CHAPTER 5

Covering Several miles of ground, the children stopped to gather around the trail, eat and collect berries they had each procured from the bushes.

One boy, called Fhajad spoke up, "I want to know one thing, we're going to get to the extraction point at the same time. So, who's getting left behind? We should decide now"

"Draw Straws" Roma, in her cheeky demeanor, suggested

John stood, and spoke, "No, no one is getting left behind, We're going to figure a way to get all of us out."

"How?" Kelly asked "Mendez said that-"

"I know what he said. But there's got to be a way; I just haven't thought of one yet. Even if it's me that stays behind."

Ever since Margaret had known him from training, John had developed into a strong and capable leader, he looked after his teammates, even putting himself at risk for them. Margaret had grown to admire these qualities as something she looked up to him for.

John rose up to resume the march, "come on, we're wasting time"

Margaret and Otto stood up to fall in with him. The trees seemingly melted together, as the sun rose over the mountaincaps, streaking across the red sky.

"You'd think they argue like an old' married couple" Otto Whispered

"what about us?" She whispered, "they probably think we do too"

Kelly cut them off as she froze in place, and raised her fist in motion for everyone else to stop, "we're almost there" she whispered

"Boy, I sure hope so..." Otto quietly whispered

"Me and Sam will scout it out, everyone fall out...and keep quiet" John said

Otto and Margaret silently complied and dispersed into a breeze of bushes.

John and Sam crept through the bush and into the silence of the cold night. Kelly followed close behind,

After what seemed like a few hours to Margaret, John slipped back minutes later "wait in the woods in a big circle. If they try to do anything but help Sam..." he slammed his right fist into his outfolded left palm. "remember the moose and the wolves?"

Margaret smirked "Yeah, I remember." she whispered quietly

John smiled, "alright, go get some rocks"

Sam began to exxagerate a scrape on his leg made by Fhajad. "Ooh, it hurts, help me"

Otto fell out of the bushes and grabbed a stack of rocks around the trees, he, and two other boys, Will 043 and Fred 104 passed out the rocks to the rest of the children.

Roma and OTto came back to Margaret, holding a large pile of rocks "guess were having a rock fight" Roma smirked

"It's the only thing you'll be getting close to a snowball fight!" she quietly giggled.

"Who knows if they'll put up a fight?" Otto returned in a jeer

"Ooh-It hurts! Help me!" Sam groaned pretentiously,

"Don't overdo it! They'll know it's a setup!"

Margaret crept and moved a branch, overhead, Kelly had taken off her parka and had began to call out to two men, in winter uniforms, with stun batons they slowly retrieved from their belts.

"Hey! You got any food? I'm starving!" Kelly called out to the guards.

One of the guards said something to his companion, he then slowly moved after Kelly, the baton held behind his back.

"Hang on a sec" Kelly said, sounding suddenly nervous, "I dropped my Jacket back there. I'll be right back" She turned away and ran

"Hey! Stop!" the guard called after her

The guard must have suddenly realised that he couldn't have caught Kelly. At least he had found where Sam was laying, clutching onto his scraped leg "Please, help me" he whimpered. Or pretended to at least, Margaret had thought.

A rock rang out for the guards head, but it missed, she didnt know if that was the signal to attack, but as children aimed their stones, Margaret joined in the massive volley of rocks which consumed him. Kelly reappeared and slammed a rock into his forehead as hard as she could, he fell down, blood flowing down from his forehead.

Out of the bushes, the Trainees fell out like spectres.

"What do we do with him?" Sam asked

"It has to be an excercise right?" Fhajad said "Has to be with Mendez"

"You heard him" John whispered, you saw what he was going to do with Sam and Kelly, Mendez or any of our trainers would never do that to us. Ever. No uniform, no insignias." John kicked the man in the ribs and in the face, he called out to Sam, "get his baton" Sam did so and had his turn at kicking the guard. Who was now curled in a fetal position.

Kelly vanished a she moved deeper into the meadow, Margaret and the others collected the thrown rocks and more along the way.

Kelly shouted at the other five men who guarded the dropship "that guy fell and hit his head! Over here!" she cried out

John whistled and out came a barrage of rocks which pelted the men, they held up their hands to protect their heads,

John whistled again, and the seventy five children viciously charged the men like wolves working to take down five larger beasts.

In the state of shock, Otto sidearmed a rock into one guards head, he caught the guards foot into his gut in response, as he struggled and groaned, Victor, Roma, Will, Fred and Margaret smashed his head with a rock each into the man. With Fred's hitting him in the forehead, he fell to the ground screaming. Otto came back up for his baton, which he struck into the man until he laid unconcious in partnership with his boot. He groaned clutching his belly.

Margaret rushed over to him, "you okay?"

he groaned, "I'll be okay, yeah"

His face became a pained smile, as he limped to join two other boys with another guard, who was ovverun and beaten.

Fhajad was punched in the face and fell down, as Sam struck another with a baton. The guards became overwhelmed by a furious wave of angry children, Otto cried out in victory.

Sam pulled Fhajad to his feet as he turned to John "Want to call Mendez now?" he asked

John looked vicious. Mad. He took a calming breath and answered Sam. "No, not yet" he said

John made for the dropship, which Margaret followed behind, covering his rear

"I'll make sure everyone is accounted for John"

"alright" he said, before accessing the control console.

Margaret did a head count of all the children, as Roma, Fred, Sam and Will helped the hurt children. Otto and Fhajad sat down on a log, along with a few others with bruises and cuts from the guard's batons.

John suddenly came back out and yelled to them "everyone onboard! Double Time".

The seventy five children rushed onboard the Albatross dropship.

Kelly turned to John, "who's getting left behind?" she asked

John's answer was simple. "No one"

John made sure he was the last onboard, the dropship roared to life as it rose off the snowy clearing and back to base, covered in the haze of the rising sun.