Nathan Pedde - Tokyo Tempest

“I think the choice puts us in a rock and a hard place.” Darren said, “As much as the soldiers scare me. We have no evidence that they’re even there.”

“Alright.” Yuki said, “We go up towards Sano. We keep our eyes and our ears open. The first sign of trouble and we hide.”

“Luckily soldiers will have bright lights and loud trucks to give themselves away,” Darren said.

Darren and Yuki mounted their bikes and rode off towards the bridge. The road was clear of debris and abandoned vehicles. The area was also clear of people.

Darren saw dozens of lights flash on in the distance. The lights flickered and danced to the slight breeze that ran down the mountains towards the sea. Darren thought the lights must be small cook fires as it must be around dinner time.

The sun slowly set in the west as they glided silently across the bridge.

Darren stopped at the end of the bridge. Yuki stopped beside him.

“Until we stop for the night, I don’t think we should be talking much,” Darren said.

“Good idea.” Yuki said, “Stealth like a ninja.”

“You and your anime,” Darren said.

“You like anime too,” Yuki said.

“Not that show.” Darren said, “I can’t stand his voice.”

Darren gave Yuki a look.

“Right.” Yuki said, “Silent. Silent as night.”

Yuki smirked.

“Ninja,” Yuki whispered.

Darren rolled his eyes.

Darren and Yuki set out down the road and onto the other side of the river. Darren knew that there was going to be no more essential river crossings until they got to the mountains.

The two of them rode silently down the small highway and turned onto a back road. They rode slowly as their eyes adapted to the changing light. Their world shrank in as they glided along the road.

Darren could see lights in the distance. A couple cars drove down the road away from them. Darren saw that man on the motorbike again. The color gang member seemed to be the same distance away from them and riding fast. The city appeared in the distance. Darren knew that the city was there because he could see a cluster of lights from candles and flashlights in the distance.

The sky darkened up, and the stars and moon appeared out of the darkness. The familiar sight of the night engulfed Darren.

With their eyes fully adapted, they slid down the road. They made multiple turns onto different roads but heading in the same direction.

Darren saw in the distance that the cook fires ran up into the dark sky. After a few kilometers, Darren realized that it was the mountains that made the campfires spread up the sky.

In the distance was an armored army vehicle. It was riding slowly down the road. It had a big searchlight on the top that was scanning the ditches and fields.

“Crap.” Darren said, “You see that.”

“This way,” Yuki said.

They turned down a different road heading in the opposite direction that they needed to go.

“They’re looking for someone,” Yuki said.

“Could be us.” Darren said, “Lets ride.”

The farmer’s road turned up the side of the hill and became very narrow and twisty.

They slowed down to a crawl as they pushed the bikes up the hill.

“Where do we go?” Darren said.

“Next driveway we turn down and hide,” Yuki said.

The truck turned up the road just as they were pushing their bikes into a driveway.

The light glowed on them. Darren heard the truck screech to a stop. The sound echoed through a door opening and gun cocking.

“Freeze.” A loud male voice shouted out from behind them.

Darren and Yuki stopped in their tracks.

“Turn around, and let’s see your hands.” The voice continued.

Darren and Yuki let go of their bikes. The child carriers kept the bikes upright.

Darren and Yuki turned around to face the truck. The bright light completely blinded them from seeing anything around them. Darren attempted to shield himself from the light with his hands.

“Curfew breaker.” The soldier yelled, “Get your hands up.”

Darren looked at the soldier and then at Yuki.

“When I tell you to, dive into that ditch,” Darren said.

“What…” Yuki said.

“Don’t argue.” Darren said, “I promised that I would keep you safe and I intend to do so.”

“I love you,” Yuki said.

“We had a good run,” Darren said.

“Hands on your…” The soldier started to shout.

A gunshot echoed out from the hillside. Darren heard the distinct thud of a body hitting the ground.

“To the ditch!” Darren yelled.

Yuki jumped into the ditch. Darren heard a splash from the water in the bottom.

“Man down!” A soldiers voice echoed from the truck.

The light moved from Darren and pointed up into the hills behind the truck.

Darren ran towards the truck and pulled out his handgun.

Darren aimed his handgun at the big bright light that was mounted on the truck.

He squeezed the trigger, and the bullet smashed into the light, killing it. A shower of sparks erupted from the light.

At that moment, Darren saw the situation he was in. The soldier that was in the passenger seat was on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

The driver had gotten out of the truck with a rifle in hand. He was running around the hood to get a shot at Darren.

A soldier stood in the opening of the roof hatch, shielding himself from the sparks of the busted light. A rifle was slung across his shoulders.

A fourth soldier sat behind the driver. He fumbled with the door as he attempted to exit the vehicle.

Darren, with his gun still aimed at the light, moved his aim over a foot and fired a couple shots at the soldier in the roof hatch. A bullet hit the soldier in the arm and the chest. The bullet that had hit the arm pierced the skin and broke a bone. The round that hit the chest exploded against the soldier’s Kevlar vest. The soldier’s head exploded a moment later.

Darren heard another gunshot from a distance. Darren saw the driver duck behind the hood. Darren raced towards the vehicle and took cover behind the rear truck tire. Darren looked back towards Yuki and the ditch.

Yuki had pulled herself out of the ditch, and she was hiding behind her carrier.

Darren drew his sword from its sheath.

The fourth soldier opened the rear passenger door. His gun was out and in front of him. Darren aimed his weapon at the soldier, He fired off a burst of shots at the soldier, and then his handgun jammed.

The soldier jumped out of the truck. His rifle moving to aim at Darren’s chest.

Darren let out a scream and swung his sword at the soldier. His sword swung underneath the barrel of the rifle and skimmed across the skin of the man’s left elbow. It continued on to dig into the chest of the soldier.

Darren saw that it was just a kid no older than himself. The kid squeezed the trigger, and the rifle slammed back into his shoulder. The bullet raced towards Darren causing Darren to jump backward letting go of the sword.

Darren fell on his ass as he watched the kid slump backward onto the ground. Darren felt blood trickle down his neck. He pressed his hand to his neck and felt the warmness of his own blood.

“Darren!” Yuki’s voice echoed from the bikes.

The driver appeared around the back of the truck. His rifle was pointed at Darren.

“Shit,” Darren said.

A gunshot fired off from the bikes. Meaty smacks echoed from the soldier. Darren looked to see that a bullet wound appeared on the drivers lower abdomen. A second bullet went into his upper chest a moment later. Blood spattered behind him as the round went through the body.

The soldier collapsed to the ground in a heap.

“Darren,” Yuki yelled as she ran towards him.