100 Days and Nights

Chapter 14

We spent days observing the soldiers and planning out how we were going to attack again. It has now been forty three days since the Japanese took over our country.

After carefully observing them we learnt they were holding a ceremony to introduce new laws. I was scared to know what kind of laws they were going to come up with, knowing that we will no longer be a free country and ruled by another. But then I had to force myself to remember that I was helping to change the country so we wouldn’t be in control by the Japanese. They could work in and control everything, but by the end of the war we will win, taking back everything that belongs to us.

We set off into town after breakfast, hiding inside buildings until it was time to show up at the town hall where the ceremony was being held. The Japanese flag was hanging off the building on either side of the entrance. A line of chairs were lined up on top of the stairs. Above the stairs was a screen hanging above the stairs with a video camera at the bottom of the stairs on a tripod. A barrier was placed behind the camera. I couldn’t help but wonder why they needed to place the camera there. Hopefully they aren’t planning to kill anyone here and show case it on the screen.

By late morning people were starting to arrive. Soldiers directed them in front of the building, making sure no one tried to leave. Our mission today was to kill Captain Chico, hoping that by killing the leader it would end this war. The army has to pull out of the mess if their leader is gone, don’t they?

My wrist was feeling a lot better and the pain came every now and then so at least it wasn’t constantly. I wanted to be down on the street but Maddison thought it would be better for me to hide in the buildings. My cast would give me away to soldiers.

Jamie, Sophie, Scott, Sarah, Jeremy, Blake and Peyton were down on the street, standing in the crowd, being careful not to be seen carrying guns from soldiers. They had some smaller guns that they were able to hide under their jackets.

Captain Chico soon appeared, walking out of the building and stood at the microphone that was placed there. Soldiers trailed behind him and sat down on the chairs provided for them. Chico appeared on the screen and as soon as I saw his face I just wanted to pierce a bullet through his head without even waiting for Maddison’s signal to do so.

“My fellow people,” Chico began to speak, “as you all may know by now, you’re no longer controlled by your own government. You’re now in the hands of the Japanese government. Everything that you have once known is no longer there. If you try to disobey the law, you will be executed until you accept the new law. If you obey, the sooner you can go back to your new environment.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” someone shouted from the crowd.

Chico frowned. He ordered something in Japanese. I only understood one word and that was “kill”.

A soldier marched through the crowd and pulled the middle-age man aside, dragging in to the front of the crowd. The video camera moved towards him. The man knew what was about to happen to him, but that didn’t stop him from continuing to protest what he thought of this new government.

“I hope you rot in hell, you sick bastard,” the man continued. “How dare you walk into this country and just think you can –”

The man’s words were cut short as the soldier held his gun to his head, pulling the trigger. A few people cried out as the man’s death showcase on the screen. I had to turn away so I couldn’t see his gruesome death.

Chico moved on without any sympathy of what his men has done. “I need you to cooperate with us. If you do not obey us, we will make your life harder for you.”

Half of me wanted to yell out from the third floor of the building what lies he was telling, but I didn’t. Did he really think he could brain wash us all into thinking he would make everything go back to normal if we cooperate with him. Nothing will be the same if he took over.