Artifice - Man x Man - Book Six

Chapter 15

I hear a low buzz droning on like a mosquito on a hot day. Someone is shaking me; when I open my eyes, I realize it's not someone but something. I'm dangling upside down, only held in by the seat belt, shutting my eyes tightly. I try and move my body, but the shooting pain travels throughout, and it makes me think twice — droplets of blood fall from some injury or another.

"Soli. Tonic." I try. The beeping continues, and I reach up to grab the respirator and yank it off my face. I read the small gauge and see that it says its battery life has been depleted; how long have we been dangling here? 

I feel dizzy as I reach over to shake my female companion, noticing some movement from Tonic that at least shows me that he is alive. The truck groans as it rocks back and forth. I use a gentle gust of wind to shift dust from the shattered windshield, and I can see we are teetering on the edge of the highway shelf. 

Below is easily a hundred-foot drop; we've entirely smashed through the old guard rail, held on by some grace of a deity who wants to see this play out. I swallow hard, a sobering thought as I look at the ground below us and hear the low groan of a vehicle settling on its decision.

"Soli." I try it again.

Her eyelashes flutter, and she grimaces, "Dios Mio... what the hell was that?"

Tonic rubs the side of his head, flexing the mechanical fingers. "Something took control of my arm and my leg. "

"Artifice took control." I remind them both and see the hatred rolling onto the woman's face. 

She punches him in the arm, and he flinches, cursing at her.

"Idiot!" She snaps at him. "Bringing an Artifice into the city like that. They are so easy to hack there is an excellent chance that someone now knows everything! They know about my business, the water, those people. Tonic, what were you-" She winces and holds her temple.

"Stop." I tell them both quietly, "We don't have time for this; we need to get out of here." I slip the knife out of my belt and get to work, cutting my seat belt off, what I didn't think about was the fact that the seatbelt was the only thing holding me into the truck. 

With a sharp click, the belt snaps and releases, and I fall the short space onto the smashed windshield. I hear the loud crack, and my body freezes as the glass begins to shiver and complain. 

My companions are silent as my fingers slowly spread as if this might help me. My mind begins to race my heart as I struggle to keep my cool; looking down at the dizzying ground, I have to shut my eyes for a moment as I prepare myself.

Soli stretches on her tiptoes, fighting her seat belt. She snags my strap and pulls, trying to get some of my weight off the windshield, but the uneven pressure makes it groan, and small pieces begin to tick free. 

I feel the shards bite into my sensitive palms. 

Part of me wants to beg her to let go, but knowing my fate, I keep my mouth shut as I try to work through this. 

"Nic," Tonic whispers as if uttering my name will cure my situation.

"Tonic, can you break out the driver's window?" I ask him calmly. I hear his elbow crash through the glass, and the truck squeals, cracking and popping as it dangles from the movement. The ledge I'm so helplessly splayed on snaps and grumbles, I hold my breath as the crack expands towards the edge. "Grab my feet and throw me out the window."

"Are you insane? What if I miss it? Soli can't hold you on her own."

"Like hell. I'm doing fine."

 I can hear the strain of her voice. She was afraid, we all were. They were about to watch me die.