The three walked the streets, Dakota leading them across the shadows. Everything was fine until they got to the corner of Porter and Turnbull St in the West Side Industrial district. Dakota heard commotion ahead. He stopped Kara and Alice behind them and directed them to hide behind a building. He checked around the corner. Soldiers, at least twelve of them. There were two of them that were rounding up several androids. There were too many spread out to subdue them without being noticed. The only option was to sneak around them. Dakota turned back to Alice and Kara. "We've gotta sneak past them. Stay close. He turned back to watch the soldiers, looking for an opening to move. As a precaution, he drew the gun he had taken back at Jericho during the attack. There was no way he could take on all the soldiers if spotted, but if he made himself to be a bigger threat if caught, Kara and Alice might have a better chance of getting away safe. Seeing a moment where everyone's attention was diverted, Dakota swiftly moved around the corner and behind a car, the other two following close behind. It was hard not to step into the action, not to help the deviants caught in the gun sights of the soldiers like hares in headlights. It was even worse hearing the words that came from the GIs' mouths. They genuinely believed that androids were a threat, and should be taken out. It ground at Dakota, igniting a flame of righteousness. But he remained in the shadows, not helping those trapped in the light. If seen, the mission was compromised. He couldn't risk it.
The trio slowly made their way down the street, to the corner. Dakota was about to look for an opening in the troops' movement when Alice shook his shoulder.
"Dakota, look. It's Luther," she whispers. Dakota looked in the direction she was pointing, and there he was. The gentle giant, on his knees with his hands laced behind his bowed head, next to another deviant who wore the traditional android uniform of a Jerry model from the old amusement park Pirate's Cove, held at gunpoint like a violent criminal. The flame inside him surged, filling him with a quiet rage. "We have to help him," Alice continued. Dakota met her eyes and nodded, a silent affirmation, and led them behind a car closer to Luther. He directed Alice underneath the car, facing away from the soldiers so the light can't reflect off her skin. He peeked out past the front of the car, watching for an opening. He saw two soldiers walk up to another deviant, who tried to bluff his way past them. After checking the android's temperature and learning what he was, they promptly shot him at point blank range, no remorse afterwards. Dakota didn't move to help. He couldn't move. After the gruesome display of cold violence, the two soldiers walked away, leaving only the one still guarding Luther. That one's back was turned to Dakota though, making it easy to take him out. Dakota came out from behind the car, body still low. He came up to the soldier and delivered a swift blow to the back of the head, soundlessly knocking him out. Upon seeing Dakota standing in front of him, Luther jumped to his feet. "Dakota! You shouldn't have risked your life to save me."
"It wasn't a risk," Dakota replied.
"Where's Alice and Kara?" Luther asked, concern in voice.
"They're hiding nearby,"
The other android looked at Dakota, absolutely grateful for being saved. "You saved us! We don't know how to thank you."
"You can thank me later. Go now, before they find you again." Dakota commanded the Jerry model, who immediately took off into the night.
"Luther!" Alice came barreling out of the shadows, hugging Luther tightly. "I thought you were dead." Those words hit Dakota hard. No child should ever end up saying those words.
Luther looked kindly at the little girl. "I was afraid I'd never see you again. I was going to meet you at the terminal, but they caught me along the way."
Kara was glad to see that Luther was safe, as he had quickly grown to be a part of their little group. But she also was anxious to get Alice safely out of the city, and being out in the open didn't help the impending sense of danger she felt. "Come on," she started, taking hold of Alice's hand. "We're close but we don't have much time." Dakota immediately took point, leading them from shadow to shadow. They passed several more soldiers, all looking for androids. Their helmets hid their features, making them look more machine than the very machines they were hunting. They passed another android, who was unaware of the group passing through. Three shots rang out, and the android fell to the ground. No warning, no mercy. The fire inside Dakota burned a little hotter. They got all the way down the street unnoticed. Dakota checked around the corner and saw something somewhat problematic, but not unexpected. He turned back to the others to tell them what he saw.
"There's a checkpoint ahead. Manned, seven guards."
Kara spoke up first. "We have passports, we should be fine but you never know."
"Maybe we should take a detour and avoid the risk?" Luther suggested.
"We're almost out of time, and the other streets are being patrolled just as the others," Dakota countered. "If we go through here, we'll at least be safe on the other side."
Luther considered the human's words, then relented. "Alright," he said finally, and the four walked up to the checkpoint. Two guards approached, one male one female. "ID," the male guard ordered, and everyone presented theirs. Dakota was impressed with the forgeries. They were practically perfect, and that was more than enough to fool the guard.
"You do realize there's a curfew?" The male guard said. "Civilians aren't allowed out unless absolutely necessary. What are you doing out here?"
"Our car broke down. We're finishing the rest of the way on foot, we live nearby, " Dakota told him. Dakota could feel Kara and Luther communicating cybernetically with each other, a subtle tension going traveling between them.
The male guard didn't seem entirely convinced, but he handed them back their items, and was about to wave them through when the other guard stopped them. "Is she okay?" gesturing at Alice, who had begun to shiver from the extended exposure to cold and from nerves.
"She's just really cold. We're trying to get home and warm up," Kara lied easily.
"Seems awfully late to be out," the male guard commented skeptically.
The female guard sighed and looked at the group. "Ignore him. All the stuff with deviants has got everyone here nervous," she stated. "Have a good night, all of you.
The other guard sighed and dropped his head. "Go on," he said disappointedly. The four began to walk off, when the male guard called after them. "Wait!"
They all stopped. Dakota could feel Kara and Luther talking wirelessly again, this time more agitated. They all turned to him. He was holding a scarf in his hand. "You dropped this," he said, holding the piece of clothing out to them. Dakota took it from him and put it on Alice. "Thank you," he said, and the group hurried off to the bus station.
They reached the terminal without incident.
"Here it is, Alice," Kara said. "We're almost there, almost safe." Her tone was hopeful, the first positive emotion Dakota has heard in her voice all day, and it made him smile inwardly. From the center, someone made an announcement.
"The last bus to the border is full. Ticket-carrying passengers only. All departures are suspended until further notice."
"We don't have any tickets, they won't let us on," Kara said, worry creeping back into her voice.
"Don't worry, we'll figure something out," Dakota told her, his tone cautiously confident. He took in the information from the announcement. The delay in departure was a blessing in disguise, as it gave more time to figure out a solution.
Luther nudged Dakota's shoulder, getting his attention, and nodded over to where two guards were scanning a woman. "They're checking everyone," the large deviant whispered. It won't take long for them to find us."
Dakota knew enough about civilians and crowds. There was no official checklist or registry for those present at the terminal, so there is no way to assure that absolutely everyone has been checked. "As long as we blend in with the crowd and don't stick out too much, they won't bother us." It was very true, as the woman they were currently scanning was alone, and seemed to have been staying in the relative shadows, a very suspicious place to be from the guards' perspectives.
They turned back to Kara and Alice, who were quietly watching a news report on the side of a bench. It was showing a live report of Markus and the other androids gathering in front of the collection camp at Hart Plaza. An interesting connection formed in Dakota's mind. Hart Plaza, Jericho, even the demonstration early this afternoon, were all within a very close distance. He would look into this later.
The two girls turned away from the screen, concern on Kara's face. "We're stuck here, aren't we?"
"I don't think we will be," Dakota assured her. They began walking towards the crowd when a rough hand grabbed Kara's arm.
"You," a heavy man with a haggard face hissed. "You stole my little girl!"
"Todd," Kara breathed, her voice breathy with fear. Alice looked up at who Dakota assumed was her father, a look of pure terror on her face.
"Security! Security, over here!" Todd began calling out.
Dakota stepped forward, trying to de-escalate the situation. "Is there a problem, sir?"
"Yes there's a problem! This fucking bitch stole my daughter from me." Dakota quickly took stock of Todd's physical appearance. He was sweating despite the cold, his face was pallid, he was breathing heavily, and he held an unsteady gait. He seemed to have the major symptoms of withdrawal. Although there were still signs of long term use of the drug known as red ice, it seemed as though he's kept himself clean for at least four days.
"Don't do this Todd," Kara pleaded quietly. "They'll kill us all if we're found."
Kara was scared. Todd, the man she took Alice from, the abuser of both of them, had found her. This was a nightmare in waking. In her fear, she almost felt removed from the situation, no longer in control. She heard her own voice tell Todd not to do this, that they'll all be killed, but felt no connection to those words. She watched as Dakota put his hand on Todd's arm, forcing his attention away from Kara and onto him. She saw them lock eyes, and Todd's face growing paler end eyes growing wider. His grip on Kara slackened, and she immediately wrenched herself from his hand. Todd and Dakota broke eye contact, and Todd seemed shocked.
"Wh-who are you?" Todd stammered. It seemed to be his turn to be afraid, as Kara almost felt like she was slowly floating back into her own body.
"Nobody to be trifled with," Dakota replied simply.
Todd hung his head. "I fucked up. I thought that I could be a good father. But my own android seems to be doing better than me." He reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out a bus ticket. "Here," he said, handing the sheaf of paper to Kara. "You could use it more than me."
"Don't worry, your daughter is in good hands." Dakota said, his voice filled with compassion he didn't have. Despite what he had seen in the soulgaze, the various setbacks and problems thrown Todd's way, it didn't make Dakota despise Todd any less. He beat his child, and to Dakota it was unforgivable. No one could claim to be trying to be a good parent while taking out their aggression on their family. Still, he made a mental note to look up some rehab facilities after this whole ordeal was over.
A guard approached them. "Is there a problem?"
"No, there is no problem here," Todd told the soldier. "I just… made a mistake." His voice was filled with regret, the weight of his previous actions settling in around him like a blanket of ash, made of the burned bridges in his life. The guard nodded, clearly not wanting to be working security, likely just wanting to go home. Both the guard and Todd walked away, leaving the group in silence.
A moment of stunned silence passed before Dakota took lead and guided the group over to the majority of the crowd. Alice stopped by a mother with an infant cradled in her arms. The young girl watched curiously at the baby, as she had never had siblings or seen anyone with a child so young. The mother looked up, noticing Alice. "I think Oliver likes you," she said to the little one. Kara came over and put her hand on Alice's shoulder. "She yours?" The mother of the infant asked Kara.
"Yeah," Kara replied.
"She's adorable."
A man walked towards the young mother sitting on the bench. "That's it. Got the sandwiches, called your mother, let's get going before we miss our bus. You got the tickets, right?"
"Yes, honey. Right in my bag." The young mother picked up her stuff and stood up. As she walked away though, a blue envelope fell out of her bag. Kara picked it up and examined it. Dakota could see from where he stood that it contained bus tickets. The voices of the family that just left were growing closer, clearly distressed. Kara quickly stowed the tickets in her coat pocket.
The husband walked over to where his wife had been sitting, looking frantically around the bench for their lost tickets. He turned to Kara. "Excuse me, you didn't happen to see a blue envelope somewhere, did you? It has our bus tickets in it and… oh nevermind."
"No, sorry," Kara said, shaking her head empathetically. Dakota was surprised by this, for he thought that Kara would end up giving the tickets back, but he didn't say anything. It meant that Kara and Alice would be safe. This family was human, and wasn't being pursued by every military organization in the city. They would be safe.
The young man sat down on the bench, dejected. "What're we gonna do? We can't stay here." He looked up at his wife. "We have to find a safe place for Oliver."
Dakota, not without morals, offered his advice. "I'm so sorry about your tickets," he started, "if you can't find them before the bus leaves you can head over to the police precinct near here. It's only a couple blocks northwest It'll be warm there, and I'm sure they'll be welcoming to a family trying to get out of the cold."
"You're sure?" the man asked.
"Very sure. After all, their job is to help the citizens of the city."
"Thank you."
"Of course."
Kara led Alice away from the family. The young girl seemed reluctant to move, but Kara gave her a slight nudge to get her moving. Luther and Dakota followed with a final sympathetic glance towards the family.
"Are they gonna be okay?" Alice asked Kara as they walked towards the ticket checkpoint.
"I'm sure that they'll be fine," Kara responded. They walked up to the guards working at the ticket check and Kara presented the stolen tickets, as well as the one from Todd. The soldier waved them on after confirming the tickets, and they walked off to the waiting bus. They got to the loading bay and stopped.
"I'm sorry, but this is where I leave you for now," Dakota said, sorrow in his voice. The others had known it, but they had hoped that it wasn't going to happen. Alice ran over to him and gave Dakota a hug. He kneeled down and hugged her back.
"Promise you'll come and visit." The little girl said in his ear.
"As soon as I can. I promise," Dakota told her. He released his grip on Alice. "Here, I want you to have this." He reached around his neck and pulled off a ball chain necklace. On the necklace was a dog tag and a buffalo nickel from 1939 formed into a pendant. "To me it's always been a symbol of hope, my good luck charm. Both of these came from different family members, so it always represented my family to me. I thought you could have it as something to remember me by, and to give you something for the new family you've become part of." Dakota put the necklace around the young child's neck and tucked it in under her coat.
"But what will you have to remember us?" Alice asked Dakota.
"I will have my memories of you. You all have become very special to me. I don't easily forget people who have brought me so much light." The little girl smiled a little at his heartfelt words. Dakota stood up and went to Kara. "Please stay safe," he addressed her.
The two embraced, hugging tightly. Dakota had always helped them whenever they needed it. Every time Kara struggled, he was always there for her. She was somewhat at a loss as what would happen without him at her side, or even what to say. The words "I'll miss you," stumbled out of her mouth before she even realized she said anything.
"I'll miss you too," Dakota replied without hesitation. They loosened their grip on each other, taking each other's hands. Kara could feel a small slip of paper in Dakota left hand, which he pushed into her right. "Here's my number. Call me as soon as you get over the border, okay?"
"I will."
"Good. I'll see you soon." And without a moment's notice, Dakota quickly closed the gap between them and planted a quick kiss on her forehead. Kara's face flushed slightly, cheeks blushing a pale blue. Dakota looked at her for a moment longer with kind eyes, then turned to Luther.
"I'd tell you to look after them, but I know you'd do it anyways." He hugged Luther as well, and despite being taller than average, Dakota was still half a head shorter than the large, dark-skinned deviant. "Don't forget to take care of yourself, too."
"You too, Dakota." The giant replied. "You mean a lot to Kara and Alice, and they would be pretty upset if something happened to you." Dakota took this knowledge and put in his heart, for it was statements like that, that there were people, whether android or human, that cared about him, that would keep him warm. They let go, and the two androids with the child turned to board the bus. Alice chose a seat next to window facing the station. She looked out the window, her eyes locked onto Dakota, and never took her eyes off him. Next to Alice sat Kara, also watching Dakota. Luther was sitting across from them, as the Greyhound bus only sat two per side. Alice raised her hand and gave Dakota a sad wave, disheartened by the idea of having to separate with one of the few people that had treated her kindly. Dakota gave her an encouraging smile and waved back. The bus began pulling away, and Dakota didn't stop waving or look away until it was completely out of sight. After it made its turn around the corner, disappearing into the night, Dakota's resolve broke a little. He just felt so tired. His injured leg began to ache, as if reminding him of its continued existence. But he wasn't done yet. He had told Markus he would help, and damn himself if he didn't at least try to do exactly that. Mentally pushing aside the pain once again, Dakota pulled up the hood of his coat and walked away from the bus terminal, disappearing into the shadows of the night.
Thanks for reading so far. I've been updating and editing previous chapters as well, so please leave any problems you have (grammar, plot holes, etc.) and I will get around to it.
