Her father held a rifle in his hands, his night vision scope attached to it securely. She knew how much he wanted to be out there with the soldiers. They could probably do with his expertise, but he knew it wasn’t his place despite the threat. Hazel wished she could go back to the roof to see how close the enemy was to them, but the soldiers outside wouldn’t allow it. Everyone had to remain inside with their doors and windows locked.
That sounded like bad news to Hazel, as if the enemy’s coming was imminent. What if it was and they didn’t know it? She thought about the Outlanders who beat the defenseless Mainland soldier to death. He had his hands up in the air. He was trying to surrender, but they didn’t care. They wanted him to die. They wanted blood. It wouldn’t be any different with civilians.
She looked at Lillian who was crying in her mother’s arms as she rocked back and forth. Lillian was only two years younger but she seemed like a small child now. Hazel felt numb and cold, and she probably couldn’t cry if she wanted to. Fear gripped her, yes, but she felt stable, level-headed. Maybe it was the confidence her father showed as he waited patiently by the window, staring at the soldiers in the street.
“What if they come here?” Lillian cried. “What if they come into the house?”
“Sshh…” Her mother kept rocking her back and forth and Lillian kept crying.
“They’re not going to get into the house,” her father said. “We’ve got a lot of protection out there.”
He had more confidence in the soldiers than Hazel did. Of course, she had no reason to feel this way. Mainland soldiers hadn’t failed before, though they had never let the wall blow up before either.
“I love it when the family is together!”
“Shut up Gizmo,” her father snapped.
“Happily, sir.”
Hazel moved from the middle of the room to the window next to her father. He rested a strong hand on her shoulder as she watched the soldiers wait in the streets. Each of them stood with their guns ready, none of them expecting to have to defend these neighborhoods. They had defended the walls countless times, but this? This was new to everyone.
The fear wasn’t that the Outlanders might actually succeed in taking them over. They hadn’t even made it to the city portion of Mainland. All of them were still stuck in the battle somewhere in the fields beyond. That was part of the advantage of keeping the walls so far away, though people on the outskirts were the only ones who risked anything in situations like these.
Hazel jumped when someone started banging loudly at the door. Her father’s hand left her shoulder as he held the rifle with both hands. He said something to Hazel about staying out of sight, but she didn’t listen to him and stayed close behind. She wasn’t sure why her father held his gun ready. For now the only people outside were Mainland soldiers.
He reached out one steady hand and turned the doorknob, letting the door swing open slowly. He stepped back and aimed the rifle at the silhouette standing in the doorway. Hazel saw that he was a tall man, but that was about all she could see.
“John,” the gruff voice said. “You need to get your family out of here.”
“Pete,” John said, his shoulders slumping in relief. “What are you doing here?”
The man stepped into the doorway, the light revealing his camouflage. His face looked older than he really was, perhaps by years of being exposed to the sunlight. Pete had served with her father and they had fought side-by-side many times.
“How is your family holding up?”
“I’m a little concerned now that I know you’re the one guarding our streets,” John said, smiling.
“Well, you retired so they needed some useless buck to lead this outfit.”
“How bad is it out there?”
Pete looked at Hazel and smiled at her. “Haven’t seen you in a long time, kid. You doing okay?”
“I’m fine,” Hazel said.
“She’s fine,” her father said. “You can talk in front of her.”
Hazel hoped he could. Considering she’d seen people ripped apart only an hour ago.
“Things aren’t looking so good,” Pete said. “This is the first wall breach in a long, long time. It’ll be the first time since the new wall was put up that they actually reach the city.”
Hazel stiffened. “That’s for sure? They’re going to reach the city?”
“Nothing is for sure,” Pete said. “They advance and retreat. Advance and retreat.”
“But they advanced past our wall,” John said. “How did that happen?”
Pete stuck his tongue in the side of the cheek and shook his head. “I need a cigarette.”
“How did it happen?” John asked again.
“I don’t know. It just happened. The second we heard the explosion we sent men to plug in the hole. Then there was another. And another. It’s like trying to stop five leaks with two hands.”
“And you think they’re going to storm our neighborhood?” John asked.
“If they can make it here…” Pete shook his head. “Let’s just say they aren’t taking any prisoners. They’re here with a vengeance. That’s why I think you should take your family and get out of here. Just as a precaution. There’s no telling how bad it will get.”
“You know I’ve never run from a fight,” John said.
Her father’s words shocked Hazel. Was he seriously considering staying? Pete knew more about the enemy than her father did. It didn’t make any sense to stay here.
Pete took a step forward. “This isn’t the same thing, John.” He reached a hand out and held her father’s arm gently. “These guys are ruthless, and I don’t know if my men can keep them at bay. If they reach this point you and your family will die. And you’re running out of time.”
Hazel shook her head. “If it’s that bad then why aren’t you evacuating everyone?”
Pete swallowed. “Orders come from the top. We aren’t to alert the people of how dire the situation is. Might cause a panic in other parts of the city.”
“What?” Hazel couldn’t stop herself. “You’re just going to let people die?”
“Hazel,” her father said, but she didn’t pay him any attention.
“You can’t just do that!”
“Kid, I need all my men out there on the battlefield to try and protect people. I don’t have enough to spare on evacuation.”
“Use the police!” Hazel shouted.
“Hazel, that’s enough!”
Anger burned through her and it was all she could do to keep herself from running out the door, screaming for people to get away. She thought of Mr. and Mrs. Becker. The Marston family across the street. They were friends, people they loved—people they spent time with.
“I came here as a courtesy to your father,” Pete said. “I’m putting my job on the line for you and your family.”
“I’ll do it,” John said. “I can start spreading the word.”
Pete looked at him sharply. “Listen, John…”
Her father waved him off. “I don’t have to say it came from you. They know me. They trust me. It will be calm and quiet.”
“You know it won’t be calm and quiet when people start running through the streets. Don’t make me regret telling you. You and your family need to get out of here.”
John looked up at Pete and nodded. “Thank you for coming. I appreciate it.”
“I owed you this, at least,” Pete said. “Just hurry up and go.”
“You be careful too, okay?”
“I will, friend. I will.”
Pete turned and left through the front door, closing it quietly behind him. Hazel’s father turned and motioned for the whole family to gather around him. He rested his arms on her mom and Lillian and looked straight at Hazel. The four of them looked like they were in a huddle, prepping themselves for some game.
“You three need to stay low and quiet. Take the back alleys toward the train station. Don’t go back for anything no matter what.”
“And where are y
ou going to be?” Eliza asked.
“We have friends here,” he said. “It’s not right that we leave them behind.”
“Would you have done this when you were a soldier?” Lillian asked with big wet tears in her eyes.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I hope I would. Regardless, those days are behind me.” He didn’t look at Hazel when he said this. He just looked at the ground. “I will be behind you. We’ll meet at the broadcast tower.”
“John, that’s far,” Eliza said. “Why the tower?”
“Because you can see it wherever you are, it’s far, and it’s safe. The trains are still running. Just get there. If you make it and I’m not there within an hour, seek shelter. If there’s word that the invasion is moving your way, seek shelter even if you haven’t waited long enough.”
“You think it’s going to get that far?” Lillian asked.
“No, I don’t. But it’s good to be prepared.” He pulled them all in tightly, hugging the whole family with his big arms. “I love you all so much. I’ll be right behind you.” He kissed Lillian and Hazel on the forehead, and gave Eliza a longer kiss on the lips. She reached up for his face, but he was already on his way out the door.
Hazel’s mother motioned for her and Lillian to follow, and Hazel wondered if she was the one that needed to be leading the way. Hazel knew the back alleys better than any of them, but only for a mile or so. Past that, she could get them to the tower via the nearest train station.
They made their way out of the house and Hazel caught a quick glimpse of her dad sneaking around the corner of one of the houses across the street. It was good of him to do such a thing, but she knew there was some selfishness behind his bravery. Her father wanted a reason to be in the action somehow. Even if it meant being a few minutes behind them, he wanted to size up the soldiers and see what formations they were in. If it was bad enough, he might even expose himself and start barking out orders. For a second, this thought made Hazel nervous. What if he got so preoccupied with what was happening that he wasted too much time and he wasn’t able to warn their neighbors? But this led to another thought—that when he had a mission he finished it. There was no lingering around wasting time. He would get the job done. He always did.
The three of them were walking quickly down a side street when Hazel heard a commotion in the distance. This was different than the commotion they had been hearing all night. They were explosions, yes, but they were much closer than before.
Gunshots. Explosions. Cries for help. Men. Women. All of them screamed. Hazel reached out and grabbed her sister and mother by the arms. “They’ve reached the city!”
“We need to keep going!” her mom said.
“But dad…”
“Is coming up behind us,” Eliza snapped. “We have to keep going!”
Hazel wanted to keep going but her legs felt like anchors dragging the bottom of the ocean. She couldn’t just leave her dad behind.
The screams got closer. The gunfire louder. Roaring engines blared down the streets. How far had they gotten from the house? Hazel guessed it was only a block or two. Had Pete really been so oblivious to the whereabouts of the enemy that he didn’t see them right on top of the troops?
“It’s a surprise attack,” Hazel muttered.
“Hazel come on!” Lillian yelled.
“I can’t…”
A loud blast went off only a few feet away and all three of them were on the ground. Everything went silent for about a minute. Hazel’s eyes seemed to give her double vision. How close was that explosion? Was this it? If the enemy was already here then it was too late. They were all dead.
Smoke filled the air around her. She tried to wave it away, but in the darkness it was difficult to see how much there actually was. Had the shot been aimed at them or was it some random mortar that got too close for comfort?
Once the smoke cleared, she saw her mother and sister hunkered low to the ground. Hazel pulled herself to her knees and began a slow crawl toward them. It was all she could do in the moment, she felt so disoriented.
Why aren’t they moving? she thought to herself. Get up. “Get up! We’ve got to go!”
They still didn’t move.
Hazel kept crawling despite the sharp pain she felt in her side and leg. She realized in that moment that something had hit her, but she didn’t want to look down. She didn’t want to pass out. She had to get to her mom and Lillian.
Why aren’t you moving?
A tear slipped down her cheek as she continued to crawl over the pieces of concrete and wood, each piece biting into her as she moved ahead.
One arm after the other, Hazel crept forward until she was only a foot away from her sister. She could see Lillian breathing slowly. She looked at her mom. She was breathing too. Hazel felt a sense of relief, but they were in trouble. They had to get out of there before the Outlanders got to them.
She pulled herself on top of her sister and started slapping the side of her cheek lightly. Lillian began to stir, so Hazel moved on to Eliza. All of them were awake now, but still disoriented.
“We’ve got to move!” Hazel said. “Can either of you stand?”
“You’re bleeding!” Lillian said. “My head hurts so bad!” She dropped her face in her hands and started weeping.
Eliza must have still been in a daze since she didn’t even try to comfort Lillian. Instead, she stared ahead like she was the only one there.
“Mom, are you with us?” Hazel clenched her teeth together. “Mom. Lillian. We have to get up.”
“Where’s John?” her mom said.
“Mom,” Hazel said, grabbing both of her arms. “Get up! Get up!”
“Where’s John?” she repeated. Tears filled her eyes as she said the words, desperation and shock taking over her mind and body as she began to shake. Lillian remained in her sitting position, her face still in her hands.
Hazel had never felt more frustrated. The three of them had one job to do and it was to get to the train station and move to the middle of the city away from this mess. Instead, her mother and sister seemed content to wallow in despair. Perhaps they were still dazed by the explosion near their heads, but it was no excuse. They had to keep moving. Their lives depended on it.
She looked in every direction, wishing, praying that her dad was somewhere near. He had said he would only be a few minutes behind them. If that were true then he would be there any second. She felt that only he could get mom and Lillian to move. He would have the ability to inspire them in some way to get them to keep going. With his strong arms, he might even be able to carry them to the train station.
She stood from her crouch, ignoring the sharp pain in her leg and looked in every direction. She then spotted something that made her freeze in place.
Headlights.
Several trucks jostled their way down the street toward them, and Hazel didn’t know what to do. She knew they weren’t Mainlander vehicles. She fell to the ground again in hopes that no one saw her. She tugged at her mom’s arm and shook her sister by the shoulders.
“It’s time to go now!”
Behind them, Hazel could hear the bellowing screams of a woman behind her. She turned her head sharply and saw a man and woman sprinting down the road as the Outlander trucks aimed to run them down. The woman pulled the man’s arm and they moved off the road, but the first Outlander vehicle got there and several soldiers jumped out, hollering and laughing, shooting their guns in the air.
Hazel couldn’t tear her eyes away from the scene. One of the Outlanders aimed his gun patiently and fired, sending the Mainlander man to the ground. Hazel had to put a hand over her mouth to keep from gasping, but the other woman’s screams would have drowned it out anyway.
Hazel turned and kept tugging on her mom’s arm. For the first time since the explosion, Eliza seemed to hear her and she nodded her head. “Okay,” she said. “Okay.”
Slowly she moved, and with her so did Lillian. The three of them hobbled together and Hazel tried to
veer them toward the nearest alley and as far from the road possible.
But it was too late.
Hazel could feel the lights on her back as their shadows danced in front of her. The Outlanders had spotted them. Maybe they wouldn’t care about a group of three injured women. Maybe they would see who it was and forget about them.
Hazel kept pushing them.
She heard two doors slam and her stomach dropped. No. Please no!
“Look what we have here, Boss,” one of the men said.
“Hey, hey, hey!” Boss said. “You three. Stop!”
He shot a round from his gun and the ground next to them spat dirt in the air. Hazel stopped abruptly and they turned around to face the two men. They were terrifyingly large with red paint smeared on their faces. Shirtless and scarred, both of them carried a rifle in their hands and pistols on their belts. One of them, Boss, was completely bald while the other one had fixed his blonde hair into spikes that went in every direction. The area around their eyes had been painted black and they looked like they had come straight out of a nightmare.
The three women shook where they stood, Hazel between Lillian and Eliza.
“Which one you wanna take first, Boss?” the spiky-haired one said. He reached down for his belt.
Boss didn’t say anything, but he had his eyes fixed on Hazel. “I’ll take the one in the middle.”
Hazel hadn’t realized until this moment that she had been holding on too tightly to her mom and sister, her fingers turning white from her grip. The two beside her seemed frozen in fear, but Hazel stood firm because she thought they might be shot if they tried to run.
What is worse? she thought.
The man with the spiked hair reached a hand out and grabbed Lillian by the throat, and that’s when Eliza came alive. “You will not touch her!” She punched the back of the man’s head over and over and he abruptly backhanded her across the cheek. She fell to the ground, but Hazel was already on him. The man proved stronger than he looked and he picked Hazel up by the shoulders and tossed her to the ground.
Prototype D (Prototype D Series Book 1) Page 15
