The Meat Factory

The sun sparkled brightly overhead, illuminating everything with its smoldering rays. The blue, crystal sky left a terribly clear view of the ground. So, the six of them had trudged through the sewers most of the day, deciding they didn't want to risk being spotted by a winger.

They walked in silence, focusing on the impossible mission ahead of them. Maybe it meant more to Deyana than anyone else. Maybe Drum's silence was because Eric's life was in the balance. Maybe Calvin and Theresa were silent because they didn't want to hear themselves speak.

Julio and Liza brought up the rear, walking side by side down one of the wider tunnels. Maybe Liza's silence was because of the guilt she'd given Calvin because of Kelley. Maybe she was just contemplating life.

Julio, however, was just focusing on the mission ahead. He cleared his mind, deciding idle chatter would distract him. I don't need distractions, he thought. He led the team, and Drum wasn't up to par, and Calvin, well, he'd turned into an emotional wreck quite often.

Julio looked over at Liza as she brushed a strand of brunette hair out of her sweaty face. So young, Julio thought. I was that young, once, but I didn't have to throw my life away, Julio told himself morosely. She's so young, he thought again, but forced himself to dwell on the mission.

"This is where we separate," Deyana whispered from the front. "I want my team to come with me. We're going straight ahead. Julio's team will veer to the right."

Without any more words, the six separated. Liza looked over her shoulder, watching the three other figures wander off into the darkness of the dank sewers. She obediently followed Deyana, who was still carrying Theresa, down the strip of dark tunnel ahead of them.

"We enter from the front, so we'll have to be extra careful," Deyana whispered, handing another set of aluminum foil type helmets to put over their old ones. "I want extra protection."

With this, Deyana opened a hatch on the side of the tunnel. She let white light stream into the dark depths. Liza blinked at the brightness, but waited patiently. "We'll wait a half hour. They'll need time to get to their position."

Indeed, to loop the meat factory underground before going in the opposite side would take longer. Drum felt the walk starting to wear at him, but ignored all pain and fatigue, determined to do this mission. He walked in the front, leading the team through the tunnel. He had the best eyes, he told them, and could easily see anything coming before Calvin spotted it.

"Here," Julio thrust more helmets into Calvin's hands. He pasted them up to Drum, who put another one on his head. With that, they trudged along in silence, wanting to disturb nothing on their way. Fast and furious, Drum reminded himself.

After at least what felt like another hour of sewer walking, they reached the tunnel where they would come out into the light. Dusk settled upon the city, and thick bands of scarlet, orange, and gold reflected against the windows and gave the meat factory a warped look. The many-stripped bands of color seemed distorted in the rays of the setting sun and many of them looked like dried blood.

"Why twilit?" Drum muttered.

"The ferrets aren't out, and the wingers are going in," Julio replied anyway. Calvin stared at the unsettling sight, knowing that he'd been there before. I have to do this, he told himself, trying to steady the shaky resolution inside of himself. For Drum, I have to do this for Drum, he told himself as they approached the fence.

Julio put a finger to his mouth as he drew out a couple sticks of dynamite. He ran and tossed one to the left, and then took the other one and ran right, tossing them both away from the gate they stood in front of. Immediately, all the guards rushed to the disturbed spots, and Julio motioned Calvin to cut open the now unguarded gate.

After Calvin slashed his way through, Julio and Drum shot through the hole. Julio motioned the two of them to follow him deeper into the compound. They made their way like phantoms to the level where they assumed that the actual creature bodies were made.

"We wait here," Julio whispered. Drum nodded, barely catching what he said. White, unfeeling drones passed them, ignoring their presence. Calvin felt his heart hammering, and he revolted at even being in this building. Drum, however, steeled himself to do whatever needed to be done. His mind was used to thinking rationally during chaos.

"Here!" The three guys turned as they spotted Liza bolting towards them. Behind, Deyana crept along, Theresa still on her shoulders. When they converged silently in the middle of the hallway, Liza could hardly believe that they'd made it this far.

"Find the room," Deyana began to look around. She raced after a drone, following it into a room with a huge X on the door. The six shuffled after the drone, moving into the room, not knowing what to expect.

However, as hot, white lights struck their eyes, Deyana knew they'd found the treasure trove. Liza felt her stomach swirl, and she turned and hurled on the cold linoleum. Calvin sank down against the wall, unable to look up at the grisly scene before him.

"Damn it! Grab something!" Deyana hissed, pulling out her gun. She walked over to a very complicated looking machine, and shot the drone working it. Julio walked over to the drones that performed surgeries or prodded masses of flesh with strange instruments and shot them, also.

"Move!" Deyana hissed as she began to download and stash information. Drum, however, hadn't spotted the carcasses of Myrmidons, wingers, ferrets, or trackers in this room. However, there were plenty of humans being dissected and torn apart. However, to one side of the vast, dome shaped room, he spotted strange creatures, which didn't appear to be anything natural, but they weren't the typical beasts he'd seen before.

"Here," Drum walked over to a large vat of gel that held a strange creature who had the body of a huge horse, but an enormous, intimidating scorpion tale. However, a human male torso had been welded somehow onto the horse body. A breathing tube was connected to the creature's mouth and nose and there were coverings over openings like his eyes, ears, and rectal area.

"Whoa," Liza whispered, her face totally horrified as she approached. Behind her, Calvin also trudged forward. "What is it?"

"Let's drain this tank and see," Drum looked for a mechanism to drain the tank, but then, decided it would be quicker to break the glass and drain it that way. However, when the glass broke, the creature began to struggle and scream hoarsely through the breathing mask.

"Deyana!" Drum shouted, jumping back as the scorpion stinger shot at him. Julio arrived first, sticking the beast with a sedative.

"Take it," Deyana rushed over, ordering Calvin to grab the now limp thing. "I've got a good idea what this room is, and we need to go, now! Julio, outside, sedate a drone and take one with us, too."

With that last order, Deyana marched her little army out the door. They scrambled away from the scene. Deyana secured a foil helmet on the creature's head, and then, just as they'd made it out of the room, a horde of Myrmidons and trackers came towards them. They flattened themselves against the wall, letting the beasts past.

Then, they continued their exodus of the meat factory. On the way, Julio quickly sedated a drone, while Deyana capped the lanky, white figure. Then, they bolted for the gates. Again, Julio created another set of diversions by throwing more dynamite. They left through a different gate than either group had entered in, but all they cared about was putting distance between themselves and the horrible meat factory.

Night had descended on the city while they were inside, and now, they were forced to make their way back across the streets above ground. They walked where it was light, and Deyana supplied them with fresh helmets, determined to keep them from being caught.

"We're so close," she whispered as they walked across a brightly illuminated highway. "We did it."

"What did you find?" Julio asked, not really the least bit curious at the moment. Fatigue was taking away his better senses, and the sight of the operating room had stunned even his battle hardened mind.

"They were experimenting on humans to make new creatures," Deyana said, but she paused, as if considering to say more. "That one," she said, pointing to the strange thing that Calvin hauled, "was awake while they remade his body."

Liza stopped, turning aside to collapse and vomit again. Calvin stopped moving, and Theresa let out a mournful shriek. Drum felt his blood run cold, and he looked at the creature, still coated in the gel they'd found it in.

"We stop. I need food," Julio commanded. Deyana nodded solemnly, taking the rations out of Theresa's backpack. The six of them ate in silence, and Julio made sure to sedate the drone and the miserable creature again. Then, they picked themselves up once more, feeling physically weary, but mentally and emotionally stunned and abused.

As daylight tipped the trees, they arrived at the sub and boarded silently. Now, their silence became thick and a powerful presence in itself. All of them were stuck in their own thoughts, unable to pull themselves away from the day's experience. As they docked, Liza, Calvin, Theresa, and Drum retired gratefully to cots, beds, and bars with sleeping bags.

MorganRay, once again, and thanks for all the lovely reviews I've gotten so far. This is hopefully a more exciting chapter, so enjoy and review.