Chapter 21 : A New Kind of Adventure - Part 5 : Desert Eagles
The next day. Alex, Maxwell, Lily, Sarah and Sophia are called into the Alliance base near the Edwin's farm for an important 'meeting', they were called because the other Alex and Maxwell has found the 'treasure'. Whatever this 'treasure' is, it must be very important, they said it was their key to go home. Of course they would come, they wanted to go home now. Although they going to miss Daniel, Marcus, Nichols, and Rosa. Because they were Alex and Lily's son, the other Alex and Lily of course.
Alex and Lily were still confused, they didn't developed their feelings toward each other, yet. And thinking how did they other self married and had two pair of twins, well, Lily may have a crush to Alex. But she just too shy to say that she like him, she expect Alex to reply her like "What the hell did you just say Lily?" And leaves. She sighed, maybe it's not just the right time she tell him about that. In the other hand, Alex was just like Lily, but tried to considering her just a 'friend', he never thought Lily have a crush to him.
After they arrived at the Alliance base, they entered the house that Edwin owns, but weirdly, there's no sign of Edwin. They took the secret lift in the house, basically they has been taught how to use the lift whenever they want to come to the base. They headed to the base control room, where everyone has gathered and looking at a large teleporter like machine, "Ah, you all finally here." The other Maxwell greeted them.
"So, now we could go home now?" Maxwell asked.
"Uh.. Ye- I mean... No, you still can't." The other Alex answered.
Their happiness quickly faded away once they heard it, but why? The machine is here, so they could go home now, "Look, there is something that powered the machine." The other Lily said.
"What is it?" Sophia asked.
"It looks the machine is powered by starite. But, not just a normal starite." The other Alex answered, "But, it looks like we need that rare golden starite. Which is, the only rare type of starite left in this world."
"What? But, how?" Alex asked.
"Listen, I need to explain something to all of you." The other Maxwell said, everyone became silent and he continued, "When I was 14, the Empire was looking for me because I have that golden starite. The Emperor want to use it for his own purposes, after a year of being chased and putting myself and Lily in danger, I..." He paused and sighed before continued, "I used a dagger and stabbed it, then it broke the starite into 10 shards."
"What?!" The group said in unison, they all stared at the other Maxwell in shock and disbelief, how could he just broke it to 10 shards? "B-but, why? It was dad's gift." The other Lily asked him.
"It's a better choice than putting you and Alex in great danger, and that's the reason why Sarah was captured in the first place. To be interrogated, and it was all my fault." He explained, "I'm sorry for that Alex." He apologized to other Alex.
"Nah, it's okay. But now we have a bad news and a problem." The other Alex replied, "Mr. President has been kidnapped." He continued.
"Who is Mr. President?" Alex asked.
"His real name is John Miller, son of the previous president David Miller. He's our only hope to end this war, but the Emperor kidnapped him." The other Maxwell answered,"And the Empire just found one of the shards, it was located in a warehouse 30 miles north of Falcon City. Ready to be depart soon to Empire secret base." He continued.
"Falcon City? Never heard of it before." Maxwell asked, seriously, as long as he knows, there are no other city than Capital City. Except for some small towns and housing complexes.
"When the Empire took over the world, they built many new cities with two new main cities. Falcon City and Paradise City, both of the city are large as Capital City. Falcon City was built from the south of Abjad Dunes to the south of Ampersand Beach with an Air base built southeast of the Camelcase Oasis. Meanwhile, Paradise City was built southwest to the Payper Plains with a Naval port built at the northeast shore where the old pirate port was located." He explained.
So, that's where the Empire gained their forces. Where all the troops and vehicles came from. But it was the pirate port where the Yarrr's ship, the Listy Colon often docks there. Maxwell came there once when he need to collect Starites to save Lily from turning into stone by helping the crews. And now it's a Naval Port, how ironic.
"And, you guys will go and get the shard at Abjad Dunes. The faster we collect it, the faster you all could go home." He said, pointing to Alex, Maxwell, Lily and Sophia.
"Wait, what about you?" Lily asked.
"Me, Maxwell," He pointed to the other Maxwell," Frank, and Jennifer is going to investigate a black market dealer at a small town at Bullet Point Bayou, the intel said that he also has one of the shards too, and intend to sell it to the Empire for a big price." He replied.
"And, you all will meet the Eagle strike team's leader once you arrive, he's waiting on Abjad Dunes now." The other Maxwell continued.
"Well, alright then." Alex said.
...
"So, ready?" Lily asked.
"Ready." Maxwell, Alex, and Sophia answered in unison.
Lily readied her globe and teleported them and herself to Abjad Dunes, Sarah's been their radio operator since yesterday and has been doing her job quite nice, once they arrive at Abjad Dunes, they met a man with messy long black hair, wearing a tan colored uniform and bulletproof vest, light brown scarf tied on his neck, and a bright blue bandana tied on his forehead. He has a large machete sheathed at his back, and holding an assault rifle in his hands. He turned around and saw the group, "Ah, you all must be the kids that Commander meant." He greeted.
"I'm Yusuf, the Eagle strike team leader." He introduced himself, he look like quite kind, but by the look of his face, he look like a trickster or something. "Well, let's get to that warehouse and get the shard." Maxwell said, he quickly walked to the direction of the warehouse, but Yusuf held his shoulder and pulled him.
"Na a ah, kid." He waved his right index finger at Maxwell,"The warehouse are surrounded by landmines, one wrong step and BOOM! You ended up as minced meat." He said to Maxwell.
Maxwell gulped and looked at Yusuf, he doesn't want to ended up as minced meat, that means he had to ask for another way, "Are you sure? Is there another way around?" He asked Yusuf, but only replied by a short laugh from Yusuf, "Oh my! You should've look on your face, priceless!" He laughed with the others, Maxwell realized that he was sweating and blushed in embarrassment.
After they stopped laughing, Yusuf and the others discussed about their plan to infiltrate the warehouse, "So, everybody bring their Sniper Rifles?" Yusuf asked, everybody nodded, "Good, then I just need one of you to volunteer and come with me, while the rest of you cover us. Got it?"
Everyone nodded, "I'll come with you." Alex raised his hand, Alex is far the most confident person in the group, willing to take risks and do anything. And it was the act that made Lily worried, she just worried someday when he got too overconfident and got himself killed, she definitely doesn't want that happen. She has considered him like his own brother, cared and helped her anywhere she need him. Like Maxwell, but only more mature than him.
"Alright then... Um, what's your name?" Yusuf asked.
"Alex." Alex answered, "And this is Maxwell, Lily, and Sophia." He pointed to Maxwell, Lily and Maxwell.
"Alright, you three will stay here and provide sniper support for us, meanwhile me and Alex is going there to infiltrate it." Yusuf said before sliding down the small sand hill with Alex, with a two story warehouse close to their location now. Maxwell, Lily, and Sophia switched into a prone position.
"Wait, is the rifles are suppressed?" Yusuf asked through the radio.
"Uh, yeah. I think." Maxwell replied, "Good, only shoot when I tell you." He replied
Alex and Yusuf ran into another sand hill with brown colored river at the bottom, Alex stopped him at the river bank for a while. Arguing something, Alex pulled out his notebook and wrote something on it, he pocketed his notebook back and jumped with Yusuf to the river. They dived and silently swam to the nearby wooden platform, they peeked from the water to the platform, head visible, where there are two Empire soldiers patrolling, "Two tangos at the platform, take 'em out." Yusuf told them.
Sophia quickly took out the right one, meanwhile Maxwell took out the left one, Alex and Yusuf quickly pulled and dumped the bodies into the river, letting them sunk into the bottom. They climbed up into the platform and hid in different stacks of boxes, Alex in the left and Yusuf in the right, one of the guard approached Yusuf's hiding place and he unsheathed his machete from his back. "He's mine." He quickly grabbed the guard by the collar of his vest and pulled him into his hiding place, he slit the guard's throat and dumped the body at the river.
"Damn, Yusuf. Do you have to kill them?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, it's the only way to keep their mouth shut, permanently." Yusuf answered.
Alex and Yusuf quickly ran closer into another hiding spot behind some barrels, a guard smoking in the front of them and facing away. And a sniper lazily slept on a watch tower with his feet on the ledge, the other guards are patrolling while chatting, asleep, or even drunk and passed out on the lunch table. The security here is very terrible, Alex wondering how the Emperor face when he sees this, "Quick, take out the guard in the front of us." Yusuf said.
Lily aimed at the guard, carefully and held her breath to steady, once she pull the trigger, the bullet hit the guard's head. The guard's death seems didn't wake anyone up, even the one who asleep in a chair next to the dead guard. Alex proceed to dragged the dead guard body into some bushes and hid it there, Yusuf took out the one who was asleep in the chair with his machete, "Good night." He said as he picked up the body and hid it in the bushes.
"We got sniper on the roof, take him out." Yusuf said, Maxwell quickly aimed at the sniper wandering at the roof, then he yawned. Maxwell used this chance to shot him in the head, and fell from the roof. Unfortunately, there's one of the guard standing on the second floor window, the sniper body fell in the front of him. He quickly panicked and looked down to check it, his eyes widened and went to activate the alarm.
"Damn, we're compromised! Go loud kid!" Yusuf told Alex as he opened fire at some alarmed soldiers, taking them down and clearing the way to the warehouse, "Maxwell, Lily, Sophia! Meet us inside the warehouse, quick!" Alex called them, he entered the warehouse and closed the door.
The alarm went throughout the warehouse, alerting every single guard around the warehouse, even the drunken one. Maxwell, Lily, and Sophia quickly got up and burst into a run, swam through the river, and ran into the warehouse. "Alex, watch out!" Yusuf yelled in the radio, a bullet wheeze through the radio and someone got hit by it, he winced in pain. Whoever got hit by the bullet, Lily hoped it wasn't Alex. Because she cared for him, she doesn't want him to get hurt again, a bruise in the head already made her worried. Moreover, getting shot or killed.
They ran and Ignoring every bullet that flew through their head and ears, Maxwell kicked the door open and let the girls enter first. Then, he fired a few shot to the guard before slamming the door shut. Inside, many dead bodies on the floor, some of them dead being shot, or stabbed by a machete, "Psst, over here." Yusuf whispered to them from behind a door, "The stuff you're looking for is here." He told them as he led the way inside the room.
Alex stood inside the room, clutching his upper right arm and waiting for the arrival of his friends. Once they arrived, they saw something shiny laying on the wooden table, it was the starite shard that they looking for. Maxwell quickly took it and pocketed it, "Alex, what happened to your arm?" Lily suddenly asked, of course, she always be the first one who ask if something happened to Alex.
"Nothing, just got shot in the arm. It's not that hurt." He replied nervously, Lily gently removed his left hand from his right arm, she saw a red hole at his upper right arm. Meaning that he got shot, the hole wasn't too big, but the bullet pierced quite deep into his arm and the bad news, it was bleeding. "Are you still able to move your arm?" Lily asked, "Yeah, it's not too painful, I could still shoot my rifle." Alex replied.
Lily sighed in relief, she was glad that he didn't got wounded, or worse. That's when they all saw shadows from the room, "Quick, we need to get out of here." Yusuf said, "Through the back door." He opened a door, which led to outside the warehouse.
They ran outside, only to find out there's a swarm of enemy troopers behind them, there are about 50 or more of them. "Sarah! We need a chopper to pick us up!" Alex said into the radio, "Got it, the nearest chopper will pick you up in about 10 minutes." Sarah replied.
Alex eyes widened, "WE ARE GOING TO BE BLOODY DEAD IN 10 MINUTES!" Alex yelled with a thick british accent, Sophia almost didn't realized that. As long as she knows, none of his parents are British, only Asian and American. Well, maybe she should ask about that later. "Just hold on until the chopper arrive." Sarah said.
They did what Sarah told them, they waited for 10 minutes while trying to survive. 10 minutes later, a black helicopter landed behind them, "Chopper's here, let's go!" Sophia said to the group as they ran to the chopper. An enemy soldier aiming his rocket launcher at the group, as he fired it. Maxwell noticed that it was going to Alex. "Alex watch out!" Maxwell shouted as he tackled Alex into the ground to avoid the rocket.
The rocket exploded behind Maxwell, sending both of them into the ground, or sand. Maxwell was thrown not far from Alex, he lay there. Motionless, Alex quickly got up to save his friend, he helped Maxwell to stand and put his hand over his shoulder. Helping him to walk toward the chopper. "Quick! Get inside." Yusuf told them as he continued to fired at the opposing forces.
Alex climbed up the chopper and put Maxwell in the passenger seat as the chopper took off with everyone inside.
Meanwhile, at the Bullet Point Bayou...
Jennifer stood in a wooden watch tower, looking everything through the scope of her trusty sniper rifle. A dead guard sat next to her, his face facing upward with a knife jabbed at his throat. She watched as her superior Captain Frank, with the other Alex and Maxwell silently sneaking into a house. Where the dealer is supposed to be living, Captain Frank stayed behind to make sure they didn't get spotted while Alex and Maxwell breach the house and captured the dealer.
Maxwell kicked open the door and they both entered it, "Clear." Maxwell said, "Clear? This place is bloody empty." Alex replied.
That's when a group of local militia spotted them and alerted the others. "Shit, we got militia inbound!" Captain Frank said, "Jennifer, get down and help us!" He told Jennifer, she quickly slid down the ladder and ran toward the house. She and Frank manage to kill some militias and escaped the area with Maxwell and Alex. "The dealer took the shard somewhere, I can't figure it out where he is!" Alex said as he shot a militia in the head.
"There he is!" Maxwell pointed to the roof, where a man in grey suit and yellow tie jumping across the rooftops, "C'mon, let's get him." Alex said as they started running to chase the dealer, with a mortar being shot at them. A mortar hit a ground near Jennifer, it made her bounced and fell to the muddy ground. But she quickly got up and grabbed her sniper rifle like nothing was happened. Another mortar hit a house next to Alex and Maxwell and they was thrown to the ground. Alex, being the closest one, took the most damage with a large wooden debris pierced through his stomach. He slowly and painfully removed it and threw it away, Maxwell went to pick him up, "Are you alright?" He asked Alex.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just bleeding." Alex answered, and helped by Maxwell to stand, he put Alex hand over his shoulders to help him walk, "The dealer!" Alex quickly realized that the dealer jumped to the ground, "Jennifer, quick! Shoot his leg!" He said to Jennifer.
Jennifer, who wasted no time. Quickly aimed for his left leg and shot it, the dealer fell to the ground. Alex pulled out his pistol with his right hand while clutching his wound with his left hand, his lips are bleeding, he walked toward the fallen dealer while the others covering him.
"Where is the shard?" Alex asked, pointing his pistol at the dealer's head.
"What shard?" The dealer asked back innocently, he held up his arms.
"Don't play stupid, I know you have the starite shard that you was about to sell, where is it?!" Alex demanded.
The dealer smirked, "You're late, I've already sold it. There's no way you could've get it back, rooster boy." He chuckled evilly, making a starite shard fell from his pocket.
"Oops." He muttered, "So, you had two of them all the time?" Alex asked, pushing the pistol to his forehead, the dealer didn't answer, his brown eyes staring at Alex blue eyes.
Alex, who already had enough. Quickly shot him in the head, killing him instantly and took the shard. "Chopper's here, come on." Maxwell told Alex as a helicopter landed in the front of them. They all climbed into the helicopter and it took off from Bullet Point Bayou, leaving the small town.
Alex sat on the seat with Maxwell next to him, Maxwell lifted Alex's bulletproof vest and his blood-stained shirt to check the wounds on his stomach, "Is it bad?" Alex asked, "Yeah, it's pretty bad." Maxwell answered, "It needs to be treated soon if you don't want the wound to get infected." He continued, Maxwell went to the pilot's cabin to talk about something.
Alex sighed, "What would my wife say about this?" He muttered, "And my kids?"
He saw Captain Frank walked past him, "Frank?" He called.
"Yes sir?" Frank replied.
"I need to speak something with you.", Frank sat next to him, "What is it sir?"
"First, don't call me sir. You're 5 years older than me, just call me by my name." Alex said, Frank nodded and smiled to him, "Second, I just wanted to ask you about something."
"About what s- I mean, Alex?"
"If you have a wife and children at home, and your children didn't know your real job as a soldier. Then you arrive at home wounded, and your children asked why, what would you do?"
Frank thought for a while, "If I were you si- Alex, I'm just going to tell them the truth."
"You mean, tell them about everything?"
"Yes, everything."
"Alright Frank, thanks for the advice."
"Anytime." Frank got up and went to check Jennifer.
Alex was trapped in his own thoughts. He really hasn't told his kids yet about his real job, where did he got the money, about the Alliance. They didn't know anything, he just wanted his kids to not ended up like him, but to become more successful thank him. Meaning, they need to find a safer job, like businessman or something like that. And, he just imagined how his wife, Lily, face after she found out about this.
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