Souls Of Memories

Chapter 8

Hostage

While I was walking towards the man I was getting nervous. I could feel their eyes on me, every single one of them pointing at me with their rifles prepared to kill. I make one wrong move and he would die. I have this one chance to save him, even if it involves turning myself in.

Flashback

“But are you crazy?! Why are you turning yourself in?” Nanichi shouted.

“Because I don’t have another choice! If I don’t do what they want they’ll kill him, and his blood is going to get spilled for my sake and it’s not fair!” I shouted back at her.

“But…. Why did you give me this gun? What are you planning to do with this? What am I supposed to do?” Nanichi.

“Well I’m not planning to let myself get taken that easily. I’m going to give in… but not without a fight.” I said.

I could see a big smile on her face as I said those words and walked away.

Present

Now I was walking towards the general. I could see Max held by the guards. I started to get nervous, is my plan really going to work?

“It’s ok I’m here at your service John” Thedus said, “What’s the plan?”

“I don’t have one right now” I said.

“What do you think you’re doing then?” Thedus said.

“Easy, now that you are here I just thought of something, now listen closely…” I started to whisper in his ear.

“What are you doing walking so slowly! Hurry up and give yourself in! Unless you want this person here getting his head blown to pieces!” The general shouted.

I stopped for a moment of hesitation and stood there for a couple of seconds.

“What’s this? Are you thinking that we won’t kill your friend here?” The general said.

“No, no, I’m sure you will. But what guarantees that he will be free if I walk any closer to you guys? What if once you capture me you kill him anyways?” I said calmly.

“Who do you take us for? We are men of our word, we keep our promises… even to scum like you.” The general said, and pointed to some of his snipers.

He tried to point at them very discrete, but it wasn’t fast enough for me to not notice. Just as I expected he had snipers on the buildings, Thedus I hope you don’t fail me now.

Building 1

“… Yes sir, we have the target in site, I repeat we have John in sight” Soldier.

“Copy that loud and clear, you are in hold until the general’s order” Soldier.

“Roger that” Soldier.

“…Ahhhh…urgh…help…”

“Who’s this? Respond” Soldier.

“Urgh…wuahhh…this is crazy…”

“Keep it together soldier! What’s the situation! Hello? Dou you copy? We lost contact we team Alpha, I repeat, we lost Alpha team.”

“Roger that, I’m deploying a team to check up on the situation”

I can hear the commotion on the radios. This is good Thedus did his job perfectly, I’m counting on you now Nanichi. Here we go.

“Hey general? I see you have trouble with your units, weren’t you in control of the situation here? By the looks of it I have retained control of the environment here, huh?” I said to him teasing him.

“What could you possibly be capable of doing you worm, don’t make me laugh. Don’t you see the position you are right now? I still have your friend hostage, if those soldiers fell for your traps and comrades it just means they were weak. That’s not even close for me to feel unsecure.” The general said confident.

“Oh well general let’s do a little bet how it sounds? Since I have your troops on check and you have my friend, we both in a tough position.” I said.

“What kind of bet are we talking about you worthless scum.” The general said while spitting the ground and walking towards me.

“Let’s have a duel. Let’s see what’s faster, your gun, or my finger?” I said.

“What are you babbling about? You’re finger?” The general said trying to hold his laughter.

“You see, I have a special finger, I replaced my finger with a minimize gun. I haven’t used it yet, so I wanted to try it now. You have nothing to lose if I fail I die, if I miss I die, and if you are faster I die anyways. Sounds tempting huh?” I said.

“Basically you want to die? Ok I accept this challenge of yours.” The general said and burst in laughter so did the soldiers.

Nanichi I’m counting on you for this one.

Meanwhile on the roof.

“Is this the time for me to shoot?” Nanichi said while preparing to shoot.

“I see John pointing with his finger, and the general loading his pistol with one bullet, if my calculations are correct at this distance the bullet will delay 1.5 seconds, but the general’s bullet will hit the target in 0.75 seconds, meaning I need to shoot 1.25 seconds before John says 1. I need to time this perfectly, for Max, and for you John.” Nanichi said.

Ok I just need to time this perfect.

“3!” Together.

I just need to time this right, come on you can do it Nanichi.

“2!” Together.

“Ok John, here we go, target set and… *Bang*” Nanichi fired.

“1!” I said.

Everyone was confused, the general was silent. I just hid my hands on my pockets and stood there. Everyone started to tremble in terror as they saw the general’s head dripping blood. It was a clean shot to the forehead.

“He’s a demon!” A soldier shouted.

“Retreat! I repeat retreat! Throw the hostage away!” Soldier.

They threw Max and they started dispersing the area. One of them stood in front of me. I stared directly at his eyes, I could see this killing intent so heavy and violent that if he could kill with his mere sight I would disappear right there. He stretched his arm.

“What’s the meaning of this?” I asked him.

“I know what you did and I have to say I’m impressed. But next time we encounter each other in the battlefield I won’t be as friendly as today, mister John.” The soldier said while I shook his hand.

“Who are you? You’re not a soldier.” I knew since the beginning, he wasn’t from this timeline.

“Why ask something you already know the answer to my friend, let’s just say I have some scores to settle with you, be prepare, from here on… you going to experience real hell.” The soldier said.

He grabbed a knife and stab his heart. Right there my suspicions were confirmed, he really is a time traveler, just like me. But who?