Audacia Plains: Uprising

The Empty War

9

"This... This is...!" I started. Just before I could go on, Ruz popped his head through the doorway, and I swivelled around in an attempt to hide the diary behind my back. "Find anything useful?" I gave Jill a long stare, and she got the message. "No, nothing but old papers and blueprints. Why did you bring us here, anyway?" she lied, throwing me back a puzzled look. "Oh, nothing... Just thought there would be a particular article that would catch your interest... Brad." He winked at me, and nodded behind my back. "Don't miss a trick, do you?" I rolled my eyes, giving up the charade. "You're way too easy to read. Well, whatever... You're right, though. Some things are best left hidden for the moment, if you understand what I'm saying. Cool? Good. Now come back before Katie starts on the warpath looking for you two." With that, he was gone. There was still those questions from before I wanted answered, but I figured Jill had even more she needed to hear.

She sat cross-legged on the floor beside me and stared at me in the way she does until I gave way. "OK, I'm sorry you had to lie there. The truth is... well, I'm still not sure. This book, that entry you found... It was written by my father - and if there's one thing that's keeping Katie from storming in here with an army and executing me, it's the question of my father's involvement here. I'm either a pawn like everyone else, another asset to help with the rebellion - or the son of a killing machine who conspired for her and everyone else in the Freedom FIghters to be trapped here... at least, that's how she sees it." Jill shook her head, denying what I had just said. "Brad, that really isn't necessary. You and Katie made up, remember? She's your friend, your ally... Do you really think she would kill you because of what your dad may or may not have done?"

"...She won't say it, but I can tell. I think the same thing every day... I'm the reason Henry is gone. I could feel that he was really upset when he had to leave her, and Katie was taking it much harder than he did when she found out about the Hunt - I knew that, and I still let him go. Destroyed her reason for living every day down here, so now she's desperate to get up. If it turns out my father was a psycho like the rest of the inmates, everyone will assume I've been brought here to inherit his will, and destroy all opposition. That includes Katie and the Fighters. I can't, Jill... I can't read this now. Not until I make things right with Katie. I owe Henry at least that." Jill smiled, brightening the room almost instantly. She grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, and we stood there for a second as I looked into her beautiful green eyes, losing track of where I was for a brief moment. I never noticed how lovely Jill was until she said this: "That's just like you, Brad. You never think you're alive unless someone else wants you... But Brad, I..."

Jill had to hold that thought. Katie burst through the door, flicking her head between us wildly. Fortunately she didn't ask why we were holding hands, but I dropped all of my thought processes when I saw what she was holding. "Jill, Brad... We've got a problem." The three of us ran straight out of the room and down towards the main chamber. Not once did I take my eyes off of Katie's hands - softly cradling the decapitated head of a small brown teddy bear, smeared with blood. I didn't dare try to determine whose.

Meeting up with Ruz and a large party beside the lake, we got there just in time to hear a thunderous roar as Spine stomped his way in, snatching the head off of Katie and looking at it in denial. I've never seen him actually upset or scared, just angry. "Where did you... find this?" He managed to choke out. "It was floating in the lake... right here." Katie mumbled. Trying to think about this logically, I guessed at who could've taken Teddy. It could've either been Doc or his friends on Level 4, or even the Boss... "I CAN MAKE THEM SUFFER." I fell to my knees. This was all my fault. If I hadn't come here, and left Teddy... I kept on digging up information, and now everyone else was paying the price - starting with the person I promised to show the real world to.

Sensing my anguish, Jill helped me to my feet and whispered comforting things like "He's probably still alive..." and "We'll get him back, don't worry." Spine was less controllable. Bellowing throughout the chamber, he commanded that Katie release some of her troops to search the grounds, but she protested that they would get noticed - then Ruz stepped in. "To be honest, Katie... Down in Level 2, everyone already knows that the FF is back together. Including Doc, who I would put my money on being behind this. It's only a matter of time before I'm discovered too, so we might as well go all out, right here. It's your choice."

Jill leaned in to me and whispered "Brad, you have to tell her about the diary. Unless we find out the truth, this could be the moment where she stops you going any further." I kept my mouth firmly shut. All I could think about was poor Teddy, hurt and all alone somewhere, without even his bear to comfort him.  Katie scanned the crowd, and took a deep breath. "Spread the word, everyone take your positions on each level. Grab your weapons and don't let a single freak escape! The Revolution has begun!"

Cheers of joy and excitement filled the chamber, everyone was happy except for me, Jill and Ruz. The three of us just sat in silence as Katie dashed about with a smirk on her face, not even caring about Henry, Teddy or the casualties to come. I moved my head closer to Jill, and thought I might as well let Ruz hear as well. "This... Revolution... I thought we were going to force our way through the exit and escape, tell the authorities about it once we're free. Does she really intend to murder every last inmate inside the Facility who isn't on her side?" Ruz stayed silent, but I knew he agreed with me. Jill lowered her head and mumbled under her breath, "This... This isn't Katie. She's still torturing herself, and everyone else about Henry."

I stood up and helped them both to their feet. "Promise me, you guys. We are going to grab Teddy and Katie, and walk out of this place before we get caught up in this pointless war. Okay?" As both of them nodded, our path was set. Except while we formed our own mini-alliance, we didn't know that some of us had plans of their own. Plans that would set us on a course that ensured not all of us would make it out of this place alive - and once more, it was all my fault.