God's Rise | WOTG #2

Fifty-Six

B E A T R E E S E

THE WIND LASHED ON my cheeks and my feet stomped the ground as I chased the soldier who caught us sneaking. We never saw him coming. We didn't even hear he was coming. And now, as Kato ran behind me, we needed to catch him before he alerted the others. I thought this mission would go smoothly according to the plan. But it turned out, a single mistake could turn the whole situation spiraling down.

He took the right turn and disappeared in a glassy building.

"We've been caught," I said through the earpiece. Dea didn't answer immediately. I heard the exasperation from as he sighed. 

"What?" sabat ni Loyola. "Nahuli kayo?"

"Calm down, Ma'am," sagot ko. "Hinahabol naman na namin siya."

Pero pagkaliko namin ay hindi na namin siya nakita. Napakabilis naman pala niyang tumakbo.

"Shit," I said through gritted teeth and clenched the pistol in my hand.

And to worsen the circumstances, the very first important thing we need for this mission to succeed, was gone in an instant. The alarm blared in every corner of the street, bathing us with its rapidly blinking red lights it made me want to shoot and every one of them just to shut them up. 

"Shit," sabi ko ulit. "Nahuli na kami. We need back-up now. And to hell with being stealthy, we'll punch through."

"Cade and Ezerina are now on their way," sagot niya. "Meet them at 7th Street just 300 meters east of HQ."

"Got it," I said and took the holographic map from my pocket. 

"Ayon," sabi ni Kato sabay turo sa isang kalsada iilang kanto lang ang layo dito. "7th Street."

"They'll be at the rendezvous in five minutes," sabi ni Deo. "Sa tingin niyo kaya niyong makarating do'n within—"

"Kaya namin," sabat ko. "We've done this before, right, partner?" A smirk found its way in my lips as my eyes landed on Kato's brown irises.

A mirroring smirk appeared on his lips. I stared at the map one more time before putting it back in my pocket.

"Good, take care th—"

Isang pagsabog ang halos magpadugo ng tainga ko. 

"Ano 'yon? Okay lang ba kayo?" natatarantang tanong ni Deo.

Tumingin ako kay Kato. May mga maliliit na hibla ng kuryente ang sumasayaw sa kaniyang palad. Ngumuso siya sa likod ko at lumingon ako. Isang drone ang umuusok sa sahig.

"You could've told me to duck," I hissed at him.

He just shrugged. "Masyadong mabilis 'yong drone. As if I have a choice so . . ."

"Let's just go," sabi ko at iniangat ang handgun na binigay sa 'kin ni Deo bago kami umalis. SInabi niya na isa lang itong artificial pistol na kung saan sa halip na bala ang mga lalabas ay karayom lang na kapag tumama sa tao ay i-stimulate ang pain receptors ng kung sino mang tinamaan na parang totong bala ang tumama. After all, the general herself told us she wouldn't waste lives like Havierre did so she commanded us that no one should die from this mission. She believed she could turn these traitors to our cause.

"Okay lang kami Deo. We're on our way."

Tumakbo kami sa gilid ng kalsada at sa tuwing may dalawang sundalo ang sumalubong sa amin. Major General Navarro was right. Havierre's forces on this farm were weak compared to the surprise attack he calculated back at Fort Dagohoy. The soldiers there were robots, making it difficult for me to control them. In fact, I never had the chance to manipulate them since they were inorganic objects. They have no consciousness.

The soldiers aimed their rifles toward us. But I was faster. I shot them on their legs with two consecutive needles. They dropped their rifles and screamed in pain. Howled at the blood that wouldn't spill from their broken skin.

I took advantage and as easy as breathing—I didn't even have to give it a second thought—I made them sleep. Distracted victims were easier to control. No resistance from the mind. 

As they closed their eyes, their screams of pain turned into sounds of snoring. Kato approached them and disabled the rifles with his ability. We jogged passed them.

Sa sususnod naming liko ay mas maraming sundalo ang naghihintay sa amin. Pagkakitang-pagkakita namin sa kanila ay umatras kami pareho at nagtago sa harapan ng sasakyan.

My trick wouldn't work with this many people involved. Before I shot all of them to their legs, I was pretty sure a bullet from them had already pierced through my skin. We crouched together, protecting our heads while the hostile soldiers poured bullets on us hard.

"Cover me," utos ko at tumango naman siya. Pumikit ako at dinama ang walong isip sa likuran namin. I let my control hover over them for a second and when the gunshots stopped, I tried to steal their mind away from them.

And if I thought it would be easy like before, I was wrong.

Some of them fought with vigorous force, trying to push my overwhelming control over their consciousness. So they weren't only physically trained. Their minds were prepared for such an attack like this.

A soldier appeared in front of us. Kato zapped him and he fell unconscious to the ground, his chest still rising and falling.

I poured more of my ability to their resisting minds and my hold flooded their consciousness like a tsunami. No matter how hard they tried to fight back I would always win. Especially now I was trained.

Biglang huminto ang pagputook ng mga baril. Tumayo ako at tinitigan ang walang sundalo na nakatayo sa dulo ng kalsada at nakatingin sa kawalan. Ang mga kamay nila ay nasa kanilang gilid.

Sleep.

And they fell down.

Kinuha ko ulit ang mapa at tiningnan kung nasaan na kami. Dalawang kulay green na dots ang nasa gitna ng daan at sa daang 'yon ay may nakasulat: 6th Street.

"Malapit na pala tayo," sabi ko kay Kato.

"Malapit na kami sa rendezvous point," sabi niya sa earpiece niya. "Cade, Ezerina?"

"We're almost there," Cade replied. And I also heard gunshots and little explosions from his end. I even heard Ezerina talking about how lame these drones were compared to the drones we encountered before.

I looked at the intersection in front of us. The 7th Street.

"Faster," I said. "We're already here."