Char leaned himself against the crumbling wall behind him. They had searched the city over a day now, yet had been unable to turn up anything. Was it an anomaly? No, they had to be here. There was no way they could pull off that frequency of attacks and be far away. They had to be somewhere in the city.
"Looking a little frustrated are we Director?" Faust still had the same grin on his face that he adorned when they had first sat down. Char had no idea how his could bide his patience in such an environment. Directing troops, trying to breathe through the dust, it was all beginning to wear on him.
"I was sure we would have been able to locate them faster than this. They could be slipping away as we speak." The thought had went through Char's mind that they had been spotted when landing, but even so, the city was surrounded. The scouts would've had them locked down if they had made an attempt.
As he was recalculating his search strategy, one of the masked soldiers made their way to him. After coming within hearing range, the soldier stopped, through a salute per the norm, and informed Char of what he had been told.
"Sir, it seems like one of the units found something. A building had been breached recently. The door had been torn off and cast aside."
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean? With what this city has seen, it could've happened forever ago." Char was obviously annoyed by such a trifle report. They needed something bigger.
"Well sir, it seemed unusual to them. It looked like the door had been punched clean through. They also noticed footprints inside, going into the building sir. It appears someone had entered it recently."
Char thought about the soldier's statement. Sure, footprints wouldn't be uncommon in a dusty city like this, but for one that was supposed to be deserted and as windy as it was, they should've been long gone. Perhaps they had stumbled onto something they needed.
"Oho, sounds like our rats traveled a little too far from the nest eh?" Faust's sense of cynicism could be overbearing at times. Nonetheless, he seemed eager to investigate the detail.
"Soldier, where was this building located?" Char had now become intrigued to the idea. He didn't think that they would be that careless considering how elusive they had been, but people make mistakes at some point.
"Just north of our position sir. Its located near the center of the city, what would've been a densely populated urban center. Reports show that a subway station is also nearby." The soldier remained still, waiting for Char to respond.
It suddenly hit Char like a pallet of bricks being dropped from stories above. Had they not been in the city the whole time but under it? It would make perfect sense. It's easiest to hide when there are no open range views, and being underground would also keep them out of the weather conditions of Marlow city.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Director?" Faust had a glow in his eye, one filled with the intent to pounce. He almost looked like a serial killer, about to ambush his next unknowing victim.
"They have to be there, there's nowhere else they could be hiding. If we get there and they're not there, then they were never here in the first place."
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"I suspect you are right. Why don't we gather up our troops and go find out?"
Char looked back to the soldier, who was still awaiting orders. The lack of autonomy was almost eerie at times, but they made perfect enforcers for Helix. A marvel of their technology.
"Soldier, keep the units posted that are close to the subway station. Have the others squadrons gather back here. We're going to make a full trek to the the underground of this city. Make sure everyone is properly armed."
The soldier briefly nodded his head, and spun around, heading off in the direction of one of the tents.
"Faust, make sure you've got some protection. We don't need you biting a bullet in the middle of this. Also, pack a gun. Unlike me, I know you don't have a means to defend yourself."
"Yes sir Director. Just do be careful. You know what they say about arrogance."
----------------------------------------
Akatsuya peered out from the loft in the skyscraper he was in. Soldiers were moving through the streets in their direction. There were too many to count individually, but he could see the Wolf mechs traveling in tandem. They were coming for a fight.
He eased back from the ledge he was positioned over and made his way towards the backside of the tower. Marcus needed to know what was happening. Lyria had left some time ago and they were awaiting her return with her transport. It wasn't clear who was going to arrive first. Helix, or Lyria. He didn't like leaving his fate hinged on the circumstance of timing.
He eased himself out the window, a short blade in his hand. He pierced the side of the tower, and began sliding downwards, breaking his speed when necessary. Even if he slipped it wouldn't kill him, but he knew he needed to be in perfect shape in case Helix arrived first. He wasn't keen on making a stand against that large of an enemy, but if it was required, he would have no choice.
He came to a halt as he neared the ground, withdrawing his blade as he pushed himself off. With one final turn, he glanced back at the direction the soldier's were coming. The sun was at their back, so he would have to move carefully as he traveled back to the Underground.
----------------------------------------
Marcus listened to Akatsuya's words. It seemed that despite his best hopes, a fight was very likely to occur. It was discouraging news. In a matter of 24 hours they had went from being prepared to lay down their lives, to being filled with hope and were now forced to face a grim prospect once again. Regardless, they still had hope.
Marcus gave Akatsuya a nod, and with that, his comrade left the room. There wasn't much left to do other than check that all their weapons were in working condition and keep a lookout for Lyria's arrival. She didn't tell them where she was going, only that she had to make a call and that she would be back once she got confirmation that their ride would be coming.
The thought made Marcus nervous. Even during his war days, his team had never depended on outside help. It wasn't an idea he had ever favored, as it often placed not just himself but his comrade's lives in the hands of others.
He leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the dark, oak fashioned table that decorated the conference room. The door suddenly creaked open, Amanda silking through the entryway.
"Hey, Briggs and Germaine's got the train's moved out of the way. Granted that there isn't any blockages further down the line, we should have a clear shot out of the city." There was no particular emotion to her words. She had always been a work first, celebrate later due to her experiences. If she was any bit nervous about the situation, she didn't show it.
"That's good to hear. One problem though, I don't think we're gonna have enough time to just ride out on the wings of freedom." Amanda dropped her head, understanding what Marcus meant by those words.
"So, they're going to arrive before we depart huh?" She sounded disappointed. Amanda had never been one to like to solve problems through violence, but she understood it as a neccessary evil. She would've never taken part of the Alpha project if she hadn't. She was more concerned about possible casualties than anything.
"Yep. Looks like we got our hopes up a bit too much. Then again, we're also betting our fate and everyone else's on one person. You can't get much crazier than that." Marcus normally would've laughed in such times of stress, but this was one he wasn't sure that everyone would come out of alright...