Of course, that didn’t mean I was just going to give him the code. I mean, yes, Lace needed to die, but I wasn’t prepared to risk civilian lives for that, at least not innocent civilians. I’d make a deal with Benson – once he retrieved ATLAS from Lace I’d let him use it, so long as I got the controls. No matter where Lace ran ATLAS would find him, and at last the war would be over. Benson would have control over this precious city, and then maybe I’d finally get to have some proper rest.
I looked over at this boy named Angelo. “I’ll need your help, will you come with me?”
“What do you plan on doing?” he asked.
“I plan on getting revenge on Lace, and putting an end to the war.”
Angelo stood and then reached out his hand and offered to help me up. “I’m not exactly on the best of terms with the resistance,” he explained, “so I can’t be a part of whatever their movements are, but I can help you get to them – if that’s what you want.”
When I was on my feet I nodded. “It is, thank you. Can I ask, why are you doing this?”
“I want this war to end as much as you do, and I believe that you’re the only one who can stop it.”
I was beginning to find it hard to believe that Angelo was real – my own guardian angel. I had considered calling him my hero, but he sure as hell didn’t look like one. He wasn’t strong or tall, or even confident for that manner, but he still saved me all the same. I found that he was very much like me, and I wondered if he enjoyed playing chess. I guess I’d find out later.
“Let’s go,” he said, and I was surprised to see a bright smile upon his lips. “The roads aren’t safe, but if we follow the river and then head though the main part of the city, we should be able to return to the resistance before nightfall.”
Great, now I get to spend the next few hours of my life walking.
I wish I could have called the river beautiful, however it saddened me to say that it wasn’t. A concrete path ran along both sides of the water once we were closer to the city, and a heavy grey slope rose up from both sides – covered in green algae and barnacles and stuff. Those were for when the water rose too high. The water was brown and it smelt gross, and it made me consider that maybe I should probably take a bath, seeing as I nearly drowned in it, but then again, when the hell was I going to get the time to take a bath. Okay, first thing on my to-do list after the war has ended is to take a bath. The thought of soaking in a hot tub of water made me smile, and actually gave me an incentive to keep walking.
My legs were already sore by the time I heard the constant chattering of people’s voices, and the occasional beep of a car horn or low rumble of an engine. The city looked the same as it did when I went to eat my lunch at the diner on the day before the festival, however there was something very different in the way it sounded. There was a certain discernment in the tones of the people’s voices – a tension of sorts.
“They say that Benson plans on launching a full assault on the capital tonight. Looks like the people are starting to worry, and I really don’t blame them. The tension’s been rising for years now, and now that a super weapon has been thrown into the game Lace and Benson are going to do everything they can to get both pieces.”
“You mean ATLAS and me,” I said, realising that I was nothing more than a chess piece, but I wasn’t just any chess piece – I was the queen.
“That’s right, chances are this fight is going to escalate into a full blown city-wide shootout. A lot of people are going to die – including us if we’re not careful.”
“Unless I can use ATLAS to take out Lace before that happens.”
Angelo stopped and looked at me uncertainly. “Are you sure you want to use that thing?” he asked. “I mean, are you sure you’re prepared to use it?”
That was a damn good question. I had already killed one person, and look at what that did to me. Could I really kill Lace with this weapon, and take out all of his staff and officials in the process? But really it wasn’t a matter of if I could or couldn’t, it was simply the fact that I had to. I had to get revenge on Lace and end this damn war forever. I guess everyone was right in that war was all about necessity.
“Lace was probably a good man a long time ago, but now he’s a monster. He has done terrible things to me and to others. All he deserves now is death.”
“And you trust Benson?” Angelo asked sceptically.
Whatever had happened between Angelo and the resistance didn’t really matter too much to me, so long as I got what I wanted. “I still have my doubts, but I trust him a hell of a lot more than I trust Lace. As far as I can tell I’ve been manipulated by just about everyone for the past four days, but now it’s my turn.”
I will leave nothing to chance. I will end this war. I will be free of that damn code. 6573-4532-7710-2169-3490.
It was dusk by the time we made it back to the resistance, and even Angelo was tired of walking. The second we laid our eyes upon the very building that I had escaped from just this morning, Angelo stopped suddenly. “This is as far as I will go,” he said sternly. “If I go in there they’ll probably arrest me. You go and do whatever it is you need to do, and I’ll see you when I can.”
I didn’t like the idea of facing Benson alone, but at least Angelo made a good point, and there’s no way I was going to get my only friend arrested by the resistance. But during the trip back here I had plenty of time to think, and I knew exactly what I needed his help for – soon enough. I was smarter now than I was before – I knew how this game was played, and I had one final plan hidden up my sleeve.
“Hey wait,” I said. “When the time comes, could you do me one last favour…”
It was different going into the resistance building through the front doors – it was exactly how I remembered doing it before all of this started. I remembered the massive green plant to the left of the main door, I remembered the two guards named Fred and Peter (I didn’t actually know their names but that’s what I called them), and I remembered the blonde reception lady who sat there to greet you when you entered. She was speaking to someone on the phone at the moment but she told them to wait for a second as she lifted her eyes to me and smiled. “Can I help you?” she asked politely, but based on her expression she probably thought I was some homeless girl, and to be entirely honest I didn’t blame her. My clothes were all dirty from the river water and the mud, my once beautiful hair was all knotty, and my skin had certainly seen better days.
ns 172.70.127.79da2