Two Hours Before The Golden Tower (Part 1)

Two Hours Before 1

The 2

Golden Tower 3

PART 1 of 24

BY AJ PEASLEE5

An endless static wail filled his ears with a thumping sensation. He grabbed at them and held tightly in an attempt to smother the agonizing sound. His eyes had yet to open and because his stubbled face had cringed, he was unable to do so. The white noise starts to back away to the unknown depths from whence it came, and he slowly slides his eye lids up. 6

He saw that he was sitting nearly cross-legged on a dingy old mattress, and that his green pants and black boots didn’t fair any better. Blood, dried and becoming brittle, was in spots all around him along with jagged metal springs. He examined his chest, noting that he was wearing an olive drab vest that looked military in make. He rubbed his hair and brought his hand back with a few brown strands. Something had felt odd, so he rubbed his hand through it once more. Near the back of his skull was bare and a solid row stitches held together inflamed skin. If seemed as if someone had surgically opened it. He was somewhat frightened by that revelation, for it wasn’t there before. His left arm looked peculiar, so he turned it over and looked at the bottom of the wrist. A tattoo that he had previously not had was inked:7

S.J.T # 148

He couldn’t decipher it nor understand how he got it. And that is when it comes to him in a shocking grip. How did he get here? What the hell is this place? When he tried to reach for the answers his brain responded angrily. The ears echoed with a piercing screech and his eyes felt as if someone was pressing their thumbs into them. To hell with you too. he thought.9

He looked around most of the room, trying to make sense of this bizarre situation. The walls were metal plating that had become rusted, and the floor was cracked, stained concrete. There were no objects of any kind in this rundown bomb shelter, except for the black screen shimmering anxiously at him. It was a television set on a push cart with a VCR above it. A black videotape rested near it, and he was quick to leap from the bed to retrieve it. Black sharpie was scrawled on its label:10

“This may help save your life”11

A little frightened by what may be on the tape, he fiddled with it in his fingers for a moment, unsure of his decision. He had to know what had happened to him; he had to know what they did to his head and what this was all about. He slides the tape into the VCR’s slot and listens to the tape whirl around inside. The screen fills with static for a brief moment and then an image appears. 12

A husky man in a well pressed black suit stands in front of an elegant desk and large windows. Judging by the view, it must be high up, like a skyscraper. He casually puffs on a cigar that leaves trails from his thick gums. His eyes look uncaring, and seem to have a twisted enjoyment for the words he is about to express. As the smoke wraps around his nearly square face, he gets to the point.13

“Leon…..I bet you are thinking about many things right now, your head full of questions, hm? Well, let me be frank.14

You have been chosen among a select few, to play a game, a sort of test, if you will. You are the fourteenth subject, and you will go through the hardest trial thus far. Your skills in the black ops are nearly legendary, and as such, this game will be different than the others.15

You are at one side of the city, and my building, your goal, is at the other. You will literally have to travel from one end to the other, but from your location it is a straight shot. All you have to do is manage to reach this tower where you will receive your answers and a large sum of money as a reward. But, don’t go thinking you can just run from side to the other. Oh no, Leon, it wouldn’t be that simple.16

That scar you have no doubt noticed on your head? That is where we surgically implanted a cortex bomb near your brain. It is only the size of a quarter, but it will be more than enough to reduce you to a small, wet pile. And, I might add, it only has two hours left before it detonates. The timer will start once you exit the door. And, should you get the idea in your head that you won’t leave….I will detonate it.17

It gets harder from here. I have hired the most ruthless, bloodthirsty gangs and outfits available to stalk the streets and hunt you down. But there are worse things lurking in the shadows than gangs….namely, serial killers, sadists and psychopaths. 18

The city is the rundown landscape of what was Portland, so you will be able to traverse easily. You will find a pistol and knife to start, and all other weaponry you will need to locate yourself. They have been scattered and hidden, just waiting for you to pick them up. And lastly, you will be alone with no allies whatsoever. 19

I hope that you are more entertaining than the last subjects. Best of luck.”20

As the screen becomes static Leon feels a knot in his chest. I’m a dead man walking, Leon thinks.21

There was a bomb in his head, and some goddamn rich suit wanted him to face murder and worse. He couldn’t even remember what he was doing up until this point, but none of that mattered. What needed to be done was certainly laid out before him, but Leon didn’t want to satisfy the man’s sick idea of entertainment. Though if he didn’t, he would be blown to hell in less than two hours and the man would win regardless. It was a literal rock and hard place. 22

Knowing the hard place would be impossible; Leon knows he can move the rock. He has to get to the tower and get the damn thing removed. He was scared, even if his grizzled past refused to show it but who wouldn’t tremble at the idea that maniacs and lord knows what else wanted your blood.23

Leon walked over the old doorway and noticed the pistol and knife on a single, useless unneeded step. The gun had a brown handle with black colored alloy, but the feature that caught Leon’s eye was the emblem. It was a Smith and Wesson .357, not the greatest handgun in the world, but it had speed. The knife was your standard military issue, combat make. Like that will do much good when you have a swarm of men shooting the skin off your bones.24

The door budges open with a tight shove and reveals the city of Portland….or what was. Many of the buildings have fallen to ruin; shattered imagery of what once was. The streets of constant car honks, aggravated yells and sirens are ancient history, as well as the people that lived here. All that remains are pieces of their lives: The fluttering newspaper, the burned out car and stomped cola cans. Leon hadn’t lived in, or ever been to Portland when it was alive. He did know what happened; he did remember when the war hit home with weapons of mass destruction. The citizens had no where to run from the aerial assault of biochemicals and incendiary charges, the city was without hope. 25

Welcome to Hell on Earth.26

Leon grips the gun tightly and knows he has to be at full skill. If there is any inclination that he is vulnerable, he would be a corpse. He proceeds forward with the knife held outward from his face and the gun firmly at his hip. Leon stands on his toes and tries to widen his vision. He can’t see the tower from here. Damn.27

He walks at an average pace, but one that is light-footed. He starts to quicken his pace, not wanting to linger in this desolate jungle. A few blocks go by and Leon feels a shrivel of relief. Buildings, vehicles and garbage pass by but the fear creeping up his neck doesn’t. Focused on his thoughts and worries, he didn’t notice the trip wire that stretched across the street, and by the time he the white line was recognized, it set off an alarm. 28

Son of a bitch! So careless! 29

Leon looked toward the turning right street as a group of men appeared, wailing like hyenas that found their next meal. Their white hooded sweatshirts and signature purple bandannas revealed their affiliation: The Sons of Agni.30

Leon was already in a run when he fired a shot toward them. The bullet tore through one of their kneecaps and easily felled the savage, but there were at least six more. They didn’t seem fazed by their injured comrade, no; instead they were fixated on their prey. Leon continues to run down the streets of ruin while firing shots toward the pursuers and they keep their chase in full speed. He fells two more as he keeps his legs moving. One of them heaves a knife that barely misses Leon’s ankle and he knows that it was too close for comfort. Leon tries to fire the gun once more, but it sends a wave of dread through his body when all it does is click. 31

Out of ammo.32

Leon tosses the gun away and runs into a heavily damaged car garage. He vanishes into the shadows and the gang soon behind. Leon takes cover in one of the shadowed corners and watches them enter. They run around the abandoned cars and cement pillars, howling and laughing as they search for their target. Leon sidles the wall and slides through the shadows. He noticed a shotgun to the right and he knows if he doesn’t grab it, he will be dead. It should be more than enough to stop these guys, it looks like an assault shotgun; similar to the type that law enforcement uses. It should have a full round of seven shots.33

The Agnis look underneath the cars and grow ever closer with each step. Leon feels his heart races as he bends down to reach for the shotgun, his fingers grazing it. It falls over with a thud and the gang instantly focuses in that direction. Leon picks it up and gives it a pump as he pulls back the trigger. One of the member’s white sweatshirt turns to a pinkish red as he falls over in a bloody heap. Only two remain and they begin firing rapidly. Leon leaps behind one of the cars, holding the gun outward as he waits for one of them to approach. One of them foolishly does so, and he is rewarded with a slug to the heart. The last member enters a rage upon seeing his fallen friends, running around wildly as he fires his machinegun. The bullets ricochet off the metal cars and embed themselves in the cement. Leon watches, waits, aims and strikes. The slug demolishes what face the man had as he falls over in a heap of smoke. 34

If this were nine years ago when Leon was green, he would be shaking in his boots at the sight. But after numerous counter-terrorism units, black ops and wars taking a life is nothing new. There was some depressing image in that, knowing that he had become accustom to killing and fighting. The only comforting thought is that he has no option this time; it is killed or be killed. 35

Three shots down, four left. Leon would have to locate another weapon soon and as quickly as possible. He had no way of keeping track of the time left on the bomb. He was used to being timed, but the fact that he didn’t know how much time he had was the problem. It was time to travel the doomed city again.36

Leon walks out of the car garage and looks down the street. What looks like the large antenna of a tower can be barely seen, and a new hope comes with the image. Leon continues down the street, his eyes focused on the destination before him. 37

As if he had just gone from the cooking pot to the oven, Leon stops dead in his tracks when he sees shadows approaching from around a nearby building. He runs and takes cover behind a large UPS truck. Peering through the busted glass, he watches the shadows trail to the people creating them. There are only four of them, but they wear olive green camouflage with red star emblems. Ex-Russian militants, maybe Spetsnaz. 38

If that is the case, I can’t let all four of them surround me, the Spetsnaz are known for their incredible close quarters combat. I will have to take one down at a time through stealth.39

Leon places the shotgun down on the curb and pulls out the knife. The four men split up and go in a perfect cross. The one that chose south is coming right toward Leon, who is standing behind the ruined car and darkness waiting for the chance to strike. The gazelle walks over toward the vehicle with caution, looking around the area very carefully. The viper lies in wait, never taking his eyes off the hunt. The gazelle believes the coast is clear and moves onward as the viper bursts out in a violent flash. 40

Leon holds his hand over the soldier’s bearded mouth as he stabs the knife into his heart in a row of death throes that fall on no ears. Leon holds tightly as the man quavers with each death nerve, each gasp and scream. He finally stops and Leon drops him to the ground as if he never were. Three more to go.41

Leon slinks around the car and looks around the area. The man that went east should be easy pickings since the alley he entered is dark. Wind howls as the man in the alley firmly holds his outward, not trusting the darkness that surrounds him. He passes over numerous piles of junk and breaks through piles of rubbish. Suddenly he stops, his eyes filled with surprise as his body shakes. The blade of a knife has been neatly pushed through his throat and a wave of blood with it. It slides out with a blink, leaving the man to gargle his last breath.42

Two more.43

The other two played it smart. They traveled in a pair, making eliminating them that much more difficult. Leon stands behind one of the corners of an old office building, waiting and wondering what to do next. The area was dimly lit by an ancient lamp post, so the shadows would help none here. The two patrol the area standing back to, only facing each other if they hear a sound. Leon comes up with an idea….44

The one walking toward him grunts something in Russian and turns back around. Leon darts out and grabs the man, holding the knife to his throat. The other merc sees this and points his rifle at Leon’s skull. Leon moves outward on purpose, allowing more of his body to be exposed. The merc fires a slug that misses its intended target, instead hitting the human body shield. Leon reaches down for the fallen fighter’s rifle and the other man begins to fire. A bullet punches through Leon’s upper arm as he fires back, felling the last of the four. 45

Leon lifts himself from the cold tar below, holding the left arm that is now wounded. The bullet went into the upper section of the bicep and as long as it sits in there, the arm is useless. Leon picks up the machinegun off the ground and wraps the strap around his shoulder. Leon leaves the area in hopes of finding a secure location.46

****************47

This is going to be very painful.48

Leon had discovered a bombed out hospital further down the main street. Most of the rooms were in rubble, as well as the medical items. Some of the rooms managed to avoid the fiery blast and Leon rests in one of the supply rooms with a suture kit and the knife. 49

The bullet went in deep, but seems to have been blocked by the bone. Leon knew not if the bone was fractured or worse, the pain was all over his bicep and shoulder. He creates an incision with the blade, then parting it open to reveal dark red muscle and a gold shell. Leon slides the knife into the hole with an agonizing groan as he slowly pushes the bullet outward. His arm is searing with pain as the bullet pops out to the floor. Leon sighs and grunts with exhaustion while he threads stitches in the wound. He falls back against the wall and feels the sweat drip down his nose. 50

It hurts like Hell being me.51

**********The second half coming soon********