Illusionary

“Anything?”

“No FR, still just static.”

“Shit.” Felipe mutters under his breath while hunkered down behind the cover of a wall that is between them and what is considered one of the roads where the core of Bannerster begins. It’s guarded by tens of constables, all of them ready and waiting as if they are expecting the revolutionaries attack.

Thinking for a moment Felipe considers his options. Ultimately, he concludes the best option is this;

“Shayna, I need you to run back across the city, get word to Piotr. Let him know what we learned and what we have planned.”

“Why me?”

“You are by far the fastest, even with all the gear on. I know you can do it.” The leader of the team adds praise to encourage her because he speaks the truth, she is the quickest and she can do it.

Nodding, Shayna agrees following a swift geeing up of herself mentally.

“When do I leave FR?”

“Immediately; be swift and safe.”

Without another word Shayna exchanges silent good lucks with the rest of her team and then departs as fast as her legs can carry her, radio in her possession.

“What about us FR?” Mamo asks sure of what the order will be from the dark haired man who commands them.

“We’re going to push forward.”

“There’s a load of constables out there.” Scilla reminds as if Felipe may somehow have forgotten.

He hasn’t. It would be impossible for him too, but by the looks of things the members of the Constabulary Au Secrecy aren’t simply guarding. Rather, they are preparing for an offensive. Maybe they don’t expect it imminently, maybe they do. Either way Felipe, Harl, Mamo and Scilla can’t afford for them to dig in any further than they already have. If they do they might become immovable.

“If any of you don’t want this I’ll understand.”

No one speaks out. That brings Felipe comfort. More than perhaps any of them will ever know. Truthfully, he thought Harl would, at a minimum.

Might’ve judged him too harshly he thinks while ordering, “Then spread out and wait for my signal.”

Its ten minutes before Felipe gives his signal. In the seconds prior he hopes Shayna is OK, making progress, maybe even relayed via the radio Mamo off-loaded when first they hunkered down into cover, what is happening. Whether she has or not he cannot know and so he advances, gun belching lead and fire, toward the defensive line of constables. Whether the family spoke truth about them having once been workers, ones that ended up brainwashed into servitude, he does not dare consider. He believes he cannot afford to. If he does he might not fire upon them. Then what would he have at his disposal? Nothing. So he focuses on his efforts, the bigger picture.

It isn’t long before bullets tear through the air, whizzing past him. He dives into a roll. The other three members of his team fire from their respective positions. Mamo has overwatch in Shayna’s place while Harl and Scilla break over from differing angles so they are advancing like Felipe is.

All that can be heard is the sound of gunfire, its deafening even in these wide streets. Then explosions throw Felipe sideways. He struggles back to his feet unsure of his status. Irrespective, he pushes his advance. Then the constables unveil they are in possession of bigger guns, mounted with bullet belts fed into one side. The guns, all four of them, spin, then roar to life.

Puncture wounds are carved into road and building alike growing ever closer to Felipe who unleashes the might of his weapon right back at them. There is no comparison between the differing calibres of weapon as the mounted guns drown out everything else, filling the air with several walls of projectiles creating a death zone.

Suddenly the gunfire is drowned out by a whistle. Everyone stops and looks up. They see nothing but sky. Then there is a blinding flash of light. It’s followed by a boom which sends everyone flying backwards, regardless of whether they are constables or revolutionaries.

Afterwards there is nothing but darkness.

Silence, eerie and chilling, is what replaces the gunfire and the shouts that there had been previously.