Jonny’s POV

Sitting in the rent-a-cabin set up out the way, we watched everyone on CCTV placed around the forest. We had no idea who was who, they all wore the same thing. I had no idea if the people I saw a few hours ago were now dead. Had they found out about the bullets? The claxon sounded and all the other recruits cheered.

“Right, lads, go off and find if you still have 4 members!” The officer laughed, munching on some crisps. “Remember, if you’ve lost two you need to tell me, cos you’ll be joining them.” He laughed. We all ran out of the cabin. I’ve never felt so terrified of the truth, terrified of what I’m going to see. Am I going to be greeted with mourning teammates? Injured teammates? Someone knowing the truth? This was too obvious. I know they’re meant to be dumb students but I think they can notice the difference between a coloured paintball and a bullet… My run got slower as it dawned on me; I don’t want to get there. That’s where I know what I’m faced with. I began to walk, plodding along, my head clouded with thoughts. I’d killed a few people while on duty, but they were shooting at me, I had a reason, I was protecting myself and my colleagues… Here I’m going to see dead children. Ones that did nothing wrong… I began to feel sick. Entering the campsite, I counted the heads I saw; Abbie – One, Luke – Two, Tom – Three… Shit…

“Jonny!” Luke ran up and yanked me over to Tom. “Faye got shot in the arm. I don’t know what happened, she’s bleeding really bad!”

“Holy shit!” I played up on it. I had to ‘pretend it was a fluke accident’ as the officer had put it. “This hasn’t ever happened before! God, sorry Faye! I’ll call the medic!” I stood up and got my phone out, dialling the medic as I walked out of their camp and calling him to come out and look at her arm. Getting off the phone to the medic, I kept walking a few feet and came to the utility room, where I could grab the guns, first aid kits and protective gear. I took a deep breath in and out. I can’t act. I’m an army recruit not a fucking actor! Faye’s been shot in the arm by a bullet. How the hell am I going to convince a bunch of students that was a paintball? I put the code into the utility room and unlocked the padlock, putting it in my pocket as I walked in. I walked over to the first aid kits and fumbled through for the strongest and most absorbent bandages, plasters, slings – anything I could find.

“Do you think I’m fucking stupid, Jonny?” A voice said. I spun round, pulling my gun from my pocket and holding up to them… To Abbie.

“Abbie! Jesus Christ , I almost shot you!” I exclaimed, breathing out harshly as I put my gun back in my pocket.

“Wouldn’t be the first person to be shot, eh?” She raised an eyebrow at me.

“Sorry, what?” I shook my head, trying to play the fool. Abbie reached into her pocket and threw a bullet onto the floor.

“I pulled that out of her arm.” She paused. “I said, do you think I’m fucking stupid?” I sighed. I can’t tell her the truth cos he’s always listening… Or is he? Why would he put a microphone in here? No-one can get in here! I’ll take the risk…

“I don’t think you’re stupid, Abbie, no. But other people obviously do.” I shrugged.

“Someone could have died! How the hell did a real bullet get caught up in this?” Internally I was grinning, I thought she had worked it all out but luckily for me, she had thought this was a mistake… She thought one bullet had been mixed up with the paintballs…

“Some idiot… Whoever was dealing with loading the guns must have dropped his or something!” I lied.

“Jonny, Faye could have died! Do you get what I’m saying here?” She looked at me in disbelief. I wasn’t acting like someone would if that was a fluke accident.

“Shit. Yeah, sorry… I’m still trying to get my head around it! I can’t believe it!” I faked. SLAP. Her hand made swift and hard contact with my cheek.

“You’re a fucking asshole, Jonny!” It took me a few seconds to work out what had actually happened…

“Sorry?”

“I said I’m not stupid! A lone bullet just happening to make its way into a pile? Don’t shit me, Jonny… You loaded all the guns with bullets, didn’t you… DIDN’T YOU?” She screamed. I rushed up to her pushing her up against the wall and putting one hand over her mouth.

“Shut up!” I hissed through gritted teeth. “Do you want to die?” She tried to talk but my hand mumbled her speech. “If you promise not to scream, I’ll move my hand…” She nodded so I took my hand down.

“All the guns were loaded with real bullets, weren’t they?” She whispered. As stupid as this sounds, while all this was going on and she was foiling a plan the government had taken months to think up, I couldn’t help but think about how cute and protective she was being over her campmates even though she hated them when she got here. She’d be an asset to an army team!

“Maybe.” I said, knowing I couldn’t just answer yes.

“Fuck!” She exclaimed, running her fingers through her hair. “We actually shot people with real bullets?” I shrugged. “Why?”

“Training.” I said simply.

“This is meant to be an afterschool activity and we’re actually killing people…” She shook her head. “That’s fucked up beyond anything I’ve ever…” She put her hand over her mouth in shock.

“It’s not as simple as- I can’t tell you…” I shrugged.

“I could have died today… I could die tomorrow. Any of us could, I’m just the only one who knows it at the moment…”

“But you can’t tell anyone! You’re not meant to have worked it out!” I said, she looked away in frustration, then looked back.

“You couldn’t care less could you?” She asked me.

“Of course I care! I’m insulted you think I don’t! Why do you think I gave you those tips?” I said, trying to stand my ground. Abbie clenched her fists. There was a pause and it was silent before she shoved me backwards.

“You’re a fucking asshole!” She hissed as she began hitting me, punching and slapping me in anger and frustration.

“Stop it! I don’t want to hurt you!” I said, trying to control her arms as they flew past my face by mere millimetres as I just managed to dodge the punches. She kept flinging her arms at me, a few actually hitting my face and the impact making me shut my eyes. I shook my head quickly to snap myself out my this flimsy mentality and I grabbed her wrists, one in each hand, and pushed her up against the wall, holding her wrists above her head. “You need to calm down!” I exclaimed. She stared up at me, her eyes glistening but filled with tears, her chest moving in and out at an exceedingly fast rate after trying to hit me. I can’t help but feel like I’m in power, she has to stay here as long as I say while I’m pinning her to the wall. I take a second to slowly look her up and down, the ripped camo jacket that now has no sleeves, the bruise on her arm from the paintball, Faye’s blood on her hands, her dyed black hair shoved back into a loose bun.

“What?” She asked after it seemed like an eternity of silence had past.

“Nothing.” I smiled. “Nothing bad.” A grin grew across my face, and I knew it had, but I couldn’t stop it. I’d loved the look of this girl since she wouldn’t give me her name… My gaze followed every contour and shadow on her face before my gaze met her lips, quite thick and plump. Kissable. I didn’t pause and think, I didn’t wait and see if it was the right thing to do, I just leant in and made my lips crash against hers, my hands still holding hers up.