Dig deep, delve beneath, dredge up the bedrock of existential dread. Numb shock rises up the spine. Collapse that chamber where the core of all that's left retreated. Separate and scurry up the shaft, spectating from outside. The mind, every thought lost, dispersed and sifted through cracks.

  Echos, only murmurs at first, resonate, amplifying scattered voices, tuning into focus. Something returns, slipping back into place, some former semblance of himself, hollow but hardened. “Let’s just leave them, and come with me.”

  Recalled back into existence, the vanguard nodded. His leading intelligence officer continued,” I’ve got a lead. We need to get on it now.”

  They jostled through aggressive crowds to rally the occasional task member. “You ready? let’s move.”

  After he had collected five, the officer urged them to pick up the pace. “All of you on me, keep up now.”

  They ran down side streets, alleyways and backyards until they came to a house with a warm orange glow. The front door was battered down immediately when they arrived. The vanguard hung back to keep their exit clear.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Sounds like a commotion and scuffling of boots from outside. A girl begins to scream. A man and a woman were soon dragged out alone by the officer. The couple fell over into the middle of the road. “Quickly, pass me that.”

  Out of reflex, the vanguard hands over a high-calibre repeating crossbow. The officer points it straight at their backs. There was a hard, dull thud, followed by the click-clack of the next bolt loading, then a second thud. Without a second thought, they were snuffed out instantly and left in a pile for the surrounding residents to see. The screaming girl is the one who finds them instead. He hands back the crossbow, voice clear, “You saw that, they tried to make a run for it.”

  The other three task members hurried out of the house’s entryway onto the street. As soon as the company regathered, they carried on their way with their torches into the night. The girl was wailing hysterically while they left her to cling to the lifeless bodies, pooling onto the stone in the dark.