RED DIAMOND

Chapter Eight - Fiona

The car didn't even have a chance to park as I stumbled out, squinting as the sun shone just over the horizon. My legs were wobbly with exhaustion as I hadn't slept that night, but my anxiety kept me going. I had received a call from Avi at around three in the morning saying that the base was just recovering from an attack. I immediately rushed over to the base and arrived at around four-thirty in the morning.

The base was charred with soot and ashes. Huge holes and craters were scattered in and around the base. Debris was scattered everywhere, ranging from little pebbles to huge boulders. Bullet shells and small firearms lay among the debris, proof of a recent battle. There were also a few body bags lined up outside the base, near the entrance. I gaped at the sight.

I walked into the base; the doors had been destroyed. Nurses and paramedics cared for the injured laying in the halls of which blood contrasted brightly against the white floors and walls. I felt sorry for the injured as I passed them, hoping not to find anyone one I knew among them. Unfortunately enough, I did; once I made it to the end of the hall I spotted Avi and Sam. Avi's ankle was bandaged and Sam was getting his wrist wrapped. Avi caught sight of me and limped over.

"Do you guys know who did this?" I asked, gesturing to our surroundings.

Avi sighed and shook her head, "No. We didn't even see it coming either. Sam, Zac, and I were talking in the lounge when it happened. The base's defenses have been somehow tampered with, that's the only explanation I can think of for this to have happened."

I nodded and bit my lip, "Okay." I searched the room for Zac and Harmon, "Do you know where Zac or Harmon is?"

"Well, apparently Harmon's plane crashed, Zac and a rescue team are there looking for survivors just now."

I went stiff and all the voices or movement of any nearby medics or injured soldiers faded into oblivion. I hadn't known that their plane crashed. The already overwhelming concern filling my mind seemed to double. "Where... where did they crash?"

"A few kilometres away from the base."

"C-could you take me there?"

"Follow me." Avi started for the doors. We walked through a few halls that weren't battle stricken and into the garage. We hopped into a buggy and Avi drove us to the crash site. The wreckage was visible from the base. The plane was now just a huge hunk of dirty, broken metal that had dragged through the grassland, a long streak of ruined land leading far behind it. The sun was now fairly far up in the sky, causing it to cast a long shadow over the buggy. I shivered. Once we got a little closer, rescue vehicles came into view, along with a crane. Avi pulled up to the wreckage and stopped the buggy. Zac saw us and walked over.

"What's the report?" I asked, stepping out of the vehicle.

"Most of the crew has been found. There's about five survivors, three dead, and two are missing. We still haven't found Aaryn, the pilot, or Harmon." Zac answered solemnly.

I took a shaky breath and sat down, Avi placed a comforting hand delicately on my shoulder.

"We're still looking, and we've got the best of the best searching now. If he's out there, we'll find him." Zac said, trying to reassure me.

Zac left to continue searching. I just sat here on the buggy, trying to keep negative thoughts out of my mind. Avi stayed with me, not speaking. The timing of everything almost seemed connected; Sophia gets rejected and then goes missing, Red Diamond base gets attacked and Harmon's plane crashes... as soon as I got back to base, it was time I put my analysis skills to use.

I was torn between whether I was overthinking everything or not thinking enough, with everything going on, it was just too much to handle. I stared silently at the back of the driver's seat in deep thought. I needed to calm down, I needed to distract myself, to do something.