The Black Beret

We are the black berets, and we have one rule: “Always complete the mission” I guess that’s why they only select the best of the best. I am no exception. I left everything behind. I trained for three years and am now part of the elite task force under the “white masks” as the locals call them. An organization of wealthy officials. They control all of our sources but are hardly seen. When they are, they’re always in a long black cloak, and white mask reminiscent of a barn owl. They don’t live with us in the commune, in fact, no one knows where they live. We just know they pay us well as a Black Beret. Bravery is a commodity in this post-apocalyptic world. You can find things such as medical kits, non-perishables, and sometimes, water sources. On the other hand, there’s threats such as disease, radiation, feral mutated animals, and outsiders willing to do anything to survive. That being said, they all pose a danger to our health or resources, which is why we have to patrol. But recently, the white masks decided to expand, so here we are.

Tonight’s like any other, I’m scheduled out with my platoon. We’ve been ordered not to interact with any outsiders we may find. To avoid any unnecessary casualties, we’ll keep to ourselves and the mission.

I’m in the locker room, suiting up. I look over my bruised body. My eyes hover to the heart shaped locket laying on my chest so delicately. The only remaining piece of my past life that I’ve managed to hold on to. I slowly bring my hand to cover my heart and locket with my palm. I give myself a moment.. then I put on a black turtleneck undershirt, and bring my chain to the top over it. I stare at the locket again.

“Hey Rei!” I hear a voice and my eyes go from the chain to the woman in the mirror behind me.

“Hey Vi, ready for tonight?” I lightly smile at her.

“I end every patrol with a drink, what does that say?” She laughs and pats me on the shoulders, before turning to go to her locker behind me.

“Well, I ask out of common courtesy.” I chuckle as I put on my pants and protective vest.

“Courtesy is a rarity. People will take advantage of you for that. You can’t be so nice all the time, Rei.”

I scoff.

“Rei, I’m serious. If you’re constantly thinking about others, you look soft and unfocused, and no one will respect a hero who is easily swayed.” She shrugs. I guess I was visibly annoyed by her statements, because she glanced back through the mirror at me then let out a sigh, “You can’t help everyone.”

“No, I can’t, but I dishonor the black beret if I choose to cherry pick when I can be brave. I’m no coward.”

“No, now you’re just being cruel” she shook her head.

“Then consider it a lesson learned. Thanks, Vi.” We finish getting ready in silence and left our quarters to walk into the armory where we were greeted by the rest of the platoon, Zero and JR.

“Hey, ladies! We’re thinking bout bringing something new!” He walks over to the corner of the armory where he points at something covered in cloth. “Eh? What do you say?”

“Zero wants to be discharged and exiled I see.” I roll my eyes.

“Ugh I was hoping you’d do that thing where you don’t talk to avoid problems.” He whines sarcastically.

“Zero, I really don’t care. We need to go. Now.” I turn to leave before I noticed JR standing there with a box and a duffel bag laying on top of it, which stopped me in my tracks.

“Can you loosen up?” Zero picked up and uncovered the cloth item. “This is a prototype! No ones even used it yet!” He giggles.

“Absolutely not.” I shake my head. “A prototype? No.”

“No one asked, Rei.” He rolls his eyes. “Here, JR, put this in the bag.”

“I can just go report you. You’re not authorized!”

“Ah, that’ll impress all the officials, you can’t handle situations on your own!” He coos sarcastically.

Vi suddenly chimes in, cackling “Rei, why does it matter? I’m tired of you acting like you know everything—Like you think you’re the savior of us all, PLEASE get over yourself.”

I looked at all three of them. My team is hardly a team. I don’t know where I went wrong, I just don’t want to lose anyone else in my life.

“Well then…if that’s how you all feel, You won’t hear anything else out of me.” I grab ammunition and two guns from the cabinet. I holster them on my thighs before walking out of the armory, not looking anyone in the eye.

———————-

We’ve patrolled for hours. No ones said a word. I started to think this would be the longest night, till we stumbled upon this abandoned small town. We started moving deeper, most of the buildings are underwater, or partially submerged, but there seemed to be no activity here. We kept moving, the water in the streets past our calves.

I notice a school house about a block from where we were walking. “I think we should start there.” I pointed towards the school. “There could be a lot of resources, there’s probably a nurse’s office.”

“Nah, I think we should go here.” Zero motions towards the building to the right of us. A saloon, partially submerged underwater. “C’mon, guys do you want to go look for crayons, or do you want to go in the saloon? Who would ever know?” He asks slyly before walking towards the saloon. He looks over his shoulder expectantly.

JR started following Zero. I look at Vi, who seemed to have been avoiding eye contact with everyone. She finally made eye contact with me, but didn’t say anything.

“Vi, if you’re worried then just come with me.” I suggest concernedly.

She just shakes her head at me, then laughs before following them. I just stood there by myself. Disappointed and frustrated with my team, I walk towards the saloon.

As I walk in and look around, I spot and make my way through the flood water to an older piano and noticed a square case nailed to the side of it. I thought it was a tip bucket, but as I moved closer I noticed it had latches. I take my gloved hand and wipe away the dirt and mildew. I could make out the Red Cross on the box. A first aid kit.

“Woah…hey guys! I—“

BANG, BANG! Two loud gunshots rip through the silent air. Startled, I grab both glocks that I had holstered on each thigh, and quickly turn to face the sound. Fingers on the trigger. It’s Zero at the bar with a pistol, broken bottles scattered across the counter.

“Stop shooting. I don’t wanna have to look for the remainders of your skull in this murky water.” I say calmly as I put my guns back in their holsters.

“Are you saying you’re gonna shoot me, Rei?! Over some target practice?”

“No, I’m saying I’m feeling particularly jumpy tonight.” I give him an innocent smile. He spits.

“Jeez, Rei.” Vi cut in “once again, please mind your business.”

“That’s what you guys don’t get. You ARE my business! I need to protect you, the commune, and myself. I have to do something if those three are threatened!”

Zero says nothing, he walks away from me, and I watch him slowly ascend up to the second floor, every stair creaking. He reaches the top, and looks down at us. He slings the duffel bag off his back and unzips it. He pulls out the prototype and points it at us. We all gasp. Zero burts into laughter.

“It’s not loaded, idiots!” He turns towards the windows, making laser noises, and pretending to shoot. Noticing we weren’t entertained, Zero groans and starts coming back down, when suddenly his foot fell through one of the stairs. He yelled and extended his arms to grab something, dropping the prototype, it knocked against the handrail. We all watched in awe, then…

POP. POP. POP. It discharged three times. Then the explosions. We looked out the first level windows, I saw it hit an old house.

“Nice going.” I yell.

Zero freed himself from the floorboard. “Well, now we know it works.”

Next, a blood curdling scream. I look out the window again, I see a figure moving on the porch of the sinking house. I gasp, no one says anything, we’re all stunned. The house starts to quickly sink backwards into the black water, the small figure clutching the porch railing, letting out another scream.

“We need to help!” I start to move, before Zero grabs my arm.

“We’re not to interact with outsiders.” He glared.

“Funny you care about the rules now.” I snatch my arm away. I point my fist towards the wall next to me and blast it with the force of my ballistic gauntlet. Water rushed into the saloon and I jumped to catch the wave. My boots are specially designed to tread water, but they’re still improving them. As I get my footing in the rushing water I struggle to float. I’m must move as fast as possible. I start getting some momentum and I look towards the house, now I can make out the figure, it’s a small child, completely frightened. The house suddenly dropped lower into the water. The child screams again.

It all feels too familiar, and something in me snapped. I go into a frenzy. I focus to get my footing. It only takes a few seconds then, WHOOSH! I take off. I make long strides and leaps, as fast as I can across this water to get to the child. I’m halfway there when the house starts shifting to its side, sinking rapidly, the child climbed up to the side of the house but slipped and started sliding into the water. They grabbing onto the gutter, clinging for life. The house sinks lower, the kid quickly submerged to the calves. I push harder, feeling my muscles tear inside my body. Keep going. I get to the house, they finally see me, but not long before the waves begin swallowing them under. I jump onto the gutter, I reach down for the child, and they desperately scratch at me.

“Calm down!” I plead. They keep manically trying to grab onto me, suddenly they hooked the chain on my locket from under my vest, breaking the clasp and it flew into the water, quickly disappearing from view.

“No! No!” I cry, tears well in my eyes, that was literally all I had left from my happiness. I force myself to focus. I grab the child by the forearm and pull them onto the gutter next to me. I pick them up and sling them over my back before jumping onto the water and running out before the house submerged. I run back to the saloon. When I get there, dead silence and tension.

“Rei…you broke the rules…” Zero gaped.

“Happy now?”

“No…” he shook his head. “You’ve endangered the commune. What will you do?”

I can see this is a uneven match. And as much as I hate to admit it, I did break the rules, no matter the reason I let my emotions get to me and endangered everyone. I now have a child I cannot foster. Our employer, the white masks, don’t take kindly to threats to our commune, even if it’s an outsider child. I’ll have to face the board for my actions.

“I’ll turn myself in.” I mutter.

I might get discharged. I may have lost my locket, the only love I had left… but I do not regret a thing.