Love is War

Chapter 55

The area has been pretty quiet for some time now, and I heard multiple footsteps from afar. I am certain that those aren’t my allies. An enemy from above will prevent me to move freely, if only they assault me in hordes, in that way I can hide myself from the Shinigami while finding another cover.

“Troy where are you located right now?” I spoke to the radio, I continue to hide and waited for his response. I need to execute plan A first.

“Still in the control room tinkering something,” he replied and I felt relieved.

“Can you throw smoke in my location?” I asked him.

“Sure,” he replied immediately. “Where are you located right now?” he asked then I peeked to observe the surroundings. I saw the control room and I am not that far away from my location so I grabbed the radio again.

I hid quickly when another shot was fired, I need to be more careful.

“Right side in front of a broken window,” I told him the exact description of my current location right now.

“What window? There are multiple broken windows here,” he said frustratedly, and I face palmed because of that response....

“Just throw a freaking smoke bomb in one of the windows!” I shouted at him more frustrated. I heard something metal rolling on the ground. Then I heard a hissing sound then only a matter of time before the are will be enveloped by smoke and later on...

“Is that the right location?” he asked in the radio.

“Good job,” I complimented him, and the right time has come, the smoke is thick enough for me to run without getting shot by the Shinigami. I ran towards another location and I should have enough time.

“OH!” I exclaimed when a bullet passed through in front of me. That damn bastard! Taking chances, and it seems like that he is calculating my movements, based on the bullets that he is been firing constantly in this smoke.

I need to move more carefully, so that he can’t guess where am I. I continue to run at great speed so I can find a cover. His bullet seems to penetrate wood and concrete walls that is not thick enough. I need to find a cover strong enough to protect me from those bullets.

“Where are you all right now?” I asked my crew worried that they might be in an open area right now and they might have forgotten what I told them about the sniper.

“Still in hiding,” Gerick told me and the others did not reply to me, so I assume that they are also in hiding, I am sure that Troy is still safe. Based on the bullet angle and trajectory, Shinigami is stationed in a high place. It must be a place where he can see everything. Think...

Then a picture of the stacked cargo near the docks, flashed in my mind, that must be his spot in this battle field right now. But just thinking of how to go up there seems impossible to me, as I can’t see any way how to ascend there.

I have a different priority in this mission right now and that is not to chase him but the shipment. So, hunting him will come later if I have time. I wanted answers for my questions but I need to resist the urge of my curiosity because the gang will come first.

I rolled on the ground so I can increase my speed to get to this thick pillar of metal that should provide me temporary cover, from his bullets. He is really fearsome now he is not within my reach. We truly live-in different places and I remembered the legend of the quarrel of sky and earth. That’s a children story anyway, but it’s the best that I have come up into. That is the clearest way to describe our relationship right now.

“Prepare the C4 bombs Troy and wait for me there,” I told the radio while I am on my way back to the control room because it is the safest place to give us cover from the Shinigami and re-assess the plan of ours.

“Roger that boss,” he replied to me immediately. I ran towards the entrance of the control room and entered the premises. I immediately find Troy inside and there I spotted him, and just like what he said to me, he is tinkering some kind of device.

“Hey,” I called his attention, then he turned at me frantic, while holding a bomb within his hand assuming that I am one of the enemies.

“Oh thank god,” he said in relief. “Boss that’s you,” he said.

“It’s me, who else will be?” I responded. “Where is the C4 bombs?” I asked him.

“Wait a minute I am fixing some things before handling you the bomb,” he told me and I stare at him while he continues to tinker wire on this thing that I cannot comprehend. Such as the mind of the genius. “There and there... then it’s good to go,” he said while raising his new creation.

It is a... toy... it surprised me, more than the attack.

“W- what is that?” I asked him.

“This is a seeker bomb, I programmed it to chase and attach itself on anyone who has heat signature that it sees,” he explained. “It works very similarly like a homing missile that are produced by fighter jets,” he added. I really can’t comprehend what he is thinking. No matter, I will just ask him how to activate that thing so I can use it, while I rush towards the shipment.

“The C4?” I asked him again because it is the one, why I came here in the first place, the he placed his attention again towards his tools.

“A moment,” he told me then he proceeds tinkering things again. I sighed and gave up that I can rush him. I gave him the time that he wanted and I focused my attention towards the surveillance monitors, the footages shown in these monitors are pre-recorded meant to fool us, but since the error happened earlier which helped us to avoid death, I think that I can manage to bring it back to its live feed.

I pressed buttons and there I controlled the mouse of this system to bring it back where it should be then there and there... baam... All set, all monitors are showing again their live feed and one of the cameras can’t see a thing because of the smoke. Now I am certain that I can collect reliable information right now. I panned to other monitors that is covering different area and there I saw...

A rumble?

Many men fist fighting, but... oh... it’s Anthony. He is really blood thirsty, now where is Gerick and Alexis... I thought Gerick was here.

“Where is Gerick?!” I asked Troy.

“He came out,” he answered my question. Geez that guy, he is injured and he still manage to defeat the fear of his death. I heard that there is an exchange fire happening outside, it must be them, so to find their location. I continue to find them through these cameras.

Then something caught my attention, I immediately take a clear look on that monitor. I saw heads quickly passing through, and I looked at the label on the top right corner of the camera to determine where is this camera located.

My heart dropped when I saw that it is the underground of this place, I immediately ran towards Troy.

“Hey! Let’s get the hell out of here,” I told him while pulling his clothes drastically because there is an impending danger waiting for us if we stay here for even a little bit longer.

“Wa- wait,” he said.

“There is no time,” by pulling his clothes I forced him to stand up. I looked at him in the eye looking at him if he is prepared to die. As soon as I noticed the goosebumps crawling through his body, I immediately released him and I started to walk to get out of here as soon as possible.

“Leave timer bombs if you ever have one,” I commanded him. “Don’t take your time let’s go!” I told him with complete authority in my voice and I started to run.

“Y- yes,” he told me then I heard his footsteps behind me. When we reached outside, I waited for him to come out and as soon as he came out, I pulled him to me. He is running towards the open area where the sniper can easily spot him.

He is spacing out... his nervousness if faced to a very dangerous situation he will start to lose himself and panic. He cannot really think about his actions anymore, just like a bunny escaping from its predator, but it doesn’t always work. He will run into a trap.

“Calm your mind,” I told him.

“O- okay,” he said while catching his breathe. That’s good catch you breathe. I released my grab to his collar and let him be but I still keep an eye from him because he might run again aimlessly.

“Did you leave timer bombs inside?” I asked him, wanting to know if he obeyed my command.

“A minute,” he said.

“Then let’s go,” I told him while I run towards cover because the debris of the explosion will harm us. I saw a box of crates in a nearby area and that is a good spot to hide myself temporarily. The enemy squad will meet certain doom.