The Guardsmen

Chapter 28: Hidden in the Sand

The sun shines brighter across the desert than ever before. The scorching hot sand blows into the air from the wind. A woman wearing a rag over her face walks towards the tent next to her. She brushes the flap of the tent as she softly says "Nothing new today, boss. They're still just walking around in their camp".

Evander sits up from his cot, his eyes sunken as if he has not slept. Evander rubs his eyes as the woman walks up to him.

She knocks him across the head and says "You're our commander. Start acting like it. What will we do if an emergency happens and you're just asleep?".

Evander scoffs and smirks, then says "Yeah, yeah. I get it".

He stands up and stretches. He looks at the woman and says "How are the troops today, Ace?".

The woman brushes off the sand from her jacket and says "They're all awake first of all".

Evander walks outside of his tent to see a whole camp of soldiers working around it. Some walk past Evander and salute as they walk by. Evander half-heartedly salutes back as he squints his eyes from the brightness. He steps out of the tent and looks around. Sand surrounds every inch of the horizon.

Evander turns to Ace and says "What's on my to-do list today?".

The woman steps out of the tent, now wearing a camouflage cap, and looks down at a clipboard in her hand. Her brown hair is tied up; revealing her youthful, pretty face.

"You have to get supplies from drop point Alpha today" She sternly says.

Evander places his hand on her head and rustles her hair over the cap. She blushes and angrily says "Go do your goddamn shit!".

She storms off muttering to herself "How can that laid-back piece of....".

Evander softly smiles as he watches Ace walk away. He turns back to the horizon of sand, reminiscing on the past. Memories flood his mind.

Moments after Acacius disappeared, "We have to go after him! He is going to get himself killed" screams Eden.

"We can't! We don't know where he's going or why he left!" Evander yells back at her.

The rest of the group watches as Evander and Eden yell at each other about how to handle the situation with Acacius. Eden turns to the rest of the group and shouts "What do you all think we should do!?".

The group looks at each other and stare in confusion.

A nurse walks by the door and says "Can you please keep it down?? There are other patients here that can't rest with your noise!".

The nurse quickly shrieks and runs as a hospital bed is thrown at her. Eden huffs heavily as she stands where the bed was. She turns back to the group and asks again "What do you guys think we should do about Acacius?".

Delia sighs and says to Eden "I understand why you want to go after him, but your brother is right. Acacius is gone. We need to let it be".

"Let him blow off his steam. He'll be back in due time" interjects Andrus.

Kokuro looks at the distant sunset, then says "We need to go after him".

Eden points and yells at Evander "See!! Kokuro and I can look for him together!".

Kokuro shakes his head and says "He deserves to rot for what he did to Maya. I'll make sure he pays for every atrocity he's committed".

Eden stares at Kokuro in disbelief. She looks around the room at everyone; searching for one person to support her. Tears fall down her face as she yells at everyone "Fine! I'll show all of you!! I'll bring Acacius back! You'll see!".