They saw an abandoned building a couple of blocks away from the battle. They planked right and risked their lives to shelter inside the building, not knowing if there was someone inside.
“It looks abandoned though,” Roger said.
Jules desperately breathed for air. He was bathing with sweats. All his friends and a couple of Dutch gunmen were with him in the lobby of the building. Their heads were practically plastered with other people’s blood and their own, and some were trying their best not to scream too loud while the medics tended their wounds.
“You alright?” John asked.
“Fine. Where’s Rake?”
“Checking perimeter.”
“What building was this? Have any idea?” Jules certainly knew how to start a topic. The dreadful atmosphere needed to be left behind for a second.
“Probably a post office. I saw some really old post stamps and all that mail shits. Amazing the Dutch foundation for these buildings really. Not gonna fall for a thousand years. Well, that is if a tank doesn’t rubble it down to the ground.”
Jules smirked and gave him a formal smile.
Glenn was sitting near the entrance door. He was so busy with the transmitter that he didn’t realize he was sitting too close to the front door.
“Might wanna move a bit. Those eagle snipers are pretty wild with their rifles.”
“Oh, hey Jules. How you doin’?” Glenn scooted a bit, eyes still fixed on the transmitter.
“I’m good. You know, besides almost getting killed by tanks, falling buildings, and Japanese bombers, I’m fine. You?”
“Uhhh… if this stupid thing works, I’ll be way better.”
“Those Dutch don’t bring any?”
“No.”
The front door swung open and Jules immediately referred his gun to it.
“Wow, Jesus. Fucking calm down, dude.”
Rake.
“Coast clear?”
“Nothin’ but wild cats and dead trucks.”
Roger and Asher appeared behind him with packs of dusty canned food.
“Oh yeah, almost forgot. There’s an Australian truck not far from here carrying these sweet supplies. The driver is dead, probably popped by the resistance.”
“Did you search for radio or something umm… electrical?” Glenn jumped in.
“Swept everything until even a single dust could not be found. No radios, not even guns. Weird that these cans are still valid.”
“So, done counting?” Roger asked. “How many here?”
“Twenty-two Americans, eight Dutch, two British.”
“Sweet.”
Asher strode pass me hurriedly.
“Yeah, he needs to go to the bathroom,” Rake chuckled.
“Guys,” Glenn interrupted. “Yeah this shit is busted. Might wanna have to find something else. How many floors are here?”
“Five,” Jules said.
“How many you and John checked?”
“Just one.”
“We should split up and search this building thoroughly.”
“Okay.”
“You take Rake to the fourth and fifth. I’ll go to the second and third.”
“Got it.”
“Ezra, with me.”
They all parted when Jules and John took the left stairwell and Glenn and Ezra took the right. The walls of the building were like covered with the cheapest paints ever. Some glimmers of actual red liquid, maybe it was blood, decorated the building with horror and sadistic manner.
“Sooo…” Rake started the conversation to fill the silence. “What do you think about the kid?”
“Kid? Oh you mean Asher. What about him?”
“Well, he’s seventeen. I still don’t understand how he passed every test.”
“It’s not very uncommon that.”
“True. Underage kids often slipped pass the test these days. Anyway, the kid’s manner is not really the best too.”
“You don’t like him that much?”
“No. You know what I think?”
They stepped on the last stair and turned on their flashlights. The interior of the level was humidly horrifying. It was like an abandoned warehouse with tons of stuffs lying around unpacked.
“Oh. The stuffs are still here,” Jules said.
“Perhaps this place isn’t very long abandoned. They probably left in a hurry after learning the Jeps are coming.”
“Yeah…. What was it you about to say… about Asher?”
“Yeah, I think soon, Asher’s gonna get us killed. He’s a very reckless kid. I don’t like him hanging around the boys. His temper is pretty much uncontrolled.”
“Well, you must admit he’s a very fine shooter.”
“True, but still, I cannot like him.”
A clanging sound echoed from somewhere in the room. Jules and Rake suddenly aimed their flashlights all around the place.
“What was that?”
“No fucking idea. Stay close.”
“Probably just a rat knocking something off, though.”
“Hopefully. Just ready yourself.”
They heard another sound. It sounded like the tsk-tsk-tsk of a radio. It came from the room across the level.
Rake moved forward before Jules. “Stay behind me,”
They treaded slowly, constantly. Jules was behind Rake. They tried to produce as less sound as it was possible to make, but Jules thought his beating heart was probably louder than the steps.
The room’s door had a name on it. It was something-something in Dutch, but the radio glared again. Someone was inside. Someone expected them.
Rake upped his rifle. He made the ‘shh’ finger and touched the door knob.
The last thing they heard was the sound of a gunshot banging from inside.
أنت تقرأ
Darkness Dissolves When the Door Opens
التاريخية[60.000-70.000 words] Trapped in a Japanese occupied island, Jules West and other allied soldiers were fighting for their survivals. Facing losses and mental breakdown were not their only problems since the whole island tried to kill them. It had b...
