I Coming Home | Inspired Hiddlesworth/Thorki Fanfiction

Cross My Mind | Chapter Seven

A/N: I am so sorry about not posting this for a long time! I kinda got writer's block about this but I managed to get back to it and I'll be cracking down on writing again! I seriously hate school...

Word count: 1226 words
Warnings: -none
POV: Chris

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I hugged my weapon closer to my chest, glancing back at my team. We were already 3 men short... could we hold up?

We had the strict instructions to seize a small village about 19 clicks away from the base, use it as a new base, expand our troops. What was worst of everything was that the village was apparently busting full of civilians, and killing even one could lead to being discharged from the army.

I thought about what that would be like, I mean, I've killed before, but not an innocent bystander, usually, those were either not around or were evacuated from the battlefield days before. But the haunted look on my enemies face already sent shivers down my spine, I didn't want it to happen again.

"Come on guys," I ushered my team forward. "We need to move faster if we want to get there before midday."

Our instructions were that my team was to be the third to go in, the first and second would be evacuating civilians in case there was any backlash from the soldiers here. Then my team was to be sent in and secure the buildings and force any hostiles out, no matter what it took, I don't think I'll be able to do that.

Putting on a brave face and setting my jaw, and footed it towards the horizon, my team following close behind.

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It took hours of walking, and by the end, my feet ached. None of us had spoken the entire time, too engulfed in our current situation to even process the idea of a conversation.

We finally arrived on the outskirts of the village, and civilians were already rushing out, clutching anything they needed with them. I spotted a young woman dragging her malnourished son out of a building, a bundle of blankets wrapped in her arms. Crying and screaming echoed through my ears, soaking into every pore in my face, my body willed me to turn around - What I was doing here was wrong, for fuck's sake!

I silently prayed that the civilians wouldn't need any kind of force, that they would just comply, I didn't want to threaten anyone. This situation was already difficult enough already.

I quietly ducked behind the first building we made it to, an old, broken down (and presumably abandoned) barn. The walls were broken inwards from the sheer weight of the roof and it looked like it should have collapsed years ago.

"So, we are going to split into pairs, the next team should be here within the half hour. Tom, come with me, we dont know your skill set yet. Cassie, go with Runner, Joker, and Daniel, go to that building over there and evacuate everyone. Cassie, hearing aids out in case of gunfire, go to that grey house over there and see if anyone inside." My team nodded and we all split up. 

Tom followed me as I stormed towards a gray building, rotten with age. A young girl cowered inside the doorway, her eyes wide with fear as she stared out at the scene in front of her. I watched as Tom slipped past me and approached her, crouching low and making his presence clear. 

"Hey, where is your mum?" He asked the girl softly. She turned to him with wide, green eyes, pooled with fear. Letting out a choked sob, she pointed to the landscape behind us. My heart wrenched, and I felt airy with guilt. We were the people that were forcing these civilians out of their home, we didn't have to, I could have asked to stay behind with Mark and Rick, but I dragged them down here. Tom interrupted my thoughts with a soft smile at the girl and held out his hand. She wrapped her small fingers around his palm and he whispered quietly into her ear. She smiled at him and Tom turned to me.

"I'm going to take this girl to the hill just north of here, its a key point for survivors to seek refuge. I'll try to find her mother and then I will come back, It will only take ten minutes, don't wait up for me." And with that, he tugged the girl forward gently and started to lead her north. 

I entered the grey building and looked around, before shouting and throwing my gun to my face in case anyone attacked.

"Evacuate the house now!" I barked, and a little boy holding a teen girls hand ran down the stairs, holding blankets and a basket of photos, they ran past me, and I quickly scanned the building to make sure nobody else was inside. 

As I set off back out the door, I spotted Tom approaching with a flower tucked behind his ear. I frowned at him as he approached, and he just brushed me off, approaching the next house.

"You need to get out! There will be a fight here soon!" He yelled, and I covered him from behind.

"No! I'm not leaving!" We heard a man scream from the door to our left. Raising our guns, Tom and I approached what we assumed to be a kitchen with a dutch door. Tom pushed it open when we heard crashing, and I yelled from behind him.

"Evacuate the house now!" I growled, my voice booming and echoing around me on the slick, grey walls. 

"Never!"

I shoved past Tom and the door inwards, finding a man frantically grabbing a knife from the rail. I raised my gun towards his head and shuffled towards him. The man cowered in fear.

"Get out of the house now!" The man held the knife up, pointing it at my face. He had a crazed look in his eye like he was going to throw it at me if I came closer.

"You'll be caught in the crossfire if you stay. Only you will be to blame," Tom muttered softly behind me, approaching slowly with his gun raised. 

The man seemed shocked at Toms presence, his face ran white and the knife clattered to the ground. He fumbled to run out of the house, avoiding Tom and me as he shoved past us. As he ran past a washing basket on his way out he pulled a little girl out of the clothing, running away and screaming.

"Seen him before, I have! Stay away from my family, murder!" The man wailed, dragging his daughter along behind him. 

I turned and frowned at Tom, but he didn't even seem confused or shocked, he just looked... sad. I quietly decided not to ask him, I'd probably just steal his file and look it up. 

It took hours to completely clear out the houses before I found my team and we made it back to base. 

That night I tossed for about an hour, wondering what the man was yelling about. Why did he recognize Tom? Why did he call him a murderer? Where had he seen him before? I mean, he's a spy, right? Maybe they had been on missions together or something?