I knew that what we were doing was completely insane. The city was massive, and it was full of cyborgs. But we were in too deep to stop. I relied on the cover of darkness and doing it quietly in order to get in and out unnoticed. But how could we possibly find the human females in such a large city? Emma had a good idea, which was to go find the leader, probably in the best-looking building within the city. So we made a play for a building, but along the way, something horrible happened: I lost her. I was sliding across the wall hunting down with my blaster in my hands. We were inching our way toward the target building. I looked over my shoulder to tell her to stop, but when I looked back, she wasn't there.
“Emma,” I whispered. She didn't answer. I called for her again. She didn't answer. “Shit.”
I felt a wave of panic come over me. I couldn’t lose her. She was my everything. I felt rage growing as I thought about the possibility that a cyborg may have found her. No, I couldn’t let that happen to her. I didn’t know what they did to the human females, but I knew that it wasn’t good.
I backtracked my steps, looking for her. She had just vanished. I didn't hear any commotion around me; if she had been taken, she didn't bother to scream. What the hell had happened? I looked everywhere for her, retracing my steps. Then I remembered the communication cuff I gave her. I looked at mine and turned it on. I didn't want to attract any attention from the cyborgs, but if she was calling me, then I needed to hear her. I waited. Where could she have gone? I was ready to just go in guns blazing and shoot every single one of these cyborgs just to find her. I couldn't lose her. Being without her was something that I could not handle. I was cursing myself for bringing her along; I knew that I should have left her with the fleet. If anyone hurt her or harmed her, I would have to kill them. I looked around for a good five minutes and became more and more frantic. I didn’t understand how she could have got away from me.
“Elonu,” I heard her whisper. It was coming from the cuff. I squatted down behind a wall and lowered the volume.
“I am safe. I am with the women. Listen closely and I will tell you where we are. I am in a tall building with two towers. It is made of a pink concrete, a light pink. It is a massive ornate building. We are on the fifth floor; when you get to the top of the stairs, go left. We are in a door at the end of the hall on the right. There is a guard posted outside the door. There is a guard at the main entrance of the building. You might run into a few up and down the stairs,” she said.
I was impressed. I looked for a building with two towers. I could see it. But how the hell had she gotten there so fast? I would have to save those questions for later.
I started to make my way quietly toward the building with the two towers.
“Elonu, come in,” I heard over the communication cuff. I knew the voice well. It was Captain Qinov. Shit. But how were they communicating over the cuff? You had to be in close range to do that. I looked off into the distance and could see the lights of the fleet coming toward the city. I smiled.
“I am here, Captain. I am headed toward the building with the two towers; that is where the human females are being kept. I could use a little distraction,” I said.
Then it was quiet. I didn’t know what was going to happen. Then he finally said, “Cover coming right up. Get in there and get them. A transport will hover on the roof,” he said.
Boom! Suddenly missile fire shot from the fleet hitting the outskirts of the city. Then another and another, around the outside of the city as the fleet came toward me. Commotion erupted all around the city. This was the cover that I needed. I ran full speed toward the pink tower. I didn't bother with the front door as the guard was occupied looking at the explosions going on. I jumped into a window; the room was empty. I ran out of it and ran straight towards the stairs. I ran up and was greeted by a cyborg coming down.
I didn’t give him an answer. Instead, I started firing my gun in the direction of his neck, he came tumbling on top of me. We rolled down the stairs together wrestling. He punched me, and I punched him back. I pulled a knife from my boot and stuck it in the side of his neck. His body went limp. I pushed him off of me. I got up and ran up the stairs again getting to the fifth floor. I followed the directions, going left. There was a guard, but his back was turned as he was leaning out the window at the end of the hallway. I quietly made my way toward him. I quickly pushed my knife into his neck. He went limp. I could hear the battle going on outside. It was full-on chaos.
“Emma! I’m here! I’m kicking open the door! Stand back!” I shouted. Then I kicked the door open. There were six frightened humans huddled on a bed.
“Emma!” I shouted. I looked around the room. She wasn't in the room. The other human females were though; I had the right room.
“Where is she? Where is Emma?” I said shouting over the bombs explosions and blaster guns firing outside.
Rage built up inside of me. Who the hell took her? Whoever it was, I was going to kill him. Hearing those words stirred something inside of me. “Who? Who took her? Where”
“Help! Elonu!” I heard a distant scream. I knew it was her. I ran to the window and looked out of the tower. Below, I could see Emma. She was being yanked by the arm by a cyborg across the courtyard. I snarled.
“Come! I need to get you to the roof! You will be picked up by a ship!” I shouted. “Follow me!”
I ran out of the room, looking over my shoulder to make sure they were following. They all ran after me. I got to the staircase and ran up the stairs one more flight; there was a cyborg there.
“Stop!” he shouted. I shot at him. He aimed his gun at me, and I pushed it out of the way just in time. It's shot at the wall. The human females screamed and ducked. I fought with the cyborg; he was very strong, even for me.
I finally got close enough to use my knife on the cyborg. I stuck it in his neck, and he fell to the ground. I ran up the stairs to find the girls struggling to open the door.
“Stand back!” I shouted. I kicked open the door. We all ran onto the roof. I pressed my cuff.
“The humans are on the roof of the two towers building awaiting transport,” I said.
“Get on the ship. I have to get Emma!” I said to them. I didn’t wait for the ship to arrive. I went to the edge of the roof and looked down. I could see Emma being pulled by the cyborg. There was a long wire leading from the tower down to the plaza. I grabbed it and jumped off the roof. I slid all the way down the wire until I rolled onto the plaza ground and sprang to my feet. I ran fast and hard.
The plaza was filled with Kynon soldiers and cyborgs fighting. I had to admit that the captain really came through. There was a real battle going on. I ran through the gunfire whizzing by me. I had to get to her. I had to get to Emma.