It was Saturday night according to my scribbles on our cell’s wall. Dr. Walker and I had spent that entire afternoon sleeping. It was something that had become normal for us, since we could talk freely at night without worrying about the guards presence outside the cell. But our intentions were short lived when we spotted a guard through the small window. He was alone and seemed a bit nervous. I heard the door’s latch turn open. They say a slave is a person who waits for someone to free them. I’m certainly no slave and the opportunity to get out of this filthy place was just too good to pass on: for the first time I had a single guard in front of me. - C’mon you people! We are moving out! - said the guard impatiently. As he got closer to me, I slowly grabbed the small knife from inside my pant’s pocket. - Where’re we going? - I asked him, not really caring about the answer. Before he could respond, I grabbed his rifle’s muzzle and sunk the pocket knife on his lower torso. The guard let out a shriek, and fell down on his knees. - Grab his rifle woman! - I yelled at Dr. Walker, who stood in shock behind me. She staggered a bit but finally grabbed the guard’s weapon while I quickly got him undressed, avoiding getting his uniform soaked in blood. - What are you doing, John? - Dr. Walker asked me perplexed. - I don’t know… perhaps we have a better chance to get out of here if I look like one of them - I told her, not so sure about my plan. As I put on the dead guard’s jump-suit, I realized I had just taken a man’s life. If teaching intelligence and morals were the stated principle of a US Marine’s training, the Corps always had a peculiar way of implementing its education. In reality, its schooling method was based on a planned and structured form of cruelty: Turning regular men into mean killing machines. It all came to me right there, in that smelly cell. The killing machine was dormant somewhere inside me and it had finally gotten out. I felt no remorse. Fact was I had no time for guilt either. I grabbed the guards’ pistol and step out of the cell. - All clear - I whispered to myself. Dr. Walker followed me outside, where we switched weapons. - Ok, we have to take care of two things before we go. I need my camera back and we have to check on Ben. Do you have any idea where my camera would be? - I asked Dr. Walker. - Dr. Ivanov has a locker in the north wing. It could be there…I don’t know. - answered the female Doctor. - Alright then, let’s get moving. Stay behind me! - I told her. Without delay we walked towards the next room. - There’s someone coming! - I warned Dr. Walker. One of the guards who assisted Dr. Johnson during my beating was coming our way. I carefully waited till he got close enough to the doorway and took a hold of his head, my fingers tangled in his hair until I twisted his head back so hard his neck cracked. Suddenly the guard showed no more resistance: He was dead. What was once a walking, talking, eating person - a human being - was now just a loose collection of meat and bone piled on the floor. I allowed myself a second of guilt before remembering my training again. No doubt the guard would’ve done the same thing to me if he had the opportunity. I seized the guard’s weapons and grabbed his headphones, in hopes to find out why they were trying to relocate us. There was something definitely going on. A series of radio transmissions followed. Panic and confusion filled the air waves: - Marines! They are moving closer! - said a frightened voices through the tiny speakers. I could’ve not picked a better day to bail out of here. Malloy had come for me. Strange how opportunities are dealt to us… But I still had long ways to go before I could smell the forest again. Dr. Walker and I hurried through a series of corridors for a while. Thinking about the Marines outside had briefly restored my faith in humanity. I kept pushing our pace till we arrived at some sort of recreation room. - Do you know where we are? - I asked Dr. Walker, who answered me quickly: - this is a faster way to the main lab, trust me. - said the female doctor irritated. I inspected the hallway, and made my way in. I heard a screech, the kind of screech made by rubber boots on tiled floor. We had company. As I jumped back to the rec room bullets flew over my head. - Holy Smokes!!! - I cried out loud. Dr. Susan Walker was even more scared. Two sentinels secured the other side of the hallway. - Stay put! - I whispered to Dr. Walker. I fired a round towards their position and waited. As expected the sentinels fired back at me aimlessly. Protected by the wall behind me, I waited till the bullets stopped and made my next move fast. With the guards still exposed I fired another round aiming this time straight at their heads. I went back behind the wall and waited a few seconds. Nothing. Curious, I peeked inside the hallway. I had gotten one of the guards, a direct shot in his left eye. He laid there, motionless; his blood still dripping from the wall. Before I could even think, more bullets flew my way again. The other guard was still alive. - Is there another way to the Lab? - I yelled to Dr. Walker. She nodded. I was getting ready to get up when the gun shots stopped. I looked again at the end of the hall and found the second guard dead on the floor. I was confused. I looked at Dr. Walker, who was then looking at the hallway herself. She looked just as puzzled. My left finger trembled by the trigger of my rifle. Then over the dead bodies appeared a familiar face: Redman! - Don’t shoot! It’s me John! - I howled. He looked frazzled but pleased. - Thank God! I thought we never find you in this maze. So nice of you to come meet us! Who the hell is that with you? - asked Redman looking at Susan Walker. I introduced the female Doctor to Redman, while behind him, Malloy finally acknowledged my presence. She nodded at me and picked up her radio. - Checkmate3, this is Checkmate1. We have the king. I repeat, we have the king. Be advised we have a guest as well. Stand by for Castling, over. - said Malloy in a hurry. - Alright, let’s move out people! - said Malloy again. It was no time for hellos or hugs. I didn’t feel the need for them either. We walked over the dead guards which made my stomach hurt. But before “we moved out” I still needed my camera. The camera contained enough pictures to put Ivanov in jail for good and I certainly couldn’t leave without Ben. So I let Malloy know about my intentions. She didn’t like them but I pressed harder: - Listen, if I don’t have the camera, what’s the point of this? What’s the point on saving me? I’m already a dead man. The FBI is looking for me. Who’s going to believe in this crazy story? Major Munsch? Trust me, we need the camera and Ben. You came here for me. I came here for Ben, remember? - Malloy sighed, but agreed. She knew what was at stake. We moved fast through the halls. I felt like we were moving in circles, till Dr. Walker pointed out that the main lab was just a few doors down. - Is just too quiet…- said the female Doctor concerned. Afraid that it could be an ambush, we slowed down and prepared a counter attack. But as we stormed in the main lab we found the place empty. - Rats! - I said furiously. - In disbelief, I even went inside the secondary room where Ben was being kept. But found nothing again. No one. - Someone must’ve tipped Ivanov off about this rescue mission, Malloy…But who? - I asked. She looked astonished - It’s impossible! Just not possible… - Malloy replied frustrated. - C’mon, we still have the camera… I hope - said Redman. We took off again; more hallways. As we were heading to the locker room, we passed by the elevator, where a lonely Doctor desperately pushed the elevator’s control buttons. Unarmed, it was easy to seize the man. Redman tied his arms behind his back and pointed his “Para SAW” to the doctor’s head. - Where’s everyone? - asked Redman madly. Muffled by his surgical mask, the lonely doctor’s response was short: - I don’t know! Screw you! - Redman was infuriated by his response. Malloy was just as frustrated: - We don’t have time for this! Let’s find that camera and get out of here. This place is creeping me out. Redman, stay here with this moron and the lady Doctor. Get directions from your lady friend, would you John? And soon, Malloy and I were heading for the locker room. Once there, it was easy to find Dr. Ivanov’s locker. The blue one! With almost no effort I had the locker’s door open. Inside, my rifle, pack, goggles and camera! Everything was there. I switched the stolen rifle for my old one. -Are you crazy? Why would you leave a fine piece of gun behind for that piece of junk? - Malloy asked me like she was talking to a 5 year old kid. - Simply because…What good is a gun without ammo? This nice piece of gun has only 2 rounds left. I have plenty ammunition for my AK in my pack. Does that sound like a good reason to you? - I asked Malloy sarcastically. She laughed. On the way back to the elevator we continued our conversation: - What took you so long? My God, I thought you gave up on me!!! I told her. She looked at me and said: - Let’s just say it wasn’t easy to convince the Sergeant. Don’t worry, he’s on our side. He was supposed to drive the Professor out of the Mulberry Ridge along with Rodrigues sometime after we left Base Camp for this mission…- But before she could say anything else, we were interrupted by gun shots. Malloy and I hurried back to the elevator. We found Redman and Dr. Walker under enemy fire. Out of nowhere a masked guard had snuck up on them. Redman kept the guard from shooting back by laying heavy fire on his direction. The lonely Doctor had disappeared. He had probably ran away scared to death. Without hesitating I lurked behind the masked guard and wrapped my rifle around his neck. The guard gasped for air as he popped a few shots in the air. - It’s m…me... Albert…. ehheh …Grisham… - said a voice behind the black mask. I eased off the gun from his neck skepticly, but it was too late. Grisham had become my third kill. - Son of a bastard! I thought he was in Iraq! This is a nightmare!!! - I said to Malloy while looking at Grisham’s lifeless body. We dashed to the elevator. - Alright, people! We are halfway through this…- I told them while pressing the button for the ground level floor. I noticed Redman was bleeding. The elevator door closed. We’re only halfway…only halfway…