Two days have past since the soldiers raided my house.
I can only imagine what my family is going through right now. Are they chained in the interrogation room, being punched, kicked, and abused? Are they even alive at this point? Maybe the soldiers beat them up so hard that they are dead by now.
I guess I'll find out soon.
Two days ago, two hours, more or less, after my family got taken away, I bumped into someone on the street. There, he slipped in a piece of paper in my pocket and walked away. No one on the street noticed.
I waited until I got back to the shelter to read the note.
Meet me at the ten seconds place. 0000 hrs tonight. Don't do anything until then _ M
I had no idea what he was planning until I actually met up with him at the bank. He wore a mask over his face and used a mic to fake his voice. I guess he couldn't risk being spotted. But even with all that cover-ups, he only whispered to me.
"I'm gonna make them pay. I swear, I will," was the first thing I said to Metias. I couldn't see his face because of the mask and the darkness, but I can swear he grinned at my words.
"I'm sure you will. I'm going to help you." He spoke to me in a mere whisper, but there was a hell of determination in that voice.
"How?"
"Well, let's start off with the equipments you will need to penetrate into Batalla Hall. Then you'll need someone inside to help you get to your family, create a diversion, take care of the security cams and obviously, a safe escape route. And don't you think I'm just the person you need?"
I kept on a serious face, but it was only superficial. Inside, I was jumping and whooping and screaming and doing whatever else was necessary. "I guess you are."
"I thought so, too. Now, can I assume that you know how most weapons operate, and move on, so I don't waste my precious time explaining you the mechanics of these equipments?"
"Please do."
So we went on, making a plan all night long. We know exactly what to do. We even came up with Plan B and Plan C, in case nothing works out right. By 0500 hours, we were both exhausted, but excited about what was going to happen soon.
Hell, those bastards are gonna regret messing with me. I'll make sure of it.
When I came back, Tess was worried sick, but I told her everything - well not EVERYTHING, since there are some risky moves I'll need to make, and Tess would've freaked out if I'd told her.
--------------------
I didn't disguise my face. What's the point, when they already know who I am? I'm sure they won't really be surprised to see me in Batalla Hall, armed to teeth, trying to get my family out.
I want to show myself to them, send them a message. This is who I am, and I'm fighting against injustice and corruption.
But that being said, I am wearing the Commander's uniform, just because I can't risk getting tackled by a bunch of trained soldiers as soon as I walk into Batalla. The dust bomb will do enough to cover my face - I just need to deceive them for a few minutes.
I hold out the dust bomb in my hand, and with one swift motion, I throw it into the lobby of Batalla. It explodes with a loud thud, and the dust instantly covers the surroundings. With that, a few gunshots go off into the air, but I'm ready for this.
I take out the electronic bomb, and chuck it into the place where I threw the dust bomb. Three seconds later, it explodes. The impact of the explosion shakes the entire building and even the ground I'm standing on. I start my watch. The number flashes 05:59.
The predicted chaos erupts. I hear the soldiers cussing as they find out that their guns no longer work. Some rush out of the building, utterly confused.
I put on the infrared goggles and draw out the pistol Metias gave me.
"This is Glock 19. It was used a long time ago, when the United States of America still existed. The US Navy SEALs used this model. Oh, in case you don't know who the SEALs were, they were the American Navy special force soldiers. Semi-automatic and holds seventeen rounds - fifteen standards with two extensions. Since it's old fashioned, it won't go dead when you activate the electrical bomb. Have it locked and loaded when you aren't using it. Remember - self defense only, got it?"
I have another pistol holstered on my leg, and extra four rounds, just in case anything goes wrong.
I run into the building, eager to make the show of the century. Besides, I only have three bombs - Metias could only get three without risking being suspected - which means I only have six minutes to get Mom, John, and Eden, and get the hell out of here.
With the chaos in the building, it is easy for me to blend in. No one questions me for running with a gun in my hand - they don't even bother looking at my face. They're too busy saving their own sorry asses.
Cell 3308, 3618, and the medical lab. I repeat these places in my head over and over again. I know where to go, Metias went over the structure of this building with me like thousand times. It's just the matter of time.
I run up the stairs, silently thanking Metias for the uniform - no one hardly cares enough to stop and study my face.
Cell 3308.
I see Mom sitting down at the corner of the dark cell. She looks so fragile...it breaks me to watch her like that. She doesn't look up.
There are three guards on this floor - two agents, one captain. They notice my insignia before my face, and quickly salutes.
"Open it up," I order, pointing at Mom's cell.
"Sir?" the captain questions, confused. "We were specifically ordered NEVER to let this prisoner out under any circumstances."
"Well, I say open it up. Change of order." What the hell, they don't recognize me?
But then the captain narrows his eyes, and the realization flashes across her face for a split second. I know the trouble has arrived. "Who are you?" she asks, but never gets an answer from me. I stride over to her, and as her eyes widen in shock, I plunge in the tranquilizer into her neck.
The remaining agents approach me fast, holding their knives out. The taller agent swings it first, but I take a step back, grab his wrist, and twist it behind his back. He yelps of pain, and the knife slips out of his hand.
Before it falls, I catch it mid-air, and place it under his chin, pressing it down dangerously. The last agent eyes me, not sure of what to do.
"You move, I slit his throat," I threaten, pressing down the knife against his neck harder. I feel the agent tense up in my arms.
Of course I won't kill him, I'm not a murderer, but he doesn't know that. I glance at my watch: 05: 08.
A minute and eight seconds until the guns are activated again. I don't have much time to sit around here and try to convince them to hand over the key. Sighing in frustration, I inject the tranquilizer shot into the agent's neck. The remaining agent freezes from shock as he watches his colleague crumple onto the ground like a sack of patatos. I easily take him down, too.
I grab the key from the captain's waistband, and quickly open Mom's cell door. Without saying anything, I free her from the handcuffs.
It's only than she looks up.
"Daniel?"
I grin as I help her onto her feet. "Hey, Mom. Good to see you again." I bring her out to the corridor, and quickly examine her condition. Cuts and bruises on her face and dehydrated. "Can you run?" I ask.
She nods slowly, and a big smile blossoms across her face.
"I'll explain everything to you later. Let's go," I say, running to find John's cell.
Cell 3618.
John's the first one to react. "Daniel!"
I open up the cell and take off his handcuff just like I did with Mom. He quickly hugs me, and I hug him back.
It's so nice to have my family back. I wish the time stops right now.
"C'mon. We gotta find Eden," John says urgently, pulling away.
"Yeah, right. Medical lab." I glance at my watch. 4: 24. 24 minutes until I have to activate another electrical bomb.
We take off again, running, with John helping Mom. As I run, I pull out the second last bomb. As soon as the watch beeps, indicating that the initial impact of the bomb is now over, I throw it over my shoulder as hard as I can.
"We gotta run faster!" I yell, abruptly turning the corner of the corrider. Three seconds later, it explodes, and the impact nearly knocks us onto the ground.
I lead them to the medical lab. Unfortunately, it's hard for the soldiers to believe that I'm a legitmate commander, now that I have two of their most precious prisoners on my tail. "Stick close to me!" I shout out as I fire a couple of rounds from my Glock 19. I don't hit them anywhere fatal - I only aim for arms, kneecaps, thighs and all sorts, where the shot will only disable them from charging toward me.
Shit! Why is this lab so goddamn big?
For a second, I stand there, taken aback by the size of this facility. How the hell am I supposed to find Eden here?
Nonetheless, we jog through the corridor, reading every single sign suffixed on the door.
Supply Rm. 2...Coma Ward...ICU 1...0.
I stop dead on my track. The door merely has number 0 written on it.
But there is that strange X below the number.
Desperate to get Eden out, I kick the door open. The room is blindingly white, and there is a boy - Eden's size - laying on the bed in the middle of the room with monitors humming beside him. But that's not the first thing I notice - the soldier is.
I train my gun on him. But I don't really know if this bullet can puncture through his bulletproof vest and the helmet. "Don't move, or I'll shoot. I mean it," I say in a low voice.
"Oh, really?" he says with a smirk, as if he's amused by the situation.
"If I were you, I wouldn't test my patience. Move away from the child," I say, my gaze and the gun still trained on his head.
I've never killed before, but this time, I don't think I can stop myself from pulling the trigger if he attempts to lay a hand on Eden.
Yeah, well, I'm convinced that the boy is Eden.
"Like that old fashioned Glock 19 can kill me through the helmet and the vest. Why don't you put your gun down, and turn around so I can beat the shit out of you?" he taunts me, still smirking.
Ugh, I have no time for this. I check my watch again. 2: 23. Crap, I'm running out of time.
I only have two more minutes to take down this soldier, get Eden, and get the hell out of here. A bit of hesitation rises inside me, but I am quick to dismiss it. I pull the trigger, aiming his head.
The bullet ricochets off his helmet, making the soldier stumble backward from the impact. I take the opportunity, and charge toward him. The helmet might have saved his life from the bullet, but it didn't stop the impact.
I pull out the last tranquilizer, approaching the soldier to inject it to him. I hold my left hand out, my right hand still gripping the Glock 19.
But the soldier swings his fist, and it connects with the side of my head. The pain shoots through my head, and I can't help but shriek of pain. I lose my balance for a moment. I try to gain it back, but that moment was all the soldier needed. It was too late for me.
He strikes my jaw this time, and as my head shoots up from the impact, I let out a small scream. And through the dizziness, I hear the voice I wanted to hear for the past five years.
"Daniel, is that you?"
My eyes widen, and I snap my head around to see Eden blinking in confusion, sitting up on the bed.
"Yeah, buddy. It's me," I say with a smile while doudging another punch from the soldier. Mom and John rush to Eden, unhooking him from all the machines and the drips.
22 seconds have must passed by now. I take out the last bomb, and before the soldier charges toward it, I throw it out of the room. Three seconds later, the building shakes again from the impact.
The soldier swears under his breath, and stars explode before my eyes. Clinging onto my consciousness, I feel the gun escape my grip.
He can't use that. He'll kill every one of us in here.
Before I can gain my balance back, I dart toward the soldier, tackling him onto the ground. The gun flies away from hand.
The time slows down. Every little movement around me breaks down into millions of frames. I watch in horror as the gun slowly hits the ground hard.
The guns's not fucking locked. It's going to fire. Oh my god, please, no.
A spark comes out of the barrel, and the loud bang shoots through my ears.
As if a tight elastic has snapped, the notion of time comes back to normal. My first reaction is to slug the soldier in front of me, and plung the tranquilizer into this neck. His body goes limp on the ground.
"Are you guys - " I begin as I turn around, but the view in front of me just shuts me down.
Oh my god. That didn't just happen.