Abnormal {Book 1: Completed, Book 2: Ongoing}

Chapter 12

Adrius's POV

"That's impossible."

"Well, there's got to be someone..."

I put my head in my hands. "Why would anyone want the government to attack us?" Frustrated, I sit down on the edge of the table, brows furrowed.

The Commander just sent out a message to every general, saying there's been a breach in our communication system, and that someone sent a direct message to the Central Government, declaring open war. After notifying us of the news, my father assigned me and a few others to carry out a full on investigation.

We're currently sitting in the tech room, sifting through dozens of records to find evidence of who might possibly have sent the message and why they sent it. 

After minutes of awkward silence, Daniel finally speaks up. "Guys...don't you think we should be focusing on preventing a full out war before it finally happens? I mean...even if we find whoever sent the message doesn't mean we're going to be able to stop the Central Government from attacking..."

"Yes, but the sender is most likely one of the lower level citizens of TCD. They've already found a way into our communication system. What will they do next? We absolutely have to find them and eliminate them," says Amelia.

I clear my throat, and all of the generals turn to me. "I agree with Daniel. We should focus on developing a plan to either defeat the Central Government, or try to stop the war. Finding the culprit isn't really going to change anything. I mean, sure, we could punish them but it's not going to make a difference."

"But..." Amelia protests. 

I cut her off with a look, and she falls silent reluctantly. "We should propose a master plan to my...the Commander," I continue. "We have to decide on everything before the deadline---when the Central Government is going to attack---which is only a week away."

I see nods around the room, and my confidence grows. "I don't think it's possible to completely prevent the war. The only thing we can do...is to fight back."

Just then, an alarm sounds over the speakers, along with my father's voice. "All citizens of TCD, please report to level B5 immediately. There is a security risk detected on floor 26. All citizens of TCD, please report to..."

I can hear shouts coming from the hallway, and me and my fellow generals scramble over to the emergency exit. The emergency exit was specifically designed so that we could descend to the basement directly, and since the elevator was created independently from the main elevator system, there is a small chance of it being found and destroyed. 

Unless the enemy is in our own ranks, obviously.

As our group of 8 generals pile inside the elevator, we start chattering nervously over the still sounding alarms. Just because we're generals doesn't mean we don't get afraid. I keep an eye on the flashing red number at the top of the elevator, right below the ceiling.

10, 9, 8...

3, 2, 1, B1...

The elevator rattle to a stop. I swear under my breath as the lights go out and we're plunged into darkness. We turn on the flashlights from our watches immediately, causing the space to glow eerily. 

"We have to find a way out of here..." someone starts saying.

"Can't be trapped..."

"Has to be a way..."

"Who..."

Their voices start to pile on top of each other, until it's impossible to distinguish the individual speakers.

"Quiet!" I snap, annoyed. "Let me think."

My fingers tap impatiently on the smooth metal wall, my teeth clenched together. Now I'm certain that someone in TCD betrayed us to the Central Government. Were they sent here as a spy?

I shake my head, and force myself to return my focus to the matter at hand. The most important thing now is to find a way to get out of here, no matter where we end up. I try searching up the map on my watch, but no luck. There's no signal. 

I start drawing a mental map of TCD in my head, trying to remember where this elevator leads to and the best possible escape route. 

"Jason," I call out. "I don't have a plan yet, but I think the best thing to do now would be to separate the doors?"

I can feel Jason squeeze past me, towards the door. He has superhuman strength, so this shouldn't be too hard. I point my flashlight towards him to help, and he rests his fingers on the crack between the elevator doors. 

His arms bulge as he forces the elevator doors open...but fails, miserably. The doors don't even move an inch. 

He turns back to me, shaking his head slightly. I can see beads of perspiration trickling down his forehead. 

"There's only one possibility," he says solemnly. "Someone sealed the doors from the outside."