Shadows


When Alex heard the shot, he immediately jumped backward, just in time to avoid the deadly bullet. He recognized the sound...they were in big trouble.  

“Sniper! Take cover!” Justin yelled.

The whole squad took cover behind some rocks. Luckily, the wind and the rain were their allies in that kind of situation.

Drek smiled. “You can hide...but you can't run” he said, his eyes locked on the sight.

Alex grabbed his riffle. “Please Ray, tell me that you brought a long range weapon...because I didn't”

Ray shook his head. “I'm sorry, we brought only close and medium range weapons...no sniper riffles”

“What? Do you mean that we got nothing?” Justin yelled.

“Calm down okay? It was not my fault...it's no one's fault, we didn't expect this kind of enemy to appear” Ray said.

Alex sighed, the happiness he felt before suddenly fading away. “Ray...use your powers to locate the sniper...if you can”

Ray closed his eyes, and started looking around with his mind. This time, he could clearly see the enemy. He was human, wearing a camo suit, holding a .cal 50 sniper riffle.

“What the...” Ray said, suddenly opening his eyes. “Guys...there is a small problem”

“What? Another long tongued monster?” Justin asked.

Ray shook his head. “No, he is human....but he is laying on the ground...half a mile from our position”

“What? He is shooting at us from that distance, with this rain and this wind? It's impossible!” Justin yelled, almost panicking.

Alex closed his eyes. “Drek Van Drake...”

Sam looked at him. “What? Do you mean...”

“It has to be him...I can still recognize the sound of his sniper riffle, even from half a mile away” Alex said, his voice echoing his thoughts.

“But...Drek is dead...you killed him...twenty years ago, in Moscow”

Alex sighed. “Maybe he survived, I don't know...but...this is not a coincidence”

Justin snored. “Drek or not, we have to get rid of him, or else...”

“...we will go home in body bag” Ray finished.

Sam rubbed the feathers on her head. “But how? These rocks are the only cover around, and if the sniper is really him...we will never be able to dodge his bullets”

“Well...you and Alex can fly” Ray said.

Alex sighed. “The rain makes flying almost impossible...and in any case, Drek will probably take me down after a few seconds”

“Then what should we do? Wait until he gets tired?”

“Drek never gets tired...he is the most patient soldier in the world...and still, we got only twenty four hours to complete our mission”

Justin spat on the ground. “Screw the mission Alex...this is a suicide!”

Alex looked at him. “Since when you care so much about your life? We are soldiers, we risk our life every single day”

“Did I choose this? Did I choose to become a killing machine that follow orders like a brainless puppet? If that what I chose when I became a genome...then I was an idiot”

Alex grabbed Justin's shirt. “We all chose to sacrifice our memories and our life to serve our country and our people...as long as you know this...you need nothing to believe in”

Sam was about to cry. “But, Alex...if we are important...then we need to stay alive...and...I don't want to die here, and rot in the mud!”

Sam started crying. Alex had never seen her cry...and in that moment, he suddenly realized it. He feared death, just as much as his team mates did.

Alex hugged Sam. “Hey...it's okay...we won't die here...I don't want someone to dig my grave on this awful place”

Sam sobbed. “Thank you Alex...you are a good friend”

Ray smiled. “And maybe more...”

“Shut up Ray, or I will make you use your powers to stick a bullet up your...wait” Alex said, an idea popping in his mind. “Ray...you can use your mind to move objects, right?”

Ray shook his shoulders. “Yeah...is this important?”

Alex grabbed his riffle, and aimed for the sky. “Now...I want you to use your powers to send these bullets...to our old friend...can you do this?”

Ray was speechless. “Well...I can try...but I guarantee nothing”

Alex stood up, and shot three bullets. Ray quickly used the telekinesis to change their paths, sending them toward Drek's position.

The sniper didn't see them coming. His vision suddenly became red...and all of sudden, he was laying on the ground, in a pool of his own blood.

Ray slowly stood up...the vision of the dead Drek slowly fading away.

Alex sighed. “We did it...now he's dead...he must be dead”

Sam stood up, and walked to Alex's side. “Poor Drek...”

Justin stared at her. “Poor? Samantha, you got o be kidding me...he was trying to kill us...and either way, he is nothing more than a traitor...do you remember Moscow?”

Sam bowed her head. “That's something that I will never forget...all those innocents...all because of Drek's betrayal”

Alex put an arm around her shoulder. “We cannot change the past, even if we want to...”

They all remained silent, trying to get rid of the painful memories of that day. The rain kept falling from the sky. It seemed to slow down, as if gravity didn't matter anymore.

In that brief moment...reality seemed to change.

They all started to see distorted images of a past life...a life they decided to abandon...a long time ago.

But that moment didn't last very long. A few minutes later, they were already walking away...toward the mountain.

......

Drek was looking at his hands, covered by his own blood. He couldn't believe that he was still alive...that he survived three bullets in the head.

“Someone wants me alive for a reason...” Drek said, a smile on his face. “They gave me a third chance to complete my mission...I won't fall again”

He grabbed his riffle, and he start walking toward the mountain...the hunt was just begun.

......

Two creatures were following Drek. A small blue dragon, with a very long tongue...and a black haired man, with a red star on his forehead.


To be continued...