Tales of the Broken: Roses in the Wind

Chapter Ten: Rescue

    Vika crouched behind a crate, peering over the side to check for hostiles. When she saw the way was clear she rushed to the next piece of cover, repeating the same process. Vika made her way to the large storage house, picking her path slowly as to not arouse the guards. Vika glanced to the side, catching sight of Stonewall in the low moonlight.

"You're all clear. Go." Stonewall said to her in his deep, gravelly voice. Vika nodded, and rushed to the door of the storage house. Vika slid her fingers between the cold steel of the door's rusted handle, pulling roughly as she got a grip. The door slid back and forth, but didn't open. The door was locked, and Vika cursed under her breath. The loud jangling of the door had awoken a sleeping guard that was veiled by the darkness.

The guard pointed his rifle at Vika, "What in the world are you doing 'ere?" He yelled, obviously startled. His yelling attracted the attention of all the other guards, who's heavy boots clanged on the wooden planks of the docks. Vika sighed inwardly to herself, this was going to be much more complicated than it should have been.

Vika raised her hands above her head in a signal that she was surrendering. Stonewall's voice came over the comms unit,

"What are you doing?" He said with an edge in his voice.

Vika grit her teeth, "Belay your bullets." she said grimly.

Vika reached her hand towards her back. When her fingers brushed the soft leather on the hilt of her sword, she unsheathed it, sidestepping in anticipation. Her sidestep had saved her life, as when the hiss of her sword unsheathing reached the ears of the guard, he pulled the trigger. Since Vika had sidestepped, the bullet whizzed past her. Vika swung her sword somewhat clumsily, the cold steel bit into the guards leg. The guard collapsed to the ground, head pointed to his injured leg. Vika shot her knee up, hitting him square in the nose. The guard toppled back, unconscious.

The other guards had arrived as Vika finished up with the sentry. She wouldn't get the element of surprise on this battle. The guards formed a half circled around her, trapping her against the wall of the storage house. Vika raised her blade to the bride of her nose, her eyes narrowing.

  The guards cocked their shotguns, pointing at Vika's chest and head. A familiar voice came from above her,

    "Y'know just how... what's the word? Outdated, yes there's the one, swords are? Guns are the way to go nowadays."

  Vika looked up, only to find Robert looming above her,

  "You never should have stopped me in that alleyway. You botched my whole operation with that. I nearly got my neck cut off because of you. And now? Hah. I'm dirt poor. But to compensate, I figured I'd make the one who messed everything up regret everything. All your friends are going to die. Slowly. And you, will watch as you are chained up on a wall. Then, after your friends die their horrible, slow, painful deaths, I will leave you to rot."

  Vika grit her teeth, her grip on the leather tightening. A cruel grin crept it's way across Robert's face. His teeth gave Vika the chills. It didn't help that the icy wind hit her like needles piercing her skin. Robert yanked on a chain, dragging a horribly beaten prisoner into Vika's sight.

At first, Vika thought the woman's hair was stained with blood. When Vika realized, a horrific shiver creeped down her spine. It was Rose. He had mutilated her. Vika's markings shone to life as soon as the rage filled Vika's body. She constrained it, of course, but she couldn't keep it all in. Vika instantly sprung into action, slashing her way through the guards. The terrible hiss of metal sung trough the air as Vika attacked. Robert sneered at Vika, throwing Rose onto the ground. Robert unholstered his powerful shotgun, and leaped down to confront Vika. The girl had cut her way through most of the guards, and when someone snuck up on her, Stonewall would let a bullet loose, dropping them before they could get her. Vika swung around, slinging her blade above her head as she went. Vika came to a sudden stop when she felt the cold barrel of gunmetal on her stomach. Robert smiled at her. "I wanted to give you a horrible, horrible death. But this is better than nothing." Robert squeezed down on the trigger, and Vika felt the pain of the shell punching its way into her skin. Vika let loose a slow, quiet breath. Vika heard Rose scream for her, but she couldn't speak back. All she could do was fall, and that she did. Vika hit the wood with a loud crash as her armor collided with the planks. Rose tried crawling over to her friend, but the pain was too much. Rose collapsed under her own weight. When she peered upwards, what she saw was the inside of a barrel, "End of the line." Robert said, with a maniacal laughter following suit.