Falling Skies
Too late
'How far is it?' Sky asked as they got in the car.
'About a six hour drive.' Ghoul answered, looking at Poison as if to ask him if he was sure about this.
'You don't have to come. This is about Sky and myself.' Poison said, but both Ghoul and Jet just shook their heads, so he started the car.
It wasn't like him to be that reckless. They didn't even have a concrete plan, no clue about what exactly they were going to do once they got to the place where a mysterious man named Korse was supposedly holding the Stargazer prisoner. Another mysterious man who supposedly created them. Their actions were solely based on assumption and conspiracy and they were about to risk their lives for it. Sky had tried to talk sense into Poison while packing their stuff but he dismissed her arguments. He quoted Jet, who had said that they should get answers and it was at least worth going after Korse, who had been looking for her after all.
'It could be a trap!' Sky had tried to tell him but he didn't listen.
'Well, this time we're prepared.' he just said.
Sky didn't doubt him or his decision. She knew he had a good reason to do what he was doing and in all honesty, she was craving more answers as much as he did. If his theory was right, and Sky believed there was a good chance it was, the Stargazer would have all of them. If they could save him from Korse. If. She tried to think of their journey to find the Phoenix Witch. How that had been based on simply an assumption too, with no real prospect. But this time they would be in danger. This man Korse, whoever he was, had been after them all their lives. He was the reason why they had been separated in the first place. He tried to find them ever since. Had hunted her down with dracs who attacked and almost raped her. Were they really prepared?
At least they picked up their fifth member, Kobra, who had been out on patrol, on the way. They filled him in and he didn't seem to question Poison's decision in the slightest.
Five hours later they stopped when Ghoul told them they were close to the coordinates he had gotten from triangulating the signal. Wherever the agents were hiding, it was safer to approach on foot, so they left the car behind, hidden behind a group of shrubs.
*
Poison and Jet decided to climb up a hill, certain they would be able to overlook the valley from up there and maybe spot something or someone. He could tell Sky was disappointed when he didn't ask her to come but he had his reasons. Korse knew what she looked like and whoever was working for him did too and if they had cameras or guards positioned, they would spot her immediately. The area had to be secured first. He sent Kobra over to the other side, his sniper skills useful to cover them from there.
Sure enough, they caught sight of a small building, probably what used to be a cabin, a draculoid standing guard outside. One BLI van was parked next to it. Poison could tell that it wasn't big enough to be used as a hiding place for more than a handful of agents, especially with a hostage. And he knew that could only mean one thing. The cabin served as a cover up for one or more underground chambers. Jet looked at him, obviously aware of what was going on and Poison couldn't help but feel uneasy. They both thought about Cherri Cola.
'One drac is standing guard, didn't spot any spies. Looks like the back-up they requested has already arrived but it can't be more than ten of them down there. We can take them on.' Poison updated Sky and Ghoul.
'But do we really want to?' Sky asked, questioning his decision just like he had expected.
'We have to. Jet, get the explosives ready just in case. Sky, you can help him.' he ordered and started checking all their guns and ammunition.
Half an hour later, they were all on top of the hill, with Kobra on the other side, waiting for Poison's signal to take out the guard.
'Ghoul and I go in first, take out as many agents as we can. You two wait exactly three minutes and then you follow. Sky, you find the Stargazer. If we're right about who he is, he will recognize you. Jet, you have her back. Make sure he comes with you. We'll collect as much information as we can. Take papers, files, tapes, whatever is lying around and we can grab. Kobra will stay out here, just in case someone else shows up. Got it?' he said and they all nodded.
He looked at Sky, who was clearly scared. He pulled her aside.
'You can do this. Don't doubt yourself.' he stroked her hair and hugged her. 'I love you.'
Then he held up his hand, signaling Kobra to shoot. Seconds later, the drac collapsed in front of the building. It was time to go.
*
Sky's stomach churned when she saw Poison and Ghoul disappear into the cabin. 45 seconds. Next to her, Jet was double- and triple-checking his gun. She had a bad feeling about this. 1 minute. She tried to envision herself in there. Would she be able to concentrate on her mission or would she lose it? The guys had spent so much time training and teaching her, she knew everything they knew. But this was real. 1 minute 30 seconds. Sky jumped at the sound of shots being fired and Jet had to hold her back.
'Wait!' he said, yanking her back to the ground.
'Jet! I can't...what if...!'
'Sky, focus. You need to stay calm. We got one minute left.' he shook her and she could hear five more shots.
If she wanted this to go well, she had to focus. Jet was right. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Don't doubt yourself, Sky, she thought, hearing Poison's voice in her head.
Next thing she knew, she was running towards the cabin, gun locked and loaded, with Jet by her side. They were greeted by a cloud of dust and the smell of gunsmoke in the stale, hot air. Just like Poison had said, there was an underground chamber, the hatch open in the middle of the room. Jet motioned her to jump and she did. It wasn't deep and the damp corridor down below was lit with fluorescent lights, most of them flickering. Sky held the gun in front of her, pointing to her left, then to her right where she saw three dead bodies. Agents. A small sigh of relief escaped her and she felt encouraged by the sight. Jet had followed her, directing her to the left.
'This way.' he whispered and they followed the corridor around a corner.
Two more dead agents. In front of a door. Sky's heart was beating fast as she approached, hearing muffled noises behind the closed door. She reached for the doorknob but Jet stopped her.
'Get behind me. We don't know what's going on in there.' he said, shoving her out of the way.
Sky started to panic as she heard the worry in his voice but did as he had ordered. She looked behind them, checking the corridor for possible pursuers but the coast was clear. Jet opened the door and she gasped, a indescribable feeling taking hold of her. As if someone had ripped her heart out of her chest and filled the hole with icy water.
A tall, bald man was standing in the middle of the room, a gun in his hand and a creepy smile on his lips which got even bigger when he spotted Sky. She knew immediately that the man was Korse. She felt like throwing up.
'There she is. We've been waiting for you. But I'm afraid you're a little too late, my-' he spoke but Jet shot him right in the head before he could mutter another word and he collapsed on the floor.
'What?' she just whispered when she followed Jet into the room.
'Sky, don't! Stay back!' he stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to hold her back but it was too late.
No. No, it can't be, she thought. Her whole body started to shake uncontrollably, not wanting to believe what she saw as she struggled against Jet's tight grasp. Finally, he let her go, stepping aside without protesting, shaken by what he had tried to protect her from.
There, lying in a pool of his own blood, she found Poison, his eyes blank and his body lifeless.
'About a six hour drive.' Ghoul answered, looking at Poison as if to ask him if he was sure about this.
'You don't have to come. This is about Sky and myself.' Poison said, but both Ghoul and Jet just shook their heads, so he started the car.
It wasn't like him to be that reckless. They didn't even have a concrete plan, no clue about what exactly they were going to do once they got to the place where a mysterious man named Korse was supposedly holding the Stargazer prisoner. Another mysterious man who supposedly created them. Their actions were solely based on assumption and conspiracy and they were about to risk their lives for it. Sky had tried to talk sense into Poison while packing their stuff but he dismissed her arguments. He quoted Jet, who had said that they should get answers and it was at least worth going after Korse, who had been looking for her after all.
'It could be a trap!' Sky had tried to tell him but he didn't listen.
'Well, this time we're prepared.' he just said.
Sky didn't doubt him or his decision. She knew he had a good reason to do what he was doing and in all honesty, she was craving more answers as much as he did. If his theory was right, and Sky believed there was a good chance it was, the Stargazer would have all of them. If they could save him from Korse. If. She tried to think of their journey to find the Phoenix Witch. How that had been based on simply an assumption too, with no real prospect. But this time they would be in danger. This man Korse, whoever he was, had been after them all their lives. He was the reason why they had been separated in the first place. He tried to find them ever since. Had hunted her down with dracs who attacked and almost raped her. Were they really prepared?
At least they picked up their fifth member, Kobra, who had been out on patrol, on the way. They filled him in and he didn't seem to question Poison's decision in the slightest.
Five hours later they stopped when Ghoul told them they were close to the coordinates he had gotten from triangulating the signal. Wherever the agents were hiding, it was safer to approach on foot, so they left the car behind, hidden behind a group of shrubs.
*
Poison and Jet decided to climb up a hill, certain they would be able to overlook the valley from up there and maybe spot something or someone. He could tell Sky was disappointed when he didn't ask her to come but he had his reasons. Korse knew what she looked like and whoever was working for him did too and if they had cameras or guards positioned, they would spot her immediately. The area had to be secured first. He sent Kobra over to the other side, his sniper skills useful to cover them from there.
Sure enough, they caught sight of a small building, probably what used to be a cabin, a draculoid standing guard outside. One BLI van was parked next to it. Poison could tell that it wasn't big enough to be used as a hiding place for more than a handful of agents, especially with a hostage. And he knew that could only mean one thing. The cabin served as a cover up for one or more underground chambers. Jet looked at him, obviously aware of what was going on and Poison couldn't help but feel uneasy. They both thought about Cherri Cola.
'One drac is standing guard, didn't spot any spies. Looks like the back-up they requested has already arrived but it can't be more than ten of them down there. We can take them on.' Poison updated Sky and Ghoul.
'But do we really want to?' Sky asked, questioning his decision just like he had expected.
'We have to. Jet, get the explosives ready just in case. Sky, you can help him.' he ordered and started checking all their guns and ammunition.
Half an hour later, they were all on top of the hill, with Kobra on the other side, waiting for Poison's signal to take out the guard.
'Ghoul and I go in first, take out as many agents as we can. You two wait exactly three minutes and then you follow. Sky, you find the Stargazer. If we're right about who he is, he will recognize you. Jet, you have her back. Make sure he comes with you. We'll collect as much information as we can. Take papers, files, tapes, whatever is lying around and we can grab. Kobra will stay out here, just in case someone else shows up. Got it?' he said and they all nodded.
He looked at Sky, who was clearly scared. He pulled her aside.
'You can do this. Don't doubt yourself.' he stroked her hair and hugged her. 'I love you.'
Then he held up his hand, signaling Kobra to shoot. Seconds later, the drac collapsed in front of the building. It was time to go.
*
Sky's stomach churned when she saw Poison and Ghoul disappear into the cabin. 45 seconds. Next to her, Jet was double- and triple-checking his gun. She had a bad feeling about this. 1 minute. She tried to envision herself in there. Would she be able to concentrate on her mission or would she lose it? The guys had spent so much time training and teaching her, she knew everything they knew. But this was real. 1 minute 30 seconds. Sky jumped at the sound of shots being fired and Jet had to hold her back.
'Wait!' he said, yanking her back to the ground.
'Jet! I can't...what if...!'
'Sky, focus. You need to stay calm. We got one minute left.' he shook her and she could hear five more shots.
If she wanted this to go well, she had to focus. Jet was right. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Don't doubt yourself, Sky, she thought, hearing Poison's voice in her head.
Next thing she knew, she was running towards the cabin, gun locked and loaded, with Jet by her side. They were greeted by a cloud of dust and the smell of gunsmoke in the stale, hot air. Just like Poison had said, there was an underground chamber, the hatch open in the middle of the room. Jet motioned her to jump and she did. It wasn't deep and the damp corridor down below was lit with fluorescent lights, most of them flickering. Sky held the gun in front of her, pointing to her left, then to her right where she saw three dead bodies. Agents. A small sigh of relief escaped her and she felt encouraged by the sight. Jet had followed her, directing her to the left.
'This way.' he whispered and they followed the corridor around a corner.
Two more dead agents. In front of a door. Sky's heart was beating fast as she approached, hearing muffled noises behind the closed door. She reached for the doorknob but Jet stopped her.
'Get behind me. We don't know what's going on in there.' he said, shoving her out of the way.
Sky started to panic as she heard the worry in his voice but did as he had ordered. She looked behind them, checking the corridor for possible pursuers but the coast was clear. Jet opened the door and she gasped, a indescribable feeling taking hold of her. As if someone had ripped her heart out of her chest and filled the hole with icy water.
A tall, bald man was standing in the middle of the room, a gun in his hand and a creepy smile on his lips which got even bigger when he spotted Sky. She knew immediately that the man was Korse. She felt like throwing up.
'There she is. We've been waiting for you. But I'm afraid you're a little too late, my-' he spoke but Jet shot him right in the head before he could mutter another word and he collapsed on the floor.
'What?' she just whispered when she followed Jet into the room.
'Sky, don't! Stay back!' he stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to hold her back but it was too late.
No. No, it can't be, she thought. Her whole body started to shake uncontrollably, not wanting to believe what she saw as she struggled against Jet's tight grasp. Finally, he let her go, stepping aside without protesting, shaken by what he had tried to protect her from.
There, lying in a pool of his own blood, she found Poison, his eyes blank and his body lifeless.
@carmen_mcr
Aww thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.
Maybe I will write a sequel. I want to!
9/29/13