Alternate 2020

Episode 5: Lost Labyrinth (1): Struggles and escape (2)

I paced my way through the roads and away from the citizens avoiding the soldiers as much as possible but inevitably, I bumped into them again.

"Hey. Where are you going?" the first soldier said stepping forward.

"Erm..." I looked up at them. "I need the toilet... please?"

The soldier walked back to the group and after a short discussion, they came to a conclusion. "Well, we will escort you."

"Ah... I'm fine on my own..." I said.

"I said, we are escorting you. Is that clear?"

The soldiers behind him laughed and the soldier, that were talking just now, smirked.

"Ah... yes..." I mumbled.

"What should I do???" I thought to myself. "Isn't that... what I think it is???"

I followed them slightly as we passed many other groups of soldiers. Some saluted and some waved back with their guns.

"I guess I'll follow them for now... at least they'll be able to take me out of here first... the most important thing is to get out of here as soon as possible before they..." I thought.

"...before they notice who I am..."

"Notice what?"

I jumped a little and frozen on the spot as the soldiers proceeded forward.

"Yo."

I turned around and he was there, again.

"Where do you pop out from!?" I exclaimed.

One of the soldiers stopped and turned around. I quickly turned back and looked directly at him.

"What did you say?" he questioned.

"Ahh..." I looked back but he was gone. "N-Nothing..."

The soldier turned back and we continued our way forward.

"Where did he go? He just pops in and out... where does he hide anyway?"

Looking around, I scanned the area but he was nowhere to be seen. The open area was vast with many alleyways and fork roads but I didn't see him anywhere.

* * *

A few moments later, silence befell upon the surrounding. I noticed that the entire area was empty. We reached a dead end. The place was cold as the bright light couldn't reach the depths of this corner in the road.

I glanced back but there were soldiers stationed there, they were laughing hideously while slowly approaching me.

I spoke up. "Erm..." Quickly, I looked back in front. "Where... are we...? Where's the-"

"The toilet?" the first soldier laughed.

"There are no toilets here..." the second soldier added.

"There's only us," the third soldier said.

"And you~" the fourth soldier spoke delightedly.

"What... what's happening...? I thought... we were going to..."

The situation wasn't good.

"I need to hold my act up until I think up of a way to escape from this... Let's think about this for a moment." I muttered quietly.

The soldiers were approaching.

"Quick! Think!" I told myself in my head. "I've got a pistol in my pocket. Glock with 17 rounds. There are 5 soldiers in total. Three of them wearing helmets and face protection; two of them doesn't. They are holding guns. What is it? Aug? A medium ranged assault rifle... It's hanging off their shoulders behind their back. They are waving their hands in front of them. They have their guards down. Should I shoot the two? But then how will I deal with the other three???"

*Step*

*Step*

*Step*

They were getting closer as each second passed; they were about 5 metres away in front and 3 metres away from behind.

"I don't have time! Quick! Think!!!" I shook my head fiercely. "I also have a flashbang inside my blazer pocket located on the bottom left. Okay, I got it. I'll grab the flashbang, detonate it. Then drop it on the ground, turn around and shoot the other two. While they are blinded, I'll run for it."

I slowly placed my hand on my pocket and opened my blazer a little. "Please... please don't..." I stutteringly said.

"I need to keep the act up for a bit longer," I insisted to myself inside my head.

Slowly, I pulled the circular ring cooking and preparing the flashbang. I held on to the safety lever and placed my right hand towards my waist.

I dropped the flashbang out from my blazer. As it fell towards the ground, I instantly turned around and brushed my blazer revealing my Glock. I held on to it and dragged it out aiming it towards the soldiers ahead of me.

The shock on the soldier's face revealed and they hesitantly took their gun out from behind them but before they could, the flashbang went off producing a high pitched screech.

The bright light blinded the soldiers and busted my ears. I couldn't hear anything but luckily, I could still see their figures clearly.

I swung and held my arms still aimed my gun at them shaking a little from the stun.

"I need to get this..." My arms were shaking. "They are bad people." My arms continued to shake. "I need to take them out." I turned off the safety.

*Bang*

The recoil of the gun caused my hand to tremble and move backwards.

I looked ahead but the two soldiers were still standing there.

I missed!

The light gradually dimmed and the two soldiers in front of me regained some of their senses since they were the least affected victims of my flashbang; I was covering most of the light with my body and the fanned out blazer after all.

It wasn't long but they reacted quickly and pulled their guns from their backs while the three soldiers behind me screamed and stumbled around aimlessly - one of them fell to the ground.

The first soldier aimed their gun towards me and I could see their fingers moving across the side of the gun turning off the safety.

*Bang*

I shot again, the bullet pierced through his head, but I was too late. The other soldier had already locked in on their aim towards me. He looked through the scope and his fingers were ready to fire.

*Bang*