Virus

Nine

For the rest of that week, Nita was locked in one or the government room. After five days of Runner training, Friday was the first outing.

Since Jasmine couldn't live in the Runners chambers, for multiple reasons, Sara and I went by the nursery before going out.

Max was the leader of the Runners, but their was obvious democracy here. We all sat on our bunks, ten minutes before the outing.

"Today is just another day, that we get to contribute to the survival of our city," Max said. No one looked surprised or bumped by the speech. This was probably the speech he gave every time. "Today we strengthen the ties we have to the past. Outside is a ravaged war zone. Which was destroyed by the corrupt men that lived among us. Now the corruption has reached its full height. And as it dies down, our job is to make sure that this city remains, because this city is the last remaining piece of the old world."

The Runners clapped unenthusiastically and then we got ready.

Max picked out a team of four to come with us. A woman named Dharma, a man named Kelso, a teenage girl named Amberley, and (Max's closest friend, and brother) Simon.

Amberley was by far the most intimidating, but also the most approachable. Her golden-brown hair was tied in a tight French braid. She wore the padded suit of everyone else.

"Hey, your Kelly and Sara, huh?" She asked, grabbing a bow from beside her bed.

"Yeah," Sara said, loading her automatic.

"Hey, just a hint of advice, Simon will blow a cork if he sees you with that. Around here we use stealth weapons."

She slung a quiver or arrows over her shoulder and picked up two crossbows off one of the bunks. "Take these."

Sara and I took the crossbows and loaded them. I scanned my teammates.

Dharma was a big woman. Not fat big but built big. Her shoulders were wide and her body didn't taper a bit. She sat on her bunk, sharpening a dangerous looking machete.

The Kelso dude was the strangest of them all. His entire body was covered in tattoos. I could only make out the snakes on the back of his calves and the wide eagle on his back as he slipping the suit on. His weapons of choice were weird ninja star-looking thing and a Samurai sword. The sword glittered with sharpness.

Simon was a small man, with a angry look plastered on his face. A long scar traced over his forehead and down his neck. He had the only pistol among the group. He also had a tiny wood axe in his hand.

After we were done prepping our weapons, Max walked us to the elevator.

"Remember," Max said, "never, ever leave a man behind. The survival of you guys is more important than a weeks supplies. Stand by each other."

Simon nodded and hugged his brother. Then Max closed the door and the elevator started upward.

The light from the sun wasn't as blinding, or as bright as it was yesterday. Clouds filled the sky today and only blazing shafts of sun poked through.

Simon eyes the camp in front of us.

Then he looked at Sara and I. "We overheard your conversation with Mayor Gonzalez yesterday," he said.

Suddenly I felt as if I'd did something wrong, like they were going to punish me for something.

"We've already had the rebels hijack a plane. They'll be here in a matter of hours. We need you two to drive the supplies back. We will be fighting the battle with the rebels."