CHAPTER 121: MOON IN TROUBLE

The Rainhounds mountain loomed like a monument to something long buried against the grey horizon, half hidden by the curtain of the acid rain. It had lost all of its former luster and looked more like a scar on the land than a precious ground which was once a tourist attraction.

The trees which were still standing had little to no leaves or leaves of different colors. Their shapes had become odd with some standing tall like witches in the dark. The mountain was eerie, the air was foul and the earth cried with steam.

"Cursed rain." A soldier that was smoking from the inside of a car mumbled.

Lugard did not respond. He and his team were all in cars that had halted at a former petrol station which had been obliterated by a meteorite. They were watching pastor Salem’s camp which they were about to infiltrate and retrieve Moon Raine.

"For fucks sake, I can barely see anything clearly." Lugard cursed and adjusted the binoculars for clearer vision. He hated the acid rain even more than usual but what he hated more was the superhuman whose abilities were just enough to provide a little help but not enough to help them escalate the mission.

Why didn’t she have the ability to point them directly to where Moon was. He gestured at a the soldier beside him and the soldier rolled down the window of the car.

He shot a flare into the sky, lighting it green. Hopefully, their people in the base would get the message and prepare.

Behind him, Janet sat like a statue, with one of her hands dangling outside the window of the car. Every once in a while, her finger twitched and the rain drops bent subtly around their position. Others dripped from the invisible dome she had woven around the cars.

Some fell to the ground and jumped playfully like little invisible balls. She had no idea what Lugard was thinking about her as she was training her abilities.

"I have to say that your umbrella skills have improved." Lugard chuckled_a derisive sound that did not hide the fact that he looked down on her. He lowered the binoculars and picked up his riffle.

Janet scowled and she said in a serious voice. "It is not an umbrella. To call it that is to demean my abilities."

Lugard pursed his lips. He would call it what he wanted to call it and it was an umbrella. He really disdained the way Janet did not seem to know her place. He was her superior.

When a superior complemented you, you smiled and thanked them. What you did not do was talk back arrogantly.

The soldier beside Lugard puffed on his cigarette and blew smoke out of the window. He sneered because he detected Lugard’s displeasure. Personally, he thought Janet was cool. Being a superhuman was cool. Lugard was just jealous.

"When do we attack?" Janet asked. "I am tired of sitting around like this. We have been here for an hour for heaven’s sake!"

Lugard didn’t answer.

Janet did not like the silence which she perceived as a snub. "Captain, the president said he wants her at the state house before dark and it is already dark outside..."

"Shut up woman! You are not in charge of this mission, I am." Lugard’s response finally came and it was more of a angry bark. "Yes, you have acquired some superpowers but you used to be a local journalist that interviewed potheads that surf for a living, cats and dogs that did heroic deeds or fish.

I have been to war and I have led men on many such operations. My job is to get us all in and out alive. We move when I say we move."

Janet huffed. One of these days, she would drown the man in a pool of acid rain.

Through the binoculars, Lugard saw some movement in the base. It’s once proud banners were none existent, eaten through by the acid rain. The gates stood tightly shut but he was certain they could drive through them easily.

But if they did not know how strong they were, they risked damaging the cars and then they would end up stuck.

"The people inside are restless, something is definitely wrong inside." Lugard disclosed what he saw. His jaw tightened. "We wait, no movement until I say otherwise but we should move closer." His eyes remained glued to the night vision binoculars.

The cars drove closer to the gates and the soldiers prepared themselves to make entrance. It did not take long for suspicious activity to show itself at pastor Salem’s base. From the roofed central small yard, a cluster of believers emerged, their faces pale.

Beside them were six heavily armored soldiers who dragged a figure forward. It was a woman with long black hair. Her wrists were bound with a rope that was being used to drag her forward. Even through the haze, Lugard recognized her: Moon Raine.

Her head was high up despite the jeers from some believers, others cried with desperation.

And then pastor Salem followed. The man walked with slow arrogance of someone who believed to have all the power in the world. And then, he started his address over a megaphone. His voice carried through the air, loud enough even for Lugard’s team to hear.

"Moon Raine prophetess of false visions, you call yourself a shepherd, but you led my flock astray. "Now_," he raised his arms, theatrically turning to the crowd. "You will be purified!"

Several believers stepped forward, hands outstretched, their voices desperate.

"She is the real prophetess, her visions saved us." Cried a woman with a cracked voice. "Pastor this is wrong!"

Another man stumbled towards Moon, tears cutting clean tracks down his wet cheeks. "If she goes, I go too..."

The words came short by the crack of pastor Salem’s pistol. The man fell instantly, half of his body slumped into the muddy yard, the rain hissing on his still form.

Lugard felt the surge of panic hit his chest like a hammer, the president had been specific with his words. No harm was to come to Moon Raine.

Pastor Salem did not pause. "Anyone who defends her," he said voice silk over steel. "Will face the same fate."

Two more believers rushed forward and they were also shot. Pastor Salem coughed into his hand and small drops of blood came from his throat.

He had discovered that Moon was poisoning him with one of the girls that worked in the private kitchen. That is why she needed to die.

Janet’s knuckles whitened. "Lugard..."

"Prepare to attack." Lugard ordered.

Moon refused to die a silent death. Her shoulders shook but she stood her ground. "This is insane," she spat, her strong voice ringing clear even in the rain. "It’s cowardice. You fear what you cannot control. I know what will happen during this apocalypse and if you kill me, you will never know because the visions are mine. You are the true sinner here."

"Blasphemy," Salem hissed. "Push her forward, let the rain cleanse her of that deceitful tongue."

Zadok shoved Moon forward, she stumbled and fell to her knees. Her gaze remained pinned on the acid rain which now poured harder in her opinion, sizzling against the yard stones.

She tried to fight Zadok, twisting and landing a kick against his ribs that sent him staggering. She tried to run back inside but another guard slammed the butt of his weapon into her back, sending her just a few steps to where the acid rain met the ground.