Some outsiders put up a little resistance to my left, battling the drones that outnumber them by the dozens. In front of me, one of the tall buildings collapses and kicks up a cloud of dust. I try not to think of the lives that might have been inside as I run around the fallen debris.
Using the cover of the dust, I push deeper into the city. There are many outsiders I could stop to help, but I don't have the time if I want to honor my promise to Martha and save her daughters. I wish I could bring all the outsiders with me, but the logistics won't allow it. It pains me to see them suffer. I shoot a couple of drones as I run. Perhaps that will buy some time to let a few outsiders escape the city.
To my right, a Fly hits the lower floors of a building with a couple of missiles. The building creaks, and it buckles under its weight. As I run, I hear the building hit the ground with a roar. The drones, under Lucie's commands, are intent on leveling every building.
As I turn the last corner before reaching KJ's house, I spot five drones marching toward her entryway. I need to stop them from going in.
“Hey!” I yell as I pull the trigger and send bullets flying in their direction. Two drones fall to the ground. The other three turn and open fire.
I jump to my right and roll behind a short pile of rubble. Bullets hit the dirt around me and zoom past my body. There isn't much of a window for me to shoot back. I place the rifle on a small mound of what was once a wall and fire in the drones' direction. I shoot until no more bullets leave the barrel.
Seconds after my gun runs out, their shots stop as well. I peer over the rubble and see another drone on the ground, but the other two are walking into KJ's home. I jump to my feet and sprint to the front. One of the drones on the ground is still alive, but his breathing is garbled, and he'll soon choke on his blood. He's not a threat.
I stand outside the door, knowing that at least one of the drones is waiting for me on the other side of the wall. The fabric covering the door blocks my view of what’s inside. I can't tell where either of the drones is, and I will need to guess when I run in.
As I prepare myself to fight, an idea jumps into my head. I crouch low to the ground and inch to the center of the door. A scream from the inside springs me to action. I let my instincts guide my hand, and I reach around the right side of the wall. Since all drones are right-handed, it will want to keep that arm unobstructed.
When my hand grabs a leg, I know I guessed right. I yank at the leg, pulling the drone's feet from underneath him. He falls hard, unprepared for my attack and his head hits the ground with a thud. I stand and brush the fabric away from me. Without hesitation, I kick the drone under the chin, sending his jaw deep into his skull.
“Look out!” I hear KJ scream.
Before I can react, the other drone jumps on my back and wraps his arm around my neck. He pulls up and forces the front of my throat to start collapsing on itself. I swing my arms backward as each breath gets harder. My vision blurs, making it hard to find anything to kick off. I can't gain any leverage, and I'm growing too weak to try.
A loud bang scares some focus back into me, and the drone's arm goes limp. We both fall to the ground, and I can feel his blood start to soak my body. I cough as I stumble away from him. After a couple of blinks, my vision clears to see KJ stand over the drone and shoot again. She's holding the same handgun that Martha had in her hands when I saw her. KJ must know about her mother by now.
I attempt to stand but fall back against the wall. I'm still gasping for full breaths. I try to speak, but my throat burns and no words come out of my mouth. My vocal cords need a few more minutes.
“80! Are you okay?” KJ runs over to me and wraps her arms around me. She kisses me, and I kiss her back.
“Sisters?” My voice rasps, and pain accompanies my words.
Her look of sympathy for my voice soothes me. “They are in the back. Don't speak. I'll get you water.”
I grab her before she can walk away and shake my head at her. I take a deep breath and speak through the pain. “Stay. With them. I. Go. Outside. Help comes. Soon.”
“Okay.” She nods.
I take the gun from her and walk to the door.
“Please be safe.” She kisses my cheek before I walk out. I check my immediate surroundings and walk to the small open area in front of the home. Here, I have a better view of every angle. From inside, I hear her call out to me, “I love you.”
I try to say the words back to her, but some drones steal my attention. They are inspecting a building a hundred feet away. My eyes follow the drones, and they appear to be scanning the area for outsiders. I'm not going to wait for them to come to me because they have better weapons
