The City - PewdieCry

33: The Calm Before the Storm

I watched as Cry set down his bag, climbing on top of a table and hushing everyone as he did. The lobby had been filled as the evening grew later into the night, and we still had not moved. Cry was making sure to take every extra precaution, and once he was absolutely sure that everything was where it needed to be, he had returned to the lobby where the soldiers were gathering in wait. Everyone had eaten their last meal here, and the chefs handed out small bits of food just in case hunger became imminent. Now, we all awaited Cry's next orders as he cleared his throat.

"Matt is going to lead the way with his scout group." Cry informed us, looking down at his Second who nodded. "They know where we're headed, and simply because we don't know where M's group is or what he might be doing at this point with extra troops, we're going to stick to passing through other gang territory. I had a word with them about it, and they don't mind so long as we stick to the rules of not taking anything and no wandering around inside their borders. We're there to pass through, and that is it. Pewds and myself will take up the rear. I want silence as much as we can manage, little or quiet communication, and we must move quickly. I want something guarding our cooks as they cannot handle weapons and livestock at the same time, and I want whoever has the majority of items from Wilson's place under guard as well." There were several nods from around the room as people got into position.

"Are you ready?" I asked him when he returned to my side. His eyes wavered over the crowd of soldiers as they prepared for the journey ahead, and he looked at me with glassy eyes. He seemed sad to leave this city, and I realized how hard this must have been for him; this city was his home. I rested a hand on his shoulder, and he leaned over, kissing me on the cheek before intertwining my fingers in his and setting off at the very back of the group.

The night air was cold, sharp, and tasted almost metallic upon breathing in. The sky was clear, every star above able to be seen. Any grass was frosted over, and it crunched underfoot as we walked towards the road and moved as one in a large group. The shuffle of feet was as muffled as one could imagine with a group of this size, but no words were passed above a hushed whisper, and most paid close attention to Matt at the front of the group who gave direct signals with his hands. Those who weren't watching Matt were watching everywhere else for any sign of movement, any life form that wasn't moving alongside us, and I watched as silencers were placed and attached, and many got ready to shoot as if enemies surrounded us.

The tall buildings we passed loomed over us, protecting us from most watchful eyes elsewhere in the city, and hiding us from the light of the moon so we weren't so easily spotted. They were dark, and if anyone was inside we wouldn't know about it. We could be ambushed without question and we wouldn't know it until it was too late. Yet, if anyone was there, they remained quiet as we continued to walk by, our feet moving quickly despite the exhaustion settling over the head of the group.

Cry stumbled next to me, and I gripped his hand a bit harder as he managed to steady himself. I reminded myself that he was by far the most tired of us all. As a leader, he knew that he had to be at the front of the line making the choices, calming everyone down and keeping us all in check. It was rough on him, but as he'd told me before, it wasn't the first time he'd been this tired and it wouldn't be the last. It made me think back to when he had stayed up the majority of the night, teaching me to shoot. Then back to when he had wasted more than one night teaching me to fight or staying up to talk to me. I smiled in the present at the thought, my breath exhaling and leaving a trail on the air. There had been a lot of good that happened in this city.

I would be leaving a lot of memories behind.

After a little while longer of walking and remaining silent, we had reached the outskirts of the city. I was surprised to find that no one had stopped us, but Cry looked confident from what I could see of him, and he strode forward. His grip hadn't loosened any, and he kept me right at his side as we wandered out into the open and continued on for a few more minutes. There was a small building out here, a broken down one sheltered next to a cave, and Matt stopped, turning to look at Cry, who gave a nod before clapping his hands. The group turned to him, and he gave everyone a tired smile.