Flames of Revenge

Chapter 57: Smoke and Regret

I stare into the crowd, the fire glinting from the streets through the smoke into my eyes. I hear nothing besides my beating heart, seeing only the destruction before me for a brief, horrifying moment.

Boom boom.

Everywhere I look, there's nothing but death and demolition. Fallen buildings rest on top of hundreds of innocent lives, the ghost of bombs leaving bodies of men, women and children littered in every direction.

Boom boom.

We caused this.

Boom boom.

We just killed thousands of people.

Boom boom. Boom boom.

My eyes focus on the few spectators who are left alive, right at the front of the target building. They look around, panicked, not even aware of what's happening through the wall of smoke they're trapped in.

Boom boom. Boom boom. Boom boom.

I freeze.

It's over.

The world comes back into focus as my a familiar sound buzzes in my ear.

"There was a malfunction on the devices. They were untested!" An agent shouts. He seems panicked and distraught. Maybe this was catastrophe was an accident after all.

But I don't care. I'm not continuing. I am not going to stand for thousands of innocent lives being taken. There might still be a way to turn back. After all, it is my mission-

Or is it?

Another voice cuts the first one off over my earpiece.

"The mission must continue," it says. "Finish what you came here to do, or it'll all be for nothing. Take the small devices we gave you and press the button provided on our cue. Keep them, and if there are remaining guards when you reach the front, throw them at their feet."

Or it'll all be for nothing.

I take my necklace into my hand and study it. Everything I've done since I came to this team has lead to this moment. I'm here for a reason. My parents will be avenged.

This is all I have. And I refuse to let it go to waste.

With shaky hands, I pull the device from my pocket. I remove the cover slowly and look at Drake and Diane. Both seem riled up and slightly confused, like they don't understand what's going on.

"One. Two. Three."

I press the button on the device and watch through the window. Small figures outside the doors of the building fall to the ground. Before I can react, the machine I'm in lurches forward, gaining speed.

"Hold on!" The pilot calls back. The helicopter dives down, sending us all tumbling. I look over at Diane, tucking the device into my pocket.

"THIS IS SO COOL!" She shrieks. Drake glares at her, his eyes filled with confusion and fear.

A moment later, the doors open.

"JUMP ON 3!" The pilot yells. I step up to the edge of the helicopter and grab the bar again. We're getting closer and closer to the building and the ground. I look forward and shriek as the helicopter gets dangerously close to crashing.

"WAIT WHAT?!" Diane calls. "I CAN'T HEA-"

"THREE!"

I jump, pulling Diane with me and yanking the cord on my vest. The parachutes activate, but we still hit the ground hard. I look around and try to find my direction through the thick smoke.

"DIANE?!" I call. The smoke stings my eyes, blocking my vision further.

Then I hear a loud voice from before me.

"HERE!" She calls. I stumble towards the sound, breathing hard through my mask.

Suddenly, I trip over something soft. Catching my footing, I look back. A little girl lies there, limp. Her blonde pigtails are ruined by the fire, and blood soaks her arm, seething through her torn dress. Her eyes are wide with shock, glazed over.

Dead.

I watch the child for a moment, blinking the smoke from my eyes, barely keeping my tears from flowing. How many children were here? How many innocent children died?

What have I done?

"ALI!" I hear behind me. Diane runs up to me, her mask flapping to one side of her suit. She coughs hard as she approaches me, breathing heavily.

"Which... way..." her coughs worsen by the moment, and soon she can hardly speak.

"Diane, mask. Now!" I say.

"It's.... itchy!" She replies.

"Put it on, it'll help with the smoke."

"Can't-" her sentence is interrupted by another round of coughs. I take her mask and help her fix it, then look around for the building.

I glance up and see the very top to the right of us.

"That way!" I say. Then a thought hits me. "Where's Drake?!"

Diane shrugs.

"Should we... look... for him?" She asks between coughs. I think for a moment and shake my head.

"No time," I say, reaching into my bag. "Grab your gun and follow me."

"You're... still not... my boss," she says.

"Diane!"

"Fine!" She grabs her gun from her back and prepares it. "After.. you, Lieutenant... Balls."

We begin hurrying towards the building.

"Lieutenant Balls, really?" I ask. She coughs in response.

"Couldn't... finish sentence..." she says.

We step over countless bodies on our way. I try to avoid looking at them, circumventing their startled, glossy eyed gazes, and focus on the prize in front of me instead;

The building that holds my parents' killers.

It's time to do what I came for.

We reach the front steps and come to a halt.

All the people who were here moments ago are gone.

In their place is the one thing we should've suspected.

Police cars line the steps, keeping everyone back.

What are we going to do now?