[Lauchenoiria]

In a country that shall, for now, remain nameless…

Some in WOE did not get Calhualyana’s memo.

“We are the last ones left. All the others have either been arrested somewhere or other, or are in countries that are actively looking for them and preventing their escape. Now, I expect we’ll be hunted too soon, regardless of what we do. And so, I think it’s better if we went out with a bang,” began Calvin Goode, Chris’s brother and one of the most active organisers of Warriors of Our Earth. The group had no leadership, officially; but unofficially he was the closest thing they had. If anyone wished to claim the bounty from Lao Sansong, he would be the person to kill.

Goode unfurled a map in front of the gathered WOE members, the last remnants of a group that had been hunted nearly to extinction in the span of a single week. Lauchenoiria, Xiomera and Greater Acadia all had a number of their comrades in prisons, and soon they would have even more. This last group were gathered in a country that had not yet been given reason to hunt them, but they didn’t bet on that situation lasting.

The map produced a slight commotion, with the gathered eco-terrorists muttering together, some in appreciation and others apprehension. Goode surveyed them, watching to see who was keen and who might be better off staying away.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked Suzana Allegra, one of their newer recruits who Goode had never been quite sure of.

“They’re coming for us,” Goode replied. “All that’s left is for us to do something that gets the attention of the whole world. This will be our last act as Warriors. If you don’t like it, you can leave.”

The murmuring started up again, and a couple people, Suzana included, turned to head for the door.

“Wait!” Goode said sharply. “You can leave after the action. I’m not having you go off snitching to every intelligence service on the planet. You can wait here while we carry out the plan, and then you’re free to go.”

“Free to go?” Suzana scoffed. “You don’t own us, Calvin. You don’t get to choose where we go and when.”

“Maybe not, but I simply can’t allow you to go right now,” he shrugged and then made a gesture. A couple of the other guys, people he trusted, stepped forward to grab the three intending to leave. They yelled and struggled, one of them managing to stab their would-be captor with a pencil. But before the pencil-stabber could escape, he was grabbed by two more of Calvin Goode’s loyal terrorists.

“Let us go, now, Calvin,” Suzana said, glaring at him.

“I can’t do that,” he said, shaking his head. “Lock them in the basement, someone will find them once we’re long gone. Eventually.”

“Are you mad? You can’t do this!” Suzana yelled as she was dragged away. “What is wrong with you!? Are the rest of you gonna just let him do this!?”

The rest of the gathered group made no move to help. Some of them wanted to, but none of them intended to cross Goode when he was like this. Suzana and the other two continued to struggle to get free, shouting as they were dragged away. Goode turned back to the group.

“If anyone else wishes to join them, just say.”

Nobody spoke. Later, many would wish they had.

“Good, then the rest of you will be assigned jobs. When it’s over, you can run if you want or wait for them to come, up to you. They might shoot at the runners though, so choose wisely if you’d rather die or be captured. I, for one, intend to live, but more martyrs are always good.”

Several people in the room regretted their life choices. Too late now. Calvin did not intend to allow anyone to change their minds. And so, planning for WOE’s last attack began.