Earlier that day.
Sally looked through her scope and couldn’t believe what she was seeing. An army of robots with and without skin were invading. The setting sun was blacked out with the onslaught of invading cyborgs. Something exploded outside, and a cabinet fell.
“Jet, watch out.”
Her hacker friend ducked, but a cabinet, jarred loose from the explosion, partially landed on Jet and she appeared unconscious.
“Jet!” April said as she flung the cabinet aside.
“They got another plane. Sally, I need you to ready the carrier,” Damien said.
“I need a copilot,” Sally said.
“Take her,” he said, pointing.
Sally followed Damien’s gaze to the cyborg girl that Jet brought. Another explosion rocked the control room.
“April, I need your help,” Sally said.
“No, Jet needs me,” the young cyborg said as she pulled Jet to safety.
“We will watch over her. It’s important that we salvage at least one flying machine. Otherwise we’re done.”
“Come on, April, I need you,” Sally said.
The cyborg hesitated for a moment.
“Okay, but we’re coming right back for her.”
A group of skinless robots stormed the room and opened fire. Sally took cover behind a desk and April took the brunt of the attack. The young cyborg charged and punched one of the robots so hard that her hand went through it. She backhanded another. It made some high-pitched squealing sounds as it went flying into two more approaching killing machines, knocking them to the floor. April leaped into the fray and dismembered the remaining robots with her bare hands.
“Are you injured?” April asked.
Sally shook her head. “Just a flesh wound. We need to go while we still can.”
April picked up Jet.
“You will get her killed, she’s safer here,” Sally said.
April set Jet down near a fallen desk and hoped it would provide enough cover. As they emerged from the bunker, Sally’s breath caught in her throat as she took in the flight deck. Cyborgs were shooting some kind of energy weapon that emitted a purple ray. Her fellow Angels were being mowed down with prejudice. The invaders went after any that fled and screeched with delight as her people fell. Sally’s face flushed with rage. She wanted to kill every last one of these abominations, but her father would want her to save herself.
“We need to get to that craft,” Sally said, pointing to a tiny two-person craft.
“There are too many,” April said.
Sally scanned the area. It was more of a battlefield than a runway. She motioned for April to follow. She ran toward a burning all-terrain vehicle. Despite the chilly evening, sweat poured across her back. Moments later, they ducked behind a stack of spare tires. The chopper was mere feet away, but a patrol of cyborgs was too close to the vehicle.
“Screw this. I’m going in,” Sally said, running toward the craft.
“Din chopta ruin,” a shambling cyborg said as it opened fire.
Sally leaped into the helicopter, a pain shooting up her leg. She ignored the growing burning sensation as she strapped herself in. The clanking sound of something falling on the craft was deafening in the enclosed space. The windshield cracked as something hard came into contact with it. The whirring of the engines calmed her nerves. Flying always soothed her. She was happiest when flying. A screaming broke her concentration. She shot a look toward the commotion to see April tearing the head off the cyborg. Sally checked the fuel gage: half full. She prayed that it was enough. “We need to go,” Sally yelled.
April took a position inside the chopper.
“I will be your copilot,” she said cheerily.
It would have been funny under less stressful circumstances, but Sally let out a nervous chuckle.
“Check under your seat. There should be some weapons.”
April produced a machine gun and several pistols. She held the automatic weapon that appeared to be out of proportion to her size. As the craft raised, several cyborgs shot at them with conventional and laser weapons. Sally pulled back on the flight stick.
“Look,” April said, pointing to the end of the runway.
Some kind of stretch SUV barreled toward the command center. Sally watched in horror as two females got out and went inside. A siren blared through the helicopter, and the missile lock light was illuminated. She took the chopper into a controlled dive. Something exploded behind them. Sally looked back to see a plume of fire and smoke. They’d evaded the attack—for now. A man dressed in a suit stepped out of the vehicle and pointed to the command center. Moments later, the two females emerged with someone. April grabbed a pair of binoculars to catch a better look.
“They have Jet,” April said in a panicked tone.
The SUV moved toward the exit. Sally knew that now was the time to make her move.
“Get ready to shoot.”
April opened the side compartment and stuck the business end of the machine gun out and started shooting at the vehicle. She aimed for the tires, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. April stopped firing at the SUV.
“I’m out,” April said, throwing the machine gun to the floor of the chopper. She grabbed one of the handguns, then shot toward the SUV. A thicket of trees obscured the vehicle for a moment, then it was gone.
“What happened?” April said in a confused tone.
Sally panned the helicopter to get a better look.
“They’ve must have gone into a tunnel—wait, there are no tunnels nearby.”
She had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she searched for the vehicle. It was gone, and she had no idea what happened to it. Sally cursed under her breath as she scanned the area for any sign of the SUV.
“Can you see anything?”
“Nothing,” April replied, scanning the area with her binoculars.
Sally gritted her teeth so hard an ache of pain shot through her jaw. Then she saw it—a faint glimmer of light in the distance. She pulled up to get a better look over the tree line. The setting sun made it difficult to make out, but Sally saw the outline of a dilapidated factory in the distance.
“Check over there,” Sally said, pointing to the factory.
April adjusted her binoculars.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Someone is carrying Jet into the factory,” April said.
Sally’s heart raced as she gazed toward the factory. It was old, run-down, and looked like it could collapse at any moment. But she knew she had to investigate. Jet was in there, and they couldn’t just let her be taken.
Sally maneuvered the helicopter away from the factory. There were trees in every direction, but she could make out a clearing about a half mile away. The sun set over the horizon as she made the final approach. They landed with a gentle thud, and both women quickly jumped out, weapons at the ready. Sally draped a machine gun over her shoulder and checked her handgun. It was full and ready for action. April ejected one of the blades from her wrists. Sally removed a small flashlight from one of the pockets of her flight suit.
“No lights! I have enhanced vision,” April said.
Sally extinguished the light, and April took the lead. They crept toward the factory, trying to remain as silent as possible. The closer they got, the more they could hear faint noises coming from the structure. It sounded like someone was dragging something heavy across the floor.
As they approached the entrance, April took a deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping in.
The inside of the factory was dark and musty. The air thick with dust. They could barely make out anything, but they could see a faint light in the distance.
“Stick together,” Sally whispered, keeping her gun raised.
As they moved toward the light, the noises grew louder. They could now hear voices, low and menacing.
“Stay back,” Sally warned, holding up a hand.
April nodded, stopping in her tracks. Sally crept closer, trying to catch a glimpse of who was inside. As she peered around a corner, she saw Jet tied up in the back of the room, surrounded by four men and two women. Sally’s heart raced as she assessed the situation. It was clear that they were not just here to kidnap Jet, but looked to be planning something much more sinister. One of the men held a length of rope and was fashioning it into a noose. One of the other men was tying her legs and arms to the chair. Sally and April positioned themselves just behind some rusted machinery. From their vantage point, they could see the entire factory floor, which was barren and various parts were scattered about the room like an unruly child’s playroom. A shuffling sound came from behind the men.
“She’s ready, sir,” said one of the men.
“Good! Those bonds look tight and uncomfortable. You can untie her, especially since her legs don’t work anymore.”
Two of the men exchanged looks. Sally was close enough to see that the men had taken offense to the older man’s remarks. The men obeyed, then the old man pulled up a chair and got close to Jet. His voice became soft, and Sally couldn’t hear anything. April made a listening gesture. Sally had forgotten that April was a cyborg and had enhanced senses.
“Do you have an earpiece?” April asked.
Sally rummaged in a pocket and produced an in-ear listening device. April took it and put it in one of her ears for a moment, then handed it back.
“I’ve attuned your earpiece with my sensory control. You should be able to listen in.”
Sally nodded.
“Well hello, Josephine, or should I call you Jet?” Professor Paladin asked.
“I… don’t understand what you want from me.”
“Don’t play coy with me, girl. I have ways to make you talk. And even though he has several new playthings to indulge in, Nigel still has a soft spot for you.”
Jet turned her head away as if she was disinterested. The older man catapulted from the chair and jabbed Jet in the center of her chest with his cane. The force was so abrupt and unexpected, she tumbled to the floor with the chair. Professor Paladin stood over her with a menacing presence.
“We have to stop this!” April said.
Sally and April watched in horror as the old man continued to hit Jet with his cane. Sally could hear Jet’s muffled screams through the earpiece, and felt helpless. She wanted to rush in and stop the torture. April reached out and touched Sally’s shoulder. “If you don’t do something, I will need to kill everyone in this room,” April threatened.
Sally closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She would get no answers if the cyborg slaughtered everyone.
“Please stop,” Sally heard herself say through the earpiece. “She’s been through enough already.”
She stepped into view and put her hands on her head.
The old man turned to face Sally, a cruel smile on his lips. “Ah, Miss Wilde. I was wondering when you would speak up. Tell me, are you willing to take Jet’s place?”
“How do you know my name?”
Sally stepped back, feeling the panic rising in her chest. She had expected the old man to ignore her, but instead, he was offering her up as a replacement.
“I know more than you realize. I know that Damien is your father and your mother died when you were a child. She was so lovely, too.”
“You knew my mother?” Sally asked, her voice trembling slightly.
“She was a student of mine, back when I was teaching. But that was decades ago.” The old man’s eyes seemed distant with memories of days gone by.
Sally hesitated, unsure how to feel about this news.
Is he lying?
Part of her wanted to believe him. She was desperate for a connection to her mother. But it felt like an invasion of privacy for this man to know about her private life. Sally stepped back, her heart pounding in her chest.
“No,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “I won’t let you hurt her anymore. I’ll do whatever you want.”
The old man’s smile widened. “Excellent,” he said. “Nigel will be pleased to see her. Take her away, boys.”
April leaped from behind a rusted machine and landed on the back of the thug. She screamed as she stabbed him in the back repeatedly with the blades that had retracted from her wrists.
“April, don’t!” Sally said.
Professor Paladin and the two women fled, leaving the men to deal with them. One of the armed henchmen removed a gun and fired at April. The shots whistled past her head as she dove to the ground and rolled under another rusted machine. It was Sally’s turn to deal with one of them; she pulled out of her boot a small knife that had been tied to her ankle for exactly this circumstance. She silently rose up behind him and pressed the point of the blade against his neck, just below the ear. He began to struggle, but Sally kept the pressure steady until he froze. April found a couple of ancient tires and they forced the two remaining men into them. It was a tight fit, but they managed to tie the tires together with some rope they found.
“What are we going to do with these men?” April asked.
“I… don’t want to kill them. But if we don’t restrain them, they will kill us. But I’m sure that old guy will be back to pick them up the moment we leave,” Sally said.
“Let’s free Jet and get out of here. This place gives me the creeps,” April said.
Moments later, Sally and April freed Jet from her bonds. She rubbed her wrists and arms. She hugged herself and rocked back and forth.
“Are you okay?” Sally asked.
Jet shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know what else to do. I just want this nightmare to be over.”
“It’s okay,” Sally said, hugging Jet tightly. “We’ll get you out of here.”
“Look what I found,” April said.
The young cyborg pushed an office chair toward Jet.
“Thanks, April, it’s great to see you again.”
“That’s a good start, but we still have a long way to go. We can take turns carrying you, but the terrain and lack of light will make it tricky. We need to get you to the helicopter soon,” April said.
“Get me the hell out of this place; I’ve had enough dealings with doctors,” Jet said.
Sally and April took turns pushing Jet toward the rear entrance of the factory. They abandoned the office chair and took turns carrying Jet. A full moon provided some visibility, but Sally almost twisted her ankle while giving Jet a piggyback ride.
“I think it’s best if April carries me to the helicopter,” Jet said.
Sally set Jet down next to a fallen tree, its massive trunk providing support. “We’re far enough from the factory, and I don’t think we’re being followed, so let’s set up camp.”
The icy chill of the night air caused Jet to shake uncontrollably. Sally removed her jacket and put it around her friend.
“You’ll freeze.”
“It’s cold, but I’ve been through much worse. My father and I used to make bootlegging runs into Canada, so I’m used to a little chill,” Sally said, trying to give Jet a reassuring smile.
“Let’s share it,” Jet said.
Sally pulled Jet close and draped the bomber jacket around them. It was large enough to fit around both of their petite frames. Sally smiled at the memory of her father’s gift and how it warmed them both now. She wondered if her father was still alive. Jet’s snoring broke her out of her thoughts. She drifted off into a dreamless slumber.
“I heard something,” April said, poking Sally.
How long had she been out? It couldn’t be more than a few hours. A faint hint of light shone across the eastern tree line.
“It will be light soon, let’s move.”
“Where are we?” Jet asked.
“I estimate that we’re about an hour’s walk to our craft,” the cyborg said.
“Maybe less if we go this way,” Sally said, pointing to a path.
It was still rough going, but April would never complain. She was committed to her friend in ways that Sally had not considered. After another thirty minutes of trekking through the underbrush, the clearing with their ride was in sight.
The craft had two seats and a connecting cargo area large enough to fit April.
“We should be ready to go once I complete my checks,” Sally said.
“Where are we going?” Jet asked.
“We need to regroup with friends, so I think our best move is to head into New York. Nigel’s there and we can come up with a plan to stop Doc Chop.”
“And that crazed professor,” April chimed in.
Sally retrieved a small one-person tent and some other camping gear from the helicopter. “I will take the first shift.”
April shook her head. “No, I will. Cyborgs don’t need a lot of rest and you will need to be well rested if we have any chance of flying to New York in one piece.”
As much as Sally hated to admit it, April was right. There was room for her and Jet to share the tent. She prayed for some good weather. She estimated they had barely enough fuel to get to the outskirts of New York if they flew over water, which terrified her. She had not been able to inspect the helicopter before takeoff, and while the Dark Angels took good care of their vehicles, she never fully put her trust in any vehicle without checking it personally. Tomorrow they would be high above the forest heading south toward the massive city in the distance.