He called over his shoulder, “I can sense moving heat signatures, but they can be masked. One thing I can say for certain is that there’s life above and we’ll be facing more than androids next.”
“Are you going first?” someone asked.
“Yes. Same as before,” he said as Elodie once again moved to the back of the group. He would’ve preferred that she stayed close to him but no one paid her any mind where she was, it was the only thing that tempered his need for her.
One of the men came forward, dragging a metal table from a nearby room. They maneuvered it by the door to use as their next shield.
“I’ll be making a straight shot to the bridge and will be able to cover you if you leave the path laid out. The remaining androids will go first. Wait for my signal before you move forward... And don’t get distracted by your mates who were recruited, we’ll deal with them at the end. If shit hits the fan,” he added, “rally back here.”
Gunner called the elevator. “Everyone stand back.” The group shuffled away to the sides as a hush fell over them.
After a moment, one of the prisoners spoke up. “What happens after all this is over?”
I’ll never have to see your fucking faces again.
I’m going to beat Stryker’s skull in. That fucker’s going to pay for my lost ship.
I’m going to take Elodie home.
“We head home.” Gunner looked down at his hands, one of them still clutching his gun.I don’t have... Not anymore.
“I’ve never heard a better set of words my life.” Soft chuckles sounded the air.
“Gunner!” Elodie’s voice pierced the laughter. “There’s a noise coming from the beacon!” She moved into the center of the group and headed toward him just as a faint, low groan fell upon his ears. Her footsteps came closer.
He jerked his head and looked around. His audio twitched—tugged and prickled. Ely was at his side now when he reached out and grabbed her arm.
The sound was unfamiliar and he focused on it as he pushed her away, but it grew louder by the second and before long the others had noticed it too.
No, he knew that sound. His muscles tensed just as his internal tech shot a warning through his systems. He knew that low impending hum.
“What the hell is that!?”
Gunner shot away from the shaft right as the door slid open, thrusting Elodie to the ground and landing on top of her, propping up his weight just enough not to crush her. The doors blew off and sliced through the space, a cutting breeze hit his back, and a roar filled his ears.
Fire and metal shards pierced and ravaged his exposed skin—singeing his clothes—as the bomb ruptured. The world devolved into an impenetrable, muted orange haze. Elodie moaned and he shifted his weight over her.
His hands cupped the side of her head to cocoon her as much as he could. A short eternity passed before the shockwaves ended. Gunner rose slowly as the smoke began to clear. The air was thick and grimy. It made his eyes water and his vision distort.
Elodie was tensed beneath him, her body locked down with fear and even after he unpinned her, she didn’t immediately rise with him. Gunner moved slowly as a growl tore out of his throat. Pain scrunched her features as the falling ashes covered her face.
“Are you okay?” He lifted over her and kept her head in place so she couldn’t look away. She’d taken a lot of his weight. “Test your muscles, does anything hurt? Elodie?” She gazed uncomprehendingly up at him. “Ely?”
She abruptly startled into him, hacking and choking. His hands drew around her body and brought her close to him. He was thankful she was alive. Gunner crowded her face with his and blew filtered fresh air over her mouth. She sucked in air between coughs and when she caught her breath, Gunner picked her up and carried her out of the immediate wreckage.
Waves of heat burst and blazed the walls on either side of them. The metal plates along his back burned where his skin had melted away.
Elodie gripped his shirt as he moved them out of the smoke and it fell away in ribbons from his body. Her coughs continued and he cupped the back of her neck and wrenched her head closer to him as spittle and ash cleared her lungs.
“You’re okay. Do you hurt anywhere?”
Her nostrils flared as sooty tears streamed down her cheeks but she shook her head. “Not,” she coughed again, “bad.” Her voice came out raspy and weak. Gunner ran his hands all over her anyway, checking for breaks and any sign of swollen flesh. He didn’t discern anything but he checked her over twice more as she continued to clear her throat.
“You’re fine.”She’s okay.
It took a while to convince himself and he couldn’t stop touching her in the process. He was afraid if he did, she would crumble into a pile of ash. His pain became more noticeable as the minutes passed and he didn’t need to feel or take a look at his back to know that parts of it were exposed straight down to the metal.
With one hand still on her, he peeled the rest of his tattered shirt from his shoulders and threw it aside.
