Hector tells the driver, “Turn back and find another way. We…” He looks sharply to the sky as if he heard something. I follow his gaze and notice small shapes high above. They continue to advance until I recognize dozens of High Hope soldiers with jetpacks. I don’t even know if they noticed us until one of the Raiders gets shot in the chest. In a heartbeat, Hector grabs my hand and drags me between two houses. Bullets rain down, hitting Raiders and shattering windows. I keep low, feeling a dark sense of satisfaction knowing that those jetpacks were supposed to serve Hector’s troops. The remaining Raiders shoot back and hit some of the jetpacks. Soldiers scream as they crash to their deaths.
With the fighting still raging, Hector guides me behind the houses until we’re far enough from danger. When we reach a different road, he signals a buggy to stop. The driver hits the brakes, and when Hector tells those inside to get out, they hurry to do so. He shoves me into the passenger seat and enters from the other side. We ride away with the air smelling of gasoline and the engine louder than the sirens.
When I look out the window, I notice people running a few miles from us. I probably would have missed them if they weren’t running so damn fast with their red hair blowing in the wind. They seem to be heading toward the city center. I wish I could somehow catch their attention, but I can’t risk Hector noticing, and those Semi-Humans might think I’m one of the Raiders.
We finally reach our destination and climb out of the buggy. Guards rush over while sirens continue to howl in the distance. Although we’re relatively hidden between these old industrial structures, I have a good view of the city center and the surrounding neighborhoods. Pillars of smoke can be seen here and there, with the fire seeming to be spreading. There were clearly units that were sent to the heart of the city right when the attack started, or maybe they were already here, waiting for a green light to strike.
“Sir, should we head over there to help?” a guard asks.
“No. Defend this entrance with everything you’ve got.”
Another guard approaches. He’s older and seems to be a higher rank. “Governor, are you here to setthemloose?”
He means the lizard men. From the other guards’ confused expressions, it’s clear they don’t know what they are guarding.
Hector smiles and pats the guard’s shoulder. “Of course. You just keep protecting this entrance until they’re ready to fight.”
“Will do, Governor!” He turns his eyes to the burning city. Lines of concern crease his brow. “The fuckers broke through too fast. It feels like they might’ve had some inside help.”
Hector glances at me, but I keep my face stoic. Maybe River did meet with Elijah like I suggested, and maybe it resulted in him learning of ways to enter the city undetected. I won’t know for sure until this is over.
“You just focus on pushing back any attack on this entrance,” Hector says and grabs my hand. He leads me inside the warehouse until we reach a large metal door on the ground. Standing with his back to me, he enters a code on a panel on the wall, making the door slide open with a loud creak. We climb down a narrow flight of stairs, guided by faint lights until we reach a flat surface. The air is damp and musky, making me dizzy and my throat itch. I can’t shake the memory of my last time down here, when I was powerless to help Caden.
“Are you going to escape with your lizards?” I ask as we walk, my voice echoing in the narrow hallway.
“I will leave with them, yes. You can call it a relocation.”
“Relocation to where?”
“A well-guarded place that is hard to breach. Somewhere with water and electricity, but with no direct sun since my soldiers prefer the dark. Can you think of such a place?”
I halt, nearly stumbling.He wouldn’t.
Hector turns to face me, a satisfied spark in his eyes. “You thought that sending everything you have to conquer my city was a smart idea? You left your crown jewel unprotected, and inless than a day, I will invade Unity and take control of the entire Hive. Whoever survives will be granted the gift of my blood, and then the real war will begin. Fortunately, I’ll have a whole mountain to keep me safe.”
My mouth is dry, but I gather enough spit to swallow. “You’re crazy for expecting to break through Unity’s defenses. They will hold long enough for the rest of the Defenders to return—with their allies.”
Hector nudges me to keep walking. “I captured a few Defenders in the last few years, and they taught me what I needed to know about your defenses. My army will pour in through your waterfall until it’s right at the heart of the Hive. And don’t think I killed those Defenders—they’re down here with the rest of my army, eager to return home.”
Although numb, I keep walking, one foot after the other. Once those lizard men break into Unity, almost no Hiver will escape in time. It will be ten times worse than Skyfall. I realize now why Hector warned Caden about the coming war when they first met. Hewantedthis attack on Denver so he could reduce the number of alliances’ forces while finding a more secure place to stay with his army.
The temperature sharply drops right before we reach the wide dome where hundreds of lizard men cluster together. Water spills down around them from the outflows. The lizard men give us room to pass, and I wonder if Hector is speaking to them right now, telling them that war is coming and their new home awaits.
I dare to look into their eyes, knowing that each of them was once a human being. Do they remember their past? Is there apart of their old self still in there? I hope there isn’t, because they don’t deserve to be aware of what was brutally stolen from them.
We leave the dome behind and walk through a long hallway with the scent of unwashed flesh in the air. Prisoners stand in their cells, gripping the iron bars with dirty hands. Some beg for freedom, but most just watch us helplessly. I feel guilty for being free while they are locked up, but I’m a prisoner as well, just in a different cage.
“What will you do with them?” I ask.
“They can stay here until someone rescues them. I’m not going to shoot them, Finn.”
“Because you’re a wonderful person?”
“Because I follow my plans, and the people here are no longer a part of them.”
Am I still a part of his plan?I must be, since I’m still alive, but I don’t want to risk changing that by asking about it.
We enter the bright lab, where dozens of scientists stand nervously. They must have realized what is happening above ground.
