Chapter 44

The assault grew more chaotic as it continued. The gunships were able to neutralize the rail snipers on the building's roof, allowing the gun mechs to finally breach one of the building's walls. Old masonry crumbled around the mech when it slammed into the wall. The dust wafted up in a heavy cloud that soon mixed and dissipated with the gun smoke that hung over the building like a pall.

The fight only intensified once the building was breached. The monitors showed men and women fighting and dying from more angles than Geraldo needed. The whole ordeal was messy but with a clinical execution. The command staff in the bunker droned on robotically, issuing orders. It was almost indistinguishable from a call center. A sickly calm had overcome the room around Geraldo. After the initial shock at the beginning of the conflict, the command center had eased into a work-like manner.

Geraldo finally looked away, having his fill of unwanted slaughter. His eyes searched the dark command room, looking for Brian. He caught the man just as he slid out of a door, leaving the room. Geraldo gave a quick look over his shoulder, making sure that his babysitters were too occupied by the assault to notice his absence.

He heard the sounds of the fight and the smell of burnt bodies and gunpowder, even this far away. Geraldo had seen his fair share of shoot-outs, but nothing like this. This wasn't law enforcement. It was warfare.

Geraldo found Brian crouched between two vehicles, his back to the command center. Geraldo was about to call out to him, but he slowed to a stop when he noticed that Brian was talking on his terminal.

"Gab, I can't help you if you don't tell me where you are," Brian said in a breathless hush. Geraldo wondered how many times he had asked her that. How many times had he taken a call from her? Rage began to wallow up in the pit of Geraldo's stomach. The civilians around the warehouse had been slaughtered in order for Cy-Tech to find Gabriela, and Brian had known she wasn't inside all this time.

Geraldo had his hands around Brians's shoulders before he had even thought about it. He twirled him around and swung his fist as hard as he could. Geraldo didn't know if the sound he heard was the bones in his hand breaking or the bones in Brian's face, and it didn't really matter. Geraldo swung again and again.

"Where is she?" He screamed after each blow that landed on Brian's face.

Brian looked up dumbfounded, blood gushing from his broken nose. The man had to spit blood between cracked and shattered teeth before he could answer Geraldo.

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"The dam." He croaked. "She's at the dam."

The world around them erupted in a deafening roar. Geraldo was uprooted and tossed over the vehicle he had pinned Brian against. The loud boom was fueled by a rush of wind and debris. Geraldo stared up at the shelf of the Upper City. They watched in dumb shock as the massive struts buckled and the asphalt cracked and rained down around them.

Geraldo covered his face and rolled to the side, narrowly missing being crushed. He clawed himself back to his feet. Debris and dust suddenly littered everything around him. Cy-Tech personnel stumbled from the ruined command center. Some people lay prostrated on the ground, while others wailed hysterically, holding on to mangled limbs.

Slowly, Geraldo walked around the black SUV, his hand leaving streaks in the heavy gray dust that had quickly built up on the vehicle's hood. Brian was lying on his back.

"Hey," Geraldo said as he knelt beside the detective. The horror of what he had done to the man caused his hands to shake when he reached out to check for a pulse. Geroldo let out a sigh when he found one, his shoulders slumping in relief. He knew he couldn't leave Brian where he was. The city above them could come crashing down at any moment, burying them in hundreds of thousands of tons of concrete and steel.

Geraldo opened the SUV's door and pressed the ignition button. The dash lit up, but the engine did not turn. "No ID detected." Flashed on the dash.

Geraldo stepped away and looked around. A young officer was stumbling towards the SUV, holding her forehead, blood mixing with the dust that rained down around them to create a thick dark paste over her wound. She stumbled before she fell to the ground.

Geraldo rushed over to her. She mumbled and groaned when he put her over his shoulder, rushing her over to the SUV. He slumped her body in the driver seat, taking her limp hand and pressing her finger against the ignition button. This time the SUV's engine roared to life.

"Sorry about this," Geraldo said to the unconscious woman as he sat her down on the ground. "Nothing personal."

"Come on, Brian," Geraldo grunted as he lifted the man and rolled him into the back seat. "We need to get out of here. And get to the dam before Cy-tech." Geraldo added in a whisper. He had no doubt that both his and Brian's terminals were being monitored. Cy-Tech would have gotten to Gabriela before they had a chance if it wasn't for the current event.

It was a bomb. He knew that. The only question was who set the bomb off.

Geraldo slammed the door behind Brian and quickly got into the driver's seat. If Cy-Tech had learned that Gabriela wasn't in the building, it could be possible they detonated a bomb to bury their mistake. Terrorists in New Madrid was Torose's jurisdiction, not Cy-Tech's.

Andrews was clearly unhinged enough to do something like bombing the city in order to save face. Geralod needed answers if he was going to find any justice for what had happened, and there was only one person who could give them now. Geraldo sped off to find Gabriela.