My eyes tore to the sky, realizing the sun had dipped low enough in the sky. It was about time for the planned destruction of Echelon 67 to occur, taking me, Axel, and Saleos down with it. I swallowed, my eyes tearing around me, trying to plan my next move.
I could run. I could make it to the border in time and escape. I was a fast runner. I could make it in time, but that would mean that I’d have to leave Axel behind, that I’d never have him in my life again. I wouldn’t even have a single piece of proof of anything that happened here, so no one would ever believe me if I did. The government would only cover up the story of the bomb, calling it some unfortunate gas leak and explosion.
I didn’t really care about that though.
I cared about losing the man I loved, the man willing to do and sacrifice anything to save me. My hand swung around and grasped the gun at my back, pulling it out and leveling it on the fighting pair.
I knew my bullets couldn’t penetrate their skin, but then, Saleos turned his back to me.
I noticed a single spot on the back of his beck, a round circular spot that was about three inches in diameter that was still the skin color of a normal human.
I blinked. What the fuck was that?
Then I remembered.
All the floating corpses in formaldehyde. I had tried not to read too many of the plaques, but many of them that I had read had indicated a point of weakness on the back of their necks. A fair number of genetically engineered aliens had been killed by lethal injection in that very spot. A number of others were shot or maimed in some way. My mind flew and then, I remembered one dead alien specifically.
Cause of death. Bullet to the back of the neck.
The wound had been horrific.
I grinned. Saleos had a weakness.
I knelt, one knee to the ground and lined up the sights of my weapon, training it straight on Saleos. He was a moving target, far more difficult than anything I had ever shot, but I’d trained hard and I was a good shot.
My forefinger curled around the trigger, just resting against it and waiting for the perfect angle to appear.
The incoming drones hummed louder, still a fair distance away. They would be deafening once they arrived. I couldn’t wait that long though. I had to act now and somehow get myself and Axel far away from here. I had to figure out a way to save the two of us.
Saleos feinted left, then right, his eyes only on his brother and not on me.
Then he made a crucial error. He turned his back on me entirely, giving me the perfect shot.
I pulled the trigger, feeling the mechanism within the barrel fire the bullet. Almost in slow motion, the back of Saleos’ neck burst open, showering the ground with black blood and he screamed in horror. At first, his hands desperately flew backwards in an effort to shield the area, but then, his limbs shook, stiffening until it appeared as though he could no longer use them at all.
Saleos fell to the ground, his limbs quivering and seizing beside his body. He turned his head in my direction and the look of horror there was shocking. His eyes blazed with anger and sadness, full of emotion.
“You were never going to help me, were you?” he spat at me.
I shook my head and lowered my weapon.
Axel pounced on his brother, tearing at him with his claws and Saleos couldn’t fight back. I hadn’t killed him it seemed, but I had paralyzed him. Axel would deal the final blow.
The sounds of flesh tearing flesh echoed around us and I tried not to look.
The fight was over. Axel had won. His brother, unable to fight and no longer a threat, couldn’t hold his attention for much longer.
I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to move. I had to risk it.
I tore toward Axel, the drones slowly getting louder as they traveled toward us.
I ran, screaming for him, begging for him to come back to me.
Bloodied, wild, and uncontrollable, he turned his sights upon me.
He ran at me. I ran at him and when we got close enough, I fell to my knees.
I knelt, bending over to place my cheek on the ground, submitting to him.