THE MUSEUM

(7 days ago)

Bracer entered the museum, “Hatchet, you said the museum was closeby”, he said as he walked through the metal detector.

“I did”, he said.

“We have been travelling for like two hours, and are in the middle of nowhere. There is no building for miles around", Bracer croaked.

"Well, at least I got you out of the two-mile radius", he said.

They walked into the hall, the museum was overcrowded. Everywhere Bracer saw, he could see people-people and people…. And still more people. "Hatchet can we go back?"

"No, of course not, we just arrived. Come on don't be lazy", he frowned and stared at the boy for a few moments, before moving towards a counter where a Chinese was cooking noodles.

"Mr. noodles?".

Bracer realised the man was talking to him and not Mr noodles, "Ah- no thanks, I'll be on my way".

Hatchet pulled him back by his shirt, "No, you are not going anywhere. Two noodles please", he said looking at the Chinese.

"Shi, shi", the Chinese spoke. Bracer did not know Chinese but figured out he was saying 'yes, yes'.

The cook sang a tune while cooking the food, “Wo zhu meiwei de miantiao- Wo zhu meiwei de miantiao”.

Bracer looked at the cook, who was raising his pan in the air and rotating it like a lunatic.

"Nǐ de miàntiáo- Nǐ de miàntiáo", he said putting them in a plate.

Bracer turned to face Hatchet who was shoving something in his pocket, "What's that?"

"Oh, nothing", Hatchet said with a wave of his hands, "don't worry".

"Your noodles".

"Yeah, let's find a seat", Hatchet said, taking his tray.

Around them, the workers had started packing up their kits. Guards shoved people out of the museum. A group of girls wearing green T-shirts sobbed as they were being pushed out.

"You mister", the guard said pointing at them, "When food- finished, you finished". Bracer looked at the guard for a minute, wondering if his english was actually so bad or was he serious.

Soon they were the only people left in the museum, "Hatchet we should go".

Hatchet who was eating his noodles as slowly as possible looked up at Bracer, "Yes, one minute".

"Hatchet the museum is closing", Bracer said urgently, getting up from his seat.

Hatchet intentionally dropped the noodles on his shirt "Bracer, why don't you get me tissue".

"AHHHG...All counters are closed, where do I get a tissue from?"

"The washroom", Hatchet said quickly.

Bracer looked at Hatchet, "Ahhh, okay you better hurry up I do not plan to spend my night with gas stoves and tables".

Bracer ran down the hallway, past a couple of display boards that had pictures of dishes on them. The washroom was at the end of the hall.

He kicked open the door and banged into someone.

There was a loud clang as something fell from the stranger's hand.

Bracer got up to his feet.

“Hey, I am sorry, did I break something of yours?”.

The orange haired boy helped himself up, “Yeah, you broke my injection”.

“What was it for? Was it important? - I was just in a hurry-”

“I was about to drug you”, the boy said blankly.

Bracer looked at the boy shocked, wondering if this was some weird kind of humor. But the look in the boy’s eyes stated otherwise.

There was a sound, coming from a device at his ear, Bracer could not hear clearly as the volume was low. But the way the boy looked at him, told him whatever it was. It was important.

“Listen to me”, the boy said, “we need to get you out of here- quick. My team is outside, we need to get you as far as possible”.

Bracer stood at his ground, the boy looked at him pleadingly, “Bracer we need to go- we’re under attack”.

That’s when the washroom blasted.

*******

“This is team Cobra. We are on the terrace of the building in front of the museum, All for go, over”.

The radio crackled to life, “This team Alpha, ready for package over” , “This is team Bravo, perimeter secure. All for go, aye”.

Zepherine plucked her radio down and put it in her pocket, “What do you see?”, she asked the man beside her.

“Everything is heavenly Captain, no sign of hostiles”.

“Good, let me know if you see something. Agent Hawk should be signaling us soon”.

Zepherine got up from her position, her blue and white body armour creaked slightly. She walked over to a boy, “Alpheeto Reek, I presume”.

“Yes”.

“Very well, I hope you know your part. Phasers will be taking you inside, the washroom is at the end of the hallway. No cameras, perfect place, drug the boy get him out”.

“Yes captain, I understand”.

“Good, move along”.

“Captain Zepherine”, A soldier called out.

“Yes lieutenant?”.

“We got the signal from Agent Hawk. Package heading towards extraction point”.

Zepherine turned to look at the boy, “Go fast, team Alpha will take you inside the building. Stay away from the guards”.

“Yes Captain”, the boy said running down the staircase.

Zepherine took the radio out of her pocket, “This is team Cobra, boy is on his way to your whiskey, stay frosty, something doesn’t seem right, over”.

“ Copy that captain, phasers ready to enter the building, over”.

“Team Bravo, what’s your status?”

“Team Bravo here, perimeter secure, good to go Captain”.

“Lieutenant”, Zepherine said, walking over to a soldier with binoculars in his hand, “Anything worth telling?”.

“Phasers have entered the building through the backside, and are heading to extraction point”.

“Good”.

“Captain”, the soldier said, “Don’t mind me asking, but why are we required to extract the boy? The kids at the camp usually do it themselves”.

“Oblin thinks the boy is High Value Package”, Zepherine sighed, “So he requested Captain Adrian to look into the matter personally. Thinks someone else is also looking out for the boy”.

“Yes, captain”.

Zepherine nodded at him and sat down beside the wall of the terrace. One of the tablets started beeping.

“What is happening?”.

The soldier, who had a radar mounted on his bag-pack fumbled with his tablet, “Perimeter has been breached, an hostile object 31.104532 degree north and 77.17434 degree east heading our way captain”.

“Shit”, she pressed her radio, “Team Bravo, perimeter has been breached- I repeat perimeter has been breached. Do you have eyes on hostiles? over”.

“Code red captain- code red. We have a Razellair up our socks. We have eyes, over”.

“Can you engage? Over.”

“Negative captain, hostile is out of range, over”.

“Roger that, team Cobra heading to your location, hold your ground, out”.

Zepherine unstrapped her gun from her waist, she wished she hadn’t been so over confident and refused to get more soldiers “Ready, LDR”, she told one of her lieutenants.

“Readying Long Distance Radio”, the soldier replied, pressing some buttons on his tab, the dish antenna on his backpack whizzed to life, “Radio ready connecting to your ear piece Captain”.

“Ark Queen do you copy? What’s your status? over”

“This is Ark Queen, we are sun-bathing in the Arabian sea two-thousand clicks away from your location. We read you perfectly XO, over”.

“We have an hostile Razellair inbound, heading to our location, please advise, over”.

“Team Cobra, be advised this is your captain Adrian Burk. Hold the Razellair, protect the boy at any cost, your evac bird is on its way over and out”.

“Roger that, evac bird, update, over”

“Good day XO, heading to your whiskey at full pace, over”.

“Copy, can you engage? over”

“Negative, XO. Seven minutes out, Striker Greyhounds and Skim-Bashers armed and on standby, will fire once in range, out”.

Zepherine held her ZKL-111 in her hand and cocked it, she touched her helm slightly and her visor slid down, “Come on boys, we got ourselves a party to attend”.

“This is team Bravo, Razellair within pulse cannon and RPG range. Waiting for your confirmation captain, over”.

“Negative lieutenant, do not engage, maintain your position. We are heading to your party. We fire together and send that creature back to hell, out”.

*******

As team Cobra silently made their way to team Alpha, from the nearby hill a man was watching them with binoculars.

“Good day Boss, Atlantean Navy is here. I counted eighteen of them heavily armed, should we engage, over?”

“Negative, evacuate, we will get more chances to find the boy. We need to stay out of their radar for as long as possible. I do not want them hunting us down, at least not now, over”.

“Yes Boss, out”.