Chapter 2 – Squad 9
The medical tent smelled like iodine, smoke, and sweat.
I sat on the edge of the cot, my shoulder wrapped in fresh bandages. Ilin was beside me, her eyes half-closed, her staff leaning against the cot frame. The crystal at its tip was dull now, almost gray, as if it had exhaled all the light it had left.
A nurse came by, checked Ilin's pulse, shook her head. "She's burned out. No more healing for at least six hours, maybe more. If she pushes it, she could pass out mid-fight."
I nodded. "Got it."
The nurse left. Ilin opened her eyes and looked at me.
"You should've let me keep going," she murmured, her voice hoarse.
"You would've collapsed in the middle of the street," I said. "Then I'd be dragging you while a pack of those things tore us apart."
She gave a tired smile. "You would drag me."
I didn't answer right away. I was still feeling the ache in my shoulder, the sting in my side where that claw had raked me. Ilin's healing had closed the skin, but the muscle underneath felt bruised, heavy. I could move, but every movement reminded me how close I'd been to not moving again.
I looked around the tent. Cots lined both sides, most of them occupied. Some people were sleeping. Some were groaning. A few weren't moving at all, covered with blankets pulled up to their chins. The air was hot, thick with the smell of blood and burnt hair.
Outside, the rumble of fighting hadn't stopped. Every few seconds we heard a crash, a scream, a burst of gunfire. The ground trembled faintly under us.
Ilin shifted, wincing.
"Hurting?" I asked.
"Everything," she said, and managed a weak laugh. "But I'm alive. That's what matters."
I reached out and brushed a strand of ash-smeared hair away from her face. Her skin was pale, her lips dry. She was exhausted, but her eyes were still clear.
"You saved a lot of people tonight," I said.
"So did you," she replied.
I thought about the creatures we'd fought, the way my blade had sunk into that one's neck, the way Ilin's light had exploded through another's chest. I'd killed before — in training, in sparring matches — but never like this. Never with the smell of death so thick I could taste it.
I didn't feel proud. I felt hollow.
Ilin reached out and took my hand. Her fingers were cool against mine.
"We make a good team," I said quietly.
"We do," she said.
I squeezed her hand. I didn't want to let go.
A soldier appeared at the entrance of the tent, a clipboard in his hand. He looked tired, his uniform dirty, his face drawn.
"Squad 9," he called.
I stood up. Ilin tried to stand too, but I pressed a hand gently on her shoulder.
"You stay," I said.
"I'm coming," she said.
"You can't heal right now," I said. "If you go out there, you'll be a liability."
She frowned. "I can still fight with the staff."
"You can barely sit up," I said.
She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. She knew I was right.
The soldier looked at us. "Is she coming or not?"
"She's staying," I said.
The soldier nodded, made a mark on his clipboard. "Squad 9 is going back in. You'll be on the east side of Market Avenue, holding the line until the last civilians cross the bridge."
"How many of us?" I asked.
"Four," he said. "You, a guy with an axe, a woman with a pipe, and a kid with a rifle who's never fired it outside of training."
Great, I thought. A kid.
"Any support?"
"No," the soldier said. "You're it."
He turned and walked away.
Ilin squeezed my hand again. "Be careful."
"I will," I said.
I bent down and kissed her forehead. It was a quick, simple kiss, but it felt important, like a promise.
"I'll come back," I said.
"I know," she said.
I left the tent.
Outside, the city was a nightmare.
The sky was still that unnatural violet, the rift pulsing like a wound. Smoke rose from burning buildings. The street was littered with debris, broken glass, abandoned cars.
My squad was waiting near the barricade: the man with the axe, the woman with the pipe, and the kid with the rifle. The kid looked about nineteen, his hands shaking around the weapon.
"You Ren?" the man with the axe asked.
"Yeah," I said.
"I'm Garrick," he said. "This is Mara." He nodded at the woman. "And this is Finn." He nodded at the kid.
Mara nodded at me. Finn just stared, wide-eyed.
"You ready?" Garrick asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I said.
We moved out.
Market Avenue was a warzone.
Buildings on both sides were burning. The road was blocked by overturned cars and rubble. Bodies lay everywhere, some of them people, some of them creatures.
The creatures were everywhere, moving in small packs, hunting anything that moved.
We stuck to the side of the street, using the cars as cover.
A creature appeared ahead of us, sniffing the air.
Garrick raised his axe.
I raised my blade.
Mara raised her pipe.
Finn raised his rifle, his hands trembling so badly the barrel was shaking.
The creature spotted us and charged.
Garrick met it head-on, swinging his axe in a wide arc. The blade bit into the creature's shoulder, but didn't cut deep enough. The creature roared and swiped at Garrick, clawing his arm.
Mara swung her pipe at the creature's head. It connected with a loud crack, and the creature stumbled.
I darted in and drove my blade into the creature's eye. It shrieked and fell.
Finn fired his rifle. The shot went wild, hitting a car behind the creature.
"Steady!" I shouted at him.
He nodded, trying to calm his hands.
Another creature appeared, then another.
We fought.
Garrick was strong, his axe cleaving through a creature's arm. Mara was fast, her pipe finding gaps in the creatures' defenses. I was quick, my blade finding eyes and throats.
Finn was terrified, but he kept firing, and every few shots he actually hit something.
We killed the second creature. Then the third.
We were breathing hard, covered in blood — ours and theirs.
"Keep moving," I said.
We advanced down the street.
A creature dropped from a rooftop above us.
Garrick swung his axe, but the creature dodged and clawed his chest. Garrick cried out and fell to one knee.
Mara swung her pipe, hitting the creature in the side. It turned on her.
I charged, tackling the creature and driving my blade into its neck. It died under me.
I helped Garrick to his feet. Blood was soaking through his shirt.
"You okay?" I asked.
"I'll live," he said, gritting his teeth.
Mara looked at Finn. "You good, kid?"
Finn nodded, but his face was pale.
We kept moving.
We reached a intersection where a group of civilians was trapped behind a barricade of overturned carts. Three creatures were trying to get to them.
Garrick roared and charged the first creature, swinging his axe. The blade took the creature's head off.
Mara hit the second creature with her pipe, knocking it down. I finished it with my blade.
The third creature lunged at Finn. He fired, but missed. The creature was almost on him.
I threw my blade.
It spun through the air and embedded itself in the creature's throat. The creature fell, dead.
Finn stared at the dead creature, then at me.
"Thanks," he said, his voice shaky.
"Get your blade back," I said.
I pulled the blade from the creature's throat, wiped it on the creature's clothing, and sheathed it.
The civilians behind the barricade were staring at us.
"Are you with the military?" one of them asked.
"No," I said. "Volunteers."
"You saved us," a woman said.
"We're getting everyone to the east bridge," I said.
The people nodded and began to move.
We escorted them down the street.
A creature burst from an alley to our right.
Garrick swung his axe, but he was slow from his injury and the creature dodged, clawing his leg.
Mara hit the creature with her pipe, but it barely slowed it.
Finn fired his rifle, hitting the creature in the chest. The creature staggered but kept coming.
I ran at the creature, ducked under its claw, and drove my blade up into its underjaw. It died.
Garrick was limping badly now.
"You need to get back to the tent," I said.
"I'm fine," he said.
"You're not fine," I said.
"I can keep going," he said.
"No," I said. "You need treatment."
He looked like he wanted to argue, but he nodded.
"Mara, take him back to the tent," I said.
"What about you?" Mara asked.
"Finn and I will get these people to the bridge," I said.
Mara hesitated, then nodded. She put Garrick's arm around her shoulder and began leading him back the way we came.
I turned to Finn. "You ready?"
He nodded, gripping his rifle tighter.
We led the civilians down the street toward the east bridge.
A creature appeared ahead of us.
Finn fired, hitting it in the leg. The creature stumbled.
I ran forward and cut its throat.
Another creature appeared.
Finn fired again, missing.
The creature lunged at a civilian, an older man.
I tackled the man out of the way, and the creature's claw raked my back.
Pain exploded across my back. I cried out and rolled away from the creature.
Finn fired again, this time hitting the creature in the head. It fell.
I was on the ground, blood soaking my shirt.
Finn ran to me. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I lied.
He helped me to my feet.
We kept moving.
We finally reached the east bridge.
Military personnel were ushering civilians across.
A commander saw us and shouted, "Volunteers, report to the checkpoint!"
We went to the checkpoint.
The soldier there looked us over and said, "You two, you're being assigned to Squad 9. Stick together."
Finn and I exchanged a look.
"Squad 9," I repeated.
The soldier nodded. "You'll be deployed back into Sector 7 after the crossing. We need every able body."
Finn nodded.
We crossed the bridge.
On the other side, we were directed to the staging area where other volunteers were gathering.
I looked around for Ilin, but I didn't see her.
I found a wall to lean against and slid down to sit. Finn sat next to me.
"You did good back there," I said.
"Thanks," he said.
I was tired, my back was burning, and my shoulder ached.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
A soldier came over. "Squad 9, get ready. You're going back in in ten minutes."
I opened my eyes and stood up. Finn stood up too.
The soldier handed us each a radio. "Stay in contact. Watch each other's backs."
I clipped the radio to my belt. Finn did the same.
We were sent back through the bridge into Sector 7.
The fighting was worse on this side. The creatures were more numerous, more aggressive.
Finn and I fought side by side. I used the blade, he used the rifle.
At one point, a creature knocked me to the ground and raised its claw to strike. Finn shot it in the head.
I got to my feet. "Thanks."
"You would've done the same for me," he said.
I nodded.
We kept fighting.
After another twenty minutes, I was exhausted, my movements slowing.
Finn was also tired, his face pale.
A creature lunged at me. I blocked it, but the impact knocked me to the ground.
The creature raised its claw to strike.
Finn shot it, but the shot only wounded it. The creature turned on him.
I rolled, got to my feet, and drove my blade into the creature's chest.
Finn was breathing heavily, his face pale.
"You need to rest," I said.
"I can't," he said. "People need us."
"You'll collapse," I said.
"I'll rest when we're done," he said.
I wanted to argue, but there was no time.
We kept fighting.
After another twenty minutes, Finn's movements were slowing. His aim was off.
"Finn," I said.
"I'm okay," he said, but his voice was weak.
A creature lunged at him. I blocked it, but the impact knocked both of us to the ground.
I was on top of him, the creature on top of me. I drove my blade up into the creature's underjaw. It died, its weight on me.
Finn pushed the creature off me. He was trembling.
"That's it," I said. "You're done."
"I can still—"
"No," I said. "You're done."
He looked at me, and I saw how close he was to passing out.
I helped him to his feet. "We're going back to the bridge."
He nodded.
We made our way back, fighting off a couple more creatures along the way.
At the bridge, the soldier at the checkpoint took one look at Finn and said, "You, kid, you're done. Go to the medical tent."
Finn started to protest.
"I'll go with him," I said.
The soldier nodded. "Squad 9 is dismissed for now."
I helped Finn to the medical tent. Inside, healers were working on the wounded.
Finn sat on a cot, and a healer came over to check him.
"You've pushed yourself too hard," the healer said. "You need to rest."
Finn nodded.
The healer left.
I sat on the cot next to Finn.
"You did good tonight," I said.
"Thanks," he said.
I looked around the tent and finally saw Ilin, sitting on a cot on the other side.
I got up and walked over to her.
She looked up and smiled when she saw me.
"You're back," she said.
"Yeah," I said. "You okay?"
"I'm okay," she said.
I sat on the cot next to her.
"We make a good team," I said.
"We do," she said.
I reached out and took her hand. She didn't pull away.
We sat there, holding hands, in the middle of the medical tent, while outside the city burned and the rift still hung in the sky.
I didn't know what would happen next. I didn't know if we'd survive the night.
But I knew one thing: I wasn't going to let go of her hand.