Nocturne ➸ Ben Parish

17

     "NOW OR NEVER." I told them as we landed. Soldiers aimed for the door, eager to shoot anyone that came through it.
     The pilot sighed and ran out of the helicopter screaming, "It's going to blow up!"
     The distraction gave the rest of us just enough time to join the troops before Marika detonated the first bomb. The force threw me into the air.
     Through the ringing in my ears, I could hear commanders ordering us to stay down. I played the part of a shocked recruit, but in reality, I was ready for the explosion.
     "Wait for number two." I whispered to Cassie.
     Another bomb went off nearby. This caused complete chaos, but also gave us our opportunity. I dragged her to her feet before running to the nearest building.
     The halls were lined with banners displaying the base's standards. I laughed when I spotted the word 'unity'.
     "Hey!" someone grabbed my shoulders, spinning me around to face them.
      Without thinking, I shot them. Sorry. I had to keep going. Nothing was going to stop me from getting to Vosch.
"Come on!" Cassie yelled.
She swings another door open and we sprint through the courtyard.
"General order four is now in effect. This is not a drill. You have five minutes to report to your designated security area." a robotic female voice says over the speaker system.
The third and fourth bombs detonate as we near a ten-foot-high chain link fence separating us from the next building.
"This is not a drill. General order four is now in effect. You have two minutes to report-" the fifth bomb was close enough to muffle the rest of the message.
It's already been two minutes? I watched as Cassie took a grenade from my pocket and jammed it into the diamond shaped hole of the fence. She pulled the pin, dragging me away.
We were far enough not to get killed by the shrapnel, but the skin on my hand was shredded. Blood dripped onto the floor.
"Shit." I mutter.
I looked up to see what was left of the fence. The gate was on the other side of the courtyard.

"This is where it'll get hard." Marika warned me, "There'll be blood."
     "How much?" I asked.
     "How much can you handle?" she raised an eyebrow.
     "As much as it takes to get Vosch." I responded.

      The building in front of us had three doors waiting to be opened. The middle one flew open, revealing three people. Two soldiers and a woman I recognized.
     "Nocturne?" she questioned.
     I threw the grenade this time. Reznik's replacement stepped back as the soldiers slammed the door.
With the grenade inside.
     The door flew over my head.
     "General order four is now in effect. You have one minute to report to your designated security area." the general order thing was starting to worry me.
It'll be fine. If it was that bad, Marika would've told you. I rushed into the building.
     Cassie follows me around the first floor. Where the hell is the stairwell.
     "You have thirty seconds." I'm racing up the stairs.
     "Ten seconds." the final countdown has begun, "Nine... Eight... Seven... Six..."
     One more flight and then straight ahead to the walkway that connects the building to the control center. Come on, Lynn.
     "Three... Two... One..." I push the door open.
     Complete darkness. No light. No more Siri on steroids.
     I feel around for my flashlight, but it's not there. Cassie finds hers and switches it on. Moments later, something on the ceiling hisses.
      I look up. The sprinklers soak us in a matter of seconds. The artificial rain dripped from my hair and traced my jaw and stung. What? My hand stung worse than before. I forced myself to ignore the pain, but then it spread. My whole body stung.
     Cassie pointed the light at my hand. Fresh blood seeped from it, but something wasn't right. My blood was turning purple when the water hit it. Almost as if it were reacting to something in the water.
     No. Something's in the water. I look at my arm. Red boils cover it.
     "Get out." I say, "We need to get out."
     Cassie didn't wait. She had the same spots covering her face. I feel around the room, finding what I thought was the best way out.
     I jumped through the window.

EDITED

So, if you don't know already, this story is also nearing the end. After I complete it I'll definitely start new stories.

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