Republic of Tactics

Republic of Tactics: Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Other soldiers wearing the same wings drop around us. Joyse and Sterling are the only ones I recognize.

"Lets go. Squad nine and eight to command! Six, code CHASE! C'mon lets move!" Directs Sterling.

We follow him through mazes of dead civilians and debris and flames spreading. A true hell. The perfect idea of a city literally burning away. Alphas against Elites. That's all I'm seeing. The citizens running.

Chaos.

The gunfire lasts long. Listening to screams of children in the pauses of bombings. We have to run up the stairs of a building, citizens evacuating as we pass. Olden is pushing me up, I'm too exhausted and beat to find energy. I was told we would kidnap Dorothea (if she's still alive), and conduct a final execution, in public to the country There's so much bewilderment everywhere it makes me dizzy. The bombs seem to stop for a while, until the Alphas bring in the flock of Equzes. Programmed birds made to kill us. Roaming the air above, but now since we are inside, we're fine.

On the tenth floor, the citizens seem to stop evacuating. It's all empty and burning. Through a window, I see an Equze bite off someones arm on the street. Then, at the end of the hallway, Scarlet stumbles into us.

"Guys, Dorothea is on the thirteenth. There's alphas coming down though. I have to go to command." Then she's off.

"I believe this is yours." Olden hands me my vest and helmet. I place them securely and Sterling gives me my gun.

"Let's go." I say as we begin up the stairs. Smoke from above pours down the steps, then we place our gas masks on.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Koppe. But that's insane. These last couple minutes are so , I can't focus on anything else.

Then, there's a soldier in front of me. No protective gear or helmet or gun. When I try to shoot, I see my gun is empty. Him with the advantage, plunges towards me like the tiger on my first day. I punch him in the stomach, but he managed to cut me a little on the arm with his knife. Sterling tries to help, but I tell him I got it. I then kick him, he falls down he stairs and throws a knife at me from the platform, which I dodge. I then get the knife and throw it back at him, piercing his heart.

"Whoo. That was fun." I exclaim.

"We should get going." Olden says.

The trip to the twelfth floor was effortless. No more than four alphas occluded, but we took them out. The rooms are empty only for dead bodies on top of eachother. The room Koppe was killed in is just ahead.

Dorothea is there. Lying by a corner, nobody really protecting her, wait they're dead. She looks up at us. Her eyes bloodshot with envy and a hint of surrender.

"Look at President Dorothea. Where's Jery huh?" I ask, mocking her sarcastic tone that is now gone.

"Just kill me. There's no point on ruling a country of-" she taps her bloody nose.

"I would but, it'll be sort of boring. I was thinking a more, public, execution." I say.

So after we handcuff Dorothea, we head down the lonely building. The smoke and gas now gone. Dorothea didn't even fought against us, she tried calling out to someone who wouldn't of heard her. She must of thought this was coming anyway.

Things seem to calm down outside. Dead Equzes on the ground, decapitated soldiers bleeding out in the streets. No more bombs. No more bullets. No more fights. Just pain.

Surviving citizens putting out fires with water gallons. Only to run back inside when they see us.

We board the security helicopter with Dorothea. Soon, we are airborne. We are taken to a fancy building in the center of York. Dorothea's mansion. Where rebels have already set up a final execution. The setting will be in her high top balcony.

Dorothea takes a seat not looking down. Then the cameras start arriving. Spinning and zooming into us. Rebels and citizens watch from below. And others in the country from their televisions. Jules who I haven't seen, hands me a slip of fancy paper. A small speech is writer in cursive.

"And you're on!" A camera man yells. I begin with my dry throat.

"To all citizens of the country of Polame. Rebels and residents, young and old. This war for freedom has ended." I pause and look up and around the crowd under me.

"You are blind! Look around-" an angry man yells, he is stopped by an Elite soldier.

"This will not lead to another catastrophic war like fifteen years ago. Or a'hundred. But it will lead to freeing all of us from the wickedness of these people." I point to Dorothea and the remaining congress members. Somebody throws a shoe at me from below, hitting my leg. I put down the card.

"See, this is why you are all caught up in being 'true' human beings, that you forget what is actually good for you." I say.

"We are humans. All you disgusting rebels are just ignorant and defiant." Says a woman.

"Honestly. Wouldn't you want freedom? This is what I mean. You are so used to following orders because Dorothea always accommodates to all your needs. But nothing is the same value of immunity and independence." This is when I realize what the mental test was for. Touching the souls of Dorothea's prisoners.

"A new leader shall rise. One that is fair, candid and above all loving. Any last words Dorothea?" I turn to her. The cameras seem to double up now.

"This isn't a debate. But once the fire is gone. And your blaze is frozen. You have to make sure the dark don't roam." She smiles a ghoulish grin before the tension in her final moments increases. Dark Don't Roam. The words play in my head over and over before I have to prepare my gun. But instead Sterling gives me a lavish brown oak bow and arrow. Which I am not good at.

"An arrow into the heart is a huge symbol. First try." He says.

Dorothea flips her middle finger at me as I adjust the arrow in place.

"Just like your grandfather." Is her last words.

My fingers let go. And the arrow goes. Straight into her chest. And as dead as a rock, she falls over. Her hands still cuffed.