Torment

Bullets

"Head check." A dull-looking guard commanded his peer as they lazily walked into our carriage. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Line up." The other man ordered as they approached us. I rolled my eyes, a head check, really? Again, where were we going to go? I looked forward as the people standing in front of us shuffled into a straighter position, It was then that I noticed Edgar, a few lines in front. The guard pulled out a people counter and began pushing the button. "All right, sit down." The man commanded as the first row sat. My breath hitched in my throat, the steel drums were literally behind Curtis and me when our row sat down it was going to be inevitable that the guards would see the contraption. "One, two, three...." The guard counted slowly as the rows before we took to their spots on the ground.

"What the fuck do we do!" Edgar whisper yelled, turning to us from his position. I gulped, looking at Curtis, he stared at me briefly before turning slightly and grabbing the rope that attached to the first steel drum behind us, it was only when I watched him do this that I realised Gilliam was in the row behind us. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS PROTEIN BLOCK BULLSHIT." Edgar suddenly yelled, Tanya, shouting from beside him causing the guard counting to stop. "We're fucking hungry man!" Edgar continued as the passengers around us began jeering alongside him. Curtis and I remained silent as the people around us waved their arms in the air, clearly creating a delay for the head check.

We continued to look forward as the previously counting guard lunged ahead and pulled an elderly man from the first row towards him and the other guard. "You want him fucking dead? Is that it? Keep quiet!" The guard screamed as he held his gun against the frail man's head. The passengers began to quieten down as I held my breath and tightened the backpack straps across my shoulders. "Still going for it, are we?" Gilliam whispered from behind. I followed Curtis's gaze, looking at the opening gates before us, all three were beginning to open, just as Curtis had planned. "Come on, let's go! Let's do it." Edgar egged on, looking Curtis dead in the eye. I still said nothing, watching as Curtis clenched his jaw, still waiting for one final gate to open beyond the tail section.

"The rifles." Gilliam rasped. "No, we can get them. We easily outnumber their bullets." Edgar offered again looking Curtis up and down, trying to read him. I swallowed hard again, I knew it was about to happen, Curtis had that determined look in his eyes. "This is it. Curtis, come on. We're out of time, we gotta do it now." Edgar whispered hastily. I looked forward once more seeing the last gate move, the four-second window where they all remained open at once was about to begin. Just as I looked back to my friends I saw the passengers pass along a protein block to Curtis, one of those silver capsules hidden inside. I looked to Curtis once more, he closed his eye's and took in a deep breath before opening them quickly. Curtis dropped the protein block before turning to me momentarily. I looked at him warily, my eye's wide and fear painted across my features. It must have been in less than a second, but Curtis hastily leant down towards me and gently brushed his chapped lips against mine, before pulling away and marching forward through the people queued up before us.

I had no time to process what had just happened between the two of us as my eyes were glued forward, watching as Curtis bounded towards the guards. Edgar had reached down to grab whatever Curtis had dropped but as he looked forward, Curtis had already reached the front of the line-up and stepped out in front of the guards. As the one holding a gun against the old man's head turned his aim at Curtis, I held my breath. But Curtis didn't stop, he continued walking, grabbing the barrel of the gun, taking the guard by surprise as he lifted the gun to his forehead. "Oh my God." I breathed as I watched Curtis set himself up for near-certain death. Edgar clocked on to Curtis's actions and also looked forward. In less than a second Curtis reached forward and pulled the trigger with his finger placed over the guards. I closed my eyes, waiting for the deafening bang, but instead, there was just a click. Curtis was right. They had no bullets.