Chapter Text
Alex Heart (Spike Company) ~ 11:00 pm
“For fucks sake,” I scream out into the open forest, my chest rising and falling quickly as I try to catch my breath.
It’s dark, and I’m alone. My crew was left stunned after a surprise attack by our newfound enemies.
I’m ashamed to say that we didn’t see them coming in the slightest. Maybe my boss did, who am I kidding? I wouldn’t put it past him if the bastard knew and deliberately chose not to warn us.
I throw my gun to the side. The mag is empty and I don’t have a spare one anymore. All I have left is a handgun with just three bullets. I reach for my comms and call out, hoping someone, anyone, can hear me.
“This is Alex to Carter. Do you copy?”
I wait, but I get no response.
Nothing.
Another frustrated yell escapes me before I realize I better be quiet. I look around but see no one. I stand there in the dark forest without all of my necessary gear. I do have my military vest and I did manage to snatch an AR and one nearly empty handgun from the wall before leaving. I take note of where I’ve thrown my AR, but at this point, I couldn’t care less. I won’t be able to go back to grab more ammo anyway.
My right hand is wrapped tightly around the handle of my gun. The heavy black material is cold against my skin as I’m not wearing any gloves. In the hassle of getting out of the building, I didn’t have any time to grab all of my necessities. Everything had turned into a mess within a split second.
Irritation resurfaces as I think back to the mess that we call our higher-ups. Things had gone to absolute shit the last couple of weeks. It all started the moment Torren was murdered. The one man who was able to bring a bit of structure to the company.
Ever since Canmoore took over, it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Adding to that, a part of my authority had been taken away.
Stupid decisions were made that led us to this point, and I had no say in any of them. I wasn’t for working together with Kahdemi. I didn’t trust him, and neither did Torren, but Canmoore didn’t hesitate a single minute to strike up multiple deals with him. Our teams were linked only a day after Torrens’ death.
As my brain runs back over to my whole military career and where I went wrong, the sound of a single gunshot sounds near me. I quickly lower myself to the ground, trying not to catch any unnecessary attention.
I groan in frustration once more before I try to find some cover in one of the many trees.
~
“Alex…They’re here,” Carter looks at me with widened eyes.
“Who?” I ask, still unbeknownst to the chaos ensuing.
“One four one,” he whispers, his eyes still wide as ever.
I look to my right and remove the headphones from my ears as I focus on the thick steel door separating us from the others. Loud thuds sound from behind it. Yells, grunts, and muffled gunshots follow.
“What the fuck,” I nearly growl, my anger levels quickly rising. “Canmoore said he was keeping an eye on it.”
“We need to go.. Now,” Carter says before opening the rack full of guns.
Beads of sweat form on the back of his neck, some of his hair sticking to it as he frantically tries to get the rack open faster. His voice isn’t as I’ve heard it before. He’s usually calm, collected, and rational. Seeing him like this has me realizing the urgency of the situation.
“Take that,” I say, pointing to one of the newer ARs on the wall.
But before we can do anything else, the door to the weapon room flies open with a bang, and a group of soldiers that I have seen before steps in, their guns pointed at us.
It’s them, the adversaries, intruding upon our domain. Three of them, guns aimed with practiced precision.
A man that I’ve seen before addresses us with an authoritative tone, a skull mask trying at an intimidating facade. For a regular person, it could work, maybe, but it does fairly little to me.
“Drop your weapons. Now,” he says with a growl. “You’re outnumbered. Your best option is to comply.” His words carry a cold certainty.
I maintain a smile, enjoying the intricate dance of power unfolding before us. The silence is a strategic move, a calculated defiance against their might.
The seconds stretch, the room vibrating with the unspoken challenge we’ve set in motion, but I’m not afraid of them. I can get out of here with no problem.
So, with a casual grace, I lower my weapon to the ground. The metallic clatter resonates, a gesture of concession to their authority. Carter follows suit, mirroring my decision.
As the masked man approaches, his towering presence dominates the room. His height casts a shadow over me. I meet his challenging gaze, not backing down either.
“Good evening to you, too,” I quip with a hint of confidence. My smile remains in place, a shield against the tension that hangs in the air.
He raises his weapon, a gesture that somehow manages to send a chill down my spine. “Drop the act,” he demands, his voice laced with an icy edge and a slight tilt of his head.
I respond without hesitation, my words quick and calculated. “—You’ll want to keep me alive. Believe me.” My mind races, analyzing the situation and formulating the best approach to navigate through this confrontation, knowing I’ll have to find a way out of their grip.
~
So, I did what I said I would.
I managed to escape their attempt at capturing me as they left my hidden pocket knife in the inside of my belt.
Though I have no idea where Carter is or if he even managed to get away too. They separated the two of us directly when half of their team went to the other location.
“Carter, please,” I whisper over our comms, desperately trying to reach him again.
Still nothing.
As my leg dangles from the tree, I look over to distant light, peeking through the pitch-black sky. The night had passed by in a second, even though I had spent it all by myself in the woods.
I somehow hope that they hadn’t seen me escape the facility for that matter. Though the bullets flying after me when I entered the woods tell me they probably did.
I swallow again, hoping to take away some of the dryness in my throat, but it really doesn’t help. I have to get out of here and find a safe spot, even if it’s just to get myself some water.
With a groan, I land back on the ground. The impact sends a shock through my ankles, though right now I’ll have to move. With my compass, I head north.
Thankfully, I ended up at the correct side of the facility. It’d be a pain in the ass if I had to pass that mess once again. Smoke still fills the air from one of the explosions that had taken place. The smell of burnt plastic also still lingered in my nostrils.
After about an hour of walking in silence and carefully inspecting my surroundings, I finally reach the safe house. There’s still a sliver of hope inside of me, praying that Carter had somehow made his way to here as well.
I pass the pressure plates, making sure I don’t set off any of the traps on my way in. When I’m in, I realize the whole place is dark still. The place seems dead, with no sound to be heard.
“Carter..?” I whisper as my eyes try to get used to the darkness.
Nothing.
I sigh, disappointed that I’m quite literally left for dead.
The ladder creaks as I pull myself up one of the many platforms. I sit down, making sure I’ve got a view of the whole place before I grab one of the flasks hidden in the safe house. The weight of my task bears down on me, but for a brief moment, I allow myself a respite.
“Thank god,” I mutter before bringing the flask to my lips. The liquid invigorates my senses, and as the last drop slips down my throat, a sense of urgency washes over me.
This is going to be very fucking hard.
The safe house is at least a 3-hour drive away from the first main road. The whole place is surrounded by nothing but dense forests and small dirt roads. How on earth am I going to get myself out of here?
I’ll wait for the sunrise and then I’ll have to find my way out.
But as I want to try and lay down for a short moment, I notice that the safe house is already starting to light up.
Fine.
I look around the dimly lit safe house as the sun slowly starts peeking through. My once reliable arsenal has dwindled to a single handgun—a meager defense against the unknown. The weight of the weapon in my hand reminds me of the immense responsibility I bear. Every shot counts, every move must be precise. The odds are stacked against me, and I know it.
As I gaze out the window, I realize a layer of fog has made itself present on the forest grounds. My mind becomes a battleground, strategizing my next move. I must go now, as the sun coming up means I’ll be way easier to spot by them.
Right when I plan on getting up, a creak sounds from somewhere inside the safe house.
What the-?
My eyes widen and I freeze as I desperately try to figure out where the sound came from.
But when an arm snakes around my throat to obstruct my airways, I know it’s too late already.
“There you are,” a low voice mumbles inside my ear.
I claw at his arm, hoping to relieve some of the pressure but it does absolutely nothing.
Shit.