Republic of Tactics

Republic of Tactics: Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The hovercraft descends quickly. Straight down, landing on the grassy field where I would play 'war' with Koppe when I was younger. When I had no clue of all this commotion, the lies of those around me. Now, it seems we are at a real war.

Once the door opens, a warm gush of air blows on my face. Compared to the cold wind in the cabin, I can say the one out here is hot.

Sector thirty four feels deserted. There's no clue of a bombing here. I'm glad. I start to walk a few steps forth until I hear Sgt. Wolace call out.

"Hey Bovise, hold on." He commands. From the planes' sound, some neighbors begin to exit their homes and stand outside their house. They're angry alright.

"What did you do!" A fierce man calls out.

"Stop this at once!" A lady yells at me, two children by her side.

Do they think this is another rebellion alike my grandfather's? Why are they still upset at something that occurred fifteen years ago?

Sgt. Wolace signals us to continue walking. I know where he's taking us. To Koppe's house.

As we turn left on a corner, I can immediately see Koppe standing near his door. He is with his mother and Tynna. They look surprised at my appearance. Tynna lives a bit farther from the outskirts, in sector nineteen. I hope this war doesn't affect her even more like the other recent ones.

"Good to see you. What's going on?" Koppe asks me. I have to tell him, he never liked to be in any sort war. I look at Koppe and his mother, then at Tynna.

"It's another battle. We have to-" I hear the shrieking of my Mother and Derlie behind me. I turn around rapidly. I see maybe a dozen soldiers dressed in gray and titanium vests. It looks like a kidnapping. The nurse is being taken from behind, thrown in the back of a camo vehicle guarded by more soldiers.

"Hey! Hey!" I yell at them. But they ignore me and take my Mother and sister with the nurse. I try to run, but a soldier holds me back. I can see Sgt. Wolace fighting with two other soldiers. The neighbors watching.

Are these the alphas? I suddenly hear pairs of gunshots. The spectators hastily re-enter their homes. The next thing I hear is the yells of fear of children and the soldiers giving commands. Followed by a sudden spinning of my surroundings. It felt like I was in the eye of the hurricane and the houses and the trucks and the soldiers were uncontrollably rotating around me, again. Like back in the hospital. I become light headed and I feel like puking, only I fall to my knees. Then, I'm just staring at pure pitch darkness and the sounds around me stop. I feel the dirt road on my cheek.

I woke up in coughs, as if the dirt chocked me. I was in a bed. Although it was not a hospital. I search the rubbing alcohol-smelling room trying to figure out where I am. A sharp pain stabs my temple and so in lay back down. As I close my eyes, I hear a door open with a crack. I sit up slowly and see Sgt. Wolace. I feel angry. Although I'm not convinced if I'm just hallucinating.

"Lay down." He exhales through his nose and pulls a chair beside me.

"Where's Derlie and my Mother?" I need to clear my throat because of a gag feeling I felt. Sgt. Wolace sighs in resumption.

"They're in Alpha headquarters." He says with courage. I felt my heart sink.

"What? What are you doing here? Shouldn't we rescue them!" I became very frenetic that I violently swung of the bed and jumped to my feet. But, I ended up falling, feeling exhausted.

"Told you to lay down." He says, as if my tumble was entertaining for him to watch. I stand up as he chuckles to himself. Making sure I'm holding onto something. Sgt. Wolace becomes serious now.

"We can't just intrude them. They're studying us, learning our moves. We need a scheme... a tactic." He says.

Night falls unexpectedly.