The Young Fighters

CHAPTER 15

Mila stood facing the west as she stood along the edge of the gas plant and stretched her back and raised her arms up as a way to keep her awake. Her morning consisted of regular farm work and helping Parker out; because they were one hand short due to Jackson joining the militia; she was now left doing some double duties and leaving her without a moment to so much as take a nap after farm work was finished, like she always did. Minutes passed and still nothing was going on but the sound of the wind and bugs chirping out.

Crunching noises would break out as Carter walked along the gravel flooring as he looked in every corner of the pipes and tanks with other members. The idea was to check and see if anyone was hiding or if they'd planted any short of attack on them. Even the inside of the building was currently being searched floor to floor by two militants. All they were finding right now were nothing but rats and webs with some nasty smells.

The natural-gas processing complex was built back in the 1960's and managed to bring in jobs and helped build up the community. If the plant didn't exist, than neither would most of Georgetown. Nearly one quarter of the residents in the town worked at the plant. Now after the great disappearance, it's just there to show everyone that it was made to create a town and helped everyone come together.

Outside stood four large cylindrical fuel storage tanks with a spiral stair case that led all the way to the top. Now they were being used as a place for a sniper to sit and watch.

I got one guy on the roof of that tanker facing us."

"I see him." Said the one in the gillie suite. "I got him in my sights."

"Not yet," he raised up his talkie and spoke to his men leading up into position. "Keep low and watch yourselves, we got a sniper on the roof of the front gas plant on your right hand side. Over!" The volumes of the talkies were to be kept at a low pitch to avoid giving away positions. That mistake was made once and jeopardized a mission, Joel was so furious to the point where it coasted one captain his hand.

They managed to creep along the forest's edge when they hid behind several trees and dense bushes when they came to a halt. One of them reached for a pair of binoculars and spied on one of the guards standing along the edge. To their surprise it happened to be a young woman. Back home it was almost unthinkable to see women holding a weapon in combat.

"I got a woman standing guard, what do you want us to do?"

"A woman?" He stirred his glance from the binoculars downward and saw her. "Well I'll be... Wait until you hear the first shot, then execute the plan as followed."

Their task was simple: Part One: destroy their one and only fuel source.

Part Two: ensue chaos at the local school.

***

A sudden cry broke out near Mila and sounded as if it came from inside the building next to her. She twisted her head towards the direction of which it came and started to rush past pipelines and smaller tankers. She flung the door open and ran inside looking around for whoever shouted. The inside of the building was dusty and smelt of rat droppings, even looking down at the ground she found footprints incased around dust which Mila followed. She turned a corner and found Brad almost as pale as cheese.

"What's wrong?" Mila cried out.

"A rat!" He yelled,

"A rat?" Suddenly she looked at him with a confused glare. She couldn't believe he was terrified over one small rodent. On farm it was common to see mice crawling around. At one point a mouse even crawled up the leggings of her jeans and made her squirm and dance around until the little thing fell out. All she did was yell "Yikes" when such a thing happen.