CHAPTER ONE
I tried not to look at the face screaming and pleading for mercy. Just a young woman and a child. ‘Have mercy, ’she begged on her kneels. I had no option, not a choice. I had to keep her silent, it was the absolute law. But why? I couldn’t understand why she had to die. My fingers were on the trigger, ever ready to snuff out a life at their command. I had to obey; I was taught and trained to do so without questioning. What has to be done must be done regardless of whatever we felt. I turned and faced the child first; the little one must not feel the pain. It would be easier; I won’t let her feel it too. No agony of death, just relieve from life. One shot, that’s all. I took one last look at the woman, I could see the fear in her eyes, and they were cold. She could obviously saw death at her door now, then there was something else other than that. Something I must have missed, something I wasn’t used to. But what it was I couldn’t tell. With two shots, I ended their lives, pain voice was gone, and death had taken his passenger. ‘Very good Lase,’ he said. I sensed the pride in his voice. He was glad I could do it. ‘Welcome to the brotherhood’ he continued. But all I could feel was the rebound reaction, it felt like a stab in my heart. I felt pain, anguish in my soul. I felt bad, no worse.
I wanted to shed tears but I was stronger than my emotions. Show no weakness neither strength lest you are known. We were watched always. I tried to suppress the pain, the look in the woman’s eyes as I took her life without mercy. It was sickening to watch life go from someone. But I remembered something; the last look she gave me wasn’t the look of pain. She was trying to say something, even though she was close to death. Whatever it was it was better than death.
‘You can go back to your quarters, Lase!’ he ordered. I quickly obeyed as I could no longer look at the dead people I had just murdered. I wanted to leave there so much that I didn’t realise I was running. I found myself gasping for breath. I was afraid. Scared of dying so easily like the woman and her child.
I got to the quarters faster than expected. I stopped at the door, for how long I didn’t know. I felt scared and lonely. I moved forward and opened the door to my amazement no one was around. They should have been back by now; we were never allowed to leave our quarters except for classes or dinner. The less the better. I walked in and sat on my bed. I still felt sick to my stomach so I rushed to the toilet as it got worse with time. I threw up almost immediately, there wasn’t much to remove. We were taught how to survive in the worst conditions. We could eat anything from raw meat to insects to bugs, blood from our own body or even our own urine. Life was tough and hard, but we learned it all. Just as I was going back to my bed, I heard a strange noise like movement in the room. ‘Stop there!’ the voice ordered. I calculated where it came from surprisingly it was a feminine voice. We were always happy whenever they sent girls to fight with us. I chuckled and I bet she heard as she hissed. She moved again towards my direction and before I knew it I stumbled to the floor. She was damn fast like lightening. I needed 1/5th of a minute to think before making my next move. I was overpowered before I could even think and I was held back by my legs. I had invented a move that helped even when you were held bound and I tested it on her as she fell backwards afterwards. She made no noise at all only a tiny gasp. I had never seen anyone so quiet during a fight that you wouldn’t know where she attacked, just stinging pain. I got up and tried to leave but she pulled me back quickly and then the sound of a gun clicking. I screamed ‘I give up’. Like an impulse she let me go and the lights was turned on, and I realised we were in darkness all this while. Sad unimpressed faces stared at me and I knew I was toast. ‘He’s not ready’ the older man said. ‘He turned and looked at the girl ‘train him and get trained yourself too, you’re a bit slack yourself.’ ‘Stand up! ’The commander shouted and I got up quickly saluted and stood at attention. He was a huge man with large biceps and triceps. His face looked distorted like he had serious fights earlier in his life as his face was distorted with a broken nose and a short stitch across his left cheek making him look scary. ‘You are Lase right?’ he asked . ‘Yes sir,’ I replied. ‘6 to 6’he concluded facing the girl. For the first time I looked at the girl, she appeared a little younger than me but she was far too serious looking to tell if she was even pretty. Blond, narrow eyes and thin lips, I couldn’t look much as I was drawn to the fact that she had turned her back to me as the men left the room. Still faced back she said ‘we start now’.