Savagery

2 - The First Task

Darkness had fallen, giving the forest an eerie feeling. The wooded area was home to many species, including owls. The sound of their hoots was unnerving. Dylan still lay beneath the fallen trees, too afraid to move in case the men were simply waiting for him close by. He had to consider that these men were the best and highest of their kind, and nothing less. He imagined them as terminators, like his father had taught him at young age. Always to see the enemy as the greatest threat, and don't let them get the best of oneself. His father's words clung to his memory, 'if you see them as the greatest threat there is, you will become the utmost threat to them'. Dylan couldn't just lay there. His father sacrificed too much for him, for reasons still unknown, but the priority was to do as he was trained to do. His mission had begun, and he needed to get back to his house. Immediately. The house was compromised so he would need to proceed with caution.

He slowly climbed out from beneath the fallen trees, looking at his surroundings. The woodland was dark, so it was difficult to see far in front. He remembered the direction he came in, but it was difficult to determine when to change course. Dylan walked along the edge of the forest, looking out along the open land. There was silence in the forest, apart from the rattles of the leaves and snaps of the sticks as he walked over them. There were strange noises every so often, and Dylan wondered what kind of animal was causing the sounds, yet he never intended to find out. He saw brief flickers of light across the field, and he recognised the familiar flicker of the garden light. It never worked properly, and his father never bothered to fix it. The mere thought of his father had caused a pain in his chest again, but this time it just radiated anger. Dylan was fuming with rage, and a nearby tree got the worst of it. He had punched the tree repeatedly, tearing the skin from his knuckles. He cried out more from the mental pain than the physical pain. This was all just a pile of crap, he thought. He fell to the ground and held his knees to his chest and cried. No amount of training could ever prepare him for the loss and pain he had endured earlier that day. After all, he was just a boy.

Moments passed, and Dylan was sat on the grassy floor, staring out into the open field. He couldn't see his house clearly, so he wasn't sure if it was safe to approach. Safe or not, he knew he had to get in there eventually. He recollected himself and decided to move closer to suss out the situation. At least then he could come out with some sort of plan, well, so he hoped. The closer he got the worst the situation became. There were at least a dozen cars parked outside the house, and the house was lit up. The smashed windows were now boarded up with planks of wood. They were expecting him to come back. Perhaps they found the files, he thought. If they did, the entire plan his father had orchestrated would be compromised. His father told him just one month ago that he had files stored in the safe. Files he could only understand once he knew the truth. Well, he didn't know the truth, but he was sure he was being hunted down by a gang of lunatics. That was enough to go off in his head.

Dylan needed those files, otherwise he might as well just be dead because he would have no chance, he thought. With just a few more feet forward, he was at the edge of the back garden. He slouched down behind the fence, looking between the gaps in the wooden fence. The gap was extremely small, but enough to see the men standing around the house. Some were standing armed with their guns, and others were sitting around a small fire smoking and talking. There were more than a dozen men at this end of the house, and Dylan prayed that this was all of them. Too easy, he thought. Way too easy. He crawled away from the back of the house, circling around and brought himself to the front. On this side, there were at least another five men. At this rate, there could be a full squad within the house. There had to be men in charge within the house, he thought, they would have all ground covered. Basic operation training his father had taught him. He needed a plan, and it would need to involve the loss of a few lives. He took one life already today, and for the sake of his mother and father he was prepared to take more. It's self defence anyway...so far, he thought.