by Tripp Ellis
He glanced to the camera crew that was still filming. Their eyes were wide, mouths agape, in complete shock. They weren’t sure what to do next.
After a moment, they glanced to Zack, then took off running. They disappeared into the ruins of the city.
Zack grinned. But his feeling of relief was short lived when he heard the crushing steps of a mechanized vehicle approaching. It had the distinct sound of the Tarvaax engines.
Zack's whole body tensed.
The enemy mech rounded the corner and squared off against Zack. They were like two old-fashioned gunslingers standing in the middle of the street facing each other. Only Zack didn't have a gun.
He clinched the handle of his tactical knife. He had taken down one mech with a knife, why not two? But he knew that was wishful thinking.
Zack watched as the machine guns took aim at him. He didn't even bother to run, or to take cover. It seemed futile at this point. He was just going to accept his fate. Maybe the oracle had been right all along? He had done his best and destroyed the shield generator. With any luck the UPDF forces would take back the city. Maybe he’d be awarded some kind of medal, posthumously.
An RPG ripped through the air. It slammed into the junction of the torso and the pelvis of the mechanized vehicle, cutting it into. The blast toppled it to the ground—a smoldering heap of twisted metal.
Diesel emerge from around the corner with a rocket launcher slung over her shoulder. She had a confident grin on her face.
Zack smiled.
“I told you, I’ve got your back.”
“You could have shown up a little sooner," he teased her.
“What? Did I miss something?“
Zack just shook his head.
“You look like crap, by the way.”
“Thanks. I feel like crap,” Zack said. “Come on. We need to get moving.”
“Where are we going?"
"To find the internment camp and rescue the prisoners."
“All by ourselves?" she asked, skeptically.
“What? You're not going to back down from a challenge, are you?" Zack said, egging her on.
Diesel had a sly glint in her eyes. "Hell no! Let's go free some prisoners."
Zack smiled, and the two headed north on another adventure. He hobbled along on his twisted ankle. Each breath sent stabbing pains through his chest from his broken ribs. He had definitely seen better days, but he was optimistic. He could hear the distinct sound of UPDF aircraft rip through the skies. With the shields down they were regaining air superiority. Ground forces were making their push to take back the city. He felt like the tide had turned. With any luck, they’d drive the invaders away. And maybe, just maybe, Honor, and his foster parents, were still alive.
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I'm just a geek who loves sci-fi and horror. I was abducted by aliens and forced to travel the galaxy as the official biographer of an evil galactic ruler. This is where I learned to hone my craft. Fortunately, I escaped and made my way back to Earth, and now I write about my adventures. I hope you enjoy!
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