Ch. 13 Loyalty
"Open fire." Vicious ordered. His squad opened fire on the enemy, and the enemy opened fire on them. The two waves of bullets collided with one another and sent bullets in every direction. Vicious watched as some of his men died from fatal gunshot wounds, while others received wounds, but continued to fight. The enemy ceased fire and began to retreat. Vicious smiled.
"That was a mistake." He said softly. "Mow them down." He ordered. His men opened fire on the retreating enemy soldiers. Bullets tore into the enemy soldiers, the soldiers screamed, and then fell to the ground. One of them began to crawl. Vicious pointed at the surviving man and said, "Open fire." His men opened fire once more, and a sea of bullets tore into the surviving man, blood flew into the air. Something didn't feel right. Why did they retreat? They still had a decent chance against Vicious's men. Suddenly a shot rang out, and the soldier next to Vicious made a choking noise, and then fell to the ground, dead. He had been shot in the forehead.
"Sniper." Vicious announced. Vicous scanned the area for the sniper but was unable to locate him.
"Get down." Vicious ordered. Another shot rang out, and another one of Vicious's soldier died, he was one of the new recruits. The rest of the men hit the ground. Ground. There was an eerie silence. Vicious began to formulate a plan. At his signal his men would scatter, forcing the sniper to take them out individually, Vicious would try to pinpoint the snipers location from the shots, then order his men to close in on the sniper. Vicious closed his eyes. Many men would die, but the sniper threat would be eliminated. What is one more death to God anyways? These men would die dishonorably at an old age if they survived this war; Vicious was giving them a chance to die with honor, to die as a soldier.
"Scatter then converge when the sniper is located!" Vicious barked. His men got up from the ground and began running in various directions. Vicious got up and ran northeast, a shot rang out, then another, and then another; each of the shots, killing one of Vicious's men.
"Damn." Vicious cursed. He wasn't able to locate the sniper. Another shot rang out, another man dead. That is when Vicious saw it, west of him on top of a sand dune, something moved, causing the sand to shift. Vicious's eyes narrowed.
"Sniper located!" Vicious yelled, pointing towards the sand dune. His men charged at the sniper, firing their rifles. The sand dune erupted in a cloud of sand, but this didn't stop Vicious's men, then continued firing. Vicious held his hand up signaling for them to stop; they did. Vicious and his men waited for the cloud of dust and sand to clear, rifles ready. A shot rang out and the man beside Vicious died.
"Open fire!" Vicious ordered. His men opened fire once more. A new cloud was formed, and the air was filled with sand and smoke. Vicious gestured for his men to circle around the cloud of sand and smoke. They formed a circle around the cloud, and the sand and smoke gradually began to fade.
"I surrender." A voice said from inside the cloud, a sniper rifle was thrown at Vicious's feet.
"Come out, on your stomach." Vicious said to the voice, there was a silence, and then the sound of someone moving across sand filled the air. A figure, clad in a tattered cloak, with a cloth mask around his face came out, on his stomach.
"Apprehend him." Vicious ordered. His men gathered around the man, their rifles pointed at his head. Two of them helped the man onto his feet. Vicious looked the man in the eyes.
"Who are you?" Vicious asked; the man looked nothing like a guerilla. The man pulled of his cloth mask, and then smiled.
"Ares." The man said. He had abnormally cold eyes, but his smile was extremely friendly.
"Are you with the guerillas?" Vicious asked. The man shook his head.
"No." He said, smiling.
"Then why were you firing at my men?" Vicious asked; his voice edged with cold fury.
"I was paid to do so." Ares said.
"By whom?"
"The guerillas." Ares said. Vicious sneered.
"You told me you weren't with them." Vicious said. The man shrugged.
"Next time be more specific."
"You obviously aren't guerilla scum; what faction do you work for?" Vicious asked.
"The Untouchables." Ares said coolly. Vicious heard some of his men gasp. Vicious recognized that name. The Untouchables were a group of military experiments, united by one cause, terrorism. They had long since abandoned the military's ideas and had adapted to a life of terrorism and assassination. If this man were truly an Untouchable, then he would never surrender.
"You wouldn't surrender if you were an Untouchable." Vicious said. The mans smile faded. In one quick fluid movement, he disarmed Vicious and had Vicious's own rifle to Vicious's head.
"Shoot, me and he dies." Ares told Vicious's soldiers. Vicious closed his eyes. The true test of loyalty was about to begin. Would his men shoot the man despite the fact that Vicious would die. None of them fired. Vicious smiled. They were fools, but damn loyal ones.
"You have loyal soldiers." Ares told Vicious.
"Indeed." Vicious said, through clenched teeth.
"I would hate to have to kill such a good commander." Ares said, he jumped back and landed on a sand dune, the dune collapsed underneath him, and he fell in. Vicious got up, his men running towards the dune.
"Should we follow him?" One of the soldiers asked. Vicious considered it, then thought it would be best if they didn't.
"No, we have already suffered enough casualties. This skirmish has been won, let's move out." Vicious said. The plot thickens, Vicious thought, smiling to himself.
"Open fire." Vicious ordered. His squad opened fire on the enemy, and the enemy opened fire on them. The two waves of bullets collided with one another and sent bullets in every direction. Vicious watched as some of his men died from fatal gunshot wounds, while others received wounds, but continued to fight. The enemy ceased fire and began to retreat. Vicious smiled.
"That was a mistake." He said softly. "Mow them down." He ordered. His men opened fire on the retreating enemy soldiers. Bullets tore into the enemy soldiers, the soldiers screamed, and then fell to the ground. One of them began to crawl. Vicious pointed at the surviving man and said, "Open fire." His men opened fire once more, and a sea of bullets tore into the surviving man, blood flew into the air. Something didn't feel right. Why did they retreat? They still had a decent chance against Vicious's men. Suddenly a shot rang out, and the soldier next to Vicious made a choking noise, and then fell to the ground, dead. He had been shot in the forehead.
"Sniper." Vicious announced. Vicous scanned the area for the sniper but was unable to locate him.
"Get down." Vicious ordered. Another shot rang out, and another one of Vicious's soldier died, he was one of the new recruits. The rest of the men hit the ground. Ground. There was an eerie silence. Vicious began to formulate a plan. At his signal his men would scatter, forcing the sniper to take them out individually, Vicious would try to pinpoint the snipers location from the shots, then order his men to close in on the sniper. Vicious closed his eyes. Many men would die, but the sniper threat would be eliminated. What is one more death to God anyways? These men would die dishonorably at an old age if they survived this war; Vicious was giving them a chance to die with honor, to die as a soldier.
"Scatter then converge when the sniper is located!" Vicious barked. His men got up from the ground and began running in various directions. Vicious got up and ran northeast, a shot rang out, then another, and then another; each of the shots, killing one of Vicious's men.
"Damn." Vicious cursed. He wasn't able to locate the sniper. Another shot rang out, another man dead. That is when Vicious saw it, west of him on top of a sand dune, something moved, causing the sand to shift. Vicious's eyes narrowed.
"Sniper located!" Vicious yelled, pointing towards the sand dune. His men charged at the sniper, firing their rifles. The sand dune erupted in a cloud of sand, but this didn't stop Vicious's men, then continued firing. Vicious held his hand up signaling for them to stop; they did. Vicious and his men waited for the cloud of dust and sand to clear, rifles ready. A shot rang out and the man beside Vicious died.
"Open fire!" Vicious ordered. His men opened fire once more. A new cloud was formed, and the air was filled with sand and smoke. Vicious gestured for his men to circle around the cloud of sand and smoke. They formed a circle around the cloud, and the sand and smoke gradually began to fade.
"I surrender." A voice said from inside the cloud, a sniper rifle was thrown at Vicious's feet.
"Come out, on your stomach." Vicious said to the voice, there was a silence, and then the sound of someone moving across sand filled the air. A figure, clad in a tattered cloak, with a cloth mask around his face came out, on his stomach.
"Apprehend him." Vicious ordered. His men gathered around the man, their rifles pointed at his head. Two of them helped the man onto his feet. Vicious looked the man in the eyes.
"Who are you?" Vicious asked; the man looked nothing like a guerilla. The man pulled of his cloth mask, and then smiled.
"Ares." The man said. He had abnormally cold eyes, but his smile was extremely friendly.
"Are you with the guerillas?" Vicious asked. The man shook his head.
"No." He said, smiling.
"Then why were you firing at my men?" Vicious asked; his voice edged with cold fury.
"I was paid to do so." Ares said.
"By whom?"
"The guerillas." Ares said. Vicious sneered.
"You told me you weren't with them." Vicious said. The man shrugged.
"Next time be more specific."
"You obviously aren't guerilla scum; what faction do you work for?" Vicious asked.
"The Untouchables." Ares said coolly. Vicious heard some of his men gasp. Vicious recognized that name. The Untouchables were a group of military experiments, united by one cause, terrorism. They had long since abandoned the military's ideas and had adapted to a life of terrorism and assassination. If this man were truly an Untouchable, then he would never surrender.
"You wouldn't surrender if you were an Untouchable." Vicious said. The mans smile faded. In one quick fluid movement, he disarmed Vicious and had Vicious's own rifle to Vicious's head.
"Shoot, me and he dies." Ares told Vicious's soldiers. Vicious closed his eyes. The true test of loyalty was about to begin. Would his men shoot the man despite the fact that Vicious would die. None of them fired. Vicious smiled. They were fools, but damn loyal ones.
"You have loyal soldiers." Ares told Vicious.
"Indeed." Vicious said, through clenched teeth.
"I would hate to have to kill such a good commander." Ares said, he jumped back and landed on a sand dune, the dune collapsed underneath him, and he fell in. Vicious got up, his men running towards the dune.
"Should we follow him?" One of the soldiers asked. Vicious considered it, then thought it would be best if they didn't.
"No, we have already suffered enough casualties. This skirmish has been won, let's move out." Vicious said. The plot thickens, Vicious thought, smiling to himself.