He then felt his wrist pick up vibrations from his watch’s call alert, catching that it was coming in from Andre. [Now of all times?! This had better be important!] He continued his pace forward, slinging the rifle, freeing up his hands so he could pick up: “Yes?!”

“Sitrep! Is Sam still alive!?”

[What? Are they watching?!] He then heard the activation of jump-boosters, signaling him to duck into the awning of the building he just passed. “Are you seeing this?! Where is he going?!”

“He’s leaving the area! We are on our way, go get Sam!”

[On your way!? What is going on!?] he thought as he started back his dash for the fourth building from him, keeping count of the alleys he passed. Gasping for air through his exhaustion, he elected to pass on any further communication. [Please, Sam, hang on!] He then heard the thruster engines’ booming grow distant, cuing him the safety confirmation he had prayed for, ducking into that last alley without the fear of any surprises.

Sam’s neck was still throbbing, choked up by not just the physical damage to her hyoid bone and larynx but also from her fury still burning at full strength, unable to focus enough on pulling the blade still impaled in her left shoulder.

“Don’t! Let me do that!”

She heard the voice she forgot how hard she had prayed for to hear shout out to her, suddenly bringing out a stronger wave of hot tears, mixing with the rain that continued to stream down through her still-blurred vision. Her crying out became coughs in pain despite feeling the warmth of his presence next to her.

“This is going to hurt, OK?” he said as he pulled out gauze and tape from his pouch, placing one hand on the dagger contraption that was seemingly made of unfamiliar technology. Counting to three, he removed the unexpectedly long dagger, quickly dropping it to catch Sam who had fallen forward and up against him. Guiding her falling weight downward to the ground safely amongst her coughs and screams of anguish, he raced to apply the wound-sealing gauze and tape setup before too much blood loss could set in. As he finished the process, he let out a heavy sigh of relief. “I have to thank my sister for teaching me that,” he spoke through his own attempt to catch his breath, slowly gathering the strength he would need to stand her back up to get them out of the open.

“Sebastian, y-…” she started to speak before he could move. “it was-”

“I don’t know what all just went on, but hurry it up!” Andre’s voice shouted over his watch via the call he had forgotten to hang up. “Something is inbound, likely an APC!”

“Where are you! Are you on your way?”

“Landing in that main street next to you! Get you and Sam behind cover, now!!”

Sebastian frantically scanned the skies around him, finally spotting something that looked like a personal shuttle approaching on the horizon. “That thing?!” he sputtered, slowly standing up as he pulled Sam up with him. “Come on, Sam, we have to hide for a minute! Stand up!”

As she finally found her footing, she allowed him to provide support enough to hobble back around the corner and into the alley from which he had arrived. “Zay… Sebastian, Zay did it all!” she struggled to relay to him as she fell back to the ground, back sliding down the wall against which she was propped.

“Sam, you have to slow down! Help is coming!”

“No! Zay is a Cloak! He did all of this!” she continued to shout through still-persistent coughs, eyes still shut tight through the continuing, burning pain both inside and out.

“Sam,” he shouted back, giving into the confusion. “Who is Zay!?”

“My brother, damn it!”

He could only pause in shock, almost missing the sound of an approaching aerial vessel nearby.

[You mean to tell me… that so many of our people have died chasing… her brother?!]

…That I have to explain to Sam that I have to kill… her brother?!]

…The one she said was a Harbinger and ran away years ago… the one she’s been looking for?!]

…What else is there to this story that-]

He didn’t catch during that thought process that he too was leaning against the wall next to her as she started shaking him awake, missing the majority of the incoming message over his watch:

“-behind you at least! Hurry!” Andre’s voice finally rang into his head as he returned to reality.

“Wait, what? Say that again!” he said with a shake of his head, grabbing another hold of Sam as if preparing to stand once more.

“That’s a fucking A-..P-..C!” he hollered in desperation with full emphasis on the acronym. “Move, damn it, while we find a way to draw their fire! Get to that street behind you!”

[That sound!] Sebastian whispered to himself as he felt like the whole situation struck him upside his head for the second time now, realizing the carrier approach earlier was the aforementioned APC. He was now standing Sam up as quickly as the two started limping down the alley. “Sorry! I couldn’t tell! Who do you have with you!?”

Gunfire immediately erupted just beyond the corner they had vacated, mixed with the screams of ricocheting return fire.

“We set a beacon! Get Sam over to our shuttle now while we can cover for you!” he heard Kerry this time over the call before passing it back to Andre:

“Closing connection!”

[This is it, let’s get us out of this hell hole!] he thought as he gathered his dwindling energy for one last push up the back street for the now-active beacon showing on his watch.

.

.

“Go!” Andre yelled across the doorway to Kerry as she tucked her PDW and made a run for the nearest alley, narrowly fitting through the window in gunfire. He continued to pop off any rounds he could get down the street, assessing the number of enemy boots on the ground. This isn’t good, they’re about ten strong. Can’t let them fan out! He instinctively checked over his shoulder just for an instant to see Danielle huddled up in the back corner out of sight, trying to radio in any form of support she could. Damn it! If only we had one more!

A sudden clunk of approaching footsteps from behind him startled him, but only by a fraction compared to the reaction he had to seeing Taneesha approaching with a rocket launcher. “Move back!” she barked, having no resistance from him as she set herself up at the other side of the doorway. “Cover fire!”

“Covering!” he shouted, turning the corner to fire off his last few rounds before he heard the magazine click empty. Curling back around, he began to pop out the spent magazine before jumping back, shook by the sudden discharge of the rocket from its tube. The secondary acceleration charge burst to life just a split second after firing, sending the anti-vehicle explosive careening into the APC at near-sonic speeds.

“Nice shot!” he returned in bewilderment, attempting to regather his focus to switching magazines to once more being astonished by the scenes that continued to unfold with their new ally.

BDA-DA-DA-DA-DAH!!! rang out a burst of fire, complete in the same local flavor of roller delayed, brass-cased spice from the carbine-length rifle she had slung around her. And to top it off, he could now see that she was even adorned with military-issued digital analytics goggles and headset. “I’m covering! You go!”

Wide-eyed, Andre gladly responded “Yes ma’am!” as he timed his roll-out from the shuttle.

“Kerry! Andre!” Danielle shouted from her corner as she put away her radio and pulled out her PDW to prepare for a potential join-in. “Just got word! Sur has to deliver something to HQ and we need a secure location before transmitting!” So, THIS is why she was so damned adamant on not turning around? But, then, why not just SAY it to us? What is going on!?

“Hold up, this is a two-way rescue, now?!” Kerry continued her race to the back street to where she expected to see Sebastian and Sam, hoping to catch them before anyone else.

“She’s part of the package!!”

“Roger! We already got this end covered! Kerry’s got the other two!” Andre’s voice came over in response as she spotted the narrow gap between the fast-approaching street corner, readying her PDW. Grinding to a halt, she whipped around the edge, sights up, finding instant relief to see the two of them only a block away. “Come on! Keep moving!” she shouted with her left hand up in a wave. She then pivoted her head back the other way from whence she came, finding comfort in seeing Andre already posted up at the corner. “They’re on their way!”

“Receiving!” he responded as he started laying more cover fire.

Kerry jumped across the narrow gravel street, getting the two out of her line of sight as she stared through her optic, awaiting any hint of enemy activity possibly on their tail. Come on, come on, she impatiently mumbled in her head as Sebastian and Sam continued their hobbled approach to her corner, anxiously adjusting her hold of the foregrip and handle.

Sam was trying to keep as much focus as possible on her gait, knowing that time wasn’t on their side, but it was more than the sharp pains running up her left side that slowed her down. A hole in her heart remained, an additional gaping wound paired with the one left in her shoulder.

I can’t believe you left us… who turned you into this… monster?-

-PTAH - PTAH!!!

Rang out a pair of shots from Kerry’s PDW that caused both she and Sebastian to jump in reaction. Turning, they saw what must have been someone retreating back into their alley.

“Move, move!” Kerry barked, expecting at any second to see more boots arrive.

“Shit, we’re trying!” Sam fussed back through her teeth, looking back forward as Sebastian pulled her along once more. They finally made it to the corner, turning to see Andre at the other end, reloading after expending his last round.

“They’re on their way!” Andre shouted over the radio as he spotted the two approaching, Kerry close behind as she kept her barrel facing their six. “Clear the way!”

“Here!” Danielle shouted from behind and inside the shuttle, to which Andre could well see had more armor plating than he expected, holding up to the return fire that had been raining down intermittently. He dropped his slung PDW to catch the canister that fell his way, pulling the release tab before slinging it toward the general vicinity of the half-wrecked APC. A second later, smoke burst from the canister, providing the cover he knew Sebastian and Sam would need. “Smoke up! Let’s move!” he continued to bark, waving the two past him.

“Rockets coming!” Taneesha shouted as she noticed an explosives marker rounding the corner not too far up the street, signaling Andre to hold them up.

He quickly and without a moment’s hesitation grabbed Sebastian’s pouch strap, pulling them back behind cover. “Hold on til we’re clear!” He then edged back over to try to catch a glimpse of the situation. Just before peering around the corner, he heard footsteps approaching. Stock pulled back up against his shoulder, he gripped the handles of his PDW and pivoted, placing two bursts at two soldiers approaching the shuttle from along the same wall. In the same motion, he was able to catch what looked to be another APC inbound. “We have to get airborne before they get a chance to shoot that thing!”

“That’s the signal, go!” Kerry shouted with a push from behind, no longer willing to wait for the soldiers behind them to catch up.

“Now or never!” Sebastian urged Sam to give it one last go as they now saw the shuttle’s open door, and to his surprise, seeing Taneesha behind the right corner with a waving signal. [Oh, wow, of all people…]

“Ms. Sur!” Danielle shouted from behind Taneesha, trying to keep an eye on her approaching squad. “Let me take over for you! You are trying to get back alive, right!?”

“I’ve been through worse!” she fussed back as she pulled back to reload amidst the ricochets of return fire. “I survived your precious children at gunpoint, twice, didn’t I?!” she jabbed with a smirk, drawing ire and a subsequent shrug from Danielle before she turned to continue covering fire. “And remember, you’re injured! No good dead to us!”

Danielle smiled wryly. Sounds like my kids really did a number on her yesterday. Glad they weren’t too rough.

“The APC’s stopping!” Andre shouted as he expended his final round of the last remaining magazine he had, now pushing the two along with a sudden sense of desperation.

“Covering!” Kerry shouted as she took over for him, now seeing the APC pulling to the side with a top hatch opening. “Shit! Rocket!” she continued with wide eyes, spotting the launcher tube rising above the roofline.

Like I said! I could have died three times before today, so there is no way in hell I am going to now, Taneesha continued the thought with a mix of frustration and worsened irony, wrapping her foregrip-attached sling around her left upper arm firmly, stabilizing her aim as she shut her non-aiming eye to get one good shot. Placing the laser reticle over the outlined head her goggles painted for her, she took a breath in, held, and squeezed.

BDAH!!!

Screamed the rifle round that sent blood and flesh from the man holding the rocket tube as it fell innocently to the asphalt, bouncing in a way that confirmed their safe exit.

“Nice shot! Damn, that saved our ass!” Kerry elated, tight-fisted as she laid the last of her covering fire shots downfield. She then heard the three’s footsteps clanging on the loading ramp, cueing her the end of her role. “Finish covering for us, we are loading!” she barked as she rotated, helping shove them on board.

“Down! Everyone down and in!” Sam heard Andre holler as she stumbled to the ground, half in pain, but half in complete release of all the tension gathered during their retreat. She was finally on board. Sweet, sweet smell of shuttle floor mat relief! she thought to herself as she rolled over off of Sebastian’s back.

He too rolled over to make room for Kerry who was one step from diving in as well, then turning his head to see Taneesha laying down the last of her cover fire.

“She’s in, that’s everyone! Close it up!” she ordered the driver as she spotted one last man in the corner of her optic. She inched her sights over to get that last shot she knew she’d have a second or two to make before the door would finish closing.

“Ms. Sur!” Kerry shouted as she rolled over to see her still looking downfield. “Let’s-”

TWHIP

…

Oh, shit! Sam panicked, blood-sprayed across her face.

Kerry’s words immediately trailed off into a scream as she reflexively reached over to catch her falling body. “Ms. Sur!”

“Sur is down!” Andre wailed, falling down to her side as Kerry caught her, rolling over to keep her down enough from getting hit further.

The door was now sealed as the driver pulled them up into the air.

Kerry started losing her composure as she blindly started pressing down on her neck where a large portion of skin and meat was missing as blood poured and sprayed from between her fingers. She tried to make out words to speak to her, unable to utter anything comprehensible outside of her frantic pleas for help in between.

Andre had already ripped his pouch open, grabbing out whatever gauzing he could as he too started to lose his dexterity through the panic, dropping whatever he tried to grab. “Stay with us, stay with us,” he repeated in sharply increasing hysteria mixed along with her intermittent sputters and gargled blood. “Stay with us!”

Sam was still paralyzed, dumbfoundedly looking upon the scene as she felt the shuttle accelerate off into the clear. Her own focus began to fade as she watched Kerry crying through her fuddled speech and futile attempts to stop the bleeding, Andre’s joining of hands with Kerry over her neck, and Sebastian who had now jumped over to join them, trying to pick up the gauzing Andre dropped, failing similarly through his own losing battle to distress.

“Hold on! Please!” he cried in vain through the lump in his throat, now holding onto her rapidly trembling hand as if to comfort her.

“Find that sealant! Keep pressure on it!” Danielle’s voice could now be heard crying out from somewhere above and behind her. “We can’t lose her!”

Sam’s fogged consciousness then brought her to attempt to lift herself off the floor, barely getting her head up and her back elevated more than a few centimeters. Nothing could have been said to get her to snap out of it and respond in any helpful way, however, and her vision slowly wandered downward, meeting the rapidly fading light in Taneesha’s empty gaze. Through their stare, it was as if Taneesha spoke to her:

“What happened to me? Why can’t I breathe? Why did you let this happen to me?”

The horrifying expression caused Sam to once again collapse back to the ground, freezing in place.

“Here- found it, found it!!” Andre frantically spoke back as he cleared room for Danielle.

She hurriedly bumped Kerry aside through her own half-suppressed panic, not having had to deal with such fatal trauma in her life herself. “Sealing the artery!” she shouted with her best attempt at pulling the sealing patch around the exposed artery without missing, knowing it was a one-time shot. Shit! Why did she have to play hero?! This wasn’t your place to die! If anyone’s it was mine! She then felt the sealant bind to the vessel only partially, missing from lack of practice. “No! Damn it!!”

Kerry from the side continued to press back down in vain, losing her sanity as well in the process upon hearing Danielle’s shout of hopeless resignation.

Something then suddenly felt damp across Sam’s arm and shoulder. The larger part of the warm river of blood now reached Sam’s bare neck as it sent a cold shiver down to her core, causing her to scream out in tears uncontrollably, losing hold of the last thread of sanity she had been clinging to. Everything that had been crossing her mind in regards to her brother had now gone completely numb and out of reach. Every injury she had sustained, every inch she came within death, everything that could have possibly gone wrong that day was no longer there to hold her together. The longest day that had finally neared its end was nigh.

Her screams joined in the disharmony of the others’ cries in anguish, accompanied by the rush of the propulsion drives kicked into full gear, and the prayer the pilot spoke aloud, holding onto his last thread of sanity for dear life.

.

.

.

“We lost Sur…”