A piercing whistle had my eyes springing open, and flying around my apartment moments before I was sent to the floor.

With the force of a natural disaster, the whole apartment shook.

My ears rang with the sound wave accompanying the screaming outside.

My eyes locked with Glenn's upside down gaze beside me, as he looked at me from on his back.

I pushed myself up, going straight for the window, and all but tore the curtains off the rod throwing them back.

Orange light flared through the apartment, and I felt like the air had been sucked straight from my lungs with a vacuum.

Towering flames beneath billowing columns of black smoke engulfed and poured from the skyscraper in front of me.

The crackling could be heard through the humming window pane even from this distance.

My eyes turned to the sky with the whipping of helicopter blades, and unmistakably military choppers flew overhead, deeper into the city. I don't have to see or hear the aftermath to know what the black specks falling from them are.

Tingling bloomed in my grip on the fabric as I let it go.

Horror pushed through my veins like a freight train, my feet carrying themselves backwards until I nearly tripped and barely managed to steady myself before I flattened Glenn.

Oxygen returned to my lungs with the sudden acrid smell of smoke.

My pulse pounded against my neck with the shot of adrenaline that burst through my muscles, eating the horror alive.

"What's going on out there!?" Glenn scrambled to his feet, using the table as leverage.

I grabbed the backpacks, shoving one into his chest. "We've gotta go"

"I thought you said to leave in the morning—!"

"That was before I knew the military was gonna drop bombs in the streets." I threw the window open and swung my leg out, looking at him.

"I can't tell you it's gonna be okay, but I can tell you this. Those who move, survive. If we stay here, we die." I ducked under the pane and pulled my other leg through, standing firmly on the fire escape platform.

At the very least, it's not as dark as it would have been before. All these fires will keep the city lit for god knows how long.

I hope you are one lucky fish, Ace. That's the only way we're getting out of this without falling prey to a goddamn bomb.

I scaled the first flight of metal steps as Glenn came out behind me and was hot on my tail.

"Why are we going up— shouldn't we be going down!?" the steps thundered underneath our heavy feet.

"You wanna run straight into those things grasp? Besides we can't get out" I flicked my wrist at the teamming street below us; clawing at and surrounding the burning car smashed into the front doors.

"I've been up here before, the buildings are close enough to jump. We'll use their doors."

"God— this is crazy" Glenn spoke under his breath as we panted going up flight after flight.

I never thought I'd see the day when the city sleeps; even if it isn't quiet.

No sounds of cars, no subtle hum of electricity anywhere to be found. No voices, or sounds of planes overhead; no honking from people stuck in traffic.

The only sounds in earshot being distant screams, the crackling of fire, the clanging of boots against metal, and gurgling moans from below.

I rounded the corner of the final floor and a pair of arms shot out from the window beside me.

I didn't have time to react before it had my jacket in fists and pulled me.

My chest hit the top half of the open window, my shoulder cracking the glass as it was forced into it.

"Eve!" Glenn raced up the steps

Instinct kicked off with a bang and I grabbed it's arms.

I pulled outwards as hard as I could, and a popping snap caught my ears before I even realized I was falling forwards and the the arm slammed into the brick wall outside the window; breaking backwards at the elbow.

The other arm grabbed me again, but this time I grabbed the side of it's head and slammed it into the window frame.

Glenn pulling me from behind, I slammed it again and again until a stomach-rolling crunch burst from it's skull as it caved in.

I was launched backwards at the abrupt lack of grip, Glenn grabbed my shoulders as I fell into him.

The railing made a dangerous clang as his back hit the railing behind us both.

My heart skipped outta my chest, for a moment believing it was gonna break, and my foot immediately latched itself underneath a stair to keep us from falling.

"Are you okay?" Glenn panted heavily next my ear.

That was too close.

Catching my breath, I swallowed and looked over my shoulder, nodding.

Unlatching my foot, I got to my feet and helped Glenn up. Only then did I take a proper look at the body hanging over the windowsill.

I waited with baited breath, counting the seconds in my head but I reached 134 and it still hadn't moved.

What was this guy, a soldier? He's wearing the typical camo uniform but…

There's something off about this guy.

I stepped closer, reaching for the neck of his uniform.

"What are you doing?!" Glenn stage-whispered at me, grabbing my elbow.

I put my hand up without looking at him, and carefully lifted the back of the shirt.

No chain = no tags.

A soldier that isn't wearing his dog tags. That'd be a first for me.

I whacked it, just in case but this sucker is definitely dead.

Why did this one die but those dragging their guts on the ground aren't?

"Eve?" Glenn's ansty voice called me out of my head.

Ugh, we don't have time for this. I'll think about it later.

I licked my dry lips but they tasted like ash and I had to resist gagging. I started to turn but a gleam stopped me and I did a double take.

I reached over, moving the corpse's arm and paused when I got a good look at his waist.

Even if he wasn't a real soldier, this guy sure doesn— didn't mess around.

I pulled the pistol from his waistband and checked the clip. Fully loaded; not a single shot fired.

Why isn't this in his holster?

I checked the thigh holster I could see, expecting there to maybe be another gun in it but I was wrong. It wasn't a gun, but it wasn't empty.

I pulled the gleaming knife from its sheath, the blade reflecting the fire from all around.

Good lord this feels like I'm in a Tolkien film the way this thing glints. The one knife to cut them all.

I slid the blade back into the sheath and reached underneath his gut, unbuckling the utility belt. It swung loose at the waist but the buckles on the thighs were still done up.

I passed the gun to Glenn and he took it with a strange nervous sound. Has he ever held a gun before?

"Don't point it at me" I swung my leg through the window, carefully.

I moved as fast as I could to unbuckle the straps and take the belt, but before crawling back out, I spotted a bag on the bathroom counter.

What is that?

I snagged the bag from the counter, staying as close to the window as I could and opened it. No way.

I pulled the near peak condition night vision goggles outta the sack and found myself marvelling at them.

These could come in handy.

I don't know who you were dude, I didn't even know there was a person like you in my building, but whoever you were, you were seriously no joke.

I got out as quick as I got in, and swung my pack off my shoulder. Tucking the goggles in, I zipped it back up and secured it as it was before.

I clipped the belt on, doing the straps as well and did a test run for pulling the knives. They didn't catch on the sheath, or slip in my grip; high quality stuff.

I finally spared Glenn a look and was almost nervous I had. He looks like he's gonna be sick.

I watched him hold the gun like he was gonna drop it and carefully took it from him.

I was gonna let you hold onto it so we'd both be armed with at least something, but no gun for you. I doubt you know how to use a knife either.

We'll see if we can find you something blunt, like a baseball bat, Ace. That seems a little more your speed.

I motioned for him to follow once again, and we climbed the final ascent of steps to the concrete roof.

I went to the edge, Glenn following me closely until we both climbed up on it.

I stared down the alley between the two buildings, the gap is easily 6 feet.

I looked at Glenn, who almost simultaneously looked back at me.

"Are you sure about this?"

I nodded, straight up lying. Of course I'm not sure, but what other option do we have? It's this or them. "From this high, at least it'd be the fall that kills us."

Glenn let an almost-laugh breath slip before looking back at the gap in front of us.

"You see that highway over there" I pointed at the horizon where numerous red tail lights were piled in lines.

"That's where we're going? Is that a good idea?"

"You have a better plan? It's that way, or that way." I pointed down to the dirty alleyway below.

"Ready?" I geared up to jump.

Glenn took a shaky deep breath, "As I'll ever be"

I spared one final glance to the desolate city around us. Time to take our chances.

Here goes nothing.

I dislike author's notes myself, so I'll try to keep this short.

A deep set flaw within my story has come to my attention and now that I've seen it, I find myself unable to overlook it, and it wouldn't be right to do so anyway.

I've devoted many hours of thought to it, and have decided that given the convenient timing of the story at present, it would be best to this chance to resolve the issue.

I regret to inform you, this means I will not be updating until Feb 1st, 2018.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience; But in the pursuit for a greater story, I hope you will understand.

And if it's not too much to ask, I hope you will continue to support 'Sneaky' and myself, in the future.