The Test

Thirty-eight

The government sweeps in a few hours later, the real government, not just the AntiGen branch, demanding that we Genetics hand ourselves over to them so they can make humanity better.
Well. All the humanity in what used to be America.
Yeah...haha. Right. That's totally going to work.
Not.
Knox strides forward to meet the chopper that touches down outside in the loading bay. All the Jeeps are gone, of course. Destroyed in the wreckage. So they just about have space to land.

The door opens and the President steps out, pulling off his headphones as he does. "So. This is the infamous Genetic hideout. Well. You won't be needing it anymore."

"Oh?" Knox says, raising a brow.
The President smiles what he probably thinks is a benevolent smile, but from where I'm standing (by the door, with Luc and Vi and my friends) it just looks like a grimace.
"You will have noticed that we drafted in the army to come and pick you up, but..."

"They're all dead," Knox said. "We had a problem with the terrorists."
The President nods sagely, his comb-over blowing on the wind.

I'm creeping back into the wreckage, finding out if anyone is still alive. "The government is here." I whisper to the people starting to congregate in the courtyard, mostly those we saved from the warehouse. "I think they're going to try to kill us."

"You think?!" Frex mutters. I silence him with a look.

Luc laughs. Takes my hand. "I knew you could do it," he whispers.
"What?" I whisper, puzzled.
His eyes sparkle. "Be a leader."
I blush. "I'm no leader."
"Oh, yeah? What about the way you organised those people back there? Shooting those soldiers? That looked like a leader to me."

"You're biased," I say, shaking my head.
He grins. "I am. But that makes it no less true."
I grin. "Let's go fight off the government, O wise one."

When we return to our spot by the door, small and outnumbered "army" in tow, Knox and the President are still conversing. "When should we shoot?" A girl asks, apparently the friend of the one who died earlier.
"When I say." My voice is hard. Authoritative. I start. Maybe I am a leader after all.

The President turns to Knox. "Well, I'd say we need to see these Genetics. Don't you?"

Knox nods. "Absolutely." He beckons to us. "Come forward and meet the President."

Luc, Vi, Frex and I step forward.
The President smiles tightly, looking us over. "Surely there are more than this." he glances at Knox. "As we discussed, I need an army. Not a ragtag bunch of...children."
I bristle. "If you want an army, Mr. President," I say suddenly, "then I'll give you one." I turn behind me. "Now!"

The army bursts forward, literally all guns blazing. Soldiers rush toward the President, shielding him from the bullets.

"What - what is going on?" He splutters.

"You wanted an army. You got one." I smirk, raise the gun I've been holding since the soldiers left, for a precaution. "You just expected it to be on your side."

I pull the trigger, but the bullet never hits. It turns out, as I realise later, that I was out of bullets. But one bullet connected.

It wasn't mine.

It was Zach's.

I turn around to find the person whose bullet actually connected to the President's head, and see Zach in the doorway, gun still raised. And that's when I realise. "It was you," I say, stunned. "You shot my mother."