《A LITTLE PIECE OF HOPE》


 1. APEX PREDATOR

    I won''t let you die.


    He tousled my hair before pushed me out of the building. It was beyond terror, but why did he doing this?


    "Open the door, Jerry! Please! We can find another way," i cried.


    "There''s no other way. This is my duty after all."


    I heard a radio transmission chatter, but it''s inaudible. He replied shortly, "The package has secured!"


    Something droned from the far distance. Sounded like thunder and bees in distress. Nevertheless, it''s gradually clearer as i looked up to the pitch black sky. A glint of military helicopters flied toward me.


    "Hey, i know it''s not the right time to say this, even if it was just a brief, i think you are right."


    "I don''t wanna hear that. Just come out. I beg you."


    "It''s too late for me. Way too late, i can''t risk the mission."


    "What do you mean, Jerry? You saved me. We are supposed to leave this hell together. Then why?"


    "Don''t cry. It just about time i''ll turned into something else. I don''t want you to remember me as that thing in our last moment."


    "I don''t understand. What do you mean by that thing? I could careless about it. We can through this together. Just open the door!"


    At the same time, a dozen of heavily armored soldiers scurried toward me. The helicopter has landed on the blood splattered concrete floor. I could hear some of them shouting to the other soldiers. Some sort of military commands.


    "Before you leave, i want you to remember. You are our last resort. No, it''s beyond that. You are the only hope this world has."


    I wanted to ask him the reason why he said that, but the soldier took me out before i even had a chance to say a word.


    "He''s inside. Please save him," i begged.


    "It''s too dangerous here, Mom. We have to leave now."


    A soldier took my briefcase while the others carried me on a stretcher.


    "Tell the medic to get ready," a soldier spoke through the radio.


    "How bad?"


    "I don''t know. Looks like GSW."


    "Copy."


    They took care of my wound inside the helicopter.  Somehow i didn''t remember what happened afterward. My sight blurred and gradually bleared. When i woke up, i wasn''t there anymore. The chaos, the scream, the gunfire. They''re gone.


    Contrary to the extemely loud cabin of the helicopter, this room was pretty quite. Almost like an anechoic chamber. It''s so soothing. Only peculiar ticking sounds that was beeping through my ears. As i looked up to the left, a flickered green light temporarily blinded my sight.


    "At last you woke up."


    "Who are you?" i asked.


    A man in black opened the curtain around my bed.


    "Definitely not that thing. I''m here, Lady."


    "You are not a doctor."


    "It doesn''t matter. I''ve been waiting for you in this room for three days. My God, i thought you''re dead."


    I was confused. There were lot of questions i wanna ask and lot of things i wanna know. I had to hold those questions when a nurse walked in.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Thank you for calling us, Sir. Could you please leave the room?"


    "Not a problem," he said.


    The nurse looked at me. "Can you sit? Just lay your back against the bed."


    "Can you give me a hand?" i replied."


    "Absolutely "


    She looked gorgeous and caring, but in a matter of second, the man in black smothered her mouth from behind. He twisted her head and put her slowly on the floor. It happened so fast. Only her cracking neck that reverbed in my head. I was shocked. Literally i wanna scream at the top of my lung, but he shushed me.


    "Do you really think a nurse or a doctor would ask their dying patient to sit down after three days unconscious?"


    I shook my head.


    He took something from the nurse''s dead body. "Look at this. This is arsenic. She wants to kill you."


    "How do you know it''s arsenic? Could be something else."


    I''m a bit incredulous.


    "Look. I''ve been watching this place for days. Apex Predator is hunting you at the moment."


    "What? Why?"


    "I''ll explain later. It''s time to renounce your relationship with Pandora. I know, you are feeling dizzy, but you have to follow me."


    I tried to stand up, but my knees trembled.


    "Don''t worry I can do this."


    "Are you sure?"


    He brought me to the garage. There''s a black van not far from the exit, but in a split second, the van exploded into pieces before we got in there.


    "Goddamned! There goes our luck."


    He dragged me back inside. "Your existence is a disruption for them. All they want is your corpse."


    "What do you mean? You keep saying ridiculous thing. I''m sick of it!"


    We ran toward another corridor. There''s a vaulted passage before we entered an arched door. It''s a morgue.


    "They won''t catch us here. It''s our chance." He murmered. "Go hide over there!"


    "Nobody is after us. Why should we run?"


    "Duck!" he said.


    I crouched as fast as i could. He''s right. Somebody was chasing us.


    "Who are they?" i whispered.


    I heard steps running around as they tried to find someone. Slowly i peeked through the window and saw a few man with advanced military suit with guns scurried around.


    I knew who they were even if i rarely saw them in Pandora''s facility. It''s Apex Predator. That''s what we called them. A special trained unit with advanced military technology. Created to protect Pandora''s facilities, assets, and officials.


    "I know what you think right now, ''if they were created to protect us, why they tried to kill me?'' that''s what on your head, right?"


    "How did you?"


    "Just a lucky guess. Listen, i don''t know everything. Can you at least tell me what exactly you were doing in Pandora''s research lab?"


    "I can''t tell you, but, well, actually we made--"


    "Hold on a second." He answered his phone.


    "Alright, i understand. Make it fast."


    He peeked through the window and looked at his watch. Just in a mere second, a huge explosion buzzed through the air. The windows were quivering. We slid off the morgue from the back door and ran into the woods as fast as we could.


    "What was that?" i asked.


    "It''s a decoy to distract those Apexes."


    Suddenly he stopped.


    "What happen?"


    "Just run along the river. You''ll meet my buddy there. To make sure you are alive is my top priority right now."


    "What? Then why you let me alone?"


    "It''s, uhmm, irresistible. We''ve been spotted. Go, now!"


    I ran as quick as a flash. The last thing i heard was a gunshot. I kept running and running. Even though i felt like i was running at the speed of light, they gradually getting closer to me.


    I could say it''s a damnfool luck that made me still alive, but for how long?


    I heard another gun shot. A bullet flew just an inch near my left ear and slammed into a pine tree.


    "Oh my God. Help me!"


    It''s horrid. They tried to kill me just now. What should i do? Would they commiserated me if i surrendered? If only i could hide somewhere. I couldn''t think of anything. It''s getting worse. I fell and flailing like dried leaves. With fear as the spur, i leaped to my feet and keep running even though my elbow and knee were bleeding.


    They unstintingly firing me.


    I was so tired. I couldn''t keep running like this. This was my last catch of breath. I stopped and threw my self on the ground. Just let them did anything to my supine body. Maybe a direct bullet through my forehead. Fast and painless. Peace at last! I closed my eyes and covered the sight with eingengrau. I could feel a flock of them stood around me. This was a predicament end for me. Who would have thought i will die like a wild boar in the middle of nowhere.


    "Wake up!"


    Why? I couldn''t run anymore. They should''ve just shot me. Why bother asked me to stand? When i opened my eyes, an unpreccedented feelings engulfed the fear out of me.


    "You are not them. Oh my God help me. They tried to kill me," i cried in relief.


    "Pull yourself together. You''re gonna be fine."


    He helped me to stand, but at the same time, the Apexes emerged from the dark of the woods and bushes like a hungry leopard. Their goggles reflected the komorebi which made them looked even terrifying like a real predators at night. One of them walked toward the strangers around me.


    "She is under our protection. Kindly to hand her over to us."


    "I''m afraid i have to refuse. To forestall the recent incident. The Cemetery Wind will take this woman. She is the only witness and the lone victim of that incident. I hope you understand the situation as for now."


    His gesture expressed exasperation and revulsion. He glared at me before left with the rest of the Apexes. I couldn''t stopped the anguish cry even though i knew i was safe and under the protection of these unknown group of people.


    Who are they?


    ______

 2. CEMETERY WIND

    "Mrs. Hope. We''ve been expecting you. Here, have some water."


    "Where am i?"


    "Don''t be too scrupulous about it. What''s more important, you are save now."


    I didn''t know who were these people nor tried to trust them. They took me to this place after we were confronted by the Apex Predator. From the outside it looked like an old shack, but when i walked in, there''s an elevator to the underground.


    "Listen, whatever you want from me, i don''t have it," i said.


    "Calm down. I''m Kyle, i''m assigned to accompany you. We''ll fly to the HQ in two hours. Change your clothes, we have spare in that closet."


    "What if i don''t want to?"


    "I''ll ask the ugliest man we have to put it for you," he glowered. "Don''t waste your time, Defiant Lady."


    I looked at him with contempt. I didn''t have a choice after all. At least they didn''t try to kill me. I put the spare clothes on. A camo T-shirt and trousers. He deliberately didn''t tell me if the spare clothes were man size. It''s baggy. I felt naked in this. Luckily i found a belt to cinched these over sized clothes. This was embarrassing.They didn''t say anything when they saw me. Instead, they offered me some food.


    "Don''t give me that face."


    "What if you poisoned my food?" i said.


    Kyle put a glass of water on the table.


    "You''re already dead long ago if i want to."


    We took off when the sun about to submerged into the horizon. As the helicopter flied, a drop of tear rolled up my cheek. Invariably dripped like a cut opened vein. My throat felt tight as if it was squished by a press machine.


    Kyle looked at me, but said nothing.


    It felt unreal. Just a week ago i was just a normal person. Well maybe not so normal, but at least i felt happy as if everything would always be fine.


    "Mrs. Hope, we''ll arrive in five minutes."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I nodded. I didn''t feel like to say anything.


    "You have to change your clothes when you get there. You look funny."


    What is this? Is he tried to provoked me?


    "You looked like a homeless zombie from Kensington Ave. The only different is you''re sober and beautiful."


    "Excuse me?"


    "Listen, Mrs. Hope. I understand what you''ve been through, but cheer up. You are save now. Don''t look outside with that mindless empty stare like Joe Biden on his Teleprompter."


    "Joe Biden? Why would you bring a dead person from one hundred years ago into our conversation?"


    "Exactly."


    I didn''t understand.


    Not long after we landed on a spectacle looking building. It looked immense and distinct with its neo futuristic architecture design. I didn''t know where was i at the moment, but i could assure this place was highly secured. Armed guards almost everywhere. Some just lingered around the gates and watchtowers.


    A woman escorted me to infirmary. I told her i''m fine, but she insisted to treated the scratches on my elbow and knee. How did she know about my knee? Did Kyle informed her before we got here? She''s truly a caring woman. After a quick treatment she took me to another room. The atmosphere changed drastically. Almost like from bad to worse. A scary looking man just sat there as if he''d been expecting me. His intense stare made my knees tremble. Let alone the burn scar on his left face.


    "Thank you Adeline, you can leave. Now, Mrs. Hope, please take a seat."


    "Where am i? Uhmm I, i''m sorry. With all respect, Sir, i, uhmm."


    "Cemetery Wind headquarter. I''m Thomas Henderson, the managing director of this place."


    "I, i, i uhmm, it''s truly disconcerting. I, i really don''t understand why am i here and what is this place and uhmm, i, i''ve never heard about your organization and uhmm."


    "Worry nothing Mrs. Hope. We are on the good side."


    "B, but, uhmm, could you elaborate more? With all respect, Sir, i, i didn''t mean to, uhmm."


    "We are just like Apex Predator. The only different is, we are serving a different bos."


    "So, uhmm, Cemetery Wind is a private military organization? Like, mercenary army? I, i just assume, i''m maybe wrong, b, but i don''t mean to, uhmm."


    "Mrs. Hope, i understand you''ve been through a lot this week. Just for your record, we don''t have a plan to kill you. Yet."


    A sudden great turmoil in my chest almost pumped my soul out of my body. What did he mean by, yet? As i thought, i was literally running from a snake''s hive into the lion''s den.


    "We are working for the World Health Organization, Mrs. Hope. I believe this answer would dissipate your doubt and dismay."


    Why would a prestige high class world organization such as WHO hired this mercenary army? What''s the purpose?


    "Uhmm, okay, what do you want from me?"


    "The truth."


    "And by truth you mean?"


    "Tell me everything you know about the Novaya Zemlya incident."


    I froze on my chair like a broken door knob. I didn''t want to remember anything that happened on that night. In fact, i was haunted by it. Somehow, a sudden compulsion spasm an urge in me to fight the inner terror.


    "Fine, i''ll tell you everything."


    _____