The Creed of Detroit

Chapter 13- Grief and Better Things

10:51pm- West Side Industrial

Ruby

Ruby, Kara and Alice padded through the snow as quickly as they could. The darkness pressed against them even with the city lights blinding the sky. They had little time to reach the bus terminal. But they had to.

Ruby's heart ached. She couldn't describe the feeling but her whole body hurt. Her head fogged like someone was squeezing her skull.

She pushed the thoughts away. Kara and Alice needed her to focus now. They had far to go and little time to get there.

"The last bus leaves in twenty minutes. That doesn't give us much time. We've got to move fast," Kara said, interrupting Ruby's thoughts.

"We will make it. Whatever it takes..." Ruby smiled quickly. But Alice slowed, pulling her jacket further around her.

"Are you all right?" Kara asked, leaning down.

"I'm... I'm really cold..." Alice replied quietly.

Kara smiled sadly. "It'll be okay. We'll hurry and be there in no time..."

They carried on down the street, passed the eerie shop windows and the cars parked diagonally. But just before they reached the corner, they spotted two dead androids lying in the snow. Blue blood stained the white powder underneath them. A gun lay on the road.

Kara turned Alice away, pulling the child towards her. Then she bent down and picked up the handgun, eyes glancing around.

"Hopefully, we won't need to use it," Ruby muttered.

Kara pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Come on, let's not stay here."

An army truck barrelled down the road so they ducked into the shelter of the corner shop, pressing themselves into the shadows as best as they could. Then a voice shouted from across the road:

"No! Please don't hurt me!"

Ruby peered around the wall. An android in a white uniform held his hands on his head and was thrust into the snow by a soldier.

"Shut up! On your knees!" The soldier snapped. Ruby thought quickly, surveying all the parked cars.

"What are we going to do?" Alice whispered.

"We have to keep going if we wanna catch that bus," Kara whispered back. "Stay close to me. We're going to sneak past them without being noticed. We're going to make it, Alice. I promise you."

"Hide behind the cars. I'll tell you when it's safe. But we shouldn't rush. I know we have to get to the terminal in fifteen minutes, but we can rush after," Ruby instructed. She took a deep breath. "Come on." Then she ducked behind the first car, careful not to lean too hard against it.

The soldier's voices echoed against the walls as they spoke to each other.

"Shut up, I said! Are there many more? Look at them, they're like rats, the more you look the more you find..."

The other snorted. "I hope we don't have to spend the night here. I'm freezing my nuts off..."

"It's gonna take weeks to clean up this fucking city. Believe me, we are far from finished here."

"There are soldiers everywhere," Kara whispered from behind Ruby. "We need to be careful."

Ruby's eyes narrowed as a soldier moved passed, pushing an android forward with his gun. She held up her hand.

As soon as his back is to us, we can move...

"Come on, get moving!" The soldier ordered. They moved to the truck. "Come on, get in!"