The Prisoner's Burden
1324 Words
I woke to the sound of coughing.
The collapsed building was cold, damp, the walls pressing in on us. I sat up, my body aching, and looked around. Gideon was in the corner, his face drawn. Seraphina was checking supplies. Isolde was tending to Barnaby's wounds. And there, in the center of the room, was Percival.
He was sitting against the wall, his hands still bound, his eyes closed. He looked almost peaceful. Like he didn't have a care in the world.
"How long was I out?" I asked.
"A few hours," Gideon said. "We needed to rest."
"We can't stay here. The soldiers will find us."
"Not yet. We've got some time."
I stood, my joints protesting. Leander was beside me, his face pale but his eyes alert.
"You okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine." He managed a weak smile. "I've been worse."
"Let's keep it that way."
I walked to Percival, crouching in front of him. His eyes opened, cold and calculating.
"Enjoying your rest?" he asked.
"Shut up."
"I'm just making conversation. You're the one who's keeping me prisoner."
"Because you're dangerous."
"Am I?" He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. "I'm bound, surrounded by your people. What exactly do you think I'm going to do?"
"I don't know. That's what scares me."
He laughed, a low, hollow sound. "You're afraid of me. Even now, even when I'm helpless, you're afraid."
"I'm not afraid. I'm cautious."
"There's no difference."
I stood, walking away from him. He was trying to get inside my head. I wouldn't let him.
"We need to move," I said. "Find another shelter."
"There's a place," Gideon said. "An old bunker in the northern sector. It's not much, but it's hidden."
"Then we go."
---
The journey was long and silent.
We moved through the Outlands, keeping to the shadows. Percival walked between us, his steps measured. He didn't resist. He didn't speak. He just walked.
"What's he thinking?" Leander whispered.
"I don't know. That's what worries me."
"He's planning something. I can feel it."
"Probably."
"Then why are we keeping him alive?"
I didn't answer. Because I didn't know.
---
We reached the bunker at dusk.
It was small, cramped, but it was hidden. The entrance was concealed behind a collapsed wall, the interior dry.
"Not much," Gideon said. "But it'll do."
"Better than nothing." I looked around. "We'll post watches. Two at a time."
"Fine."
I took the first watch, standing at the entrance, my eyes scanning the darkness. Percival was inside, guarded by Gideon.
"Aldric." Leander appeared beside me. "I'll take over."
"You should be resting."
"So should you."
I smiled, a thin expression. "We're both stubborn."
"Good. That means we'll survive."
---
The night passed without incident.
The soldiers hadn't found us. We'd bought ourselves some time.
But not much.
"We need to talk," Gideon said. "About what comes next."
We gathered in the main chamber, the leaders of the resistance surrounding me. Gideon was at my side, his face grim. Seraphina was there, her data pad glowing. Isolde, Barnaby, Celestine—all of them.
"We can't stay here," Gideon said. "The soldiers will find us eventually."
"Then we need to find a new base. Somewhere they won't think to look."
"Where?"
I didn't have an answer. But I knew I'd find one.
---
That night, I found Leander alone in the corner, staring at his hands.
"Can't sleep?" I asked.
"Never can." He looked up, his eyes tired. "What are we going to do, Aldric? Really?"
"I don't know."
"Be honest with me."
I was quiet for a moment. Then: "I don't know if we can win. But I know we can't stop trying. If we stop, everything we've done means nothing. Everyone we've lost died for nothing."
He nodded slowly. "I understand."
"Do you?"
"I think so." He looked at me. "We fight because we have to. Because if we don't, there's no one else."
I put my hand on his shoulder. "That's right. We fight for each other. For everyone who can't fight for themselves."
"Together?"
"Together."
---
The attack came at midnight.
I was standing watch when I heard the sound. A low rumble, growing louder. The ground shook beneath my feet.
"They found us!" I shouted. "Everyone to your positions!"
The bunker erupted into chaos. Gideon and the others scrambled to their feet, grabbing their weapons.
"Leander! Where's Leander?"
"Here!" He was behind a crate, his weapon raised. "I'm ready!"
"Stay with me!"
We moved to the entrance, our weapons ready. The soldiers were everywhere, their numbers overwhelming.
"There's too many!" Leander shouted.
"Hold your ground!"
We fought with everything we had, our movements desperate. But the enemy kept coming.
"We need to retreat!" Gideon shouted.
"Retreat where? We're surrounded!"
"There's a tunnel! At the back of the bunker!"
"Then we go!"
We ran through the bunker, the soldiers close behind. The tunnel was ahead, its entrance narrow and dark.
"This way!" Leander shouted.
We crawled through the tunnel, our bodies scraping against the rough walls. The soldiers followed, their footsteps echoing behind us.
We emerged into the night, the Outlands stretching before us.
"Keep moving!" I shouted.
We ran through the darkness, our lungs burning. The soldiers were close, their footsteps echoing behind us.
We reached a collapsed building, scrambling inside. Gideon barricaded the entrance, shoving debris against the door.
"That won't hold for long," Seraphina said.
"Then we move. Now."
We followed Gideon through the building, our steps hurried. The soldiers were close, their voices echoing in the darkness.
We reached the roof, the night sky stretching above us.
"We need to jump," Gideon said. "It's the only way."
"Again?" Leander's voice was shaky.
"Trust me."
We jumped.
---
The impact was brutal. But we were alive.
"Leander!" I scrambled to my feet. "Leander!"
"Here!" He was lying in a heap, his face pale. "I'm okay."
I helped him up, checking his injuries.
"We need to move," Gideon said. "They'll follow us."
We ran through the Outlands, our bodies aching. The soldiers had given up the chase, their footsteps fading into the distance.
We found a new hiding place, a small building hidden behind a collapsed wall. It was cramped, cold, but it was safe.
"We lost the bunker," Gideon said. "We lost everything."
"No." I shook my head. "We're still here. We're still fighting."
"Fighting for what? We're running out of places to hide. Running out of people to fight."
"Running out of hope?"
He didn't answer.
I looked at the faces around me—tired, defeated, beaten. They'd been through so much. Lost so much.
But they were still here.
"We'll find a way," I said. "We always do."
---
That night, I stood alone on the roof of the building, staring at the stars.
Leander found me there, his footsteps soft on the concrete.
"Can't sleep?" he asked.
"Never can."
"Same." He sat beside me. "What are you thinking about?"
"About the future. About what happens next."
"What happens next is we keep fighting. We never stop."
"You're right," I said. "We never stop."
---
The message came at midnight.
I was standing watch when the communicator crackled to life. The voice was calm, measured. Claire.
"Aldric. I know you're listening. I know you're hiding. But you can't hide forever."
"What do you want?"
"I want to offer you a deal. Your lives, in exchange for the information you have about the Shadow Protocol."
"The Protocol is destroyed."
"It's not. And you know it. You have information about the backup systems. Give it to us, and we'll let you live."
"I won't."
"Then you'll die."
The line went dead.
I stared at the communicator, my mind racing. They wanted information about the Protocol. They wanted to finish what Percival started.
"We can't let them," Leander said. "We can't."
"I know."
"Then what do we do?"
I didn't have an answer. But I knew I'd find one.
- Writer
