"Eric," Saib said in a low voice, shaking Eric from sleep. "Wake up."
Eric opened his eyes, slowly getting used to the dim light of the moon.
"Wh..." he started, but Saib put his hand on his mouth, silencing him.
"Another team snooping around." Saib whispered, pointing emphatically.
Eric nodded. His head still swam, feeling as if he was hung-over after a brief rest. He stood slowly, straining not to make any noise, as the buzzing in his ears from the lack of sleep began to recede.
It was cold and Eric's sweat beneath the layers of vest and army-clothes made him shiver when the wind collided with him. It was well known and unavoidable trade-off of sleeping out during cold times--once your body relaxes and you fall asleep, it's going to get cold as ice.
The team slept under a collapsed roof, using it as a shelter from the rain they thought would come. It did, it seemed--Eric could taste the moist even under the annoying mask.
He pointed at the others and nodded sideways to Saib while planting the rifle in his shoulder, ready for action.
For the past couple of hours before they finally fell asleep, they planned the next day. Eric announced he was about to scout ahead, using his memory to his advantage and seek for the tallest ruin in this city. If he read the map correctly, the briefcase they were looking for was located somewhere inside. His idea was to create a hard defense at base and fend off any attack with most of the squad members, while one man would scout around. Though he was still unsure if the radio communicators are hackable by the other teams, there was no other viable communication substitute.
Eric peeked from the broken brick wall. His eyes were still getting used to the lighting, or rather the lack of it. He was looking directly where Saib pointed but seen nothing out of place--more ruins with less standing concrete than the one they chose to slumber in. No movement.
"Eric," he heard Saib whisper over the comms channel. "They took house right in front. Not sure if they know we here."
"Maybe they took it as shelter." Eric said.
"No think. They plan something."
"Is everybody awake?" Eric asked.
"Aye." Saib said.
Eric's eyes were fixated on the clump of destroyed concrete barely 10 meters from their location. He tried to spot a movement, a shadow or anything. He breathed slowly to try and relax his heartbeat, but the immense drumming of his heart kept racing in a crazed tempo.
This is it, he thought. Our first clash and we have to face a freaking full squad.
If only there was more time to set a better perimeter with more traps that could scare off the damn squad for the night. If only they had more...
There. A movement. One of the edges of the ruined concrete grew a lump of a shadow--a head.
Eric shot a hand back rising a fist and quickly switching it to gesture his squad he spotted one enemy. He didn't remove his eyes from the figure. He couldn't. The darkness was playing tricks on everybody here and the moment he loses sight of the enemy, could be the sole moment he will regret.
He heard the light footsteps of his teammates scrambling around to take positions for defense of the fortress. Three men for the frontal assault to come and two for the sides and back.
"What they waiting for?" Hawks whispered over the comms.
"They must seen us," Saib said. "No reason taking that house. No shelter from rain."
YOU ARE READING
Awakening
Science FictionEelaya lived through calamities her entire life. Born in the cruel streets of Undertown, Origin--what was once known as Earth, before it lost all its green. Raised beneath the lethal blanket of pollution and radiation. Sent as a slave to repay her...
