The Truth

Throwing It Back

Erica

"Alright Erica lets go." Julia grumbled motioning to a camouflage colored ATV. Her muscled arms crossed as she watched me hop  into the passenger seat. I sat, cradling my shotgun as Julia climbed into the driver's seat. Oliver sat behind us his legs splayed on the seat beside him.

I watched Ben, Simon, Warren, and Sophie  jump into a separate vehicle with Sophie taking the wheel. Carol reved up a quad bike pulling in front of us. Oddly enough this whole scene reminded me of Paw Patrol. Carol is Ryder and the rest of us are small puppies driving ATVS holding deadly weapons. Nickelodeon better be ready to start creating episodes.

"Don't jump out." Julia mumbled beside me glancing at me out of the corner of her eye.

"You trust me with a gun, but think I'd jump?" I growled back in response as I faced forward, feeling the breeze as Julia pulled forward. The night sky shone with stars and the moon looked like a fingernail clipping.

We followed Carol, riding alongside the riverbank until we eventually reached a road. With the headlights off I was amazed how Julia could see, everyone else wore night vision googles. Yet she managed to maneuver around upturned boulders and potholes with ease.

"So, Erica what's your backstory?" Oliver asked me, I glanced back and he waved.

"Same as yours I'm sure." I responded laying back in my seat, the leather relaxing my muscles. Hopefully we didn't get killed in this recon mission, that's the last thing needed.

—

"Alright. Let's go." Julia whispered as we pulled into the trees. Off to the left of our getaway vehicles sat a large sulfur bath house. Sulfur, as it turns out is really good for your skin.

Surrounding the bathhouse, unfortunately, sat large pools of boiling water. In the sunlight they would look gorgeous, shimmering orange and deep blues. Now just the steam rose in the cold night sky.

I followed Carol as we clustered in a small circle. Steam rose from everyone's breath, the temperature dropped drastically compared to the day.

"Alright gang, is everyone ready?" Carol grinned and without hearing a response Carol trudged forward quietly. Julia followed cradling a shotgun of her own, a machete strapped across her back. I felt naked clutching a shotgun, with absolutely no protection. I didn't have my handy belt just because they didn't trust me. Surprisingly I didn't want to escape, especially after losing to Julia at the hotel.

—

Carol silently put a finger to her lips as we climbed the fence. The barbed wire caught my pants and I cringed feeling the barbs dig into my calf.

"You good?" Oliver asked as I landed beside him. Instead of my usual silenced landing this one was rather loud. I forgot to bend my legs resulting in a numbing sensation spreading through my legs

"Yeah, just a nick." I responded turning around watching Ben jump down beside me. His green eyes glowed in the moonlight. He smiled lightly and grabbed my hand giving it a squeeze before letting go. I watched him take his position behind the gunners.

"Let's go." Carol growled as we followed behind her toward the front gate. The smell of sulfur almost knocking me over as Carol held the door open for me.

I looked suspiciously around the front desk area. Nobody popped out with guns, nor did any alarms ring. I limped looking around my eyes picking up the shower areas.

Behind me a loud bang echoed through the building. On the ground sat Ben rubbing his head and a table lay upside down next to him.

"Damnit Ben." I whispered investigating the locker rooms. I gently nudged open the door and almost fell over by the stench. This obviously must be the boys locker room. Disgusting.

"Ahhh smells like home." Oliver whispered glancing my direction. I rolled my eyes looking behind curtains. Oliver scoped out the toilets, luckily.

We searched the entire bathroom before venturing to the main sulfur pool. By now I could see perfectly in the dark, so when the lights suddenly switched on nobody was prepared.

"Gah!" Julia cried beside me, her gun clattered to the ground. "Shit. shit." She then cried realizing her mistake.

I personally managed to grip my gun and quickly did the trick my grandfather taught me. I then managed to open them right as a bullet slammed into Julia beside me. She cried out in surprise then grunted "Oh oops."

I ducked behind a counter, I let a high whistle loose, and Julia's head jerked in my direction. She managed to crawl next to me breathing heavily.

"Is it bad?" She asked and I looked down a small hole sat right on her chest.

"Shit! How are you not dead." I cried and Julia smiled slipping her vest off and brushed the stray bullet down. "It stings pretty bad but that vest is a lifesaver."

Then suddenly something clicked next to me, rolling between Julia and I.

"Oh." Julia noted and Carol cried "Throw it back! Throw it back."

I smiled remembering a Tik Tok- but Julia picked it up and lobed it toward the enemy. She really is absolutely no fun, but her aim was true. The enemy cried out in pain, and blood smeared the white walls.

"Awesome sauce!" She cried searching for her gun "Huh. I dropped it." Julia noted before glancing at mine, then crinkling her nose. I pointed to it,  and she jumped out of cover to grab it.

"I have cover fire!" I shouted standing up ready to take out the three enemies in front of me. "Wait no! ERICA." Julia shouted as I pulled the trigger grinning like a madman, but instead of a splay of bullets a single red dart launched out. Hitting a TNBG agent in the chest. He dramatically fell to the ground and shouted "SHE GOT ME."

I rolled my eyes, but stopped mid roll as a piercing pain embedded itself in my stomach. I slumped to the ground, grabbing at the pain. Blood covered my hands and I moaned in pain. Getting shot surprisingly hurts much more than anything I've dealt with.

"Apologies." Julia prodded ripping a chunk of her shirt off and tying it around me. "I knew we shouldn't of done that, but Carol insisted." I winced as Julia tied it tight.

"I'm going to go get the kit. Stay here." She then lurched her real shotgun in my hands. Her usual cool grey eyes were full of fear and worry. I smiled, glad somebody actually was worried if I'm hurt or not.

"Don't tell Ben."

"Why?"

"He'll go macho man and get himself shot."

Julia smiled at that and I grabbed her hand and whispered "Be careful." Julia nodded at me before hightailing it out. I sighed, wincing in pain with each breath.