“I’m hacking the configuration of the security doors of the building. I’m blocking all doors from floor twenty through to ten. Hopefully, we’ll eliminate some pursuers that way,” he stated as he worked on his Holo-watch display again.
Once he was done, he signaled for them to keep moving. After another several minutes of navigating through the dark air ducts, they came to a vent. Hitomi leaned over to look through the vent and check for any movement below.
“Coast’s clear,” she whispered as she began to open the latch to the vent. All three of them jumped down and landed softly on their feet.
“You guys really did your homework. I’m impressed,” Caiden said. Both girls beamed, before hearing the commotion coming their way.
“The private elevators are a few doors down. Let's get outta here!” Nami exclaimed.
Caiden used the keycard and they successfully entered the private elevator, riding it down to the loading dock of the building.
Meanwhile, Slavo was in a rage. “Command to security, do you have eyes on the targets yet?”
“We reached the ninth floor, three guards are down, sir! Doors on floors ten through twenty appear to be completely locked. I think we’re trapped!” the voice crackled through the transmission.
“You fucking idiots! You better not lose my girls or it's your asses next! Figure it out!” Slavo yelled.
“Yes, sir!” the voice replied.
Slavo headed over to the surveillance station in his office to see if he could locate the escapees. He saw that they were nearing the loading dock using the private elevators. “You dumb bitches, I swear, you just wait ’til I get my hands on you! And the Mr. Knowone guy. Motherfucker! You’re dead!” he shouted.
Slavo attempted to overhaul the elevator function with the emergency stop button, but due to Caiden’s interference, he was unable to. “Any remaining guards! The escapees are heading toward the loading dock! Catch them at all costs!” he yelled over the communication channel.
He rushed to his drawer and pulled out a vial of Mania, along with his custom-made Winter Falcon Semi-automatic pistol, then ran toward the loading dock. Caiden’s preemptive efforts proved fruitful. By overhauling the security systems protocol, he succeeded in completely locking down the upper floors, stranding seven more guards between those floors. This meant that there were only two remaining guards to worry about.
The elevator finally reached the loading dock. It was full of boxes, large cargo cases, and a couple of dumpsters. As the doors opened, Caiden cautiously moved forward, checking that the coast was clear. As soon he deemed it safe, he quietly motioned the girls out. He located the exit and they made their way toward it. The scent of applied cleaning solution mixed with the lingering smell of trash lingered in the air of the loading dock. The area was lit by a sizable red light that was flashing on and off overhead.
The strobe like effect only added to the mounting tension. Limited visuals and utter silence was soul crushing. The trio were several feet away from freedom, when a large cargo case atop a large stack wobbled, and the whole stack toppled to the floor, temporarily blocking their path. From behind it emerged the last two guards, one of them being the one Caiden had worried about earlier; the one with the extra cybernetic arms. He carried one shock baton in each hand, while the other guard with cybernetic legs carried two.
“Get back!” Caiden commanded to the twins as the guards sprinted toward them.
He checked his immediate surroundings for something, anything that he could use. He located a nearby fire extinguisher and sprayed its contents in the guards’ direction, hoping to impair their vision and create an opening. The extinguisher fog encompassed the entire area as the guards both cried out in panic. Caiden ran into the cloud. The four-armed guard fell, coughing violently from inhalation, swinging wildly at the air while on one knee. The guard with the cybernetic legs was also on his knees, frantically attempting to catch his breath and regain his composure.
The further into the smoke he ran, the closer he got to the Hybrid guard with the cyber-legs. Caiden took advantage and viciously struck the guard across the face with the extinguisher, stunning him. He then jammed the shock baton at his cybernetic leg, and activated the voltage. The guard’s leg began to go haywire and malfunction, twisting and contorting unnaturally in agonizing fashion, incapacitating him. Before Caiden could recover, he felt the powerful sting and shocking sensation of another shock baton pressed into his right arm. He dropped the extinguisher and turned to see the four-armed guard with his active shock batons darting away from Caiden.
Fucking bastard got me! That shit hurt, Caiden thought. He almost slumped over in excruciating pain, but managed to counter, swing his shock baton in his left hand, damaging one of the guard’s cybernetic arms. The guard responded by punching Caiden in the chest, which sent him flying into a large stack of metal cargo cases. Caiden’s vision blurred temporarily from the stun. There was a massive dent in the cargo case left by the sheer velocity of the impact.
It was a miracle he was still conscious after that. He managed to look up through the fog and focus his vision just enough to see the menacing guard, airborne and flying toward him with all the shock batons aimed at him. At the last second, he rolled over to his right, avoiding the fatal blow in the nick of time. There was a loud boom and blinding sparks as the shock batons connected with the metal lining of the cargo cases.
Caiden’s maneuver left him in an advantageous position behind the guard. He got to his feet, grabbed the other cybernetic arm from behind and savagely snapped it backward at an awkward angle, shorting it out. Blood began to trickle from the gurards torso, and he dropped to his knee in agony. Caiden then grabbed the guard in a
