Part Seventeen: total words uploaded to date = 31400. Total words written to date = 36100. Still on target, just.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
They could hear the helicopter coming in from the direction of the coastal region. Ruby ran outside the building to see if she could see it yet. She looked out at the square and wondered if they would land there. There's a lot of room here, she thought. But how big are helicopters? If they are as big as they are noisy then they must be enormous. Anastasia stepped out of the building to join her.
“It's very close now,” she said, having to shout for Ruby to hear her. They looked up and noticed the helicopter as it emerged over the buildings on the far side of the square.
Ruby held onto Anastasia as tight as she could. The wind from the rotor blades was sending gusts out in all direction. Ruby marveled at it's power, never having seen one before. It's huge, she thought. There will be room for all of us. She turned to Emerald who smiled in return. “You'll get to fly like a bird, Ruby,” Emerald told her. “Just like you've always wanted to.”
Yes I will, she thought. And this bird will fly us to freedom.
As the helicopter came to a complete stop, the engine was switched off, and a man in an army uniform emerged from the passenger side door. Ruby watched as he made his over towards them. Tall and lean, and much healthier looking than the previous army boss she had encountered; Ruby hoped he would be less smelly also.
“Hello, Anastasia?” the army man asked, as he reached them.
“Yes,” she answered. “And this is Ruby,” Anastasia added.
“I'm Major Kartal, but please call me Omar. We received your communication, and I must say, I am very intrigued to know more about what is going on here.” He looked around the square for any other signs of life, and to get as clear an idea as to what had happened here, but failed to come to any conclusions.
“The leaders are in this building here,” Anastasia told him, pointing to the structure just behind them. “There are some more in that building over there.”
Omar looked around, and turned back to Anastasia and Ruby. “I see you two, but where are the others?”
“What others?” Anastasia asked him.
“The others with you. Who helped you capture all these people?”
Ruby wondered if she should tell him about Emerald. Would he appreciate hearing that we have our own army? She laughed to herself as she thought about how he would receive that information.
“There are no others,” Anastasia told him. "It is just the two of us.”
He tried to process that particular fact, as he called in the soldiers that had flown in with him. Four extra men came marching out to inspect the two buildings that had been pointed out to him. The soldiers removed the ties from around the prisoners feet and marched both groups out into the square, so that Omar could take a look at them.
“You two captured all of these soldiers?” Omar asked, stunned at the accomplishment that he was being presented with. He looked at Anastasia, at the large bruise still very visible around her eye. “Well you certainly have a battle scar to show for your efforts. I'll get one of the men to take a look at that for you.” He walked over to one of his soldiers who was standing watch and spoke with him for a moment. “I'll get the two of you to follow him to the chopper and take a seat. The pilot will give you a lift back to the base shortly,” Omar told Anastasia and Ruby.
“So which one of you men is in charge here?” Omar asked looking at all the captured soldiers. Ruby watched him as she walked over to the helicopter, excited to be finally be able to experience the sensation of flying. It's the big smelly one, she thought. He should ask his nose, it will know. She laughed at the thought. Anastasia looked at her and smiled, not knowing what she was laughing at, but just relieved to see her happy again.
“This whole drama has worked out particularly well, it seems,” she said to Ruby. Just as Emerald said it would. “I can't help but marvel at these turn of events.”
“Emma knows magic. I think that's how she did it.” Ruby glanced at Emerald, but said nothing. She was grateful to be safe, and to have rescued Anastasia. But it had turned into such an adventure, and now they get to fly for the last leg of the journey. “Emma is the best travel companion,” Ruby added.
Anastasia and Ruby sat in the helicopter, and watched the soldiers go about their business. There were conversations happening, interrogations perhaps. They will find out what is being planned here, Ruby thought. No more attack on the refugee camps. She looked around but failed to see Omar. Or the smelly man either. Omar will get the information he needs. That's what soldiers do. At least these guys are not hurting anyone, not like those other ones, the bad men. They hurt Anastasia, she reminded herself. They tried to shoot me, and I'm just a child. She was relieved to be finally able to get away from the war zone, from the long journey through such devastated lands.
“I can't wait to see the ocean,” Ruby said to Anastasia.
“Will this be your first time?” she asked.
“Yes, we never got to the coast before the war. How about you, have you seen it before?”
“Yes, I used to live near the coast, I love the water. It's very healing, being in the salt water, having it wash over you.” Anastasia explained to Ruby. “But I haven't seen it many years.”
Omar appeared beside the helicopter with another of his soldiers. “You will be heading off in a moment. He'll be accompanying you back on your journey,” he told them, referring to the soldier getting into the helicopter with them. “I will remain here with the others. We need to find out what they were planning here. I have a fair idea, but I need the specifics.” He looked at both Ruby and Anastasia, and smiled. “I still do not know how you accomplished what you did here, but you are both heroes. The others back at the base will take good care of you from here. You let them know exactly what you need. And enjoy the ride.” Omar closed the door of the helicopter and made his way out of the range of it's rotor blades. He watched as the pilot started the helicopter and lifted it up from the ground, and began its journey back to the army base, and what was left of civilisation.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The helicopter rose high in the air as it started its journey to the army base. Ruby watched as the town below became much smaller, and faded into the distance. The mountains made their presence felt in a much more dramatic fashion from this new vantage point. Ruby looked out at them, marveling at the sheer size of them. As far as she could see into the distance they stretched, with their mighty peaks, and forested foot hills. But the journey they were on now took them away from them, towards the coastal plains to the north, where the army base was located, and not far from the refugee camps, where they had determined to reach all those days ago. So much had happened, and yet Emerald had watched over her the whole time; my protector and my keeper, she thought.
“I've always wanted to fly like a bird,” Ruby said to Anastasia. “It all looks so different from up here.”
“It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it?” she replied.
Anastasia turned to the soldier accompanying them on the journey. “My name's Anastasia,” she said, introducing herself. “This is Ruby. What's your name?” She had sat in silence for the few minutes they had been in the air, taking in the turn of events. But she didn't like sitting in silence for too long. And not knowing the name of a fellow traveler annoyed her. Is he too shy, she wondered. Too army minded, perhaps?
“My name's Benjamin,” the soldier replied. “It's an honour to meet you both, and share this journey with you.” The true scale of what they had accomplished was still dawning on both Anastasia and Ruby. And Ruby so wanted to give Emerald the full credit. It was her magic that made it happened. But Emerald didn't mind. She sat silently beside Ruby, allowing her to enjoy the flight, and the accolades of all the army men. There's more to come, she wanted to say to Ruby, but chose otherwise.
“Do you think there are other soldiers in that town?” Anastasia asked.
“It's very possible. But at the very least that was a scouting party, getting ready to prepare for more to arrive. The target was clearly the coastal region – the army base, the city, and the refugee camps. They would have brought hell down on all those displaced people.” Benjamin replied.
“Were you not aware of any activity in the area?”
“They had kept themselves under the radar, so to speak. We've been suffering heavy casualties in the interior cities, most of our men were driven out some time ago. They've just flattened those cities. We had little attention on this region.”
“What's happened in Talias, and Kirban?”
“They're completely destroyed. Is that where you've come from?”
“Yes, I was stationed in Talias. At one of the charity supply centres. Ruby lived there with her mother and sister. Until her mother got killed.” Anastasia started to explain the story, before realising she had mentioned Emerald. She had grown accustomed to her presence, in a very subtle way. Not like Ruby knew her. Did that make her crazy also? Was she suffering from war induced trauma? She would have genuinely thought that way once, but she dismissed the thought. Emerald had allowed a path to unfold before them, kept it safe for them, and then turned these harrowing events to their favour. Anastasia had no idea how these things were possible. But they had happened. And she was living testament to that fact.
“What happened to your sister?” Benjamin tentatively asked, realising as he did so the possible traumatic nature of the question. But it was already out before he knew it.
“She's here, with me,” Ruby replied without hesitation. She had started to grasp the reality that others couldn't see her, that there was an anomaly of sorts when it came to how others perceived her sister. But if anything, this trip had shown her just how important their relationship was. And no one was going to change that, or make her feel ashamed of it's nature. She kicks ass when she's threatened, Ruby thought, so there's nothing to fear. Not any more.
Anastasia looked at Benjamin, to determine his reaction to Ruby's words. He looked puzzled. She held her hand to her chest, and tapped her heart region, as if to imply that was where she was. She wanted to back Ruby's words up, but without sight of Emerald, that would add complexity to the situation. And besides, she herself had never seen her. Just witnessed her miracles. She had come to believe in her, sight unseen. But it had taken these many challenges that presented themselves along their journey.
Benjamin continued to look at Ruby, not overly concerned, but curious as to what had happened, what traumas had been experienced in her short life. As he watched her, a body started to materialise beside her. The spitting image of her. A twin came into his view, causing him to visibly stiffen up in his seat and take on the appearance of a man confused and somewhat terrified of what was happening in front of him. Anastasia noticed his expression. His stifled attempts to express his shock and surprise, but due to her being on the other side of Ruby, hadn't noticed what he could see. Until she turned and looked. And sat in amazement, sharing Benjamin's look of shock. But she felt elation at the same time. There in front of her, for the first time visible to Anastasia, sat Emerald, Ruby's twin sister. Angel, phantom twin, projected imagination – none of that mattered right now. She could see her, for real. In the flesh.
Ruby noticed her traveling companion's expression, and wondered at the cause of it. “Is everything alright?” she asked.
“It's Emerald. Emma, your sister.” Anastasia spoke hesitantly as she continued to look upon her.
“What about her?” Ruby asked.
“We can see her,” both Anastasia and Benjamin said, pointing towards her.
“It's okay Ruby,” Emerald told her. “I need to speak to Benjamin, to make certain he gets you to the refugee camp, to a woman named Jelena.”
Benjamin watched her as she spoke to him. Unbeknownst to Anastasia and Ruby, he had received orders to keep the two of them at the base, and prevent them finishing their journey.
“When we get to the base they were going to help us. Omar said to help us with what we need,” Anastasia said.
“He has orders to keep you at the base. Until they ascertain how you were able to capture that town on your own. You would miss the flight to Mars if they keep you there. I won't allow that to happen.” Emerald said, addressing Benjamin.
“Is that true?” Anastasia asked him.
“I have my orders,” he replied.
“Had your orders,” Emerald said. “I am giving you new ones.”
“I don't take my orders from you.”
“For your own sake, I highly recommend that you do,” Emerald told him. “How do you think those soldiers were captured? Do you think I played any part in it?”
“Perhaps you did,” Benjamin replied, starting to put some of the pieces together.
“And you think you can stand up to me where all of those men together were not capable?
“I understand, but I have my orders. We are to go directly to the base.”
“And you are to take the two into custody?”
“I wouldn't call it custody.”
“Will they be free to leave?”
“Not right away.”
“Then I would call that custody,” Emerald said.
Anastasia listened to the exchange, mesmerised by Emerald's confidence and control. She knows things – things we don't have access to. It seems to create a certain power in her. But there is more to it than that. It's like she has the ability to shift and shape the unfolding reality. Just what sort of being is she, Anastasia wondered?
“Orders are orders,” Benjamin added. “There's nothing you can do about it.” Anastasia marvelled at his pig headedness. Did you not just see her materialise out of thin air? What other miracles can she perform?
Emerald turned to Ruby and Anastasia. “Put your seat belts on,” she said, making sure they were safely secured. Benjamin watched her trying to ascertain her reasons for such a request.
The helicopter started to throttle a bit, jerking around in the air. Benjamin looked around, and turned to the pilot. “What's going on?” he asked.
“I'm not sure,” he replied. “I'm not reading any trouble on these indicators.”
The helicopter started to descend. It was thrashing around as it did so. Ruby and Anastasia held on tight. Emerald sat comfortably and assuredly as she locked eyes on Benjamin. “Are you certain that there is nothing I can do about it – about your orders?”
“This is your doing?” he asked, panic showing in his voice.
“It may very well be. And it can stop happening, as soon as you give your pilot the orders to fly directly to the refugee base.”
“I can't do that,” he told her.
“And I can't stop this descent. And neither can the pilot, it seems.”
“But what about Ruby and Anastasia? Are you just going to let them die also?” Benjamin looked out the window, at the fast approaching ground below.
“No, I can protect them. That wont be a problem for me. Your safety is another matter.”
“You want me to over ride my superiors direct orders to me?”
“No, I want you to consider the lives of yourself and the pilot. Are you willing to die for those orders?”
Benjamin reasoned that they had less than half a minute before impact. He had a choice to make, and Emerald had negotiated him into a position where she had all the control. This is how the town was captured, he realised.
“Okay,” he relented. “We will take you directly to the camps.”
The helicopter started to right itself, smoothness returning to its movements. “Let the pilot know the new orders,” Emerald told Benjamin.
“Take the chopper directly to the refugee camps,” Benjamin told the pilot. The pilot felt no need to question the new orders, having overheard the whole conversation.
Chapters One and Two (Part One)
Chapters Three and Four (Part Two)
Chapters Five and Six (Part Three)
Chapter Seven (Part Four)
Chapter Eight (Part Five)
Chapter Nine (Part Six)
Chapter Ten (Part Seven)
Chapter Eleven (Part Eight)
Chapter Twelve (Part Nine)
Chapter Thirteen (Part Ten)
Chapter Fourteen (Part Eleven)
Chapter Fifteen (Part Twelve)
Chapter Sixteen and Seventeen (Part Thirteen)
Chapter Eighteen (Part Fourteen)
Chapter Nineteen (Part Fifteen)
Chapter Twenty (Part Sixteen)
This fiction is my own work, written for Steemit
Image Credit: Unsplash.com
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