A Reason to Live

Conflict (ACT ONE - CHAPTER ONE)

(Dylan's POV)

Great. Just great, I woke up in the crashed plane with Africans attacking me, and now I'm on the run.

June 26, 2004

A day after our plane crashed. I nearly died back there. All I got now is a rusty M1911, my pocket knife and some food I found to last me another day. I hear footsteps. Oh, come on. It's been a day, can't I just rest?

I pulled out my M1911, crouched in the grass and moved slowly, seeing a group, four boys and a girl, all carrying handguns. I jump out of cover and point at them, only to find out it was my friends. "Dylan?" Lance said, everyone was pointing their guns at me, but they holstered those guns. "What the hell, man? Thought you died back there!" Karlos said. "Disregard that, he's okay!" Naomi said. Before we could move, we heard a car. "Shh..shh...stay down." I said to them, crouching in the grass as the car passes by, it had a .50 Caliber M2 Machine Gun mounted on it. Luckily, it didn't see us. We slowly walked out of the scene, staying in the grass. We come across another house, guarded by two militia. Khing and I aimed at the two and fired, taking them both. Inside the hut were medical supplies, ammunition for rifles, some gas, bottles and some cloth on the ground. "How 'bout some cocktail?" I asked, pouring in some gas in a bottle and putting cloth in the hole of the bottle. We made molotovs for ourselves. We then went outside and rode a Jeep with the M2 .50 Cal attached at the back. Only Naomi had proper driving lessons, so we decided she should drive. I got the chance to be on the .50 Cal, and the others rested on the comfy seats. 

(Naomi's POV)

Few hours later

We've been driving to a ceasefire zone named Pala. Heard it was some peaceful town where two factions rule that place. Hell, I don't even know why I went on this trip. It was dark out, and I saw a few poorly-built buildings and machine gun emplacements, and Dylan knocked on the top of the driver's seat. "Hold up." he said to me, taking out his monoculars and scouting the area. "Doesn't look like a town." he said. All of a sudden, we heard the voices of the habitants of the area, and they opened fire. We also heard some snipers. "Go! Drive through!" Mikko said, holding his gun out of the window and firing. Dylan also started firing with the machine gun. I didn't hesitate or think, I stepped on the gas, running through the outpost as fast as we could. Bullet shells are flying everywhere, and all of a sudden, I hit a flaming barrel, tipping it over and starting a fire. Great. I sped the car up, hitting many militia and running them over. We left the flaming outpost, which lit up like a frickton of fireflies. Or just many flares lit up at once. "Woah, man! That was some awesome fight right there!" I exclaimed. "Looked like it." Mikko replied, reloading his pistol. Dylan had spent some of the .50 cal ammunition against the whole outpost.

By morning, we made it to Pala. No one was hostile. Some rest, finally. We walked around, and found ourselves an inn, it was owned by the United Liberations For The People, some government faction uniting the rest of Africa. There we met the faction captain, Miguel, and his partner, Jian. "Welcome to our peaceful inn, my friends! I am Miguel Feril, and this is my partner, Jian!" Miguel greeted warmly. "Uhh, yeah. I was expecting a crowded area." Dylan scratched his head. "Haha, it used to be. Until those resistance people came and half of the population started working for them. This is the only place where we don't have fights." Jian said. "Yeah...you got any rooms?" I asked. "Yes, enough for all of you!" Miguel said, showing us to a hallway, a few doors. It wasn't really enough, so some of us had to share. Khing and Lance had to sleep in one room, Karlos and Mikko together, and I could've guess who I'm staying with. But, no worries. He's been a good friend.

(Lance)

We woke up the next day, and were served with breakfast. Miguel said they hunted it from the woods. They didn't tell us what animal, though. For all I know, I smell roasted bear. Pfft, whatever. I was starving. We started eating, maybe a bit too much like cannibals.

"You know, friends, I can suggest where you can get some equipment. Head to Mike's Bar. It is walking distance from here. Come back to Pala if you got what you need." Miguel said. "Ohoho, please tell me we'll get some AKs!" Dylan said. "Don't worry, there are many. Here." Miguel gave us a briefcase, with a hundred diamonds. "Here in Africa, diamonds are the only thing that can get you out. This amount is enough to buy you some weapons." he added.

We took our newly-repaired Jeep, and drove off.

"Why can't we just walk this?" Dylan asked. "Look, we bump to another jeep, we're dead." Naomi replied. Just then, a jeep hits us. "Too soon.." I whispered, as I take out my M1911 and went out to secure the jeep. "Hands up, drop your guns!" I said, pointing my gun at the jeep. Several girls come out. "Woah, woah, take it easy, take it easy!" one of the girls said, her hands in the air. "Guys, it's clear. Just a bunch of unarmed girls." I said back to my friends. They all went out. "What's your names?" Mikko asked. "Um, uhh...this is Jenelle, Aleya, Denise...and I'm Shawen...look, whatever you think, we are not like those people who nearly killed us!" Shawen said, shaking a bit with fear. I put my gun down. "Look, Mike's Bar is nearby. Heard of it?" Naomi asked. "Yep. Over there," Aleya replied, pointing at a gun shop, an armory and a bar.

We walked to it, and went in the shop. "Oh, hell yes!" I exclaimed, seeing AK47s and several guns on the walls. The arms dealer, Patrick, walked to his station. "Hello, friends. Welcome to my gun shop! I heard that you were sent here by Miguel?" Patrick asked. "Yes, we are." I replied. "Ah, check out the armory next door, I've already put up some weapons! No need to pay." Patrick said. The girls were outside, and followed us to the armory. "Get geared up." Dylan said. I took a hanging M416, or the H&K416 5.56 caliber assault rifle. I replaced my M1911 with a .44 Magnum. Dylan took his personal favorite, the AK-47, with a red dot. He also took a Desert Eagle. Naomi was quite the close-quarters combat girl, so she took a SPAS-12, and kept her sidearm. The others took the AK47s, too.

We go inside Mike's Bar, where we see a journalist, just like me. "Hey." he said. "I'm Josiah." he introduced. "We're here for something. Miguel sent us." Khing said. "Oh, right. The rebel militia's been using fuel and diamonds to bribe our men to give us false info. Think you can find those gas tanks?" Josiah asked. "Uh, sure. Not all of us can go, though." I answered. "Naomi and I will do it. You guys can rest." Dylan said, with Naomi nodding as she follows Dylan out of the door.