(32) The Noble Thing To Do

I rose to my feet and laid Elaine gently on the ground. Now was the time. All these people were counting on me. I couldn't let them down. "Bring me the balloons." I ordered, and after some minor fumbling, I had them in my hands. A long piece of string that stretched almost a mile was also placed in my possession. We were set.

The tabs on the balloons were pulled and they instantly inflated to their massive size. The balloons were identical, outfitted with nets beneath them to support the refugees weight. This was the tricky part of my plan, if this didn't work, then I had condemned everyone to dea... no, I couldn't think like that. I was the hero. It was my job, my duty to save them. They could not die, especially not my parents. I would not allow it.

I felt as though my plan, working like clockwork, was happening in slow motion. After ordering the citizens to file into one balloon, I laid my beloved in there too, giving my parents strict instructions to keep her safe. A copper curl danced across her face in the cool breeze. I leaned over, kissed her forehead, and whispered in her ear,

"I love you Elaine, and I will until I breathe my last breath."

I pulled back and, to the shock of the refugees, I flashed them a crooked grin, trying to hide my fear, as I shoved their balloon off, away from the main group of Beasts far below. Then, turning, I lept, coat flying behind me, onto the other balloon and floated toward the main group of Beasts prepared to do the noble thing.

I was resolved to not look back, but a familiar cry reached my ears and my head turned of its own accord...

(31) More Elevators and Epic Fighting

The charge and blast of my 4000xp blaster gun seemed loud enough to wake the dead, but my little cupcake snored lightly and rolled off my knee. The Beast stood there for a moment with a gaping hole in its filthy chest before falling backwards into the puddle of its own bloody guts.

Quick as a flash Elaine was on my shoulder and my blaster was charging again as I jumped over the corpse. We were one floor beneath the dome, taking off down the hallway, we reached the elevator shaft in time for me to blast the door open with a short burst to the controls. The group of people huddled in the net cheered softly for me as they began to make their way out. I directed them down the hallways to the elevator and soon all of us were crammed inside the service elevator. We couldn't risk it not making another trip so we were shoulder to shoulder. It would have been awkward if I was easily embarrassed, which I'm not. Ha! I just tried my best to keep Elaine comfortable on my shoulder and not knock her pretty head into the wall too many times....

The cheery *ding* of the elevator told us we had reached the top floor. This was the moment of truth. As the metal doors opened, I gave my reflection a dashing smile before aiming my blaster at the fast-widening space ahead. One glance told me this was going to be one heck of a fight.

My gun went off before the doors had finished opening. Then I sprinted past the body of the decapitated Beast before it had even hit the ground. "FIGHT!" I yelled over my shoulder, "FIGHT FOR YOUR LIVES; FIGHT FOR THOSE YOU'VE LOST! FIGHT FOR THOSE YOU HOLD DEAR!" I heard blasters going off all around me as the swarm of Beasts began to drop like over-grown flies. But they were still coming, one got a good swipe at my arm. Gosh dangit! My poor coat sleeve was in tatters...and I was bleeding, but that was no matter. I hiked Elaine up a little as I sprinted for the door, which opened and more Beasts began racing in. Crap!

We were surrounded, there was only one way out, "GET ON THE ROOF!" I shouted at the mass of people fighting their way through the Beasts. Suction guns went off all around me as people began to rise. I kept fighting, giving them their best chance at reaching the top. Once they were all above the Beast's reach I shot mine up and leapt into the air.

People shuddered and some sobbed as they made their way past the corpses suspended from the ceiling. I made it to the top and blasted through the roof with my gun. Soon, we were all on top, gulping the cool night air. The sky was lightening, dawn was near. I could see the Beasts from the camp swarming into the city and preparing a full-scale attack that would finish us off.

As I reached for the bar of chocolate I kept in my pouch for emergencies and tore off a chunk, I realized that this was it, the deciding point. By daybreak, there would be one victor, and the victor always gets the girl.

(30) Elevator Ride

After picking up the soft body of my beloved, I sprinted across the hallway to the net suspended under the elevator...now four floors above me. 

Well crap. 

 I didn't want the elevator to come down... that would mean it was plummeting to the passengers' deaths--not the most preferable outcome. I had to think. My ticket up was beyond the reach of any suction-gun I had and it was getting farther...Elaine has such fine legs...er farther away. We had to get back...or we could stay down here and get cozy...um. Crap. 

Why did she have to be so dang beautiful!? How's  a guy supposed to think clearly with a stunned and stunning woman in his arms? Suddenly, a sound from the other room. Well double crap! The Beasts were waking up! Gosh dang it all! 

My foggy brain cleared of the desires for that which only a woman can satisfy and snapped into protection mode. One thought dictated all others: I must save Elaine, no matter the cost. 

I noticed that the hallway past the room with the quasi-conscious Beasts was littered with the shredded remains of the barricade doors. They must not have come from this elevator, that meant there was another way out! I flipped Elaine onto my shoulder, grabbed my 4000xp blaster gun and hurtled down the hallway, dodging puddles of blood and shards of metal as I went, blue coat flying, looking like a freakin' hero. 

Once I reached the end of the hallway I saw that there was another elevator, a service one, just waiting for me. Leaping inside I punched the button for the top floor and holstered my blaster gun. Carefully pulling Elaine off my back, I knelt down with her and laid her on the floor, her head on my knee to keep it off the filthy metal bottom of the elevator. I tried to wake her. I tried everything, shaking her, pinching her, throwing her at the wall of the elevator....okay, maybe not that...but short of kissing Sleeping Beauty, I could not get her to wake up. For the first time since she fell into that pool, I was scared. I tried to remember emergency medical procedure, but it was all a mix of numbers, pulses, and bandages covered in cute bunny rabbits. Was she breathing? I couldn't tell! Placing my hand in front of her mouth didn't help. So, I did something I'm not too proud of, I stared at her, very fine, chest. After a moment, I saw that it was indeed moving...but after another moment, I realized the elevator wasn't. 

I reached for my 4000xp blaster gun and whipped around just as the doors opened. 

(29) My Body Gave Up

I steadied myself as I aimed my ray gun at the creature staring at me through the door. Its eyes were black as night, with only a thin ring of red around the outer edge in a perfect circle that grew wider as it registered my weapon. The long face with the terrifying mouth which cut its way back to the bat-like ears barred all hundred of its razor sharp teeth. The thin slits that served as nostrils flared and a guttural growl escaped its hairy throat. It was nearly bent double to fit through the doorway it had cut, its body was a good twelve feet tall, the wiry build and lean muscle mass made it only more terrifying . There was no doubt in my mind that it could and would tear my body apart in a matter of seconds, were it not still concerned about my weapon. The charge that my gun had built was enough to blast the Beast’s head off, but it would not do much damage to the next one came through the doorway, and that one would kill me for sure. 

The standoff lasted long enough for me to register out of the corner of my eye that the elevator had reached my floor. I looked at the console long enough to place my finger on the hold button, when I looked back I saw that there were two Beasts in the room. 

They were lightening-fast, but the elevator was there. I only had to give John as much time as I could hold out for. Then he could get away, he could live along with everyone else. I was prepared to die for the greater good, and the one I loved about all else. One of the Beasts moved toward me and soon was within one of its long arm’s lengths. Foul breath escaped its lips and surrounded me with the smell of rotting flesh. I was sure now that I would be eaten as soon as the life escaped my body, if not a little before. I was not needed for information any more. It was not like before. Now they knew where John was and all they had to do was smoke the lowest level and his fate would be decided. I was going to give the survivors their best chance. I took careful aim and let my gun go off. 

The nearest Beasts’ head blew into a million shreds of skin, blood, and brains. 

The wall behind it was splattered with the gore and, as my gun began to charge, the decapitated body fell to the ground at my feet. A shot to the head with a short burst knocked the second Beast down but it was not strong enough to penetrate the thick skull. It swiped at my feet and knocked me to the ground. I lay there, helpless, with the wind knocked out of my body as my gun tried to gain enough power to save me. More Beasts scrambled into the room. The one that knocked me down was on top of me now, raising its arm poised, to claw my stomach to shreds. 

Suddenly! A loud explosion knocked all the Beasts in the room to the ground violently. One of them fell on top of me and its weight nearly crushed me. The heat from the explosion washed over me. The Beast’s body was shoved roughly off me and a familiar face swam in my blurred vision.

 John! I was saved. He lifted me into his strong arms and carried my body over those of the Beasts that littered the floor. I relaxed against his comforting chest, my hand winding in the black hair at the back of his neck. My body, under all the pressure of the last few days, especially the last several hours, quit on me and I lost consciousness.

(28) Trapped

I made my way down the dark hallway. The lights flickered eerily as I traveled over puddles of liquid I prayed wasn't blood. To stay as quiet as possible, I hoovered about an inch above th ground. I needed to create enough trouble for them to send the elevator down...what could I do? I wound my way through the hallways until I came to a door that was cracked open. A faint golden glow emminated from the room. I held my breath as my eye peered through the crack in the door.

The room was empty of movement. So I felt safe enough to enter. The glow emitted from a computer console. It was flickering and there was some snow on the screen, but I could still clearly read what was flashing there: Capital Controls and Maintenance—touch screen to begin. A soft brush with my fingertips set the screen in motion. Schematics of the entire building popped up, sorted by levels. I was fortunate to have found this. Now I could control the elevators myself, without having to create a diversion. A few taps and the elevator was shown, as a red dot, moving down the levels. I was turning to leave when the screen flashed and made a beeping noise. Whipping my head back around, I saw that the elevator had begun to climb again. Pressing and holding the downward command, I watched as the elevator slowly began to descend.

As I watched the screen I saw the service elevators start moving, and one of them stopped at my floor…I was in trouble now. The Beasts must have known that I was messing with this console because they had sent someone to get me, but if I let my finger up for a second, the elevator would rise. I was trapped. I could almost feel the Beasts sneaking down the hallway. Without removing my finger, I tried pressing other controls. I locked off a portion of the hallway, the gridlock only bought me a few moments though; their fierce claws forced through the steel doors. I locked down every door including the one in my room. Soon, all of my fingers were holding down controls to keep my commands from being overridden. The last door before mine was ripped through with a loud screech, and as I glanced at the elevator’s progress, I saw that it only had three floors to go. Reaching into my holster I drew out my ray gun and turned to face the door as a long claw sliced through the metal as easily as butter.