Rage turned and headed towards the stairwell. His men followed without question. Kim moved with the rest of them and found not only C for company but also Brent and his men.
“We good?” Brent asked her. He was all business. She could see this was a dangerous man who prided himself on his skills. He’d picked a side and was trying to make amends.
“Unless you shoot my boys we are.” She wasn’t about to let him off that easily. It wasn’t his fault but it still grated.
“Fair enough.”
They hit the stairs and bi-passed the platoon taking up attack positions at the bottom of the first floor. Other’s moving up to the second floor, taking their positions. More Cyborgs were filling in behind them. The group on point stopped half way up the first flight and looked at each other and then down, it was clear information was being passed on. Kim could appreciate the swiftness of it. They must have got the info they needed. They all started moving again.
They stopped again at the bottom of the third flight. Kim wasn’t sure why. But the Cyborgs were clearly communicating again. They started up the stairs. Kim was three steps from the entrance to floor three, when she heard the screaming. Several women. They were clearly terrified. She took a step forward and C reached out and held her arm. She looked at him and he shook his head once at her.
C let go. Kim realised that the group on point had probably been hearing this for a while. That’s why they’d stopped for instructions. Kim reached out for the hand rail and focused. She fought the natural reaction to fight. She waited with everyone else. Come on. Come on. Her mind wanting her to act. Brent reached out and touched her, Kim flinched and turned towards him. He mouthed ‘sorry, you ok?’. Kim nodded and lifted her laser gun. As if sensing her need of him, she felt Rage’s heated gaze on her. She looked up towards him. She gritted her face and gave him a nod.
Show time.
Pain gave him the signal. All floors were ready.
“Now.” Rage called out. Kim watched as the group on point ripped open the doors and the Cyborgs poured in. The doors were then sealed behind them. The took up defensive positions and Rage gave the signal to sweep and clean up. Kim moved to the far right and Brent and his team went with her. C kept close behind her. They moved down the open corridor from room to room, building to building. They made sure it was clear, before moving forward. Women were still screaming, crying out up ahead, making enough noise to cover anything they were doing. And still the Cyborgs moved silently. No one wanted any surprises.
Another scream ripped through the air as two men dragged a woman out of a building ahead. Kim watched as the woman fought them, kicking and screaming. They continued to drag her across the concourse in front of them. One dropped her arm and she kicked out at him missing as he’d moved. He landed a punch on her head and knocked her out cold. Re-grabbed her arm and started forward again. Kim gripped her gun tighter.
“What you do that for? I like um to fight me.” The bigger one said.
“I like my balls where they are and she won’t be complaining now.” The first guy seemed to sulk, but kept moving.
Kim moved forward after them. She wasn’t waiting any longer. They entered a shop a few doors ahead. Brent took point from her, his men stepped in behind him. Kim wasn’t happy. They’d cut her off. They reached the doorway and it was still open.
Kim could hear the men laughing and talking in a back room about what they were going to do. It sickened her. Brent and his men slipped into the room, Kim went to follow but C held her back. There were two short bursts of laser fire and one of Brent’s men gave the all clear and stepped back out.
Kim rushed forward as Brent came out. “How’s the woman?”
“Dead, they killed her with that punch and were still going to rape her.” He looked shocked and disgusted. So did his men as they came back out. Kim hit the wall hard with her hand. Such a god dam waste. They should have been quicker!
“Not your fault.” Brent told her. She looked up at him.
“I know that, but it doesn’t help her now does it.” She couldn’t stop the venom in her voice.
“No but we can save others from this.” He told her with certainty she believed.
Kim swallowed the tears that threatened to break out. The world was going to shit, but she could deal with that.
“Right. We take down anything we don’t like the look of, no more waiting agreed?” She told them looking at all of them. C glazed over. She knew he was telling Rage.
“Agreed.” Brent told her.
Kim turned back to the shop doorway. “Rage doesn’t like it.” C told her matter factually. She turned to him with a snarl as she strode out. She wasn’t hiding from these fuckers any more.
“He will forgive me.” She told him and held her hand out to him. C handed her a pulse rifle. Then removed the other one strapped to his back. Cocked and loaded it.
Kim engaged the rifle and strode out into the middle of the concourse. It was clear by the screaming where the women were being held. Cyborgs were moving from room/house to house, building to building. Kim was reminded these were homes. Families. Rage had his job to do. She was going straight for those women.
Three more men came out of what she knew to be a restaurant. Dragging another woman, barely a woman, Kim thought, by the looks of her. Kim open fire on the two assailants along with C and Brent. They went down. Kim rushed forward and grabbed the female, moving her out of harm’s way.
She screamed as Kim touched her. “We’re here to help.” It took the female a moment to register her words. She was clearly traumatised. She grabbed Kim’s hand like a lifeline.
“Please …… the others, they have been raping and killing for days.”
She looked at C. “Give Rage the information.” He glazed off. Kim passed her to one of Brent’s men. “Take her out.” He nodded and led the woman away. Kim straightened and headed towards the screaming.
C caught up with her. “A message from Rage to Dare to me.” C told her. She nodded still moving forward.
“They are clearing a way around the back and will enter with us.” Kim wasn’t happy. She stopped. Wait again? She scowled.
“How long?”
“Two minutes.” She understood Rage’s reasoning. He wanted a uniformed attack. She got that but women were dying. Kim ran forward and braced against the nearest wall.
“We said no more waiting C.” She told him. He gave her a nod. She held her ground. Her hands opening and closing. It was taking too dam long. It felt like hours. Holding position and waiting. Hearing the screaming and crying, cut into her. Her nerves were near shattered. Those women needed help now. Anyone of them, could have been her. Eventually C held up five fingers. Kim felt the tension leave her. They dropped to four, then three, two, one. Brent and his team rushed forward with Kim and C in the rear. Kim wasn’t happy about that either.
Did she look like a bloody mascot?
She ran into the first room. Dear god. She wasn’t prepared for what she saw. She thought she was, but the reality. She would never forget what had happened here. She come in behind Brent and his men, as Rage and his came in the back. Behind C came more of Rages forces closing in the net. They swept in from four points. All converging on the screaming women.
They killed most of the men on sight. Before they even knew they were there. Most too busy raping and killing, to see their arrival until it was too late. Women were found in some of the restaurants, others in the bar’s and offices. The women had been set up to receive visitors. They had been moved to be used by the men as they saw fit.
By the time Kim and their forces arrived. Killing the men, dragging them off the women. Many were barely able to move. Sprawled on tables, floors and makeshift beds, having been raped over and over again. Several were dead, many others were so traumatised they were unresponsive and just lay where they were. Their eyes vacant. Any sense of life or comprehension long gone. Kim wanted to break down and cry. What had they done…..?
A pile of
bodies were found later in one of the homes. Kim threw up. Many of the men and Cyborgs unable to hold back their emotions, had been broken by it. Those women that were able, told them what had happened.
Several pirates were beaten to death. The men unleashing their anger. Many others killed outright. The bodies they found were all female. Old and young. They’d been used up and thrown out like rubbish. Mostly naked.
As the women died they’d brought in more. There were children amongst the damaged and dead. Kim felt sick to her stomach. How did people survive this? She had moved from room to room, house to house, hoping to find survivors but found nothing but evil. Her resolve hardened. Her tears dried. She refused to take comfort in Rage. She wanted to feel her anger. Use it.
C had pointed out a noise. He moved in another direction and Kim went with him. Then she heard a child whimpering and went in search of it. C kicked in the door, a male was standing naked stroking his cock, a child trying to hide in the corner of the room.
She didn’t hesitate and shot him. He went down screaming like a baby. Realising he was no longer alone with the child, he then tried to bargain. She walked over to him, as he started begging for his life. Lifting her gun she shot him again. Blowing a hole in his groin where his cock use to be. Now he was screaming and rolling on the floor in agony.
Without taking his eyes off him. She held out her hand to the child.
“Your safe now.” She told her. The child didn’t move. Kim glanced over to her and smiled. “We came to save you.” The child glanced at the downed man and then edged towards her along the wall. Kim felt she could taste the child’s fear.
As she came to her side, Kim passed the gun to the child.
“His already a dead man,” she told her calmly. “He’ll bleed out and never hurt anyone else. If you wish to shoot him, make it a gut shot. It’s a painful way to die.” The child lifted the gun and fired.
Kim smiled and took back the gun. “My mother told me, no matter what happens, if you fight back, your no one’s victim.” The child looked up at her. Kim took the child’s hand and walked away. The male’s screams quieting, as his life force seeped out.
***
The fighting was over on this floor. There were 31 survivors. The Cyborg’s who had medic training went to work on those that needed it most. Some of the women begged to be killed. Others to be left alone, still in fear and nightmares. Kim assisted where she could. Her greatest surprise were the women who showed the greatest strength of mind, who pushed through their own nightmares, to help those more broken. She would never forget such courage. They took the child she’d saved under their wing.
She watched as the most terrifying of Cyborgs, gently held a female or child and soothed them. Gave them words of comfort, of hope. Helped cloth them or just spoke quietly to them offering a hand to hold, water and food.
Later, they would learn that they were all that were left of over 183 females the pirates had taken to this floor. They had killed those too old, too ill or too frail. The pirates had no use for them, so they killed them. Not one family on this Port had been unaffected. It had been decimated by this outrage. Kim wondered if it would ever recover.
Rage found her sitting in a corner. It was clear to him her mind had seen enough.
C stood near her. Hovering, he looked worried. Rage walked over and crouched down in front of her.
“Cher. You ok?” He asked. Reaching out, touching her hand.
Kim shook her head. “I don’t think I will ever be the same again. These people are going to need help. Lots of it. This cannot ever be allowed to happen again.” Rage took her hand in his, squeezing it rubbing his thumb over the back of it. He could scent her pain and anger.
“We will provide whatever they need.”
Rage found it hard to leave Kim but she was in good hands. Having seen what these men could do, had shaken him and his men to their core. His neuro net alive with their fury. These were innocents. Brutalised by men. It was a reminder that this wasn’t over. His men were waiting for him. They still had four floors to clear and the top, where the rest of the pirates and people were. He called to Dark.
“We’re moving up. Relay to the other Councilman to bring their forces in. Secure this floor. We will join them at the top. Hold and wait for us.”
Dark nodded and looked into the distance. Rage knew he was communicating with the others. He turned to Cage, “clean this mess up. Get the men’s bodies away from the female dead. I want all the sheets we can find. Every female body is to be wrapped in it, ask the females if they wish to do it. Assist if needed. Leave the face uncovered for identification unless damaged and place them in their own space. They will need to be ID’d.”
“And the pirates?” Cage asked.
Rage held onto his anger. “We get confirmation from the Port authorities on each one, any bounty goes to the women, or their families, then they burn. Tell our people to find their ships, take what we can use and blow the rest out of the dark.”
“Affirmative.”
***
One of Brent’s men passed her some water. Kim took it and drank. She was thirsty and hadn’t realised it. She leaned back against the wall, taking in what was going on around her. Woman that had been terrified not so long ago, where now helping each other, herding children and assisting those that needed help. There were tears and shock, compassion and understanding. These women were survivors. They’d had the worse this universe could offer thrown at them, and come through it. It was unimaginable.
The child she’d found was helping another some years older than her. It was clear they were sisters. They looked so much alike. The older child had suffered horridly. It was clear she had injuries. Her clothing had been ripped away and hung on her in rags, the sheet around her coving up her damage. She was shut down, unresponsive. Her sister trying to help her. It was heart breaking.
And that’s when she realised something. Several Cyborgs were hovering near some of the females. Including the child she’d helped. They would glance at the women with concern, then look away. They appeared to be trying to give them some privacy. They would run interference around them. Check who was assisting them. Brought items that were needed and …….stood guard. Other Cyborgs deferred to them around the females.
Kim looked up at C questioning it. “Possible mates.” He told her simply. Kim frowned and looked back at the sight in front of her. How could either the women or the Cyborgs get passed this? It had to be stopped. Kim gulped down her water and stood.
Rage caught her eye. Catching sight of her was never far from his mind. In such a place, she found it comforting. She mouthed, ‘time to go finish this.’ He gave her a cold hard smile and one clear nod. She moved back towards the entrance to this floor. Brent, his men and C moved with her out onto the landing. She looked up. Four floors to go. They headed for the top.
It was one hell of a climb. Not that she was unfit. It was just a hell of a lot of stairs. They passed Cyborgs who had breached the floor above, coming and going. It was clear they were clearing out each floor as they went. Some carried bodies others carried or dragged pirates still living. One or two were screaming about their rights as they were dragged out.
Kim leaned over as one such pirate was dragged passed her. “You have no fucking rights arsehole.”
Kim kept going. At each level, they came across another platoon clearing out the floor, some survivors milling about. An older couple, a family, more couples, more families grasping each other their sense of fear palatable and their relief evident. There were many men asking if anyone had seen their wives. Stacks of goods lying everywhere. The pirates had intended on stripping the place. Kim wondered, how had they managed to take over a Station like this? It made no sense.
She gritted her teeth and climbed. As she reached the bottom of the top flight of stairs she could hear the fighting. They were late to the party. Cyborgs had breached the doors already and Cyborgs were flooding into the space. Kim with Brent and his men, along wi
th C rushed up hot on their heels.
Kim remembered the top floor as it was the pleasure area. Open space and café’s. Entertainment centres. Restaurants and bars. She looked around, the place was nothing like she remembered. It was a mess. Broken signs. Places had been torn apart. Debris everywhere. Piles of similar equipment and materials in various places. Building’s damaged, dead laying around. The lighting system patchy.
Kim looked over to the heaviest fighting. What she guessed as over 40 heavily armed pirates were fighting and dying. Some were using human shields. It didn’t help them. The pirates died anyway. Humans were moved away from the fighting as they found them. Some ran off dragging people with them and were soon cut down. Others were putting up a fairer fight but heavily outnumbered by Cyborgs who were still pouring onto the floor. Kim noticed a small group making a break for it.
“C.” Kim shouted and pointed to the group heading towards the other exit.
They moved to intercede cutting them off. The pirates saw them coming. Opening fire while making a run for it. One of Brent’s men went down. Kim flung herself behind a wall, turned and returned fire, Brent with her.
“Need to hold here. C, re-enforcements.” She yelled while firing pinning down the outlaws.
Galactic Cyborg Heat Series Book Bundle 1-4 Page 13
