But we’ve come to change that.
We creep into a shanty butted up against the barrier in order to avoid the cameras. A metal bowl sits on the table with some kind of mush left inside. Steam rises off it, so the owner hasn’t been gone long.
So far, too good. The lack of surveillance has me unnerved. Wouldn’t the guards have noticed by now? The silence screams the obvious, for nothing is ever quiet around here. The hair rises on the back of my neck and I finger the trigger of my Glock, feeling jumpy inside. What is that old saying? If something can go wrong, it probably will.
Just then, I feel a deep rumble and hear the metallic clanking of a tank slowly ambling down the street outside. My eyes lock onto Keegan’s, fearing the worst. All of us immediately duck below the window while waiting for it to pass. My blood curdles and adrenaline pumps through my limbs. I hold my breath as it passes.
Sheldon waits a moment and then motions us forward using hand signals. He disappears into the darkness, then Keegan, and then I follow with Zeus. I step out of the door, crouch down, and look for Keegan’s signal to head for the stairwell that leads to the top of the wall. My eyes strain as I focus on his silent movements. Clenching my jaw, I sprint to him.
Just as Isaac is about to follow suit, shots split the air, tinging off the metal roofing of the shacks. So much for surprise. He dives for cover near the wall, grimacing under the weight of his load-bearing harness. He cringes at the volume of the guns while crawling to us. My insides jump with each shot, but I reach out and pull him into the mouth of the stairwell, knowing the worst is yet to come.
Keegan motions frantically for the rest of the group. After watching Isaac cross and seeing the amount of tracers zipping through the darkness, they hesitate. I can see the whites of their eyes widen as if the Grim Reaper himself beckons them to hell. In their moment of indecision, an explosion rocks us, and confusion abounds.
When I look again, all that’s left of them are bits and pieces of flesh, combined with the pungent smell of smoke. My helmet disappears in the concussion and searing pain hits me like a jackhammer. It feels like my head is on fire, and I grasp at an object stuck in my hair. Some sort of flaming ember burns my fingertips as I rip it out of my hair and toss it.
Our cover has been blown.
I turn left and see Keegan shouting at me, but I can’t hear what he’s saying. My left ear rings from the damage and my eyes water from the smoke. The blam, blam, blamming of the guards’ guns opening up on the wall makes my head throb. A few citizens of the Hole spring from their houses with terrified expressions. I scream at them to take cover, but not before the guards mow them down with a serenade of bullets.
Keegan yanks me forward into a dark entrance hidden in the wall before I can even think about what I’ve just seen. He runs back outside, directing traffic in chaos while bullets rain down.
Sheldon waits for as many people to file in the small entrance as possible. I see his eyes tallying up bodies. I know at least one man’s down, but from the constant gunfire, and from the concern on his face, there could be many more. Or all.
Zeus’s lips pull back over his teeth and he barks with aggression. The hair on his back stands up straight. I put a steady hand on his collar to keep him close to me. I don’t want him running off on a mission alone.
The guards begin shooting down the narrow staircase, but there’s nowhere else to go. Someone comes in screaming to warn us and I can barely make out the words over the melee.
“Tank! Tank!”
As the words register, fear envelops me like a black hole. I’ve heard of the horrific power their tanks possess. One shot alone would blow us all away. Sweat seeps through my layers. The wall of gunfire from up top becomes so intense that I feel like I’m living an out-of-body experience. There’s nowhere to hide as the unionized force of the guards rain down bullets that disfigure the walls around us and cut people down.
In desperation, Isaac pulls a grenade from his harness and lobs it up the steps, blowing them into silence and buying us a few more precious seconds.
Once Keegan gives the signal, Sheldon starts up the steps, gun ready and begins rapid firing at the guards waiting at the top. Keegan follows him with all that’s left of us trailing behind. Sweat burns my eyes and I can barely focus as I fire off a slew of rounds. I stumble for a moment and realize I’ve stepped on Zeus, who faithfully followed me into the fray. I push his head behind me to block him. I don’t want him shot.
The narrow staircase opens into a wide path on top of the wall edged by barbed wire and manned by more guards.
Sheldon reaches the top and immediately engages two guards. Keegan stabs one from behind, and Sheldon shoots the other one in the stomach. Blood spurts out like a fountain and Sheldon shoves him into the barbed wire wrapped around the outside of the path.
As I clear the last step, a guard grabs me from behind. I gasp as panic surges through me like fire. Remembering the knife stored in my cargo pants, I relax momentarily to reach it and then plunge it into my assailant’s leg. He grunts with the shock of pain, and as his hands loosen, I spin and stick him again in the chest. Watching him fall backward is surreal, but I don’t have time to think about it. I glance around me, and everyone is firing off rounds while pushing forward. The guards swarm us like piranhas, taking chunks out of our team bit by bit and shot by shot.
Keegan shouts something, his eyes panicked. I can’t hear him over the hammering of guns and screaming, so I focus on his mouth. “Radio for backup!” He fends off another opponent, slicing his knife through the air and twisting it into the guard.
Sheldon moves to find the radio but gets tied up. I look around for Isaac, but he’s already moved forward to set up the explosives in the main doorway. Despair seeps into my bones like venom as I search for the radio. And then I spot her.
Veronica lies on her side, her face fearful as she holds out the radio. She opens her mouth to speak, but blood trickles out. I duck under a punch, and take it from her. My opponent slashes with his knife, barely missing my torso, and Zeus takes him down. He digs his teeth into his hand with a vicious bite and frees the knife. I pick it up in a flash, and stick the guard in the neck with it.
The screaming and blasts of gunfire unnerve me, and my hands shake under the duress of combat. I fiddle with the buttons, hitting them all while yelling for backup. Everything sounds muffled. I can’t hear myself think, let alone what I say or what the person on the other side replies.
I drop the radio when another explosion blows out half the wall with a loud boom. People stumble over the side, and I leap to grab Keegan’s arm as he begins to slip over the side. He pulls himself upright just in time to see Sheldon plummet over the wall with his adversary. The cement barrier lining the walkway is gutted with twisted pieces of barbed wire dangling over the side.
This isn’t good. I yank Keegan’s jacket before he can fixate on the spot where Sheldon used to be. His eyes snap to my face with unbridled fury. He grabs my arm and the rest of our small group advances under a hailstorm of bullets. With three hundred yards to go, I begin hoping we can pull this off. My eyes can’t help but take in our surroundings as we run.
The sun breaches the horizon, reflecting off the metal roofs of the houses and bringing a clear view of the Hole with it. Smoke billows over the buildings like dark fingers reaching toward the sky to escape the carnage. I grimace at the smell of charred flesh and my eyes burn fiercely. I wipe them with my sleeve. Through the haze, I view the stark outline of the hospital and wonder how the assault on the training center is going.
I trip over a body riddled with holes and keep going. Come on, Isaac. Come on. Come on and blow the doors.
The large main doors of the commander’s residence blow open with a deafening blast that makes the wall beneath us quiver. Rocks and cement rain down on us like hail. Dust mixed with smoke makes sight impossible.
I pull my jacket over my face to breathe. Minutes pass, but they might as well be days. We continue sprinti
ng toward the entrance as bullets zip over our heads. No doubt, the guards will reinforce their lines soon.
I glance back and see more of the rebels have arrived to support us, and relief sweeps through me. They got my call.
As we storm the entrance, I notice Sutton off to my right. The hope within me continues to build. I’m breathless from carrying guns and inhaling mouthfuls of thick dust. If Sutton made it, then Cole should be here too.
“They knew we were coming,” Keegan shouts to Sutton over the war waging behind us.
“Part of the assault wasn’t timed properly. Didn’t happen fast enough—gave them time to figure it out.” Sutton’s voice is raw and his words scratch out.
“Where’s everybody?” I try yelling to make myself heard.
“All communication was cut off.” Sutton’s face is covered with a mask of dirt, but I can still see his worried eyes and thinned lips. The gun strapped to him doesn’t look natural after being used to seeing him in scrubs.
Our group and Sutton’s group break off to search the compound for the commander. We head left down a wide path toward the commander’s quarters and Sutton’s group heads right toward the main control room. Knowing we’ll rendezvous in the middle gives me confidence. If we, or they, don’t show up, we’ll go looking for each other. The darkness inside swallows us whole as the temperature drops.
I follow Keegan, the new point man, into the abyss of a hallway. The cement construction smothers almost all light from the outside. Staying close to Keegan, we hug the wall on the left side, keeping our weapons readily available. It reminds me of playing hide-and-seek in the woods with him. But this is for keeps. I focus on breathing and strain my eyes, seeing dark shapes in the hall. The black plays with my mind, but I keep going because this is what we trained for.
Keegan abruptly stops, and I smack into him as Zeus almost bowls me over. Bending down, Keegan points to a delicate, thin wire stretched across the hall. A tripwire. This place is trapped. Nausea and fear climb up my insides, but I push them back down. I point it out to the person behind me as I step over it.
About a hundred feet past the wire and around the first corner, they wait for us. Little, glowing red dots from their guns light up the wall in front of Keegan and then a barrage of gunfire blitzes us.
I return fire with the others, but we’re pinned down. A thunderous explosion resounds from behind and I’m blown forward in a violent motion. Debris smashes into me midair, and I land on my side. For a moment, I’m completely disoriented.
I feel the warmth of Zeus’s tongue licking my face, trying to rouse me. Mass chaos ensues around us, but I can’t see anything, so I pull Zeus close. Everything echoes around in my head, bouncing off the insides of my skull. Despite the constant chattering of guns, screaming, and moaning, I feel around with my hands and army crawl toward where I believe the wall is. Or was. Though my adrenaline is juiced up, I feel nagging pain.
Are my legs still attached? I reach down and feel that my pant legs from the knee down were torn away in the blast. My fingers feel slick and bloody from cuts I know I have. I don’t know where my gun landed. It was ripped from my hands in the blast.
“Keegan! Keegan!” I shout through the darkness and deafening shots. I hope he’s alive.
A hand grabs mine from out of nowhere. It’s sweaty and rough and squeezes mine tight. When it lets go, I feel confused. Should I stay along the wall or grab it again? Then it roughly pulls me through a doorway and my shoulder smacks the right side of the frame. Clenching my teeth, I scramble against the wall and cover my head with my arms. Then a small light, like a book reading light, flips on and I see Keegan crouching across from me. He looks awful. His face bleeds with multiple cuts, and he’s covered in a mix of dust and residue. Yet, he seems concerned about me and does a quick inventory.
“You all right?” His eyes travel from my head to my feet as if he is taking a mental tally of all my injuries.
I shake my head and shout, “I can’t understand.” I cover my ears. “I can’t hear.”
“Are you all right?” he shouts.
I nod, yes. “Still kicking.” My eyes roam the room.
It’s a storage room of some sort, with collapsed racks of cleaning solvents and towels.
“Where’s your gun?”
I shrug.
He hands me a .9mm Glock but keeps his M16. I have no idea how he held on to it.
“Where’re the others?” I draw in as many deep breaths as I can in an attempt to clear my head of the dizziness. I rest with my hands on my knees and look at him as he stands up.
Now it’s his turn to shrug. “Can you keep up?” He pulls a towel from one of the racks, causing a clatter of noise, and then wipes his face with it. His hand holds out another for me. The salt and grime from the Hole ooze off my face.
“I’m ready to take him down.” Even though I’m terrified, I won’t be a coward.
“I know.” His face beams with pride, and I can’t help but feel that he views me differently now. Like I’ve finally earned my place.
“Our only choice is to hunker down for a while. Rest for now. Okay?” His hand encloses my face for a moment.
I nod my head and rest it on the wall behind me. I focus on the task at hand, taking down the commander. I can think about the losses after it’s all over. I slip down the wall and sit on the dusty, cold floor.
Keegan slides down the narrow wall between the closed door and the shelves.
The room vibrates from the battle outside, and occasionally more explosions make the walls groan.
It’s impossible for me to rest with these demons loose in my head. I try to close my eyes, but all I can see is Veronica’s mouth full of blood, Sheldon slipping over the edge, Alyssa’s last breaths, and Cole. My nightmares don’t compare to this. Then I realize Zeus didn’t follow me into the room.
“Zeus! Damn it, where’s Zeus? I completely forgot about him—I thought he was right behind me.” I’m on the verge of a breakdown. In our haste to get out of darkness, I left him behind.
“Don’t worry about the dog—not now! Stay focused or you’ll get yourself killed,” Keegan says.
I want to fight him, to find Zeus, but I clench my jaws instead. I feel empty, disturbed, and afraid. Zeus was the only comfort I had—the only piece of happiness I clung to. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to him.
With each explosion, I jerk, then close my eyes and pray. The walls rattle around me. I try to make myself invisible by pressing harder into the wall, making myself less of a target. Debris smashes to the floor from the ceiling. I stare up at it, wondering how long it’ll hold. A steady thrumming buzzes in my ears. I catch eyes with Keegan. His are stony and flat, his body rigid as he flings through his meager supplies. I hear the tamping of feet go by and Keegan whips around, facing the door with his gun at the ready. I hold my breath, waiting for it to pass. I wonder if anything will be left for us in an hour. Remembering my ring, I twist it around nervously. But the words inscribed on it don’t bring me peace like they usually do. In fact, I think about the odds. The Hole’s filled with thousands of people—weak, starving, beaten-down sinners. Is it even possible to dream we can liberate it? But then I shake the doubts away. I have to believe the best. I have to trust in the plan Sutton put forth. Even if parts of it fail.
Time ticks by. It feels like months before Keegan rises to put his hand on the knob.
We listen, and there’s no sound outside. He slides the door open and listens again. Nothing. He motions and we creep forward into the hallway. Or what’s left of it.
Large holes have been punched into the walls from explosions and bodies sprawl in awkward positions on the floor. There aren’t as many as I would’ve thought, though I don’t know how anyone could’ve survived. Ironically, I feel lucky. But the revelation also makes me feel slightly guilty for surviving. As I step over the bodies, I can see their blood trickling into puddles, pooling around them. I smell death with its heavy lead fingers encirc
ling all of us.
Keegan kneels down, searching for more ammunition and scowls when he finds nothing that matches his weapon. I avert my eyes to keep from recognizing anyone I might’ve known. I’ve already got enough gory images imprinted in my memory.
Light filters in some of the rooms where the ceiling crumbles and rubble forms small mountains. Not a soul is in sight. I feel naked holding on to my small handgun. Keegan turns right down another hallway, staying close to the wall.
Another large doorway was blasted through, so I know Isaac made it this far. I pull my jacket up over my nose to prevent myself from breathing more particles and drop it once I realize it’s impossible to avoid. An open doorway on the left snatches my attention.
Holding my gun ready, I peek in.
It’s a bedroom. It would be beautiful if not for the holes blown through it. In the corner, on a platform, sits a large king-sized bed draped with a cream and silver embroidered comforter. A crystal chandelier hangs by electrical wires from the ceiling. I bet it looked amazing once.
I continue following Keegan, going room by room, scouting for the commander. We have to be close to his personal quarters according to the maps we studied during training. Doors line the hallway lit only by the sunlight filtering in from the devastation around us. We see more and more rooms, each one becoming more opulent than the last. Precious artwork dangles from the walls if not blown to pieces completely. I recognize some of the paintings with regret. Disgust rises in me, imagining the commander entertaining wealthy people here while sinners die of starvation just outside.
Keegan taps my shoulder and I jump, turning and slamming my back flat against the wall behind me. He motions for me to go first.
I hold my gun close to my face and hug the walls as I tiptoe over pieces of broken glass, contorted bodies, and cement blocks. A guard lays to my left, his body resting against the wall. He looks peaceful like he’s taking a nap on a Sunday afternoon.