Chaos gets you killed and fear gets you sloppy. But rules? Rules decide who lives long enough to break them. The lights flickered in the distance in a cold, steady and unnatural manner. No one moved because they finally understood something worse than being hunted that they had been guided.
Jasper saw the terrain, the funnel and the narrow escape routes, the high ground behind them and the open exposure ahead, it was a kill zone perfectly designed.
"This… this isn't right," one of them whispered.
"No," Jasper said quietly.
"It's not."
They had just walked into something deeper which was well structured, plannned and controlled, it didn't seem like a random violence either. Stacy stepped beside him without hesitation.
"Talk to me." She said
"If We walk forward then we're exposed."
"If We go back, they close in."
"But if we stay together they'll tighten the circle." Jasper concluded.
The truth Landed hard because there was no safe move only less deadly ones was left.
"So what do we do?" someone snapped.
"This is your call now, right?" another added…half challenge, half desperation.
Immediately Jasper turned with certainty in him he simply told them.
"We have to stop reacting."
After a brief silence now filled with confusion and frustration.
That's not a plan." Stan added.
Jasper stepped slightly towards and told him "It is."
"They expect panic, they expect movement and they also expect mistakes."
"So we give them none."
Now they all came to realize that this time what they were dealing with was deeper, it was strategy and not just survival instincts. As Jasper took full control now, everyone accepted it because no one else had an answer including Stan and Stacy.
"We stay on hold here" Jasper said
If we pushback immediately, that's suicide Stacy said.
"No," Jasper replied calmly.
"Running blindly is."
He raised his hand for attention and established rules to guide them all.
"Rule one: No one moves without purpose."
Even the ones who don't want to listened because something about his voice cuts through fear.
"Rule two: No noise without reason."
His eyes flick briefly to the one who panicked earlier, not blaming him directly but acknowledging.
"Rule three: You don't think alone."
Now he looks at all of them.
"If you see something, just say it Immediately."
Rule four: No one breaks formation."
The group absorbed it because they have to and Stacy watched him closely not just listening to him but tried to understand him because this version of Jasper was strange of which she hasn't seen before and for the final rule Jasper paused for a while before he continued.
"Rule five: We don't die for nothing."
The silence now was heavy and real because that was what it came down to, if they fall it won't be random or meaningless and it changed everything because of the rebuilt formation which was also intentional and tighter and then he assigned positions to everyone.
"You…left flank."
"You…rear."
"You…watch elevation."
Without hesitation and debate, Even Stan followed not because he trusted him but because he believed him.
"We don't go to the lights," Jasper says.
"We study them."
And as minutes passed and more, there appeared shifts in the lights and visible shadows and movements too. They were thoroughly organized, rotating and watching.
"Perimeter guards." Jasper said
"They want us to come closer," Stacy says.
Jasper nods.
"So we don't."
Jasper scans the terrain again, this time slower and deeper. He saw a ridge which was barely visible with high risk and low exposure.
"That's our way out." He pointed it out.
"That's too narrow." Someone said
"We'll fall." Another said
"They'll see us."
"Yes." Stan said
"But they won't expect it and that's an advantage." Jasper added.
The decision was made because it was different despite the risk involved that moved slowly with precision with unstable footing and darkness pressing in and below them the lifts continued and a sound was heard from behind halfway across. As they turned slightly, they saw shadows moving along the ridge they just left. They were been spotted but no shots were fired.
"They don't want to spook us." Jasper whispered
"Why?" Someone whispered back
"Because we're still going where they want." He answered.
Because if this wasn't escape…
Then what was it?
It was so obvious that one wrong step will end everything. The Weakest Survivor loosed gripped and gasped, Just then Jasper grabbed him immediately. A light shifted below and then another, at that very moment all of them were seen. Gunfire erupted from below rising in every angle as shots cutter upward. The group dropped low clinging to the ridge because there was no cover or escape
"KEEP MOVING!" Jasper shouted.
They pushed forward under pressure and fire. One of them screamed hit but was still holding on and just a few more steps…they made it rolling over the ridge and dropped into the shadow not of direct line. They were already somewhere new into the unknown. They all regrouped breathing hard and barely alive. Stacy looked at Jasper in a very respectful manner but Jasper didn't look at her, he looked ahead because he felt something was wrong.
The terrain ahead opens slightly and he saw the fresh deliberate marks on the ground like a message.
Jasper's voice drops as the truth settles in:
"They didn't lose us…"
After a cold realization.
"…they're guiding us again." Jasper said.