The Veterans
1563 Words
“It’s not there.” Adam said coming from behind Alexa and Elijah. He spared a glance on the severed part and continued.
“...You think she got it?” He asked Alexa.
“Don’t think so. If she did then screw her for not finding us first.” Alexa answered and they began to walk away.
“What happened there? The car totally crashed. What were you looking for?” Elijah tore his eyes away from the bloody scene and walked with them. The severed leg was brutal but it’s not like he hadn’t seen plenty of those.
“No need to concern yourself kid.” Adam answered.
Seeing that there is no ounce of worriness in both adult’s eyes even after they passed an unrecognizable mutilated half body on the street together with mutant bodies around, the couple didn’t show any distress, instead they paid respect by saying rest in peace.
“Did you know him?” Elijah asked but somehow he knew this might be the owner of that leg.
“Sort of.” Adam answered and they proceeded.
“Hey… psst.. hey.”
Adam widened his eyes on the kid who just couldn't shut up. “What now?”
“You seem to be confident that your daughter is still around? There are many mutants around, are you sure she can survive those?” Thoughtless question. If it’s not Adam and other people who had heard this, it sounded horrifying at Elijah’s indirect implications.
It can be translated to ‘Are sure she is still alive?’
“Kid, You see that.” Adam pointed at Alexa.
“Alexa? Yeah.”
“She is stronger than her.” He proudly declared and Elijah was amused so much that his thoughts reflected in expression. ‘Really?’
Adam nodded.
Alexa who turned around arched an eyebrow. ‘What the hell are they doing?’
“Anyway, how old is your daughter? She must be young considering you guys look….so young… What is wrong?” Elijah asked, seeing Adam stiffened.
“Nothing. How old are you?” Adam asked.
“20”
“Yeah. She is around that age too.”
Elijah looked at Adam with scrutinizing eyes.
“What?!” Adam defensively asked.
“Both of you! Are you not going to stop chit chatting? It’s been thirty minutes! For goodness sake.” Alexa opened his eyes while hissing.
Both men nodded and zip their mouths.
Alexa mumbles a mixture of curses and bad mouthing directed to both men.
It took them half an hour later to reach the target destination. Maybe because Elijah’s companion’s are great that his previous team looks total baby, compared to the way these two move. For the first time, he felt like he was with someone that wouldn't slow him down, instead these two were too fast that they waited for him at some moments.
Efficient kills and silent moves. It was impressive to look at.
“Shit.” Alexa cursed after she moved out from the fallen wall.
“There are tire tracks!” Elijah exclaimed.
Adam and Alexa met eyes and let Elijah examine the surroundings.
“The other team must've escaped already! Seriously! They took two. Wah! How selfish!”
“Elijah.” Alexa called.
“...?”
“What do you mean by other teams?” She asked.
They are currently standing on the place where Alexa and Adam’s jeeps were parked. While the other one was crushed inside the amusement park, the other one is missing. Seeing it has a reversed marking on the ground until to the cemented part of the street from there the marks are hard to tell. Then it was intentionally moved.
Elijah looked at the two adults with suspicion. “How did you two know about the Car?” He asked carefully.
“What car are you talking about?” Adam tried playing it cool but his serious look gave it away.
Elijah backed a little. He is backing on the main road outside the park. It wasn’t ideal but those two are standing on opposite ends of the fallen park’s wall.
“...”
“Elijah, what car are you talking about? What are you supposed to do?” Adam asked again.
“No. Who are you? I’ve never seen you in the games before. How did you know about the game's first location?” Backing again slowly, Elijah kept his guard up.
“What location? The building?” Adam has his hands face up, showing his no intention of harming him
“How did you know it? Who are you?” Elijah can tell, these two are bad news, if they are not their side. That is one thing running in his head after seeing their various skills.
They don’t blink in pulling the trigger.
“Kid, Remember what I told you about running away?” Unlike Adam, calming him down. Alexa has her gun ready.
“Try running. I’ll shoot you in the leg, you will not want to be disable especially in this environment.”
They don’t blink.
‘She will shoot.’ Assured, Elijah feels his heart beating fast. He was thinking fast of his fast escape route but… He is convinced he will not be able to escape this unscatched.
Their shooting skills are on point. Not once he had since these guys missed a target a thought had passed his mind.
“You… You are soldiers.” He mumbled.
He finally realized it. Their confident and organized ways are standard. Their skill and their familiarity with mutants were outstanding… then it can mean that they are people that Apocalypse Veterans.
Apocalypse Veterans are people with familiarity with the sense of apocalypse even after it ended. They are mostly soldiers, researchers and venturers like the Renaissance.
“W,what are the soldiers doing here?” Elijah was even more confused now.
“Elijah. Calm down.” Adam catches his attention but then Elijah starts running away.
*Phew
Alexa pulled the trigger to momentarily stop Elijah. The bullet hit the ground. As Elijah looked back, he was surprised and unable to dodge a small wire gunned at him.
*Ziiiiiit
And it electrocuted him.
“Sorry Kid. We can’t let you go.” Adam said to convulsing Elijah before it loses his consciousness. He is holding a palm size rectangular item which sent flying a wire that fried Elijah.
****
Heavy groaning and uncomfortable stance.
That’s how Elijah woke up somewhere dark. It was hard to tell that it’s already night outside.
Gagged and roped to a post. He can’t break free from this kind of b*****e.
His hands are at least in front of him and instead of standing he was sitting down on the floor.
“Hey, Kid. How are you feeling?” Adam appeared on his side, his back on the other pillar and his gun to his side.
“Ummmff- amff.”
“Sorry, I forgot. You are still gagged. I’ll remove it. Don’t shout or I’ll leave you here.” Adam threatened him but his voice was too calm.
He removed the cloth in his mouth and pull another one out from inside Elijah’s mouth
*Cough cough cough
“You hungry?” Adam offered a granola bar after Elijah’s coughing ceased a little.
Elijah wanted to glare at him but the food is appetizing even if he doesn’t know what it is.
“This is choco flavored.” Adam tempted him more and waved it in front of the kid.
It was obvious how hungry he is, seeing that his gaze is wondering where the bar is.
Elijah swallowed his saliva and his pride. “I want.”
Adam chuckled and opened the bar and fed him.
Elijah’s resolve was weakened by food. In short he was bribed.
“Seriously, man, what are you doing here?” Elijah asked calmly despite still in ropes, or was this wires?
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“I just found myself here.”
“Me too.”
“That sucks.”
“Tell me about it.”
They are in total insync and even the way they sighed at the same time. Smiling at each other, their harmony stopped the moment Adam changed expression and held up his gun to the door.
The door opens and Alexa walks in.
“He is awake. Good.”
“What happened to the Car?”
“Couldn’t trace it. You, I’ll remove that, but if you try any funny business. I will shoot you with a real gun. Understood?”
Elijah nodded.
‘This woman is really intimidating.’
“Are you seriously blushing right now?” Adam asked dumbfounded.
*Rip Rip
Déjà vu.
Elijah stretched his arms and cracked his stiff body.
“Take us to your group.” Alexa demanded.
“I don’t know where they are.”
*Click
Alexa pulls her gun close to Elijah’s head.
“One more lie and I’ll put a hole in your head. That watch in your arm. That’s a map with GPS installed. Open it up.”
“H,how did..”
“It's a military issued map watch. We were soldiers so we know when we see one.” Adam answered.
“Open it up.”
Just before Elijah tries opening it, he stops mid way.
“Why didn’t you open it yourself? ”
- Writer
