Oh, please. Miraculously I could hear my father’s voice in my mind. Stop being such a baby, daughter of mine. Ear later. Kill these fuckers now.
“Fuck you, Dad.” I laughed. The blood from the cavity where my ear used to be dribbled into my mouth and I spat droplets every time I breathed. I must have looked like a demon with a red grin and shining eyes. The truck’s ignition fired up and I drove the vehicle directly at the remaining colonists. That got the androids attention.
“Listen here motherfuckers!” There was no way for me to tell if I was actually speaking out loud. The deafness from the gunshot was replaced with a nauseating ringing. “My name is Fiona Alvaro! My father was Jacob Alvaro!” The soldiers stopped fighting and faced me. “We are the first to kill your kind, and god damn it,” I barked a laugh and a cloud of red erupted from my lips. “God damn it, I fucking loved it. You want to kill a bunch of random humans? Or would you rather kill me?”
“God DAMN it Fiona!” Eliza was running toward me at breakneck speed. “Stay right where you are!”
I’m sorry, love. I thought and slammed my foot down on the accelerator. The truck’s tires whipped up a fountain of mud underneath them and the vehicle shot away from the remaining colonists faster than I could believe. The android commander shouted another command and most of its force ran after me. I’m sure the commander had commanded they retrieve my head. No doubt it was going on a pike, just as Eleanor’s and Zohei’s had. When I thought I was far enough from the rest of the colonists, I jerked the wheel hard to the left and brought the truck to a stop. Dropping behind my shield, I wrapped wires from the battery around the ignition switch and waited. The soldiers’ feet pounded the earth so heavily it sounded like a herd of animals was bearing down on me. The seconds ticked by as I waited for the force to get close enough. I felt a strange sense of peace in those moments. The pain from my wounds was fading and my breathing slow and deep. I was going to die saving the lives of my wife and son. There was no better way to go.
The time had come. The soldiers formed a circle around me and I heard a voice speak.
“Hands where I can see them, Ms. Alvaro.” It was the android commander, its hand held up to hold fire. “You and your family will be accompanying us back to the city where you can better answer for your crimes.”
I took one last deep breath in and out. The knife in my hand was light. The blade glinted at me in the sunlight like an encouraging friend. One little swing. Easy as pie, Fiona.
“Okay, okay! Hold your fire, I’ll come peacefully.” I stood as slowly as I could, keeping one hand raised. It was like looking into the eyes of a ghost. The android’s face was twisted with such hatred and triumph it could easily have been Gabriel returned from the dead.
“Both hands, Ms. Alvaro. Quickly now or I’ll change my mind.”
I pulled the knife back.
I’m sorry, Eliza.
Every one of the android soldiers collapsed.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
When I opened my eyes I was convinced I was dead. My body was huddled to the floor of the truck, the shield long forgotten. The flooring in front of my nose was smooth and cool, the knife discarded a few inches away. I flexed my fingers and found that they worked. If this was being dead, there were worse things.
Then the pain came rushing back. It whipped through me like an electric charge, forcing me to stand upright. I was distantly aware of collapsing again and felt the edge of the shield bite into my back before I tumbled backwards. I landed in the mud arms first and my knees slammed into hard ground. I coughed hard and retched, the little that remained in my stomach before the battle making itself visible underneath me. The heaves kept coming and I gasped, trying to take in enough air before another bout started. Finally I couldn’t hold myself up anymore and rolled to my side, then onto my back. The sky was so beautiful. Clouds like cotton drifted by under a bright blue blanket. The grass was cool against my skin. As my vision started to fade, I had one last thought.
What a wonderful place to die.
A sharp slap brought be back to consciousness. The same sky was above me but between me and the beautiful blue was a face. The face of my very enraged wife.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Fiona?!” All right, my hearing was back. Good to know. I tried to speak but my mouth was as dry as sand. “You’re going to wish the machines had taken you out because I am going to kill you.” Yup. Remaining ear definitely worked. Ow. “You’re lucky you aren’t dead. You scared the shit out of me.” Her eyes blazed with fury.
“Water. Please.” Talking hurt, a lot. My throat felt like I swallowed a hot coal. Eliza uncapped her canteen and held it to my lips. She let me have the barest sip before taking it away again, but not before she purposely splashed some water on my face.
“Oops. Look, we’ve got you patched up but—“ She stopped talking abruptly as sirens sounded behind her. “Stay here.” Where was I supposed to go? On a stroll? While I waited for her to return, I took stock of my body. I could wiggle
