back wall. The training area was the only thing that had survived. It was somewhat protected from the smoke and the fires here, blocked in between walls of concrete on every side.
Elle knew what
she
needed to do: she needed to leave this camp. Now.
But what about the people in the Civilian Ward?
What if they needed help?
What if someone had survived?
“The survivors in the Civilian Ward!” Elle yelled. “They might need our help!”
By the time they reached the Civilian Ward again, flames were leaping out of the windows. A support beam smashed to the ground, right in front of Elle. She jumped out of the way, barely missing the blow. She jumped over it, and they stopped at the entrance to the Ward. There were flames everywhere, illuminating the building in the darkness.
The double doors were unmoving.
“Bravo,” Elle said. “Search.”
They were all dead. Whatever had detonated had sent an explosive that tore through every building, sending shrapnel and flames through windows and doors. Dead bodies were everywhere. The interior of the Civilian Ward looked like a mass grave. Men, women and children were dead, either burned, shot or blasted.
Either way. Dead.
The sickening stench of burnt flesh and blood hung heavy in the smoky air. There were no survivors, as far as Elle could see. Bravo had searched through every building he could, using his nose to track down anyone who might still be alive. But there was no one. It was a slaughter.
“How could this happen?” Luli moaned.
They were standing at the doorway of the Civilian Ward. Elle walked out of the building. Luli stumbled outside, vomiting on the steps.
Elle shivered, trying to scrub the images from her mind.
But they were there to stay.
She’d never seen so many dead in one place before. In Los Angeles, she’d seen dead bodies or people getting murdered…but this was different. This was a slaughter.
Cheng stood, silent as a stone, overlooking the smoking remains of Bear Mountain Military Base.
“What do we do?” Luli said, holding her stomach. “Where do we go?”
Elle shook her head.
She was more concerned about how Omega had found Bear Mountain.
“We leave,” Cheng stated. His tone was flat and hollow. “We survive.”
“But where will we go?” Luli asked.
He didn’t answer. He descended the steps.
“Cheng,” Elle said.
Her voice stopped him.
“This shouldn’t have happened,” she went on. “Do you know how Omega found us?”
Her voice was trembling. In an instant, everything that she had begun to love had been torn away from her. Safety, security and warmth. Gone.
“Omega will always find us,” Cheng said darkly. “There’s no place left to hide.”
Elle swallowed.
Bravo sat still on the last step.
They are the predators. We are the prey
.
The air became cold, and it turned Elle’s heart to ice.
When they left the base behind, Elle felt numb. She ran alongside Bravo, through the darkness of the trees, keeping pace with Cheng and Luli. Tears streamed down her cheeks as they moved. Tears for the dead. Tears for the militia. Tears for a place she could have called home.
It was all gone. Taken, in an instant.
They ran through the night, until their muscles screamed for mercy and sweat slicked their shirts. Bravo never complained, never stopped. They all pushed through the pain, aware that Omega could be anywhere, lurking in the woods, observing them from a distance.
At last, when the sunrise touched the tips of the trees, they stopped. They were hidden in the woods that followed the creek. The small brook gurgled and tossed itself down rocks and muddy slants in the earth. It was quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to the utter destruction they had just fled.
Elle stood with her hands on her hips, catching her breath. Her mouth was parched and dry. Bravo panted, his soft, pink tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. She rubbed his head and scratched the fur behind his ears.
“Now what?” Luli
Elle knew what
she
needed to do: she needed to leave this camp. Now.
But what about the people in the Civilian Ward?
What if they needed help?
What if someone had survived?
“The survivors in the Civilian Ward!” Elle yelled. “They might need our help!”
By the time they reached the Civilian Ward again, flames were leaping out of the windows. A support beam smashed to the ground, right in front of Elle. She jumped out of the way, barely missing the blow. She jumped over it, and they stopped at the entrance to the Ward. There were flames everywhere, illuminating the building in the darkness.
The double doors were unmoving.
“Bravo,” Elle said. “Search.”
They were all dead. Whatever had detonated had sent an explosive that tore through every building, sending shrapnel and flames through windows and doors. Dead bodies were everywhere. The interior of the Civilian Ward looked like a mass grave. Men, women and children were dead, either burned, shot or blasted.
Either way. Dead.
The sickening stench of burnt flesh and blood hung heavy in the smoky air. There were no survivors, as far as Elle could see. Bravo had searched through every building he could, using his nose to track down anyone who might still be alive. But there was no one. It was a slaughter.
“How could this happen?” Luli moaned.
They were standing at the doorway of the Civilian Ward. Elle walked out of the building. Luli stumbled outside, vomiting on the steps.
Elle shivered, trying to scrub the images from her mind.
But they were there to stay.
She’d never seen so many dead in one place before. In Los Angeles, she’d seen dead bodies or people getting murdered…but this was different. This was a slaughter.
Cheng stood, silent as a stone, overlooking the smoking remains of Bear Mountain Military Base.
“What do we do?” Luli said, holding her stomach. “Where do we go?”
Elle shook her head.
She was more concerned about how Omega had found Bear Mountain.
“We leave,” Cheng stated. His tone was flat and hollow. “We survive.”
“But where will we go?” Luli asked.
He didn’t answer. He descended the steps.
“Cheng,” Elle said.
Her voice stopped him.
“This shouldn’t have happened,” she went on. “Do you know how Omega found us?”
Her voice was trembling. In an instant, everything that she had begun to love had been torn away from her. Safety, security and warmth. Gone.
“Omega will always find us,” Cheng said darkly. “There’s no place left to hide.”
Elle swallowed.
Bravo sat still on the last step.
They are the predators. We are the prey
.
The air became cold, and it turned Elle’s heart to ice.
When they left the base behind, Elle felt numb. She ran alongside Bravo, through the darkness of the trees, keeping pace with Cheng and Luli. Tears streamed down her cheeks as they moved. Tears for the dead. Tears for the militia. Tears for a place she could have called home.
It was all gone. Taken, in an instant.
They ran through the night, until their muscles screamed for mercy and sweat slicked their shirts. Bravo never complained, never stopped. They all pushed through the pain, aware that Omega could be anywhere, lurking in the woods, observing them from a distance.
At last, when the sunrise touched the tips of the trees, they stopped. They were hidden in the woods that followed the creek. The small brook gurgled and tossed itself down rocks and muddy slants in the earth. It was quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to the utter destruction they had just fled.
Elle stood with her hands on her hips, catching her breath. Her mouth was parched and dry. Bravo panted, his soft, pink tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. She rubbed his head and scratched the fur behind his ears.
“Now what?” Luli
Similar Books
