Episode 3: Into the Night

Carina and the men of E company could only take a few brief moments to stop and gaze upon the giant cloud of fire that rose from the valley. In each one of their minds, they sent a silent prayer for the three engineers. Turning back away from the dissipating fireball, the group kept running north to evade the fallout from the eventual wisdom dust explosion. As they ran, Carina started to fall farther back. She wasn't used to running like this for this long.

"Come on Carina. You gotta keep up." a private who had dropped back to her said, "Just think there is a siren on your ass."

"Es gibt… immer… a sirene… on my ass." Carina gasped out.

"That would make sense… How about your friend is wherever the hell we are headed?"

That did the trick. Carina ignored the pain that was developing in her legs, and the pain on her right side disappeared. As she ran, Carina had one thought in her mind.

'Lucia better be ok.'

The screech of metal wheels split the night. The train had reached the place where a bridge had once stood. Carina dug deeper and slowly caught up to Captain Speirs. As they ran, the screeching suddenly stopped.

"Oh God." was all Speirs could say.

The ground suddenly shook as a giant blue fireball lit up the night. Carina and the men of E Company were thrown to the ground as the tremors continued. At that moment, blue flecks started to float down toward them.

"Run! Get to cover or out of here!" Speirs called before giving a hacking cough.

Carina and the others picked themselves up off of the ground and resumed their run. Almost completely spent, Carina severely lagged behind until the men ahead slowed, and the sound of several engines was heard. Carina saw a few of the men climbing into jeeps while others climbed into a canvas-covered truck with a boxy trailer with antennas sticking out of it.

Carina breathed a sigh of relief. She and Captain Speirs, who had begun to wheeze about as hard, wouldn't have to run anymore. As she helped Speirs into a jeep, Carina began to feel a weird tingling sensation. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who felt it.

"Get… going!" Someone called.

Together, all of the jeeps and the truck lurched forward and began to continue away from the falling blue particles.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I have just about HAD IT WITH YOU!" Purifier screeched, throwing a very beaten up Lützow against one of the walls in the cell, "Never, in any of the timelines I have been in, have I met a more stubborn kansen as you!" Purifier raged, picking up Lützow and throwing her back across the room.

Lützow hit the wall with a sickening thud before falling to the ground with an equally sickening noise. Weakly holding herself up with one hand, blood dripped from Lützow's lips, adding a fresh pool to the already bloodstained floor. As if to add insult to injury, Lützow's body was wracked by a hacking cough that resulted in more blood being added to the floor.

" I guess… I should be flattered." Lützow gasped out in-between ragged breaths.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME!?" Purifier screamed, kicking Lützow in the stomache, causing her to cough up more blood.

"I said, I guess I should be flattered." Lützow repeated, shakily getting to her feet, only to be thrown back down by Purifier.

"If you want to see it that way, then fine. See it that way." Purifier seethed, angerly shaking Lützow's blood from her hand, "You know this could all be over if you just told me what I want to know."

Lützow pushed herself up untill she was sitting with her back against the wall. Looking up at the enraged psychotic siren, Lützow gave a beaten smile while with her bloodstained face. If she was to die, then she would die knowing that she had done her job well. Forcing her voice to work, Lützow stared right at Purifier before speaking.

"I would rather die."

"That can be arranged." Purifier spat before whirling around and leaving Lützow unconscious against the wall.

XXXXXXXXXX

Far to south, a tanker sat in his M24, watching the darkness around him. It had been like this the past few weeks, ever since that Dutch girl and her siren showed up. Those beady-eyed explorers as they were called seemed to show up more often, and a few times they had to use precious ammunition in an unwanted firefight.

BZZZZZZZZZT

The tanker glanced over at the radio before returning to the gunsight. Probably nothing anyway. Most days the radio just buzzed every so often, occasionally a few broken words would come through, before they got cut off.

BZZZZZZT… requesting… BZZZZZZT… hostile column… BZZZZZZZZZT

"Hey Hutch, someone's trying to raise us on the radio." The tanker said, pulling on the pants leg of the tank commander.

"You sure Jack? I've never heard that thing say anything." Hutch said, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm sure. I only heard a few words, but it sounded like they needed help." Jack said, fiddling with the radio.

"Well, try to find them again. Maybe it might be worth reporting to Captain Salisbury if it turns out to be anything."

BZZZT… This is Sergeant Robert Wynn Jr. of E Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the Eagle Union 101st Airborne Division. We are on the run from a hostile convoy, a few miles outside of Ess… BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT

The radio went silent again, and the two tankers looked at each other. It had been a long time since E company had been on the offensive. But if fellow Eagle Union service members were in danger, it might be time to awaken the slumbering giant. The may be reduced to one company, but they were still members of Spearhead. They would make this work.