"So you do remember me after all" Ward said as he continued to help Stella stay on her feet.
"I did not think I would ever see you again. It seems like you are more talkative now that you are not on the battlefield." Stella said as she moved closer to Ward so she could lean on him to stay standing.
"That is true, Miss Godwin. Could you please inform me of the situation you were currently in?" Ward answered, as he let Stella lean on him. When she leaned more onto him he put his arm around her and onto her shoulder. Ward was also using his hand to keep the brown coat on her shoulders so she would be covered up.
"I was going to go out to lunch with my cousin, but I got attacked on my way there to meet her. The men were very organized and I do not think any of my security team made it out alive" Stella said, thinking about the people that had died trying to keep her safe.
"Thank you for explaining it to me, Miss Godwin. I am sorry that your security team did not make it, but if they did not make it we should get moving in case the other mercenaries make their way down here to find you. I will help you get to your house so that way you will be safe" Ward said as he started to move with Stella down the alleyway.
"We could just make it to the bank. My father owns it and I will be safe there." Stella said as she struggled to stay on her feet.
"That is an option but given the current state of things, I believe the mercenaries would have put a guard at the bank. For it is the closest safe place to where you were attacked. They would have placed a watch on it to catch you if you got away from the chase team. So taking you to your house is the safest option I can see at this moment, Miss Stella." Ward said as he matched Stella's walking speed.
"I think you know me well enough to call me by my first name. So please call me Stella from now on" Stella said as she buttoned up the coat Ward had given her.
"If that is what you want, I do not have a problem with that Miss Stella" Ward said.
"Just Stella. You don't have to call me Miss" Stella said, as she stopped walking to make a point.
"As you wish, Stella. If you wish you can call me Samael." Samael said getting Stella moving again.
"That sounds good to me Samael." Stella said with a smile. The speed of their walking was slow, but constant. Stella could feel every step she took because it sent pain all over her body. The adrenaline had helped keep her moving when she was running. But now that she felt safer her whole body hurt.
"Why did you save me Samael?" Stella asked, trying to keep her mind off the pain.
"I was trained to protect all government employees, both active and retired if they maintained a good standing. You were a government employee when you did your outreach program on the frontlines. Plus you did it for two semesters voluntarily, when most people would only do it for the one semester and leave. You also were the only person to choose one of the Onix Core and stay with me the whole time." Samael said they moved down the alleyway.
"So you did remember me?" Stella said, blushing a little.
"Yes I do. I have an impeccable memory, But I always remembered you for it was enjoyable listening to your stories" Samael said thinking back to the times he would listen to her stories between battles.
"Please forget the stories I told you, that is embarrassing" Stella said, making her face turn red from embarrassment. Due to the stories she told him very personal stories when she was a young adult.
"Don't worry I will not tell anyone what you have told me. Confidential information will not be shared with outside parties." Samael said, as he glanced behind them. He was looking to see if anyone was following them.
"Thank you for keeping them a secret for me. I am glad to see that you are at least talking to me now." Stella said with a little laugh. But the laugh was short lived due to a shooting pain in her side, forcing her to stop.
"Let me check your wounds. We have moved away from the killzone of the ambush and we made it a ways away from the bodies." Samael said as he moved into a small utility room. The door was left open letting him easily get inside without making much noise.
"Samael it is fine lets just keep moving," Stella said as she was sat down on a metal box in the room by Samael. He then took a knee in front of her and started to look over her legs. She had multiple small lacerations along her legs that had cut her leggings making them easy to spot. As Samuel started to check near her thighs, she pushed down the front of her skirt to stop him from being able to look up it. But to her surprise Samael just stood up.
"I need to check for broken ribs. I am not going to ask you to take off the coat due to what happened earlier. But I wanted to let you know that you may feel some discomfort as I check." Samael said as he pulled off his tattered black gloves
"It is ok," Stella said in a sheepish tone. As she looked down at the ground to hide her face, for it had turned bright red. After getting the ok Samael started to feel her sides and rips. He did his best to respect her personal space as best he could by trying not to touch her chest. When he was done he moved closer to her almost like he was going to give her a hug.
"Don't Move" Samael whispered in her ear. He then put his right hand on her head and moved her head so it was against his chest. With her head on his chest, Samael then puts his left hand against the wall behind her. Just as his hand was placed on the wall Stella heard several people rush by them in the alleyway.
As the footsteps faded into the alleyway, Stella could hear her heart racing. Although her heart was racing she could also hear a slower but louder heart beat. It took her a moment to realize where the sound was coming from, It was Samael's heart beat. His heart was still calm as if nothing was wrong, This comforted Stella reassuring that she was safe with Samael here.
"They have moved on. We are going to have to move a little faster to stay ahead of them now." Samael said, breaking the silence and snapping Stella back to reality.
"I will do the best I can" Stella said, moving a little closer to Samael so she could get back onto her feet.
"Well we will need to move faster and I do not want to run the risk of you getting hurt." Samael said as he scooped Stella up. He was carrying her like a princess.
"Is this really necessary?" Stella said, thinking about how no one other than her father has ever carried her like this.
"This is the best option at the moment. We just need to get through the alleyways and out on the north end of the city. After that it is just up the hill and we will be at your house." Samael said as he started to jog down the alleyway.
"That is true, I did not know it was so fast on foot." Stella said, holding on to Samael as he moved. She was surprised at the speed he was going at, If Samael had been chasing her she would not have made it far. Even with the pace he was moving she was not uncomfortable in his arms. She was more relaxed than ever, and before she even knew what had happened she had drifted off to sleep in his arms.
Samael had noticed that she had fallen asleep and picked up the pace to get out of the new danger zone. He moves swiftly and silently through the alleyways, like a specter moving from house to house. He thought of the layout of the alleyways and junctions to best move unseen and avoid any routes the mercenaries may have taken.
It did not take him long before he was at the foot of the hill known as The Heights. He had been here several times during the war to see if people that were living here had been selling government secrets. Knowing the layout of The Heights came in handy for he was not looking to talk with the special police that guards this district. It would not be hard to get inside using one of the hidden entrances.
The Heights is the Capital's most influential and wealthy neighborhoods. Everyone from the high government officials to the cutroys top ten companies hold residency in this location. This has made it a very protected and secured location with a highly trained and equipped private police force. The police answer only to the government and are here to keep the residents safe, not to protect and serve.
Samael made his way along the 8-foot fence thinking about how easy it would be to take the more direct path inside. But that would make too much of a scene, and his training instilled the need to keep a low profile when escorting a VIP. He remembers that there are six hidden entrances, of which only two do not set off an alarm when opened.
The hidden entrances are in place in the event someone blocks the main or secondary gates to the location. The gates should be checked on the hour for any tampering meaning he should have plenty of time to get in and out of The Heights. Samael did not really want to stay around to hear the private guards talk to him about what happened. His job would be finished when she was home safe, Samael thought as he approached the entrance.
When he gets to the fence Samael looks around to see if anyone is around. With no one around he turns his back to the fence and leans back against the fence. After a moment the fence starts to give way, opening slowly as Samael pushes against it. This entrance is low tech but works. It needs a lot of force to open from the outside but much less using a lever inside the fence.
Samael thinks about how it would be very hard for normal people to open it, but it was so easy for him. His thought is short lived for when there is room for him to make it inside he moves out of the way letting the fence swiftly close behind him. When it closes it makes no sound perfectly fitting back into place making a seamless fence once again.
The difference between inside and outside the fence is night and day. Outside is the busy and bustling capital city. But inside the fence and inside the privacy matrix it is calm, quiet and peaceful like a small village in the mountains. This is what money and power get you, the best of both worlds peace and quiet with all the amenities of a megacity.
Walking on the fresh grass Samael makes his way out to the street and starts walking in the direction of the Godwin estate. As he gets closer he can see the two men flanking the gate. Each resident has a private gate and privacy matrix letting the owner control nearly all aspects inside the property to their liking.
"You're almost home," Samael whispered softly to Stella.