Cold War: After the Bell

Chapter 9

His physcial body was unconscious, yet still possesed the ability to hear from the outside. He was trapped inside his mind for what felt like an eternity; a feeling he didn't miss.

"Bell I need you to tell me about the bunker." He heard Adler's voice coming from the audio recorder. "Where is this bunker, Bell?" He heard Stitch add to Adler's question.

He looked around to find himself back inside the crashed heli. He felt something push him off the edge, causing him to hit the ground hard. Looking back up he saw nobody there except the dead corpses that were already there.

"You picked up an M-16 and rushed in." One of the first orders he recalled that worm Adler saying.

His hands shook violently as they reached for the weapon. He cried out in unbearable pain, ultimatly resisting the command. He fled past the enemy VC and his supposed 'teammates'.

The jungle looked slightly different this time. The trees were covered in files he had recently observed, as well as equipment found around their bunker in Verdansk.

He ran and ran, his heart pounding as he hyperventilated. He froze when he came to intersection between the bridge and zipline.

"Bell, take me to the Bunker. Tell me whats inside." He wasn't focused enough to interpret who's voice it was but he began to realize that he was put back here for more than just Stitch's pure enjoyment.

His gut told him that the bunker would be across the zipline. He tried his best to resist but failed. Tumbling off the zipline, he was given another chance to fight back.

"Go towards the cave.."

He looked to the far right and saw a wooden trap door. He rushed towards it, opening it and hurridly climbing down it. Taking a wrong step, one of the steps snapped, causing the entire ladder to collapse. He fell deep into the dirt hole. Rising to his feet he realized he had nothing but an M-19 pistol and a flashlight.

"Stubborn Petrov!" He heard Stitch's voice echo. His resistance was working. He observed the dimly lit room with his flashlight. The walls were made from just simple dirt. Opening one of the files on the table, he jerked back when it read; Your going to die here.

After a good reminder to keep going he snapped his attention to the hallway of the tunnel when he saw a pair of legs sprint by. He tried to calm his breathing as he followed the sounds of running footsteps. Hearing the footsteps come to a stop he froze, realizing he was now in a much larger room.

He heard a loud angry grumble from behind him. His hands began to shake once more as he spun on his heel, listening for the sound once more. This time it became louder and he heard slimy footsteps slowly inch towards him. The figure appeared in the light of his flashlight.

"What the hell..." he was overwhelmed with confusion and fear. It had the figure of a man, had a similar build, but it didn't look, talk, or even act like a man. It came charging towards him, screaming a noise he had never heard before.

Anthony swiftly put a bullet into its brain as it collpased at its feet. The sight was horrific. Getting a closer look at it he realized he was looking at a rotted corpse. He was looking at the undead. Suddenly another came rushing at him without warning. He put that one out of its misery as well. And then another, and another. They began to swarm him as he tried to fight them off. His ammo ran dry and his eyes went wide when he reached for his knife to feel nothing there.

Having no other option, he was cornered by the zombies. He let out a scream just before they would have tore him apart. Just before they could even touch him, his environment around him changed. It was as if he had died and was now spectating a moment in time, one he had already lived.

"Elena!" He saw the boy yell towards his sister's room. He stood in the corner of the house as the fire spread and the explosive went off. The walls crumbled along with everything inside.

"Your going to be ok!" With the blink of an eye he watched the doctors rush him into an emergency room.

"You paid the medical bills?" He sat up in bed, suprised to see the man.

"I did." Perseus offered a friendly smile as he sat by the bed. "I heard about the incident, I am truly sorry." The man wore a sympathetic mask as he apologized.

"Those Britts! They're the ones who did this. Sir, if you are who you say you are... if your offer still stands. Let me come with you, allow me to slaughter them all for the good of the Motherland, so that this may never have to happen to anyone else." He saw the fire in his own eyes. Hate began to fill him when he saw that smirk on Perseus' face.

"Who am I?!" He yelled. Feeling so overwhelmed with pain, he temporarily forgot he wasn't Bell anymore.

"Mama." He uttered to himself, opening his eyes. There they sat at the kitchen table. This time he no longer watched from a third person perspective, everything he saw as if he had lived it.

"Anthony..." she spoke, looking troubled.

"Mama... I can't do it. I can't do this anymore." His voice shaky and his eyes looking red.

"Yes, you can." She urged him, grabbing both of his hands in hers.

"I'm sick of being used as nothing but a tool!" His voice began to break as a small tear escaped from his eye. "Please! Please, just tell what I need to do.." he pleaded.

"Stop fighting Anthony. You'll never truly be at peace until you stop fighing."

"But they killed you, they killed Elena! Their entire country and their allies deserve nothing more than to suffer. All of them, the men, women, and children."

"You don't beleive that."

"I do!"

"Then why haven't you killed her." His mother pointed to a file lying on the table.

"Park...?" He said opening the folder.

"So tell me, where is this bunker?" His mother gently squeezed his hands, getting his attention.

"Its..." he winced trying to think of another location.

"Its ok, you can tell me."

"Its in Laos!" He gasped, feeling exhausted from putting up a fight.

"Thank you." She smiled, holding his hands. His eyes began to feel heavy. He tried to hang onto the image of his mother for as long as he could before his eyes shut completly, hoping it wasn't going to be the last time he'd see her.

November 24, 1984
Kastovia, Verdansk
USSR

"Dammit!" He heard Stitch shout over the exchanging of bullets.

He felt wires being removed from his chest. "Let's move!" Recognizing Stone's voice he looked down to see his feet were no longer touching the ground.

"Did you grab a bag?" Portnova asked. He opened his eyes to see that they were now outside the bunker, far away from any threat. As his vision focused he quickly leapt to his feet, kicking Stone's out from under him. Nearly letting his fear and anger lead him to finish off the man Beck grabbed hold of Anthony by the shoulders.

"Comrade!"

"Where is she!" Anthony demanded, looking around for his mother.

"Comrade, your safe now! Calm down." Beck held a firm grip onto his shoulders.

Anthony began to slow down his breathing. He looked around to see where they were. He wasn't at his kitchen table anymore, there was no jungle in Vietnam. It took him a moment to remember that while they all stood in the snow.

"Tell me I'm in the real world?" He asked, slightly shaking.

"You are, but we need to get moving before Stitch find us." Beck released his grip.

"Here, put on some street clothes. We're taking the next plane to anywhere but here." Portnova tossed him a leather bag.