of him and snapped his arm into a salute.
"What is it private?" Johnson asked as he began walking away. The private began following him.
"Sir, one of our soldiers has gone missing. No one's seen her since this morning." The private said.
"So, why aren't you looking for her?" Johnson asked.
"We are sir, it just that, you were the last one to have contact with her. " The private said.
"Your talking about Brooke aren't you?" Johnson asked.
"Yes sir. She couldn't have gotten far on her own. She's injured."
"But still, why are you asking me?" Johnson asked.
"We didn't know if she said anything to you, anything about... anything?"
"No. She never said anything." Johnson said.
"Thank you sir." The private said as he began to run off.
"Wait." Johnson called, stopping the private.
"Yes sir?" He asked.
"A train. She said something about a train on the east side in a hangar." Johnson said.
"Well shit."
"What?" Johnson asked.
"that's a minefield around that hangar. If she's gone over there she might have blown herself up already."
Santiago Martinez
"Get moving." The solider ordered. Santiago quickly complied and picked himself off the ground, regaining his footing. He wiped the mud away from his face with his sleeve and continued to run. His lungs burned and his heart raced as he struggled to keep up with the rest of the group.
"Pick up the pace Santiago." Another kid smirked. This kid was seriously strange, he almost seemed to enjoy being here. What was his name? Joel sounded right.
"Yeah Santi, your going to get left behind." Oh yeah, Joel's little brother Damon.
"Both of you shut up and keep moving." Another one said. She seemed to be the oldest of this group.
"How much farther is it Alex?" Joel asked her.
"Fuck if I know." Alex responded.
"Stop!" A solider commanded and all four of them stopped moving. "This way." The solider said ushering the group under the shade of a big tree. A pickup truck skidded to a stop in front of them and Mosaiah jumped out of the passenger side. He calmly walked over to the back of the truck and pulled something out... No, someone. A woman who had her hands bound together and a bag over her head. Mosaiah hefted her onto his shoulder like she weighed nothing. The truck began driving off back in the direction it came. "Form a line!" A solider yelled, and the group scrambled into a line.
"Well." Mosaiah began. "You runts weren't exactly what I wanted, but you'll have to do." He said as he threw the woman to the ground in front of him. "Today you will be taught an important skill. Obedience." He said. "This here woman has been found guilty of committing acts of treason against the Network. The punishment for such offence is death." He said as he walked down the line. "Now, on a regular day I would do this myself... But not today. Today we will try something else, one of you will kill her." He said as he eyed them. He pulled out a revolver and held it in his hand. "So, who will it be?"
"Give me the gun! I'll do it!" Joel said.
"I can do it to!" Damon said. Then the two got into an argument over who was more fit to shoot. Santiago hung his head and looked to the ground.
"Ah, Santiago. Such and innocent young boy. Time to get some blood on your hands boy." Mosaiah said. For a moment this did not register in Santiago's mind until Alex nudged his shoulder. "Santiago. Come here." Mosaiah commanded. Santiago hesitantly stepped forward. Mosaiah shoved the revolver into Santiago's hands and pointed to the woman. "Shoot her." He said. Santiago looked back at the rest of the group. He saw Joel and Damon looking extremely disappointed, did they think this was some kind of game? Then he saw Alex, she was staring directly at him.
"Run." She mouthed to him. Santiago looked down at the metal revolver in his hands, it felt like it was burning a hole in his flesh.
"Santiago...Today please." Mosaiah said.
Choice
[Run]
{Shoot her]
{Shoot her]
{Shoot her]
{Shoot her]
I'm torn. Maybe running could be his chance for freedom, or maybe this puts him in great danger. I know that nothing good can ever come from following Mosaiah's orders. On the other hand, it's probably not very wise to refuse his orders either and thinking about it, it seems too dangerous to try it.
{Shoot her]
Santiago Martinez
Santiago's hands still shook, even though he'd shot her over an hour ago. He sat in the tent with the others, just staring blankly a the side while everyone else played a game of cards. Occasionally someone would look over and as what his problem was. Soon, Alex walked in the tent and took a seat next to Santiago. After a brief moment of silence, she spoke up.
"I don't blame you for not running. It was a hard choice. I think i probably would've done the same thing." She said.
"I-I didnt want to shoot her... I don't want to kill anyone." Santiago said.
"None of us do. No one in their right mind would want to kill someone, and I'm sorry this had to happen to you." She said.
"Do you think it will ever end?" Santiago asked.
"The only end we have right now is death, Santi." Alex said.
"Alex?" Santiago asked.
"Where do you think your parents are now?" He asked.
"Dead." She said.
"Why do you think that?" Santiago asked.
"I... I was forced to kill them." She said, as tears formed in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. "I'm sorry. I dont want to talk about it."
"I'm sorry... I really am. Mosaiah killed my parents and my sister, she's at a Network prison camp somewhere." Santiago said.
"Santiago... You don't know?" Alex asked.
"Know what?" Santiago asked.
"The Network kills all of their prisoners. They line them up and shoot them, the ones that survive are buried alive." Alex said.
"You mean she's dead?" Santiago asked.
"I'm so sorry Santiago, I really am. I just though you should know." Alex said.
"I'd hate to break up you two's little romance going on here." A solider said, entering the tent. "But you're needed in Mosaiah's office. Now." He ordered, then left.
"We probably shouldnt keep him waiting." Alex said.
"What are the chances of this being something good?" Santiago asked.
"Low."
"Santiago, right on time." Mosaiah said as he paced around Santiago.
"what is this about?" Santiago asked.
"You know, When I was your age i was in the exact same spot you're in right now?" Mosaiah asked.
"No." Santiago said.
"What was that, Santiago?" Mosaiah asked.'
"No, sir." Santiago corrected himself.
"Good. And yes, I was a child solider like you to once. I grew up in it, killing people just to live. I became well respected, i was placed in charge of an entire squad. Together we terrorized Somalia. Then one day, I killed an American doctor who stood in the way, And the entire Damn United States made it their own problem. They bombed my camp, killed my men, and knocked me out. I woke up being able to see the good and bad of the world, and realized i needed a bigger force. I was contacted by a man, who organizes and plans the Network. I saw this as my chance and joined them. Now look at me, I'm king of the world." He finished.
"But, what does this have to do with me, sir?" Santiago asked.
"You are like me. You're strong, you just dont know it. Today you were faced with a difficult task, and you preformed well. But, you were given a choice." He said.
"What?" Santiago asked. Mosaiah hit a switch on the wall and the far side of the room lit up. He saw Alex, chained to a chair. She looked shocked and scared.
"She gave you a choice. You either run, or fight. And you chose to fight. She is weak. She must be taught to be strong. Now Santiago, you don't have to stay and watch this, you can defiantly go back to your tent and play some cards, but you can stay if you wish." Mosaiah said.
"You're going to kill her?" Santiago asked frightened.
"No. Not exactly. But, things happen." He said. Just then Santiago noticed a pistol laying under his chair. Alex seemed to notice it to, since she begged him with her eyes, he instantly knew she had put it there. Santiago looked around the room, sound proof so no sound would escape, no windows, so no one would see in. And no one was inside this building when Santiago came in. He was alone, with Mosaiah, Alex and himself. He could shoot Mosaiah and escape undetected. He'd be seen as a hero, and any Federal force would recognize him and keep him safe. But there was always the danger of getting caught... But what would happen if this guy lived? How many people would he kill? He'd already killed all of those people in New York. What was stopping him form doing it again... And using Santiago as a weapon? Santiago flashed back to when he was a kid, reading through his mother's old Bible, for some reason this moment had stuck with him, he'd flipped open to John 15:13 and began to read. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."
Choice
[Kill Mosaiah and escape]
[leave]
@finlander @supersagig @LiquidChicagoTed @InGen_Nate_Kenny @cheyman99 @NightShroud18
Its back!!
[Kill Mosaiah and escape]
That statement was supposed to infer Alex had snuck the Gun in. I won't say much, but why would she sneak in an unloaded gun? I will confirm the gun is loaded. But thats all.
Ahh, fuck it. I'm just going to change my vote, it will be interesting to see what happens.
[Kill Mosaiah and escape]
Hopefully he will kill him! Of course it's risky as hell, since he might end up missing him or not killing him, but it's worth a try.
[removed]
[Kill Mosaiah and escape]
[Kill Mosaiah and escape]
[Kill Mosaiah and escape] Great its back! Love this part as well
Santiago Martinez
Mosaiah turned his back and marched up to Alex, picking up a baton up off a nearby table.
"This is going to hurt you a lot more than it will hurt me." He sneered as he swung the baton, striking her in the face. Santiago recoiled at the sight of blood. Mosaiah, although, was not satisfied. He continued to strike Alex multiple times without stopping. Santiago snapped himself back to reality. He had to do something. He jumped out of the chair and reached for the pistol. The sounds of the baton making contact with Alex's body continued as he rushed to cock the pistol. Once he'd gotten the clip in he stood up and faced Mosaiah. He pulled the slide back, cambering a round and causing a loud tell-tale sound. Mosaiah stopped attacking Alex and turned to face Santiago. His eyes widened when he sighted the pistol.
"Put the gun down Santiago, I wasn't going to kill her." He said. Santiago's hands trembled as he held the gun up. "You know, we're not that different after all Santiago, are we?" He said.
"I'm nothing like you." Santiago said as he pulled off a round onto Mosaiah's chest. Mosaiah stood shocked for a moment at the blood leaking out of his shirt.
"You shot me! You son of a bitch you shot me!" He yelled, as he started moving forward towards Santiago. Santiago shot once more, hitting Mosaiah square in the head. His body fell to the ground, lifeless. Santiago looked at the pistol in his hands; he'd killed two people... He threw the gun to the side as he looked up and saw Alex, and rushed to her side. Her head was slumped forward and her brown hair was covering her face, but Santiago could see blood dripping onto the floor.
“Alex? Are you alive?” Santiago asked stupidly. He reached up checking for a pulse, and thankfully he found one. “I’m going to get you out of here. Just hold on.” He said, as if she was going to wake up and walk away. Santiago looked at the chains that were holding her to the chair; they were held on by a pad lock. He needed the key to open it. Mosaiah. Santiago looked over at his dead body and almost instantly saw the keys dangling from his belt, looting dead bodies weren’t his thing, but he made an exception for this. He grabbed the keys and ran back over to Alex, fumbling to undo the lock.
“Santiago?” Alex asked weakly without looking up.
“Yeah, it’s me.” Santiago replied.
“You killed him?” She asked.
“Yes. I killed him.” Santiago said as he unlocked the lock and pulled the chains off her wrists. “Here.” He said, holding out his hand to Alex, but she swatted it away.
“I can walk.” She said as she pushed herself out of the chair. As soon as she was standing, color drained from her face and she crumbled back to the floor.
“Let me help you.” Santiago said.
“Okay… Okay.” Alex said, reaching out and grabbing hold of Santiago’s hand. Santiago pulled her up and she leaned on him for support.
“Where are we going?” Santiago asked.
“Out the back door and through the woods. They won’t waste time trying to track down two runaway kids.” Alex wheezed.
“But they will waste time trying to track down two murders.” Santiago said.
“Let’s just go.” Alex demanded. Together, she and Santiago began moving forward out towards the back door. Once they were out the back door, they simply crossed an empty street into the woods. They continued to trek deeper into the woods, to ensure no one would follow them. The camp faded behind them as the foliage and brush got thicker.
“Where are we headed?” Santiago asked.
“It’s not far from here now… It’s…Jus t that way.” She said pointing weakly in the direction as she stumbled forward.
“Hey, slow down. Take it easy okay? You can’t see you, I can.” Santiago said.
“Yeah… I just need.. A minute.” She said as she suddenly fell forward, Santiago caught her and pulled her back up before she hit the ground.
“Alex? You alright?” He asked. “Alex?” He asked again after not receiving a response. “shit.” He mumbled to himself as he began lurching forward dragging Alex along with him. He contemplated yelling for help, but that probably wouldn’t end well with Network all around this area. He kept dragging her limp body through the forest deeper and deeper until he couldn’t drag her anymore. He then just gave up and sat down in the dirt breathing heavily. He stared off into the woods back towards the camp to make sure nothing was following them. He hear a rustle in the bushes behind him and he turned to look, only to see a squirrel running around. He turned back towards the direction of the camp and this time, saw a person. Right in front of him. With a gun, pointed at his head.
“I saw where you came from.” He said, staring at Santiago. “We don’t like Network.”
“I’m not Network! I swear!” Santiago said
“I’ve heard that so many times before. It never works, they always turn out to be Network.” He said.
“I not! I was just escaping them with her! Just let us go, please.” Santiago pleaded.
“Who?” The man asked.
“her.” Santiago said pointing to Alex’s body which he’d just kinda thrown on the ground. The man stood up and walked over to her, turning her over to see her face.
“Holy shit…” He said.
“You know her?” He said.
“Yes. We escaped the Network camp together. I was forced to kill a commander to save her.” Santiago said.
“Any friend of hers is a friend of mine. My name is Samu Kuusi, I came here from California on a lead. We have a camp up that way, concealed from sight. You’re welcome to stay the night with us if you want, hell, stay forever if you want. What happened to her?” Samu asked, looking at Alex.
“The commander was going crazy, he was hitting her with a baton and was going to kill her. I- I had to kill him.” Santiago said.
“Kid, the Network are not good people. You did the right thing. Alex was lucky to have you. What was the guys name?” He asked.
“Mosaiah.” Santiago said, and Samu’s face dropped.
“What? Mosaiah? We’ve been trying to kill him for weeks! All this planning and coordinating, and you just waltz in and kill him?” Samu asked, surprised.
“Yes.” Santiago said.
“Damn. There is hope left in this world after all.” Samu said. “Lets get her back to camp and see what the medic has to say. Are you coming with us or are you headed north like everyone else?” Samu asked.
“Whats up north?” Santiago asked.’
“You haven’t heard? The state of Maine has been declared a neutral zone, no ones in it. No Fed’s, no Neo’s. It’s a bunch of horse shit if you ask me. The way there, its covered with hazardous terrain and fucking Neo’s every step of the way. You’d be lucky to get there, but I’ve heard if you survive, Maine is the safest place on the planet. So you coming or not?” Samu asked.
Choice.
[Head for Maine]
[Stay at the resistance camp with Samu.]
Yeah, I know it’s a little odd that I moved Samu from Cali to NY. But, it was needed for the story…
Burn in the deepest corners of hell, Mosaiah! First time I made a real villain, and while I enjoyed how you wrote him, I'm more than glad that he is gone. I guess I'll stick to creating heroes or at least less villainous characters. Which reminds me, I really want to submit another character. Is there any group and location in particular where you could need one?
[Stay at the resistance camp with Samu.]
I like Samu and think Santiago could be a good addition to the Resistance. The journey to Maine also sounds very dangerous, so I think staying with the resistance sounds like a good choice.
Thank you very much! Mosaiah was a very interesting and joyous character for me to write... and kill. He was very instrumental in this story. Also, if you are going to make another character, i would like it in the New York area, or surrounding regions, that'd be great. Thanks!
wow, he's actually dead. Damn Santiago, you da real mvp.
[Stay at the resistance camp with Samu.]
Hell yeah the Resistance needs someone like that.
[Head for Maine]
[Stay at the resistance camp with Samu.]
Yeah, I'm just going to upfront and honest with you guys. My summer break just started and I seriously fell like taking some time off, from everything. I cant tell you when I will start writing again, but i guess this is it for now. I'll still be around to read your stories 'n stuff. Just, I dont feel like writing. So, I guess you could call this an indefinite hiatus... Sorry.
I really do hope you are doing well, and please take the time that you need. Take care!
It's okay, if you don't feel like writing it's certainly the right decision to take a break! And as soon you decide that you want to continue your stories, I'm definitely still around to read them. By the way, enjoy your summer holidays!
Don't worry, take all the time you need. In here our summers are a lot shorter than there, so I really need to do shit in the summer when I still can (and when it's still warm), so I really don't focus on writing too much. So yeah, I understand why you're feeling like that.
It´s okay
Dillon, day of the initial attack
"Come on!" Dillon yelled at the television as the power flickered and went out. The biggest football game of the season, and just his luck, the power goes out.
"Whats going on?" Dillons dad asked from the garage.
"The power went out." Dillon responded.
"Of course. Do the neighbors have power?" Dillons dad asked. Dillon stood up and walked over to the window and looked across the street towards the neighbors house. All the lights were out and the old man was standing on the front steps looking angry.
"No, I think power went out to the whole neighborhood." Dillon said.
"Some idiot probably drove into a telephone pole or something. The electric company will fix it eventually." Dillons dad said. Dillon sunk back into his chair wonder who would win the game. It seemed pretty even, but on this one it looked to be favoring the Colts. A sudden knock at the door shook Dillon out of his thought.
"Dillon, get the door." Dillons mom called. Dillon rose from the chair and walked to the front door, opening it to reveal a bewildered looking man. He was breathing heavily and was bleeding just above his eyebrow.
"Sir, are you alright?" Dillon asked.
"You gotta help me, they're comin. They're gonna kill us." The man said, looking over his shoulder down the road.
"Sir,Have you been drinking?" Dillon asked, catching a whiff of the man's breath.
"I tried to warn you. I tried. This is on your hands. Not mine." The man said as he began to run away down the street.
"The hell was that?" Dillon asked himself.
"Dillon, who was that?" Dillon's mom asked.
"No clue. Some drunk idiot." Dillon said.
"You'd think people would have more sense than that." Dillons mom said.
“This world these days.” Dillion said.
“Hey, would you give me-“Dillon’s dad began but was cut off by a crashing sound.
“What was that?” Dillon’s dad asked. Dillon walked into the living room where he’d heard the noise come from. As he entered the living room he noticed a rock lying on the floor and the window smashed open.
“A rock. Someone threw a damn rock through the window.” Dillon said angrily. He looked through the window and saw a man harassing the elderly neighbor. He stormed out the front door and down the steps towards the neighbors. He quickly marched up to the man and threw him to the ground.
“Hey, you alright?” Dillon asked the old man, offering him his hand. The old man stayed silent, lifting his hand and pointing down the street. Dillon turned to look and saw a huge mass of people rushing towards him.
“Shit.”
One week later
“Ugh. Oww.” Dillon moaned as he rubbed his head.
“Easy there son. You got yourself pretty messed up.” A voice called.
“Who is that?” Dillon called into the darkness of the room. Suddenly the lights came on and Dillon saw a man standing in the far corner of the room.
“I’m just a doctor. I found you dying on the side of the road. Thought I could help.” He said.
“What happened?” Dillon asked.
“The whole damn state went into a blackout and people started to riot. You were unlucky enough to get caught up in that.” He answered.
“Then how do you have power?” Dillon asked.
“It was only out for about an hour. Then it came back on. Makes me wonder why people decided to riot.” He said.
“Where am I?” Dillon asked.
“Well, this is my house. Just south of Dallas. I found you a few miles south of here.” He said.
“How? I live near Austin.” Dillon said.
“Then you’re a long ways from home.” He said.
“I got to get home. I need to find my family.” Dillon said as he forced himself up. A sudden light headedness over took him.
“Son, you ain’t going to make it to Austin alone in your condition.” He said.
“But I have to.” Dillon said as he began stumbling towards the front door.
“Wait. It’s too dangerous to walk. I’ll drive you. Just let me get some things.” The doctor said.
A few hours later
“This is it?” The doctor asked.
“Yes. This is it.” Dillon said as he opened the truck door and stepped out. He began walking towards the front door. He heard the trucks engine stop and the doctor stepped out. Dillon walked up to the front door and knocked on it.
“Mom, Dad? It’s me, Dillon.” Dillon called. After a few moments he heard nothing.
“Is it locked?” The doctor asked. Dillon turned to door knob and to his surprise the door opened. He was shocked at what greeted him. The place was a mess. The cabinets were all thrown open and everything was a mess.
“What happened?” Dillon asked.
“Looters.” The doctor responded. Dillon moved deeper into the house towards his parents’ bedroom.
“Wait.” The doctor said, placing a hand on Dillon’s shoulder. “Looters might be in there.” He said pulling out a pistol. He walked up to the door and quickly pushed it open, sweeping the room. Then he fired two shots.
“What was that?” Dillon asked.
“You don’t want to see this.” The doctor said.
“What?” Dillon asked as he pushed past the doctor into the room. He saw his mom, dad, and a random person dead. “No… No.. This can’t be happening. No.”
“Motherfucker.” The doctor said. “It’s the Network.”
Today
“Please, no. I Have a family!” The man begged.
“You should’ve thought of that before joining the Network.” Dillon said, shoving the sword into the man’s chest. Dillon looked back at the others. Seven? Eight? It was a pretty successful mission for the resistance. The Network stood no chance. Dillon lights a match, throwing it on the floor where he’d dumped some gasoline, and walked out of the building. He saw down on his motorcycle looking at the burning bar, admiring his handy work. The Network would see this for sure. After a few moments he started the motorcycle and tore down the road towards base.
“Damn boy, your turning out to be one of the most valuable members of this group.” Robert said. Robert Thomas was almost like the head chief around here, although there really wasn’t one.
“Anyways, with you around. The Network will never mess with us.” Robert said, as he began to walk away.
“Hey Robert, I picked this up for you.” Dillon said, pulling a bottle of whiskey out of his pack and handing it to Robert.
“You know me to well. You can take the rest of the day off. HQ will radio in with our next assignments in the morning.” Robert said. Dillon walked off towards his tent, happy with today’s results. He sat down on his cot and pulled out his small radio. He twisted the knob and turned it on.
“This is KNX 1070 Am with an urgent announcement.” A voice spoke, shocking Dillon. It was usually only static. “As the United States rages through a bloody war, we would like to inform you on the condition of the States…”
“Fallen: Utah, Georgia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Michigan, Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma, Alabama, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Washington, Mississippi, Kansas, Nebraska, Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. “
“Federal: Ohio, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode island, New Hampshire.”
“Clashing: California, Texas, Virginia”
“Independent: Maine.”
Dillon quickly shut off the radio and put it back under his cot. This was a lot worse than he realized. He walked out of his tent and found Robert sitting around a map of the United States. Each state was marked with a blue or red flag. Maine was marked with yellow.
“Sir.” Dillon said.
“What is it? This isn’t a real army, you don’t need to call me sir.” Robert said.
“We lost Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana. But we’ve gained Ohio and Colorado.” Dillon said.
“Damn it. How did you find out?” Robert asked.
“Radio broadcast.” Dillon said.
“Radio broadcast? All the radio towers were destroyed by the Network.” Robert said.
“Not this one. It was KNX 1070.” Dillon said.
“That’s not far from here. If we can capture it, we can control Texas radio. And if we control Texas Radio, we can coordinate and communicate. There has to be more of us out there. There has to.” Robert said. “Dillon, are you in for this?” Robert asked.
Choice
[Yes.]
[No.]
[Yes]
Nice to see more folks of the Resistance.
[Yes.]
That was a great part, I'm glad to see this back
I especially liked the long flashback scenes here. Dillon seems to be a cool guy, I'm looking forward for his storyline.
[Yes.]
Dillon
"Yes. I'm all in. This radio tower might be the most important thing to us right now." Dillon said.
"Good to hear kid. Now, get your gear and get ready. Meet me in the main cabin in ten." Robert said. Dillon walked off towards his tent to get his stuff. He grabbed his pack and slung it around his shoulder, then grabbed his sword and attached it to his belt. He scanned the tent one last time, and finding nothing useful, he walked out towards the main cabin. It was the only actual building in the camp. A large wooden cabin out in the middle of the Sabine forest. Funny, how close this place was to Louisiana. Dillon walked up the front steps and walked through the open door. He saw Robert talking with another man, Captain Angelo. Robert looked up from the Texas map he was slouched over and saw Dillon and waved him over.
"Come here Dillon." He instructed and Dillon walked up to the map. "Now, We're right here." Robert said, pointing out an area right between Texas and Louisiana.
"The radio station, KNX 1070, Is up here in Carthage. Which is about seventy miles from Milam. Which is where we stand. Thats over a days walk." Captain Angelo said.
"Then why don't we take a car?" Dillon asked.
"Great idea son! Why didn't I think of that? All the cars are gone or totaled." Captain Angelo said.
"Angelo, we don't have time for sarcasm. Now, we don't necessarily have to walk." Robert said.
"How the hell else are we going to get there?" Angelo asked.
"We have bikes." Robert said.
"You want me to get on a bike and ride from here to Carthage?" Angelo asked.
"Yes. If we pace ourselves we could get there in under seven hours, just in time for sundown." Robert said.
"Fucking fine. But if I fall of the damn bike I swear I will kick your ass into next week." Angelo said. Robert smirked a little.
"I guess its settled. Gentlemen, we have a radio station to seize." Robert said.
Santiago Martinez
"I'd rather not run off into the wood right now. Especially with Network all over my tail." Santiago said.
"Smart choice kid. Neo's aren't particularly friendly people." Samu said. "How long you been in New York?"
"Not long. My family is from Argentina." Santiago said.
"What were you doing here?" Samu asked.
"Just vacationing, I guess." Santiago said.
"Not a good time to get caught abroad, huh? Well. We better get moving unless we want to get caught by a Network patrol. I know a camp not far from here. Their holed up in the old Fort Ticonderoga." Samu said as he picked up Alex off the ground.
"Fort Ticonderoga?" Santiago asked.
"Its an old revolutionary war fort. Its a miracle the place is still standing after that mortar strike." Samu said. Just great, Santiago thought, Network Patrols, random mortar strikes, and a creepy ass fort in the middle of hell knows where. Just another day in paradise.
"This is it." Samu said, motioning to the large stone fort. "Looks like they fixed the western wall since i was gone."
"What happened to this place?" Santiago asked.
"Mortar strike. We couldn't tell if it was Neo's or Mercs. And frankly, I don't want to find out." Samu said.
"Dont move! This is Resistance territory. State your business." A voice called.
"Cut the crap and open the gates Walker." Samu called. After a few moments of silence the large front gates creaked open. "What are you waiting for kid, go on in." Samu said.
"Did I miss anything while I was gone?" Samu asked.
"A few things. Rickson blew himself up with a faulty grenade. And Eleanora died while you were gone." The guard at the front gate answered.
"Damn it. How many do we have left now?" Samu asked.
"32" The guard answered.
"This is hopeless. We lost New York before it's even started." Samu said.
"Sir, Commander Arlie would like to see you in her office." The guard said. "And, who is this?" He said looking at Santiago.
"Santiago Martinez. Killer of Mosaiah." Samu said.
"Mosaiah? Like... The Mosaiah?" The guard asked.
"Yes. He killed Mosaiah, and saved Alex here." Samu said.
"Kid, your a real hero." The guard said. Funny, Santiago didn't feel like a hero. He felt like a murderer.
"We should get inside the fort. Walker, Take Alex and Santiago while I go see what Arile wants." Samu said.
"Yes sir." Walker said.
Samu Kuusi
Samu walked through the fort trying to ignore the horrible smell of death in the air. He could still see the craters from the mortar strikes as he walked. They were lucky, very lucky it didn't kill any more people. He rushed his way into the south barracks and up to Arile's room. He knocked on the door.
"Its not locked." Arile's voice called. Samu opened the door and slowly walked in, as to not excite the guards flaking either side of the door. The guards, although, quickly stepped in front of him to prevent him from getting to Arile. "It's alright. Let him in." Arile called and the guards backed off. Samu saw Arile standing near the window looking out into the fort.
"Commander Arile, you asked to see me." Samu said.
"Yes. Samu, sit. We need to talk." Arile said. Samu walked into the room and took a seat in one of the old wooden chairs. Arile turned away from the window and looked at Samu.
"Guards, a little privacy, please." Arile said. The guards quickly shuffled out of the room and closed the door behind them. No doubt the were just standing outside the door though. They took Arile's safety very seriously.
"Would you like something to drink?" Arile asked.
"Yes. Please." Samu said. Arile grabbed a glass bottle and poured some into a cup and handed it to Samu.
"It's the last bit of bourbon we have left at the fort." Arile smiled.
"Thank you, mama." Samu said.
"Lieutenant Kuusi, there is no need for all the formalities. We're friends after all, aren't we?" Arile asked.
"Of course we are. They seem to be upping security around here." Samu said.
"Yes. The mortar strike scared them, I'm just making them feel safe by establishing regular patrols." Arile said.
"It cant be easy." Samu said.
"What cant be easy?" Arile asked.
"Trying to command an entire New York campaign when you cant even communicate with other units." Samu said.
"Your more right than I'd like to admit Samu. New York is crumpling and the Fed's are in retreat. Neo's are right on our asses and we have no where to run." Arile said. "We should probably discuss the matter at hand though." She said.
"And what would that be?" Samu asked.
"Eleanora." Arile said.
"That poor girl, what was she? seventeen? God Damn mortars." Samu said.
"It wasnt the mortars that got her. Eleanora had been spying on Network commanders for a long time now. She was found out and shot, but escaped. A patrol found her dead at the front gates. But she wrote out everything she knew before she died." Arile said, as she opened a drawer and pulled out a blood soaked piece of paper. "Excuse the mess." Arile said. Samu read over the letter quickly.
"This isn't making any sense. Why would the Network be attacking Brooklyn. They have no business there. Its only civilians." Samu said.
"Samu, what we see as civilians, they see as slaves. They dont have many defenses and the Fed's wont help." Arile said. "And worst of all, its not even the Network themselves that are seizing the city. They're sending in mercs to do it for them. And you know how Mercs operate. There will be next to no survivors." Arile said. Samu could see the pain in her brown eyes.
"Why are you telling me this?" Samu asked.
"We have a hard choice and I dont think I can make it on my own. We could either pack our shit and go to Brooklyn, and lose the fort. Or we could stay here and let everyone in Brooklyn face execution. But keep this fort." Arile said.
"You cant expect me to make this choice Arile." Samu said. Arile reached out and grabbed his shoulder.
"Please Samu. Since the moment you showed up here good things started happening to our camp. The fighters look up to you. They respect you, more than me. I need you to back me up." Arile said. "I want to make you my second in command in the New York campaign." Arile said. "But first, we neeed to know where were going."
choice
[Stay at Fort Ticonderoga]
[Go to Brooklyn]
[Go to Brooklyn]
Talking about some pressure here. I guess it's better to go there and try to save those people.
[Go to Brooklyn]
[Go to Brooklyn] - a tactical retreat isn't always the most glamorous option, but if it can save lives, it'll be worth it.
I'm sorry for my absence and all, I'm gonna try to keep up with this awesome story the best I can. And on a side note, I like the representation of Dillon's story. Very nice and awesome work!
Hey, welcome back! And thanks!