Perfect Sacrifice

by Parker, Jack

  "You could probably catch up with him," said Andy, but Ray just smiled.

  "Nah, I've got better things to do," she said, "like take you to see Aaron." Andy smiled brightly. How was it that Ray always knew what he was looking for?

  "Where is he?" Andy asked.

  "At the hospital at the end of the park," said Ray. "He's doing really well. I just saw him this morning. Let's go. I'll show you where it is."

  "Ray, wait!" called Andy, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to look at him, a question playing on her lips. Before she could ask "why", he continued. "Some of Ramirez's men are out today, including his new commander. We can't go together." Ray crossed her arms, a slight scowl on her face. She had to think of something then, and it didn't take her long.

  "Okay," she began. "The hospital is at that end of the park." She pointed to where she meant, and Andy followed her index fingers position with his eyes. "It's big, it's white, you can't miss it."

  "What about you?" Andy questioned as Ray lowered her arm and smiled.

  "I'll take the long way," she told him. "I'm going to head into the city and take tenth, then forty-ninth, alright? Just wait for me there."

  "Okay," he said as he began walking. "I'll see you in a bit." Ray just smiled and began walking the opposite direction. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation. If she went this way, she could stop by Sam's. She was rather hungry, and this was like killing two birds with one stone. He had said she could stop by whenever. She was on her way for a small visit.

  She walked out onto the streets of Torran, and it didn't take her long to reach Tenth Street. Sam's restaurant was on forty-ninth. She would head there next, but it would take a while. The streets were pretty populated today with people running around, doing errands. In fact, there were so many people that she couldn't tell that someone was following her. If she were to glance behind her, everyone who was walking her way would be considered as such.

  Her stalker wore a smirk on his face, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Hooked on his belt was a holster for a gun, and there happened to be one present in it. He sped up a little as she began pulling away. He was determined to follow her. After all, that was part of his job.

  Ray sighed out of frustration as she realized how long this was taking. She had to catch up with Andy at the hospital, and he was probably already there, waiting. She couldn't keep taking so long, so she decided to take the alleys. They were a much faster way to Sam's, and then she could take them all the way to the hospital. Ray turned down the first one she found and began heading through the maze of alleyways. It didn't take her long to reach one that would lead her to the street. She began walking that way, completely unaware of the man following her. He slowly began pulling out his handgun.

  "Rayla Cayden," he said, stopping her in her tracks. As she slowly turned to face the man, she was met with a handgun aimed at her head. The man smirked as he watched her eyes widen in fear. However, they quickly narrowed out of anger or perhaps frustration.

  "Who are you?" she asked, looking him over. He was dressed in black, accenting his dark blue eyes. He brushed his free hand through his mahogany colored hair, a smirk forming on his lips.

  "My name is Nathan," he greeted. "I'm a commander for General Ramirez." He watched as Ray's expression went from surprised to furious. He was enjoying himself. He had been looking for her, after all.

  "What do you want?" she asked, wondering why he hadn't shot her yet. Ramirez wanted her dead. Why was this man hesitating to kill her?

  "You of course," he responded, taking a step towards her. "You're even cuter in person. You'll be so much fun to play with." Ray tried to back up, but he tightened his hold on the trigger to his handgun. "Don't move, or I'll fire." Ray stood stock still, her eyes following him. A sick smirk developed on his face, and Ray knew what he wanted from her.

  "I'd rather die," she snarled angrily as she slowly began to take a step back. Nathan only tightened his hold on the handgun, his finger slowly pulling the trigger.

  * * * *

  Andy stood by the reception desk in Torran's largest hospital, his eyes glued to the front doors. He had been waiting for a while now. If she had gone the way she had said she would, Ray should have been there. He was getting tired of waiting, and he couldn't help but wonder if something had happened to her. Why did he get the feeling something had?

  He heard two familiar voices coming into the hospital, and he snapped his attention to them. They were smiling and laughing about something, but when their eyes met Andy's, their laughter died and their smiles were replaced by looks of surprise.

  "Andy…" whispered Abby, her green eyes filling with a foreign emotion. This was the first time she had seen him since he left the GRC. That had been so long ago.

  "What are you doing here?" asked Brian, sharing the same look of remembrance that Abby had.

  "I'm here to visit Aaron," he responded softly. "I'm waiting for Ray to get here." Abby and Brian both quirked an eyebrow. They hadn't known that Ray was even in Torran today. Perhaps she was getting her Geno fixed up. After all, it was in pretty rough shape.

  "Why are you waiting for Ray?" asked Abby.

  "She said she'd take me to see him," explained Andy. "I ran into her in the park, and she said she'd meet me here. What about you guys?"

  "Same reason," replied Brian. "We came to see how Aaron was doing." The doors to the hospital opened again, and another familiar face walked in. He was currently rubbing his head, a sigh escaping his lips.

  "Leon?" questioned Abby, seeming surprised to see him there. Why was everyone suddenly coming to the hospital?

  "Oh, hey Abby, Brian," Leon greeted with a small smile and a wave of his hand. His eyes quickly met Andy's. "Hey, you're the kid from the park."

  "Leon, this is Andy," introduced Brian. Andy just nodded to Leon, who seemed rather confused now. Things were really getting weird, but they would only get worse.

  "Have any of you seen Ray?" he asked, and they all shook their heads.

  "She's supposed to be coming here," explained Andy. "In fact, she should have been here ten minutes ago. She said she was going to take tenth and forty-ninth." He crossed his arms, thinking to himself. "Someone else told me that today but who?" He began to rack his mind for the answer, recalling what he had done this morning. He had been with some men Ramirez had sent to Torran. They had been walking through the city when he had said he wanted to go to the park. That's when it hit him. Nathan had told him that he'd be hanging around forty-ninth, looking for the knights in case they decided to come to Torran. If he had found Ray, then Andy didn't even want to think about what might happen.

  Andy bolted from the hospital, running past all three of them. He began to head down the streets, but they were quick to catch up.

  "Andy, what's the big idea? Why'd you bolt?" asked Abby, now running along side him.

  "He said he'd be there," said Andy, confusing them more.

  "Who?" asked Brian.

  "Nathan, Ramirez's new commander," explained Andy as he ran down the street, accompanied by the two knights and Leon. "He said he'd be hanging around forty-ninth. If he found Ray, then…I'd rather not think about what might happen."

  "Let's split up," suggested Abby. "We'll all take a different direction. One of us should be able to find her."

  "Sounds good," said Brian. "I'll go this way." With that said, he turned the corner and began exploring down that street. Forty-ninth was a huge area. They had a lot of ground to cover.

  "I'm going this way," said Andy as he ran a different direction. Abby and Leon stopped, and Abby reached to the belt at her side. She had two guns there, one that she was currently removing.

  "Here," she said, handing the gun to Leon. "If you encounter any of Ramirez's men, you'll need this." Leon only nodded and clutched the gun tightly in his hand. "I'm taking this way. You go that way."

  "Alright," he said as he spun around and began running. He had to find Ray, and he was going to search harder now th
an he had been before. Things were different now. Her life was on the line. He knew for a fact that this was one of the few days where she had left her weapons at home. If she was attacked, she had no means of defense.

  Leon stopped dead in his tracks as a gun shot echoed in the area. The people on the streets stopped and looked around, but in the end they didn't care. They just went about their routine. However, Leon just stood there, a bewildered expression on his face. A gun shot wasn't a normal hearing in a city. The fact that he was in section forty-nine didn't help. He began to fear the worst for Ray.

  Leon broke off into a sprint, determined to find his fellow Geno warrior. He quickly found that he was becoming overwhelmed by anger. He gripped the gun tightly, his finger now over the trigger. If anyone had hurt Ray, he was going to make sure that they paid. No one would ever hurt his friends. No one would ever hurt Ray again. He would make sure of it.

  * * * *

  Ray stumbled back into one of the alley walls, her right hand covering a part of her left arm that had just been graced with a bullet wound. Blood began to leak through her fingers, running down her arm in rivulets. Why did everyone always go for the left side of her body? Hadn't her left arm endured enough injuries already?

  Nathan quickly went over to her, grabbing her right wrist and pulling it away from her bleeding arm. He pinned it near her head, pressing it into the rock hard alley wall. To make sure she didn't move, he positioned his gun against her stomach, and she inhaled sharply. It's not like she had never had a gun aimed at her before, but this one was just too close. What was this man planning?

  "Don't move," he told her, his voice rather soft, his breath brushing against her cheek. He was standing too close. "If you do, I won't hesitate to shoot you again." Ray glared at him, trying to seem intimidating despite how scared she was right now. She wasn't about to give this man the satisfaction of scaring her. She wasn't about to let him have what he wanted either.

  "Go to hell," she snarled angrily at him, and he just smirked, tightening his grip on her wrist.

  "You're just as fiery as I was told," he said, stepping in closer. "This is definitely going to be fun." He was slowly moving closer, leaning down towards her.

  "Ray!" shouted a familiar voice, drawing Nathan's attention and hers. As Nathan turned, he raised his gun and was met with another aimed firmly at his head. Ray's eyes were wide as they landed on the man holding the gun. He stood in front of the alley entrance for the deserted back roads, the place she had been heading to before Nathan had stopped her.

  "Leon," she whispered, shocked at seeing him there, especially with a gun in his hands. What was he doing here? Did he really plan to shoot Nathan?

  "Let her go," Leon demanded, his face twisted in a deep scowl. Nathan wasn't in any way affected by this new development. In fact, this would make things all the more interesting.

  Leon glanced at Ray, quickly noticing that her left arm was covered in blood. It was coming from a hole in her arm. He quickly became enraged. Who did this man think he was, and what was he going to do with Ray? By the way he had been pressing against her, there was only one thing he could have been trying to do. Leon scowled in disgust, and he felt himself becoming angrier with this man. He had no right to touch Ray. No one did. He would make sure that Nathan paid for even thinking about doing it.

  "Exactly what are you doing here, Mr. Solaris?" Nathan questioned. "Did you come to stop me?"

  "Damn right I did," he answered, his finger tightening against the trigger to his gun. He wanted so badly just to shoot this man. Unfortunately, right before he pulled the trigger, Nathan shot the gun out of his hand.

  "Leon, run!" shouted Ray as Nathan prepared to fire again.

  Meanwhile, Andy was running down the streets, looking everywhere for Ray. He eventually found his way onto the deserted back roads. He turned a few corners and soon saw Leon standing near an alley entrance. He began to make his way over when he heard a gun fire, and the gun Leon had been holding was flung out of his hand and into the street. Andy picked up his pace, knowing what was probably taking place. If he knew Nathan, then he knew that he'd fire again pretty soon. When he heard Ray scream at Leon, he knew it was going to happen.

  When Andy was close enough to Leon, he quickly jumped towards him. With everything he had, he shoved Leon out of the way and rolled across the opening with him just as the gun was fired again.

  "What?" questioned Nathan, wondering what that had been. In his moment of distraction, Ray broke from his hold and kicked him hard in the stomach. She then kicked the gun out of his hand. Nathan was now bending over, clutching at his throbbing stomach. He was at the perfect height for Ray to finish him off. She quickly spin kicked him in the side of his head, rendering him unconscious before he even hit the ground.

  By the alley entrance, Leon and Andy were starting to get back to their feet. Andy got up first and just watched as Leon rubbed the back of his head.

  "Thanks Andy," he said as he began standing up.

  "No problem," he replied, turning his attention towards the alley entrance. He watched as Ray walked out, her right hand covering the bullet wound on her arm.

  "Are you guys okay?" she asked in genuine worry. They both nodded, and she gave a sigh in relief. She quickly turned her attention to Leon, a very sincere expression on her face.

  "Leon," she said, catching his complete attention. "Thanks for coming after me. I…I was really scared. He…well, he was trying to…"

  "I know," Leon cut in, still disgusted by the idea. He was going to make sure that something like that would never happen to her. She didn't deserve it. It was then that he remembered her wound. It was still bleeding, dripping from her fingertips. "Ray, your arm…"

  "I know," she said, looking away. "It's nothing, really." Andy just laughed, giving Ray a smile.

  "You were always like that, weren't you?" he asked her cheerfully. "Nothing ever keeps you down. Even if you had a hole through your stomach, you'd still claim that it was just a scratch." Ray couldn't help but smile at that. What he said was probably true, actually. Most injuries really weren't anything to her. This one did hurt, however.

  "Come on," she said, turning around. "We need to get to the hospital. You still need to see Aaron."

  "And you need to get your arm looked at," stated Leon, walking over to her.

  "I said I'm just fine," she claimed as she pulled away. She even uncovered it, showing the world her bullet wound.

  "Oh, so if I touched it," began Leon, "you wouldn't say anything, because it doesn't hurt, right?" They began walking down the road with Andy following behind the two.

  "Don't you dare touch it!" she shouted at him. He didn't listen, however, and poked his finger near the wound. She quickly covered it again and pulled away. "Damn it Leon, I said not to!"

  "I thought it didn't hurt?" he asked with a mock smirk.

  "It doesn't!" she yelled back, looking about ready to pummel him. Andy only smiled as he followed the two feuding pilots in front of him. They were rather interesting to watch, and he began to wonder if they really were friends or not. They sure did pick at each other, but the very fact that Leon had been so intent on saving her really made him wonder. They both obviously cared about the other's wellbeing. Perhaps the question wasn't whether or not they were friends but whether or not they were more.

  Andy just smiled, keeping his thought to himself. After all, he didn't want to face the fury of either of them if he were to let his thought slip. Watching them pick on each other was much more entertaining. He couldn't wait to get to the hospital and see Aaron. He had so much to tell him.

  CHAPTER 25

  The Fourth Knight

  Ray walked into the hospital with Leon next to her and Andy behind her. Standing at the front desk were Abby and Brian, who quickly turned as they walked in. They were a little surprised to see all three of them together.

  "Hey R.C," greeted Abby. "Man, we looked everywhere for you." She and Brian quickly noticed the way Ray held h
er arm, and the trail of blood dripping down it was quite suspicious.

  "What happened?" asked Brian, sounding rather worried about the ace knight.

  "It's nothing," she told him. "I'll be fine. I just need to get the bullet out." That didn't go over well with Abby and Brian. Both were now looking extremely worried.

  "You were shot?" exclaimed Abby, somewhat in disbelief. Why did Ray always get herself in trouble? She was forever getting shot, stabbed, and no mater what happened, she always walked away claiming that it didn't hurt.

  "Ray, let's check you in," suggested Brian. "Since we're in a hospital, you might as well have them treat it."

  "Yeah," she sighed, following after Brian. She stopped, however, and looked to Leon and Andy. "Hey Leon, take Andy to room 112. Aaron should be there."

  "Alright," said Leon as he and Andy began walking down the halls towards room 112.

  Abby walked over to Ray and Brian, deciding to accompany the injured ace knight. Hopefully this wouldn't take long. They didn't need to tell Gordan that she got in trouble again. If she was there for more than a day, the doctor would call him. For some reason, Gordan wanted to know things like that.

  Brian explained to the receptionist about what happened to Ray, and she called down a doctor. They walked down to one of the empty rooms where Ray walked over to the bed, jumping up on it. This would take a while. She had had this done before. They'd put her to sleep and then proceed to remove the bullet. It was as simple as that. Unfortunately, she'd be out for at least two hours.

  "Hello again Ms. Cayden," greeted the doctor as he walked into the room. He motioned for Abby and Brian to take a seat. The two of them were always allowed in whenever Ray was hurt. They were knights after all. Despite the danger of their job, they really did get a lot of benefits.

  "Hey," greeted Ray. "How long has it been? A few months?" The doctor just laughed as he walked over to her bed, taking a look at her arm. He scribbled down a few notes on his clipboard and then turned away.