Imperium: Volume 3
Chapter 18.

It was almost sundown when Sarah felt them enter her 100 km range. That gave us roughly an hour to get into position. She figured they were travelling at about 100 km/hour so all in all it was a small window to get ourselves ready. We had set up barracades and blocks so they had one way in and one way out to the camper. We had moved the camper so it was blocked in by three railroad carts, so again only one way in. Bowdie took off down the trail to get away as far as possible from the commotion and Sarah and Anja started off in the camper. Rowen and I each placed ourselves inside a cart, and Gunner concealed himself in one of the trees at the start of the road that led into the rail yard. Night was soon approaching, but there was still enough light to so we could make out everything.

Raeve had left earlier and returned with more weapons from the freedom fighters. It was on the sole condition that we get rid of these guys for good. Turns out they were knocking their numbers down, and any means to an end would take a target off their back. We had been staking out in our hiding spots for the better part of an hour before Sarah relayed a message to us.

•~Okay guys, they are drawing nearer. There's five of them now, from what Raeve said, but if you have a chance to take them down do not hesitate. They are here for one purpose and that's to get rid of us•~ She said.

We understood all to well who these men were. A quick flashback of the burn pile reminded me so. I had a side arm on my hip and one strapped to the front of my chest, along with some knives and some smoke grenades courtesy of the freedom fighters. They wasted no expense and equipped us with anything they could afford. We were all equipped with them. The plan was to set them off upon entering the yard. Our goal was to obscure their vision so we had the upper hand. Sure it wouldn't help the others, but that's where Sarah came in. She would be able to sense everyone's where abouts and guide us to where we needed to go if the situation called for it.

•~I'm keeping the channel open so we can freely talk to eachother•~ She said.

I stayed crouched against one of the walls in the cart, and breathed deeply to mentally prepare myself. Don't fuck this up Oaken.

•~A car is approaching•~ Gunner said through the channel.

My eyes shot open. Game on.

...................

Gunner's P.O.V.

I saw the headlights in the distance as they made their way down the gravel road. I hid myself in one of the trees that overlooked the road and watched as they stopped the car about 20 feet away from me. I saw five men get out with semi automatic weapons, and all were covered in riot gear. They certianly came prepared for a fight.

•~5 men in total, head to toe in gear. Bullet proof vests, so make them head shots. I don't see any sign of the girl•~ I relayed to the others.

•~You mean 4 men•~ Sarah said.

•~No, there's definitley 5•~ I reitorated.

•~That doesn't make sense, why can't I read the other one?•~She asked baffled.

•~Maybe he's like Anja•~Raeve chimed in.

Another phsycopath......great.

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•~Heads up, there coming your way•~

..................

Sarah's P.O.V.

"I'm sorry Anja, I can't sense her." I told her. She stared at me then back out the window. I could see her chin quivering as she fought hard to keep the tears from barreling down her cheeks.

I closed my eyes trying to pick up something. I could see the 4 men stalking their way in but if Gunner had seen 5, why can't I see the other one. I tried to reach into the minds of all of them but I heard nothing but silence. My eyes shot open.

Oh my god. There's no way. I could hear the fire wielder before, how come I can't now. My only explantion was this.

•~You guys, we have a big fucking problem! •~

•~Just say it Sarah, we really don't have time to waste here •~ Said Raeve.

•~One of the men........is a telepath. He's blocking me out of their thoughts •~

•~Fuck me are you serious!? •~ Said Gunner.

•~Yes, I'm closing the channel, so he can't read us. We're going radio silent. I've got to block us from them so whatever you do, don't fuck up•~ I said before I shut it down.

"Anja! Please tell me your a good shot." I blatantly said to her.

"Yes...why?" She answered.

"Because, you are what stands between me and them." I told her as I went into the bathroom and focused on my senses. I quickly placed a mental block on the others, and tried to read the other telepath. Whoever this guy was, he was far more advanced at honing his ability. To be able to mentally put up walls and stalk his prey. It took silence and concentration from my part to do what he was doing.

"Fuck, fuck.........okay..okay, you got this." I cracked my neck and shook out my arms and calmed myself. If they were going to have us going in blind, the least I could do was return the favor.

.....................

Gunner's P.O.V.

Fuck me, if this guy is who she says he is, he should have detected me from the get go. Yet he ignored that fact. Maybe because I was in a fucking tree, or maybe I wasn't a threat to him. I couldn't risk the chance. I was currently phasing myself through the trees as I ran towards Bowdie. If the guy could get a read on us, he would know she was injured and all alone.

I was running as fast as I could till I hit the trail that she walked the last few days, and took to it. I looked around aimlessly, but couldn't find her.

Bowdie! I whispered as loud as I could but there was no reply.

I continued to run down the trail, till one thing finally stood out to me. My tracks.....and only my tracks. Which meant she never made it this far. I turned around and walked back towards the direction of the railyard till I finally found another set of tracks. It looked like she stopped here and was pacing back and forth. I looked at the direction of her foot prints, and saw a deep indentaion from where she stood. As if she pushed hard off the ground.

Fuck Bowdie...........I followed the tracks and they were heading back down the trail. I took off.

..................

Oaken's P.O.V.

The sun was going down rapidly as I watched the shadow move along the open door of my cart. It's been some time now since Gunner spotted them making their way to the rail yard. Something pushed me to set off the smoke grenades. I pulled the release and threw one in between my cart and another, and rolled some down the other side. I watched the purple smoke fill the air, and I looked over to see Raeve and Rowen do the same. My eyes were adjusting between the dark and the smoke, and finally my vision came into focus. I wasn't sure what colour they were giving off on the outside but what I was seeing was something new to me. It was like I was underwater and the light was refracting off of the different surfaces.

Everything was clear to me. I stepped into the darkness of the cart and unclapsed my holster.

I could hear movement to my right, and whispers. They were here.

One of them was to my right, and I heard another go around to the left of the cart. They were scoping out the place. I moved myself slowly against the wall towards the entrance and I waited. With my eyes fixed on the entrance I heard the foot steps draw nearer. Then I heard shot's go off in the distance. It took my attention away for a second before I saw the muzzle of his rifle. I took a breath before I grabbed the gun and pulled it out of his hands and threw it in the cart. Before I knew it, I jumped out over his head and pulled the pin to another smoke grenade and dropped it on the ground.

I quickly retreated into the smoke and crouched down near the front of the cart. I watched as he had his side arm out and had it aimed infront of him. He couldn't see shit, and this was where I had the full advantage. I let him get closer to me before I ran across to the other cart. He couldn't see me but he could hear my foot steps along the gravel. He fired a couple shots, and I set off another smoke grenade. I needed to make a move. I reached out towards one of the canisters and rolled it towards him. He frantically shot infront of him thinking that it was me, and that's when I came up from behind. I jumped and skidded along the gravel kicking the back of his knee. He fell forward, but was able to keep himself propped up.

He quickly swung around and shot towards my direction, but again he was shooting blind. I could hear more shots going off from the other side of the yard. I lunged forward and kicked the gun from his hands. I saw as it landed under in the gravel to the left of me. I could see he backed himself against one of the carts, which meant my only option was to go at him face on. I walked infront of him so he heard me. He had his fists up and was ready to brawl.

"So, you want to fight fair." He said laughing. "How about I get first punch you little shit."

I looked over him and eyed his vest. I seemed I was able to disarm him of his only two guns, but what he had clasped to his vest was a grenade and an assortment of knives aswell.

"Ladies first!"

I lunged forward and was able to punch him in the throat. I kicked the side of his knee in and he almost toppled to the ground, but as I went to kick him again he quickly threw his arm up and caught my leg.

"Got ya!" He yelled as he picked me up above his head from my vest and threw me against the side of the cart.

The smoke was starting to shift as a wind came rolling through, so his view was no longer obstructed. He picked me up from the back of my vest and threw me into the cart that I was originally positioned in. I felt the wind get knocked out of me as I landed on my back. I went for the gun strapped to my chest and I pulled it out of it's holster. Before I could get a shot off he had already jumped in and pulled me from my feet. I was thrown again towards the other end of the cart and my pistol flew out of my hand. I had landed on my stomach and quickly rolled over to my back. He was slowly walking towards me.

"What are you going to do next? Beg for your life?" He said menacing.

"Tell me something......how do you like the taste of metal?"

"What?" He said.

I quickly rolled to my stomach and when I rolled onto my back I had his semi automatic rifle in hand. I pulled the trigger and watched his body slump to the ground as I riddled his body with bullet holes.

I got up, and adjusted my vest so I was no longer choking on it. I walked up to him and saw that he was gasping for air.

"Still not dead hu?" I watched as he desperatley tried to reach out to me. Whether he was begging for mercy I didn't know but if we wanted them dead, I needed to finish him off....with a head shot. I threw his gun to the end of the cart and looked to the grenade on his vest. I bent down and pulled the pin and made a quick exit. I ran through the remaining purple smoke as I heard the grenade go off behind me.

I was making my way through the isle of carts, when I saw the sky light up beside me. My eyes furrowed. It was the flame thrower. I took a step and I immediatley stopped in place as I heard the hammer to a gun click in place.

"Don't move." He said.

I didn't move but I gazed my eyes over to the man. I watched him side step infront of me. There's no freakin way he can see me. It was dark at this point and there was still smoke in the air. He wasn't wearing night vision goggles, yet his gun was aimed directly at my chest. I moved my arm towards a knife on my vest.

"I said don't move." He said calmly.

I moved my hands up. I quickly looked around to see an opening. I found one. It was a gap between two of the carts. On the other side I could see fire. It was a chance I had to take. Either stay here and get shot or atleast die trying. I waited till he got closer. He ended up standing right infront of my exit. Fuck. I stared right through him. I knew one thing. I wasn't going to let him get the satisfaction of killing me. If he was going to do it, he was going to do it while a looked at him in the eyes. Suddenly an explosion set off behind him and I got my window. I took off down the isle. I heard him curse and take off after me.

I ran as fast as I could. I could see I was coming up towards the end of the carts, and I went to peer around the corner when I saw the hilt of a gun in my peripheral. I didn't have time to evade and I got cross checked to the head. I fell hard to the ground and immediatley felt the blood drip down the side of my head. I barely felt the pain as I threw myself back on my knees and looked to the mercerinary. He had his gun to my head, and before I could shut my eyes he went to the ground. I looked to see where the shot came from and it was from the other soldier that was chasing me. I looked back to the guy on the ground. A single bullet to the head took him down. I got up, and a quick feeling of dizzyness had me stumble back to the ground.

I felt his grasp on my arm, and I quickly grabbed it. I pulled my knife out and I pushed him with all the energy I had left in me against the side of the cart. I didn't say anything. He just stayed silent and looked into my eyes.

"Oaken." He said.

What the fuck? How the fuck does he know my name.

"Your Oaken, with the eyes." He said again.

I held my knife closer to his throat.

"Uh uh uh, you should be careful where you put that thing." I felt a tap to my hip. I looked down and he had a gun resting just underneath the vest. I looked back up to him. I let him go, and stepped back with my hands in the air.

"Drop the knife." He said.

I did so. "Your the telepath."

"You would be correct." He said as he holstered his weapon.

I looked at him confused. "Are you not going to kill me?" I asked.

"I wasn't sent to kill you."

All of a sudden I heard an explosion comes towards the camper. Sarah! I looked at the man and took off. If he wasn't here to kill me, then there was still a job that needed finishing.

I took off towards Sarah and Anja, and a huge fire ball erupted in the sky. I found myself in the open where I saw the camper engulfed in flames. I stopped in place as I tried to locate the others. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust from the brightness of the fire but I saw their silouhettes. I felt a hand on my shoulder and a gun pressed against my back.

"Please don't make this any harder for me." He said annoyed.

That's when I saw Sarah and Anja come out from around the corner with their hands up. They had a rifle aimed towards their backs and were brought to their knees with a swift jab of the gun. I looked for Rowen and Raeve. Where the fuck were they? The answer came to me momentarily. Another soldier, was dragging a body to the centre of the opening where Sarah and Anja were.

"Move." He said, and pushed me with his gun. "Put your hands up to please."

This guy was awfully polite for whatever fucking reason. He lead me to Sarah and Anja, and had me go to my knees along side them. I continued looking around. Still no sign of Raeve and no Bowdie or Gunner. I was brought back to the attention of the soldier infront of me still dragging Rowen's limp body. He dropped him infront of us. I saw he was covered in blood. He had many spots lined down both legs, and some in his arms. Just blood though. Fuck, did Sarah have a block on us still. Could this guy read my thought's? Does he know that Rowen was reset?

I looked to the soldier who dropped him. He was bald and had flame tattoos starting from his wrist and working their way up to his elbows. The flame thrower.

"Gah! Now that was fuckin fun!" He yelled laughing. "And to think we almost got bested by a bunch of woman! But it seems your only man went down with quite a fight ladies." His gaze immediatley turned to Anja.

"You've been a naughty girl Anja. Tt Tt Tt, I'm a little dissapointed in you." He said smiling. "You seemed to find yourself a team of our own didn't you. I'll admit. You almost had us back in Jaxyn but that precious little girl of yours made it all worth it."

"You bastard! Where is my daughter!" She yelled as she lunged at him ,but he just slapped her to the ground.

I went to move forward, but the man's hand found my shoulder again and squeezed it. I looked to him with furrowed brows and he nodded no. The flame thrower held up his hand and we watched as it turned to a bright orange. He then held it to Anja's arm and started burning his handprint into her flesh. She screamed in agony as we watched her rither in pain. My chest was pounding as I tried to calm my anger.

"Stop it!" I yelled. I looked over to Sarah, and the soldiers gun was to her head. "Fuck you!" I said with a heckle. I felt him squeeze my shoulder again and looked to him. "Fuck you too."

The flame thrower had his sights on me now. He looked to his two men behind us and laughed. So your the brave one then? He walked over to me and grabbed me from the shoulders of my vest and pulled me to where Anja laid. He looked at me in the eyes.

"So your eyes, are what make you special hu?" He said. I spat in his face, and he just laughed it off. "Adam's take her back."

The soldier stepped out from behind Sarah and came over to where I was. I kept my eyes on the flame thrower as he pulled me by the arm and put me beside Sarah, then grabbed Anja and dragged her back aswell. I was trying to figure out his game plan. Rowen was still on the ground and I couldn't tell if he was unconcious or faking it. I looked relentlessey for the others. Gunner would be useless in this fight. He can only phase through objects so fire was a no go for him. Where the fuck was Raeve? Was he dead?

"Hey fuck face!" Our attention was immediatley brought towards the camper. It was Bowdie. She was panting hard and holding her side. Still no Gunner and no Raeve.

What the hell are you doing. I inched forward and Sarah held her arm out to me to stop me. I heard the young soldier mumble something under his breath but I couldn't catch it.

The flame thrower was now facing her. "Ah......our 2nd sacrifice." He looked back to me. "Sorry sweetness, I'm going to save you for last." He winked at me before holding out both his arms up towards Bowdie.

"Bowdie!"

She stood there and braced herself, never taking her eyes off him. We watched as his hands turned a dark red and the fire started to pour out of his hands. I took off running towards him.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!........."

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