---Two weeks after their first night of bonding together.---

  -We have to bring them to the nearby landship.

  -No. Tell them to pack up and avoid that place.

  -''To where? Ursus?'' Provence asked sarcastically.

  -Anywhere else. They won't have a future there.

  -Lungmen is too far away for them to reach. Rhodes Island even more so. And they just lost everything they had.

  I very much doubted I would ever want this rabble of peasants near the landship I worked in. Catastrophe refugees. Rhodes Island was already doing too much, straining their capability and resources. Only doctor Kal'sit's iron grip kept certain borders and admission quotas strictly enforced. Even against Amiya's silent disapproval. And Amiya was the de facto leader of Rhodes Island now.

  -Not everything. They still have their lives.

  -''You know what I mean.'' Said Provence, adamant.

  -Something will break on that overcrowded landship. Too many humans, not enough space or resources to go around.

  -It is a start. It is a step towards something better.

  I was beginning to suspect that her concern clouded her judgement. But even so I had to agree she had a good point. It was a place to hop on and jump quickly to something better.

  Even though hope was what pushed humanity towards something better, it would also be a most backstabbing edge if you let it truly deceive you. I sighed. ''Hope couldn't be abandoned. It was the one thing that made people human.'' I thought in the end, decidedly.

  -''Do you truly believe that?'' I asked her.

  -I do.

  -Then report whatever suggestion you think best to the Doctor, you are the leader of this rescue mission.

  -Tacet. You know I am grateful for your help, and for your input. We've saved a lot of lives today. But I've also seen the way you look at them. You don't really care, do you?

  -''I don't.'' I said matter-of-factly, not intending to sugar coat it even though she asked such a loaded question.

  -Yet that didn't impede me to do my duty, has it?

  -No, it didn't.

  -So, is there a problem? Do I need to care for all the world's woes to do my job?

  -No, you don't. But why are you even here then?

  -''Because the Doctor trusts me to do what has to be done. And because of you, of course.'' I said with a lighter change in my voice, and I managed to break a smile on her face despite the conversation.

  -''Call in, there's no point wasting our time here. The little one in the group we saved is getting hungry.'' I said as I picked up a small and tired vulpo girl.

  She was from the small group we've saved from the remains of a catastrophe stricken village. The kid was spent and anemic I could tell, but she was hanging around us rather than her village folk. And that made it obvious to me that her parents were gone. It had been a week since the catastrophe had hit after all, during which they were trapped under the rubble.

  The landship we retreated to was a shithole. It was a smaller nomadic city with loose ties to greater Yan, not too dissimilar to Lungmen. It used to roam a path which put it in a great position for trading between Ursus and Lungmen, as well as Leithanien and Siracusa. Unfortunately for this miserable landship it was currently in the area between Lungmen and Chernobog when the latter fell to the Reunion sacking of that Ursian city.

  The roaming landship didn't take the economic shock well to put it lightly. The decline was well in visible free fall. And the fact that the landship took in a significant amount of refugees, mostly infected, didn't help matters. The resources and utility services were strained to the breaking point trying to provide for the immense influx that this landship was not designed to take.

  In return the residents, already deprived of their former economic well-being and stressed unduly quickly succumbed to a rough and unwelcome attitude towards all outsiders. The only lifeline being the economic aid provided by the greater landship of Lungmen.

  However, Reunion strikes on supply convoys severely worsened the situation overall. To the point that I didn't need the tingling sensation of apprehension in my gut to tell me how dangerous the situation was becoming. And that I would have very much preferred that me and my Rhodes Island colleagues stationed here were rather somewhere else, far away. Maybe providing aid in a better place like Siesta or Kjerag.

  The Lungmen Guard Department had recommended our services to the authorities of this landship to better aid their influx and management of infected refugees. And such a deal was struck between this place and Rhodes Island. Even so, the situation was deplorable at best.

  An area of about ten percent of the entire landship was walled off, designated a quarantine area for the massive influx of the infected. The fact that the partitioned area were the slums of their landship and that they didn't even bother to evacuate said residents of these slums didn't help matters at all. Fighting between local impoverished residents and infected refugees were all too common.

  The ghetto was overpopulated and security was nearly non-existent, bar special checkpoints and triage areas.

  The few times the landship security did go out on patrols they ventured so heavily armed, and never in convoys of less than three armoured trucks. This show of force was to remind the residents who were in charge. And every time they halted to stop a scuffle between the poor wretches of this slum it always resulted in at least a few deaths. This was done intentionally, a demonstration of force to frighten the residents, both native and infected refugees into submission.

  The stench of it was palpable even high up on the building where I was perched with my sniper rifle. It was the disgusting musk of the unwashed and miserable masses of humanity. At this point clean water having become too scarce and valuable in the quarantine area to be wasted on hygiene. Of course this gave way to a slew of other health related problems, and diseases festered.

  The building I was atop on was a strategic position. Granted by the landship authority to manage security from and for the nearby smaller building. Which was converted into a clinic by Rhodes Island's staff. Not far off from the clinic was one of the checkpoints through the delimitation barrier to the rest of the landship.

  It had already been two days since we've arrived here by an all terrain vehicle. And here we stayed since then. A rotten posting all things considered. While there might have been enough pubs and entertainment in the better parts of the landship the residents didn't seem very eager to take my money.

  In fact, they treated me quite like as if I were diseased when they found out I was an outsider. Even when I showed them my proper, bona fide ID and proof that I wasn't in any way infected by oripathy. It was true that many of my colleagues from the Rhodes Island team that staffed the clinic were infected. It seemed that was enough to throw everyone into the same proverbial pot.

  All of that was expected, and flowed over me like water on a windshield. However, the single incident that did touch a cord riled me to blood thirst.

  -''Beat it.'' Barked the heavily clad security grunt as he grabbed his shotgun that lay slung on his chest. He was pretty much covered with a padded armoured suit, all except his head.

  I feigned turning around before planting a fist so hard that I broke his jaw, sending it into his cranium. My bloodstream fast infused with adrenaline, and rage. She was supposed to be inside this supply store that he tried to bar me from.

  Infected were looked down upon. It was a nearly universal truth on Terra. With varying levels of disgust and tolerance. Some with less disgust, enough to be driven to make a profit or make use out of them. Or, even take advantage of people, directly.

  So did I find a security guard of the landship we were employed by trying to blackmail Provence, the partner of the first I took out. I heard his words as I approached silently. He was trying to extort sexual favours less she ''got confused with a refugee and got lost forever''.

  My blood went from cold to boiling in an instant. Making my decision that much easier. Or rather, perhaps making the decision for me. I took the guard by surprise as I grabbed him from behind, switching off his radio and letting it drop on the floor before I immobilized him. Provence took this welcomed opportunity to plant her fist deep in his liver. Delivering a painful and debilitating blow. From there on I dragged him to a darker corner between buildings where I could finish him off.

  -''Scum like you don't deserve to live.'' I whispered into his furry ear and I felt his muscles tensing, knowing his death was upon him.

  -''Cassiel, wait!'' Provence had said.

  *SNAP* Was the bone crushing sound as I broke his neck. And Provence frowned, though lightly compared to other occasions. Soon after I would dispose of the evidence, and we would be far away from the crime scene. They would probably be found, eventually. And would be written off as another casualty at the hands of the thieving bands of native bandits or infected refugees.

  -''That wasn't necessary.'' She spoke with me when we were in an empty room back at our base.

  -I believe it was. Scum like them wouldn't have let us go. They would have used the leverage of their rank and the authority of the client landship to make us and our mission even more miserable than it is. That is of course if they didn't arrest or shot us dead in an alley.

  -Will we continue to leave a trail of death wherever we go like this?

  -You save the lives of the worthy my lupa, I will take those that are heinous at heart.

  -Cassiel...

  -''I do not walk out of my way to bring justice to this world Provence. You know that. However, if it crosses my path. And more importantly, when they try to cross you, they will always meet a most gruesome end.'' I spoke heavily before continuing even further, grasping her.

  -No one will use you, no one will mistreat you while I draw breath, my lupa. My mate.

  -''Please, Cassiel. Temper your impulses. I don't want you to take a life so easily and find you regret it after.'' She spoke as she relieved her voice of any anger she might have had, and embraced me.

  Her words... were so genuine to the person she was. Instead of the venomous rebuke or the dismissive amusement I would have had once to such statements, now they warmed me as it came from her.

  My arms gathered around her in our embrace, and I leaned my head on hers. Letting the feeling of her presence envelop my soul.

  It would be some time later after we arrived back at our temporary base within the infected zone, and after I took up my shift on guard duty.

  -Make yourself some tea from the brew I've brought. It will soothe you.

  -''And you know I need soothing by?'' Responded Provence on the private comm line.

  -Being cooped up in a place like this would be irritating for anyone.

  -Heh, I'll take your offer.

  -How's the kid?

  -Much better now that we've treated her to some hot meals and a good bed.

  -That is relieving to hear.

  -''Aren't you sounding paternal, are you warming up to what I might gift you?'' She said in a sly tone.

  -''Maybe.'' I said with an easy-going one.

  The small group of five survivors that we've rescued had actually remained with us in the clinic, receiving proper treatment and care. The alternative was worse. So much worse that operator Gavial decreed they would remain with us until the situation improved in the quarantine area when we first brought them in.

  -''I heard the water and electricity still hasn't come back up.'' I continued to chat with Provence through our communication line.

  -Yes. It's been eight hours by this point.

  -Our supplies still holding up?

  -They are. Our backup generators can keep up for three more days if needed. And our water tanks still hold enough for a week.

  -''I wouldn't count on it. Scarce resources have a habit of running dry the moment you let them out of your sight.'' I said, having had enough experience with scarcity back in my own war.

  -I'd be more worried about our food supplies, but we have enough of those as well.

  The same couldn't be said for the rest of the walled off area we were in. Reunion had struck another supply convoy and the residents here have been fed little to nothing for the past three days. That, and given the often interruptions in the supply of water and electricity the atmosphere was getting heated. The tension was palpable in the air, ready to break. And there were already rumours of Reunion infiltrators circulating on the landship security channels that I secretly hacked into.

  This wasn't at all comforting, considering the Rhodes Island staff consisted of mostly medics and few security personnel. The last thing I wanted was to be caught in either a stampede or having to rely on the landship security who couldn't have given less of an LMD about us.

  I scanned the streets through my sniper's scope when time was reaching noon. Ambriel, my partner on this little island high up was resting, splayed on a beach chair. Under a large umbrella tent with a cold refreshment in hand, straight from the icebox we had with us. Along with a bowl of cookies. I had nothing to rebuke her for. She was free to do whatever while I was on watch and she on her designated break.

  -''Hope you left me a cold one from that six-pack.'' I beckoned her.

  -Have more faith in me. Oh, we are out of cookies though.

  -I guess we'll just have to enjoy chocolate straight from the jar like animals then.

  -''Oh no! That's messy!'' Ambriel said completely serious and detached from the situation at large.

  She was a sharp sniper even though by her easy going manner she could have fooled most. Her laid back attitude and unorthodox way of doing things meant we always got along just fine. With usually few words exchanged, and that was fine for both of us. I scanned the streets and the horizon as I continued to listen in on the comms traffic through the bead in my ear.

  -Delta six, link up with Delta Four in sector eight. Reinforce security on maintenance team present at node site.

  -Command this is Sig... experiencing power fluctuations with the internal grid, we... backup generators have come onli... unsta...

  -Sigma nine, report status of compound security.

  -Brzz... reporting status... nominal command. Over.

  -Code ten on Mafer Street, sector five. Delta Five respond immediately.

  -This is patrol leader... Mafer street sczzzz-... major unrest... ethal force to disperse...

  -Patrol leader, authorization granted.

  -Compound Eight, respond to command hails.

  -...

  -Delta Two, link up with patrol seven and eight and converge on compound eight to establish situational status.

  -Roger Command.

  -All quarantine units, be alerted, a secondary power surge has destabilized the grid. Electrical grid reinitialization pending.

  -This is Delta Two, encountering infected blockage of main and secondary street, moving to disperse before reaching target destination, over.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  -This is patrol seven, we reached compound eight, entering to establish status.

  -This is Delta Four, reporting status at node site. Repairs are completed, but maintenance team reports visible signs of sabotage. Request permission to enter sub-surface maintenance corridors for patrols.

  -Approved Delta Four. Delta Six, secure node site and maintenance access.

  -This is patrol seven we argggh-...

  -Report patrol seven.

  -...

  -Patrol seven report.

  -...

  -Delta Two, report estimated time to target.

  -This is delta two, encountering heavy infected traffic. Estimating twenty minutes until we reach our target.

  -This is Patrol Eight, eta two minutes to compound eight.

  Suddenly I heard a burst from somewhere within the walled off part of the city. I looked in its direction and noticed a large black smoke rising from where the nearest refugee compound was.

  -This is the Overseer of compound seven. Confirm the reinforcements sent to m-...

  -This is command, repeat compound seven.

  -Compound seven, report your status.

  -Tacet here. Gavial, which was the worst quarantine compound in this place?

  -''Ah, ah! Naughty kids sit in the punishment chair!'' I heard Gavial ending a scoldful warning to what I assumed was one of the children in the clinic before addressing me.

  -Eight, it's crowded ten times over capacity. Just ten blocks from us. Why?

  My gut was tingling unsettlingly with an eerie sensation that I learned not to ignore. My subconscious picking up a possible threat not immediately clear to my conscious mind. Be it paranoia or not it was something I would heed. I haven't lasted through the End Wars without it saving my skin one too many times.

  -''Close the clinic for a few hours. Give each patient still waiting a ration pack to convince them to leave faster. We may be at risk'' I said in a grave voice.

  -... alright. You better not be wasting our time though.

  -I'm not, please hurry.

  And true to her word I saw a fast trickle of people exiting the clinic building, each holding a Rhodes Island food ration pack. They would probably stretch that food to last a few days.

  -''Provence, how's my tea?'' I radioed her.

  -Refreshing, and near finished with your stock.

  -Good, I need you and the security team to be ready for trouble.

  -Are we expecting trouble?

  -I do.

  -I'll get them rounded up.

  -''Is this really worth all the fuss? The quarantine area had outbursts before.'' Asked Ambriel, who was stationed here since the beginning. And for which should have had a better pulse of the situation at hand.

  Suddenly the radio bead in my ear buzzed with another frequency coming to life.

  -Secure channels to control room. Control room this is Overseer Graveston. All forces prepare to execute code red on my command.

  -Affirmative.

  -Affirmative.

  -Affirmative.

  -All mobile quarantine forces. Break, break, break! All stations!

  This... this was only on the secure channels. And a direct order from the overseer which was unheard of before from what I knew.

  -This is Tacet to Rhodes channel. The LSF (Landship Security Forces) are expecting trouble and are preparing accordingly. I suggest we prepare for the worst.

  -''That means you too Ambriel.'' I said as I turned to talk with her directly. ''I'd greatly appreciate your backup.''

  And she did so without any comment. Rising and picking up her rifle as she came to oversee the streets besides me.

  -''This is Delta Two, we are being swamped, and our vehicles are bogged down! They are drilling inside our armoured vehicles! We need backup now, aaah-'' That communication suddenly cut off.

  -This is Delta Six! Infected are pouring out of compound one, two and three, we are surrounded and... fuck, they've spotted us! Command we cannot hold the site, we're heading in the uh-!

  -''I hope you're closing down the clinic Gavial.'' I radioed in.

  -The last are leaving right now. Also, I'm not getting anything on the LSF channels.

  -''Don't think they consider us one of their own enough to be worth keeping alive.'' I responded.

  Soon enough I spotted a tide of degenerate humanity speeding almost inhumanly fast down the main street. Engulfing three heavily armed patrol cars which were retreating towards the checkpoint. They were tipped over almost as if they were nothing by the mass of humanity that was rabid of thirst, hunger and desperation. And most certainly provoked and given purpose by Reunion infiltrators who stoked the fires of hate.

  They were barely impeded by that column before they resumed their stampede, brandishing what makeshift weapons they could find and howling maliciously. They were heading straight towards the main quarantine checkpoint. And to which the clinic was right besides the main road that they were rushing upon.

  As I zoomed in the masses were indistinguishable. Of course Reunion wouldn't dare make themselves obvious targets by wearing their usual marked robes. The only distinguishing breakthrough I was capable of was differentiating the infected from the slum residents. The difference being that the slum residents were being brutally assaulted by the infected the same as the security personnel. This didn't bode well for the use of force that I might be forced to take.

  -''Clinic cleared. Closing the perimeter gate now.'' Radioed Gavial.

  -''Close it faster! And then close and barricade all entry points of the clinic itself!'' I radioed.

  -Is it that bad?

  -There's an infected stampede worse than any reunion attack coming right now!

  -''Confirmed.'' Radioed Ambriel, giving more weight to my words.

  The clinic itself was surrounded by a sturdy, high wall roughly four meters high with no climbable edges. Though I didn't doubt that it would not pose any insurmountable challenge to the masses of starved infected if they had a whiff of what was inside. And they surely knew there was plenty of food, water and drugs inside the compound, a literal treasure trove for them. Since plastered on the wall besides the entry gate was a large sign which read ''Rhodes Island Clinic''. Couldn't have possibly chosen a better sign to say ''Come loot and pillage here, we have everything!''

  -''Are you locking the building's entrance yet?'' I asked Gavial on our channel.

  -''No, wait!'' I heard Provence through the coms. ''She's still out there!''

  I scrambled to catch sight of what the Hell Provence was talking about, and true to her worry I saw the little vulpo girl in the compound. The same one we both saved from our catastrophe rescue mission three days ago. Just as Provence rushed outside with Corne trailing after her the masses of infected were rushing past the compound. A literal tide that engulfed the main street.

  Immediately people were climbing and stepping onto one another to get over the wall, and they did so in mere seconds. The first few dozen landed hazardously over on the other side. Breaking legs and bones, fracturing skulls. But still an uncomfortable amount of them rose up and were rushing further in.

  I couldn't tell if they were Reunion, mere infected, or even fleeing slum dwellers. If they were just desperate for help or were about to attack in their frenzy.

  This was a complete fuckery about to happen.

  A tall ursian woman was rushing inside towards Provence just as she picked up the vulpo child. She wouldn't be able to defend herself carrying her nor, I realised, would she be able to retreat fast enough inside. Noir Corne was still too far behind to arrive in time to shield her either.

  I growled. My heart racing and my spirit flaring dangerously as I felt peril nearing the wolf girl that was my life mate. I locked in and aimed. The target was not slowing down at all, and after I exhaled I pulled the trigger without the slightest hesitation. The ursian woman's head bobbed heavily backwards as the bullet sped through it, splashing Provence and the vulpo kid in fine trickle of blood.

  Another infected woman screamed in terror, and a man bellowed in anger. For his anger issue he also received a bullet through his skull.

  -''Leave!'' I shouted on our radio channel before I resumed my aim.

  In the seconds I took to radio in, Noir Corne had finally arrived besides Provence. In time to bash his shield into another wretch that was aiming to jump the wolf girl. He was met by two more. Corne expertly swung his shield, bashing the next aside into a broken pulp of meat and bones. But leaving himself open to the third one approaching him fast! A short blast resounded, and a bloodied hole ripped through the infected's chest as Ambriel took the shot.

  Our combined fire rippled continuously through the air as we took shot after shot on anyone that jumped into the compound. Downing man and woman alike as they rushed in, buying precious time for Provence and Corne to reach inside the clinic and lower the shutter. There were by then too many jumping inside that landed unscathed on the already broken and dead pile of bodies below acting as cushion. They were scattering around the compound. Looking, probing, bashing anything that seemed weak enough through which to gain entry.

  We weren't the only duo of snipers around. On the parallel rise across the street a team of LSF snipers were also busy targetting the head rush into their checkpoint. The checkpoint itself at this point was closed and three machine guns along with five full squads of LSF were firing indiscriminately with all they had.

  Their ''ghetto blaster'' submachine guns barking continuously along with their usage of tear gas grenades, besides the continuous heavy fire of their heavy gun emplacements. It barely seemed to slow the stampede and there was an immensity of them. Replacing the front line where the massacre ensued just like a river filled its holes after punching it.

  The street was too wide, and they were swarming from all angles. As the mass got closer I had the time to notice that many infected pulled out scavenged weapons and grenades, even rocket launchers. The checkpoint was pummelled in kind for a good few minutes before the horde rushed in. Enough guards having been downed for the rest to be engulfed by the tide. Pulling tonnage heavy barricades down. Jumping across or literally ripping ways in. The mob was in a rabid fever, this was... too reminiscent of a certain experience. But unlike the shadows of my past these were still living people. They were just... brought to desperation.

  I snapped out of it, I couldn't lose my focus now, continuing to take shot after shot. Sniping intruders dead indiscriminately. A man lost his arm as I shot it off his body, dropping the heavy hammer he was carrying towards the main entrance of the clinic. Another man carrying a baby lost his ability to breathe as I shot him right through the neck. He was obviously carrying a kid just to reduce his chance of being targeted.

  -''South corner, one has a rifle, one has a rifle!'' I shouted to inform my partner.

  In the next second Ambriel's old reliable barked. Bursting a hole through the chest of the armed infected teenager on the ground. Felling in quick succession a young feline woman that was about to grab the rifle afterwards.

  -''We're getting bogged down on that single rifle, I'll handle it.'' I spoke, taking careful aim.

  The next one that picked up the rifle aimed it clumsily up at our position. I pulled the trigger, hitting the weapon itself and felling the wielder in its shrapnel. Though I doubted it would be the last scavenged weapon to be brought in.

  -''Ethan! Aaaaaah! Aaaaaaa!!!'' I heard a distressed scream through the secure LSF channel.

  As I lifted my chin I saw one of the snipers on the opposite building being thrown off the edge, falling to his doom. His partner, rushed by three infected stood no chance of pushing them back. All three were upon him. Biting and ripping into him like hungry beasts who have tasted fresh sustenance for the first time in a long while. I blocked that certain transmission. They could go to Hell for all I cared, not sparing even a single bullet to put him out of his misery. I had my own people to take care of.

  -''Tacet. One o'clock, furthest barred window, they're getting in!'' Ambriel noted me.

  -I see them.

  I shot all those who dared tried entering through the almost pried window while Ambriel focused on those heading to the main entrance, and which held tools. They were beating at the closed metal gates and I could already see heavy dents and possible openings. Not soon after the smallest holes were made I could see infected falling besides the entrance, impaled by arrows.

  -''Holy Terra! These residents are getting evil!'' I definitely heard Ansel through the comms.

  -''Provence, cover our backs!'' I heard Gavial through the radio. ''Ansel, what was that about!?''

  -''They're trying to get in from the south side, but April is keeping them at bay.'' Answered Ansel. ''We're moving the patients to the upper floors now!''

  -''There are too many.'' Spoke Ambriel without slowing the slightest in her clock work like continuous fire.

  I ripped my attention from the breached window to a small figure swiftly running in zigzags towards the entrance. I exhaled and pulled the trigger. The small figure of a kid falling face forward onto the concrete while a grenade fell from his hand. Quickly disappearing into the hands of another that I couldn't keep track of.

  -''All Rhodes Island personnel, the mob aims to throw grenades through the openings! Evacuate the first floor towards the helipad.'' I radioed in.

  -I repeat, evacuate to the helipad! Do not lock yourselves in the underground bunker!

  -''Gavial!'' I radioed her directly.

  -I heard ya, we're heading topside!

  -Disable the elevator too. Is Skyfire there?

  -''I'm here.'' The voice of an eager feline girl responded.

  -Skyfire, once everyone is on the stairs I need you to set fire to the entire first floor. Room by room, and make it a big one!

  -''Heh, with pleasure.'' She responded with a pleased and sadistic air. Finally coming upon the chance to satisfy her indiscriminate thirst for revenge against Reunion, or anyone even mildly affiliated with them.

  -And somebody cover her while she's doing it!

  -''I'm on it!'' Corne responded on the radio channel.

  -''Tacet.'' Ambriel caught my attention.

  And just in time to shoot an infected trying to squeeze through one of the windows even though the sharp edges of the dented metal sheet digged into him. They were starting to get through.

  -''Hurry and light the place up!'' I bellowed into the radio.

  Soon I noticed apprehension in the already sizeable horde closest around the compound at their attempts to enter the clinic. At first I caught sight of smoke, then literal flames spouting out of the holes made by the intruders. I even saw a few struggling and managing to squeeze back out before falling on the concrete, screaming as they were engulfed in flames.

  -''You don't need me to tell you to get the Ospreys running, where are the pilots?'' I radioed Gavial.

  -Getting there, huugh!

  -''What's happening?'' I voiced my worry.

  I heard a loud crash of something metallic through the radio before Gavial spoke again.

  -Just threw a giant ass metal cabinet down the stairs behind us.

  As I listened to her, I saw an even more discomforting sight if that was possible.

  -Not gonna be enough. Put Skyfire to light up every floor on your way to the helipad.

  -Why, what's going on now?

  -They are bringing ladders, and making piles out of the dead to reach up.

  -''Insistent bastards.'' Replied Gavial.

  ''Well, when things decided to go to Hell they never did so by halves in my experience.'' I thought.

  At that time I spotted our crew bursting out onto the top floor. Pilots jumping into our VTOL aircraft to get them started. There I saw Provence with the group of infected survivors we've saved. Still bloodied and still carrying the little vulpo we saved.

  The building's edge suddenly popped around me.

  -''They've got more guns.'' Noted Ambriel.

  -Alright. Move and shoot tactic. We gotta buy time for them to get a lift.

  The clinic was gradually starting to become aflame, yet that didn't deter the mob from climbing ever higher, or trying to find ways to get in the rooms not engulfed yet. I ducked and ran to a different position before popping up, aiming and taking the shot. Making sure each one was a kill, making sure each one delayed as much as it could. All while Ambriel did the same.

  The greater tide continued to swarm the now overrun checkpoint, spilling into the landship at large. It's massive machine guns abandoned or literally stolen at this point. However, as much as a juicier target the greater landship represented, a large number of the infected continued to jump and swarm inside our compound! Somehow they were still climbing up. Either by ladders, on top of each other, on ropes or literally hammering holes into the building to climb by. And as much as Ambriel and I tried to maintain a sustained rate of fire they were still making headway.

  -''I'm almost out of ammo.'' Ambriel informed me.

  -I'm not too far either.

  -''Really? You?'' She reproached amusedly. ''You always come stacked.''

  -I do. But that doesn't mean I'm a wondering quartermaster.

  The rotors of both the dual aircraft were finally picking up pace, and I saw the last of our crew embarking.

  -''What about us?'' Ambriel asked.

  -Take the cord. They believe it's a power line. They won't be expecting to see you on it.

  -And what about you?

  A damn good question. She would have a fair chance of speeding down the cord that was connected to both our rooftops without getting hit by stray fire. It was the purpose of the cord to make a speedy escape down to the top of the clinic and onto the helipad if needed.

  However, after she would be seen they would very much expect another one. And the fire that would come my way would certainly be stray no more. A deadly dilemma to my own health to be sure. I was dispelled from my thought as a heavy banging could be heard from the metal door that gave way to our rooftop.

  ''Good thing it was heavy duty, and we always kept it closed.'' And at this thought a more powerful bang resounded along with a considerable dent in what I thought was a sturdy metal sheet of a door. Not so reliable after all it seamed.

  -''Get going. I'll cover you.'' I said as I picked up the only grenade I had on me.

  -''On my mark.'' I said as I released the pin and threw the round shaped ball of death into the compound crowd for distraction. ''Go!'' I shouted, and soon a boom reverberated down below along with a bellow of screams.

  With her rifle holstered behind her back she grabbed the handle connected to the cable and flew into a quick slide down with in. Dangerously picking up speed and momentum while I popped out to distract the crowd even more with shot after shot. I saw Gavial rushing to the end point of the cable and in the last second grabbed Ambriel by her legs as if a prized bride! She put her down and waved to me. But as the lip of my roof was already being peppered by return fire I signalled a negative. This way was barred to me now.

  The banging was growing louder, stopping all of a sudden. Instead, a heavy drilling sound replaced it, and I saw sparks showering outside the door. I pulled the magazine and double-checked what I already knew I had. Five shots. Five rifle shots and fifty pistol rounds in five magazines.

  I took cover behind an air conditioning unit, prompting my rifle towards the quickly crumbling barrier. As they were tearing it aside the first Osprey flew right above me. Raising a hail of wind, and engulfing all sound as I took my first shot. The behemoth of a man that held the cutting device fell backward over the less unfortunate scums.

  That would delay them, but not for long. Then I heard in time a noise that shouldn't have been there. Metallic noises that clanked on concrete. I turned around not too late to notice a man having just jumped over the edge of the building on its top. That bastard must have climbed all his way up to ambush me!

  I ducked, just barely avoiding one of his thrown knives! The second having hit me right between my ribs, luckily my armoured vest denying it penetration. The assassin then pulled out two swords, ready to charge at me!

  -Parry this your filthy casual!

  I swiftly unholstered my handgun. Unloading half a magazine into him before he started stumbling backwards and over the edge he just came from. I had no time to spare as I turned around, shooting two more refugees or Reunioneers. Whoever they were the old saying applied: ''If it's hostile, kill it.'' I jumped back on grasping my rifle as the tide surged again towards the entry point.

  In barely no time my last rifle magazine ran empty, quickly switching to dishing out rapid pistol fire towards the staircase entrance. Emptying the first magazine and having filled the entrance with enough corpses to slow the advancing mob.

  The tactic working well with the second and third mag, but I was to have an unwelcome surprise. One of them brought a literal bulletproof riot shield. All thanks to the landship's taxpayer money and the brilliant competence of the LSF. ''Fucking Hell.'' I thought.

  My situation was becoming desperate. There was no denying that.

  I took more careful aimed shots, but I barely took two out of their misery before the man behind the shield learned to adjust it properly. I was onto my last magazine, and I was feeling rather naked for my situation. I blasted my fortune for ending in this miserable state of affairs and was scraping the bottom of the barrel that was my brain for any ideas to get out of this predicament.

  The shield bearing man was slowly advancing outside as another drastic gush of wind was upon me. I turned around, seeing the second aircraft and its door still slid open. In the next second Provence had unleashed a superheated arrow, piercing through the shield's reinforced glass and into its wielder.

  A massive fireball followed, engulfing the stairway and all its occupants. They had thrown down a rope ladder and I desperately leaped to clasp it tightly within my palms as the Osprey was gaining speed and altitude. Sporadic fire whirred past us, and I was slowly climbing my way up through the powerful vortexes of air arrayed against me.

  I saw Provence with a harness tied around her chest, looking down. Making sure I was still with them. And from her expression, desperately seeking to see me aboard already. The automatic cord puller was put into function, starting to bring me up.

  As I finally felt a surge of relief I was instantly grasped by an intense pain in the side of my lower abdomen. My vision was quickly fading and I felt my grasp on the cord fainter, yet I focused all my will to remain clenched to it. Even though I felt as if I was about to lose consciousness. I couldn't think straight anymore.

  -''Taceeet!'' I heard Provence's voice scream out.

  She grabbed me with the strength of grasping someone for dear life, and I was finally dragged onboard. As the hatch closed behind me I looked down, noticing trickles of blood fast forming a puddle of my own dark-red blood. I felt as if I couldn't stand upright. Provence helping me lower myself slowly instead of crashing. ''I was shot'' I realised dazedly.

  -''It's alright, I'll take care of him.'' I heard Gavial's voice.

  I felt like shit, and too weakened for my own liking. But I was conscious and aware still. I bid Gavial closer to speak privately, whisper to whisper.

  -''Enough... fuel to reach Rhodes Island?'' I struggled to say.

  -Yup. We're going home.

  -Good... to hear.

  She tended to me, managing to even get the bullet out before stitching my wounds closed, giving me ample bandaging. I was left on my stretcher in the little corner that wasn't crowded and Provence came to sit by my side. Covering me with her ample tail, warm and fluffy in a way that reached your soul with something of an angelic, tender touch.

  -''Did we get everyone out?'' I asked the gorgeous lupa above me.

  -We did.

  -The little vulpo?

  -She's with us.

  I simply nodded at the good news at that point. I had expected some beratement. Yet she wouldn't rebuke any of my actions that day. It was all too near to total disaster. But we managed. We gave the Devil the slip and escaped Hell. As bloody as our hands were... my hands were, they were worth it for the ones I saved.

  -''Rest Tacet.'' Provence spoke with a delicate voice.

  -I just might, as long as you promise to be the first sight to see once I wake.

  -''Mhm.'' She gave a small, pleased chuckle. ''I promise.''

  I awoke to a shudder that reverberated throughout the airship's hull, which painfully rattled my wound. It hurt like Hell even with my gift doing its job. My insides felt mangled, a sign I didn't like.

  -''Tacet.'' I heard her soft voice speak my operator name. And as I opened my eyes I gazed at the lupa above me.

  -''Hey there, come here often?'' I asked smugly.

  -Oh shush you~.

  -Turbulence?

  -We're landing. We've made it home.

  I was taken on the stretcher. I really couldn't have bet on walking straight for more than a few moments if even that. Gavial along with Provence deciding to accompany me.

  -''Hey.'' Provence addressed Gavial in a subtle manner. Trying to convey without speaking it that she didn't like the state that I was in.

  -Come on, don't look so off put. Your lover's gonna pull through. You won't be raising your pups alone!

  -''How!?'' Provence asked, caught off guard.

  -''It's obvious you're a couple, I've seen many patients like you two. Also, come by my clinic sometime this week. I need to give you something.'' Gavial said, managing to relieve Provence's worry with her distraction.

  Personally, I would have preferred some extra injectable painkillers instead. But balancing that need against the necessity to retain my image of being a tough bastard against whatever life, a joke that it was, might have thrown at me.