Bab 136: Chapter 135: The Fight for Souls
The urgency in Ty's voice replayed in Cole's head as he and Lina sprinted through the narrow, debris-strewn streets. The slums, once alive with resistance, were now filled with the echoes of gunfire and the distant rumble of military vehicles. Fires raged in the distance, the smoke rising in thick columns that blotted out the fading sunlight.
Every step was a reminder that they were running out of time.
The safe house wasn't far, but with the military pushing through the eastern barricade, Cole knew they were walking into a deathtrap. His mind raced, trying to piece together a plan. They had prepared the safe house to be a sanctuary for the people of the slums, a place where families could seek refuge from the chaos of battle. But it wasn't designed to withstand a full-on assault.
As they neared the safe house, the streets became eerily quiet. The gunfire in the distance was muffled, replaced by the unsettling stillness that always came before something terrible. Cole's pulse quickened. He glanced at Lina, her face grim, her knife still clutched in her hand. She didn't need to say anything—her eyes told him she was ready for whatever they were about to face.
"We're close," Lina muttered, her breath labored as they ducked around a corner. "Ty better have a plan, or this place is going to be overrun."
"He's got something," Cole replied, though he wasn't sure if he was reassuring her or himself.
As they reached the last turn, the sight that greeted them made Cole's heart stop. The safe house was under siege. Military vehicles had already breached the perimeter, and soldiers were pouring into the building. In the distance, Cole could see Ty and the other fighters desperately trying to hold the line, but they were outnumbered and outgunned.
"We need to get in there," Cole said, his voice hard. "We can't let them take the safe house."
Lina nodded, her jaw set. "Let's move."
---
The battle for the safe house was chaos. Cole and Lina wove through the narrow alleys leading up to the building, taking out soldiers as they went. The crack of gunfire was deafening, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke and gunpowder. Cole's heart pounded as he took cover behind a pile of rubble, his rifle clutched tightly in his hands.
He glanced toward the safe house. Ty and Zack were pinned down near the entrance, taking heavy fire from the advancing soldiers. Maria was positioned on the second floor, her sniper rifle picking off enemies from a distance, but even with her sharp aim, the numbers were overwhelming.
Cole turned to Lina, his breath coming in sharp bursts. "We need to clear a path to the entrance."
Lina's eyes flickered to the soldiers near the doorway. "There's too many of them."
"We'll hit them from the side, draw their attention away from the front," Cole said, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins. "Once Ty and Zack have an opening, we move in."
Lina didn't hesitate. "I'm with you."
They moved quickly, slipping through the shadows as they flanked the military forces. Cole's heart raced as they neared the group of soldiers. He signaled for Lina to take position, and when she gave him a nod, he opened fire.
The soldiers were caught off guard, their attention shifting to the sudden attack from the side. Lina moved like a shadow, her knife flashing as she took down one of the soldiers before they even knew she was there.
The distraction worked. Ty and Zack seized the opportunity, charging toward the entrance and taking out the soldiers who had been pinning them down. The sound of gunfire echoed through the street as the resistance fighters fought back with everything they had.
Cole and Lina regrouped with Ty and Zack near the entrance, their faces slick with sweat and grime.
"Good timing," Ty muttered, reloading his weapon. "We were about to get overrun."
"We're not out of this yet," Cole replied, his eyes scanning the battlefield. "What's the situation inside?"
"Bad," Zack said, his voice strained. "They've already breached the lower levels. We've got people trapped in the tunnels, but if the soldiers get any deeper, they'll be sitting ducks."
Cole's jaw tightened. The tunnels beneath the safe house were supposed to be a last resort, a place where the non-combatants could hide until the fighting stopped. But now, those tunnels had become a deathtrap. If the military found them, there would be no escape.
"We need to clear the building," Cole said, his mind racing. "Ty, you and Zack take the left side. Lina and I will cover the right. We push them back, room by room."
Ty gave a grim nod. "We're with you."
---
The inside of the safe house was a war zone. The walls were riddled with bullet holes, and the once-organized sanctuary had been reduced to a mess of overturned furniture and scattered supplies. Cole moved through the narrow hallways, his rifle raised as he and Lina cleared the rooms one by one.
Every corner they turned felt like walking into the unknown. The soldiers were well-trained, and they had already established a foothold inside the building. Cole could hear the distant cries of the people trapped in the tunnels below, their fear palpable as they huddled together, waiting for the inevitable.
"We need to move faster," Lina muttered, her voice tight with urgency.
Cole nodded, his jaw clenched as they approached the staircase leading to the lower levels. The sound of footsteps echoed from below, and Cole knew the soldiers were already searching the tunnels.
"We can't let them reach the people," Cole said, his voice hard. "We end this now."
With a nod from Lina, they descended the staircase, their movements swift and silent. The tunnel entrance was just ahead, a narrow opening in the floor that led down into the darkness. Cole could hear the distant sound of soldiers searching the tunnels, their voices carrying through the echoing corridors.
"They're close," Lina whispered.
Cole's heart pounded as he approached the tunnel entrance. His mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. The soldiers were already inside, and if they found the people hiding in the deeper tunnels, it would be a massacre.
"We need to collapse the tunnel entrance," Cole said, his voice low. "It's the only way to stop them from getting any deeper."
Lina glanced at him, her eyes wide. "Are you sure? If we collapse it, there's no going back. The people in the tunnels will be trapped."
"I know," Cole replied, his jaw tight. "But it's the only way to keep them safe."
Lina hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Let's do it."
---
The tunnel entrance was rigged with explosives, and Cole's heart raced as he set the charges. Every second felt like an eternity as the sound of the soldiers searching the tunnels grew louder. He could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him, but there was no time for second-guessing.
Once the charges were set, Cole and Lina moved back up the staircase, taking cover behind a pile of debris. Cole's hand hovered over the detonator, his breath coming in sharp bursts as he waited for the right moment.
"Now," Lina whispered, her eyes locked on the tunnel entrance.
Cole pressed the button.
The explosion rocked the building, sending a shockwave through the lower levels as the tunnel entrance collapsed. The sound of crumbling concrete filled the air, followed by a deafening silence.
For a moment, Cole just stood there, his heart pounding in his chest. The people in the tunnels were safe—for now. But they were trapped, and the weight of that decision hung heavy in the air.
Lina placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice soft but steady. "You did what you had to do."
Cole nodded, though the guilt gnawed at him. "Yeah."
---
When they regrouped with Ty and Zack, the safe house was eerily quiet. The soldiers had been driven back, and for now, the building was secure. But the cost of the battle was evident in the faces of the people who had fought beside them. Exhaustion, fear, and uncertainty lingered in the air.
"They'll be back," Ty said quietly, his voice filled with dread. "We've bought ourselves some time, but they'll regroup."
Cole nodded, his mind already racing with the next steps. They had won this battle, but the war was far from over. The city wouldn't stop until they had crushed the slums completely.
But as Cole looked around at the people who had fought and bled for their freedom, he knew one thing for sure:
They weren't finished yet.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone