I Am Annika

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Through the darkness, bright shafts of light kept the night at bay.

The floodlights of the compound kept the grounds awake and well lit, even in the dead of night.

I walked along, my only company the shadows that shifted and twisted with every movement.

I was making my rounds at 3:20 A.M, a form of revenge from Vanessa. I was not bothered. Sleep could not fine me.

Each time my eyes closed, his face made it's way to my mind, reminding me that now his freedom was in my hands. His life, even.

Though I was not bothered about making 3:00 rounds, I was by the fact that someone I barely knew had come back. For me.

I heard a sudden clang, as if someone had hit metal. I whipped my head around, my eyes tracking the spot where the sound had come from. There.

On a compound roof- a dark figure, frozen, realizing the mistake they had made. There was only one thing it could be. "Rebels!" Came the bark, off in the distance.

All at once, the compound flooded with light. Every corner was lit up. Soldiers flooded from dorms, guns loaded.

Over the wall, people clad in black leapt over the wall, old and rusting weapons held in their hands. They charged through the compound, a mass of dark colour.

I whipped my gun out of its holster on my hip. I set it to 'stun'. I was going to avoid death, if I could.

I aimed at the nearest rebel I saw, pushing the trigger and sending them sprawling to the ground in a mess of limbs. Stepping over them, I fired a round of stunners into the mass of rebels. They dropped like flies.

Shots rang out, orders were issued. Soldiers ran by me, towards the entrance, looking to seal the intruders in with us and our guns.

Shouts filled the air, so entangled that I couldn't tell if they were friend or enemy. I heard a scream of pain from my right, and I turned quick enough to see a young female soldier, falling to the ground clutching her leg.

She would have to wait. The radio on my hip crackled to life. "Soldier AAA, squadron one is surrounding the rebels, looking for surrender. Your order is to aid them. If this does not succeed, you have been granted permission to launch the air squad. Over." It hissed.

"Message received." I replied, starting to sprint towards the group of soldiers heading in the direction of the chaos.

I heard the bullet before I saw it. A thin whistle, something only my altered ears would be able to hear.

I dropped to the ground, the bullet wizzing over my head, finding it's mark in a stone wall. Using what few shadows were left, I snuck, unnoticed, towards the centre of the compound.

In the centre, I could see a mix of soldiers and rebels. No one really had the upper hand.

There was no possible way to surround the rebels without a bit of backup.

I moved my radio to my mouth.

"Squadron one, move to the outside of the group and corral the Rebels. Await further orders. Over." I watched from the shadows as the soldiers began fanning out, slowly corralling them in. I pressed the button on the radio again.

"Air Squadron, I need an aircraft from level A2 immediately. Proceed to the centre of compounds. Over." The response came crackling back seconds later.

"Soldier AAA, there are no aircrafts on that level equipped with proper weaponry. It would take fifteen minutes to prepare. Over." The flat voice on the other end said.

"I understand this, Pilot B1. We need no weaponry, but be sure you are armed. Come to the centre immediately. Over."

I felt and heard someone come next to me.

"Hey." He said it casually, like it were a normal day in the park. The boy was back.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed.

"I'm helping you," he stated, glancing at the mass of people shooting at each other.

"I don't need your help. I don't need anybody's help."

"Everybody needs help," he answered, his light eyes on me.

"Except for me," I replied.

"Especially you."