11

Cornelius placed the cans, measured the distance between them and the steps to them.

Cornelius put a large log in the place where they would shoot from - this is a hundred times better than drawing a line on the ground.

— You were wrong...—Dariusz suddenly says.

— Uh?— Cornelius is distracted from adjusting the log.

— Monsters exist. And the most important monsters, the most terrible monsters, are people...— The boy said sadly.— The world is beautiful... Why are there such bastards in it?—

— Dariusz, language! And take the gun, now is not the time to philosophize!—Cornelius handed him his weapon.

Darek took the weapon with both hands, as ordinary children would hold a gun for a video game.

— With this position, you will first pinch your fingers, and then fall off the recoil onto the roof of the house. Are you aiming at the ground?—Cornelius laughed.

— And... where to?—Darek asked, puzzled.

— In any of these cans. Hold the gun with one hand and shoot. At the same time, be sure to stand on your feet firmly.—Cornelius began to explain.—If you have different vision in your eyes, close one eye so that the target can be seen more clearly.—

Darek pulled the trigger.

The recoil knocked the boy down and the bullet flew into the sky.

Cornelius whistled and laughed.

— You kill a lot like that...— Laughing, he said.— I'm sorry, I'll help you now...—

He knelt behind his younger brother and took his hand.

— Let's aim together. We'll shoot together a couple of times, and then you have to get used to such recoil.—Cornelius pressed lightly on Dariusz's finger.— Pull the trigger.—

The bullet hit the ground.

— Darek, why did you take it so low?—Cornelius asked.

— I'm sorry. I thought I could get in...—Darek took aim again.

The bullet hit the jar.

— Hmm, it's fine... It's already fine...—Cornelius smiled.

Darek moved away from his brother and fired himself. The little boy's hand twitched a little, but he hit the exact center of the tin can.

Cornelius whistled, looking at the result.

— Not bad... Apparently, I'm a good teacher! Or maybe you just have a talent...— He said.

Darek aimed at the far bank and fired right into the middle.

— Well done, kid!—Cornelius kissed his brother on the top of his head.

Darek's curly hair smells like wildflowers. With his angelic appearance, the gun did not ooze so much...

— We will need to go to the river later. If you're such an adult, then you're coming with me today. We'll take turns guarding each other. You'll need to wash up and get some water.— Cornelius took the gun from his brother.— I'm going to show you something else.—

He pulled the magazine out of the pistol and popped a few bullets out of it.

— The bullets are heree. New ones are inserted like this. You pull out the magazine, insert others, and put the magazine back in. Understood?—Cornelius asked.

The younger brother nodded.

— Now you're going to be on a par with me, Darek. But maybe even better. They won't suspect you...—Cornelius kissed his brother gently on the top of his head.

His heart ached at the thought of what horrors he would have to go through...

***

Radoslav and James usually go to the river late at night and guard each other.

When Cornelius heard the sound of water and realized that no one was watching them this time, he breathed a sigh of relief.

— There is no one, Dariusz. Now we'll fill all the bottles and buckets with water, then we'll go a little downstream and wash up. First you, then me. While one is washing, the other is guarding.—Cornelius explained to his younger brother.

Darek snorted.

— Am I that stupid?—he asked.

As Cornelius drove the cart lower, he sensed danger.

Throwing his arm to the side, he pushes into Dariusz's chest. The younger brother flies off into the bushes.

Pushing down on the handle of the cart with all his might, Cornelius breaks it off and throws the cart at the soldiers who ran out in their direction.

He sees an acronym that he had noticed on soldiers' jackets before. K.I.L.L.

-no need!One of the soldiers shouts, and shots rattle in Cornelius's ear.

— Dariusz!—Corey exclaimed indignantly.

Suddenly, he realized what his younger brother had done.

Cornelius ran up and hugged Dariush to him.

— Darek...—He said his brother's name softly.—.. You just took someone's life for the first time...—

Darek smiled.

— Cory… I was just protecting you...— He said.

Hearing a lot of footsteps and cars, Cornelius tensed up.

— That's how they found us. And we need to run to the house. I can't carry you on my back, it will be much more dangerous.— He told his brother.— You'll have to run by yourself! You can do it!—

The bullets hit the wet and very slippery ground, the shots were just catastrophically close to the feet.

Dariusz ran a little slower than Cornelius, the boy's face was very red from exertion.

— Father, they found us!—Cornelius screams as he runs, the bullet hits his thigh and the skin burns with a sharp pain.

Cornelius, with a last effort, runs into the house and waits for Darek.

— They found us!—Cornelius squeezes his wound.— And I don't think I can feel my leg anymore...—

— The bullet is shallow... I'll get it...—Radoslav said.— Just don't expect me to be careful! —

General Thomas loaded a shotgun and fired back at this time.

— When you get the bullet out, get in the car with my wife and daughter and the five of you get out of here!—He shouted, turning back.

— James, I'm not abandoning mine!—Radek countered his request.

— Kaminsky, this is an order! —

When James Thomas noticed that Radek and everyone else were in the car, he shot through four ropes holding the roof of the house.

— James, jump in!—Radoslav shouted.

General Thomas fired at several soldiers and, turning, shot down the bar holding the car.

The car rolled and Radek stepped on the gas.

***

They didn't know where they were going at the moment.

Cornelius's eyes still stung at the thought of that noble deed by James Thomas.

He had never expected such a thing from this stern man.

But for some reason he doesn't have the strength to cry.

— Stop it!—Helena said suddenly.— My brother's house is nearby. My daughter and I will stay with him.—

— Mariusz's soldiers will easily find you there!—Radoslav pulled over to the side of the road.— It will be safer to come with us!—

— No! Mariusz's target is your son, Radoslav. He doesn't need us. He needs Cornelius, so the best thing is to stay away from you.—

Lizzie squeaked when Helena grabbed her daughter's hand and let her go ahead to get out of the car after the child.

Dariusz sighed.

— Yes... Dad, she's right about something...—He got in between the driver's and passenger's seats.— Where are we going now?—

—I think we should go to the spaceport now.—Cornelius suddenly said.—The best thing we can do is leave the planet for a while. Then, when we come back, something will change...—

— Which way to go to the spaceport?—His father interrupted him.

— There.—Cornelius pointed out calmly.

Radek accelerated.