Except for the militia, possibly, and even they appeared a little hesitant to approach her. The man at the front shoved a couple of the townsfolk aside and snatched a rope from the hands of another before he turned to her.
"You have to surrender him to us," he shouted in an attempt to be heard over the yells of the crowd behind him. "He must be locked up like the rest or he will be torn to pieces."
Maybe the militia didn't approve of the way that the mob handled their own version of justice, although she couldn’t banish the memory of how they’d stepped over an unconscious man. Not only that, but they’d also left him to be strung up by the Auburnites and made no effort to intervene.
She studied them and realized that they looked tired and even exhausted. Certainly, they weren’t in the mood to have to deal with her and the other people at the same time.
"I can't," Jessica13 said and took a step back.
She regretted it instantly. Maybe they saw it as a sign of weakness or merely didn't like her to defend one of the FEMA pilots, but the crowd surged forward.
Mini had already disengaged the grappler gun from its dart, ready to repulse anyone who tried to attack them.
"This man needs to be held with the others," the militia leader yelled and tried to gain control of the situation once more.
Even so, Jessica13 couldn't agree to simply hand Robert7 over. The chances were that he would be executed like the others. She trusted the Minato to protect him more than a stockade.
She was about to say as much when she noticed that the weight on the magnetic clamp on her back had disappeared. Robert7 didn’t move quickly but with the help of a makeshift crutch, he managed to climb off her back and moved out in front of her.
"What are you doing?" she demanded and took a step forward. Her first instinct was to protect him as some of the folk behind the militia began to gather rocks again.
He looked at her and her gut twisted. His nostrils flared and his wide eyes told her that he was terrified but still, he stood his ground.
“I can’t let you or Mini put yourselves into any more danger on my account,” he said, his voice soft. It quivered like he tried to convince himself that he was doing the right thing.
She didn't think the FEMA pilots qualified as the best people, all in all, but they certainly didn't have cowards in their ranks. Robert7 wasn't one, at least. He was scared, that much was plain, and she wondered if he regretted his actions when the militia grasped him by the arms.
"Thank you for keeping me safe!" he called to her and his voice trembled a little as he was dragged away. The militia pushed at the townsfolk to clear a path for him through the mob.
No rocks were thrown, although a few spat on him as he passed. Finally, he was shoved inside the stockade and the makeshift gate closed behind him.
The crowd's yells turned to mumbles. Maybe their thirst for murder and vengeance had abated, or maybe they understood that there would be another time and another place.
Their reasons seemed irrelevant and they drifted away to their improvised homes or perhaps to work. A few threw dirty looks at her and shouted something she couldn't quite pick up, but the rest appeared more than willing to simply leave.
Jessica13 vehemently agreed. Nausea churned in her stomach again, and when she released the controls of the mech, Mini immediately picked them up and eased them into a steady pace.
"What should I do?" she whimpered, put her hands over her face, and felt hot tears streaming down her cheeks.
He didn't answer immediately but pulled the Minato to a halt once they were a safe distance from the scene.
"Maybe you can introduce a little goodness, sanity, and brotherhood to the mix."
Chapter Fifty
Night began to fall and cast long shadows across the sweep of grassland around them. The uneven terrain was enough to cover their movements, for the most part, but that would change when they approached the mesa.
Still, this was close enough. Hammerhand didn't like to step into the open like this. Charging into battle while shouting for attention seemed pointless, like empty bravado that would get people killed unnecessarily.
In this case, however, they needed to capture the attention of the men defending the stronghold and make them come down for a fight It was imperative to draw as many of them as they could away from their defensive positions.
As much as he disliked the idea, the first order of business was to attack those same defensive positions while they shouted for attention.
"I will fucking regret this."
No comms were allowed, at least not until the fighting started, but he could only imagine Tinker commenting as to why Hammerhand should already regret their decision.
The Knights were positioned behind him together with a group of the Auburn pilots who had volunteered for the mission. So many of them had done so that there weren't enough working mechs available to outfit them all.
While the numbers had surprised him, it was understandable, of course. They wanted to avenge themselves on those who had oppressed them for years. Possibly even decades, he reminded himself, given how long the FEMA city had been in place and had taken advantage of the people living in the surrounding areas.
The sky above was painted by a bright red streak of dying sunlight that stretched beyond the tall grass. The hillocks and even slight rises lengthened their shadows as the flow faded and bled into the first hint of twilight.
Sunset. It was time.
And about fucking time too.
Hammerhand welcomed the familiar sensation of adrenaline spiking in his
