Mistakes Made

9 - Lockdown.

I jolted awake the next morning, my ribs slightly hurting as the alarm sounded. I carefully got up, turning it off. I glanced at the clock before getting dressed. It was still early in the morning, about quarter to six. No doubt breakfast at the canteen has already started. Still, I took a bit of time getting ready. My ribs were still pretty sensitive and I was still groggy. 

I wasn't excited for the day ahead but the one thing on my mind stopped me from saying fuck it and getting back in bed.

Alex was a very stubborn person. Sometimes resourceful but very stubborn. She was willing to go against my orders and I personally couldn't and wouldn't have someone so disrespectful on my squad. She was in desperate need of re-assignment and I was going to help her with that.

She and I would take a lovely stroll to the general where she would either pick a different squad where she feels she can excel in or resign completely from the military and go back to civilization.

On top of that, I would show him the folder of evidence that Alex and I managed to compile from the Gravemind. What the general chooses to do with it is none of my business.

The walk to my office was quiet. Soldiers were either still getting ready for the day or asleep. As I neared, I noticed that my office door was slightly ajar. My eyebrows furrowed as I thought back to yesterday. 

I vividly remembered myself locking the door before I left so how was it open? I cautiously slid the door open, glaring into the dark room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Or so I thought.

I flipped on the light switch and immediately headed for my desk. The folder wasn't on my desk. That's okay, I probably thought it was better to put it in the draw. I opened the draw and found nothing but papers and stationary. I closed the draw and took a deep breath, mentally counting to ten before opening it again. To no surprise, nothing changed. 

I slammed it shut, chuckling bitterly to myself.

So, you mean to tell me that that girl—that simple-minded girl not only stole confidential information but also broke into my office to steal it? Did she not understand the severity of her actions? And was she stupid enough to go through with what she thought of as a "heroic act"? 

She was going to make a martyr of herself because of her stupidity and I absolutely could not, in good conscience, let her go through with it. I would never forgive myself for encouraging her behaviour if she wound up dead. I had to find and apprehend her.

I quickly left my office, making one hundred percent sure the door was locked before storming off to her barrack. I pounded on her door angrily, desperately needing her to get up before I tore the door down with my two bare hands. After numerous loud knocks I figured she wasn't going to answer the door. 

Luckily for me, I was a commander with keycard access to each room. I slid my keycard into the slot and swung the door open.

I was met with a dimly lit room. Her figure was outlined by her bedsheets. She must be a heavy sleeper if she didn't hear how aggressively I was knocking. I strode across the room, glaring down at her. I ripped the sheet clean off and felt my jaw drop in absolute disbelief. It was just a bunch of pillows piled together with a sticky note on the head of the makeshift body. 

"Already gone!", it read. She knew I would try to find her here and placed a decoy to distract me and buy herself time. I couldn't believe it. She outsmarted me with the oldest trick in the book. I gritted my teeth, pure anger coursing through my veins. I was going to wring this girl's neck when I found her.

The factory was no walking distance. If you were to walk that distance it would take about six hours. By car or bike, it would only take thirty minutes. And with the knowledge of how impatient Alex is, she decided to make matters worse by stealing military property. How genius of her. I left her room, slamming the door behind me.