Code of Honor

“Go.”

I looked up quickly. Shock taking my features. The boys eyes were soft and panicked.

“Go,” he said more forcefully stepping to one side.

I was in shock but I did as he said. I side stepped slowly past him. Careful to keep as much distance between us as possible. It was common for some soldiers to play sick games with their prey. I’d witnessed it firsthand. He watched me slowly. He didn’t look like he was going to grab me anytime soon. Once I was safely past him, I took off running again. Trying to put as much distance between us as possible. I didn’t look back to see if he was chasing me.

I reached the back fence of the property quickly. I knew jumping the left side put me in another yard. In the opposite direction I needed to go. To jump the right put me in a small park. I could hide amongst the trees and bushes until it was safe to make a sprint for the other side. Then I’d only be a block from where I would meet my father.
Logic told me to jump to the right. I used an old rusted sing set to leverage myself up and put myself on top of the fence. I was about to swing myself over when something grabbed me from behind. I instantly started to struggle against what held me.

I tried putting my weight over the fence so I’d fall from the grip but the strong hands pulled me back over the fence and into the yard. We both hit the ground with a thud and a groan. Ash spilled up around our heads, unsettled from where we’d fallen. I had a quick glance at who had me. The boy soldier from before. Without waiting another second I struggled from his hold and tried to get to my feet but his weight was on me and our limbs were tangled.

His hands grabbed me and I reacted instantly, I threw a punch into his face. I’d never learnt to fight so my punches were very weak but it did enough. Thanks to the adrenaline pumping through my veins. He groaned and cussed loudly as blood sprouted from his nose. I struggled harder but something was holding me back. I started to panic, I had to get away to spare my own life.

Then in one swift movement I didn’t see coming he flipped us. So his weight was completely on me. Pinning me into the grass as he laid on top of me. I was dead for sure.

“Stop it,” he muttered quickly and quietly. “I’m trying to help.”

I stopped for a moment and looked back at him. His eyes captivated me for a moment, a beautiful green you didn’t see anywhere anymore. But they were tainted like the rest of us. This life would do that to you and being a soldier. He’d more than likely seen his share of destruction and death. Probably just as much as me, but from another point of view. He barely looked twenty. He had to be older than me but not by much. We were still children, forced to fight or die.

Carefully he reached down and I kept my eyes on his hand. It wasn’t until then I realized he hadn’t been holding me down. The strap to his gun, which was also strapped to him had caught on my belt during the fall. I’d been struggling against his weight, he wasn’t holding me. We untangled the strap from my belt quickly but carefully. One mistake could cost valuable seconds to my escape. When I was free of him he still didn’t move off me. Though I tried to push him off.

“Don’t go over that fence,” he breathed. “There patrolling the road over there, all the way back to the city.”

He wasn’t playing with me...he was saving me from walking into my own demise. He definitely shouldn’t have been wearing that uniform. He especially shouldn’t have been helping me. He should have put a bullet in me on sight.

Those were his orders and he was risking a lot by ignoring them. He pulled his weight off me and I crawled out from under him quickly like a timid cat. He stood straight. He was tall and lanky. Definitely still a boy. Nothing like the soldiers I’d learnt to fear. I pulled myself onto my own shaky feet and breathed out slowly.

“Thanks,” I whispered. It didn’t feel right thanking a man in his uniform.

“No problem,” he replied and looked over his shoulder. “You better go quick.”

His warning was help along by a loud booming call. “Rawson! Where are you?”

I didn’t hesitate. I turned on my heel and ran over to the other fence. I spared one last look over my shoulder but he was gone. Quickly I heaved my small form over the crooked fence and into the next yard. That was way out of the ordinary. Let me explain how this worked. There was the government and there armed forces. All running the same orders from the same people. They upheld the ‘law’ or what they said was the law now.

They protected the civilians from invasion and helped them to safety. But at the same time they murdered hundreds of people for no reason under the same orders. Whoever was in power now had totally lost their minds and wanted control of everything that was left. I can’t say it was the president that was in power anymore. They said he was still alive though rumour was he was dead. If he was alive he was run by other men, he was just a puppet. These men hid in the shadows and had no identity to us.

The survivors of the war went one of three ways. Some turned to the government. Following exactly what was wanted and expected of them. They ran to the safety the government promised. I had no idea where they were taken for what happened to them. There was always talk of evacuation. To where I had no idea I doubted there was a safe place left on the planet. Some if the signs were still taped around. Informing people of evacuation points, the hospital being the main one.

Those who didn’t want to follow the government wither went their own way. Some went alone, packing whatever they could find and trying to survive. Those who knew what they were doing succeeded. Most didn’t. They died of starvation, disease and the cold. Or they ran into a soldier and failed their games.

A small group of us walked with targets on our backs and red bands around our wrists. Because we opposed the war from the beginning, we opposed the government and their new laws and there favoritism of the rich. The more money you had to give, the more safety and care you were offered.

We were a resistance group. Standing for what we believed in and standing alone without the help of the government. But that’s not what they wanted. We were expected to fall into line and follow their orders like sheep. So we were made an example of. We were shot dead on sight to show that if you didn’t follow the government you died. We were a peaceful group though. We didn’t believe in the war, not that we had a choice anymore, but if violence could be avoided. We avoided it.

Our ranks were open to other survivors who didn’t want to sell their souls to corruption and those who could be trusted. We couldn’t allow spies into our group to get us killed. We’d learnt from our mistakes. I had followed my father into the group. He was all I had left so where ever he went I went. He never believed in war. He always said there was better ways to sort things out than spilling blood, I agreed.

He used to be nothing more than a laborer. Working in factory’s his whole life and always moving jobs. Now he was a leading man in the biggest resistance group left. Finally standing for what he believed in. He was a leader by nature and people flocked to him. He didn’t pretend. He showed his fear, he showed he cared. So people followed him everywhere. I knew I would until the day I died and not only because he was my father.

I stopped for a moment and hid in the safety of a bush. I needed to catch my breath. It had taken my twice as long as it should have but I was close to where I needed to be. The resistance had a few safe meeting points. For when situations like this arouse. We all knew where they were and the one I needed to be was across the main road. Unfortunately as the boy soldier had informed me it was being patrolled. All the way up to the city. If I wanted to meet with my dad and make it back to our home I would have to cross it. I had no other choice.

I peeked over the edge of the bush. The road was two lanes either way with a concrete divider in the middle. Looking back to the left I could see the city in the distance, and soldiers walking with their backs to me. In the other direction there was nothing more than houses and more patrolling soldiers. Crossing would be a huge risk if I wasn’t patient. It was open, I’d be spotted easily. I’d also be an easy target. I had to plan this carefully.
I spotted my destination on the other side, a small hole in the barrier. That would more than likely put me on the block my best friend used to live on. From there the safe house wasn’t far.

A small sprint and I’d be safe. Suddenly a loud bang echoed down the road. I looked to see a car, colored in camouflage paint, spilling black smoke further down the road. In a split second I checked the other side. The soldiers to the left hadn’t heard and their backs were still turned to me. I flung around to check the other side. Those soldiers now had their backs turned looking at the source of the noise. Knowing it was dumb luck to have this chance and knowing it wouldn’t happen again no matter how long I waited I made my move.

Keeping low I sprinted across the first road and used the barrier as cover. No soldiers had spotted me yet so I made the last dash for my life and threw myself into the dirt on the other side. It hurt but I pushed the pain back. I crawled through the hole in the tall wooden barrier separating the houses from the road. Feeling the wooden splinters scratch my back and legs.

Abruptly a shot fired. It echoed loudly down the empty road and made my ears ring. It was too close for my liking. I looked to see the bullet lodged into the wood beside me. Inches from my body. I glanced back to see the soldiers running in my direction. I knew this was too good to be true. I flung myself to the other side and stumbled clumsily to my feet. I knew I had an advantage here. They were too big to fit through the hole I’d just crawled through. Leaving the only access to this side a mile down the road. I matched there pounding rhythm with my own feet and ran in the direction of safety.

Another two shots rang in my ears, making my heart skip several beats. The first bullet whizzed past me way to close for comfort and lodged itself into a letterbox. The second made contact and I heard the sound of wet flesh rip under the strain. The force was enough to send me tumbling to the ground. Almost screaming in pain. Screaming would be a bad idea. It would alert more soldiers to a weak target. I didn’t know where the bullet had hit, my whole left side was in pain. I heard a triumphant yell from far behind me.

It coaxed me to go on.

Gritting my teeth and biting my tongue, I stumbled to my feet clutching at my left side. I was weak but the house wasn’t far and I had a head start on the soldiers. I used front fences and trees to cover myself as I stumbled in the direction of the safe house only to find I’d only been two houses away from it when I’d been hit.
I would have run straight past it in my panic. I slumped on the wall and used it to support me all the way around to the back of the house. I pulled a door open and snuck inside slowly. I went for the closest dark room and collapsed into the corner. Feeling wet hot tears dribble off my cheeks.

I could hear the yells and orders from the soldiers outside the house. They were looking for me and I begged to whatever god there was up there to save me. I’d never been religious but sometimes it just helped. The floor creaked behind me.

My heart rose in my throat and before I could turn around something grabbed me from behind. I felt a scream mount in my throat only to have it clamped in with a big warm hand over my mouth. I instinctively started to struggle and caused myself more pain. I screamed in agony into the hand that covered my mouth, causing it to compress harder to keep the noise stifled.