XIII

 My hands shook, and I could not control them.

- Rena, what happened? What did they want?

- Axel ... He did not survive.

 Paul patted my back, as he always did at a time like that.

- Now is not the time to cry. Be strong and think you would be dead now if it was not for him. Continue firm, got it?

 I nodded. I did not want to keep it for me. I wanted to be next to my brother's body and mourn his loss. Yes, it's true that I'm alive because of him and this may be the biggest reason I feel more guilt than before. I was not able to take care of myself, as always. Throughout my life I depended on  Axel to protect me and take care of me because I was never able to do it alone. And now I lost him, this time forever.

- Your brother is counting on you. Not disappoint.

- That's right.

 At that moment a helicopter crossed the sky. We did not have to think long to know who it was.

- Let's go.

 While Paul was driving the military vehicle, I kept me alert in all directions to ensure that we would arrive before the helicopter. He never would take the body of my brother.

- Paul, at this rate we will not arrive.

- Yes, we will.

 He accelerated to the extent he could and for a moment I thought we were going to fly. The medical tent was next to us and the helicopter too. Paul braked suddenly and almost hit in the rubble. Quickly got off the car and posted in front of the tent door with guns drawn.

 A ladder came to the ground, along with two soldiers and a well-dressed man. I squeezed my hands around the gun, controlling myself to don't make any crazy ahead of time. However, remember that Axel was dead because of them made me want to pull the head of the man.

- Lower your weapons. I have nothing to discuss with you.

 None of us did. One of the soldiers who were with him kept his sights on us and threatened to pull the trigger, but Paul acted first.

- Get out of here before it happens to you too, Mr. President.

 I could see a grim expression forming on the man's face, but he seemed to contain.

- I'm here because I want my soldier back.

- Your soldier? We have nothing that belongs to you here.

- Yes, you have. - He looked at me - and I'm sure you know what it is.

- You will not take him from here. Only if it is over my dead body.

- So be it. Marshal Oliver, I'm counting on you.

 The other pointed his gun at me and looked at me blankly. I prepared the trigger, without take the eyes off over him in no time. I heard him shuffling, entering into an attack position to sI hoot, but did the same as Paul and I shot first, but not to kill him but to take the gun he had in hand. I let my gun on the floor - What seemed to weigh twice what used to weigh - and ran toward the gun to use it against the marshal.

- It was to be expected. After all, you are a Oreans and is so skilled as your brother.

 I felt completely comfortable with that gun in my hand, as it would be more free to move around and would not need to use as much force to hold it.

- Let him in.

 I looked at Paul, not understanding the change in his behavior.

- What are you doing?

- Rena, do not question my orders. Put the gun down and let him in.

 I growled, but had no choice. When the president of the Union entered the tent I could not look at Paul. I trusted him.

 Not long after the body of my brother was being taken, along with a sneer from the president. I did not expect the helicopter to move from over the collar of Paul's uniform.

- Why did you do that? I trusted you, Paul? Why?

 He was too quiet and kept to a comic and serene expression at the same time.

- Have you finished your tantrums?

 I should have realized before Paul could have concocted something.

- What did you do?

- Come with me.

 That same doctor showed me a bed, which was a covered body. He took the sheet and saw my brother there. Was safe and with a slight expression, no trace of pain, like he was just sleeping. The pain overwhelmed me, though he was still there.

- We have to take his body to another place. When they discover that it is just merely a puppet surely will come to pick you up.

 I nodded and helped Paul to take the body of my brother into the car where we came from.

- Where do we let it?

- No time for that.

- We can not leave him here!

- Rena, we do not have time for that. We need to follow that helicopter and understand the reasons of that man. Why he wanted your brother's body back?

- You're right.

 Paul picked up again and followed a path with various debris and that certainly should hinder our high location but without lose sight of them. However, there was a problem: we would be barred and perhaps dead because we are with the Alliance uniform.

- I think there is a small flaw in your plan, Paul.

- And what would be?

- Look at your clothes.

- You still have a lot to learn. - He pointed to a white bag that was near the body Axel - We have everything we need right there.

 I took the bag and opened it. Paul really was a genius.

- How did you get this?

- Is easy. Unlike us, they do not put names on clothing and so we can enter without any problem. However, we need to leave the car in a strategic location, so no one can find and it is easy to reach for us. After all, we have a body here.

 Finally we crossed the border and it took more care than before. The helicopter was slowing down and soon they could see the military base of them.

- We must act now. Every second now account on and we thoroughly investigate all.

 Luckily the clothes perfectly served on us and no one would suspect. We leave the rest in the car, along with the body of my brother. Before we left, I saw Paul smiling while looking for the body of Axel, but did not understand the reason. We walked to the spot and before we are at the entrance, he leaned on me and I started to drag me, as if we were injured.

- Someone! - We started screaming hoarsely.

 At the same time four soldiers ran to meet us and we fell to the ground, closing our eyes and changing the rhythm of breathing.

 I could feel two of them carrying me and then the metallic click of the doors closing.

- Take them quickly to the medical wing, we can not lose more soldiers.

 It was the voice of the president.

 They turned to walk quickly and risked opening the eyes a little to see where we were taking us. The moment they turned left, I saw a room with the door open that had multiple computer screens with different images.

- This one seems to be waking up. Hey, is everything okay?

 I closed my eyes again, making them believe that I had fainted.

 They stopped.

- Leave them with me, do not worry.

 I was placed in a medical bed and I heard the footsteps of the soldiers pulling out without saying a word and closed the door.

- I know you're faking.

 I opened one eye to look for Paul and saw that he was sitting on the bed to my left. I did the same, without understanding how that doctor knew we were faking.

- You had luck. - The doctor said to me - The clothes were baggy enough not report what you really are.

 I looked at him, surprised by the friendly voice.

- Do not worry about me, I'm a friend.

 Inside the lab coat had an identification of the Alliance.

- Marcus is a doctor from the Alliance army before the truce, but strategy of Parliament, he pretended to be loyal to the ideals of the Union president to be accepted here and observe what happened more closely.

 The doctor smiled amiably, putting some towels on my bed and Paul's.

- At the end of the room is a room with showers. If you want to find something must be clean and, above all rested. I'll tell the President you need a day of rest and then will return to activities.

 While we were cleaning the land and blood, Marcus was up to the President. I admit that this was what I needed to put the ideas in place. Feel the hot water on me taking all those impurities left me lighter and renewed for a moment.

 When finished, they had clean clothes army waiting for me in a chair beside. I put on everything and went back to the hospital bed where Paul was already resting.

- I could live my life like that.

- Of course. That's just because this is the main base of them.

- You're right. If that which is in our country would have to be content with cold water. However, our main base is much better than this.

 The door opened.

- The President wants to see them back to the activities after tomorrow morning without fail. Take the time left to just plot a strategy. However - He looked at me, shaking his head in negative - we need something really effective to mask your voice and your features, because there are no women in the army and if they discover they will surely kill you.

 I found some clips in a drawer and held my hair more firmly as I could.

- We will not have to do - Paul said - the ideal for her is to avoid talking or looking at someone. I will have to follow the steps of the President in other ways as she tries to find something here, where the movement of people is virtually nil.

- Yes. Otherwise the mission will be compromised.

- I know where to look.

 Paul looked at me, surprised.

- You're doing better than ordering, little girl. What you saw?

- By chance I saw a room with surveillance monitors. What I need to do is find the recordings of the days before the war started and the images during the truce. Only then we will know what happened.

- It's brilliant. So we know how those pictures were taken. Anyway I will try to approach the President to see if the more I discover something. He showed a portable recorder.

- You think quickly. - Marcus smiled, sitting in a chair - Rest and then act. I'll try to help you the most.

- What do we do after that? - I asked. In fact, I was in a hurry to finish everything as soon as possible, for fear of what might happen to the body of my brother during the time we were here.