The moment Scar and his men came into view, thundering down the dirt road in a hail of dust and rage, a wave of sheer terror swept through the truck. Everyone inside screamed; voices rising in unison, a cacophony of panic and raw fear.
"Turn! Turn this truck around!" Mr. David's voice slipped through the chaos like a whip.
Mr. Akin slammed the brakes and threw the truck into reverse with a violent jolt. The wheels screamed against the gravel as he turned sharply, accelerating away from the oncoming threat.
Behind them, bullets began to hammer the metal exterior of the truck, deafening in their intensity. The vehicle groaned with each hit, riddled with holes as metal screamed under the stress.
"Why the hell is Scar still alive? I thought you took him out!" Mr. Akin shouted, eyes wide and wild as he glanced at the boy sitting beside him.
"How could you expect me to kill someone? I'm just a boy!" Ken shouted back, his voice cracking with fear and frustration.
Mr. Akin swerved again, heading straight toward the cliff's edge. Tires squealed as he brought the truck to a stop just meters from the drop.
"Everybody out!" He yelled.
They scrambled, stumbling over each other in their haste. Mr. Akin and Mr. David stayed behind, grabbing their AK-47s and taking cover behind the truck. The rest, the younger boys and the unarmed left their weapons behind, knowing they couldn't even cock them much less fire accurately.
"We have no chance," Mr. Akin said, panting. "We'll have to go down the cliff".
Everyone froze.
"You can't be serious! We'll die if we jump down there!" Jessica's voice cracked with panic, her pale face reflecting the fear in everyone else.
Scars' convoy, two jeeps and a truck pulled up at the curve. About fifteen armed men took cover behind their vehicles. Gunfire erupted instantly, and bullets rained upon them again. Mr. David returned fire, managing to hit one enemy in the leg, sending him crashing to the ground with a pained yell.
"How the f*ck did Scar get this many men?" Mr. David growled.
"I don't know! But it's two against fifteen, we can't hold this line for long!" Mr. Akin barked, squeezing off another shot. His bullet found its mark in an enemy's gut, dropping the man where he stood.
"There's a long rope in the back of the truck!" Madam Benita shouted. "We can use it to get down the cliff safely!"
The bullets intensified, peppering the truck with terrifying precision.
Tires exploded, the windshield shattered, and side mirrors disintegrated into glass shrapnel. The truck, once their hope of escape was being torn apart, becoming nothing more than a fragile shield.
Without hesitation, Ken sprinted back into the truck, ducking low as bullets whizzed above him.
The air was thick with gunpowder, the thunder of gunfire pressing in on all sides. Metal screeched under pressure as he grabbed the rope and dashed back to cover, heart hammering in his chest.
"I've got the rope! Let's go!" Ken shouted.
"Move! We'll cover you!" Mr. Akin and Mr. David yelled in unison, urgency burning in their voices.
As the group began organizing for descent, a sharp cry rang out. Mr. David had been hit, his right shoulder torn by a bullet!
He collapsed behind the truck, groaning in pain.
"David! Are you okay?" Mr. Akin shouted, returning fire with blind precision.
"It's my shoulder, just my shoulder!" David gritted out, forcing himself upright and reaching for his rifle again.
"I'm out of ammo! Toss me a clip!" Akin called out.
David, wincing, grabbed a magazine from their dwindling supply and passed it to him. Akin reloaded with practiced speed ducked up over the truck, and let loose. One shot caught Scar in the leg.
The mercenary screamed, staggering but staying upright, his fury practically radiating from his twisted expression.
Another attacker emerged from behind a jeep, charging toward them. Despite his injury, David lifted his rifle and shot the man squarely in the head. Blood sprayed into the air as the body collapsed, lifeless.
With renewed grit, Akin fired again, dropping a man with a clean chest shot. The hail of bullets didn't stop. If anything, it intensified.
The battlefield was chaos; screams, gunfire, and flying debris. Another enemy moved into sight. Akin's shot toe into his shoulder, sending him down.
The truck's metal shell groaned under the punishment. Bullet holes littered the side, and parts of the roof were starting to cave in.
At the cliff's edge, the remaining boys and inmates lined up. The descent was steep and dangerous; rocks, stones, and trees littered the drop. But it was their only chance, their only chance of escaping this alive.
"Ken, Jessica, you go first. You're the youngest," one of the male inmates instructed.
Jessica nodded, gripping the rope tightly. The group lowered her with care. She descended slowly, holding on for dear life. When her feet touched solid ground below, the rope was hauled up again.
Next was Ken. He was lowered safely, landing beside Jessica.
"Sandra, you're next," the inmate said.
Sandra was halfway down when a voice screamed from behind.
"GRENADE! GRENADE! GET DOWN!"
For a moment, time seemed to slow down to a crawl, space freezing in place.
A moment later, the world exploded.
KABOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!