RECLAIM

Chapter 41. Hightail

Unedited

~Laith~

Laith eyed the unit. It's basically a powerful air suction-combustion machine fitted under a backpack. Not that it matters. What's waiting on the other side is more worrisome for her. Even if they manage to escape this far, she had participated in breaking into one of the most secure facility on the planet, owned and operated by Ranbax. There's no way they're going to let it go. Top it with that creep Josiah uncanny interest on her, it's sure as hell not going to be an easy ride.

"What do you think we're encounter from here on?" she asked no one in particular, trying to ignore the bigger axe waiting further ashore.

"Drones, Phantoms, and everything in between. You know, the usual stuff. But rest assure. These babies will never let us down." Carlo pats his unit affectionately.

Laith looked up from the unit and blink at him. "I'm sure they will. But I actually was thinking something along the line of when we get out of here."

"Yeah, about that. I got some bad news for you," Ely said in low tone. "An emergency notice just pop. It's our wanted posters."

A long silence ensue.

Laith sighed. "I know something like this will come."

"Yeah and it get worse," Ely continues. Ranbax pinned the renters disappearance on us, among other things."

"Figures. Now what do we do?"

"S'kay. I have a contingency plan. The moment we escape, I know Ranbax will stonewall us. Assuming they have far and wide reach, reporting to your superiors now will only get us arrested. That being said, you need a place to lay low for a while," Ely chirped. "Your next destination is our neighbor. Kimsca, the sky islands."

"More like a lawless sky islands," Laith drawled.

"Speaking from experience, I presume? Our lovely home does have a reputation fit for Scavengers and runners alike, after all." Ely smirked.

"Isn't it better for us to make contact and clear our name then?" Arden argued.

"We can't. It's our words against them. With a kind power Ranbax possessed, they're going to crush us," Alex bit out.

"Sheesh, still pissed over your sister I presume." Carlo leaned back, his hands never leave the unit as he faced Alex. "Anyway, it really doesn't matter if anybody believes our innocence. Not if Ranbax catch us first."

"We can continue this later." Camille move in. "We must prioritize our escape first. We still not safe here."

"She's right." Carlo straightened up "Well, are you guys waiting for invitation or something? Put on the units so we can get out of here."

They did just that, albeit with a few grumble on the side. Once they're ready, it's time to take to the sky.

"No need to be so forlorn. It's not like we're never going to come back, Wolf. We're not giving up. This is still our case. Stay together, we're going to make it alive to see it trough, no matter the cost." Determination hardens Arden voice, then his expression.

Laith saw immediately that the Enforcer had revealed more than he intended to in the heat of the moment. It intrigued her, this glimpse she keep getting from him. It hint he value their partnership more than he should.

Laith leaned forward from the ledge, ignoring the glances they receive from the others cramped together in preparation to take off.

"Ready, my fellow outlaws?" Ely asked with amusement. "I can't stay on this line any longer. Once you're clear from Thaen sky, head straight into the main island. I'll be waiting." She cut her feed.

Knowing there's nothing left to say, Laith powered up her unit. She flexes her flight control attached to her hands and checks the display status. All system ready, the computer stated. Bracing herself, Laith put her hands straight at her side and take off. The first seconds of the ground proof to be shaky. Luckily, there's nothing a few adjustment can't fix.

Laith hovers close to the platform as she waits for the others. She watched anxiously as they take off one by one. They struggle at first but everybody proof to be a quick learner. It looks like nobody needed to be fish out of water. That being said, it's also apt her system highlighted several incoming objects soon after. Phantoms are fast, she give them that.

"Guess this means we'll be flying hot. I had heard the Phantoms had more skill and experience in individual air fighting than even the Vanguards did. Don't engage and try to stay ahead instead," Laith heard Arden suggest in comm. "Stay close."

They begin to move with Laith in center. Arden and Alex take her right and the twins at her left. Half an hour later, the cost is still clear. Laith looked at the display again. Looks like the peace won't last much longer. The red dots are closing in fast. She checked her unit status. All function at max. Laith understand that it is impossible to stay ahead with this light unit. She just didn't expect the Phantoms be at their tail already.

Laith glance at another display, this time it indicates her distance to Kimsca. Damn, they're fast, but so did their pursuer.

"The Phantoms are here," she says to comm.

"I have a suggestion," Carlo answers right away. "The thing is, I got a feeling you won't like it."

"Spill it already. It not like it can make me hate you more," Laith said half joking.

"Ungrateful much?" Carlo snip. He then point ahead. "If I remember correctly, there's an abandon oil rig at Thaen border with Kimsca. It's a relic from those pollutant filled days but because dismantling it takes money, both countries decided to leave it as it is."

Laith shook her head. "Let me guess. You want us to fly in between those structures?"

"They'll be force to follow us so not to lose sight. Among those ruins, we have the advantage with our lighter units," Camille tried to reason.

"And it not like we have a say in the matter," Arden drawled.

Laith see movement on one of the displays and glance back. She sees tiny black dots on the horizon, clustered together in perfect formation. Laith swing her eyes and focus her attention bellow just as they reach the oil rig.

"Dive," she say briskly. "Now!"

Laith disengaged her autopilot and fall. She can't look at what the others doing. All she can see is sharp structures below. She bite her lip and eyed the control panel. Not yet. She needs to achieve maximum speed. Air rush at her ears as she plummeted out of the sky. Laith reboot her system the instant she enter the ruins, just in time to avoids one very sharp protruding metal.

Laith take several deep breaths to calm her raging heat beat. Hovering in air, she returns manual flight control to her hands and immediately looked up. Please make it, she said inward as all her friends fall around her. Laith see they entry—some smooth, some not—and hold her breath. Aiding them it's not an option, in fact, she need to move. Instead, she try to pinpoint their location.

  Laith eyed the display again, but her friends are nowhere to be seen.  

"Arden..."

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One more. Here we go :)

Video : Bastille - Icarus