In The Shadows

Chapter Eight

It was the first clear look I'd had at the outside of the facility, and it was nothing short of impressive. It stood tall and long with garages for trucks and other boxes on wheels, cars I think they're called. It was sophisticated and official, made of bricks and glass, colored with gray and black paint. Next to the main facility was a field of vibrant grass littered with training equipment and then a patch of woods that, from here, I could see red targets impaling the trees. A mile or two away, tall buildings, skyscrapers I think they're called, rose on their tiptoes to reach the cotton clouds with their fingertips.

The officers stood at the front with straight lips and cold eyes. One I recognized as General Kane stood forward.

"Soldiers," he shouted. "Welcome to your new life."

****

The skyscrapers cast long shadows to shade the Round Seven soldiers and officers from the inescapable sun. Heat slapped us from above and radiated up from the concrete below, burning the soles in our boots. We met up with another hall and walked the couple miles to the cluster of skyscrapers I had seen in the distance from the facility.

"Amber?" Someone asked behind me. The officers were handing out vests and guns for the placement testing, and there was a soft murmur in the group.

I whirled around, desperate to place a face to the familiar voice. "Lauren?"

She exhaled a sigh of relief. "I was so nervous. I didn't know where anybody was. Have you seen the others?"

"No, I have no idea where they are." She nodded and we both grew silent as an officer distributed the vests and guns to us.

"This test will determine what section you will be placed in," General Kane explained.

"The objective is simple. You must get from one side of the city to the other. On the other side is a black banner with a navy blue symbol on it. Your goal is to take down the banner before anyone else does."

Lauren let out a huff and mumbled out of the side of her mouth, "This is the stupidest thing I have ever done in my entire life."

"Throughout this test, you will use the guns you have been given. They will not cause permanent harm, as they only have blanks in them, but when hit by another soldier or officer, your vest will become heavy and you won't be able to move. This will simulate you being shot in the field," General Kane explained. "You will have a minute before the testing starts, so use that time to position yourself." His cold, blue eyes made contact with mine and I felt myself stiffen as my spine iced over. "Go."

The dense crowd of new soldiers dispersed quickly. I felt of surge of uncertainty and panic, and snatched Lauren's hand.

"Come on," I urged and tugged her towards the alleyway in between two skyscrapers. Trash carpeted the short alleyway, stopping at a wooden wall at the end. Two dumpsters bordered the walls and guarded a small doorway between them. Silently, we snuck into the doorway and into the thick darkness. My fingertips found their way to the wall, guiding me towards another door.

"What's the plan?" Lauren asked, pressing her hand against my back for guidance.

"We have to see what everyone else is doing and then blend into the background. Stick to what we know, sneaking around."

I could feel her shoulder shrugs as her arm bounced up and down once. "Simple enough."

"There's a small handle on the door right here. But we'll have to be cautious."

"Okay," Lauren whispered behind me.

I opened it slowly, peering around the frame and into the next room. Light flooded the room through the evenly spaced windows. Chairs sat upside down on tables and a couple cabinets stood on either end of the room. It looked like a conference room, but empty. In fact, I hadn't heard any voices or signs of people with the exception of the Round Seven soldiers and officers. The unnatural silence was unnerving and put me on edge.