RED DIAMOND

Chapter Twelve - Harmon

I stood with my head down, during the moment of silence, outside of RD's cemetery and memorial center. Grief swelled in my chest for my squadron - my friends - who had died when RD got attacked and our plane crashed. Aaryn, Marcus and I were the only survivors of The Shadow Squad. Three out of twelve...

Fiona, Sam, Zac, Avi and Miranda all stood together. Everyone was in their Red Diamond uniforms, and the large group was a cluster of red, white, and black. Fiona held my cold, right hand while the other rested behind my back. I took a deep breath, biting my lip and thinking back to my time with my former comrades.

Aaryn walked up to the lectern, "Thank you for taking this moment of silence. You may be seated."

Everyone but Marcus, Dawn, Richard, and I sat down on the benches behind them. My hand slipped out of Fiona's and I made my way up to the front. I was in the middle of Marcus and Aaryn, facing the many coffins... too many. And in front of us lay three rifles. Dawn and Richard stood at the head of one of the coffins, facing the crowd.

"The remaining Shadow Squad members will now fire a twenty-one gun salute for the fallen." Richard announced.

Dawn and Richard saluted as Marcus, Aaryn, and I picked up the rifles and aimed them off into the distance. The deafening booms of the rifles rang in my ears and echoed across the grasslands as we fired seven times each. After the last round, we lowered the rifles and saluted. The crowd rose to their feet and saluted, which was then followed by another moment of silence.

Dawn picked up a mic, "Thank you for coming to honor the fallen. They will now be taken to their families and buried by them." Pallbearers came and carried all the coffins away. Marcus, Aaryn, and I locked hands and hugged each other.

"I'll see you guys later." I said.

"See you later." Aaryn responded.

"Yeah, see ya Harmon." Marcus said solemnly.

I turned to rejoin the others and then we made our way back to the RD facility. We walked along a concrete pathway that winded through the grasslands. I felt like I was under mind control again; walking while lost in my thoughts, all my feelings drowned in emptiness, I felt like I could walk forever...

I was glad that things had slowed down a bit, especially since I was injured. I didn't say anything though, just in case I'd jinx it.

"You okay?" Fiona mumbled, snapping me back to reality.

I looked at her, unable to keep the exhaustion out of my expression, "Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'm really tired though, being that I got no sleep last night."

"You should go have a nap when we get back." I had heard that plenty before.

I nodded and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Normally, I'd be screaming random things, but because of the serious event at hand, I'd rather not."

Fiona gave a short, solemn chuckle, "Yeah, it's good to lighten the mood, but maybe not at a time like this."

"Either Sam has the same thoughts or..." I pointed to Sam, who was talking with Miranda, "... They just don't want to be overheard."

Fiona smiled, "I wonder what they're talking about?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, so don't ask me." I was suddenly extremely uncomfortable, I shivered as a cold sweat came over me and my heart began to race.

I turned my attention back to the path and what I saw next was horrifying. My entire body tensed up at the scene. Sophia, and the mysterious Sketrov and Deathslinger were standing on the path ahead of me, Stephen in front of them. Stephen had no throat, and blank, glassy eyes stared soullessly back into mine. The world faded around me and I was back inside the black room with the huge, steadily humming mind control machine. Pistons hammered and an ear-piercing tone filled my ears as the huge hybrid of metal panels and glowing screens filled with information towered taller and taller above me.