ALICE

Chapter 73: ETHICS

Chapter 73: ETHICS

 Alice awoke early, about six AM, and walked towards the command tent, intent on finishing her debrief of the mission at Threader City with Jacob. She opened up the flat, gently shoving through the crowd of people who were moving in to get started on their various jobs.

 When Alice was threw she walked up the ramp to see Jacob in his wheelchair, carefully sniffing the air. Alice laughed. “What are you doing?”

 “I don’t-,” He sniffed again. “I don’t know. Something smells weird.”

 Alice sniffed briefly then looked down. “No, I don’t smell anything.”

 He flared his nostrils and then looked down. “Okay. Whatever. So, where did we leave off yesterday?”

 (BREAK)

 Downstairs, Alexei watched Alice climb up the ramp. His eye twitched as he walked out, holding a walkie-talkie to his face. Over the din, he murmured into it. “Are you in position?”

 There was a moment of static and then another voice. “Almost. Give us twelve minutes.”

 “Okay, but you need to be quick. Get in position ASAP.”

 (BREAK)

 Alice quietly retold the events of the mission, spanning from the refrigerator incident all the way to the prison. Alice looked out the window occasionally, seeing the medical tent, with George lying in a stretcher, glaring at her with his violent blue eyes. Next to him was his best friend, Romeo, who was smoking a cigarette, as he told George jokes to cheer him up.

 About ten minutes elapsed when Alice got to the end, receiving a thoughtful nod and a dismissal from Glass. When Alice was done there, she walked out, moving down the ramp quickly as she wanted to go back to bed.

 Alice walked by the playground where the short red-headed kid Alice had beat up all those months ago was in the middle of a good vault when something bad happened.

 A loud Crack! Ran through the air as the kid hit the ground hard. He landed on his head and rolled over, coming to rest on his right side. Alice panicked slightly but ran towards the kid. She turned him over, and realized blood was bubbling out of his neck. Alice started to breathe quickly, pressing her hand against the wound in a desperate effort to slow the bleeding. Everyone stood around her, still and silent.

 Alice looked up as the boy died. “Go! Guns! They’ve arrived!”

 There was a moment of realization, and then everything started moving at once. Many people ran for the armoury, but even more ran for their homes and the Command Tent. Alice stood up, taking the time to close the boy’s eyes with her thumb and middle finger. When he was peaceful, Alice started to run for her tent, eventually sliding in and beginning to suit up. She grabbed a vest that conveniently was already loaded with ammunition and a knife, and so she pulled it over her t-shirt. Alice was wearing sweat-pants and running shoes but she didn’t care. So long as she was armed –and she was-, she was ready for a fight.

 Alice grabbed the VoidGun off of the floor of the tent, and ran outside again, where Hell had begun to break loose. Scattered gunfire slowly became denser, and people were scrambling to take up positions.

 Alice ran towards the command tent as fast as she could, wincing as bullets flew past her at the speed of sound. Alice was lucky not to be hit as she pushed through the tent, running up the ramp and yelling at everyone she could see to get armed. She kept running, nearly reaching the top where Glass sat next to Kendo, stunned.

 (BREAK)

 Alexei swore as the first rifle shot rang out. He realized they had mounted the assault without warning him. He yelled furiously into the walkie-talkie.

 “What the hell was that?!”

 “Sorry – Forgot to warn you.”

 “For Christ’s sake Malone! You goddamn dipshit!”

 Alexei was about to push the detonator, but then he saw Alice running towards it. Realizing he could kill yet another bird with one stone, he waited for a moment. Alice ducked behind the canvas, blocking any way of Alexei being able to see her. When a few moments had elapsed and Alexei figured she was close to the bomb, he pushed down the detonator and waited for the shockwave.

 (BREAK)

 Alice flew backwards metres from the explosion, punching through the canvas of the tent and hitting the ground about twenty feet later. She, by some miracle had held onto her rifle, and was only a little burnt on her front. She got up quickly, running towards the burning tent, but a pair of gloved hands held her back.

 Alice turned around to see Taco. “Stop.” He said.

 “No! I have to go back!”

 “Alice they’re dead.” He motioned to the full-scale battle that was beginning from all directions. “We need you now.”

 Alice nodded slowly as she prepped the rifle in her arms.

 (BREAK)

 Alexei walked calmly back to his tent. Where Lara was waiting patiently with her knees against her chest. She smiled weakly as Alexei walked inside.

 Without a word, they embraced, both on their knees, and their heads next to each other. They both rocked back and forth, and as Alexei pushed a gun to her head, he thought of what he had done. The LSF had told him to kill that kid, to get captured, to gain their trust and help them kill ZERO. They told him to insist that Lara come and they told him to destroy the command tent, and take Alice McCormick, Jacob Glass, and Jack Kendo with it.

 They had told him to take three bullets before he talked to gain their trust, but now he was taking a bullet for himself. A bullet for the two of them. Alexei pushed the barrel of the pistol against Lara’s head, and whispered the three words into her ear as he squeezed the trigger.

 The bullet went through both heads, and they died leaning against each other.