Republic of Tactics

Republic of Tactics: Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Sterling! Do you copy?" I ask. There's no response.

"We have to go. Just follow me." I say to my new squad. From twenty- five to ten soldiers. Keene is dead. Flux and Joyse are with me but Scarlet isn't. The alley we're in is no longer asphalt. The narrow ground is now paved in stones, tiny puddles of water in the cracks. The homes became three to four story apartments with garbage chutes in the way of our trek. We come out to a street now, there are horseless chariots tumbled everywhere. Creating a maze of them in our path.

Alright, I have to look for Serpent. I scan the buildings when I almost trip on my untied shoelace.

"Look for a building called Serpent." I direct. The buildings are pale and the windows shattered. I wonder what it is like right now in Dertus. Is my home in ruins? What happened to Tynna and Koppe's mother?

"Over there!" A soldier exclaims. The so called Serpent is a three story complex glowing in yellow. The name Serpent in the red paint like in the wall in Septimus the day of the bombing.

We walk over to the entrance, birds sitting on the ledge by the steps.

"Ready?" Flux kicks open the door. His gun aiming inside. Olden and I follow behind the soldiers when it's safe to enter.

The large room has a big desk in the middle. The interior looks like it got hit by a tornado. Papers and books and trash covering the stained floor. I spot Alpha soldiers dead on the muddled room. Some chandeliers are off, the windows shattered, the dust particles dancing in the air trapped by rays of light.

Suddenly, soldiers roar in the room. They put down their guns after they have a clearer view of us.

Squad 3.

It feels good seeing other allies.

"You must of heard us coming." I say to the leader, Crev. A middle aged woman with white and black straight hair.

"We sure did. We thought you were alphas." Crev sits down on a bench.

"That's the smell of victory." She says once I start gagging at a bloody reek. The smell is of warm and rotted bloody flesh. The stained books under me highlighted in red.

"I believe there's a tunnel we should be taking." I imply.

"Why so eager to die. Just kidding. Right this way." She says. The soldiers salute me when I pass.

We are taken to a small metal door in a storage room at the back of the building.

"Why is this place called serpent?" I ask in the room while a Squad 3 soldier unlatches the lock.

"The second are third floors is a snake holder." Crev makes a hiss sound and shoots the lock with her gun, the soldier jumping back in trepidation.

She opens the door and signals us to enter. I take off my helmet in order to fit in the small opening.

"Alright, here's a map. You need to arrive in base four by nightfall." Crev hands me a paper map.

"Thank you. Good luck." I thank.

"Yeah yeah. Good luck commander Bovise." Her sarcastic laugh is cut off when I close the door. Flashlights are turned on. Eyes adjusting to the darkness. Stepping in liquid as we move in the slender tunnel. Nobody really saying anything. The only sounds coming from the gear and our things clanging the pipes.

When we reach a ladder, Flux takes the lead going down. The steps are shorter this time down, and wet. We have landed in a maze of sewer tunnels and waste pipes digging the ground. Joyse insists to keep moving, to get away form here as possible. I examine the map while walking. The convolution of passageways and channels that make up the underground voyage. Our path is clearly indicated, but it won't be easy.

First, I lead the group into a disgusting underpass with gross mold pouring from the edges of the wall. There's a bit more light here, so we retract our flashlights.

Then we have to cross over a water ravine before following a straight tunnel to the center of York. To base four.

In the back of my head is Olden. His story about his real mom and how I was his half brother. Get rid of the half. He is my brother. It's funny because I'm tanner and with brown eyes. He's lighter with more of blue and hazel eyes combined.

Why was he the victim of an abduction? The haunting fact that I don't remember my childhood with him. But most of all, that of all odds, we met up in a battle facility and are now in a war for justice. When I have the chance to speak to mother, I'll ask her why she never told me this before. And I just want to see a photo of my father. I haven't seen him in so long, I haven't even found any pictures of him in the house. Adding more questions to my list.

"Hey Bo." Olden smiles. He's a few spots behind me, with his gun griped on his hand.

I look at the map again. One left, one right after three ways and a tunnel leading to Zenner Blvd. After that, we'll be in base four. Preparing our tactics for the rescue of my loved ones. Then my conscious will be cleansed knowing they'll arrive safely in Septimus. They'll meet Sterling and Jules and Penelope, they'll be told how august I am and that we'll win the war. I'll probably loose a lot of allies on the way. Then they will anxiously wait for my arrival, now as their victor. Olden will die in tears seeing the family unite. Me and Amelia will kiss again.

"Commander!" Flux exclaims, my thoughts disappearing in the dark tunnels.

"Flashlights on." I say. And we're off. The tunnels now wider than the other ones. With more lighting and less reek. The echo of our footsteps and the sound of our metal clattering together bouncing off the wall. We enter the small compartment where the ladder is at. Then, there's a soft noise, maybe a growl or a hiss. It's far but very distinct.

"Let's go. Let's go!" I command, following Olden up the ladder. The noise is becoming louder every step I take. Putting all of us in a hassle to get away from whatever is making the horrible sounds.

Outside, the late sun blurs my vision, the sun ready to set. The smell of olive oil and chocolate mixed in the air.

We take shelter inside a pharmacy. Eating the canned food we took from the home. The taste of my green beans devouring my hunger.

"Wait a sec." Says Joyse.

"Why is there people here, they should've evacuated." She continues, opening a can of sardines. People are beginning to pour into the streets, not too many though. Only a few with radios and transmitters. They're just there.... not doing anything special.

"She's right. But we need to get into that building right there." Olden points out, but I don't look.

"Now we either shoot ourselves through, or create a distraction so we can set off that alarm." Says a soldier.

"They're not residents or alphas, they're Zecaxes. Secret members of a corporation that supports the alphas. But they look like average citizens. Don't be fooled." Flux adds.

"We can use these." I point to a rack of clothing by oxygen tanks.

"I'll go. I'll change in the restroom." Flux says. He stands up and takes random clothes and heads for the restroom in the back. None of us really intervene.

When he comes out, he gives us a brief plan of his idea. Easy and simple.

He leaves the pharmacy like a normal Zecax. Us watching through the glass. He's almost inside the building, the last critical step, but then a gunfire goes off. But they're not shooting at him. Nor us, but someone which I can't see from in here. Most likely shooting one of our squads. Out of nowhere, the glass shatters into pieces. Me standing just feet away, gets a shard in the arm and in the neck. Olden is crawling towards me, when a blinding bright light goes on. Blinding me completely. Only hearing the guns and the yells. Then silence.

I wake up blindfolded, sitting on a chair. Listening to shuffling and scrapping of metal. Like a chair.

"Hello?" I ask out in the dark. Then there's a familiar voice behind me. Not exactly the same, but recognizable.

"Scarlet."