Dawn Is Coming

Chapter 3

Grant

She barely weighs anything. I'm carrying Akira in my arms, afraid to put her down. Or let go of her.

We barely managed to recover half the regiment. More than half the soldiers in the MV are lying in cots, unconscious, on the verge of death. The more fortunate soldiers that were further away from the bomb are treating them. The Neorexans switched off the hologram a moment before releasing the bomb and detonating it. For the first time I don't feel guilty abandoning the battlefield to check up on Akira from the bottom of the hill. I saw her leaning over the edge, looking like a real princess with her gorgeous blond hair hanging down over the edge of the cliff. A princess with a sniper. She looked distressed as she frantically glanced left and right. I looked her over, and she seemed okay. What was she looking for? Thanks to her, I was on high alert, and thankfully so. I managed to run out from under the huge block of rock that chipped off the cliff when the bomb detonated, and I managed to catch her in my arms, safe and sound when she fell. I am ashamed that I ran straight to the MV without looking back and stopping for anyone else. I can easily carry three average-weighing men, and people rely on me on the battlefield. But I was desperate. I had to get Akira to safety.

So here I am, standing in the MV as it drives away from the battlefield as fast as it can go. A few soldiers are scurrying around, helping the injured. I don't know a thing about medicine. Akira knows everything, but she's unconscious. I checked her pulse. I checked her for injuries everywhere I could. Not a single scratch or bruise on her perfect tan skin, aside from the loads of scars all over her body. My gut is a weird mix of overwhelming relief and anxiety. Our soldiers are dying, and the Neorexans launched a bomb for the first time in ages. It couldn't have been an ordinary bomb; we have sensors in our MV that detect radioactive or explosive substances and alert us. General Flynn vaguely scans over the injured soldiers before walking up to me. He's a few inches shorter than me, but I always end up looking up at him. I lower my head to glance at Akira, then raise my eyes to look at his shades. I'm looking up into the sea of black, searching for his eyes behind his shades but failing to find them.

"How is she?" He asks in an even tone. I look back down at her, brushing a few strands of hair out of her mouth. I hold her a little closer to me.

"I checked her over for injures, but she seems to be fine." I say quietly. I expect General Flynn to start scolding me about how I just ran off with her and ignored the injured soldiers around me, but he just nods and walks away. I let out a deep breath, and my tight hold around her relaxes a little. I hear someone call for me. I continue to hold Akira as I walk over to Thayne, who's waist is barely at the level of the cot he's standing in front of. Rhyle is lying on the cot in front of Thayne, unconscious.

"Turn him over. Onto his stomach." Thayne orders. I raise a brow at him.

"You're a soldier. Are you not strong enough to do that yourself?" I say. Not in an accusatory tone, but more of a sceptical one. He may be short, but his arms are so bulky, they look like they're about burst the sleeves of the military jacket. Thayne rolls his eyes and crosses his arms.

"Gently. Do it gently. I'll have to start over with the stitches if a single one breaks." He grumbles and gestures to Rhyle's stitches. I glance at his face, eyes closed and unaware. I sigh. "I can hold your girlfriend. Just do it quickly." He rushes me, and I give him a stern glare. I grab Akira by the waist and settle her over my shoulder, her legs dangling next to my head and down my chest. Thayne facepalms and steps back, giving me space. I wrap one hand around Rhyle's arm and one around his waist, lifting him in the air. With slow and careful movements, I lower him down onto his stomach, making sure his stitches don't move against the blanket. I step back, eyeing the gruesome sight. A huge slash spans Rhyle's entire back.