The Spectre

Chapter Twenty-One

The two snuck back into the hidden basement while the doctor and Rose still slept, and they too slept, too tired to talk. Jez did not glare at Zack, but he did look disappointed as they fell asleep. Zack rarely dreamed, so all he remembered when he awoke was just being awake one moment and then waking up just now. They all woke at the same time, but not by instinct. It was a loud, ringing alarm that made them all jolt awake, and Rose got to her feet first, "What's that?" she asked. "That's the war siren. It alerts everyone when an enemy is approaching," Jez answered, also getting to his feet along with Zack and the doctor. "The United State Alliances must be approaching," Zack realised, "This could be our chance to rescue the Spectres!" The doctor nodded and indicated to the ladder, and Rose, Zack and Jez rushed to it.

***

"Why the hell is the Kernel leaving us behind while everyone goes to war?" one Zodiac asked another in the early hours of the morning, and the other shrugged, "I'm not sure. We did almost allow the Spectres to escape remember?" the first sighed, apparently frustrated by the decision of their superior. "Why do these Spectres need guarding anyway? They can only escape from the outside, and the fugitive has been scared off!" persisted the first, and the second groaned. "I don't know, alright! Just suck it up and keep quiet!" as the two argued, a Zodiac strode down the dirty path towards the main gate, and the second sighed, turning to the man and greeting him. "Hey...you seem familiar," the second said, recognising the man's face, but not knowing where from. "I just have one of those faces," the Zodiac replied smoothly, but the second was not so sure.

"I've seen you before..." he muttered, glancing over his shoulder and seeing the sign posted on the side of the small outpost station, the Zodiac's face on it with the words underneath saying: WANTED FOR TREASON. The second turned back to the Zodiac, raising his gun with wide eyes, "Stay right where you are!" Zack suddenly lunged out from the side of the building, grabbed the Zodiac, and retreated out of sight. The other Zodiac, who had not been paying attention, suddenly turned to Jez, stepping forwards and saying, "It's you!" Before he could shout anything else, Zack lunged, kicking the Zodiac in the face and sending him across the ground, unconscious. "Good work," Zack said as he and Jez kicked down the door to the outpost, and the Zodiac inside already had his hand over the button, and he pressed it, the gate sliding open.

Jez shrugged as the Zodiac shivered in fear, turned to Zack, and he muttered, "Tie him up. I'll meet you outside." Zack nodded and approached the Zodiac while Jez stepped outside and turned to see over twenty Zodiacs standing on the dirt road, wearing white masks that covered their mouths instead of the traditional black ones. Jez clenched his fists, ready for a fight, but then the doctor hurried through the group, "Jez, don't! These are my friends! They're here to help." Jez looked at the Zodiacs in shock, not expecting anyone to want to help them, and the closest took off his white mask and said, "We have always thought the Zodiac Empire was in the wrong. Killing innocent people for sport is wrong. It is time to stand up for what is right." Jez nodded, shock still etched onto his face as though he were carved of stone.

"Right then, are we ready?" Zack asked excitedly, exiting the admin building, glancing at the white Zodiacs, and then he stepped towards the many Spectres, over fifty of them, as they made their way nervously towards the open gate. "Ready for what?" one of them asked, and Zack looked at each one in turn, or tried to, before saying, "We need to get you home safely. Then my friends and I are going to fight back the Zodiac Army." However, the Spectres did not seem to like this idea, because they all stepped forwards with fists clenched. The one in front of the rest seemed to speak for the united Spectres, because they all nodded when he shouted, "We want war too!"

***

Inside the grey tent, on the rough sand, Trae and Jade sat side-by-side, their backs against the fabric wall of the tent as they both looked at each other hopelessly. "I...don't believe we are actually going to do this," Jade whispered, and Trae nodded, "I know what you mean...it's too early to go to war!" Jade took Trae's hand in hers, and then they both turned to stare into one another's eyes. "Do you think we can do it? Destroy whatever it is after all this time?" Trae asked, his voice low, and Jade shrugged. "We need to try." Before any more could be said, the tent opened, and Richards stepped inside, a grave expression on his face. "It's...time," he muttered.