Followed Within: Bolted Door Read Free

reverberating around both the inside and outside of the base, “THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THE STATE OF NICARAGUA HAS BEEN ATTACKED. I REPEAT, THE STATE OF NICARAGUA HAS BEEN ATTACKED. THIS IS AN ORDER FOR IMMIDIATE EVACUATION. DROP EVERYTHING AND LEAVE NOW.”
    The compound went silent; a hive of activity begun.
    “Forget about everything else. Grab Jenn and Emily, and make your way quietly over to that car. In a couple of minutes everyone is going to go ballistic fighting over those couple of trucks. If we get out now we can use it for just us four. All we need is some water and medicals. I’ll wait in the car,” Steve whispered under his breath to Phil.
    “I’m on it, you get a move on,” he whispered back, as he scurried off to fetch the others.
    Jenn was in hysterics as Phil opened the heavy steel door to her office. “You don’t think we need the hazmat suits? Everyone else is getting one.” Said Jenn, being pulled away by Phil.
    Phil, commanding an air of authority he was not particularly known for, replied sternly “We’ve all heard the instructions, we just need to go. And if you don’t you will be walking with the rest of these people… Come on Emily!”
    The base was not the largest the US was commanding during the war, and it was easy to see the plans groups of friends were forming. Groups huddled around trying to decide on the best plan of action. All security posts around the base had now been abandoned, and gates which once required 48hrs to pass through were now unlocked to allow free movement in and out of the compound.
    Steve, Jenn, Phil and Emily were amongst the first to leave the base, at the expense of a lack of preparation. Taking one of the three small four-by-fours and not realizing the commotion it would cause amongst the remaining escapees, they tore off down the road, leaving behind in their wake a pit of confusion and resentment at the long walk ahead.
    The route they took wound around the mangled, barely trodden jungle; the blindfold wound around Phil’s face held him tightly and allowed him little room for breathing. He had no idea where he was, or where he was going. He hadn’t even heard their quiet approach.
    The captors wore dark green hazmat suits, and moved slowly and quietly through the forest, not wishing to alert the group to their presence. In reality, the group was too shocked to realize they had been followed, even since before the crash. Seeing the escape group’s car in the broad clearing it created, they slowly made their way down the cliff and followed at a distance, not wishing to alert those who selfishly stole a vehicle to their presence. They were unsure at the time whether their journey down the hill would be one of rescue or one of revenge for the situation they had left them in. The base they had left was now lying in a state of ruin, for shortly after the last group left, the air force destroyed all evidence of the base existence.
    “What are we going to do with him?” Said the first captor, seemingly having forgotten that Phil could hear them.
    “I recon we use him as bait, to teach the others a lesson.” Snarled the second captor, carrying Phil by his tied up hands.
    Phil squealed through the tight leather gag at the thought of being tortured. He didn’t recognize the voices at all, but the suits they were wearing he was pretty sure were from his base. Every base had a distinct uniform color, and theirs was a shade of olive green. He still wasn’t sure which department they could have come from. He was familiar with most of the research teams. Maybe they were security guards? He wasn’t on the best of terms with some of them. Or maybe a couple of janitors? They worked during the night, so only ever saw each other.
    His mind whirled as he tried to grasp the severity of the situation, and wriggled and writhed with all his might to try and loosen the belts holding his arms and legs in place. His calf caused him to contract in pain at every large step the