Watching them get to cover, he tried to escape himself by crawling to a corner of the low wall then rising up again to fire back; this time his luck ran out and he was hit in the flank by a blast of plasma. He tumbled back, the air knocked from his lungs as he rolled behind the stone barrier. The Ursus’s armored jacket held, but he felt the blazing heat against his skin under his left arm.
The fire to his front stopped with the Ursus assuming he was dead, angering Jacob even more than being shot at. He clenched his teeth and checked the action on his rifle then rolled out of cover. He spotted the Red, now focused on his team. Jacob centered the cross hair and squeezed the trigger, proudly observing as the side of the alien’s helmet exploded outward.
The aliens appeared to be making a last push to retake the communal. “We have to get these people out of here,” the soldier yelled, pointing to a pinned down group of civilians behind them. He rolled to his left and back into cover, looking to the wall behind him and the huddled group of women and children. They reminded him of his family, and he immediately wondered if they’d gotten out safe.
Rogers turned to him and pointed to a parked alien transport in another of the sheltered bays farther away from the outer walls of the orb. “Jacob, take it and get these people to the coast.”
Jacob shook his head. “No. I’m staying, dammit. Have somebody else do it. Besides, I can’t drive one of those things.”
Rogers shook his head. “It wasn’t a suggestion; I’m telling you. Now take Karina and go. Get those people to safety. Meet up with Clem at the coast. If you hurry, you’ll get there before he leaves.”
Jacob hesitated and Rogers grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him in. “Go. I’ll catch up with you later,” he said. “Don’t worry about us. Once we finish here, we’ll be right behind you.”
Jacob nodded and raised his fist to meet Rogers’. “See ya soon then,” he said, and ran off with Karina toward the hovercraft.
Chapter Eighty-Three
The transport crunched over debris as it moved toward the coastline. Jacob sat on top, surrounded by survivors who sat or stood anywhere they could find a spot atop the hovercraft. The vehicle was loaded to capacity. The compartment below was filled and they had kept the ramp open and dragged it behind them to allow more to ride along. The road was quiet; they hadn’t seen any of the enemy since leaving the walls of the communal. As the sun rose on the horizon, Jacob wondered what would come. Would the enemy send more to recapture it, or just let the place be?
Ahead, they spotted columns of civilians marching along the side of the road. They scattered upon feeling the ear tickles of the hovercraft, but then turned back, looking curiously to watch the alien vehicle covered with humans. Word had spread to get to the marinas on the coast if any survivors in the area wanted to leave.
Soon, the road was filled with walking crowds of people carrying all of their belongings. Once the road became too choked with people to proceed, Karina moved the hovercraft to the shoulder and they abandoned the vehicle. Jacob led her away, walking into the wood line, and kept her out of sight while he searched through discarded luggage and bags on the side of the road.
Jacob returned to her with a handful of clothing and children’s jackets recovered from the road. She was very small for a human woman, but Jacob figured she could easily pass for a young adult in the right light. He handed her a small, brightly colored jacket with a large hood he’d picked and stood watch while she changed into the new clothing.
As she made to rejoin him on the road, Jacob stopped and turned to face her. “I won’t make you stay with me. You are free to go.”
Karina frowned at him. “My people would refuse me now. I have nowhere to go, but I could help you.”
“How?”
“I can remove the knowledge plates—the caps. There are other things I could do. Don’t abandon me here.”
Jacob shrugged, having no sympathy for her. He turned away and continued walking toward the coast. Looking back, he saw that she was following just behind him. “Will they come back?” he asked her.
Karina moved up, keeping pace with him. “They will be forced to respond. The musing transport’s systems showed areas south of here that are secure and safe, but the North has been declared too cold for our people. I suggest we go there.”
Jacob didn’t answer her; this wasn’t new information. Although he suspected the real reason they wouldn’t move north was because the Deltas didn’t do well in the cold water. He smiled, wondering if they knew what Chicago and Michigan would be like when winter came. Maybe the ice on the lakes would freeze them all out. He lost himself in thought while walking with the group. When he looked around, he realized he’d picked up a following—people recognized his uniform and were falling in around him. Walking with him, were people desperate for any sort of structure in the chaos.
Ahead, the woods began to thin, destroyed vehicles lined the road, and the packs of people grew into uncountable numbers.
