Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Reports and Reunions

The streets of Randordam were dark and desolate at this time of the night. At the end of the street, there was a bungalow, like all the bungalows in the area. But right now, the street was only dark, not desolate. A person wearing a black coat and a hat walked down the street. Reaching in front of that bungalow, she gently knocked.

After a few moments, a voice came from behind the door. “Who are you, and what do you want that can’t wait till the Sun rises?”

“It’s Edith, Lucas. This is urgent.”

Lucas looked through the peephole before opening the door. “Edith? What is it?”

“I have Edna’s report, and I want you to add it to the morning edition. It’s really important. I don’t have time to explain the entire thing, but if you read it you’ll probably understand. Please, we need this.”

He didn’t look entirely convinced but still nodded. “Come on, we’ll go to the newspaper office now.” She nodded. He grabbed his coat, and they ran down the street. Reaching the headquarters, he took out a key and opened the door. Edith took out a torch. Opening the window, she flashed it twice. In a minute, a knock came on the door. Lucas tensed, but Edith reassured him. “It’s Riley, one of my soldiers.” She opened the door, and Riley came in.

He operated the printing machine, while both Edith and Riley stood on their guard.

They saw a silhouette pass by the window. Both cocked their guns, silencers in place, and ducked down, aiming at the door. But the silhouette passed by the door as well. Riley slightly relaxed, but Edith did not. She still remained alert, not quite convinced the threat was gone.

Suddenly a knife flew through the glass, shattering it and flying straight towards them. Riley ducked, and Edith caught the knife, stopping it inches from her face. She rammed it into the desk behind her and shot towards the window, shooting all six bullets. A man burst through the door, and Riley shot at him, killing him. One of them, however, escaped. She ran after him, chasing him through the street, unwilling to let him go.

Edith’s target leaped through the window, running towards her. She tried to fire, but upon realizing the magazine was empty, she threw the gun aside and ran towards him as well, grabbing him and pushing him onto a desk. However, he was no weakling. Using his free hand, he grabbed the typewriter on the desk and rammed it on her head, causing her to groan severely and she was injured, blood flowing from the side of her head. She fell down, breathing unevenly as she tried and failed to get to her feet. She had been hurt badly.

The man wrenched the knife out of the table and attempted to stab her in her head, but she stopped him, holding his hands back with all strength she had as he tried to force it down. Yet, she could feel herself getting weaker, and was angry for feeling so. But she refused to be defeated. She pushed his hands to the side, and rolled over, taking him by surprise. Getting to her feet, she grabbed a chair and hit him over the head, causing the knife to fall out of his hands.

He grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her down, hitting her face hard on the ground and breaking her nose. Leaping onto her back, he began to suffocate her by pushing her face to the ground.

Edith wasn’t able to breathe, and she was getting weaker. She was about to resign to her fate when her eye caught a flash and she spotted the knife lying nearby. Summoning all her remaining strength, she reached out, grabbed it, and rolled over. He fell off her. Wasting no time at all, she stabbed him forcefully in the side of his neck.

He grabbed at the wound and pitifully gasped for a few seconds before falling still. She heard footsteps and swerved around, the knife in her hand. Only to relax, as she saw it was Riley. The soldier ran to the Commander as she leaned onto the table, spitting out the blood in her mouth. Riley took out a handkerchief and tried to stop the bleeding on the side of her head.

Lucas came out of the printing room. Upon seeing Edith’s condition, he ran over to the corner and grabbed a first aid kit. Riley used it and tended to her injuries, doing some basic bandaging to the wounds. “That’s all we need to do. We’ll get you back to base, where the doctor will see you, Commander. Are you alright? You better not die on us.”

Edith smiled wryly through the bandaged nose and black, half-shut-eye. “Don’t you worry, Riley. I’m not done yet.” She looked at Lucas. “You published it, didn’t you?”

“Yes. Yes, I did. Now, where will you guys go?”

“We’re returning to base. Do us a favor, and clean up this mess. You can do that, right?”

“I will. You guys better run now, lest someone else shows up.”

Riley nodded. She placed her arm around Edith’s shoulder and helped her out of the place. A car was there outside. She helped Edith into the side seat and then sat in the driver’s seat. As she started the car, Lucas looked through the window.

“And yeah, you guys should know that I’m always on your side. If you need any help from me, I’ll be there. Okay?”

Edith nodded. “Thanks, Lucas. We’ll remember that. Edna will be happy to know.”

He smiled and nodded. They drove away.

_____________________________________________________________________

Antares sat in the cell. It didn’t resemble the cell in the facility, it was cleaner and more humane. But the walls were still grey, even if they were clean to an extent. And it was still oppressive and restricting.

Suddenly, the door opened. A man walked in and opened the bars.

“The General will see you. As long as you are not a threat, we won’t harm you, and we will try our best to help you. But you step out of line, and no mercy will be shown. You get it?”

He nodded. The man gripped his shoulder and took him up a few flights of stairs, then through a hallway. The halls were like those of hospitals, as the walls were mostly white or turquoise. There were rooms lined with numbers on them. Some of them were offices. Finally, they reached the office that said ‘Head of Ground Infantry – General Marjorie Cartwright’. The man swung the door open.

The General stood there, along with Ross. She nodded to the man who had brought him there. “Thank you, Carl. That will do.” She turned to him and gestured to the seat. “Sit down.”

He hesitated for a moment, but went and sat down. She sat opposite him. For a few moments, there was silence. Then, she spoke.

“Young man, we have no idea who you are, or whether you are friend or foe. Apart from the fact that you did attack this fellow here,” she gestured towards Ross, who was slightly taken aback, “and our Deputy General, we have nothing to judge by either. So why don’t you tell us who you are, and where you’re from? Do you work in the facility?”

Antares sat and stared for a few seconds before he responded.

“I do not work there, and there are questions I want answers to as well. I do not feel the need to answer any of yours until you answer mine.”

Ross opened his mouth, but the General shook her head, making him fall silent. She turned back to the young man she was questioning.

“Okay.”

Both Ross and Antares were taken aback by the response. Neither had expected this answer.

“I don’t promise that I will answer all of your questions. I will answer those only which I feel that I can without compromising us, and I reserve the right to refuse to answer. Ask ahead. But remember, after this, it will be my turn. And if I don’t think you’re trustworthy, you won’t live long. Shoot off.”

He cleared his throat and asked.

“Who are you people, and why are you at the facility? Where is everyone else?”

“We’re the Baldornan Military, and we attacked the facility and took it over. The scientists and residents of the place are either dead or under imprisonment.”

“What about the children?”

“There was only one child at the facility. They are safe, and that’s all I will say.”

“What is the name of the child?”

“I told you that is all I will say. We don’t think it is safe to disclose the identity of the child, as we know there are others who are going to come after her.”

“What happened to the others?”

“They weren’t there. It seems they were transported to a different place prior to our invasion.”

Antares gulped, as his heart began to feel heavy. She was gone now, and he did not know where. He sunk back in his chair, feeling defeated. He had no idea of the locations of the other facilities.

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“Now, it’s my turn.”

He nodded. There was no point in hiding anything from these people.

“Where are you from?”

“The facility. I was one of the children there.”

“You escaped?”

“Yes, I did. A few days ago. I ran away, although I was wounded badly. A man helped me.”

The General frowned, her curiosity aroused. “Why did you come back?”

“I was searching for someone.”

“Who?”

He looked down, not meeting their eyes. “My sister. She was one of the children. I was wounded for a few days, but the moment I healed, I came for her. But it was too late.”

The General looked even more curious and looked at Ross, whose expression mirrored hers. She picked up the telephone and dialed a number.

“Hello, Edna? Send the kid to my office now. We might have something here.” She placed the receiver down and looked at Antares, who was slightly confused and also curious.

“We might have something for you, young man.”

________________________________________________________________________________

Aries jerked awake, jumping out of the bed, getting to the floor, and covering her head in fear. Edna leaped out, grabbed the handgun on the bedside, and jumped in front of the girl, ready to protect her. Both calmed down as they realized that it was just the phone ringing.

She walked over to it and answered. “Hello?”

“Hello, Edna? Send the kid to my office now. We might have something here.” Before she could ask anything else, the phone was cut. Edna guessed it was the General. She turned to Aries, who was still sitting on the floor.

“The General is calling us. She says that there’s something we might want to see.”

“What is it?” “If I knew, I’d tell you.” She held out her hand. “Come on.”

Aries took it and got up. Together, they walked down the hall and up the stairs, yawning. As they reached the office, she stayed behind the wall as Edna opened the door. “What?”

The General beckoned her in. “We got this boy here,” she said, gesturing to the young man who was looking curiously at her from the chair. “Aries might know him. Send her in.”

Edna turned around. “Hey, come on. It’s for you.”

Aries shyly came forward.

What she felt then was a flood of emotion that she could not describe. It was as if her body was in the air. She blinked to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming. Every vein of her body was flooded with relief and emotion as her expression changed to one of surprise and disbelief, as she saw the boy, her brother, her caretaker for as long as she had lived, and whom she thought she had lost for good, sat in front of her, his expression mirroring hers. Tears came into her eyes as she took in his features.

Slowly walking towards him, she looked at him properly as he gazed at her, the love and relief in his eyes unmistakable. She reached her hand out and touched him, feeling his face and his hair, realizing that she truly wasn’t hallucinating: it really was him. She smiled amidst the tears.

He stroked her cheek gently and whispered. “Aries.”

She hugged him, crying, and he lifted her off her feet, tightly hugging her as well. He was relieved beyond belief, as his fear turned into happiness and his tears of sadness became tears of elation. He buried his hand into her curls, feeling them. She was safe, and she was well. They were together, and nothing would separate them.

Edna, Ross and the General sat looking on as the siblings reunited. Finally, they separated and looked at each other.

“You’re alright?” He asked, looking at her. She nodded.

“How?” was all she had to ask. He smiled.

“I survived, and I ran away. I came back to get you, when I ran into this person at the facility,” using his thumb to indicate Ross. “along with another lady, who knocked me out. Then I was brought here for questioning to the General here, who asked me some questions. When I asked about the children and told her about you, she called you. You were the only one who was there?”

“Yes. The others were sent away.”

“Oh. It is no matter. As long as you are safe, that is all that matters.”

“I’m safe,” she promised. “I am. She,” she pointed towards Edna. “She saved me. She helped me, along with the General and the other people.”

Antares looked at Edna, who gave him a light smile. He smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

The General loudly coughed, and all eyes turned to her. “Hate to break up your little reunion, but I have something to ask, young man. I don’t mind if you keep her here, but there is something I need to know.”

He nodded. “Ask.”

“We’re in what you might call a war at this point. We’re fighting these people who kept you imprisoned for these many years. They’re trying to destroy our country. Once they destroy us, they plan to destroy the world, to take it under them. We are going to stop them. They plan to use other kids like you against us, to fulfill their wishes of killing and dominance. Essentially they’re bad people, although you already knew that. Point is, are you on our side or theirs? Or do you just want to leave and hope you’ll be fine?”

Antares looked at Aries, and then back at the General.

“You people saved her, for which I am grateful. In order to repay you, I shall fight on your side and help you. However, I also must ask something of you.”

She nodded, indicating for him to continue speaking.

“Once the war is over, and if we survive, we will not have anywhere to go. We can adjust to normal life, but for that, we will need help. So if I help you, you will not only continue to ensure that Aries is safe, you will also help us to get a house and live normally once the war is over, without any problems.”

The General extended her hand. “It’s a deal.” He shook it.

“For now, you can stay here, with us. Now, Edna, show him a room. He can take rest, and tomorrow, if everything goes to plan, we won’t have to wait long before we take the plunge.”

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