To Be A Hero

Chapter 57: You Win Again

"Runner Five, I know this is a great deal to ask, but I need you ready to go in a moment," Janine says. "We must break this communications lockdown."

Sam hands me a bottle of water, and I down it in just a few gulps, leaning on him to give my shaking legs a break.

"Sorry I'm all sweaty and gross," I say, my chest still heaving. Sam simply gives me a soft smile as he wraps an arm around my waist to help keep me up.

"What can we even do?" He asks Janine.

"We're surrounded by several repeater stations," She replies. "The Minister must have attached some kind of technological block to prevent them from broadcasting our signals. Runner Five, we need you to go to the nearest repeater station and examine the technology there to discover what she's done. I shall muster our forces here in case the Minister launches an all-out attack in your absence."

Jody stands, redoing her hair into a tight ponytail. "I'll go with you, Five."

"No. You proved yourself an Abel lieutenant during the kidnapping of Dr. Meyers' baby, Runner Four. I want you here with me."

"And what do you want me to do?" Milo asks, straightening his back. Janine sighs.

"Mr. Scotts, I know you want to help, but I believe it would be best-"

"I was temporary radio operator when Dr. Maxine was having her baby, remember? A-And I'm not just gonna go sit in the dorms knowing that the lady we're going up against is the one who tried to kill my mum, twice! Plus she was married to the man who did tests on her! I'm going to help, Colonel. I just want you to tell me what job I should do."

Janine looks at him, her eyes slightly wider than before, but it's not exactly a look of shock, it's more of surprise. "Very well. You will aid Mr. Yao in trying to reach out to other settlements once Runner Five gets at least one of the repeater stations up and running again."

He nods. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Mr. Yao, both you and Mr. Scotts should head back to the coms shack. Call on Runner Twenty-three."

Sam grabs my hand and gives it a firm squeeze, and he gives me a desperate look before he and Milo head back to the coms shack. I know that look. It's 'be brave' and 'be careful' and 'please don't fail us' all in one.

I won't fail him. I won't fail Abel.

This place is my home, and I will not let the Minister, or anyone else for that matter, cut my home off from the rest of the world. Not now, not ever.

This bitch doesn't know who she's messing with.

"Runner Five, we desperately need that signal block deactivated," Janine says. "Go, now."

The gates go up, and the alarm goes off, and I hand off my empty water bottle to Jody, who takes with a click of her tongue. I force a smile in reply, trying to find it in me to laugh...

I can't.

"Okay, Five," Sam says through my headset. "Paula will join you in the field. Go!"

And I run.

My legs are shaky, and my chest still aches from all the running I've done today, but I can't stop. I can't just wait. We need to get this message out. We have to tell everyone just who the Minister really is, and what she's done.

For five and a half years she's been in charge. She's been plotting, and planning. We haven't figured out why yet. I know we plan to, but we have to get the word out first. Project Greenshoot had to be put on hold for a long time, simply because there was never a good time for it to executed. But it's obvious the Minister was preparing for it long before I was ever told to go. She took Anna six months before I was sent out. I hadn't even known I'd been chosen for Project Greenshoot at that time.