Order 17

Chapter 2

The screams continue for a few moments before they are drowned out by more gunshots and then more screams.

"What is that?" I ask nervously, although I know that nobody knows that answer.

"Whatever it was" says Eaton, "It didn't sound good."

"Wait a sec, what's that?" Rae says looking in the direction of the screams.

"It's camouflage...are they cadets or something?"

"I don't think so." Delilah says as the canvas of camouflage walking our way pull out their guns.

"Why are they pulling out their guns?" Rae asks. An old couple walk past us as though to investigate what they're doing. they get within twenty metres of the camouflaged people, getting shot dead.

"Wha-" I only get halfway through that word before the soldiers turn their aim on to us. I turn to the tram station as salvation, although the tram and driver are no where to be seen.

"Hurry, through the shopping centre!" Elle says, sprinting towards the doors.
"We can hide there!"

As we approach the doors, some of the what we assume to be soldiers begin the chase after us. We pass through the doors and keep running towards the escalators going upstairs, where we hear more screams echoing from behind us.

"Crap!" Delilah says, "What are we going to do!"

"I don't know, just keep running!" Eaton says. We pass numerous people, who look at us confused.

"They're coming!" Is all I manage to get out, before I turn to see the soldiers entering the building, and raising their guns. I turn back to continues sprinting, and hear the screams of people young and old.

"OH MY GAWD!" Rae yells out. "It's Victoria's Secret! Let's hide there!" Before anyone can argue, Rae runs into the shop, and we follow. The store is big, so it'll be harder to find us. Rae and Eaton hide behind the counter, whilst Elle, Delilah and I hide behind some extremely realistic mannequins. A single soldier enters, and is instantly drawn to the mannequins. Great. He pulls out his handgun, and fires at one of them.

"Hmm," He says. "there must be somebody in here." We stand as still as statues, at least we're at the back of them all. He fires another shot at another one. He's just using elimination until he finds us. Another shot, another mannequin. At this rate, it's only a couple more shots before he gets us. That's when we hear a clothing rack fall over, and the soldier turns, and runs towards it. He runs out of the shop in the way the other soldiers ran, possibly thinking somebody just ran out of the store. I look towards the counter. Rae pokes her head out and silently runs towards us.

"You guys okay?" She whispers.

"Yeah. Lucky that rack fell over." I say.

"That wasn't luck, I threw a mannequin head at it. its lucky that he didn't see me throw it."

"Well thank god for that." I say, Delilah and Elle moving out from amongst the mannequins as well. Eaton runs to us from behind the the counter, and we walk out of the store, towards the carpark entrance. Hopefully we can hide there for a bit. We open the door, and. Tip-toe inside, Delilah taking the lead, with Eaton at the rear. We pass a trolley bay, and I trip over, making a big thud. Skills.

"What was that?" A female voice says. Damn it.

"I don't know." A male voice says. we see two torch lights shine above the trolleys, and two bodies emerge from behind a corner. I see who I think is the female reload her weapon. We're in some deep turd. They walk towards the trolleys. They're twenty metres away. Ten metres. Five metres. This is the end.

"Officer." I hear a voice say.

"Yes." The male says.

"Report to the front now." The voice says. Its coming from a walkie-talkie.

"Yes Ma'am." He says, and he and his friend exit the carpark the way we came in. The luck though. I've been holding my breath, and exhale extremely slowly.

"Well that was close." Elle whispers.

"You think?" Eaton says.

"Let's go." Rae says, "Before they come back." We tip-toe to the northern carpark exit and walk outside. That's when we see the bodies.