The Monsters Within

The explosion took our group by surprise. It's bad enough we lost our strongest people to the shootings a couple hours before; but now, this is entirely out of our control. Renee, the leader of our resistance calls out:

"Is everyone still intact?" Most people yell yes, but I stay quiet as a mouse. I'm surprised I can still hear anything, the explosion was so close, I'm surprised my locket, didn't fly out of my hand. Yes, I know you're probably thinking, 'Why on earth are you carrying the locket in your hand instead of around your neck?' Good question; I have no chain to it attach it to, thank you very much.

"Sera, what are you doing standing there, get a move on!" Renee calls out to me. "Sorry Captain!" I respond and keep moving. I put my heart-shaped locket in one of my jacket pockets, that thankfully has a zipper on it, and secure it there. If I lose this locket, it will be like losing apart of myself; I lost my family in the war when the government collapsed and a terrorist organization started printing more money for themselves. I guess greed was always supposed to be humanity's downfall. The resistance group I'm in, The Restoration, wants to eliminate the people in the government buildings of the United States, so we can appoint new government officials that will do right by their citizens.

I don't know how exactly this will help the country, since everyone is so, how do you say, paranoid now a days, that I can't imagine if the citizens will trust a government ever again. My name is Sera by the way, Sera Ramirez, I forgot to introduce myself. Anyways, we are trekking through the streets of Old Washington D.C to get the Pentagon and see if that's where they are printing currency.

Renee and I argued as to why they are continuing to print money. I believe there is no point, since the U.S is already corrupt to the point that people aren't even paying for things anymore. They just rob and take what they want with no remorse for people's livelihood. Renee believes that the organization still printing money are trying to keep the balance, but I feel like she's contradicting herself since they are the reason our country fell apart.

The Foundation.

The scum of the Earth. The reason my parents died. I touch the breast pocket that contains my locket and begin to walk faster to catch up to the captain. "Renee, what exactly is our plan when we get to the Pentagon?" I ask her once I catch up. She responds, "When we get there, I will need a team with me to infiltrate and a team to stand watch outside in case they call for reinforcements so they can hold them off until we finish the others inside." I give her a nod of understanding and fall back with the others.

I'm not much of a talker with the rest of the group, but I am friendly enough with them that we can fight alongside each other. I then realize that everything has gone eerily quiet since we started walking further into whatever street the Pentagon is located on. No gunshots, no explosions, nothing; I should be relieved, but this feels too easy.

We finally make it to the Pentagon and Renee stops and turns around to speak to the group. She repeats the plan she told me, but informs the group that I will be taking lead on the outdoor perimeter team. I'm a little shocked she let me be the team leader for the team keeping watch, but I don't say anything on the matter.

We split up into the necessary teams and Renee's team begins to enter the Pentagon. I stop Renee by the wrist. "Please be careful." I tell her. She must see a certain emotion swirling in my eyes because Renee responds with, "Don't worry, I have good people watching my back. Just promise me if you don't hear anything from us on the inside in an hour, you run and find shelter." My breath hitches in my throat but I promise her.

I watch her go into the building, then I turn around and begin giving orders to my team. Once everyone understands their assignments, they scatter to scout the areas around the building. I didn't realize how big the Pentagon was, I doubt Renee and her team will get through the building within an hour, but I intend to keep my promise to her. I check all my weapons on my body to make sure they are loaded and ready for any kind of action. When that's all done, I sit on stone rubble in front of the entrance, still alert for any activity, but slightly relaxed. I unzip my breast pocket and pull out the locket.

I open it up and look at the pictures inside of it. On one side of the heart is a picture of my father and the other is of my mother. 'Maybe after fighting off this part of The Foundation, I will find peace from losing both of you so soon.' I think this to myself while looking at their pictures.

That's when I hear gunfire inside of the building. I look at my watch; it's been 50 minutes since the team went inside. I have a feeling something is about to go wrong. I let my team know I am going into the building, and begin to enter.

The gunfire seems to be from the west side of the building so I go in pursuit of the sound. I pray to God that Renee is still alive and pull out one of my pistols to hold in my hand. The gunshots begin to get louder and louder when I descend the stairs in what seems to be some kind of lobby.

When I get to the center, it's like all hell breaks loose. I can't tell who is our side and who is the enemy, it's almost pitch black in the room, except a blinking red light that flares in the center of the entire room.

I duck behind a column close to the red light as soon as gunfire is shot towards me. I didn't realize that in one hand I held my pistol and the other hand still clutched the locket, but I don't have time to put it away when someone shoots my shoulder from a ledge above.

I scream in agony at the pain, and Renee must have recognized the sound because she begins to call out, "Sera, where are you?" I yell back a response and she comes rushing over. "What the hell are you doing in here, you were supposed to keep watch outside!" She yells at me frantically. I begin to respond but notice on her jacket, a pin; the pin has the symbol of The Foundation, the same organization we are trying to take down. I grabbed the lapel of her jacket to get a closer look, I must be hallucinating from how much blood I'm losing, but it's there.

I look into her eyes and she has this look of guilt that shows me all I need to know. "No..." I murmur. Renee grabs my face to look directly at her as she says, " I need you to survive this, get out of the building now, it's going to explode!" I glare up at her; then I punch her square in the face, knocking her out. 'Traitor' I think to myself. I put away my pistol since everyone that was in the building has apparently evacuated. "Cowards, if you could set up the bomb, the least you could do is wait for it to detonate."

I begin to walk over to the bomb to see how much time is left, clutching my shoulder with one hand, and holding my l0cket in the other. I look at the time.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

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