Raider Red

Chapter 23: The Useful One

"Sirs."

Vince and two other MECH agents turned around as one of their subordinates walked forward.

"We found one of the Autobots and their charge. The one known as Bumblebee and Rafael." He explained, holding up a tablet. "We've also been keeping tabs on libraries. Red turned up. We believe she is alone."

Vince's went wide. "Already? I-"

"You're still not strong enough to beat her." The man next to him interrupted. "Send a squad to both locations."

"I thought you said we're not hunting the robots anymore."

"We're not."

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"Excuse me, ma'am, are you okay?"

Red looked up sharply, her face shining with tears. The manager of the store was standing in front of her and not far behind him was another employee. She hadn't even heard them come over.

Red quickly stood up, wincing slightly as her bruises protested the movement. She wiped her face and nodded, not trusting her voice to answer them.

"Do you need anything?" He asked.

She shook her head and turned away, feeling incredibly embarrassed. Just as she reached the edge of the window and turned toward the door, something small and circular crashed through the window.

Red's eyes widened and she turned around, jumping back behind the bookcase as the grenade exploded.

For a moment, everything went dark as heat rocketed through the room. She landed on her stomach, the cast on her arm slamming roughly into the floor. Red gritted her teeth and rolled on her back.

The bookshelf was leaning above her and books began to cascade down on her. Red scrambled back, but she wasn't fast enough and the bookself landed on her legs.

"Ma'am!"

The manager ran over, coughing as the store filled with smoke. Red's eyes darted around, landing on a burnt and bloodied body in the opening. She turned back as the manager kneeled next to her and tried to lift the shelf.

"No." Red grabbed his arm with her good hand and pulled him back. "They're coming. You need to leave now."

"I'm not leaving you."

Red read his nametag and growled. "Daniel. I'm a fugitive and a murderer. If you stay, you'll be killed."

He looked at her in surprise. "You're just a kid."

Before she could reply, there was a loud bang and Daniel stared at her in shock. Red's eyes shifted to his head, where a small, bloody hole had appeared.

He fell over.

Dead.

Behind him stood a group of MECH agents, their guns all pointed at her.

"He wasn't related to this!" Red yelled. "Why would you kill him!?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Red knew the answer. Of course they didn't care. Casualties were part of the game. No witnesses.