The Creed of Detroit

Chapter 18- Reckless Choices

Vera

The world seemed to shake as Vera lifted her head. She took a trembling breath in and coughed almost immediately. Her lungs expanded finally, in their normal way. But her spine screamed.

She looked around, squinting in her spotty vision. There were two figures ahead of her. One of them she recognised from before.

Before she was hit.

Vera dragged herself up, wincing at the pain in her chest.

"Stay fucking still! Don't make me warn you again!"

Finn's voice came from one of the figures. She blinked—the one standing.

Then he was looking at her. Someone else slapped handcuffs onto the murderer.

Hank.

Finn clasped his hands on her arms. "Vera? Vera, are you okay?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. Focusing.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. What the hell happened?"

She closed her eyes against the spinning. Finn's hot breath was on her forehead.

"He landed on you. From the tree above. I heard a thump and twigs snapping from behind me. You stopped him. He didn't recover from the fall before I grabbed him."

"Fuck you!" The human spat from the ground.

"What did I just say?!" Finn growled. "Want another shiner? Then shut up!"

Vera shook him weakly. "Where is everyone else? Where's Connor?"

"Probably coming back around by now. We've spread the word that we've found him. Connor is probably looking for the other android."

"Lieutenant!"

The shout echoed through the trees. Hank's head snapped up.

"Connor!" Hank ran in the direction of Connor's voice, dropping his gaze from the guy on the ground.

Vera's eyes scoured through the rest of the trees for Connor, but she couldn't see him from here. She turned to Finn.

"We have to go. What if he's in trouble?"

Finn glanced between her and the assailant. Another police officer, the woman from earlier, nodded to them as she reached them.

"I'll take him to the van," she told them. "We'll interrogate him later." She dragged him up and out of the trees.

Finn and Vera ran as fast as they could over to where they'd heard Connor shout. Blue blood stained the bark in a spotted fashion. Slippery handprints and droplets showed them the rest of the way. They almost collided with Hank as they rounded some trees.

Connor was sitting in a clearing, holding an android on his lap.

The second victim.

He was gasping. Gulping at the air as deeply as he could muster. Three jagged gashes lay deep in his chest, showing the biocomponent beating blue inside him. Blue blood leaked from his mouth and Connor wiped it away delicately.

Vera drew in a shaky breath.

"Is there anything we can do?" she asked softly. Connor shook his head. Hank placed a hand on his shoulder.

The android on Connor's lap spluttered. Connor frowned, leaning down with his ear to the android's mouth.

The victim breathed in and whispered something that no one else could hear.