XII

 My muscles were starting to get sore and I could not shoot so well. Anyway I was not the only one to be affected by fatigue. The others were also succumbing. Some were almost on the verge of death and the atmosphere was morbid and heavy, matching with the cloudy sky.

 I hid myself in the rubble, trying to avoid that person and regaining my strength at the same time. I stopped breathing when I heard cautious steps in that direction. If I tried to get out I could draw attention, as had many stones on the ground and would report my position to the enemy. I held the gun again and prepared for whatever happened.

 I saw the shadow of the person projected on the floor and steps were getting closer to me. The sweat flowed even more of my skin and my heart pounding in my ears with anxiety.

 I swerved to the left and almost got hit in the leg by Axel.

- I will not let you get away this time.

 I did not answer. I even did not want to look at him.

- If you do not react, you will be killed.

 I held the gun firmly and looked at him for a moment before running. However, there was another soldier with the aim precisely on me.

- Run while you can, girl. If Axel will not kill you, make for sure that I will.

 I raised the gun toward him and shot. As I ran again a left shot whizzed by my head. It was Axel.

 It made me lose my balance and ended up rolling on the bloodstained floor. My gun was to the opposite side and away from me. The only thing I could do at the time was to prevent to not be killed.

 His trigger was just me and I do not know if I could escape this time. I thought of my father and Axel, I could not save him as planned. I closed my eyes and heard two shots, but felt no pain. The only thing I felt was something sticky and warm on my face.

- Axel ...

 He was teary-eyed and something told me it was not becuse of the pain of the shooting that he took for me on his back.

- We were not enemies?

- I left you, made you suffer. - He laughed - And the funny thing is I did all that just to not see you cry more. No, we were not enemies and never will be.

- I do not understand...

- Keep strong.

 Axel fell to his knees. I got up quickly and tried to support him on my shoulders, but he was heavy. The blood kept seeping and was making my clothes wet. It was not easy carry him by myself, but I would not let him die.

 I saw a person running toward me with his hands on his head and outlining concern.

- What are you doing?

- He will die because of me. Please, Paul.

 Paul helped me take him to the medical tent.

- This guy is a soldier from the Union. I can not help..

- He is a child of the Alliance! The Union filled him with lies! Please, would you let the son of Carter Oreans die?

 He opened his eyes and did what he could to remove the ammunition that was lodged in his back. I could tell that the situation of Axel was serious, since the sweat trickled down the doctor's skin, who did his best to help.

- Rena, we need you in battle. You can not stay here. We still have to prove the innocence of the Alliance.

- How will we do this?

- Capturing the President of the Union.

- Paul, he is far from here. How do you expect us to do that?

- He'll have to come up willy-nilly.

 I looked at him, not understanding what kind of thoughts circled his mind. However, confidence and victory shone in his eyes leaving no place for doubt.

- Let's go fast. We have no time to lose.

- How did you let this happen ?! Imbeciles!

- We're very sorry, sir. We did not know that he would protect her.

- Where is he?

- We do not know.

 The President snarled and punched the table.

- How do you not know ?! I want the body of that boy right now.

 The soldiers nodded.

- Leave this to me.

- Sir?

- What is the problem? I will discover know where he is and I'll get him by myself. - He rose from his chair and left the soldiers in the room without saying anything.

- Paul, where are we going?

- To the border.

 I could not understand the reason of such conviction. And if the president of the Union decided to follow another path? Thus would fail and my brother would be caught again and I would never see him again.

- Rena Oreans? Rena Oreans?

 It was the doctor who had made the surgery on my brother. Paul said the medical staff rarely use communicators to say what happens to the soldiers, by anything or by anyone.

- What happened?

- Your brother wants to talk to you.

 I heard him pass the communicator to my brother.

- Rena?

- Axel, what happened?

 His voice was weak and it sure was not good. I really wanted to have stayed there beside him, but I could not. I had a mission, that made me feel guilty.

- I want you to forgive me for what I did. I should not have left you and not have said those things.

- You do not have to tell me this, Axel. It's okay, you did not have guilt. They lied to you.

- But I was foolish enough to believe them and betray my origins.

- Forget it, please.

- I can not. I'll never forget your face when I said that we were enemies. I love you, Rena.

- I love you too, Axel. I'll come back soon to see you.

- No, you will not. We will not see each other again.

 The desperation was so great within me that I could not even cry. The fear of being alone had dried my tears completely.

- Axel? Axel!

- Please make that country be reduced to ashes.

 It was the last thing I heard from him before the communicator is turned off. I lost track of where I was and my throat closed up, like if I was slowly dying with him.