He appears before me still laughing.
"They're going to have fun for a little while." He mutters and pulls his map up and starts moving to the next house.
We've made it halfway through the town proper when we get some of our team members radioing us.
"Sin. We are being told that some people are going to the other churches. We are already starting to snap groups to the refuge camp. We have a few from HQ snapping here to help out. I've sent ten of our team members on to the far side of the city to start just snapping whoever they find. HQ is suggesting you to do the same now. They'll snap you bottles when you radio them."
"Copy that, Enemy forces have arrived out side the city. Be prepared for oncoming fire and get women, children and elderly out quickly. If the men have to, have them run ahead to the Ramada lodge and make sure HQ gets us some more people to start snapping these civilians. Let me know if they give you anything other than yes."
"Copy that, Sin. Over and out."
We're still jogging around the dirt streets, clearing houses. Thankfully most seemed to have left of their own accord. So far we have found only a few too stubborn or those too old or sick to get away.
We could hear the shots firing off in the distance as the magical mechanical weapons of Bavarthos's creation were doing their jobs, creating chaos for the Erl's forces. I sent Suites and Turkoas together ahead of us to put them farther ahead and farther from the encroaching forces.
"Está bien abuelita, estoy aquí para ayudar." (It's okay grandma, I am here to help.)
Raising my hands to show I was not going to do anything to her, I tell a little old lady who was crying hiding in the corner of her room. She begins to speak about her daughter being at work and her son in law leaving her there. She can barely push her self forward from the corner with the help of the nightstand before she falls onto the bed.
Rushing forward, my hands outstretched to help her up, " Esta bien no te preocupes. Te enviaré a un lugar seguro, ella debería estar allí."
I reassure her, telling her not to worry, I was sending her somewhere safe and that her daughter should be there. She nods, grateful tears fall from her wrinkled eyes as she smiles at me. I snap her to the refuge camp and leave, meeting Bavarthos outside.
"B, my map says were clear to the church. What are your pets saying right now?" I say while double checking my map as I hear the Erl's tanks starting to fire blasts into the city.
We both stop and try to gauge the distance from us, when another blasts happens and debris rains on us.
'Too close.'
Seconds later we're moving quickly towards the church checking for anyone in the streets.
"B, what are your pets saying?!" I ask again, quickly jogging to the church area now about a hundred yards away.
"The tanks are trying to take out my machines, but my machines are able to evade the brunt of the shots. They're doing all they can but we're going to have to hurry or we're going to have company."
Bavarthos looks grave as we jog to the church. Once there we take a few moments to catch our breath before checking the inside. Sure enough there's about 25 people in there, all ages and they're scared. Some have bats and other makeshift last minute weapons.
An officer is in there with his gun drawn on us. Lifting our hands up he then he squints and focuses on our uniforms and badges. He drops his gun and starts speaking so quickly, I can't understand him.
The wall of the building groan and tremble from the tanks firing into the city. The people are terrified crowded together, while the kids cry and the mothers hold them close trying to be brave.
Bavarthos doesn't hesitate. "Is this everybody that has made it here?"
The officer looks confused for a second before nodding his head, "Si."
Bavarthos suddenly jumps slightly looking like he's been startled. Glancing his way, my side eye asking what just happened.
Bavarthos raises his hand and snaps them away. "Radio, HQ. We need some surveillance drones to sweep these areas. They just took out one of my machines. My pets are holding them back as best they can, but soldiers are making their way into the city now."
He grabs my arms and tugs on it towards the door. "Radio while we get to the next church please." Dropping my arm as he turns and opens the door for me, I'm quickly using my coms to contact someone.
"HQ?"
"Copy Sin, this is HQ." A females voice comes over my headset.
"We need surveillance drones to sweep the city for any civilians we may have missed or are hiding. Erl's forces have started to enter the city, friendly Mech's are dropping and we're still evacuating anyone we can find."
"Copy that Sin, we're snapping ten drones to you in under five minutes. Your other team members are still evacuating at first extraction site with HQ personnel. Will relay incoming hostiles to them. Use Caution and stay safe Major General."
Huffing as we go, I'm able to ask Bavarthos what he sees, as I'm pulling Turkoas and Suites up on my com.
"Five minutes B. Ten drones will be arriving. Are you seeing any unchecked places on your map?"
"No, they all have been checked for the next two streets."
"Turkoas, Suites. How are you doing? We have incoming hostile soldiers making their way into the city as we speak. Surveillance drones en route to scan for anyone we've missed."
"Sin, we're doing the best we can. Some of the people here are saying that some left to get something or someone from their home or neighbors place. When we checked the areas they're talking about no one was there and they're refusing to leave."
I roll my eyes to the sky as the sounds of the tanks blasts seem to be getting closer, making us pick up speed as we move.
"WE DON'T HAVE ..TIME FOR THAT. .. JUST SNAP THEM ...AND FINISH... CHECKING PLACES...TANKS ARE GETTING CLOSER." I have to pause between the words of my order, catching an extra breath to help formulate words as I'm becoming annoyed.
'I hate running. We don't have time for these stubborn people right now...'
"Copy that Sin."
My visor screen starts flashing.
It's a red dot in the corner of my eye.
Initiating my interactive controls for vocal use, I have to stop.
I take cover just in case, behind a fence by the Mormon church we were heading to. I open the message and it's the drones waiting on me to confirm connection. I confirm and the tiny thumbnails flow up to the top of the visor, still visible but not impeding my lines of sight.
"Drones are deployed. All team members, drones are deployed. If you are alerted from a drone, you are to snap them as always. If you are unable to snap, send
"Copy That."
"Yes, Sin. Copy"
"Copy."
Nodding to Bavarthos, we continue into the church.
"I'm terribly sorry, but 'watch your ass and tits?'" Bavarthos confusion is sort of comical and my lips thin and pull back as I try to restrain my smile.
"Your rear and your front." I nod at him still restraining my smile and losing that battle.
"I understand, it's just for a moment I thought if I had tits to watch, we'd be in deeper shit than we are. I'd never get anything done." Shaking his head wide eyed and skeptical, a laugh escapes me that I can't keep it in.
He shrugs as we stop at the gate that stands a few yards away from the front door only to find the way into the church is locked.
'Over the fence?' I motion still giggling picturing Bavarthos with a pair of tits that he just squeezes and stares at all day.
"What's the problem?" His furrowed brows and grin make me clear my throat as we climb over the fence, which is only four feet tall.
"I just pictured you sitting with your own breasts, squeezing them together and staring down your shirt at them all day."
"You pictured me with breasts?!" He sounds horrified, disgusted, and amused as he lets out a few chuckles. He's shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck as we kick the doors to the church open and look around.
"Hola!" I shout out.
"Amigos! Hola!"
Bavarthos shouts this time and now I get to shake my head.
'This is not the time for joking, Mary. knock it off.'
We quickly make our way through the building and find no one. I use my visor and check for heat signatures, and we're clear.
"We're clear B, lets get moving." I'm heading towards the door as he stares at me.
Then his gaze shifts to look out the window behind me.
I see his face change and contort into fear.
He grabs me and suddenly we're outside.
Before I can even process what's going on, he clutches my arm like an eagle.
Throwing me to the ground, he covers me with his body.
'What in the hell?'
My brain is still playing catch up, when the building we were just in explodes.
Sending glass and chunks of brick and plaster everywhere, it begins to rain down on us.
As soon as the worst of the debris hits the ground, Bavarthos is pulling me up and shoving me forward.
"RUN!" He yells pulling me now, running along with him as my mind now decides to go into flight mode.