There were several people all clustered together. Pulling the trigger as he ran across the street, Felix managed a decent spray towards the group. Two dropped immediately and a third dove to one side.
Felix felt his toes catch on something and he almost went sliding to the asphalt. Getting his feet back up under him with only a minor bobble Felix ducked into the destination alley.
“Gonna need a rear action,” Felix said to Adriana. “I dropped two, and one got away. Might be friends coming.”
“On it. Keep them moving. Tell Steve we need to break contact,” she said, pulling a grenade from her rigging and stopping in her tracks.
“Steve, we need to break contact. Throw us down a different alley if possible, and then another. We can keep on a parallel track!” Felix shouted up to Steve.
After that, the only thing Felix could hear was the sound of the faith battle fading away behind them. That and the stomp and crunch of booted feet echoing over and over.
From the rear there was a single explosion. One that Felix assumed had to be a grenade.
Turning down an alley to the left, Steve led on, moving according to the command he’d been given.
A moment of fear slammed into Felix’s thoughts as he realized Adriana hadn’t caught up yet.
Slowing down, he started to turn around.
Right as Adriana caught up to him with a grin.
“Darling, were you slowing down?” she asked excitedly. “For me? For an Other?”
Picking up his speed again, Felix glanced over at her. “Other, Prime, either, you’re still Adriana. You’re worth no less than Prime, it’s just easier to bring you back,” Felix huffed out between heavy footfalls.
“Nn… when I tell Prime she’s going to insist on rewarding you,” Adriana said, her cheeks coloring faintly.
She can blush while she runs and isn’t even out of breath? Beastkin are crazy.
He was so caught up in this brief exchange, he ran right into Julia and practically went up her back with the force of the impact.
Tumbling to the ground, he ended up on top of her, her face pressed into the ground.
“Damnit, Felix. I’m not your bed toy. Get off me,” Julia grumped, pushing him off her.
“Sorry, Julia. I’m not cut out for this.”
Getting up to his feet, Felix looked up to try and figure out why everyone had stopped.
There, in the middle of what had once been a very large park, was a military encampment.
Sprawling in every direction, it was a haphazard arrangement of thrown together buildings, lean-tos, and tents.
There were people everywhere inside. Moving about on tasks, lazing around, or engaged in other diversions. Even from here Felix had the impression of it being a dirty hellhole of a place.
Skipper’s flag hung limply in the wind at the center atop a larger building. There in the middle of it all was a series of put together buildings that had more permanence to them.
“What the hell is it?” Katy asked.
“Processing center,” Derek said. “It’s… it’s where Skipper sends people. To be recruited, killed, or… or simply become entertainment. I heard from a couple people about it. Those patrols we saw were out looking for people. If they found what they wanted, they headed back. They only knew about it because a few people managed to escape and talk about it. Apparently a lot of this place is underground. Dug out into maintenance tunnels below the park.”
“Great. We’ll wait till nightfall and just go around it. With them being there, that means all eyes will be on them, and not us. We might just make it to the other side without a problem,” Felix said.
Perfect.
“Why can’t we help them? I bet if I used some of my powers I could get in, get out, and be done quickly. We could save them all,” Eva said.
“To what end? It’s not like we can take them with us. We’d only be giving them a brief window to flee, and probably be recaptured,” Felix said, shaking his head.
“So? That’d be better than the chance they have now, wouldn’t it?”
“Eva. They’re not Legion. Legion first. We can’t—”
“Why? Why is it always and ever Legion first? Don’t you care about them at all?”
“No! I don’t. Not at all. They’re strangers to me, and this isn’t some made up fantasy story about how the heroes save the day! This is real life, and real life doesn’t work that way!” Felix said, his voice getting heated with the exchange.
Her morality and ideals were a positive in his life, but right now, they were sorely pressing him.
This suicidal need to help others is inconvenient, to say the least!
“Felix, we can hel—”
“No. And that’s that. We rest here, stay till nightfall, and then move forward when it gets near one a.m. or so. The end. I’m sorry,” Felix said. “We have a lot of people counting on us getting back safe and sound. We owe these people nothing in comparison.”
“Damn right,” Julia said, squatting down right there and pulling her pack off her shoulders.
“I don’t know,” Steve said, looking at the camp. “If she could—”
“Discussion is over. You bleeding hearts are going to get us all killed,” Felix muttered.
Chapter 33 - The Price -
Felix woke up gradually. His head felt full and empty at the same time.
Not enough sleep. Need more sleep. Can barely think.
Forcing his eyes open, Felix tried to focus on his surroundings.
Right, the alley. Skipper’s fort. Is it time to go?
Julia was on his left, Adriana on his right. Across the way the rest of the group lay curled up and sleeping. Derek should be around the corner on guard duty with instructions to get everyone up and moving when the only wristwatch between them all said one a.m.
He wasn’t sure, but it felt like about the right time to get going.
“Derek,” Felix whispered, getting up from the ground.
There was no response.
Moving as quietly as he could, since there was no reason to wake anyone yet, Felix crept towards where Derek should be.
Turning the corner, he found Derek sitting right where he should be.
Except he was sleeping. Chin down on his chest and snoring away.
Grumbling to himself, Felix made his way over and shook Derek gently.
“Hey, wake up. We should probably get going,” Felix said.
Derek lifted his chin up. “Wuuuh?”
Frowning, Felix leaned in close to Derek’s face.
His eyes were dilated. Huge, even.
“You alright?” Felix asked.
“Feel shick. Think Evash drink ish bad,” Derek gurgled out. Then he promptly turned to one side and threw up.
Eva?
Spinning on his heel, Felix stalked back to where everyone was sleeping.
Checking over each person, he felt his blood run cold when he realized there were two people missing.
Steve and Eva were both gone.
Goddamnit!
Peering at the distant encampment, Felix had a pretty good idea of where those two had gone.
Gritting his teeth in frustration and anger, he went back to Julia and Adriana, waking them.
“Time to get up. We’ll need to be ready to move,” Felix whispered as he got them both to open their eyes.
Once it was clear they were up and moving, Felix slunk to the other side of the alley and proceeded to do the same.
When everyone was up and getting ready, Felix set about getting his kit together.
“Eva’s missing,” Adriana said. There was no real question in her voice. In fact, Felix didn’t even detect the unspoken question of where they went.
Felix nodded his head before realizing not everyone would be able to see it.
“Yeah. Her and Steve. I imagine they’re in Skipper’s fort over there. Not much we can do about it either, except be ready to go,” Felix said, cinching up a strap.
“Huh. Let’s just go,” Julia said from his left. “They made their choice, they can catch up later, can’t they? She’s a powered after all. Right?”