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Chapter Nineteen

Up, up and up the vehicle rose. Heart palpating like she’d never experienced before, Ally couldn’t summon the breath to scream before she blacked out, nano-virus overriding her system.

Eoin, mind drifting in an oddly pleasing manner, patted his wife’s dipped head and chided her gently.

‘Can’t panic Ally belly. Nano-virus doesn’t like that. Best fighter is always calm.’

The view only got more spectacular, the land spreading out beneath them punctuated with the occasional sparkle of an explosion as the humans pointlessly wasted their ammunition in trying to bring them down.

‘Neh-neh, neh-neh-neh,’ Eoin sang to himself, most amused by the entire situation. The vehicle hummed still but it had lowered in tone to a steady sound. The constant noise felt almost soothing and without intending to Eoin dozed off.

When he later woke, Eoin couldn’t be sure if he’d been asleep for minutes or hours. The scenery had changed remarkably, the dense mountain forest terrain gone, now replaced by grasslands with the occasional stretches of trees. From this height the rivers were thin lines of sparkling white and blue. He sucked a breath in when he realised the mass of gray was an enormous herd of elephants moving across a river.

‘Eoin?’ Ally said in a tremulous voice, making him turn in surprise.

‘Love! You’re awake.’ Eoin stretched a hand out to her. She grabbed it tightly in both of hers, her eyes and mouth lined with stress as she too stared out the window.

‘How will we get out? What if we fall?’

He squeezed her hands then looked down, frowning at the harness that held him to the chair. ‘How’d you get this off?’

Ally’s eyes widened in alarm. ‘No! It might not be safe!’

He smiled at her and tugged his hand out of her tight hold, turning his attention to the clasp beneath his breastbone. It took a little wiggling and squeezing to make sense of it but seconds later he’d unclipped it. The floating sensation had long gone from his mind and now his body felt remarkably heavy, more so when he released himself from the harness. Turning to his wife he gently unclipped hers. Ally watched with anxiety.

‘Are you sure?’

Lifting the top portion over her head, and pushing the bottom straps away, Eoin shifted across the seats and pulled her gently into his arms. Her arms locked tight around him. She shuddered. Rocking her gently, Eoin pressed kisses against the cheekbone resting near his head.

‘You did amazing. Utterly amazing. Thank you for saving us.’

She nodded, that cheekbone rubbing hard against his collarbone and hugged him tighter still. Moments later a growing dampness spread across his shoulder as she cried almost silently. He swallowed hard, her pain making his throat unbearably tight.

‘I did not think we were going to make it. Oh Eoin! You lost so much blood!’

That seemed to draw both their attention to his clothes, Ally sitting up to stare at his shirt while he looked down at the same time.

The fabric, once an off white, was covered in red and pink, blotchy with coagulated blood, wide trails running down his pants, even over his shoes. The smell, he realised now, was quite strong. It gave him a feeling of almost not being in his body, to be sitting here smothered in his own blood. Both of them stared in perturbed silence until Ally took a deep breath and wrinkled her nose with a frown, working past the disturbing reality of his near death experience.

‘I wonder what supplies we have in this thing. Other than the not so useful microscope,’ she said with a tentative smile.

‘Ah! Don’t be insulting that microscope!’ Eoin scolded, playing along. ‘Why don’t you have a look? I’m going to have a look at the dash and see what this contraption is up to.’

With a forced smile Ally eased herself through the gap between the seats, into the back of the vehicle. The cabin wobbled with the movement and she froze, eyes tense.

‘Don’t worry,’ Eoin said as calmly as possible though his own gut twisted at the unnerving sensation. ‘It’s a small vehicle, it will move a little when we do.’

Ally gave a short nod, her lips pressed thinly together and turned away from the seats, examining the floor and sides. Eoin twisted to face the dash and held his hands out to bring the options up. The image spread out beneath his palms, the image looking to solidify into the shape of a traditional dash. Numerous glyphs appeared and he quickly discovered there were even more when you moved your hand, dragging the images from right to left. The old English was fairly straight forward so it didn’t take him too long to sort out the status updates. As he was reading through these, Ally popped up at his shoulder.

‘Look! I know it’s not much, but it’ll have to work, do you think we’ll be able to land somewhere?’

As she said it the vehicle began to lower, the dropping sensation pronounced enough to make Eoin’s stomach lurch. Ally was over the back of the seats in an instant, staring white faced at the dash when Eoin reached for her hand where it clutched at her already fastened harness.

‘Fasten your-‘ Eoin finished lamely as he registered it in place so set to clipping his in.

‘Did I make it do this?’ Ally whispered with a sideways glance at Eoin, eyes flashing back to the dash a moment later.

‘No,’ Eoin reassured. ‘I’ve been reading the system updates, we’re landing because it needs to rest the motor. It needs oil and water.’

‘Oh! I can do that, the mechanic showed me,’ Ally said with a relieved smile that vanished as the cabin suddenly shook then calmed, the downward motion seeming a little faster now. Her hand flashed out to grip his. Eoin squeezed it back and forced a smile.

They watched the view of the land grow larger, closer. With an exclamation Eoin shook Ally’s hand and pointed with his other. ‘Look! See that? The arrangement of lines, the way the trees follow them? That looks like a pre Event town!’

Ally nodded, leaning forward as much as she could in the harness to stare at where he pointed. A river winded its way down the middle of the arranged lines that began to blur out the lower they got.

Eoin shook his head with a smile. ‘I didn’t realise how easy they would be to spot from above.’

The vehicle hummed louder and louder and the lowering slowed as it inched its way into a clearing beside the river. Watching the tops of the trees get so close it looked like they could reach out and touch them felt insane, Eoin couldn’t stop a grin spreading across his face as they lowered still until the twisted narrow trunks of the trees were visible. The hum rattled his teeth and Ally grimaced at him when their eyes met. Seconds later the vehicle made a sharp downward solid jolt. The humming shut off.

Sitting in stunned silence he and Ally stared out into a totally new land to where they’d been only hours ago. Around them the trees offered some shade from the late evening sun.

A beep then a number of different tones rang out from the dash as various symbols lit up. Eoin pressed the clasp on his harness, releasing the tight hold of the straps with a sigh of relief. Ally did the same, scooting close to him and staring at the dash as he did. Eoin snuck a glance at his wife’s face, Ally’s lips scrunched and eyes flashing over the details before she looked to his face. The intent focus she’d expressed vanished and she swatted him, a flush instantly rising in a slash down either cheekbone.

‘Stop it!’

‘What?’ Eoin grinned then hugged her tight at her grumble of embarrassment. ‘Stop underestimating yourself, you got this thing ready didn’t you? What do you think it says?’

Her chin wobbled as she scowled at him before looking back at the dash.

‘The uhh, the noise, it’s because it needs oil.’ Her eyes flicked up to his, tentative and anxious. Eoin nodded.

‘Yes. This here, this phrase suggests a cog of the motor is stiff from disuse. Have you seen the motor?’

‘Oh yes!’ Ally lost the doubtful expression, eyes eager. ‘I’ve been wanting to show you.’

She motioned the door to open and jumped out. Before Eoin could follow she made a stop motion with her hand. He sat tight, watching from the various spots of plasoglass as she stalked about, eyes and body tense while checking the area.

‘All clear,’ she said when arriving back at the open door. ‘I don’t think anyone’s been here in eons.’

Eoin nodded with a smile. ‘I specified an unoccupied area with tree cover and easy access to water.’

Ally blinked, a frown flickering before vanishing. ‘Oh.. you could have mentioned.’

Climbing out into the fresh air after spending so many days beneath in the lab was a true pleasure. Eoin stretched his arms out hard and smiled at Ally while turning to look around them.

‘Lovely area,’ he commented, inhaling deep, enjoying the scents of trees and water.

‘It is,’ Ally agreed, stepping close to him and sliding her arms around his sides, hands settling comfortably on his ass. ‘Are we still in Asia?’

‘We’re almost over the old India border. Then we’ll pass over the nomadic lands and onto the land of Eden before crossing the range home.’ He turned his head to kiss her temple, his arms folding around her back.

‘Many more stops?’

‘Depends on performance. Where’s that oil?’

She pulled back, pausing to rise on tiptoes to kiss his lips. The pause grew longer as she did it again, her full soft lips melding against his in a manner that distracted him completely from the task at hand till she pulled back and smiled at him.

‘This way.’

‘What? Oh.’ He followed her, grinning when she flicked him an amused glance and winked.

‘Now watch.’

Ally ducked, squatting at the low sides of the vehicle near its ridiculously tiny wheels and pressed something. The vehicle back slid up, revealing the most beautiful piece of workmanship Eoin had ever seen.

‘This is the motor?’ he asked in disbelief.

With a smug smile, Ally nodded then darted around the side.

Eoin couldn’t take his eyes from it. Gleaming silver, gold, and bronze, all balanced to perfection, the mass of thin concave half spheres of detailed cut-out metal arched and rolled across and through one another in a beautiful perpetual dance.

It wasn’t until he heard the squirting sound that he realised Ally had reappeared with the oil and was carefully and studiously oiling all the points where the metal crossed paths. Stepping back to allow her space, Eoin just watched, mind marvelling at the creation.

‘All done,’ Ally said a short while later, stepping back to admire it with him. ‘Isn’t it lovely?’

‘Incredible,’ he said with awe. ‘Just amazing.’

‘I wanted to show you ages ago, I knew you’d love it.’ Ally turned to smile at him then her eyes dropped to his clothes. ‘Let’s sort those out.’

Leading the way to the river they could smell and hear, Ally tossed a small parcel at him when they reached the small rocky riverbed beneath the bowed branches of the trees. ‘Here. Soap. Strip, wash. I’ll do your pants, you do your shirt.’

‘Oh take the easy part,’ Eoin teased.

‘It’s your blood,’ Ally retorted then grinned. ‘I grabbed the sheets that are meant for sleeping under. We’ll just have to do it island style.’

‘Or toga style,’ Eoin commented while easing the stiff blood soaked garments off. ‘They used to wear something like it in the truly ancient city of Rome.’

Ally lifted her eyebrows in response but didn’t say anything, just set to soaking his pants under the meandering water, more a wide creek than a river, and began scrubbing the fabric together. He did the same, watching the water wash away in shades of pink. It was an oddly disturbing reminder of this morning, making him pause, staring around at the peace of the burbling water, the song birds in the trees and the sound of the breeze in the leaves.

‘Okay?’

He turned to meet Ally’s eyes and gave a half smile. ‘Just,’ he sucked a breath in and let it out slow. ‘Just letting it go.’

She nodded sympathetically. ‘Be nice to get home.’

‘Very nice.’

They finished in silence. Eoin wrapped the dense sheet around his waist twice, tucking the ends in then watched as Ally, naked and gleaming, carefully crisscrossed her sheet, tying the ends behind her neck, beneath the mass of dripping curls.

The sight quite took his breath away, body stirring and stiffening at the simple yet intensely erotic performance.

Lowering those long tan arms from her neck, she looked up, violet eyes widening for a moment before slanting. A slow seductive smile teased across her lips as she walked toward him with the gait of a prowling lioness.

‘Love,’ she said in a throaty whisper, her hand catching his cheek, pulling his mouth to hers. The deep kiss caused an inner pull that ended in a deep groan when her hand tugged away the sheet at his waist, fondling then cupping him firmly. He felt the smile on her lips, her tongue teasing his before she pulled away with a gasp of a laugh and released her grasp, her hand finding his, fingers entwining.

‘Come, let me show you our base camp,’ she said, eyes twinkling as her other hand tugged the knot beneath her hair loose, letting the sheet drape over her arm. Eoin paused to drag his gaze up and down that firm, taut figure and lifted his eyes to hers, watching when her gaze dropped to his waist.

‘Lead the way,’ he said, voice husky with need.

She grinned cheekily at him and dropped his hand, darting ahead. Watching her bound away, breasts and buttocks seared to his mind, he followed with speed.

When they woke the next morning, tangled in the sheets and each others arms, Eoin kissed his way down his wife’s forehead to her mouth.

‘Good morning, wife.’

‘Good morning, husband,’ she said with a grin. ‘Breakfast?’

It didn’t take much to reorganise the vehicle from a sleeping space to its normal seating arrangement. The seats slid back into sitting position from the flat bed position with the release of a clip. After a quick dip to refresh themselves, they sat near the vehicle and ate the bars Ally had found in a kit in the back.

‘Not very tasty,’ she commented between mouthfuls. Eoin nodded in agreement, taking another sip of the water they’d collected to try and wash the tough, dry mouthful down.

‘Filling at least,’ he said before a piece caught in his throat, leaving him hacking away. It took a few more sips of water to get rid of it. ‘Bleagh,’ he said while she laughed. ‘I can’t wait to get home!’

By the end of the day his clothes, spread across the back of the seats, had dried enough to wear. It was a relief when the vehicle lowered itself from the sky, settling in rolling plains beside another water source, this time a wide and deep river, flowing a dark blue when they’d first spotted it above. Ally was out in a flash, calmer at the flying but much happier with her feet on the ground.

‘I don’t like the lack of cover,’ she grumbled to Eoin as he followed her out. ‘Feels too exposed.’

Eoin nodded in agreement then motioned around them. ‘Not much option wise though.’

Ally gave a scowl of a nod and disappeared around the back of the vehicle with the oil can. Eoin climbed back into the seats and pulled his clothes off the seats, removing the sheet before wriggling his pants on, the fabric stiff from the hard washing.

An appreciative whistle made him jerk around, unintentionally flushing as Ally laughed at him.

‘Gotcha!’

He grinned sheepishly.

They were both pleased to set off the next morning, the sunrise streaking pale across the flat planes of grass. The hum didn’t seem as loud this morning though Eoin wasn’t sure if that were due to him getting used to it, or due to the oil making a noticeable difference. Ally sat tense at the initial lift off and rise, not relaxing until they reached the desired height according to the vehicle’s measuring equipment. Lower than the last two days, due to a strong head wind. Eoin read the details on the dash then sat back, watching the land pass by beneath them.

Other than the occasional moment of stomach dropping turbulence, this made for a leisurely method of travel. Ally sat with her legs tucked to the side resting against him while he stretched his arm across the back of the seat behind her. Being able to watch the spread of land from this height felt bizarre, like the huge old maps kept by the Council had come to life beneath them. Today’s view got even more interesting as the vehicle, with deference to its various measuring devices, chose to take them across the ocean, toward the land of Eden.

They both sat high, looking down at the last of the vanishing cliffs of the Nomadic coast and ahead to the long stretch of blue. At the very far edge there was the faint smudge of dark land.

‘Wow,’ Ally said quietly after they’d watched the deepening shades of blue touched with the occasional flicker of whitecaps. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much blue before.’

‘Neither,’ Eoin said, leaning forward with her, both of them as close as possible to the plasoglass windscreen. ‘I always cross land, never oceans.’

‘Never?’ Ally asked. ‘Would you?’

Eoin paused while watching below. In occasional stretches of clear you could see dark shapes. Perhaps just seaweed, but the oceans around Eden teemed with life, if the sales of fish were anything to go by.

‘I don’t know,’ he answered finally. ‘I find so much water, so deep… Unnerving.’

Ally nodded, flicking him a glance with a smile before she returned to watching the view.

By the time the stretch of land grew more pronounced, they’d spotted a pod of whales, creatures so large and strange Eoin had been ready to instruct the vehicle to fly lower, until a bout of rocky turbulence forced them both to strap in.

The pockets of it hit again as they crossed over the sharp coastal cliffs into Eden. Ally sat in stiff silence, jaw tense and fists clenched. Eoin hung onto his harness and closed his eyes, breathing carefully, calming himself.

A beep on the dash made them both twist.

‘APPROACHING VESSEL. REQUIRE INSTRUCTION. DO YOU WISH TO HAIL? DO YOU WISH TO BE UNSEEN?’

‘What?’ Ally wriggled out of her harness as Eoin unclasped his. ‘Where? Can you-’ she broke off in a gasp.

Some distance from them, perhaps a hundred meters lower or less an airship ambled along, a plume of smoke rising from its chimney that stuck out the side of the sailing ship style gondola hanging beneath the bright red oval balloon, the heavy straps cutting troughs into the fabric that strained against the steam within. Wide arched wings and a rudder allowed it to steer in an indolent fashion. It looked like an odd hack-up of ancient contraptions, but was popular amongst the wealthy Edenites, as well as the signature vehicle of travelling troupes of entertainers.

Also, occasionally, raiders.

Eoin and Ally stared at it grimly as the dash voice repeated its request for instructions.

‘We wish to be unseen,’ Eoin half bellowed to be heard as the dash attempted to repeat its request yet again. ‘Unseen!’

Seconds later a shimmering sound reverberated through the cabin. Ally looked at Eoin and in unison they sat down, strapping back in just as the vehicle lifted higher into the air. The increase in forward momentum as well as height pressed them firmly back in the seats. Eoin kept his eyes on the dash, watching the red flash that signalled the airship slowly vanish off the screen.

‘DO YOU WISH TO REMAIN UNSEEN?’

‘Yes. Show me the chosen landing zone.’

Ally leaned forward too to see when the map flicked up on the screen. Eoin frowned at the dot highlighted, it appeared downwind from Eden, which might look appropriate on a map but in reality left them exposed.

‘No, take us higher. On that peak there,’ he jabbed the dash, making dent motion appear.

The dash noted the changes.

Neither of them spoke as they drew nearer to the chosen base camp. Just being this close to the land of Eden, let alone the capital city, it brought the memories of the other day up loud and clear.

When the vehicle settled smoothly on their chosen position, high in the mountains that overlooked Eden, neither of them moved. Finally Ally said, ‘They were Edenites, the raiders?’

Eoin nodded. ‘No one else uses that dialect.’

Ally’s shoulders went up and down with a sigh. Unclasping her harness she opened the door and with a cautious look around, stepped out.

Taking his time with his harness, knowing she’d take longer to do a perimeter check here, Eoin jolted in surprise when she called him out.

‘You’ve got to see this!’

The tone of excitement confused him. Eoin hurridly half crawled, half climbed over the chairs and stumbled out onto the rocky surface with its low gnarled trees.

‘What?’

Ally stood a couple of meters away from the vehicle, grinning at him and shaking her head. ‘Come and see.’

Stepping out, he started to turn back when she darted forward to grab his arm.

‘No! Don’t ruin it, come and see.’

Fighting the urge to look over his shoulder, Eoin followed her. She stopped a short distance away then grinned at him. ‘Look!’

Turning back, Eoin’s jaw dropped. He blinked. Then blinked again.

The rocky ledge they’d landed on was empty.

Shaking his head, mind disbelieving, Eoin looked up just as a cloud passed over head. The shimmer gave it away.

‘Whoa!’

‘Isn’t it!’ Ally bounced on her toes beside him, hands to her mouth as she smiled in delight. ‘I think it’s mirrors, some kind of mirrors.’

Nodding, Eoin moved back, arms outstretched as he felt for the vehicle. The closer he got the more there seemed the slightest of shimmer. Finally his fingers touched the smooth surface of the vehicle. The door slid open and the dash voice intoned, ‘CONTINUE UNSEEN?’

‘Yes,’ Eoin said with a disbelieving laugh before stepping back again to stare at it. With the open door it made his eyes and brain fight the illusion, almost making his vision feel like it swam. He knew the vehicle was there, could see the open door and the seats inside, but the actual vehicle was almost impossible to pinpoint, making it look as though he stared straight off the rocky ledge.

Even with the knowledge that they were close to invisible there on the mountain, neither of them slept well. It felt a painfully long night as they tossed and turned and sighed, waiting for dawn. When the sun eventually rose both of them were bleary eyed.

‘Home today,’ Eoin said while giving Ally a hug. She just sighed, arms tight around his back. They settled into their seats, the vehicle’s hum increasing higher and higher till it launched off the mountain side. It gave Eoin a shock this morning, that unpleasant lurch forward off into open air and for a moment his head spun. Shaking his head with a mutter, he settled back in his seat, Ally nodded in pale faced sympathy.

‘Enough of flying?’ he asked her wryly.

‘Enough of everything for a while,’ she said. ‘I want to get home and do nothing.’

‘Except build the earthship,’ he said with a half smile, surprised when all it brought was a grunt in response. He reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. Ally forced a smile before her face sagged with tiredness.

‘Sorry love. I’m just over it all right now.’

But she tucked her hand in his.

Silently they watched as the city passed beneath, too high to make out much except the occasionally impressive structure. When the city had been rebuilt after the Event, the humans, and at the time Prometheans, had aimed to use as much of the old city of Rome as they could save. The encroaching ocean had taken much, the capital city of Eden almost fifty kilometres further inland than the last. So what they couldn’t save they recreated with salvaged materials from other structures. Having seeing images of the original Rome, it was fascinating to see the recreation, with bits of steel, ancient glass, stone, and wood in the familiar shapes.

They both relaxed when the buildings grew sparser, until only the occasional farm structures appeared then nothing, the land climbing and climbing until they soared over the sheer rocky alps. Ally finally perked up as they passed over the peaks, crossing into the land once known as Switzerland.

‘Look! Look! I think I see it.’ Ally bounced in her seat.

Eoin nodded, a wide smile spreading just as the dash began to flash.

‘FINAL DESTINATION APPROACHING. PREPARE FOR LANDING.’

The dense forest of their town, Winterthur, came clearer into view. Dotted amongst the trees were come visible buildings, others you had to know what to look for, peeks of windows from the earthships built into the side of the sloping hills that lead down to the town center, where the vehicle was slowly lining up to land.

The town center had a wide open grassy area kept clear of any objects. It was the outdoor area used in the dry periods for meetings, entertainment, training, all manner of things. Now it was rapidly crowded with people as the hum of the vehicle increased while it lowered and lowered.

Ally’s hand gripped his tight as the vehicle made its final set down, amongst the open mouthed crowd of Prometheans, and the few humans who lived with them.

‘Open, open!’ Ally almost shrieked in excitement while waving her hand at the door, missing the sensor the first two times. It finally slid open and she tumbled out onto the grass, Eoin right behind her.

‘Eoin!’

‘Ally!’

‘ALYSSA!’

Ally’s father, dressed in his long gray council robe with vivid blue lining bounded over the grass to snatch his daughter up, as if she were six years old and not a respectable twenty six. Around Eoin the crowd of people laughed and pushed forward to hug him, hug Ally, and crowd close to exam the vehicle. The voices were loud and raucous with excitement and relief. Ally’s mother appeared, hugging Eoin first then her daughter whom her husband finally released.

Trying to catch his breath, his face feeling like it might split from smiling so wide, Eoin staggered at the next enthusiastic embrace from a friend, making them both laugh.

A frightened shriek rang out.

‘Ally!’

Head spinning, Eoin twisted, stomach lurching as his vision began to blur and shift. Amongst the surging colours from the bodies crowded close, he spied the dark auburn hair of his wife, lying limp on the ground. Heart racing in fear, head spinning so he couldn’t make sense of his feet, Eoin slurred her name as he lurched forward, barely registering when his head bounced against the grassy earth.

Hope you guys have all had a great week! I’m really chuffed so many of you have voted for your pics in the monthly newsletter, it’s taken me most the week to reply to all the entries and there’s still a few days left if you haven’t made your choice yet! And here is Chapter Eighteen ? Please remember this is a rough draft, and as the author I own FULL copyright to it. This work may not be copied/shared in any manner other than a link to this blog. Thanks and Enjoy

Chapter Eighteen

Ally’s heart thudded away madly, far more anxious about driving the strange terrain vehicle than disposing of the ten humans. Pressing the two handles forward increased the speed which she did with caution. The tunnel lights flickered and that suddenly made her realise.

She hadn’t heard any cutting when she’d went back to the vehicle with the microscope.

The raiders had discovered the second entrance.

Slowing the vehicle at that realisation, she tensed as they rounded the corner.

Light streamed into the tunnel from the cleared away entrance. Bringing the vehicle to a stop a few meters away from that channel of sunshine, Ally stared at the open exit and chewed her lip.

‘Can’t stop Ally belly,’ Eoin said in that ridiculous singsong voice. ‘Need to leave.’

She frowned at him while he smiled dreamily back at her.

‘Pretty eyes,’ he said before his head lolled back, face sagging with exhaustion.

With an exasperated exclamation she shook her head, refocusing. She knew they couldn’t stop, but dammit she needed him with his full mental capacity!

‘I can’t do this shit,’ she mumbled under her breath hands humming with anxiety. ‘This is NOT my area!’

‘Can too,’ Eoin slurred. ‘Clfver Ally.’

Taking a shuddering breath Ally resisted unclipping herself and hugging him tight. The image of him, blood pouring from his body, wouldn’t leave the back of her brain and she needed, NEEDED, to focus on driving. With another hard breath in and out and a white knuckled grip on the two handles, Ally gritted her teeth and eased the vehicle out of the tunnel.

Gunfire erupted around them, bullets pinging off the plasoglass windscreen. Ally just muffled a shriek of surprise but froze, mind suddenly blank.

A hand thumped over hers and her head jerked sideways to meet Eoin’s half open, yet still definitely worried, eyes.

‘Go!’ He pushed her hand down.

The vehicle reacted in an instant hurtling off into the jungle. With a proper shriek this time, flinching and head jerking instinctively from side to side, Ally attempted to steer them through the tangled mass of trees, vines and dense bushes. A glimpse in the narrow mirror that ran the full width of the vehicle roof showed two raider vehicles, the hacked up varieties she was used to. But then where the hell was the other one she’d seen?

Just as the thought occurred to her a shuddering blow sent their vehicle sprawling, alarms sounding around their heads.

‘UNDER ATTACK! MOVING TO DEFENSE PROTOCOL’

The handles shuddered beneath Ally’s grip then to her horror began drawing back into the dash.

‘No! NO! Come back!’

Another explosion rocked them in their seats. The dashboard flashed with red lights.

‘ENTER COORDINATES FOR ESCAPE!’

Ally gaped at the dash, proper terror making her body seem frozen.

Eoin, however, reacted and lurched as far forward as his straps would allow. Still in that sing-song voice, he called out a bunch of numbers that didn’t make any sense to Ally in the moment.

The vehicle shuddered and shuddered again then began vibrating.

‘Eoin!’ Ally shrieked. ‘What did you DO?’

Before her eyes the metallic sides of the vehicle began to spread, sliding solidly up and over the plasoglass, leaving them nothing but a slit to see out of. The seats they were in jerked up and clunked into place in the very center of the now sphere shaped vehicle. The staccato sound of bullets pinging off the exterior pitched higher against the metal surface while Ally and Eoin swung in their seats that hung suspended in the middle. Abruptly, the sphere shaped vehicle began to roll. The rectangular view hole showed the outside as a blur of green, jungle flashing past. Around them they could hear the furious roar of the raider vehicles fighting to keep up to speed while navigating the numerous hazards.

Another explosion sounded beside them, but it didn’t rattle them, the vehicle just bounced along going with the motion. Swinging from their seats in the middle, Ally and Eoin clung tight to the straps that held them to the seats.

The flashing alarms on the dash had calmed down, now only one flashing. Ally realised the dash showed a digital image of the vehicle and its surroundings. The occasional flashing that appeared showed hazards to avoid.

‘INCOMING MISSILE. EVASIVE ACTIONS PROCEEDING’

The sphere jerked to the side and a second later a heavy eruption flared out, the fire licking the edges of their view. Another jerk followed and another, then an abrupt change in direction. As they did an explosion rang out.

‘TWO PURSUERS REMAIN. FIVE MINUTES TILL CLEAR FOR LAUNCH’

‘Launch?’ Ally asked with alarm, clinging to her seat. ‘What do you mean LAUNCH?’

‘NOT POSSIBLE. FOUR MINUTES TILL LAUNCH’

‘No! No! We don’t want to launch!’ Ally shouted at the voice that emitted from the dash. ‘Just get us out of here!’

‘COMMAND ACCEPTED’

‘We’re launching,’ Eoin said with a sleepy grin at Ally. ‘Weeeeee!’

Ally gave a half gulped laugh that ended with a sob. Then another explosion shook them.

‘ONE PURSUER REMAINS. TWO MINUTES TILL LAUNCH’

Heart in her mouth, Ally swallowed hard and hung on. The explosion behind them sent a hail of body parts, both vehicle and human raining down on them. Sunlight was visible ahead. They were almost out of the jungle.

Seconds later the sphere burst through the green and skidded to a halt. Ally groaned as the seats slid back to where they’d originally been with a heavy clunk. Stomach lurching from the ride, Ally felt even sicker as the metal covers slid away from the plasoglass.

Five raider vehicles surrounded them.

‘Oh no,’ she groaned, heart sinking.

The vehicles all held rockets of various types, not to mention at least four raiders apiece. Hands beginning to tremble, Ally gaped at them all, her mind desperately trying to plan an escape.

‘Prodidi,’ bellowed one of the human’s through a small device that projected their voice loud enough to rattle Ally’s teeth. ‘Prodidi!’

‘They want us to give up,’ Eoin said in that happy voice that seemed entirely inappropriate given the circumstances.

‘I know!’ Ally snapped, still thinking rapidly.

A vibration made them look at each other in surprise. The sound grew slowly drowning out the human still shouting at them.

‘Eoin! Did you touch something?’

‘Noooo. I swear!’

‘I mean it! DID YOU TOUCH SOMETHING?’

‘Nope!’

‘GODDAMMIT STOP SMILING!’ Ally broke off her tirade with a true shriek of horror as the vehicle lifted off the ground. ‘OH NO! Eoin! What’s happening!?’

Flashes of light exploded around them as the humans all launched their rockets simultaneously at the vehicle that now hovered above the ground, rocking sickeningly with each explosion.

‘LAUNCHING’ intoned the droll voice from the dash.

Ally lost her voice completely as the vehicle smoothly shot up.

It has been another crazy week and winter finally decided to rear its head! Which is bad news for my poor orchid that got excited by the oddly warm weather and sent out a bunch of buds… oh well, next year I suppose! Here is Chapter Seventeen ? Please remember this is a rough draft, and as the author I own FULL copyright to it. This work may not be copied/shared in any manner other than a link to this blog. Thanks and Enjoy

Chapter Seventeen

Time seemed to slow as Ally watched Eoin slump, the humans holding him bracing his weight as they directed the bright red blood that gushed from the mouth of the spout into a double walled container designed specifically to hold Promethian blood. The absolute horror at witnessing her husband’s very life force pouring out of him into the hands of murderous thieves did it; the fear vanished, transmuted to an eerie calm.
I’ll have to kill them all.
With Eoin dying before her eyes, Ally knew had three minutes in which to do it. Kill them, or at the very least distract them enough to leave Eoin alone, so he could remove the spout.
If he still had the strength.
The moment of time it took for her to realise, then to take measure of the ten individuals and their weapons; stun guns, net guns, soft pellet guns, all weapons designed to immobilise, not kill, took actual seconds though for Ally it felt like the longest minute of her life. She took a breath slow and deep, tasting the air, tasting the scent of the unwashed human flesh, tasting the scent of the flesh that rejected the vicious adaptations forced upon it, and above all the smell of blood. Eoin’s blood.
Setting her gaze on the human that stood dead center, Ally reacted.
To the humans watching it seemed the violet eyed woman vanished, replaced with a blur of motion. Shouts rang out and the guns lifted. An explosion of sound ricocheted off the titanium alloy walls as the human who stood at the center braced himself, his leg adaptations shooting steel rods downward to hold himself in place as Ally launched herself through the air at him. Standing diagonally from the center man, the human holding the net gun fired at them both, willing to risk a comrade’s life in order to save his own.
Ally, quite capable of controlling her leap arched back in the air as the net flashed past, skimming over her body. The strong trajectory spun the net wide, slamming a human on the opposite side to the ground. Ally heard the crackle of electricity as the net reacted to the human’s struggles, the man beneath it pined to the ground shrieking in pain. A second later she hit the man with the leg adaptations high in the chest, sending his crackling stun gun flying. The weight of her landing forced the man’s body backward. An animalistic shriek of pain wrenched from the human’s lips as his spine snapped, the leg adaptations still holding strong in the ground. Slumped over backward like a broken toy, the man burbled and shuddered as blood flooded from his throat, eyes rolling back while his arms jerked spasmodically.
Ignoring the death throes, Ally snatched the stun gun and aimed at the man who’d stood at the front left of their attack formation, pulling her trigger a second before he pulled his.
The barbed missile slashed her upper arm making her snarl in pain but didn’t stick, hitting the ground with a crackle. The man she’d aimed at struggled to yank her shot from his chest, shrieking when it erupted. Not leaving anything to chance Ally rushed him, a hail of pellets following her as the last of the humans not guarding Eoin attempted to shoot her. She reached the human with the barb in his chest seconds later, snatching him by the jaw and shoulder, her arm across his collarbone and spun him around to provide cover. His body jolted with the heavy shots of the pellet gun. The human firing the gun screamed in anger at her, and kept firing.
Continuing to hold the human up as her shield, Ally could feel the pulse beneath his jaw hammering away with each body jarring slam. When the one shooting paused to reload, Ally reacted. Moving each arm in the opposite direction with a sharp twist she broke the neck of the human and let his body slump to the ground. The measured count in her head told Ally a minute had passed.
KEEP MOVING! MUST KEEP MOVING!
Leaping over the dead body at her feet, Ally bolted toward the man holding the pellet gun.

‘Rapere! Rapere! Abbiamo bisogno d’aiuto quaggiu!’
Eoin could just hear the human behind those holding him screaming for help. The roar in his head as his body desperately fought against the inevitable made sounds and sights seem to float in and out. He half felt as if he himself floated though at the same time his body felt heavier and heavier.
‘Portior! Portior la donna!’
Trying to keep his eyes on Ally, Eoin’s vision shuddered and twisted as the men holding him released his arms, following the instructions of the one shouting behind him. Slumping to the ground, his heart beating erratically Eoin watched dreamily as the four men spread out around Ally, their stun grenades loaded. A part of his mind reminded him of his throat and he gurgled with effort while lifting his arm that felt miles away. It took several attempts, his hand hitting his nose first, then his chest, then his cheek before he managed to drag it down to his throat. The steel sticking out of his throat was sticky with smooth edges. The effort of folding his ice cold hand around the tubular spout felt near impossible. Blood trickled over his hand, running down his fingers as he gurgled, tugging and tugging, finally feeling his flesh pull away from it. His hand fell to the dirt beside him as he panted, trying to breathe through the clogging blood. Eyes unfocused he felt the itching sensations as his body, freed from the implement, working rapidly to heal the breach in his vein. Heart rate falling, Eoin’s vision began to narrow, blackening at the edges. Part of his mind knew this was bad, recognising how close to death he edged, but Eoin couldn’t muster the strength to panic. Instead he watched his beautiful wife.
Surrounded by the four men with their stun grenades extended, Ally looked calm and poised. The instant the men made the slightest movement she leapt straight up. Two of them shot each other by accident, the third and forth weren’t so stupid but still weren’t quick enough. Ally came down on the shoulders of one, swiped the vicious looking blade from his belt and slammed it through the back of his neck. If Eoin had had the strength to wince he would of. The human dropped dead and twitching to the ground. Face flushed with fury, the remaining human roared, charging Ally with outstretched arms. Standing so close she didn’t have a chance to step aside so she went with the motion and neatly tripped them, allowing the man to hurtle over her as she rolled back. Slamming him to the ground, she jammed the barrel of his grenade gun under his chin and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Stepping off the dying man’s body, she twisted, looking for him. Managing a messy smile, Eoin held his beautiful wife’s gaze, feeling an overwhelming sense of love. Or possibly floods of endorphins as his nano-virus swiftly rectified the damage to his throat. It couldn’t replace the lost fluids as quickly, and from where Eoin lay half soaked in a decent puddle of coagulating blood, he’d lost a lot. Ally took a step towards him, her smile tremulous before her expression snapped to one of alertness. She darted past him so fast he couldn’t follow the motion, only the sound; a single terrified scream then the snap of bones. Then silence punctuated by the crackle of a communicator.
‘Come on,’ Ally’s feet appeared near his head. Eoin struggled to roll over, watching his wife’s face crease with concern. ‘Still not good?’
She knelt and a moment later he felt the pressure of her fingers against his throat.
‘Looks like the wound has healed. Wonder how long the blood loss will take to replace.’
‘Hmmm,’ Eoin said, his voice swooning and singsong-like as he slurred in exhaustion. ‘A day..daayy?’
‘Don’t have a day,’ Ally said with a grunt as she lifted him bodily to his feet, an arm beneath his shoulder and across his back. ‘Let’s get you to the vehicle.’
The distance was hard to tell with his head so woozy, the rounded ribbed walls of the tunnel seemed to float. Then out of apparently nowhere a compact creation appeared.
‘Wooaahh,’ Eoin slurred as he felt stirrings of excitement despite his overwhelming exhaustion. ‘Is that it?’
‘Yes,’ Ally sounded relieved. She set him gently on the ground and he watched as she activated the door. The glass slid smoothly aside and Ally turned, scooping him up with a grunt. She only staggered slightly getting him in, and he congratulated her for it, quite impressed.
‘Love, shut-up. You sound beyond intoxicated.’ She shut the door behind her and pressed a button on the top of the seat he sat propped in. Twin straps flashed out, sealing him to the seat. With him strapped in, Ally did the same to her own seat then activated the dash.
‘Ooo,’ Eoin blinked slowly at the impressive display and for some reason that amused him. He giggled.
‘Bloody hell,’ Ally muttered to herself. ‘Can’t remember the last time I heard you giggle like that.’ She punched something on the screen then sat back. Two handles slid out. Seizing them, Ally began steering. It was then Eoin realised they were moving.
‘Let’s get the hell out of here,’ Ally growled, guiding the vehicle past the remains of the humans, and the lab he’d been forced to order into self-destruction when he first registered the raiders presence.

Hi everyone! Hope you are all well. I just celebrated my 34th birthday yesterday. Glenn and I went ice skating for the first time, then watched Disney on Ice – which, having tried it first hand meant we were fairly impressed (and watching their feet more often than not *lol*). It was a lot of fun, I just wish we had a better rink near us here in Wellington (the rink we went to was fairly dinky). So even with all that excitement I manage to bring you the next chapter 😉 Aren’t I good. This one might leave you screaming…. Here is Chapter Sixteen ? Please remember this is a rough draft, and as the author I own FULL copyright to it. This work may not be copied/shared in any manner other than a link to this blog. Thanks and Enjoy!

Chapter Sixteen

Tangled growth marred the way and with gentle hands Ally eased a path through. The moment her head cleared the blanket of plant life she jerked it back smothering a gasp.

Idling only twenty meters or so away was a vehicle with four raiders in it.

Four, Ally thought with muffled panic, where the hell are the others?

Holding her breath, Ally moved ever so slowly forward again, until her eyesight was able to focus on the vehicle. Narrowing and widening her eyes briefly triggered her sight to adjust, her hearing intensifying.

‘Amico, tu excutiocussum le Promethians?’ called one of the men, causally sitting half out the vehicle one foot on the jungle floor, a net grenade lying across his thighs.

The language, a mix of Italian and ancient Latin struck home with Ally, as did the answering voice from right above.

‘Non ancora,’grunted a male in an obvious tone of frustration. ‘Divieto di ingressus’

Just stopped herself from jerking away and alerting them to her presence, Ally felt a tiny amount of relief at their obvious annoyance at not finding an entry way. But the sound of the door trying to close had caught their attention.

‘Riesci a audio quell sonitus?’

‘Si fermo!’ shouted the angry sounding male alarmingly close to where Ally hid.

‘Festinatio! Festinatio!’ the man in the vehicle shouted with a smirk and excessive gesture.

‘Fatuus! Zitto!’ snarled the one above Ally, his voice seeming even closer as he insulted the man in the vehicle, who simply laughed then made a rude hand gesture in reply.

The sharp scents of metal and blood made Ally’s nose twitch with a sneeze. She jammed her tongue against the back of her front teeth and squeezed her hands into tight fists, fighting the urge. It vanished into shock when the man above leapt down, hitting the ground close in front on her. The leap to the ground had to be a good ten meters but he landed solidly on the ground, the leg adaptions hissing and sighing as the hydraulic cylinders within the coiled mass of metal adjusted to the weight changes. Seconds later with a long hiss from the cylinders he rose back to normal height and stomped over to the vehicle. From where she stood Ally could see the dark blood seeping at the edges of the fittings near the top of his thigh, where the remaining flesh and metal melded. The slightest sweet touch to his scent warned of infection along with the arid stench of hydraulic fluid. Ally licked her lips, tasting the scent and clenched her hands tight again to stop a shudder of revulsion.

She didn’t want to risk moving quite yet.

The idling engine ramped up a notch and the snub nosed solid front with viciously spiked maw of a grill began to vibrate, the metallic rattle humming through Ally’s teeth. As she watched others came running, piling in to the open sides, held in only by the steel wrapped tubes of glittering solar liquid that wrapped around the length of the vehicle, scooting under metal covers and reappearing, zigzagging over the partially open roof before vanishing beneath the solid front.

These raiders clearly had access to impressive funds. Ally chewed her lip while watching them bring the massive wheeled buggy around.

Another figure appeared, dressed in the leather armor like the others, the stains of blood dark on the tan leather. It didn’t appear this one had any adaptions but he shouted and waved, a small black communicator box held to mouth before he shouted to the others as he reached the buggy. ‘Gli altri hanno iniziato sulla januae!’

Ally’s understanding of the Italian/Latin blend was fairly good and those words made her turn ice cold in an instant.

They’d found the other entrance. They were working on the huge door.

Backing up with the lightest step she could manage, Ally kept her eyes locked on the vehicle until it vanished with a roar, driving up and over the tunnel.

Pivoting, she bolted.

The tunnel felt painfully long as Ally sprinted along its length. The sound of her breathing, steady and strong, provided a constant rhythm to her mind helping her to keep focused.

Could they cut through the door at the end? She knew the titanium alloy would be more difficult than probably anything the Raiders had encountered before, but their vehicles suggested they were well equipped and that, in turn was another concern.

Raiders were humans who chose to live apart from normal human society. Some scavenged for materials and made a living from selling the desired materials back to the cities and towns of humans, others robbed the cities and towns, taking what they liked. Others still chose to solely hunt Promethians. The money to be made off a single Promethian’s blood was excessive and fleeting. Blood, unless carefully contained, wouldn’t last long, and in turn the nano-virus, dependant on the high production of megakaryocytes natural to Promethians, would die out within a week in a human body.

But those raiders she’d seen, those adaptions. They had to be some of the most extreme. Where, and who would do such things. They must have found a human lab, Ally thought while considering it all again. Or at least stumbled across an old medical centre.

Someone else in their village, a scientist like Eoin, had stumbled upon such a centre once. Preserved beneath the smothering ruins of ancient enormous towers, the centre had flared to life as soon as the scientist entered. By the time they’d brought a team back to examine the centre all that was left were the smouldering remains. Raiders had cleared out everything they could and destroyed the rest. A devastating end to what had been the find of a lifetime for the scientist.

The soft echo of her steps grew louder and Ally realised she’d reached the end of the tunnel, the massive spiral door shut tight. Stopping, she stood still, staring at the door and relaxed, letting her hearing expand.

The soft hum of the tunnel’s power system was audible, and the nosier hum of the lights overhead. Breathing as quietly as she could, she walked softly across the dirt packed floor of the tunnel to the door, and gently laid her hand against the cool metal.

SCREECH!

The shriek of metal grinding against metal caused Ally to jerk back into a protective stance, eyesight sharpening in readiness.

The screeching protest of sound continued along with another sound, water. Ally realised those on the other side of the door were having to keep a constant flow of water to cool the blade to stop it from breaking. Wincing at the awful sound, Ally made herself get closer, narrowing down where they worked at. It sounded like they were trying the very center of the door. Listening carefully she very gently tapped the door, flinching as she did. The screech continued, her tap going unnoticed by them but telling her enough. They’d barely made a nick in it yet. The sound difference was so slight.

Stepping away from the door, she took a breath and rolled her shoulders, thinking through her options.

At the rate the raiders cut they’d take a day to cut through. All she had to do then was pry Eoin away from the lab as soon as possible, and they’d have the best possible head start. The other door concerned her, but the heavy growth around it had shown it was almost invisible. As long as they stayed focused on the door here, then Ally had the perfect getaway route.

Just need a vehicle, she thought and broke out into a run, darting back along the tunnel till she thought she’d reached the spot. Waving her hands near the wall of the tunnel, she made a noise of satisfaction at the sudden glowing appearance of the remote. Hand on it, the doors slid open, lights flicking on revealing the three vehicles inside. Stepping into the room Ally said, ‘Mechanic! We require terrain vehicle three, instruct me on how to ready it!’

 

The bio printer hummed then uttered a short treble note before the sound of something glass-like dropped into the hatch. Eoin stared at the clear tube of liquid sitting beneath the clear flap. It felt then like the absolute worst idea in the history of bad ideas. Attempting to re-create something that had taken what he could only guess would have been decades, perhaps even a century’s worth of work, in just a few days with no time whatsoever to allow for stringent testing.

Time felt slow and fast as he stared at that tube and its innocuous looking liquid, thoughts fighting to be heard in the chaos of his mind.

If he’d got anything wrong, if any of the genetic instructions created a different result to his predicted outcome the results could, in fact likely would, be fatal.

Slowly he reached down and lifted the flap then gently removed the tube. The instant its weight left the hatch a drawer slid open beside Eoin. Nestled inside its form fitting foam cut-out lay a hydro-spray gun. Lifting the device out, he slotted the tube into it, the gun hissing as it locked it in. Footsteps gave him the briefest of warning before Ally burst through the door, making a neat leap down the first then the second short stretches of stairs, stopping beside him seconds later.

‘They’re working on the tunnel door. It’ll give us more time. Are you ready, how’d it go?’

Her words tumbled out as Eoin stared at her, uncertain of his own.

‘I .. uhh .. it’s.’ Eoin swallowed. ‘It’s done. But I have no way of testing it. Without Holi to run her diagnostics I can’t check it.’

Ally stared at him, her eyes calm. That trusting expression made him blurt it out.

‘I’m testing it! Not you. I can’t risk it. I don’t know-‘

Ally, without the slightest change in expression snatched the hydro-spray gun from his hand, pressed it to her neck and said, ‘Hope there’s enough for two.’

Before Eoin could knock it away she’d pulled the trigger. Seconds later he felt the cold sting against his extended wrist. His gasp of astonishment hadn’t even escaped his lips.

With an arch of her eyebrow, lips twisted in a half smirk, Ally said, ‘Marriage. We’re in this crazy shit together.’

He managed a nod even though his gut twisted in anxiety.

‘Now! What are you taking? C’mon, lets get out of here!’

Eoin pointed at the microscope which Ally grabbed as he said, ‘The ‘scope, I thought it would appease your father. I’ve got a bag in the room and that’s it.’

‘Grab your bag! Let’s go! I’ve got something to show you,’ Ally called as she ran back up the stairs, the bulky microscope in her arms.

Taking a moment to breathe, Eoin stood in the middle of the lab and slowly turned around, staring at the space and committing all the incredible pieces of equipment to memory.

The greatest discovery he’d ever made, and he had to leave it behind.

 

The vehicle sat just out the front of the garage, a long way to carry the heavy microscope but Ally was so amped with adrenalin she didn’t notice. The sound of her footsteps on the dirt seemed oddly loud, but she ignored it, so focused on the task. Reaching the terrain vehicle, she set the microscope gently on the ground and motioned the door to open, clambering in and peering over the seats. With a grumble under her breathe she turned back to the dash, holding her hands over it to make the controls appear. Scanning the options, she tentatively swiped it to the left, making a variety of lit images flash past. The mechanic had instructed her on how to operate the vehicle, but it still felt totally foreign compared to the wide wheeled LENR vehicles back home. Too small, too compact, and far more complicated.

Finding a control that gave her access to the back, she pressed the command. The back of the vehicle slid open. Scrambling out the front, Ally zipped around to the back and examined the open space. She needed to wedge the microscope in if it where to survive the trip home. Fabric wadded beneath one of the front seats caught her eye and she reached for it. When she spread the smooth thick fabric out it formed a large square with bulgy sides. A little more examining revealed a plug. Ally gave the cord attached to it a quick tug while peering at the pictograms on the tag attached to the plug. Hissing, the square began to fill with air, the sides popping up and filling out until it formed a firm box. With a grin Ally turned to lift the microscope into the cube, gently lowering the weight while clenching her teeth, hoping the weight wouldn’t be too much. It settled in nicely and she wedged the cube behind the seats then climbed over into them. Bringing the controls up again, she got comfortable in the seat then tentatively set the vehicle in motion. The forward motion instantly gave her a thrill of delight but she resisted increasing the speed, not wanting to push it too soon. The terrain vehicle trundled along, the sound of its airless tyres on the soft dirt a constant murmur.

A rumble beneath, that seemed to echo through the vehicle made Ally hit the red marked STOP button and leap out the machine. Seconds later the tunnel shuddered with the muffled sound of an explosion.

Ally bolted.

 

Ears ringing, Eoin rolled onto his back, the flash of the explosion still blinding his vision. His body ached but he could feel the rushing sensation of stimulants through his system as his nano-virus reacted to the external stimuli. Mind still a muddled mess, Eoin felt a brief sense of gratitude that it at least was still working; can’t have screwed it up completely, he thought in relief.

The feeling was short lived.

‘Promethian!’ bellowed a deep threatening voice. ‘Sei mortuus!’

It didn’t matter the language “you’re dead” always managed to sound as threatening as intended. Shoving to his feet, Eoin staggered while blinking rapidly, taking stock of the scattered bodies around him. One, oh, and two definitely dead. Three, four-

‘Adesso sì che ci siamo!’

The voice right behind him made Eoin swing an arm out in defence, knocking down the human who’d just attempted to grab him. Before he could swing back a heavy weight struck him mid-back and he fell to his knees. Seconds later he heard another voice snarl, ‘Bastardus!’ then a blinding CRACK hurled him into blackness.

Minutes, or maybe only seconds later, he couldn’t tell his head ringing and neck aching from the blow, Eoin opened his eyes.

Ally stood twenty metres or so from him, her beautiful violet eyes shockingly wide and unblinking. Eoin went to move then realised they had him pinned, two on either side, another two with net guns trained on Ally and another two held stun guns at the ready. Realising he couldn’t see the other four Eoin struggled, trying to twist his head to see them.

An enormous spread of a hand settled firmly around the base of his neck. Eoin’s skin prickled with alarm and he opened his mouth, eyes on Ally.

‘Ally, RU-‘

The shout broke of in a gurgle of blood as the other hand, fisted tight around a long sharp silver spout, slammed the device directly into Eoin’s jugular.