The Fall

44. Signs

2.26.21

Connor's POV

I watched as the color drained from Benji's face, and mine was no different. The sound on the other side of the gate seemed insignificant, but it was everything to us. That sound could mean either life or death. None of us has the knowledge of which yet. It could either be a routine patrol or the end of all of our lives... Let's face the fact that without our hub city, the revolution would die. No one else has gotten the amount of control we have anywhere else in the world. I remember reading in the paper that everyone was looking to the United States for direction. I know that the country is a powerhouse, but the humans should keep their noses to themselves.

Everyone in our group was holding their breath, and it was kind of the calm before the storm. Benji had become a statue, but I could see his brain spinning in his eyes. I know that he's good at thinking on his feet, but this might be more than he can handle. The enemy is mere feet away. Maybe he should have had a written plan for when this went wrong. I mean, it was the riskiest part of our mission.

He peaked his head around the side of the stone, and there was immediate gunfire. They know that we're here. He went out from behind the wall again, but there wasn't any fire this time. Just when I was starting to wonder what was going on, I saw Benji's raised hands. He's surrendering! After this far, he's seriously going to give up!? When I took a second look, though, a thought popped into my mind.

"Whenever I'm stumped on what to do, you'll see me surrender. Well, that's what you would if I didn't tell you this. If I put my hands up, look at the position of my palms. If they're like this," Benji held his arms up with his palms facing out, "then I'm not really giving up. I'm not telling anyone else in case there's a mole. If I do that, the plan is for the rest of the supernaturals to go around the other door. It's on the other wall of the fort, the one to the south. It should be open since it's the evening shift change. I've had someone go in and 'forget' to close it."

"What do I do if that door is closed?"

"Run, get as far as you can. I'll be fine; please focus on keeping everyone else safe."

"I don't want to leave you behind."

"Look at it this way. Whether or not I'm alone, I may die. If I do, I want to know that the distraction I made kept other people safe. You know that I'm still a martyr at heart."

"Fine, I'll do what you want. Just try not to get captured, or we'll have to come in and get you."

"If I do get captured, don't try to come after me. I won't be alive long enough for you to do so."

"What is that supposed to mean? Are you suggesting that you're going to get tortured?"

"Not at all. Listen, if I'm caught, I'm going to end my own life."

"What the hell, why?"

"I know way too much to be loose-lipped. I know that I can't stand against whatever the humans do to me, so I have to get rid of the information right now. The possibility that our personal information will get out dies with me."

"Someone else could just give it any time. I know just as much as you do."

"I hate to admit it to you, but that's a lie. I know a hell of a lot more than you do. A lot of my plans remain right in my head. It's the only place I'm sure they won't spread. That isn't supposed to offend you; it's just the truth. I don't even trust writing them down. Up here is the only place that they will ever be truly safe." He tapped his head as he spoke. I can't explain why it didn't hurt me that he was keeping things from me. Maybe because this is something worth hiding away from me.

"Anyways, your palms facing out means a false surrender, right?"

"Yep. Make sure you don't miss the signal, or I will never forgive you."

I immediately bundled everyone to the southern door. This is what I was supposed to do; there isn't a lot of time for error. Sure enough, the metal door had been left slightly ajar. I didn't know that Benji had moles. I guess that's one of the things that I didn't really need to know.

Once inside, I thought back to what he had said about once we were inside. I used hand signals to divide the four main groups into their own sectors. I then took a deviation from the plan. Instead of having all of the winged supernaturals go to attack the underground, I split it. Now, the angels were going down by themselves, and the demons would be helping Benji. I have to intercept the men who want to capture Benjamin before he accidentally gets himself killed.

We moved through the quiet open land using the darkness as a cover. I'm shocked with how well it worked; the humans really aren't watching the inside of their walls that well. I guess that they don't have a reason to, but one would think there would be patrols. If not that, then something that would verify that people weren't sneaking out in the middle of the night. I mean, common sense, anyone?

When I looked around the corner, I saw Benji still trying to talk to the men holding guns at him. His mouth was moving calmly, but his eyes were frantic and panicked. I know that he's making everything he's saying up on the spot. However, my best friend is not stupid. I know that there's probably a lot deeper meaning to whatever he's saying. I can't quite hear, but I know he's already thought circles around his opponent. That's just how he operates.

I didn't miss the wink he sent my way, but I'm sure that no one else saw it. He knows that we're waiting here as a backup. More importantly, he can realize that the others are inside wreaking havoc already. Benji made a gradual change to his approach now that he wouldn't be outnumbered in the case of an attack. He knows that he can still be shot at, but there's a bit more security. Those behind me were beginning to get a bit impatient, but there we were still silent. No human would be able to hear us. They would also have a hard time seeing us. Because of the dark conditions of Hell, all demons were designed to blend into the darkness. It was a whole evolutionary thing. That's the same reason that fallen angels have black wings. They've evolved with the demons; white sticks out like a sore thumb underground.

I snapped back to the present just in the nick of time to see Benji's hand signals below his waist. Oh boy, it's about to go down.