Last Hope (33 page)

“
I don’t know, she was here
just a few minutes ago but when I went to go look for her she was
already gone.”

“
I really hope they did not
grab her.” Sandra says with tears. Adam look at Katrina who was
trying hard to be her normal self, but for the first time in a long
time she was showing emotions, it was fear.”

Commander was in the War Room Where the
council was please with the Commander results. “Good job Commander,
we are even please with the psychological testing that you gave
your three best soldiers, and that you were even to break
Katrina.”

“
Thank you sir. She was very
hard to break, however when we were able to break her she was very
easy to control. She will become the perfect soldier from here on
out.”

Adam was confused on what Sandra was
talking about. “Perfect soldier? Those are only myths that are in
war stories.”

Sandra explain Commanders desires.
“Everyone want to have the perfect soldier. Commander is no
different. The perfect soldier, the perfect military. No more death
on our side. Perhaps then we could turn this battle
around.”

“
I believe you Sandra,
however, from the sounds of it. Do you think Commander is going to
become corrupt for the lust of power?” Sandra made no comment when
her pager went off. The same thing with Katrina, Martine, and Adam.
“I guess the only way we can see if the training pays off is to see
the difference in the battle.”

As the four of them got up to get their
gear Sandra ask Adam a question. “Where is Kato? I am sure she may
be worry about us.

Adam let out a slight sigh. “She
died.”

Sandra felt no emotion or even ask how
Kato died. “Is that so? That’s to bad, she was a good
soldier.”

Adam felt empty of Sandra’s words when
he was remembering what Mandisa told him. “The day a death no
longer affects you, you should get out.”

As soon as the team touch base on
ground. The team was ambush, a brute and two heavies came from the
side, everyone pick their targets but no one died, three elite
heavies also came from the side. Adam kills the brute. Sandra fire
at a heavy, it ran away but still got hit. Maziah lays down
suppressing fire on a elite heavy. The elite heavy shot at Maziah,
miss. Martine fire a rocket at an elite heavy, destroys it's cover
and hurt the elite heavy. Maziah fire at the elite heavy, hit. Adam
moves to cover, got shot at twice, hit once, light damage. Adam
then kills the elite heavy. A heavy shot at Adam, light damage.
Adam shot at the heavy that hit him, miss. Sandra moves to cover,
got shot at, miss. She try to kill the heavy that Adam mis but the
heavy ran away. The heavy still got hit. Andrea killed the runaway
heavy. “Looks like they were expecting us.” Maziah told her team.
“That makes things easier for us.” She said as she reloads her
gun.

The other heavy shot at Sandra, the
elite heavy shot at Adam, miss. Sandra shot at the heavy that hit
her. Adam shot at same heavy, miss. The heavy shot at Sandra agian,
miss. The elite heavy retreats. Sandra who was reloading her gun
notice the runaway heavy. “Be on your toes, they could be changing
their tactics.” Adam kill the last heavy.

The place was quiet for a while Martine
made a statement as he was reloading his gun. “An ambush? How long
they were expecting us?”

Katrina near Martine. “It doesn't
matter how many men they will throw at us, we will still come out
victorious.”

The elite heavy came back, Martine fire
at it, miss, the elite heavy retreats. “You are not getting away
this time.” Martine said as he chase after the elite heavy. Katrina
call out Martine’s name. “No wait, come back, it’s a trap!” Martine
got shot at, but they miss, found three sons, one son tries to
move, Katrina shot at it with a pistol. “You stupid idiot.” She
told herself.

Martine toss a grenade, hurting both a
son and the elite heavy that ran away. Andrea went to cover, shot
at the son that Martine hit with a grenade, it ran away but still
got hit, one son shot at Martine. The son that Andrea hits is
trying to flank the team, the other son has Martine pin down.
“Shit, I need some help over here!” Martine toss another grenade at
the son that is suppressing fire on him, blew up his cover, miss
the son, but hurt the elite heavy.

Andrea shot at the son that is trying
to flank, it got away but still got hit. “We are kind of busy over
here Martine after you tried to be fucking Rambo over
there!”

Sandra rush forward, shot at the son
that had Martine pin down, it got hit then fled a bit. Maziah ran
to cover, toss a grenade, blowing up a elite heavy cover and
hurting it. Katrina kill the elite heavy, headshot, Katrina then
fire at the son that is trying to flank the team, but miss. The son
that is trying to flank the team, shot at Martine but miss. Sandra
got shot at twice, hit once, one son goes right next to Sandra.
“Hello there, little man.” Sandra says with a snicker as she went
to cover, shot at the son that try to sneak up on her, it ran away
but still got hit. “Why you running away? I thought you wanted to
play a little rough.” Sandra says with a snicker.

Katrina fire at same son again, hit.
Adam rushes forward, shot at the son that try to sneak on Sandra,
miss. Andrea was busy reloading. “They are not giving in!” He told
the team.

Maziah goes near Martine,
shot at the son that try to sneak on Sandra, miss, that son toss a
grenade, hurting both Maziah and Martine, the son that was trying
to flank, went right behind Katrina. Another son shot at Sandra,
hit, the elite heavy shot at Maziah, miss.Katrina was staring at
the son that went behind cover, then grab her knife. “You think
that you could go one on one with me? You have no idea what they
did to me.” Katrina told the son as the two of them were facing
each other as that son also grab his knife.
In a knife fight you should control the knife hand and strike
with everything you have. The son ran up the Katrina and the two of
them were lock in combat, trying to swing at one another when the
time was necessary. The son try to leap forward at Katrina with his
knife had first. Katrina grab that arm, and quickly bend it the
other direction then broke it. Using her free knife hand Katrina
stab the son in his back. The son was still trying to wiggle
himself free. Adam saw some commotion coming from the corner of his
eye. He turn his head to see Katrina holding up the son. Katrina
had the son on his knee with arm in the air. Katrina then wrap her
arms around the sons neck then twisted the sons neck killing him.
For some reason that gave Adam some chills, even though he knew
that if Katrina did not kill that son then he would had kill
her.

Sandra shot at the son that hit her.
Adam kill the son that shot at Sandra. Andrea rushes forward, shot
at the elite heavy that miss Maziah, the elite heavy went away but
still got hit. Maziah shot at the elite heavy, the son retreats,
while the elite heavy ran out into the open, shot at Martine, he is
barely alive. Adam kill the elite heavy. “How you doing
Martine?”

Martine clench to his wound in pain.
“I’ve been better.” He lookup at Adam and gave him a smile. Adam
also smile back at seeing the old Martine back. “Don’t worry Adam,
I’ll be just fine. When we get back, you are going to order me a
beer.”

Adam let out a little laugh at hearing
Martine’s small joke again. He look over to Sandra however she
still felt to be a different person. As he looks over to Katrina,
she has always been quite and gave an aura that you don’t want to
be around. This time her aura has gotten stronger. Her blank stares
were almost blinkless. Sandra came into command. “Stay and rest
Martine, what you did was very brave and very foolish. We only have
to look through that aircraft over there. Kill their leader and
then we will be able to take you home.”

“
What about that one son
that got away?”

“
We will worry about him
later. I don’t want my start heavy to die on me.” Sandra let out a
slight smile and gave Martine a pat on his soilder. Perhaps Adam
was just jumping to conclusions. sandra, Katrina and Martine are
still the same people. Adam has just not seen them in battle for a
while.

Martine fell back, reload his gun,
going to stay. “When you find that son, tell him that I said
hello.” Martine told the group as they walk off.

The son that retreat came out into the
open, everyone took their shots, it got hit, did not die, it ran
away some more. “Lets go.” Andrea said as he moves up ahead, shot
at it but it fled some more.

Maziah enter the fallen aircraft trying
to find the son that ran away, open a door, nothing. The son that
is trying to get away ran inside the aircraft, Katrina kills it
with her pistol. Everyone got ready to enter the aircraft, to find
a leader, Martine stays behind, slowly walking to the fallen
aircraft. “Just in case they need me, I’ll be there.” He told
himself as he limps forward. “I am not going to let stupid machines
control my life like they have Katrina. I’m not a robot, I’m a
soldier, I’m a man. I’m mother fucking Etienne Martine, and I am
here to stay mother fucker and no one is going to change me, no
matter how hard they try.”

Andrea bust open the door found the
leader and a elite heavy. “Ask me this one question before we kick
your ass. How come all of the leaders of the Sons are now in every
aircraft ever now?”

Sandra rush to cover, shot at a elite
heavy, it runs to new cover, still got hit. Maziah fire a rocket
inside, hurting both the leader and the elite heavy.The elite heavy
shot at Andrea, he is almost dead. Andrea ran into a new room, shot
at the elite heavy, almost kills it. Sandra kill the elite heavy.
Katrina shot at leader with a pistol. Adam ran past the leader,
rapid fire on him. Andrea shot at the leader, miss, the leader fell
back, found Martine sneaking up from the side, shot at Martine, he
is bleeding out. Katrina kills the leader. Everyone rush outside to
find Martine on the ground bleeding out. Sandra was starting to
cry. “You stupid idiot! I told you to wait!”

Martine grab a hold on Sandra. “Sandra,
don’t change. Don’t let anyone try to change you. I know, I miss
her to but you gotta keep moving forward. It’s over now Sandra,
it’s all over now.” Martine told Sandra as he starts to cry as
well. Andrea became a major, he is wounded for eight days, Martine,
four, Sandra seven, Maziah, five.

When the squad came back home the first
thing that Adam did was that he ran into the War Room looking for
Commander. “What the fuck are you doing!?” He ask the Commander.
Everyone in the room grab their guns and pointed at
Adam.

Commander told everyone to lower their
weapons. “What are you doing, for stepping out of line and yelling
at your Commander Adam?”

“
You know just damn well why
I am doing this. What the hell did you do to Sandra, Katrina and
Martine? I know all three of them very well and for the first time
ever I saw Katrina cry!”

“
You want to know what we
did to your friends?” Commander let out a slight chuckle. “Why
don’t you find out for yourself?” Before Adam could react, he was
tackle on the ground as Commanders men place some sort of serum in
Adam’s neck to knock him out.

When they took him away Commanders
assistant spoke to Commander. “Commander, In some way, I think That
Adam may be right. This new technology that we are doing, we are
unaware of the risk that are involved.”

“
War has change assistant.
It's an endless series of proxy battles, fought by mercenaries and
machines. Nanomachines inside their bodies enhance and regulate
their abilities. Genetic control. Information control. Emotion
control. Battlefield control. Everything is monitored, and kept
under control.”

“
What happens if we are not
able to control them Commander? The human body will always
overpower the machines. Katrina was the only soldier who was able
to adapt to the machines. Sandra and Martine fail and almost
died.”

“
The casualties of
war.”

“
Casualties of war is where
a bomb gets exploded destroying a small town. What we are doing is
taking away a soldier's life. We are making them a
tool.”

“
This decision comes from
the Council! They want new soldiers. better soldiers, I don’t want
to do this either assistant but I was told to from the council so I
have to. If that makes me a bad man for following my orders then so
be it.”

“
No Commander, that does not
make you a bad person for following your orders. It just makes you
a tool.”

Mission 40 Perfect Soldier

The following day, Sara and Anna woke
up in Sandra and Mandisa’s barracks without Mandisa or Sandra
making breakfast. They can cook meals themselves, but waking up
without either one of them was strange. “Anny, have you seen
Mandisa or Sandra today?” Sara ask as she was looking around the
room.

“
No.” Anna says with a yawn.
“I just woke up Sara, perhaps they are already up, and outside or
something.”

“
Mandisa never came back,
and Sandra still missing.” Sara says with a sigh.

Anna, quickly realising Sara’s fear
walk up to her and gave her a hug. “It’ll be ok Sara.”

Sara held onto Anna tightly when the
door open and Sandra was standing outside. “Sandra!” Sara says with
joy as she rushes over to Sandra and gave her a giant hug. However
Sandra did not return the hug. Sandra just gave Sara a pat on her
head then walk to her room and close the door. Both Sara and Anna
was confuse on Sandra’s actions.