Fallen America: Arise Great Country (Book 1)

Chapter 2: Enemy Activity

??? POV

I've been walking for a day now and my legs are killing me, but I still must keep going. The wind blew hard against me and I hugged myself to keep warm, it wasn't like super life ending cold, but it was cold enough to make you uncomfortable. Walking down this highway, with all that silence and... nothing, it's depressing... just like how I feel. All this quiet time that gives me time to think to myself random thoughts just to pass time, one thought that crossed my mind was... am I ever going to find a living person that isn't the enemy considering maybe 95% of the American people are dead, guess that means I won't or have very little chance of seeing anyone.

I spotted a sign over the highway and it said 'St. Louis 60 miles' I sighed in annoyance, "Oh God" I muttered to myself. I really need to find a faster way of transportation I'm getting tired of walking now, I looked around the highway to see if there was any vehicle that still looked in good shape, I didn't see anything, so I climbed the nearest car to get a bit higher and looked again. Bingo.

Up ahead, it looked like a red motorcycle between two cars. I hopped down from the car I was on and carefully approached the motorcycle, I lowered my HK416 and unholstered my P320 and carefully approached the motorcycle, I don't know why I'm doing this I could've easily just walked up to it and be fine but instead I am slowly approaching it. Reaching the motorcycle and seeing that there was no threat, I holstered my weapon and inspected the bike to see if there were any damages to it. Upon seeing nothing damaged, I lifted the heavy bike up off the ground and checked the fuel. I smiled upon seeing it had plenty of fuel to get me at least close to St. Louis, now the hard part getting on it and driving it.

Before the United States fell, I remember learning how to drive one and I would always fall over but I do remember the basics. I took a deep breath and mounted the bike, I checked for the key and saw it was in the ignition, I turned the key and the engine sputtered. Taking deep breathes and praying to god that it turns on, I turned the key again and again until... the engine started, and the bike came to life, I laughed in astonishment and revved the engine. Now for the hardest part, I had the bike move forward and I pushed my foot off the ground now It was just about balancing. Feeling comfortable on the bike, I accelerated the bike forward. Moving faster and faster each second, feeling like I can handle it, I accelerated the bike forward all the way. Now I was zigzagging threw the endless line of cars and moving towards St. Louis.

1 Hour Later

The day was at its peak and in a few hours it would be nighttime. As I was speeding down the highway, I looked at the view around me, on each side of the road I could see nothing but farmland for miles and miles. I looked ahead and squinted my eyes and then they widened when I could see skyscrapers belonging to what I assume to be St. Louis, I accelerated the bike more and more until I was going max speed. As the city came closer and closer, I took notice that many of the skyscrapers were blown to shit, one of the buildings looked completely scorched from the inside, surprised its still standing.

The farmland around me became small buildings and shops, and then they became tons more structures surrounded me. I slowed down the bike and moved threw the empty and quite streets, filled with abandoned vehicles but these ones were full of bullet holes, burned, blown up, or on their sides or upside down. The presence of military, emergency services, FEMA, Red Cross, and Homeland Security was heavy here, there was what looked like a park filled with tents and FEMA and Red Cross trailers. I looked at the ground of these streets and saw skeletons and still decomposing bodies of people were here before they died, many of the buildings I passed were burned and destroyed, trash and whatever hit the ground during those days covered the ground, and police and military barricades blocked streets and intersections. This place must've really been a safe zone for a while until the Federation showed up.

I stopped my bike for a moment to look around and then I heard talking, I snapped my head to where the talking was coming from and listened. It sounded like Chinese. I slowly and quietly swung my leg off the bike and tip toed away to an alley next to me, I quickly ducked behind a dumpster and watched.

A group of maybe 30 Chinese soldiers entered my view, they were talking and laughing then they spotted my bike. They all gathered around the bike and they had confused faces on, they looked around and as ones eyes were coming in my direction, I ducked back behind the dumpster. I waited for a second and then peaked back out and saw one kick the bike making it fall over, I breathed a huge sigh of relief knowing they didn't see me, and I was in the clear. I waited for a moment for their voices to get far away and when I could no longer heart them, I moved from my hiding place. I walked through the streets on edge now that I know there are people here and not just people but soldiers of the Federation, I hated it, I hated them for what they did.

As the day fell and night came, I went inside a 7-Eleven while the sun went down and held up there for a while. I ate a can of fruit and thought to myself for a while but being in a dark building while it was dark outside, I felt myself drifting away into sleep, I struggled to keep my eyes open, but they fell.

"The following message has been requested by the United States government, all citizens of the United States of America, we are under attack"

The sound of a helicopter jolted me awake, I stood up from my spot and walked outside. There I saw a Hind flying towards somewhere, looked at the direction of where the Hind was flying and there, I saw bright lights lighting up the sky... must be a camp or maybe a base over there... only one way to find out. I ran towards the lights in this pitch-black city careful not to trip or run into something, my thoughts were racing and curious about what could possibly be over there creating such bright lights, for a moment I thought of finding people there, people that aren't part of the Federation but that was quickly shut down realizing that was stupid and made no sense.

I stopped to catch my breath from running and I looked at the bright lights again and noticed they were closer than before. I took note to be careful and cautious that I don't run into anymore Federation soldiers, as I continued to look at the lights, I noticed the top of an arch, must be the Gateway Arch. Walking into the middle of an intersection, I quickly rolled under a truck. There was an armored vehicle coming at me and behind it had several Federation soldiers, it looked like they were patrolling the streets. My heart rate was fast, and my breathing was loud, I noticed this and quickly covered it with both hands, I looked to my right and saw the patrol was still moving and then to my left... and my heart skipped a beat. From underneath the truck on the left side I could see a pair of boots standing next to the truck, my eyes widened, and I prayed hard that they wouldn't kneel and check underneath. I stared at the pair of boots for a second and then the dreaded idea... became a reality.

The soldier started to slowly crouch down, and I quickly but quietly unsheathed my knife and waited in case I had to use it. Then a miracle happened, another soldier yelled something in a language I didn't recognize, and the soldier crouching stopped and then walked away. I watched the soldier walk away and I waited a moment before I finally took a long-awaited breath, my heart was ready to burst out of my chest and I was ready to run if I had to.

I rolled out from under the truck and ran towards the light again, upon reaching the site, there were countless numbers of soldiers and military vehicles around here. I ran for cover to avoid detection and I watched the site, it looked like a base. There were soldiers, vehicles, tents, fortifications, gun positions, Jesus Christ this place had everything a military base will have. I looked at the Arch and there was a massive flag flying from underneath the Arch.

Then a felt a pull from behind me and me by instinct, elbowed whoever it was, I drew my pistol and spun around to see a Federation soldier recovering from my elbow to the stomach. I stared at him and I felt anger rush threw me and I pulled the trigger, he fell with a yell of pain and I walked up to him and I placed the barrel of the gun to his forehead, he tried to grab my gun but put a bullet between his eyes. After pulling the trigger, I realized what I've done, and alarms started blaring. I just ran as fast as I could away from there, but it was too late, soldiers had spotted me running and I pulled my HK416 in front of me and spun around, I sprayed bullets in the soldiers directions, in return they fired hails of bullets in my direction and I thankfully wasn't hit.

I tried to run again but I felt a massive force in my side and then black.