The Resistance: Book 5 of the After The Event Series

by T A Williams

  “Any contacts?” Ben asked.

  “No,” Ty yelled out.

  “Hold fast, we’re going to help find the EMP.”

  They took off in the only other direction Vick and Crimson could have gone. Ben looked into the gymnasium and saw that the majority of the roof had caved in and the clear blue sky poured in through the gap. On the far side of the gym Crimson, Vick and Chavez were attempting to push a 5x5 platform with a six foot tall missile sitting atop it across the room.

  “That’s it,” Dex said.

  The sound of helicopters came from the opening in the roof and Ben crossed the distance with his rifle pointed in the air but didn’t spot anything.

  “It’s good to go; we just need to get it into the opening,” Vick yelled.

  They all got behind the platform and began to push it across the gym floor. The metal screeched across the wooden gym floor but inch by inch it got closer and closer to the opening in the roof. Ben continued to push and looked up to see a helicopter pop into view.

  “Helo,” he screamed as he dove to the side and came up firing.

  The helicopter let loose and the wooden floors around them turned into splinters. Crimson started to dive to the side but he watched a bullet connect, sending her sprawling backwards. Ben fired again and saw a barrage connect with the soldier manning the gun. The soldier let out a scream and fell from the helo and landed somewhere farther down the roof. The helicopter veered away.

  “We only have a few before we have more company,” Ben screamed as he changed magazines and brought his gun back toward the roof.

  Crimson pushed herself back up; she placed her hand on the wound on her left shoulder, applying pressure.

  “Crimson, can you aim?” Ben asked.

  The woman grabbed her rifle and sat the butt against her chest. “I can fire.”

  She would only be able to fire a few short bursts before she had to reset but it was better than nothing. “Let’s push. Crimson, cover us.”

  They went back to pushing the platform, inch by inch, foot by foot. When they were only a few feet away the sound of a helicopter intensified and Crimson fired. Ben rolled away from the platform and aimed into the air. The front of the helo was facing him and he emptied his clip into the front. He saw the windshield crack and the helicopter swerve to the left, causing the gunner to miss wildly.

  “Hurry,” Ben yelled as he returned to the platform.

  They pushed again until it was directly under the opening. Vick ran to the front of the platform and begin to type something into the keypad in the front. The rest of them held their guns in the air, waiting for the inevitable return of the helicopters.

  “Firing in five,” Vick yelled as he turned and ran from the platform.

  Ben and Dex looked at each other and joined the man. As they ran the missile shot up into the air and out of the opening. In its place appeared a helicopter. They ran to the far side as the helicopter was joined by a second and both fired into the gym. Bullets hit all around Ben and a piece of the wooden floor shot up into his face, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground, his gun skidding off to the side. Ben rolled as fast as he could away from the sound of the pounding bullets and heard the others returning fire. He finally hit against a wall and looked up. He saw one of the helicopters turn to the side and saw the gunner looking right at him. The gunner turned his weapon toward Ben just as a bright light shot through the sky. The sound of the running helicopters suddenly stopped and for a few seconds they hovered in place and then they both dove forward. The first veered off to the side while the second came crashing back down toward them. Ben got to his feet just as it crashed through the last of the gymnasium roof and smashed through the far wall, bursting into a ball of flames. Ben caught sight of another helicopter spinning in circles as he veered over the opening of the roof, and soon the sound of falling objects filled their ears.

  Ben grabbed his gun. “We’ve got a couple of minutes before they recover, let’s use them.”

  He ran out of the nearly demolished gym into the dark hallway. Sitting there was Ty, who looked back at him.

  “Was that it?”

  Ben didn’t stop running but nodded his head. “Is the rear clear?”

  “No one has tried to get through yet.”

  “Then head through.”

  Ty pushed through the opening, followed by the others. Ben went through last and as he approached the rear exit he saw everyone standing there staring. Before he could yell he walked out and saw what they were all looking at. The football field was before them and nearly a dozen helicopters laid on the ground as nothing more than balls of burning wreckage.

  Ben shook off the shock. “Move.”

  They cut through the football field and through the nearby residences. They pushed their bodies to the breaking point, until they were barely moving faster than a walk. Only when they couldn’t go any farther did they finally stop and collapse under a grove of trees near a dilapidated old house. Ben fell to his back, gasping for breath, and saw dozens of plumes of smoke rising in the sky far off in the distance. The sound of helicopters had stopped, the sound of vehicles had stopped, and the only sound was the tired group of soldiers fighting for each breath.

  Ben looked around and saw Dex, Crimson, Ty, Vick and Chavez sitting there. They were the only ones that had made it. Watt, Reaper and the other two soldiers they had rescued were gone.

  “Crimson, how bad is it?” Ben asked.

  The woman had already wrapped a piece of clothing around the wound and while it was red with blood it appeared to have stopped the bleeding. “It’ll need to be looked at but I have a few hours.”

  “Any other injuries?” Ben asked.

  “Nothing life-threatening,” Vick said, laying his head in the grass.

  “Reaper?” Dex asked.

  Ben shook his head. Dex looked down and took in a deep breath and let it wash over and past him.

  “There should be a supply depot a few miles northwest of here,” Vick said, getting to his knees. “We can resupply and rest there.”

  “So we did it?” Ty asked, smiling. “The EMP worked?”

  “The dozens of falling helicopters didn’t give it away?” Crimson said, returning the smile.

  Ben stood up and checked the magazine on his gun. He checked the rest of his equipment and checked his body for wounds. He felt dozens of different aches and pains but nothing serious. He ran his hand through his hair and it was hard with dried blood, but it was dry so the wound had stopped bleeding. He stared up at the rising plumes of smoke, too tired to smile.

  Ty stood up as well. “Well we took out their drones and helicopters. What do we do now?”

  “Now?” Ben turned around and slung his rifle over his shoulder. He took a few steps forward. On both sides of him were his fellow soldiers; to the back of him was the destruction of the school and the Chinese air superiority. The odds had finally been evened back up. “Now we bring the fight to them.”

  Alec

  Time moved differently in the hole. It moved like molasses dripping through a crack. Each second took a minute, each minute an hour and each hour felt like a day. Alec was in the hole for six days but it felt like six months. When they came for him they had to carry him out. He hadn’t been able to stand in the hole and had no reason to try, so his legs refused to work. So they drug him out and threw him in his normal cell. For the first hour he just lay there. Then he started to cry. Alec wasn’t sure if he was crying because he was finally out of the hole or if he was crying because he had been thrown right back to where he had started, but he cried until he couldn’t anymore.

  When night fell the prisoners returned and he was allowed to go outside and eat with the rest. Xu’s words floated around in his head so he sat alone at a table on the far side. Steffen sat down beside him. The purple and red bruises on the man’s face stood out from his pale bald head but despite all that Steffen smiled at Alec when he sat. A few minutes later Jon came and sat down beside hi
m, then another member of Yankee Camp and another. The last seat was taken by a member of Rambo Camp, the same man that had come to see him the first day. The dark-haired man winked at him as he sat down. Together they ate.

  The bowl of porridge, as always, was gone in just a handful of bites, no matter how slowly they ate, so before long everyone began to get up, put away their bowls and head in for the night. Jon patted Alec on the back and left the table, leaving Alec alone with the man with the black hair. The man pretended to stretch and looked around, making sure no one was around. The soldiers were going up for seconds and typically didn’t start forcing everyone into their cells until they were done with their food.

  “The name is Finn,” the man with the black hair said quietly.

  “Thank you, Finn. Without your help I would have died in that hole.”

  Finn used his finger to get the last of the porridge from his bowl and lick it from his finger. “It’s always been our camp against your camp.” He shook his head in disgust. “Xu made sure of that with his stupid games. Walt was the only one of us who didn’t buy into it.”

  Alec thought about Walt’s family and then pushed it away. Alec had made his choice.

  “We are all in this together,” Finn continued. “Divided we are weak, right?”

  Alec nodded. “Together we may survive this.” He wasn’t sure if he actually believed that.

  “We will survive,” Finn said confidently.

  “Xu is becoming crazier by the day. If he keeps up we will be forced to kill each other until no one is left.”

  “You’re not wrong,” Finn answered again. He casually glanced around again, making sure it was clear. “Walt hadn’t found a chance to tell you yet, but we have a plan if you’re willing.”

  Alec looked up from his empty bowl and met Finn’s eyes. “Plan?”

  Finn smiled. “To escape.”

  To Be Continued in After the Event Book 6

  Coming Soon

  About The Author

  T.A. Williams is the author of the After The Event Series (After The Event, The Remnants, Innocence Lost, Into The Dark and The Resistance). He lives in middle-America, USA with his wife, son & new daughter.

  http://www.TheTAWilliams.com