Unearthed

by Marc Mulero

  Eugene held his jaw and noticed the chain on his shackles was broken, but the clamps were still attached.

  “Jen!” he shouted again as she was being dragged further away.

  The crazed prisoner overpowered the guard holding Jen and took hold of her. Eugene's anxiety became blinding.

  Eugene jolted up from his bed, sweating profusely. He had dried tears on his face and his eyes were stinging. He slid his legs off the bed that he had hoped would provide a peaceful nap.

  “Fuck!” he shouted and slammed his fist against the wall of his beautifully decorated room.

  A woman settling into the room next door knocked on his door. “Is everything alright in there?” the woman asked.

  “I'm fine,” Eugene replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. Eugene heard the footsteps of the woman as she walked over to his door.

  “May I come in?” she asked in a kind voice.

  “Not the best time,” Eugene said dismissively.

  He walked over to the door and slightly opened it. The woman was taken back by the amount of sweat dripping down his face. His hair was different shades of blonde and brown by the varying degree of sweat in certain areas.

  “Sorry to disturb you,” Eugene sighed, “a nightmare is all.”

  The woman had very smooth, tanned skin, a nose ring, and attractively large eyes.

  “Alright,” the woman said, “hope the dream wasn't too bad.” She stuck her hand in between the door crack. “I'm Narene,” she said pleasantly.

  “Eugene,” he said, still slightly embarrassed.

  She smiled, “I'll leave you be now, Eugene. Better luck during your next nap.”

  Eugene smirked.

  Briggs gave Kentin a hug, “Just hang out in here for a little bit, ok big guy? The room is pretty cool right?” Kentin nodded and smiled. “Alright, don't go wreckin’ the whole place now, ok?” Briggs said as he messed up his hair. Kentin gave a big smile and chuckled. Briggs smiled back and nudged his arm. He shut the door behind him and began exploring the second floor.

  I can't believe that fuck, Nemura. He got that little boy's mother killed. Blague is right to set Lesh on him. Time to go find that crazy woman and set her loose.

  Briggs held the pristine black and gold railing with his functioning hand and took in the view of the open main floor.

  Something doesn't feel right about this whole situation though. Why would Nemura turn on us? He has great reason to hate the Hiezers; he was stripped of his title and banished to Senation years ago. Sure, he’s crazy, but he doesn't seem like the type to double-cross for a deal.

  Briggs walked up to what he thought was Lesh's room. The lights were off. He pushed the door open slowly and inched his way in. A whizzing sound followed by a thump echoed through the room. Briggs had an idea of what was going on. He reached for the light and as soon as he flicked an ornate light switch, a knife whizzed right above his head and stuck to the wall. Briggs' eyes grew wide as he began breathing heavily. Lesh was hanging upside down with her feet braced onto a ceiling ledge. Lesh smirked and flipped to the floor. She walked over and reached for her knife lodged in the wall, right above Briggs' head.

  “Maybe next time I'll forget how tall you are, Briggs,” Lesh said in a calm, raspy voice.

  She slapped his arm that was now properly bandaged, turned, and walked over to the knives that stuck out of a picture hanging on the wall. Briggs’ lips curved inward, as he pretended that the slap didn't hurt.

  Earlier, while Lesh was covered in darkness, she traced the Hiezer symbol on the wall with her throwing knives. The symbol resembled two golden waves, which surrounded a black spherical orb. One wave crashed on the top of the orb and the other was inverted and crashed on the bottom. The design was identical to each of Jeck's pauldrons.

  “You know why I'm here, I assume?” Briggs asked.

  “I have a hunch,” Lesh replied, turning to face Briggs, “Blague wants me to flush out the rat?”

  Briggs nodded. “It's Nemura,” Briggs revealed. Lesh shook her head, “That doesn't make any sense. He's on our side. He's with the Sins. He's murdered too many guards, with a smile I might add, to be against us.”

  Briggs opened his hands and shrugged his shoulders, “My transponder didn't malfunction. Nemura went dark right before the blast.”

  Lesh paused and eventually nodded. “Ok, I'm going solo.”

  Briggs looked disappointed, but not surprised. “Take Sabin, or Eugene. Either of them can cover you.”

  Lesh shook her head, “No, it’s too risky. We have no idea what the Hiezers are planning. Keep all of the talent here. Let me do what I do best,” she said calmly, with no hesitation in her voice.

  Briggs put his hands up as if he wasn't going to suggest anything further. “Good luck, Lesh. There's a meal being cooked on the main floor, if you want to refuel before you take off.”

  “How cute, Briggs,” Lesh said as she reached for her ration. She took a bite of the bar while staring at him and then ran off.

  Blague walked into the room that Jeck and Lito resided in.

  “Hah,” Blague laughed at the sight of Jeck facing the ceiling, “I see you two are getting along.”

  Lito lifted his goggles and smiled, looking over at Jeck shackled behind a chair on the floor. Blague walked over to Jeck and stepped on the leg of the chair, raising him slowly upward.

  Blague leaned over, his eyes penetrating through him, “Alright, Mr. Stone. Shall we discuss our deliberation?”

  Chapter 5

  Lesh flipped over the ledge of the second floor onto the main area where food was being served. The wide open space of the black marble floor looked like an abyss in outer space. The civilians moved out of her way as she started toward the front door in a fast trot.

  Cherris looked over at Lesh and waved, assuming she was off on her next hunt. Lesh nodded back and glanced down to see Milos at Cherris’ side, staring at her blankly. Lesh raised her eyebrow, to see if he would give some kind of response back; he raised both of his eyebrows.

  There's still hope for the boy. He's not catatonic, just in shock. It would be a shame if the boy's fate is to become a killer, but even Cherris' love can't erase what happened. I have a feeling that boy will be under my wing soon, unfortunately.

  She swiftly continued, noticing the mood shift among the civilians.

  Only a few days have passed, and everyone seems to have already forgotten what happened. It’s pathetic, really, to be so unprepared. Or do I envy them? To be able to flip a switch and forget it all. To experience joy in such an uncertain time.

  She turned to look forward, realizing that she was approaching a twenty foot, massive front door. The golden Hiezer swirls were elegantly decorated all over it. Two Sin fighters were guarding the inside. They scurried to open the door as they saw the assassin approaching.

  “Holy shit,” one of the fighters said with panic in his voice, “that's Lesh coming this way.”

  “What in hell are you staring at, open the damn door! Quick!” the other fighter responded.

  As the doors opened, Lesh ran past ten fighters in formation guarding the front. She didn't slow down; the Sins pounded their chests in her direction as she passed. She ignored the salute, as she usually does.

  “Hey!” a charismatic voice shouted behind her, followed by a friendly bark.

  She stopped and turned around, looking annoyed. “What is it, Sabin?” she said as she walked over and knelt down to pet Mars.

  Sabin was off to the side, leaning on a wall of the mansion, about thirty feet away from the door. His arms were folded and he had one foot on the wall. His torn cape was flapping in the wind and his golden eyes were gleaming. “Lesh, as much as I want to stick around and search for Ayelan with the scientists, I think I should have your back.”

  Lesh shook her head, “You'll just give away my position by walking around with the only pet in Senation. Plus, those horrible weapons will probably be the death of me.”

  Sabin let out a bu
rst of laughter. Lesh smirked back.

  “Was worth a try,” Sabin said.

  “If you say so,” Lesh bantered back.

  “Be safe, I'll see you in a few days hopefully,” Sabin wished sincerely.

  “Yep,” she responded with rasp in her voice, “Either then or in hell at some point.”

  Sabin smirked and Lesh ran off. Sabin became straight-faced as he kept an eye on the direction she headed.

  Milos stared at the floor, his shaggy black hair washed over his face as he sat in the corner, dazed. His limbs were spread out, as if he had no life left in him. He kept thinking of his mom. Before joining Blague's movement, she took him almost every day to a black market school, which was taught in a guarded hut. She packed him lunch and hugged him tightly before letting him run along every morning. She knew it wasn't the most formal way of helping her son grow, but it was the best available option in Senation. She knew the teacher from her prior life and trusted her completely. After school, Milos would run out of the hut through the black drapes that masked the activity inside, and jump to hug his mom. She gave off a sigh of relief and a smile every day when she got to see him. The bags under her eyes and her weathered appearance didn't exist for a moment. Milos felt his mother’s unconditional love every day. Those memories of her were bright. After his period of thought, he eventually snapped back to the present, leaving him shrouded in darkness. Kentin and another boy ran into Cherris' wagon, where Milos was sitting lethargically.

  “Milos!” Kentin shouted, “Let's go explore the back! I borrowed my dad's goggles that Endok made so we can avoid the bombs that were planted.” Milos stared at Kentin, unable to replicate his enthusiasm. Kentin extended his hand, “C’mon! Let's go!”

  Milos grabbed on and Kentin pulled him up. “Who's that?” Milos questioned in a cold tone.

  “This is Felik, he came with the new group. He was just cleared yesterday!” Kentin said.

  Felik extended his hand, “Hi Milos. Nice to meet you.”

  Milos looked at him dead in the eye, and slapped his hand instead of shaking it. “Hi Felik,” Milos said in the same cold tone.

  Felik had a shaved head and lanky arms. He was a weird looking kid, but had an innocent demeanor nonetheless. The kids left the wagon. On their way to the back of the mansion, they saw Cherris speaking with a group of adults, discussing safe practices and promising futures. Kentin waved at her.

  She smiled and waved back. “Don't go too far kids,” she said.

  “Ok!” Kentin shouted back.

  The kids headed for the back entrance. On the way, they noticed a line of new people, waiting to be accepted into the group. Briggs and his crew were in charge of background checks and psychological evaluations. The kids arrived at the back door, which was also guarded by two fighters.

  One knelt down, “Where do you think you guys are going?” he said.

  “Just out back, we'll be very careful!”

  The guard stroked his beard playfully, contemplating whether or not he was going to let them through. “Only if you stay on the side of the rocks. You have to let Lito and the other people work, capisce?”

  Kentin and Felik nodded. The guard let them through and told an outdoor guard to keep an eye on them. All three of the boys strolled through the pebbles and sand facing the ocean. Milos stared at the waves as they crashed down not too far ahead of them. In the distance, they saw Lito measuring and pointing to inform his team where to plant the next remote C-4.

  “What's going on back here?” Felik asked.

  “Those guys are protecting us. We can't let the Hiezers invade our new home!” Kentin responded.

  “Didn't you steal it from the Hiezers though?” Felik asked.

  Kentin shrugged. Milos thought about that comment.

  Did we steal it from them? They're bad, evil, and I want to kill all of the Hiezers. But if we steal from them, does that make us bad too?

  Kentin and Felik started running around, collecting rocks in an attempt to skim them over the ocean’s surface. Milos trailed behind, contemplating morality.

  Briggs headed toward the front door of a warmly lit room as he politely escorted a cleared Sin civilian to the next checkpoint. “Good luck, Malrez, and welcome to our new home,” he wished with sincerity. He then motioned to Rodest to let the next newcomer through the line to be evaluated. It was evident in everyone’s expression that the day had been long and the wait, grueling. The miserable body language from the incoming group was hard to ignore, but Briggs stood tall, as a commander should, to instill vigor and inspire his team. A less than stable man rushed towards Briggs, as the man was welcomed into the room. The man was wearing a ragged leather jacket and had straggly grey hair that aged his face beyond his years. Briggs hesitantly welcomed him into the room and motioned for the man to have a seat. The man stared down at the black marble desk, seemingly on the verge of tears.

  “What’s your name, my good man?” Briggs asked, trying to keep the evaluation light.

  The man clasped his hands in an attempt to keep them from shaking. “Victor Doran,” the man said after a long pause, finally looking up.

  Briggs stared back in confusion, “You have a last name. You aren’t a Sin?” he questioned.

  Victor shook his head.

  Briggs got up from his chair, “Then how did you make it this far?”

  Briggs started for the front door to find out what was going on. Victor lunged for Briggs’ hand and grasped it with both of his. Tears filled his bloodshot eyes. Briggs’ first reaction was to tense up, considering this could be an attempt to take out a commander.

  “Please, sir, I’m not a threat. I’ve been searched up and down and pleaded with the earlier guards to let me through,” Victor said as tears covered his face. “My wife, my son… they took them both.” With a shaky hand, Victor took out a decrepit wallet, letting the tears flow as he shared a frayed family picture with Briggs. “What the hell can I do now, but try and get them back?” Victor pleaded desperately.

  Briggs stood tall, looking down at the desperate man. He grew less tense as his mind started to race.

  “Hun, the baby’s crying again. It’s your turn,” Briggs said with a smile.

  “It feels like it’s always my turn,” a woman said, smiling back.

  “Oh c’mon, Saeda,” Briggs said, trying to read a book.

  “He’s starting to look like you,” Saeda said as she rocked Kentin gently.

  Briggs took his eyes off the book to smile proudly. He got up and picked them both up effortlessly. Kentin giggled like a typical nine month old would, thinking that he was flying. An incoming sound crept louder and louder from the background, until an explosion shook the ground. The feeling of adrenaline kicked in, boiling Briggs’ blood as he watched the fear and terror wash over Saeda’s face. Briggs put them down and gently scooped his arm around Saeda to push her along quickly, as another bomb exploded nearby. The flying debris of former huts clapped onto their roof, knocking it off completely. They both looked up as Kentin began to cry. Briggs slammed through their back door, where the shrill screams of the incoming bombs and explosions were no longer muffled.

  “Why?” Saeda cried frantically, “We already have so little. Who would…” Another explosion went off, knocking them both off their feet.

  Before the fall, Briggs quickly grabbed Kentin and held him securely in his gigantic arm. They were now in the open, as their hut caved inward from the explosions.

  Briggs shot up to his feet and extended his free hand for Saeda to grab. “There’s no time,” Briggs reminded her with a mix of worry and intensity. The sound of stealth jets soaring overhead made the fear of death that much more apparent. Saeda grabbed on and got back on her feet. Briggs sprinted, attempting desperately to get his family to safety. He held Kentin tight as the baby cried uncontrollably and held Saeda’s hand as she struggled to keep up in her slippers. Screams echoed in the distance amongst the explosions. Briggs prayed in his head that his family wouldn’t cont
ribute to them. They finally broke away from a block of huts and got to open ground, when an explosion hit two huts twenty feet away, blowing their hair back. Briggs ducked and faced the other way to shield Kentin from any fallout. Just as he felt the wind die down, his other arm jerked. His heart fell into his stomach and a huge lump in his throat immediately took his breath when he noticed Saeda was no longer holding his hand. A jagged portion of a hut wall, the size of Briggs, speared Saeda and propelled her fifteen feet away from where they were ducking for cover. Briggs’ mind went numb, tears flowed from his eyes as he was forcefully reminded of mortality. He ran to her lifeless bloody body while images of her smile exacerbated the pain. Bodies were spread out from the chaos, some just as broken as the exploded huts. Briggs grabbed onto Saeda’s lifeless hand. Her face was still intact, but her eyes were open and lifeless. Briggs sobbed over his beloved partner, wishing with all of his heart that he could have her back.

  Briggs snapped back to reality, looking down at Victor, who had fallen to the floor in tears as Briggs rehashed his past.

  “I’m a Terra, sir. I did my duty. I carried out my orders. Why would they just take them?” Victor sobbed.

  Briggs was holding back tears of his own, very much able to relate. Briggs bent down and lifted him up to his feet, putting Victor’s arm around his shoulder. “It’s alright, buddy. We’ll get this straightened out. And once we do, you can join our cause. We’ll help you locate your family and get them back,” Briggs reassured.

  “Thank you,” Victor said, starting to calm down, “God bless you, sir.”

  Briggs picked up his radio, “Get me detailed records on a Terra named Victor Doran.”

  “Right away, commander,” Rodest replied.

  Briggs helped Victor regain his balance and reassuringly patted him on the shoulder. “I’ve lost family too. We have to stay strong, for all that we have left. It won’t do us any good to dwell. And I know, much easier said than done. I’ve been there, but hopefully we can help you through it,” Briggs said.