ARKEN

Found, Part Two

Somehow, despite all going through the same hole in the ground, they had gotten separated. Kiera did not know where Derrick was. She sloshed through sewage coming midway up to her knees, trying to ignore the foul odor. It's better than being shot full of holes.

She took a right and bumped into someone, jumped back and readying for a fight, but in the violet light she recognized Jurek Blaszak. She lowered her fists. "Blaz, where the others?"

"I don't know. I was with Chang and Shaun. We were with a group of civilians, but I wanted to come back and make sure everyone else was getting out. Are you alone?"

She nodded, "These sewers have a lot of branching paths, and it's awfully dark down here."

"No one's worried about sticking together. Everyone is just trying to find the first exit they can, then they'll be gone."

They were interrupted by more splashing in the sewage. They climbed up off to the side, standing on the concrete edge above the liquid below. She got ready to fight, but did not light up her hands. Blaszak held his gun ready.

The person came around the corner and Kiera noticed instantly it was an HDF officer. She grabbed him and kicked him into the water. Blaszak aimed into the water and fired, killing the attacker. Three more shot at them. They stepped behind cover until the HDF officers stopped firing. Kiera shot a thin beam of plasma through the goggles of one of them. Blaszak shot the other two dead.

Two more HDF officers rushed them. Kiera kicked one against the wall and shot him through the abdomen with a plasma beam. Blaszak wrestled the other one, kicking him in the knee to get free and killing the man.

"Are you okay?" Kiera asked. Blaszak checked the bodies, "I'm fine."

Kiera looked around to make sure no one else was there. "They must have sent some teams in after us. We can't let them get to the civilians."

"Agreed." Blaszak tossed his empty weapon aside, taking a rifle from one of the HDF officers and making sure it was fully loaded.

They waited there, staring into the dark of the tunnel, listening for the sound of other people. Kiera thought she heard something. Then six red lasers came out of the darkness, focusing on her and Blaszak. They both ducked out of the way when the gunfire started. Blaszak poked out of cover and returned fire. Kiera waited for them to get closer.

She stepped out into the open, making a shield out of plasma to block the bullets. She formed a boomerang out of plasma and hurled it into the dark. As it went, it lit up the area, revealing several HDF officers. The plasma boomerang sliced through two on its first pass, none of the survivors thought to duck when it came back and three of them were killed when it exploded next to them. The remaining HDF officer tossed his gun down and put his hands up.

"Don't kill me! Please!"

Blaszak grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall, Kiera pointed her finger at his head. "How many more are down here?"

"I don't—I..." He stammered, terrified. Kiera's fingertip started to light up, "You better be able to tell us something, or I'm just gonna' kill you right here."

"Wait! Wait! There are two other teams of six down here, Specialist Jackson is leading one of them."

"Who the hell is that?"

"He's...a Specialist. They're better trained than your average guy, worth at least ten of your standard officers."

"Great, thanks." Blaszak pulled out his knife and stabbed the HDF officer in his abdomen, below his vest. He spit up blood and grabbed at Blaszak's arms. Blaszak tossed him aside and he fell into the sewage like the others.