Consuming Fire

Chapter 8: The Shapeshifters

When dawn broke, Durk woke up his friends and Hunter. Hunter stood and gently woke Sarah, as she wanted to join the plan. As they stepped out of the cave, Durk began outlining the new mission: how to pass through the outposts without being spotted.

Durk had a solid plan and called Hunter over. "Hunter, come here. I have something to tell you."

Hunter approached Durk. "What is it?"

"Since every road is heavily guarded, we'll steal uniforms and pretend to be one of them," Durk explained.

"That sounds good," Hunter agreed.

Hunter and Sarah set off towards a nearby outpost, taking care to remain undetected. Durk and his friends stayed behind, watching for any threats. As Hunter and Sarah made their way to the outpost, Hunter whispered, "We mustn't make any noise. They might hear our footsteps."

Sarah nodded. "Copy that."

When they reached the outpost, they saw numerous soldiers guarding resources and the base. Hunter carefully considered whom to kill to steal a uniform. They sneaked around to the back of a house and spotted two soldiers there—this was the perfect opportunity, as no one else was in sight.

"Sarah, do you have a knife?" Hunter asked.

Sarah showed him her knife. "Here."

"That's good," Hunter replied.

They proceeded to take down the two soldiers quickly and quietly, taking their uniforms and putting them on. Now disguised as members of the Private Executioner Army, they blended in perfectly. Walking through the middle of the remaining soldiers, Sarah couldn't help but murmur to Hunter, "I feel so powerful now! They have no idea, haha!"

Hunter shushed her. "Shh! Stop."

They entered the house and gathered four more uniforms for Durk and his friends. With the uniforms bagged, they left the outpost without raising any alarms. They disposed of the bodies in a pile of dead civilians, ensuring no one would discover what had happened.

Returning to Durk, Hunter handed over the suits. "Did you get four suits?" Durk asked.

"Yes," Hunter replied, distributing the suits to Durk and the others.

Hunter then went inside the cave to reassure the frightened people. "It's me, Hunter. We're pretending to be members of the Private Executioner Army so that we can steal resources. This is for our survival. We'll leave now, and please, stay inside."

He rejoined Durk and the others outside, where they were waiting in a truck. "Let's go, Hunter," Durk said.

Hunter climbed into the back of the truck, and they set off towards Region 21, aiming to steal more resources without being detected.

The journey was tense, with everyone on high alert. As they approached the checkpoints, Hunter and Durk, both dressed in stolen uniforms, confidently flashed their fake credentials. The guards, believing them to be part of their own forces, waved them through.

Upon reaching Region 21, they saw it was heavily fortified with more guards and sophisticated surveillance. They parked the truck in a secluded area and made their way towards the resource depot on foot. Hunter, Durk, and the others moved with military precision, avoiding detection.

Inside the depot, they quickly identified key supplies—food, medical kits, ammunition, and fuel. They worked swiftly, filling their bags and loading them onto a nearby cart. Just as they were about to leave, Hunter noticed a group of high-ranking officers approaching. He signaled to the others to duck behind some crates.

The officers stopped near the entrance, discussing plans to further fortify the region. Hunter's heart pounded as they stood just meters away. Sarah, crouched beside him, barely breathed. After what felt like an eternity, the officers finally moved on.

Taking advantage of the moment, they hurried out of the depot and back to the truck, loading the supplies as quietly as possible. Durk took the wheel, and they drove back towards their hideout, taking a different route to avoid suspicion.

Upon returning to the cave, the sight of the much-needed supplies brought relief to the people. They quickly distributed the food and medical kits, tending to the sick and injured.

Durk gathered everyone for a meeting. "We have enough resources to last a while, but we need to stay vigilant. The Private Executioner Army will soon realize something is amiss."

Hunter nodded. "We also need to start planning our next move. We can't stay here forever."

Sarah, standing beside Hunter, added, "We need to find a way to disrupt their operations. If we can weaken their supply lines, we might have a chance."

Durk agreed. "We'll need to scout their movements and find the weak points. For now, let's focus on fortifying our position here."

As the night fell, Hunter took a moment to reflect by the waterfall. Sarah joined him. "You did great today," she said.

Hunter nodded. "Thanks, Sarah. We couldn't have done it without everyone's effort."

Sarah smiled, then looked out over the water. "We'll get through this, Hunter. One step at a time."

Hunter felt a renewed sense of determination. "Yes, we will. For now, let's rest and prepare for whatever comes next."

With their spirits bolstered and a temporary reprieve secured, they knew the fight against the Private Executioner Army was far from over. But they also knew that together, they could overcome any challenge. The dawn of a new day brought hope and the promise of future victories.

– – –

As the sun rose, Sarah woke up and noticed that Hunter and Durk were not in the cave. Curious, she walked to the shore and saw them deep in conversation. "I wonder what they are talking about," Sarah muttered to herself. Approaching them, she asked, "What are you discussing? Plans?"

Hunter turned to her and replied, "Yes, we need to steal more weapons and ammunition from some outposts. We need to ensure no one knows what we are up to."

Sarah, intrigued by their plan, asked how they would handle the stolen weapons. Hunter explained, "We are going to train our people to become soldiers. We'll build our own army."

Impressed by the idea but aware of the risks, Sarah inquired, "So, when do we start the action?"

"Midnight," Hunter responded. "Get ready. Tonight, we will use our skills in stealth mode. Sneaking behind enemy lines."

Sarah, understanding the importance of stealth, nodded. "Copy that. I'll get ready. I know this is going to be a bit risky."

As nightfall prevailed, they suited up and rode in the truck. Durk took the wheel, with Joseph as the watcher in the front, and the rest—Hunter, Sarah, Oliver, and Becker—watched for enemies from the back. Their destination was Regions 22, 23, and 24. The mission was risky; one wrong move could alert the Private Executioners, leading to their attack and mission failure.

On their way to Region 22, they saw numerous soldiers strictly guarding every road. Hunter scanned for an unguarded path. When they reached the boundary of Region 22, Durk parked the truck near the base in the outpost's main house. "We need to move fast and stay unnoticed," Durk instructed.

Hunter nodded. "Sure thing."

Durk murmured, "Good luck."

Hunter, Sarah, Oliver, and Becker slipped out of the truck and into the shadows. They moved silently toward the main house, avoiding the patrols. As they approached the outpost, Hunter whispered, "We need to find the armory. That's our primary target."

They crept through the base, sticking to the shadows. Sarah spotted a soldier patrolling the perimeter and signaled to Hunter. They waited until the soldier turned away, then moved quickly and quietly past him.

Finally, they reached the armory. Hunter picked the lock, and they slipped inside. Rows of guns, crates of ammunition, and military gear filled the room. Hunter and Sarah started loading their bags with as much as they could carry.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps outside. Hunter motioned for everyone to hide. The door opened, and two soldiers walked in, chatting casually. Hunter held his breath, ready to attack if necessary. The soldiers grabbed a few supplies and left, oblivious to the intruders.

Once the soldiers were gone, Hunter whispered, "Let's move. We have what we need."

They sneaked back to the truck without incident. Durk and Joseph were on high alert, ready to drive off at the first sign of trouble. "Did you get everything?" Durk asked as they climbed in.

Hunter nodded. "Yes, let's get out of here."

Durk started the truck, and they drove away, keeping to the less-traveled roads to avoid detection. Once they were safely away from the outpost, Hunter relaxed slightly. "Good job, everyone. Now, let's head to Region 23."

They repeated the process at the next two outposts, using their stealth skills to avoid detection and successfully stealing more weapons and ammunition. By the time they were done, the truck was filled with enough supplies to arm a small army.

As they drove back to the cave, Hunter thought about the challenges ahead. Training civilians to become soldiers would not be easy, but it was necessary if they were to stand a chance against the Private Executioners.

Back at the cave, they unloaded the supplies. The people inside were shocked and relieved to see the weapons. Hunter addressed the group, "We have what we need to start building our army. Training begins tomorrow. We have to be ready for whatever comes next."

Sarah looked at Hunter, admiration in her eyes. "You did it, Hunter. We have a chance now."

Hunter nodded, determination etched on his face. "This is just the beginning. We have a long way to go, but we will fight back. We will take back our island."

With that, they began preparing for the next phase of their resistance. The people in the cave were no longer just survivors; they were becoming soldiers, ready to fight for their freedom. And under Hunter's leadership, they had hope that they could defeat the Private Executioners and reclaim their home.