Chapter 27: Premonitions

(Christine's POV)

I was stuck in a dark room at first. It felt like an empty void. I heard gunfire and explosions all around me. Then, I suddenly found myself at the airport holding a gun and wearing a full armor and helmet. Everyone was fighting for their lives, even my friends beside me. Then, I saw someone running off in the distance towards the plane. They were starting to bring the kids on board. I see their faces, panicked, worried, fear of losing their own lives.

I holstered my gun and started running to the person heading towards the plan. I could hear my friends yelling out my name but I kept on running. I managed to cut them off and caught them. The person knocked me back and took off my helmet by accident, showing my face. I laid on the ground and turned to look at the person. As I turned, my eyes were met with a barrel of a gun. Even worse, I was shocked to see who the person was.

It was Eric, my own brother. His eyes filled with anger and hatred as he held the gun at my face and a finger at the trigger. He didn't look surprised to see me at all. In fact, he seemed as if he was furious to have finally found me. He shut his eyes and finally pulled the trigger.

I woke up, still in my training outfit, at the training base, with my friends still sleeping. I looked at the clock, it showed that it was just 4 AM. I let out a sigh of relief knowing that it was all just a dream. I looked around and saw everyone still in bed, except for Lexy. Despite feeling a bit shaky, I got up and quickly rushed outside. I opened the door only to see Lexy sitting right in front of it.

She turned around and we both looked at each other for a moment.

"Nightmares, too?" Lexy asked. I nodded slowly. She tapped at a spot beside her on the doorstep and I sat with her. "So, what was your nightmare?"

"I saw all of us at the airport. Everyone fighting for their lives. Trying to save the kids." I said slowly. "I was chasing this one person with a helmet on. It was hard to see. I grabbed hold of him but he knocked me to the ground with my helmet off. Then, I see him. I found Eric. But he pointed the gun at me." Lexy started having wide eyes listening to my story.

"He...shot you." She said slowly this time. I nodded. "I'm sorry."

"What about you?" I asked changing the subject.

"I had a dream where I met my old team. I used to be a part of CR1M3, remember? But my old team? We used to do some crimes still, but most of the time we'd spend time together just having some fun. Sometimes, we'd go from town to town making graffiti. But it turned into a nightmare when I had to re-witness their death. One of them died in a car crash while running from the cops after a robbery, then the other two died because they got shot by the cops after trying to return fire. I was the only one left, the only one who survived. That was the entire reason why I decided I should give up and commit some crimes at Elmore, just hoping my real family would find me." Lexy said.

"I'm sorry you had to see it. But did they managed to find you?" I asked her.

"Thanks, and no, it was Cato and Amber who caught me. Cato claimed that he used to take care of me before I was kidnapped. That's how he knew about me." She answered. "But as for your brother, I dunno what to say. I may have gone through some tough shit, but sibling murder isn't one of them. I could barely imagine any one of my siblings kill me or each other."

"Yeah, but then again, it's just a dream. If he still remembers me, then he won't. It's not like I did anything to him." I shut my mouth at the very last sentence. My tone came out insensitively as if I did do something to him. I didn't know why I said it like that.

"We'll find out soon enough. Let's get some rest." Lexy said as she went inside. I sat there for awhile before following her in. All this could've been just a dream, but what if it's trying to tell me something?

(Eric's POV)

I woke up from my sleep early in the morning. I looked at the clock that showed 4 AM. It was a dream, or a nightmare? I don't even know. I put a hand on my head as if I got a headache, but everything seemed fine...well, except for one particular thing.

"You're finally awake." Strike said sitting on my chair by the desk. I jumped surprised and almost hit my head on the wall.

"Dude! What the hell are you doing in my room?!" I shouted at him.

"No reason in particular. I just wanted to see your face when you find out I'm here." He said with a slight chuckle. "You should've seen your face."

"Okay, you had your fun. Now get out." I said quietly so that no one can hear from outside, if there was any.

"Alright, I'll leave. But first.." He pulled the chair closer to my bed and sat down. "..tell me what happened."

I sat there in confusion thinking what he was talking about "You look like you had a nightmare. Now, talk." He continued.

I felt like crying but I bottled up as much as I could on what I saw in my dream. "I saw..my sister. She's alive."

"You mean, alive in your dream?" He asked.

"I don't know. She could be just alive in my dream, she could be alive right now."

"That's impossible. She died in a car accident with your mom, remember? You said so yourself when I first got here."

He was right. I did say it. My mom died in a car accident, my sister died in the hospital after they didn't get to heal her after the accident, and my dad committed suicide. It all happened so fast and was still clear to me like it just happened yesterday.

"That's not all though." I said.

"What do you mean?"

"We were in the airport, all of us, trying to get back to HQ with the kids. Everyone was getting on board but I was still trying to make it to the plane. Then, I got tackled down and the first thing I saw was my sister pointing a gun at me at point blank."

There was a moment of silence before Strike mentioned exactly what happened next. "She shot you."

I nodded in agreement. After that, he got up and placed the chair back by the desk. "Welp, that was a fun session."

"Where are you going? You don't wanna help me figure out what this means?"

"I already said I'll leave after you told me what happened in your nightmare. You've told, and now I leave. If you wanna talk about it, get up, freshen up and meet me at the cafeteria. We gotta go soon." He said before leaving the room.

What he said was right. We were assigned to get the kids to HQ and we needed to get ready by 0900 hours. I quickly got up and got ready. The one thing that's been bothering me is it may be a dream, but what if it's trying to tell me something?

It was 0730 hours at the cafeteria. The briefing of our mission lasted pretty long. I almost slept halfway through it too. Me and Strike were having breakfast before preparing and move out at 0830 hours.

"So you gonna tell me now?" I asked.

"About what?" He asked back.

"About my nightmare."

"Oh yeah, that." He said before swallowing his food. "Okay, so you had a dream where your sister, who is dead, killed you at the airport that we're gonna go to soon. I'd say that you've been hanging out at the soda machine way too often."

"Dude, cmon. This is serious." I said.

"How is this dream any different than your previous dreams? You once had a dream where you became a dictator."

"That is still under negotiation, but this has something to do with me and my sister. What if it's trying to tell me something?"

"Like a premonition? Hah, premonitions don't work with dead people."

"What if she's not dead?" I asked finally.

A moment of silence between us happened. Strike didn't know what to say and kept his head down. Come to think of it, neither of us even got to go to her funeral. I was kidnapped shortly after my dad committed suicide and I had to find out by myself that she died, but I never found any firm evidence. I started getting worried and scared. "I need to find out if she's alive, Strike."

He looked up and said "Only one way to find out if she is. And that is by getting to the airport. Now let's go. We gotta prep up."

He got up from his seat, threw away the trash and waited for me to do the same. After I did, we both walked to the armory. Now my feelings are getting worse. I have the hope that she might be alive. But I was told that she died in the hospital. What's going on?

(3rd person POV)

It was 7.30 AM at the briefing room. Some of the soldiers were already waiting, including Cato, Riki, Gumball, Lexy and Christine. The briefing was supposed to start but it seems that it was delayed.

"Just a random question, did anyone hear a girl screaming earlier?" Gumball asked. "I was having a dream where all of us were still at home hanging out until I heard this one girlish scream came outta nowhere for a few seconds. Was that real or is it just me?"

Christine blushed at this since it was actually her who screamed that night. Lexy tried to cover her. "I didn't hear anything. Must've been just you."

"Neither did I." Riki said.

"Nope." Cato added.

Christine stayed silent and played dumb looking around the vicinity. Not long later, more soldiers started showing up and finally the general and commander came in. It was the first time they saw the commander in person.

"Alright, soldiers. Glad you could come on time. But we got a potential world crisis on our hands. I've talked to the government, and they want us to rescue the HVI's as we have planned. The general will fill you in on the details." The commander spoke.

"Okay, we get to the airport by 0845 hours and wait at your designated positions. Alpha, Bravo and Charlie camp by the entrances. Omega One and Omega Two will wait at the right and left side of the airport respectively. We wait till the enemy gets past the entrance, then the assault team will attack them from behind. Omega One, Omega Two, once you hear gunshots, you clear the way from behind them. We'll box them in and if all goes according to plan, we'll get the kids safe. Any questions?" The general explained.

Everyone kept silent until Christine raised her hand. "What does HVI mean?"

Riki, Gumball and Lexy stared at the general for an answer while Cato facepalmed knowing what it means. "It means High Valued Individual. It's like VIP kind of thing." Cato said.

Some of the soldiers gave a slight chuckle whilst most of the stared at them. Then, the commander spoke out. "Who are these kids?"

"They're the new recruits I told you about. They enlisted themselves because they wanted to rescue the kids." The general said.

"This is the fresh meat you talked about? I thought you meant some people who are fit to fight. This isn't some roleplaying war here, kids. This is a real fight." The commander bursted out on the five.

"They've already proven themselves worthy to fight as much as anyone else here in the room, even Sgt. Red. They're reason was to save the kids, including their own siblings who have been held captive along with them." The general explained, trying to save them from what's to come.

"Okay, but I don't want you to cause any problems in the fold. Be fighters of justice, not liabilities." The commander said. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" The five shouted in unison, showing him some discipline. Their efforts amused the commander slightly.

"Since there are no more questions, let's get ready. You have your orders. Operation: Justice Bringer is a go." The commander said before everyone chanted Oo-rah and exited the room to prepare.

And that's the end of the chapter. Been a tough one getting through this (and the ones before, and after this, basically this whole act) but it's gonna be worth it for you guys. Drop a comment below of what you think of the story, like it and I'll see you guys in the next chapter. Love you guys, peace out.