Existing (under editing)

Chapter 34*

I had made Alma stay. Her injuries prevented her from moving fast enough and to be honest with mile, this way; I knew she would be safe.

We attacked head on in the dark of the night, using the stealth of the night vision goggles to take all guards by supers, taking over the wall instantly. It was a little too easy, but what really shacked us when we got inside.

People had been stuffed into overflowing homes. We went house by house, notifying them that we had come to take them away. We subdued ever guard in the Sector by the middle of the night and Ember had become uneasy. She ordered for the groups to start assisting everyone with the relocation m=back to sector west while we went into the main building where she had held some of the conscious captive. She barged into the room where Mitsugi and Jake with some others held their guns at the men's heads.

"Where is your leader?" Ember screamed, kicking a guy back so that he fell, her sale over him, grabbing his collar. The rage radiated off of her as she shook him. "Where are all your men?"

The man laughed while his counterparts cowered in a line on their knees, I couldn't watch this happen, but I celibately knew we needed this information.

She struck at his face, landing a large puck to his nose, not a girl slap like he must have expected as he stared at her in shock as blood had started to poor from his noise. She struck him again. "How many times do I have to ask?"

One of the men, older and more crazed then the rest that nearly started to laugh hysterically and Ember dropped the other man to grab this new one by the throat. Lifting him high and strong as he stared down at her. "Why do you laugh?"

"Because you are too late." Ember frowned then the buzzers at our sides hated to go off. "You see, men are more likely to betray another if offered the life of their loved ones."

"What?!" ember screeched through her teeth, throwing and slamming the man with all her strength to the ground.

"Someone has given the enemy information when we left!" they must have attacked as so as they knew we were off site!" she pulled out her gun, holding it personally to the men's heads individually asking the location of their leader."

***

We had retreated as soon as possible to inspect the damage that was waged in our absence. I had searched all over of Alma when she wasn't in the vault with the rest of the people, the vaults door had been sprinkled with a spray of built holes but none had gotten through. Chiaki had aid she had gone to check on the Pepper and Hunter when the attack had stricken. As soon as I reached the door to get outside to the shack I immediately knew how they got in. the door had been ripped off its hinges. I hoped Alma at the sight of seeing the attackers had run to be with her fellow foresters but as soon as I arrived to the shack under the tarp, Alma was nowhere to be seen. She had never made it to the sack to begin with.

"No! No!" I shouted and Hunter Morin and pepper stared at me and tried to communicate their words. "We got attacked." I looked straight into Peppers dark eyes. "I think they got her."

He started to sneeze and grovel pacing back and forth with his hair on end. This was bad. This was very bad. Not only had we not found the Enemies where about, they had also kidnapped some of our people. I kicked the door, not managing to contain my anger, they pepper paused then started to bark to me. When I couldn't understand we went inside and found Mitsugi and Ember arguing, the Parrot on Mistugi's shoulders once more.

"Can he translate quickly, I think he knows something." Asked pulling them out of their convocation.

Pepper barked at the Parrot as Hunter, almost doubled from the size he had been since I last saw him was struggling to wall the halls. His ears flopped down as he assessed the enclosed space with caution as he still tumbled on his large feet.

"Swank, follow the smell. Squawk!" the bird chimed, Morin sat on my shoulder.

"What?" ember asked, almost at her limit with the deserted that had gone down here?

"Wait!" Mitsugi pitched in. "His dog, he can follow Alma's sent!" the giant man laughed like it had been so obvious.

Embers eyes lit up. "Assemble as many troops as you can. We are going in for the last and final real attack, and we will die trying!"

We ran after Pepper as he had already started to follow her sent. I'm coming Alma.

***

We followed the wolf pup and the old dog all the way out the middle of the South sector. They had insisted with grovelling sneezes that she had been just here. At the base of a building then her sent had vanished. If it hadn't have been for Jake and his keen senses to notice the large trap door we had quite literally had been standing right ion it. Mitsugi lifted it with ease as the large mob waited for commands behind us. Nearly everyone had continued again on with us for this attack and I was grateful. Ember stood assessing the deep hole. I tried to get past her in the rush to find Alma, shoving her. But she spun, pushing me back and an elbow to my neck. Eyes bearing into me as she spoke through clenched teeth. "Do not act irrationally Lucas."

I stepped back then she singled everyone to follow her into the gloom. Guns loaded and everyone was all in position as we stealthily entered the underground tunnels. No one we had never found them. This must have been the mains of an abandon sew or subway of some sort but now it housed all of our enemies troops and facilities. We rammed through the first guard that had been stationed at the main entry father in. Overpowering the numbers as they had not been prepared for an actual attack on their home turf. Mini bombs went off everywhere. The bullet-proof vest itched at my pits as I ran with full speed after Ember and Mitsugi as we armed to front lines in our battle. I ignored any distractions, not stopping to even battle with some guards that wanted to prevent out entry, I had to keep going. It was dark. And the tunnels echoed the sounds of gunfire around me.

They had always been under ground. Under our feet. Under our noses. Literally. I pushed forward. Shouting her name. "Alma!" But gun fire was going off everywhere. Pepper and Hunter guided us through the labyrinth of tunnels. Someone got shot behind me, a guard that had tried to get the upper hand on Ember but one of her men had been on her back. I ducked and rolled. Taking off in a different direction trying to avoid another guard.

"Over here Lucas." Ember called. I met up with her as she placed the bomb in front of the door. "Get down!" Pepper and Hunter skidded to the side of the wall next to me.

BOOM!

The door came clear off. I bolted inside, trying to get to my girl.