A/N How was the chapter? Let me know what you think. If you have any idea's for this story or if you want to see something happen, please let me know and I'll see what I can do. I aim to please. As always thank you for reading and reviewing :)
Sitting with my arm wrapped around Helen's shoulder, I kept my eyes firm on the woods to my left. Where could he be? What was taking so long? Since getting out of the truck and heading into the dark woods, the soldier had yet to get back. I'm starting to think he's left us – again. Though for why I wouldn't know.
"Maybe we should go look" suggested Helen as she curled herself under the warmth of the blanket and me.
"How? Its pitch black. We don't have a torch. We don't even know which way he's gone" I replied trying to justify reason. It's too cold to go searching for him, and not to mention we would probably get lost. Listening to the wind howl through the trees in short bursts and Helens shallow breathing, my eyes snapped up to look behind me as I heard a rumble. The hum of a car.
"Quick, get down" I ordered as I saw the headlights of the car come closer. Pulling the blanket up over our head, we both crouched down near the bottom floor of the truck trying to hide. We don't know who's in that car, or why they would be driving down a back road at this time of night. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Feeling the heat of Helens breath on my face in the pitch black, I listened intently as the hum of the car came to sound more like the rumble of a truck – just like this one. I wonder if it's them. If they've found us. Hearing the truck get closer, the engine soon turned off before two doors slammed shut. Listening to the voice of two men talk to each other, they spoke back and forth in Russian.
"Are they going to find us?" whispered Helen.
"I don't know. Be quiet and still. They'll go away" I quickly replied. Holding Helen still under the blanket, our body's wedges between the back seat and the front, I hoped that the soldier would come back.
Hearing the men's voices grow louder as they came closer, I listened as they tapped against the windows of the truck. A faint glow piercing through the blanket; they were shining in their torches through. Opening the front passenger door, one of them started to talk in Russian as he shuffled around in the front seat. It was times like these that I wish I had learnt the language "Это пустая трата времени. Это слишком холодно для этого дерьма" (This is a waste of time. It's too cold for this shit)
"Перестань ныть. Если мы не принести что-нибудь он будет потрошить нас как свиньи" (Stop whining. If we don't bring something back he'll gut us like pigs) spoke a rougher voice, older.
Hearing the other man scoff, he replied "Это не наша вина. Если он все лучше проверить его сук, я бы домой. Теплый ... и трахал мою жену" (It's not our fault. If he kept better check of his bitches, I'd be home. Warm...and fucking my wife) hearing him laugh loudly, the older man groaned at his younger colleagues words.
Shuffling in the front, the younger man continued to pull apart anything he could find when he threw something over into the back. Wincing from impact, the object had hit Helen making her let out a noise. Freezing, the truck had enveloped itself into a heart thumping silence. Muttering to each other, the back door of the truck opened just before a strange whizz echoed out, and the sound of a body had slumped to the ground. Hearing the same whizz once again, the man in the front had no chance to talk before he had fallen, dead, out of the passenger seat.
Shaking, my breathes came out in laboured puffs as I held Helen tight. We had almost been found. They would have taken us back. Still sitting in the backseat, neither of us wanted to move as we were still paralysed with adrenaline and fear. Listening to the wind, a set of boots had made their way to us before the thick blanket was ripped away; exposing us to the elements and the man standing just outside. Looking up, the light of the moon shone on the soldier's solid black covered form as he stood with the large gun in his hand. Did he kill them?
"Get up" he said simply with a gesture of his head. Not at all fazed by the two corpses on the ground.
Shivering from the cold, it took a moment for me to respond. Getting up from my position on the floor of the truck, I hoped out before helping Helen. Standing outside, the soldier walked over to the back of the truck. Pulling out several military duffel bags, he swung them over his shoulder before giving a gentle nudge to our shoulders. Motioning toward the woods, we began our trek away from the truck in silence.
Wandering and stumbling in the darkness of the woods, the soldier held a torch to light the way. Wrapping my arms around myself to keep me warm from the chilly breeze, I couldn't help but think about what had happened only moments ago. Why would the soldier leave us in the truck all alone? Why not take us with him?
Looking out to Helen, she was a couple of meters in front of us. Her direction set on the shine of the torch. Turning to the soldier on my right, I asked "Those men back at the trucks…you knew…didn't you?" I asked sounding somewhat hopeful and knowing.
"…Yes" he replied as he took another step. Although unlike me and Helen, his steps despite his bulky figure, were light and undetectable "they've been following us since yesterday"
"But you didn't say anything?...you just, disappeared" I said confused "what if they had found us? They were sent by Erik, I know it. Those men would have taken us back to the facility"
"But they didn't. Did they?" he replied while turning his head to look at me "my intention was never to let them hurt you, or take you back…I wanted to see how you would do" he added.
"H-how I would do?...you left us. Unprotected…why-" my voice rising higher with every word.
"I never left you…you were never unprotected" he said before looking around in the direction of the torch "I wanted to see what you would do, and you didn't disappoint. You hid, you kept quiet, and if it wasn't for unfortunate circumstances they would have left"
"But they didn't. We were found"
"Yes, you were…and they're now dead because of it" shining the torch around, the soldier pointed it toward a spot on the ground near Helen. Stopping, she turned around to look up as we walked over to join her. Watching the soldier take the bags off his shoulders, he reached down with his metal hand to pull at a handle. Listening to the protesting groan as the rectangle door in the ground lifted open, he gestured to the dark hole "Get in"
Waiting until Helen had gone down, I followed close behind. Clearing out of the way, the soldier dropped the heavy duffel bags down before climbing in himself. Not closing the door, he searched around with the torch. Finding a metal box on the side of the wall, he opened it before pulling and flicking a few switches. Squinting, the brightness of the L.E.D lights above had buzzed on to illuminate what appeared to be an open planned and spacious underground military bunker.
"Stay here and don't touch anything you're not supposed to. I'll be back soon" he said before disappearing up the ladder and outside. Closing the door to the bunker, I turned to look at Helen as we stood still dressed in the same bloodied clothes we had escaped in.
Searching the bunker with Helen, we found there to be two simple bunk beds with heavy metal frames and clean sheets, a simple bathroom, a small kitchen and a storage room full of food and weapons "At least we'll be safer here. Better than being on the road" spoke Helen as she sat on a metal fold out chair, situated beside a rectangle metal table pushed up against the side of the wall.
"I suppose" I muttered under my breath. But we have to leave sooner or later I thought. Surely they'd know were in one of their bunkers. Making my way over to one the beds, I decided that I should get some decent nights rest. We've been on the road for weeks, and I've barely been able to close my eyes let alone sleep. Sliding onto the bottom bed exhausted, I turned to face the wall before closing my eyes.
Waking up the next morning, I turned over to see Helen asleep on the bunker opposite to me; her chest moving up and down as she laid curled on her side. After clearing the fuzz from my eyes, I got up to quietly stretch my legs and arms from their stiff position.
Exiting the end section of the bunk beds, I went into the 'kitchen' to sit on one of the fold out metal chairs. Looking around to find the soldier, I traced the sound of rustling to find him crouched in the storage room packing a duffel bag. Getting up not a few seconds later, he came out of the room to drop several silver packages on the table; they looked just like the silver packages I got at the facility "Wake up your friend and eat" he ordered while slinging the duffel bag over his shoulder "When you're done, meet me outside" he said before climbing up the ladder that lead to the outside world.
Obeying his command, I got up to walk over to the bunks. Crouching down beside Helens sleeping body, I gently nudged her awake "Helen…it's time to wake up" I said quietly as to not startle her. Watching the girl open her hazel eyes, her short shoulder cut hair looked dishelmed as she moved to sit up in the bed.
"Is it morning already?" she asked, her voice croaky as she rubbed her eyes.
Nodding my head, I gave her a faint smile "Come on" I said after a minute "the soldier said we have to eat before meeting him outside"
"Outside. Are we leaving here already?" she asked, her eyes trained on me.
Shaking my head, I didn't think so "No, I don't think we are. He left the other bags here" looking around, Helen nodded her head before following me out to the kitchen table. Sitting down, we tore through the silver packages that the soldier had left behind for us. Eating with little hesitance from the taste, the grumble in my stomach had ebbed away with the relief of nourishment.
Finishing up, me and Helen made our way up the ladder and outside. We didn't want to keep him waiting any longer. Climbing out onto the top, I dusted the crumbled dead leaves from the palm of my hands. Searching around, I found the soldier not far away. Standing behind a collapsible table, he rummaged through the duffel bag that sat atop. Approaching him alongside Helen, I announced "Where here"
"So I heard" he replied while turning around. Motioning to follow him and come closer, he gestured for us to stand at two certain spots that he had marked with two thin large branches; acting as lines "stand here and face toward your targets" he said pointing to two tree's in the distance he had sprayed with a large red dot.
Angling my body to look at Helen, she stood looking as confused as me. What was he doing? Watching the soldier as he went back to the duffel bag, he retrieved two black hand guns before giving us one each. Feeling the heavy weight in my hands, I felt almost frightened at the object "Starting from today, I'm going to teach you how to defend yourself…" standing to the side on my left, the soldier had his arms crossed over his chest. A look of danger and determination in his eye.