by Vu, Andrew
“So the back entrance and the front entrance are in relative proximity from each other?” Borton asks.
“Yes. I will have my weapons stowed within my armor and will appear non-hostile,” I say. “I don’t want to trigger any unwanted aggression since they’re the ones who invited us to talk. I’ll distract them while you two sneak in the back. My communicator will be on sound mode, no graphical interface. I want you two to tell me your observations while staying hidden. It is vital that you let me know how many there are and what, if any, kind of weapons they have. I’ll need to know what I’m dealing with.”
“Understood,” Apollo says. “We’ll get a head and item count for you.”
“I’ll try to negotiate with them to stall,” I say. “And then, when I give the signal, you two will attack from the rear and all three of us will work to disarm and capture the halfkinds.”
“Only capture?” Borton inquires.
“Yes, only capture. Remember,” I say, “when we are in pursuit, you’re to obey my commands at all times. I don’t want either of you charging into the situation head first.”
Apollo I trust, but I’ve never worked with Borton before so I’m not sure what to expect from him.
“What if we take down one of the hostiles before you?” Apollo asks.
“Engage, but only subdue. I repeat, only subdue. I don’t want any fatalities yet, understood?” I say to both of them.
“Excuse me, Commander,” Borton asks, “but isn’t the purpose of this mission to terminate them? Why are we only going to subdue?”
“Because they might have some useful intel. Besides, we’re not executioners Borton, let the Alliance deal with them.”
“But it’s the Alliance who made the orders. They told us very clearly to kill them.”
“Look, if they are hostile, then by all means do what it takes to keep yourself safe, but if there is no resistance, then your orders are to simply capture. I’m not going to be responsible for the murders of defenseless creatures.”
“Um, defenseless? You saw what that one did to the supply depot, right?”
“He was provoked. This is different.”
“But as I said before, I have strict orders from both my pig superiors and the United Species Alliance to terminate at all costs.”
“These are my orders,” I say sternly. “And you will fall in line.”
“If you say so,” Borton says begrudgingly. “Just know that if I get any flack from the uppers, I’m going to direct them to you.”
“By all means go ahead, I can handle them. So we know what to do?” Apollo nods his head. Borton does too, but unwillingly. I tap on my communicator and Fenrir pops up on my graphical interface. “Team B, how are things going?”
“We’ve just arrived and set up a stakeout area on the Gonzalez teleporter,” he says, “There doesn’t seem to be anyone inside, at least not from our vantage point.”
“Okay. Hold your position. Do not engage until I tell you to.”
“Understood.”
The holographic screen shuts off and I shift my attention back to the team. “Let’s go.”
I walk to the front of the building and motion for Borton and Apollo to go around the back. I tap my ear to my teammates, which reminds them to keep their communicators on sound mode only. I don’t want any holographic interfaces to go off and blow our cover.
Borton and Apollo turn the corner and disappear from my line of sight. I hug my back against the wall and sneak to the front door. There’s tons of broken glass on the ground, but it’s hard to say if this is the work of a halfkind or looter. The sound of crushing glass will surely tip them off, so I take a peek inside before enter. I don’t see much because of the dim lighting, only some haggard looking furniture and broken down gambling machines. It looked like the casino was empty and I start to worry that we have fallen into a trap.
I tiptoe my way in and try to make as little noise as possible. A few scratches and crunches are made, but there’s no reaction from inside. I open the partially broken door.
Creak!
Shit, that was loud! Immediately, I hear rustling and swift movements. They must have been resting, the door no doubt startled them.
A small light turns on, but a slot machine blocks my view on its source.
“Apollo, Borton,” I whisper, “Are you there? Have you entered the building?”
“Yes, we’re here,” Apollo says. “We’re hiding behind a door that leads to the back. We’re unnoticed.”
“A light has turned on in the main casino, but my view is blocked. What do you see?”
“Four halfkinds. The twins, the cow, and the bear. They’re on high alert, something must’ve startled them.”
“That was me,” I say embarrassed. “What are they doing now?”
“They just woke up, but they’re surveying the area suspiciously. Oh, wait, one of them, the bear halfkind, he picked up a lantern.”
“There are only four of them? Where are the other five?”
“I don’t know.”
“Something is wrong.”
“Hello?” the bear halfkind shouts. I hear him talk to the air. His voice is quivering and I can sense his fear. “Who’s there?”
“He’s starting to walk around,” Apollo says to me on my communicator. “He’s, oh shit, he’s headed our direction.”
“We need to engage,” Borton interrupts.
“Negative!” I say, “That’s not part of the plan. You need to wait for my signal.”
“Hello?!” I hear the bear halfkind shout louder. “Who’s there?”
“He’s walking right toward us!” Apollo says. “He’s going to find us.”
“We need to engage,” Borton repeats.
“No. You two stay there. I will intercept.”
I walk towards the light and make myself visible to the halfkinds. I see the four of them, huddled near the lantern, eyes wide open in my direction. This is the first time I’ve come in contact with them. They have a blank look on their faces, mouths quaking, bodies shaking, paralyzed in fear. They’re terrified at the mere sight of me. The only one who reacts is the bear man. I look at him as he holds his lantern up high. I don’t know what to say, so I blurt out the first thing that comes to my mind.
“You speak human,” I say.
“Who are you?” he asks me, voice shaking. “Are you the ones who are trying to kill us?”
“No,” I say calmly. “I’m just here to talk. We got your message.”
“Message? What are you talking about?” the bear halfkind asks. He looks genuinely confused. This is the first time he’s heard about the note.
“Your message, the note you left on my hovercar,” I clarify. “You said you wanted to talk, well here I am, so let’s talk.”
“Talk? Note? I don’t know what you’re saying. Is this a trick?”
I observe his expressions. Something is going through his mind. It causes him to be in a state of both surprise and shock. He’s realized things have gone terribly wrong and his bewilderment shows all over his face.
“You don’t know what I’m talking about?” I ask him.
“I... I…” he doesn’t respond coherently. I look at the other three, still frozen with fear. I don’t see threatening items near them. No guns, no weapons, just some open food containers and back packs filled with items. These ones are different from the ones we encountered so far. The first two were prepared to fight. One attacked that detective with a knife, the other carried a bomb. But I see nothing to suggest that these halfkinds are battle ready.
“Listen,” I say. “Even if you weren’t the one who sent out the invitation, I’m just here to talk. I’m not here to hurt you. Why don’t we sit down and we can discuss what…”
Suddenly, I hear a shouting from my communicator followed by a charging sound.
“One of them has a gun!” It’s Borton.
“What?” I say perplexed. “No, stand down, Borton, I don’t see any…”
But it’s too late. Seconds haven’t even passed and a shot has been fired. It’s aimed at the halfkinds but misses. It hits one of the lanterns and the impact creates a large flash that blinds me. My eyes feel like they’re engulfed in flames and my eyelids tense up as I close them. I hear a screaming and the sound of footsteps running away from me.
“Borton, back off! Stand down,” I yell sightlessly.
“No, they’re armed. They were about to fire at you!” he yells back. My vision slowly recovers, but I’m still dazed from the flash of the lantern.
“Damnit, Borton!” I yell. “I told you not to shoot.”
“And I’m telling you they’re armed. They scampered off to the right, while you were down, and are holed up behind those blackjack tables and slot machines,” he says. “I’m going to take them out.”
“No Borton, stay here!”
It’s too late. I can see him chase after them in the haze of my eyes. In a few seconds things went from peaceful to chaotic and I’m stuck on one knee wondering how this mission has failed so horribly.
Chapter 18 – Oscar Lawton - Ambush
November 17, 3040 1:00 AM
“Hello?!” I shout at the darkness. “Who’s there?”
A few minutes ago, we were dozing off and now I stand here fearing for my life. Someone has entered through the front door. I heard the creaking noise moments ago, but it’s too dark to see anything. I have a lantern in my hand. However, the surrounding slot machines and tables block any visibility.
I hear some whispering, but it’s too soft to be audible. It sounds like the intruder is having a full conversation with someone. Is there more than one trespasser? Who is he talking too?
I don’t have much time to ponder, though. Someone steps out of the shadows and into my light. It’s a human, tall, medium build, but toned. He’s wearing tactical gear. This is one of the men who have been on our trail. I’m sure this group is responsible for killing Leonard and Lombardi. A sudden weakness overcomes my body. The fear has set in and I begin to wonder if this is the end for me and my siblings.
The human himself looks a bit flabbergasted. This is the first time any of us have come face to face with our pursuers. I’m sure he already had an idea of what I looked like, but seeing it in the flesh probably blows his mind. After all, we aren’t the norm. We’re the freaks. Judging by the way he looks, he’s thinking the same thing.
We both stand in awkward silence, unsure of what to do. Finally, he says something to break the tension. “You speak human.”
His manner surprises me. I didn’t expect him to ask so calmly. I, on the other hand, don’t have time for idle chit chat and cut straight to the chase.
“Who are you?” I ask, voice shaking. “Are you the ones who are trying to kill us?”
“No,” he says again in that relaxed tone. “I’m here to talk. We got your message.”
“Message? What are you talking about?” I don’t understand. I never sent a message, and neither did the twins or Maddie. They had been with me the whole time and we hadn’t encountered anyone on our way here.
“Your message, the note you left on my hovercar,” he says. “You said you wanted to talk, well, here I am, so let’s talk.”
Hovercar? Note? What the hell is this gibberish? Perhaps it’s some kind of trick, because I certainly didn’t want to meet with him, I just wanted to stay hidden. There’s no way anyone should know where we are. I was very careful on our way here, making sure not a piece of evidence was left behind. In fact, the only people who knew where we were was…
….no, it can’t be… it can’t… can it? He wouldn’t have. He couldn’t. But then I think about it, our history and arguments. Clashes flash before my eyes and I realize… he did.
“You don’t know what I’m talking about?” the human asks me, breaking my thoughts.
“I... I…” I’m at a loss for words. The revelation that my own brother probably sold me and my siblings out causes my brain to overload. I can’t fathom the reasoning for it. Why did he betray us? What purpose does this action serve? Is he so callous that he would sacrifice us, like pawns in his master plan? Does he feel nothing for his family?
“Listen,” the human continues say. “Even if you weren’t the one who sent out the invitation, I’m just here to talk. I’m not here to hurt you. Why don’t we sit down and we can discuss what…”
Suddenly, I hear something scurrying in our direction behind me.
“One of them has a gun!” a voice yells. He lies. We have no weapons.
“What?” I hear the human say. He continues speaking but his words are unclear. The noise from behind masks his voice.
I hear a sharp whizzing noise and a bright flash hits my eyes. Something has exploded and I hear Maddie let out a shrill wail. Whoever is behind us has fired a shot and it nearly hit her. Luckily, it missed and she is uninjured. The only thing that is damaged is one of our lanterns, which has been blasted to smithereens.
The chaos is actually a blessing in disguise, it’s the perfect distraction. I look at the human and he’s blinded by the flash, so I quickly signal to the others and we bolt to the other side of the casino. We sprint rapidly and find shelter behind a long stretch of broken down slot machines.
I peer through the cracks and see what we’re up against. Other than the human, who still appears to be disoriented, there’s also a dog and a pig. The dog has run to the human’s aid, but the pig continues to rush our way. If I don’t act fast, he’ll be here in a few seconds. I see a rusted steel chair nearby and throw it in his direction. It flies up in the air and arcs its way down, right onto his head. He tumbles over his own footing and comes crashing into a table, causing it to flip to its side.
“Damnit!” I hear the pig say as he writhes in pain. “Assholes hit me right on the head! I’m taking cover.”
He slowly stumbles behind the table that had overturned and sits. The human seems to be okay now, and he and the dog rush to the pig’s location. He gets a nearby blackjack table and pushes it to its side, hiding behind it.
I hear some mumbling and arguments from behind their table, but I can’t understand what they’re saying.
“Why are they attacking us, we didn’t even do anything!” Maddie asks in a frightened tone.
“One of them thinks we have a gun,” Isaac says.
“Did that pig say we shot at him? I couldn’t hear anything,” Iris responds.
“I don’t know what they’re talking about, I was totally still while that guy was talking to you, Oscar,” Maddie says.
“Shh, quiet!” I whisper.
We don’t have time to sort things out. I hear the sound of metal clinking in succession and then it stops. From behind the slot machines, I see a small silver orb a few feet from us. It beeps and I am generally perplexed.
In the blink of an eye, smoke sprays out of it. We all start to cough violently, and scatter away to get ourselves to clean air. Maddie and the twins scramble to the right, I run doggedly to the left.
As soon as I am clear from the haze, I feel something blow by my head, like a swift wind. I then feel another, as I continue to run forward. I look behind me and see things getting knocked down. Cups and chairs are shattered right before my eyes. Small holes explode from the wall in eruptions of cheap wood and dry paint. From the corner of my vision, I see a large column, big enough to cover me. I make a straight line for it while things continue to fly left and right. Through perseverance and fear, I make it to my destination.
The opposite side of the column starts to blast away, debris flies all over the place.
“Borton, that’s enough!” I hear the human say, and the shooting stops. “They’re not firing back. I don’t think they have any weapons. Go check on the others, Apollo, and I will get the big one.”
I take a quick look at my siblings. They’re holed up at the bar. I can see them from my angle, hiding behind the counter as the pig approaches him. He has guns on both sides of his body. My brother and sisters hear h
im, step by step by step. They are petrified. If I don’t do something quick, they’ll be killed.
I look at Maddie. She’s shivering, crying hysterically with the panic and dread. She looks the same way she did when we were kids, when Tiago and his crew bullied her. I was the one who got her in this mess, it’s time for me to get her out of it.
I step out from behind the column and have my arms spread open.
“Don’t shoot!” I say. “I don’t have anything on me.”
The pig looks over, but his body and guns are still pointed at my brother and sisters. The human points his weapon straight at me and takes a long glance.
“He’s telling the truth. I don’t see anything on him. Where were these guns you were talking about Borton?” he says angrily. “They’re obviously unarmed, not a single shot has been fired from their side.”
The pig remains silent, but doesn’t show any remorse for his lie. The human puts his gun down and stows it in a holster on the side of his pants. I continue to walk forward slowly with my arms in the air.
“I give up,” I say. “Take me in.”
He approaches, takes out a metal stick, and presses a button on it. An orange glow shines and from the ends, two short beams uncoil like a snake. I’ve seen them before, they’re energy cuffs, concentrated light that is flexible, strong, and near impossible to break.
I put my arms together and present them to the human. He grabs one, but before he can get the cuffs on, I knock his hand away. The force of my swing causes the device to fly to the other side of the room. He looks a bit surprised, but the minute I stick my hand toward his waist, he knows what I’m trying to do.
His gun is so close to my reach, I can practically feel my fingers touch it, but before I can make contact, I feel something, like a mallet, hit my face. It’s the human’s fist.
“He’s going after my gun!” he yells at his teammates.
“Just shoot him already!” the pig yells.
“No, I want him alive!” he fires back. He quickly unholsters his gun and tosses it to the dog. “Keep this away from him. I can take him down myself.”