“I began my fighting in this conflict as many of have, for revenge on some level, and I’ve came to the realization that this entire time the vengeance I have been looking for has been misplaced. I have commanded to preserve as much life as possible, against direct orders from command that had said otherwise because I was looking to kill one man, and he was not the one that engineered this conflict. Now Vanahei has driven the MLM from her shores and her lands are secure, men have been trained to provide that security, and for now the fight for Vanahei has been won. But the anger that started this, still lives and thrives, controlling my home, and it is to that place I go now, to protect and liberate. So once I leave here in the morning I will not be in uniform, and I will not marching to fight for Vanahei. I march to protect my family and friends from tyranny, from chaos, and destruction. I refuse to watch as men are coursed by fear into service, instead of taking up a cause with their own moral compass as a guide. I will not sit and watch a man wield death as a scepter to command his subjects into genocide, fearing what will become of their families if they say no. Men do not have to like their neighbor but I will not live in a world where one is ordered to hate the other out of fear of the gallows.”
The original perplexed look had give way to one of understanding and anticipation of what he was going to ask of them.
“None of you are required to leave with me tomorrow on my journey. The mayors and politicians of all the cities and regions of Vanahei will be notified by tomorrow that we have secured Vanahei and that there is no reason to pursue more violence while the cities and lives at home need to be enriched. Commander Hawskins will be in charge of the fighting forces and security of the state. He took an oath and has bled by that oath, and will continue to do so until the insurrection has ended, and true democracy can be entrusted. I will not be actively engaging any firefight, my goal is to find the man responsible and bring him before courts, alive, to be tried for his crimes. That is the only goal I have. Those who wish to fight with me, we are leaving at 0600 and you can pick up your weapon at 0545the rest will follow Hawskins. From here, who you follow is your decision and good luck to each of you.”
He did not look into the eyes of the men, but their silence was a welcome sound. Followed close behind by Eli, Alex went back to the APC without incident, and the two of them sat quietly unsure of what to say next.
In his ever-reoccurring role of breaking the tension of any situation Eli spoke first. “Just so you know, we’re back to square one and no longer fighting for anyone. This whole thing is more anti climatic than I thought it was going to be when we signed up for this a few days ago. And for the record, I refuse to go back and listen to Raymond fight about bacon again, I wont do it.”
“I wonder what ever happened to the rest of that pig in the first place.” Alex said with a slight smile.
“Someone probably jacked it and ate it. The way they separated us and shipped us out, there was no way that was following me from that camp, unless Raymond too it and threw for some coyotes.” Eli began to laugh breaking the mood. “They probably shipped me before him so they could take it without him noticing where it had wandered off to probably made his week.”
The interruption in the stark moment provided the two friends their last moment of happiness they would have together as soldiers. Joy was a foreign concept to the pair, though they had short periods of laughter and whit, none of them was as happy as the current moment. Knowing the dangers and solitude that would come with the dawn, it provided such a vast difference than any other time where they were expecting risks. It was small but the disparity was enough to bring joy to the pairs eyes.
“How many do you think will set out with us in the morning?”
It was the question that neither of them knew the answer to, yet hope provoked it being asked.
“You’ll have at least one with ya, Al. And not to toot my own horn here but that’s all you’ve needed thus far to watch your back. But we’ve been in a world I know well, that’s about to change. Don’t worry though we’ll find this guy and bring him in, just make sure they don’t kill me for being the stranger with a gun.”
When Alex walked outside that morning his men making the journey were assembled, every man in the camp stood waiting their orders, including Hawskins. As pleasant as it was to see the men, he knew a smaller force would be the best way to go on the hunt, the more men the more attention that would be drawn to them.
“Only twenty of you are coming along with us.” He pointed at himself and Eli. “The rest of you as happy as it makes me to see you all here, well head to the capital with Mr. Hawskins. If we are caught across the pillar, we will be executed, slowly. Do not be afraid to fall out of formation at this time.”
There was no movement.
“If you do not leave, I will hand pick the men to come with.” Once again, no movement. “Mr. Hawskins please gather men and make way to the transports. The capital will need your help more than mine. If I get captured, at least you will be there with military experience and leadership. I know you want to help but I can not sacrifice the future to help me now.”
Hawskins turned and addressed the men, “Units two through seven you are to follow me, unit one you will stay in formation and follow further direction.”
A voice came from one of the other units “I would like opt to stay sir, I owe it to my friend to follow.”
Alex looked over the formation till he saw a friend walking forward towards him. Ryan walked to the front of the formation and made it clear this time, he was not going to leave his friend to possibly suffer the same fate he had months earlier.
“Having another gun that knows how you think, and not having you in the crosshairs wouldn’t hurt if you doing mind me saying so.”
Intentions aside, Alex had concerns about Ryan not taking the chance to go back into the heart of Vanahei. He had already suffered enough and was wary that anymore stress could have him lose and notion of reality that he may have left, yet he knew that there was no way to convince him otherwise.
“You ready to go through that all again if you’re caught?” Alex asked with a mask of confidence through his voice.
“Even If I’m not, you aren’t going to fight through it alone.” Ryan looked at Eli and then behind him at the remaining men standing, anxious for Alex to address them. “What are our orders?”
They marched over the pillar and north without incident; there were no checkpoints or any sense of the MLM located in the southern potions of the country. Whether it was due to the lack of men or tactical need to defend the desert, it provided no resistance and more importantly, no danger a large region of people. They made the journey swiftly as Alex directed them to the first city of note on the main highway heading north towards the capital of Mispellem, the city of Falcons Crest.
On the ridge, from which the city derived its name, Alex got out of the APC and viewed his home first with delight in his eye that it was still standing, secondly by a monocular. He scanned the rooftops of the stout skyline, and saw no flags to indicate the town had fallen into enemy hands. The main streets were quiet as he expected, though there was a steady flow of ant like beings moving towards a central square, a square that was not used often.
“Eli,” Alex said reaching for his radio. “Scan all frequencies for me, Let me know if there’s a public event going on.”
Returning his gaze to the square once again he made out the space where the small grandstand use to be which had now been replaced by a large stage area. It was difficult to count how many people were gathering at the stage, but that did not stop Alex from counting, until he received a reply to his request.
“You’re going to want to come back inside and listen to this yourself, Alex.”
Alex peered down the scope of his rifle to better make out the small figures out in front of him. Standing there in three separate sections. A quarter mile back from the stage, Alex had orders men to take positions atop the roofs of the structures with clear lines of sight and at their ap
ex, the location where the emergency broadcast line for the city had been hacked, the open theater. There were explicit orders not to fire into the crowd or stage for any reason. He wanted to make it clear the operation was strictly for intelligence gathering only, and that there would be consequences should that be violated. The men knew it was his home town and that those in the crowd would be people Alex knew, but it made them uneasy knowing the reason all the people were summoned was for a rally for call to arms by the MLM.
Once they had the large crowd, some escorted to the square, to the size of their satisfaction, the message began. The sermon of hate and brimstone being forced upon the people of the great country by an oppressive overlord that had quietly maintained a secret police to maintain order and keep the people as drones to carry out their secret agenda.
It was an uneasy feeling to listen to the half truths that were being spat in hatred to water the mob, attempting to entice it to action. Their minds were frail not by their stature in the world but by the uncertainty of tomorrow, an uncertainty born by terror. The shock factor the MLM decided to play on was to assure and educate the people with their message of ‘truth’ and build that into a cry for action. The MLM knew when you educate a people, the more difficult they are to control, so they manipulated the boundaries for where the mind could find truths. Quickly they made the lie big, kept it simple, and kept saying it, knowing eventually they will believe it.
Alex could sense they were close to wrapping up when behind the stage a military transport, similar to the ones Alex worked on in his automotive classes, pulled up and was emptied under an awning, covering those who exited. There was a quick silence as the mob began to speak louder amongst itself. Alex could see a man, standing by himself with a radio to his face. It was difficult from the distance to see him clearly, but moving the scope over then man as one would do with an ant, the features that molded him became clearer. Nothing distinctly scared the man, nor did it give pause to anyone who would pass him along the side of the road, but his features in his face would haunt Alex for the rest of his life. He took to the stage with microphone in hand and addressed the world.
“Alexander Elingher, If you are out there, and I am fairly certain you are, I am the man you are looking for. I have been the one waiting for you to crawl through the mire for quite sometime now. You have led men to victory because I have allowed you to do so, only so I could bring you here for the evenings festivities.”
He continued to monitor the man through his rifle, he knew at this point, this man was only attempting to test the resolve of the men around him.
“You traveled here quickly and without resistance since you were born as a son from Mispellem wandering his way home. I withdrew my men behind this point in the country. The false sense of accomplishment your men have for still being alive will quickly leave with them spirits after tonight’s ceremony. Months ago I was informed of who you were but only now, as a mobile unit I can see I was not giving you your due respect. I had guessed you were causing the delays in our advancement in Anderhill, but never the proof, you learned to well how to cover your tracks from Tillery, and don’t worry, he was convinced you were dead, it tore him apart in several conversations we had, it made him weak. Tillery never spoke your name but I still managed to learn who you are.”
The man motioned and out from behind the large cargo truck two people were brought out and thrown to their knees. Their heads were covered in a shroud and conducting them, a group of armed men herding them to face the man in the middle. A terror slowly began to mold itself in the alcoves of his mind a fear that would soon prove it self to be the embodiment of horror.
“Our honored guests, as you have now undoubtedly guessed, is in fact not your talent group of brawlers following you here, all of you are the general audience. No the two here next to me are the ones hand selected to be our privileged pair.”
Walking over, he tore the shrouds from off of their heads to reveal Mr. and Mrs. Ehlinger, bound in fear, and attempting to move close to one another. Eli could feel his friends heart rate rises as he lay next to him as his spotter, and Eli knew without introduction they were dear to him.
“Many of you know who these people are, in the public light.” The man continued. “In the shadows they are the parents and gun runner for their son Alex, who is the leader of the Vanahei Military force. A force used as a way to control you all. Alex was recruited to join after the fighting began and due to his training at that academy, was promoted quickly to lead men into battle to kill his own neighbors. His parents knew of this and ran weapons for the Vanahei through this small community right under your noses. Since they have betrayed you all, you the people of this great city get to choose the judgment that gets to be passed on them. And Alex, I address you now. I know how wonderful you are with that rifle and I will give you a choice as well. You can either shoot the two of them and spare whatever torture your former neighbors come up with, or surrender your men and spare your parents. But I warn you, if you shoot at me, your parents will be killed as well. You have one minute to take my offer.”
The first ten seconds went by in silence, before the mob got restless and started shouting at the stage. Some screamed for mercy while others started to chant for death, a chant that could be heard by the ghosts watching from the rooftops.
“Sir,” Alex’s communication cut through his thoughts, “We might be able to shoot all the targets before they can react.”
“Alex, what are you waiting for shoot him and end this war,” Another voice, though more timid came through.
Elijah reach out and slowly grabbed the trigger hand of Alex and moved it away from the weapon.
“What are you waiting for kid, take the shot, he’s going to kill your parents.”
Alex looked over at Eli for some direction as to what he should do. He looked hopelessly at Eli who turned his face to meet his and shook his head no. Their faces slowly succumbed to the horror that was in front of them, both knew the sacrifice that had to be made. Eli once again reached towards the rifle, and disengaged the ammunition before Alex could have a chance to place a round in the chamber.
“This is Eli, Alex’s comm. is down. He understands, and maintains the orders not to open fire. We need the son of a bitch alive, no matter the cost.”
The chant for death was in full force drowning out any scarce cries for mercy. The play had worked. It was easy to tell a lie when no one with a sense of morality cared for the outcome. The man spoke into the microphone one again.
“Well the people have spoken, and we have your sentence. As customary long ago, when we had need to execute under our flawed courts, the each of you is entitled to last words.”
He placed the microphone in front of the teary eyes of Alex’s mother as she collected herself and spoke. “Take care of your brother, Alex, and know we love the two of you so very much. Hold your head high, this decision was never yours to make.” And with that she lowered hear head.
The microphone passed in front of Alex’s father, a man who had helped mold his character and his sense of the world being something more than the people who lived within the cities he grew up in. To him the world was complex only because they allowed it to be. Humanity had a need, even if it was its basic instinct of survival, to place itself above one another to make sure they were the pinnacle of the others of their time. Due to that reason, he could understand but not comprehend why we hate one another, and with that passion he spoke his final words before grabbing his loves hand.
“Remember son, It’s The one you feed.”
The man stood in front of the two lovers and extended his hand out for a weapon. He was given a small gun and then rested there for a moment. He was stoic as though he was taking in and thriving off the chants for death that once again echoed through the choir behind him. Chants that were swallowed by the sounds of praise after the two bullets had left their chambers.
Alex’s soul flushed from his body as he watched his parents fall to the stage fl
oor beneath them. Rolling to his back, no longer an interested audience member for this theater, this tragedy of war, he covered his face to hide amongst the eyes of his men. Eli watched him there, and the two set in silence as the mob raved on as annoying insects do buzzing about while one enjoys a picnic. All the while, he sat, the sign and symbol of a man without faith, hopeless, and now void of his reason to fight on any further. His brother was safe, Hawskins was on his way to the capital of Vanahei, to ensure that, but his parents, whom he wanted nothing more than to get to safety, became casualties of the death that haunted and preceded him on every part of the journey.
“This is Eli, all men quietly fall back to the APC’s and get ready to shadow and give chase to the MLM. Eliminate any target that seems you, but do not open fire on anyone you don’t need to, that’s exactly what they want to have happen. Ryan move to our position, we found something we want to take back with us.” He knew they had to be careful with the retreat but knew they ran a greater risk of revenge instead of the lamentation and reverence the situation deserved.
The group made it back to the APC’s without incident and Eli gave orders for them to head northeast towards the forest until nightfall, when they could better monitor and track the MLM back to their camp. Eli wondered how long he could be the acting commander as he sat close to his friend. Eventually the men would need Alex to come back to them and be their muse into battle. But that was not at the forefront of Eli’s mind. The MLM came to Falcons Crest to put on a show and leave, there was no strategic value for ruling over an unforgiving desert and few crops the farmers broke their backs for. The northern climate, where the civilization thrived and outnumbered those in the outer regions, that was the only territory worth spending the resources to control. MLM’s only reason for being there was to send a message, and attempt to draw out the remaining command there was of the Vanahei army. It was cold, calculated and cunning in their plan, and one that showed they had anticipated the move of Alex across the southern pillar to return home, a place he knew he could reveal his resolve and test that of Alex’s. Destroying that home, his parents, and had they been able to capture his brother, the man would have executed him too. They knew physically they could not reach Alex because of his standing with his men, and the droves of pawns in front of him so they went after the only thing they knew they could touch, his soul.
Pillars of Glass Page 24