I follow Dorian and Elias who maneuver around the tower towards the high grass.
We took the quick route, climbing above the hill on top of the cave, and sprinting through the forest.
We left Zane and the old man in the forest, letting them get into their own positions. For this plan to work, everything needed to go right.
"Look, the cargo's still here!" Elias whispers enthusiastically, peeking out of the high grass.
Following my teammates lead, I peek above the grass, looking at the base of the watchtower.
Indeed, it is still littered with crates and boxes. Looking around, I spot the two horse drawn carriages placed near the edge of the clearing. The four horses however were detached, hitched onto poles directly under the watchtower.
I duck back down beneath the grass, opening my bag, and grabbing my knife.
I place it on the floor, unshouldering the bow off my back.
"Do you two have weapons?" I ask, turning towards them.
Elias nods, showing me the knife he hid in the pocket of his bag.
Dorian however shakes his head. He is unarmed.
Sighing, I hand him my knife.
"Are you sure?" he asks, his plain, ordinary, and doughy brown eyes lifting to meet mine.
"Yes, now take it. We don't have much time." I say, shoving the knife into his hands as I return my attention towards the tower.
Near the path to the tower, where the tree's at the treeline open, I see Zane and Theodore hiding behind a tree.
"They're here."
Dorian, Elias, and I wait, watching as the pair slowly make their way up the path, weapons in hand. Theodore carries his trusty scoped rifle, while Zane carries Hank's revolver, along with a small leather satchel. I don't know what he keeps in there, but it must be important. Hell, he even sleeps with that thing.
Making their way into the clearing, Theodore aims his rifle at the tower.
Bang.
Theodore's rifle rings out, shattering a window on the watchtower, producing enough noise for anyone nearby to hear.
The horses neigh in panic, while the nearby birds take to the sky in fear.
Zane takes position behind a crate while Theodore runs back into the tree-line.
Bang Bang Bang
Shot's are returned, fired from the top of the watchtower, hitting the dirt next to Zane.
We watch as the gun fight continues to unfold, making sure to stick to the plan.
The pair continue to lay down fire as Dorian, Elias, and I prepare ourselves.
Under the cover of greenery and gun fire, Elias leads the way, crouching low, using the tall grass to mask our movement.
We approach from behind the watchtower, the side opposite from which Zane and Theodore are laying siege.
At first, we moved quietly, trying our best to remain silent and unnoticed. But as soon as we near the tower, I break out into a sprint, rushing for the crates beneath the tower, out of sight of our enemies above. I shoulder my bow and quickly start searching. In the first crate, I find nothing but two flashlights.
"Grab this!" I shout to Dorian, tossing a flash light and hoping he hears my voice over the gun shots. Grabbing the other, I quickly move on to the next crate.
Inside, I find a half used medical kit-it's bandages and syrums scattered messily inside the crate. Sighing, I shove the small crate aside, hoping to take a peek at the large one beneath it. I take a moment to glance at Elias and Dorian. Dorian still seems to be searching crates, but Elias seems to have found something. He looks down at a large crate, a smile playing at his lips.
I watch in disbelief as he lifts out a pump-action shotgun. Slinging the antique over his shoulder, he looks like he just found treasure.
For a second, envy and jealousy stabs at me.
'Why him? Why does he get the damn shotgun?'
But the gunfire overhead snaps me back to reality. I don't have much time before Zane and Theodore run out of ammo.
I grip the lid of the large crate and heave it open. Inside: an old revolver, almost exactly the same as Hanks. Next to it, an ancient military uniform, faded and marked with an unfamiliar insignia.
'It's probably from Terra's pre-space exploration days' I thought, deeming it to old to be anything past the first human landing on mars a handful of millennia ago. I quickly grab the gun in my right hand. and scour through the crate for any more ammo.
There is none. I only have one magazine of bullets.
There is no time to feel disappointed. The gunshots are dying down. My teammates are running out of ammo and I don't know if our opponents know we're here yet.
I slip off my backpack, unzip it, and dump out a few excess cans of beans and corn. Quickly, I stash the small, outdated military vest and the flashlight inside. I take a few moments to slide on my boots, not even bothering to tighten them to fit my feet, and strap on the tactical helmet. I decide to leave the trousers, battle belt, and combat shirt behind, deeming it too time-consuming to take. They are good for camouflage, but I am in too much of a rush.
I slip my backpack back over my shoulders and wield my new revolver in my right hand. Turning back, I see Dorian holding a hatchet while Elias looks upwards at the watchtowers floorboards, aiming at them with his shotgun.
Elias takes careful aim, firing a sharp blast. The shot echoes and the wooden structure creaks. Splinters fly everywhere as shouts ring out from the poor men inside.
Theodore and Zane seize their chance, escaping back into the tree line as Elias pumps his shotgun, readying another round.
Dorian and I run to the horses hitched to the tower. Our hands work fast, unbuckling the reins, freeing the horses from their posts. They neigh and cower due to the sound of bullets, yet don't run.
At first I am surprised. Growing up in an elite household, I've obviously rode a horse before. Horses are cowardly. In real life, any horse would have bolted at the first crack of a gunshot.
But then I remember.
This isn't real life.
It's a simulation.
I unhitch the third horse next to mine, leaving the 4th tied to it's pole
"Cmon!" I scream to Elias as I mount my steed.
He looks over for a moment, firing another round, the pellets spraying upwards through the floorboards once again.
He mounts his horse, following Dorian and me as we ride down the path, galloping away from the watch tower.
I can't help but release a chuckle.
"We fucking did it."