The Sympathizer

Chapter 39

Plutonian guards, wearing dark helmets and reinforced uniforms run down the stairs with their guns raised. I glance at Axis briefly and then back at the humans still struggling to clear the lift. I help pull them out one by one, trying to quicken our pace but it's of no use, soon the guards will have us surrounded.

"Identify yourselves," One of the guards shout, stepping forward. About a dozen armed guards form an arc around us, creating a barrier against the exit doors across from us. 

He puts up a finger and gestures to one of the guards behind him, a relatively short Plutonian who doesn't have a helmet on. He pulls out a small black remote control and aims it at me. 

It's an identification device, used to read the trackers every Plutonian officer has embedded in their forearms. The device remains silent and the Plutonian's mouth falls open as he gawks at me. 

It is common knowledge that the Trinity and Generals don't have trackers. Which must be why he's taken a step back, most likely afraid to shoot at one of his leaders. 

The guards hesitate now and the shorter Plutonian aims the device at Axis, sure enough the gadget beeps, identifying him. 

Now they will know who I am. 

My fingers tighten around the gun at my side and just then Lucian rolls out from a corner and shoots at them. He's shooting them with stun guns, aimed to put them to sleep but I can't have that. 

They know who I am and I can't risk it. 

I take out my laser gun and use the diversion to seek some cover, all the while shooting down the Plutonian with the device and the one who commanded it. Blood gushes out of his neck as he falls to the floor, the device slipping out of his hand and landing with a thud.

I shoot it as well, destroying it into pieces. 

Lucian and I begin shooting down the other officers and he hurries over to where I am, hidden behind a wall near the jammed lift. The humans have run over as well, some of them taking cover behind us while the others hide behind Axis and a bunch of over turned tables. 

"What are you doing? We're supposed to stun them, not kill anyone!" Lucian hisses urgently from my side. 

"We can't have witnesses." Is all I say before shooting down more of them. By the time we're done, blood is splattered all over the floors and Lucian is fuming. 

I'm certain back up is on the way, so I begin to usher the humans to the exit. Pollux has disengaged all the alarms and doors so we are able to run past the entry way and into the tunnel. We gather the humans onto a train cart that zips past the tracks into the city. 

The journey takes us about fifteen excruciatingly long minutes. I can tell Lucian is angry but we remain silent, both preoccupied with what just happened. He must have known there would be casualties for a mission like this. 

The smell of urine wafts in the air around us, some of the humans must have wet themselves during the escape. Most of them collapse on the floor, a few have gashes from laser wounds, their blood soaking the linen clothes they wear. We lost some of them during the fight with the guards but I'm thankful to see Ron seated on a bench unharmed. 

He stares out of the window, unblinking. He looks haunted. I swallow hard, wondering if the determined boy who dared to approach me is now dead inside. 

Axis is standing by the doors, one hand trained to his hip where his gun resides. He stares at the humans cautiously, looking like one of them is about to pounce on him at any moment. 

"You shouldn't have shot them dead. You only made matters worse," Lucian whispers when the cart slides over a rusty surface, making the tires screech.