Page 45

ATLAS

TWELVE MONTHS CAPTIVE

This game was a disaster.

“Atlas!”

I turned at the sound of North barking my name. “Find that fucking sniper!”

We were currently pinned down behind a run down barn. The ground sloped away in front of us and ended in a rapidly moving river. The bank soon rose to steep cliffs and in the distance was a massive bridge where we could see the target’s cage sitting in the middle. We had to cross the open area and somehow make it over to the bridge without getting shot by the team across the river. There was little cover—only a few sparse trees and one low running stone wall I was very hesitant to trust with my life.

We’d already lost one of the new kids. I couldn’t even remember his name but we’d run into another team in the rundown country town behind us and they’d shot him point blank.

“Nyx, cover,”

North ordered.

I pulled back and with Nyx following, went into the building next to the barn. It was a blown out ruin of a two story building but there were still stairs to the second floor and I ran up them, mindful of the gaps. I lay down in the debris from the blasted out wall and looked through the sights of my rifle. I scanned the far bank of the river. That side sloped gently like ours and was almost a mirror image with buildings high on the bank. The sniper pinning us was in one of them.

I heard the impact of bullets below me as we were hit again and I saw a flash of glass reflected in the sun.

Got ya.

Adjusting my sights, I zeroed in on him. He was hiding in a similar rundown building, but I was slightly above him giving me the advantage. I took a breath and on the exhale pulled the trigger.

I watched his body go slack through my sights.

“Clear,”

I reported.

“Copy,”

North said. “You and you—get to that next building, we’ll lay cover fire. Nyx wait here and watch Atlas’ back. Atlas make sure no one else decides to camp on us. Preacher with me.”

I heard North, Preacher and Nyx lay cover fire as the two new kids raced off to the next building, then covered North and Preacher as they ran to join them. I took out another soldier and scanned for more. I wished I had eyes on the bridge but my angle was wrong.

“No longer have eyes on the enemy. They’re moving towards the bridge.”

“Copy,”

North said. “Atlas—you and Nyx see if you can find a hide with a view of the bridge.”

“Copy.”

I made my way back down to Nyx and together we rushed to where the others were situated behind a rock wall. This was the last building closest to the bridge. Nyx and I bypassed the team and headed up into a nearby building. It was a little farther away, but it had a better view of the bridge.

I settled on my stomach and looked through the sights towards the bridge.

“Target confirmed,”

I said. “Middle of the bridge.”

Whoever got to the target would be exposed for an uncomfortable amount of time. The bridge was nearly a half mile long and the drop off the side was dizzying before it plunged into the rapids.

“It looks like she’s handcuffed to the bars this time,” I said.

“Rocky, Finn—head towards the bridge, stay low.”

They took off, and I quickly took out a soldier hiding behind some bushes near the edge of the bridge on the other side who was taking aim at them. Then I heard gunfire on our side of the river.

“Fuck—Nyx—”

“On it—”

I heard fighting and close combat.

“Damn it, Preacher’s hit,”

North said.

I looked out over the landscape again, cursing under my breath. Rocky and Finn were pinned down behind that ridiculous rock wall. I was about to take out another sniper when pain erupted through my shoulder and I recoiled at the impact. I slipped and fell down a few stairs as I scrambled away for cover, then Nyx was there.

“I got ya,”

he said. “Atlas was hit.”

He threw my arm around his shoulder and half carried, half dragged me out of the building and into the neighboring one where he put me down beside Preacher.

“Pull back!”

North demanded.

“Leave them!”

Rocky snapped over comms. “It’s right there! We can do it!”

“Negative. Pull back,”

North answered.

“Fuck that—I’m going—Finn?”

“I’m game, let’s roll,”

Finn replied.

North lifted his head above the wall just enough to watch the fools race off towards the bridge. They’d been nothing but trouble this entire game. Putting themselves and us in questionable situations. North growled in frustration before kneeling next to me. He pulled off my tactical gear and ripped my shirt off.

“They’re right, you should go, T!”

I said, trying to push him away from me. “The four of you can still—”

The pain made me dizzy, cutting off my words, and I was sweating profusely even though it wasn’t hot. But I didn’t want us to lose because of me. We were so close and this would be our first loss.

“You’re lucky this was a ricochet and not a full .50 cal,”

North grumbled, ignoring me as he quickly did a field dressing on the wound and manhandled me into a sitting position.

“I’m serious,”

I said, wincing at the movement.

“It’s not worth it,”

Nyx answered, gun trained on the street.

“I’m not losing you over some stupid game,”

North snarled.

Preacher was leaning heavily against the wall, blood running down his side. He looked deathly pale. North had tied half his shirt around the wound but his breathing was labored, his face creased in pain.

“Back to the DZ,”

North said, lifting me to my feet and slinging my arm over his shoulder.

“Come on, Preach,”

Nyx said, doing the same for him.

“Looks like it’s the four of us again,”

I said as we piled into the van at the end of the game.

We’d been yards from the safe zone when the buzzer had gone off signaling the end of the game. The kids hadn’t returned.

“If they’d stop giving us children, we might actually be able to hold our numbers,”

Nyx muttered.

“At this point, I’ll take anyone who doesn’t treat this like they’ll respawn somewhere,”

Preacher said weakly. “I know I’m not a soldier, but I wouldn’t want those kids at my back during a raid.”

“I think we can make you an honorary one at this point,”

Nyx said dryly.

Preacher gave him a weak smile. “Oh good, I get to be a jarhead now—”

“I told you, that’s a marine,”

Nyx said in mock exasperation.

“Same thing.”

“Oh, he did not just say that,”

Nyx said, looking over at me and then North. I laughed but quickly stopped when it jostled my shoulder.

“He’s messing with you,” I said.

Preacher just looked smug or tried to, before he grimaced and shifted to try and alleviate the pain. I leaned my head back against the van wall, trying to shut off the discomfort. It may have been a ricochet, but it was deep in my shoulder sending an ache through my entire arm. I was lucky the sniper was a shit shot. That and the fact I’d settled behind a thick wall of concrete and steel. Close calls weren’t new to me, I’d had my fair share when I was deployed and my fucked up brain just didn’t know how to take an attempt on my life seriously.

All I wanted was to get out there again and do better.

We got back to the estate, and they filed us through the infirmary again. They didn’t believe in true pain management apparently because they barely numbed my shoulder before digging into the hole left by the bullet fragment. I lay on the table cursing and sweating and tried not to give into the urge to murder every single person poking at me. Preacher wasn’t fairing much better next to me. He was viciously cursing and calling the nurses every horrible name known to man. It would have been funny if I wasn’t being subjected to the same thing.

Finally, they were done and after dosing us with pain pills, sent us back to our quarters. Preacher limped along next to me, looking pale and murderous. My arm was throbbing and all I wanted to do was lay down and sleep. I didn’t want to think about the fact we didn’t win. The girl wouldn’t be coming and instead we were going to find out what the punishment was for losing.

Nyx was pacing in front of the door when we entered. His concerned gaze swept over me before he saw I was still in one piece and he relaxed, giving me an easy smile.

“Miss me?” I joked.

Before he could answer, two of the guards followed in behind us and flanked Nyx.

“Hands,”

one of them said.

“What? Why?”

North barked.

In answer they grabbed Nyx and shoved him against the wall, cuffing his wrists behind his back while the other held us at gunpoint.

“Where are you taking him?”

I demanded.

North’s features hardened, and he took a step towards the doors.

“What’s going on?”

He demanded again.

But they didn’t answer and instead, all we could do was watch Nyx get dragged out the door and the ominous click of the lock behind them.

“Where do you think they took him?”

Preacher asked.

“Is this what happens when we lose?”

I asked. “Someone gets taken?”

No one answered me.

An hour passed and still Nyx hadn’t come back. Preacher had dozed off, exhausted and in pain but I couldn’t sleep and instead resumed the pacing Nyx had abandoned, walking back and forth in front of the door.

“Atlas, sit down,”

North snapped. “You’re not doing anyone any favors if you pass out.”

I gritted my teeth in irritation but sat down in an armchair, fixing my attention on the door and trying not to let the fear and apprehension overwhelm me. Nyx still hadn’t returned when the lights went off in the cell, casting the room into darkness. The only light was the glow of a lantern down the hall and soft moonlight coming in from the windows.

Despite trying to stay awake, I realized I’d dozed off when a few hours later, movement in the hall startled me awake and then guards were dropping an unresponsive Nyx inside the cell. I jumped to my feet, glancing at North as we both hurried over and knelt next to him. He was naked and in the moonlight I saw bruises all over his body. I hauled him half into my lap, trying to rouse him as North checked his pulse.

“What the fuck,”

I muttered. “Nyx—”

I patted his cheek gently.

“Is he drugged?”

North asked.

“He must be—hey—Nyx—wake up—”

Nyx moaned and his eyes fluttered open only for him to jolt in my arms and lash out, his eyes wild.

“Hey—you’re okay—”

North said.

Nyx drew in great heaving breaths when he realized where he was. He rolled onto his side between North and I, resting his head in his hands as he supported himself on his elbows. His body was shaking from the comedown of the drug he’d been on and whatever the fuck Vetticus had subjected him to. I put a hand on his shoulder and he flinched.

“What did they do to him?”

Preacher asked.

He tossed a sweatshirt and pants to us.

“Nyx, put these on,”

North said.

He let us help him with the sweatshirt but once we got him to his feet; he yanked the sweatpants from my hands and shoved them on himself. When I reached out a hand to steady him, he stumbled back a step.

“Don’t—don’t touch me—”

he said, his voice hoarse. He headed over to his bed and North and I trailed after him. When he climbed under the covers; we stood nearby looking down at his indistinct shape with concern. After a moment, I heard North growl softly in frustration before stepping over to his own bed. I did the same, and it wasn’t until we all settled on the verge of sleep that I heard Nyx speak through the darkness.

“We can’t lose again.”