Shadow's Within

34 : He save us

My body tremble and quiver from the vibration. I could feel my whole body shiver from the movement. This sensation, bolting my arms in a tight squeeze, holding me in, causing me to feel pain. I flutter open my eyes only to see a face joins above me and it took me by surprise. Who wouldn't be surprise when opening their eyes only to be welcome a face right on top of you. I almost scream, but a hand closes my lips. The person confining me voice tells me to be quiet, hushing his tone.

"Don't make a sound" he said, his index fingers linger on his lips.

His voice sounds familiar. After he reveals his face, I start to feel serene but yet feel agitated. The person one feet above me is the Major. What is he doing here? On top of me, asking me to not make any sound.

He then releases his firm grip on my mouth. "What's going on?"

"Sshhh" he told me. "Don't make any sound... it's not safe here..."

"What are—"

"Quiet!" He grimaces. "Wake your friend.... we have to get you out of here.."

"What do you mean?"

"Stop with the question! Wake your friend... we don't have a lot of time.. quickly!"

I stagger to my feet and rendezvous to Chase and waking him up. His blue eyes flies open as soon as I move him.

"What's.... going..on?"

"Question later!" he hushes him. "Grab you essential... I need to take you someplace else..."

"But.."

"Now!"

We hurry ourselves packing our most important essential. After that, the Major guide us through the darkness. I couldn't tell where we're going. It feels like I'm walking through a set of maze, not knowing what might appear at the next turn. Somehow the Major knows his way around. His extensive knowledge of the entire layout of the base helps him to navigate even in the darkest times. We went left and turn right and cuts into left again before making a zip into right. My head feels uneasy and tired. Only managing to gather a quick nap is not working well with me after the whole fiasco I went through.

After several shambles in the darkness, we finally arrive in a sets of double doors. We go in following the Major into a darker compartment.

"Follow me" he said.

Easier said than done not be able to see through this shade. We flaunt forward into the dark, following the flicker of light coming from the Major's belt. I use the sound of the Major's footstep to guide me in the obscurity.

Just a few steps in the dark, I launch my feet into something hard. Ouch! God that hurts! The pain melts through me.

"You okay?" Chase scramble beside me.

"Yeah"

"Move it..!" the Major calls from the front. The entire crossing feels like an eternity. How long are we supposed to walk in this excursion? After snaking in the shadow for god knows the distance, my body comes into contact into something sturdy. It's the Major's backside. Impressive for a man of his age, maintaining the composure of his body.

"What are we waiting for?" I whisper.

"A sign"

What kind of sign. I'm baffle and tired. This is ridiculous, acting so mysterious, inching us to follow him into the unknown. I'm almost had it until I saw something at the corner of my eyes. A movement of sort in a contorted pigment. The movement is a ball of light, washing its color giving radiance in the darkness.

"Let's go" the Major lunch forward, we next.

I get it. The globe of color is the sign he's waiting for. What intrigues me is who radiates that light here in the night, and why acting so enigmatic in the middle of the night in a dark-lit surrounding. The second part of the track has us snaking in a zig zag line. I'm not even sure the direction we're heading. We could even be walking back without us noticing.

The route finally ending as we come nearer in the bead of tint. As we get closer, the ball looks more like a circle flash coming from a flash light. The Major throws something into the floor and I could distinguish a rolling sound bedding on the floor. The sound is replied with a second set of rolling but the sound indicates that it is thrown in a faster state the second time.

"We're clear" he said. "Let's move out!"

At the end of the passage, nearing the fair bright, a four-person team is waiting for us.

"What is going on here?" I ask.

"No time to explain my dear... we need to roll out fast before they—"

"Before who?!" I roar. "The organization??"

The Major leans closer to me. "I'm afraid so my dear... they found out where I've hidden you.. and they are coming here as we speak now..."

Great! Just another blockage in our current predicament. The organization really does lives up to its name. Finding us is child's play for them. I did expect them to be able to locate us but I didn't expect it to be so soon. I underestimate them far too much. This is a huge problem for us.

I glance back to Chase, pitying on him. It's my fault I drag him into this mess. This whole situation is created by me. I couldn't allow him to suffer the same state as me. The expression on his face is the one I'm familiar and loathe at the same time. The face of fear. He must have thought we were home free in here. I guess his perfect dreams have been shattered into tiny pieces.

"Let's move... we don't have much time" the Major shoves us into the back of a military jeep. The front seat is occupied with the two soldier I saw guarding the office of the Major just this morning.

The driver rams the engine on. The Major is not in the car. Something doesn't feel right. I hoister down the window. "Major!... Let's go!"

He turns his back to bare his face. "You go... I can't leave here... those people.. they need protection... if the organization found those people... they would be massacred!" his breathing concurs slowly, coughing harder.

"And what if they found out about them... what is going to happen to you?"

He smile. "My dear... life is one that we cannot predict.. we must always improvise as the time comes..." he knocks the window of the front passenger. The engine rattles hungrily. The two soldiers exchange looks, understand the message.

Behind the window, rapid-fire breaks loose. The sound of the gunshot crossfire in the near distant.

"They're here!... quickly get out of here!" The driver salutes and push the pedal so hard it made us jumps at the back.

As the car dashes outside, the last image of the Major I see is him taking cover, shooting into the abyss into his unknown assailant.