Apple and Dagger. Part two
Until that day, we'd been wandering for years. Looking for answers, routes, anything that could lead to Flanders. During this time, we had seen a lot of lost places. One of them, the most secret of all shelters, was our last chance at salvation.
When I was informed this morning of an imminent threat that outnumbered us, I realized that we could not wait. For the first time, the knechte would retreat to save themselves.
— Augustus, where are we going? — Martin asked in a weak voice as I was putting him into the car. Even now, on the verge of oblivion, he tried to stay strong.
— Trust me, Martin. For the last time.
We left the camp and set out, hoping to be faster than the Ravens, bringing us death.
We couldn't.
— Augustus, they're coming! — My radio exploded hissing and screaming as we drove into the lowland pass. — They're coming!
I hated myself for what I ordered at the time. The weight of this decision will not disappear, no matter how many winters change.
— Hold them off! Split up, go through the mouth of the river! We'll be back when we get Martin to the shelter!
The radio was silent for a few seconds, each painfully pulsing in my temples.
— Find Flanders, Augustus. For all of us.
I heard engines roaring, wheels screaming and missiles howling. Ravens followed us like sparkling death and tore off the pieces, still alive, devouring our comrades.
— Augustus… don't you dare… — Martin murmured hoarsely. He was managed to sit down, clinging to the belts that I used to wrap him in the seat. — We're not gonna do that. We can't leave them!..
Flanders is dead, or maybe it's always been like this. A dead, shining dream designed to brighten our agony. The last thing I was willing to do for Martin — there was always a sharp misericord in my boot.
I did not answer the leader, I had nothing to say to him. We managed to lose the pursuers and slip through a secret path, an underground passage, to a shelter, its armour would hold even a “Mandrake” at bay.
After finding the control panel purely from memory, I entered the password. One hundred and fifty characters, several lines of letters and numbers.
I noticed that I had lost my helmet when the raw, frozen air from the open door moved my hair. Martin, sitting in the car, constantly looked at the distant light of the exit from the tunnel and whispered something. Perhaps praying for those we lost.
Underground complex AL-iV0Nimueh, opened.
I turned around to instruct my associates to drive the cars into the hangar and help Martin. What I saw burned me — our leader, who slipped past all eyes, dragging his legs, was walking to the exit.
Did he want to reunite with the fallen in Flanders after everything we've done?!
— Martin!..
I screamed his name a second before the engines roared and the tunnel suddenly plunged into darkness.
A second later, a flame broke out around us.