"Up to the next floor, boys." Unit Leader Tanner nodded up the staircase. I didn't trust him. Not after that stunt he pulled. Who says we aren't next? All so he can save his own skin.
I held formation, keeping Max behind me at all times. If that happens again, at least he'll be on the right side of the door. I'll figure something out.
We stepped up slowly, only seeing through our scopes. The rest of the stairwell was clear, but we didn't seal the door behind us in case we needed to fall back. Again, our Unit Leader stayed behind us, and we stayed behind Shields. Shields got in position to blast the doors open, but at the last second I snapped my arm out and grabbed his weapon. Startled he stepped back and looked at me. I nodded to the door. There was a green light; the door was open. Something twisted in my stomach, they are waiting for us. They want us to come through.
You know what's worse than not knowing if somethings a trap? Knowing you are walking straight into one. I reached out and touched the door handle, swinging it open. Silence. I turned my head and nodded to Shields. He nodded once back and stepped through the open doorway. I followed cautiously. There was instantaneous gunfire the second we crossed over the line. Before looking where the gunfire was coming from I spun to face Max, and with lightning reflexes, before I could get to him, UL Tanner grabbed Max's collar and yanked him back closing the doors. A red light appeared, and a beep signaled they had been locked. That son of a bitch. He isn't trying to protect Max, he's his bodyguard.
I turned quickly back to where the gunfire came from, now ceased. But we were surrounded. There were about 20 troops around us. Then one stepped up, away from the others, lowering his weapon. He pulled off his face mask. I instinctively took a step back. Ivan was stood in front of me. He sort of smiled, looking me up and down with pride.
"Get rid of the other one, he's not needed." He spoke without looking away from me. There was a single shot, and Shields was on the ground. I flinched at the noise but refused to give the Commander the satisfaction of looking at Shields' body.
"Take him." He ordered, then spun and stalked off, his army parting for him as he went. My weapon was wrenched from my fingers, and I was roughly grabbed and forced after him.
* * *
"Let's move!" Shepherd barked, jogging off past the bodies littering the ground. I tried not to look, but I couldn't help checking each face for Charlie's. Our unit, still intact hadn't lost a member yet. Derek kept me behind him annoyingly enough. I kept trying to push past him since I could hardly see in front of me with his big head blocking my view. But he held his ground. The rest of our unit was behind us in tight formation.
We were on the fifth floor. It had already been cleared by a group that went ahead of us. Our units only mission was to find and detain the Commander, Ivan, my brother. I'd never hated someone more.
I reached up and tapped Derek's shoulder twice, Our signal, and he fell back letting the others in our unit continue ahead. We broke off from the group unnoticed, it was time to find the boys.
Derek radioed to the people he could trust in the other units to keep a lookout for Max and Charlie. We didn't know where they were or what Unit they were apart of. We didn't want to blow their cover either. It needed to stay under the radar.
We decided to take our search party up in the vents. We could keep an eye on things from above since we didn't have a unit to cover us anymore.
"Gunfire. I repeat, Gunfire in the west wing. All available units please respond." A male voice came over Derek's radio.
He paused and looked back at me to say "should we go?". I nodded.
"Unit 63 responding." Derek spoke, breaking into a crouched jog.
"Unit 27 responding."
"Unit 36 responding."
"Unit 20 responding."
"Unit 9 responding." A chorus of voices came over the radio.
Let's get em'.
* * *
I watched as the door sealed from behind Unit Leader Tanner's shoulders. He separated the group. Charlie was on the other side of the door. I looked at Tanner with the traditional deer in the headlights look.
"Move." He grumbled. He shoved past me back into the hall we'd already cleared.
"Where are you going?" I demanded as he waded down the hall. He didn't even turn his head.
"The Unit's dead, kid!" He called. "Go home."
I huffed and stepped up to the sealed door. I had to find a way in. I touched it with my finger tips, and looked down the hall. I've got to find another way in. I gripped my weapon, hearing my gloves squelch against the metal. I swallowed and let out a breath, closing my eyes briefly.
I'm coming, Charlie.
