Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Romance

Gabe

I swung back, dodging Private James's kick aimed at my chest. I caught his leg and pulled it towards me, causing him to lose his balance, he crashed onto the ground and I kicked him in the face. Growling, he swung his legs forward, catching my own and causing me to fall. He immediately rolled on top of me and planted several punches on my face. I grabbed his collar and pulled his head towards mine, slamming my head against his in a well aimed headbutt. 

My head ached but I managed to get back into my feet. Private James glared as he staggered back on his feet, immediately meeting a blow to his chest. He fell back again as I sat on top of him, landing blow after blow on his face. I remembered the fear in Ella's eyes as she looked at the gun and I was filled with rage. 

Private James covered his face as I continued to land blows on him. Eventually he went limp, and I got off of him, not wanting to hurt him more than I had to. The screams of civilians rang in my ears as I got up. I needed to arm myself. I grabbed the gun that Private James had dropped and quickly ducked behind the altar. 

Not far from me, I saw a couple, cowering on the ground as the gunshots flew around them. I grabbed the gun, checking to make sure it was loaded as I quickly ran through the shower of bullets, praying to whatever God there was that I'd survive to see the birth of my child. I grabbed the arm of the woman and yelled at her to run as I covered for the man.

The woman ran towards the MTC as I had instructed her. I began pulling the man, who had a wound on his leg, back behind the altar. His leg was bleeding heavily as I tore off part of my sleeve to tie around his wound, "This is the most I can do for you," I told him urgently. "Don't move, and if somebody comes, pretend you're dead."

He grabbed my wrist, shaking, "D-don't leave me, I don't want to die..."

"You won't die, I promise," I pulled my arm away from his shaky grasp and headed off into the field of screams and gunshots. My only thought was to save the civilians and to follow whatever orders were given from HQ.

~oOo~

Captain Cooper and I squatted behind a pile of rocks with Private Whitsel and Sergeant Kramer. I glanced at Captain who was trying to get through to HQ, but with no luck. The terrorists seemed to have tampered with our connection to HQ. Private Whitsel continued to peek around the rocks, his gun at the ready, "I don't see any civilians at the moment. About 400 yards at 7 o'clock I think there's an enemy. It's hard to be sure."

Captain Cooper groaned, resting his head against one of the boulders, "It's no use. None of our signals seem to be going through."

We exchanged a look, the realization dawning on us: this was no random act, whoever had been doing this had been planning for a while, specifically choosing today to strike. They had to be somebody close to us. Of course it could have been Private James, but we knew it had to be a doctor.

The way Captain Cooper looked at me unnerved me, I knew what he was thinking: was it Ella? I shook my head, trying to tell him there was no way it was Ella. Ella wasn't a doctor and didn't know how to speak Swahili. She had also been terrified when that gun had been pointed at her. 

Captain Cooper nodded knowingly as we heard more gunshots, this time from behind us, in the direction of the MTC. "Fuck!" Captain Cooper exclaimed. "Everyone! towards the MTC!"

I stood up as the horror set in: everyone had fled to the MTC. We had been protecting it. How had they gotten over there?

~oOo~

W

e arrived at the MTC where we were created by screams and shrieks as fire began to break out from the eastern side of the building. Dr. Scott and other members of the Medical team rushed back in and out, grabbing as many supplies as they could salvage as the patients of the MTC stood outside and watched in horror.

The man in the suit--Godfrey-- stood, laughing as he watched the fire tear through the eastern side of the MTC. His men were loading vans with supplies. We began shooting at the men, but the civilians running in terror obstructed a clear shot. The best way to go about defeating these men would be through hand to hand combat.

Captain Cooper raised his arm in front of me, "Have you forgotten? Our first priority should be the civilians. You and Garay go find survivors in the MTC, we'll take care of things out here." I was about to object, but he added sharply. "That's an order."

"Yes, sir!" I called as Garay and I ran to the members of the Medical Team, staring in horror. "Who's still in there, do you know?"

"Amy," a redhead answered shakily. "She had a gun. She has others in there, I think."

"How many?" Private Garay asked. 

"We aren't sure."

"Let's go," I told Garay. "The rest of you should not go into the building under any circumstance. Do you understand?"

They nodded as Garay and I jogged to the entrance of the MTC. We could feel the heat from here, despite the entrance being in the southwestern part of the MTC. 

Inside, the smoke was difficult to deal with. Several patients struggled to escape, and Garay left to help them out. I was alone, searching for more victims or hostages. I went down the eastern hall, struggling to see through the smoke as the heat ate at my skin.

I found a group of bodies, littered across the hall. I got down to check their pulses, dissapointed yet somehow relieved that they didn't have to live to experience this mayhem.

My heart stopped beating as I saw it. Maybe two yards away from the piles of bodies I saw a bracelet, embellished with cherry blossoms. It had obviously been broken, and beside it was a pool of blood.

Was it Ella's blood?