Walks Off Life: Prophase

Abrupt at The Bridge

The auto-drive was off, and Kane was driving as fast as he could. But as the road stretched beyond his view, he was just following it, not knowing where it leads.

"I'm tired of running away, we need a plan." Spike interrupted the silence harshly.

"There's a small town down this road, an hour away. We try our luck there." Sonie suggested.

When they reached the town, their luck was only a chance to get washed up and finding a diner to have a meal in a long while. Throughout his meal, Spike noticed there were a lot of people keeping their eyes on the three. He signaled to his mates with eye gesture.

"Are they thinking we are outlaws?" Kane whispered.

"I think that answers the question!" Sonie said in a panicked voice. Two Hollowan officers entered the diner and immediately detected them. Kane, Spike and Sonie sat up in a blink of an eye to make an escape. Spike was not armed as he left his gun back at the ambiguous prison. 

The officers were light on their feet and quickly grabbed them before they could run far. The other customers in the diner just stepped out of the way and watched silently as the three of them were dragged outside. Kane made a quick desperate loud call,

"Why would you people alert them?"  

"The, the... generals were... looking for their fugitives, we can't disobey" the cashier behind the counter said with every guilt.

"Look at us. We are not your enemies, my friend." as Kane left that message before he was pulled outside, there was a sound of more disappointment than anger in his voice.

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They weren't taken back to the prison. Instead, they ended up somewhere far worse. The Hollowans took them to the Bridge. From a rusty gloomy prison cell, they were surprised to find themselves in a neat well-ventilated conference room. General Sinas was at the front of the room, standing in his padded red uniform. Fifteen other generals and officers entered the room, armed. Kane, Spike and Sonie were outnumbered and had no choice but to sit as they wait for what will happen.

"One of you witnessed the murder of Heron Atlas. Attempted to escape our grasps several times, and now once more from our prison. This young man tried to aid the fugitive. Then there was you, doctor. Couldn't face the punishment of the crime you commit, " Sinas started.

"I have committed no crime, General," Sonie spoke.

The general slammed his fist into the table gently, just to stop anyone from talking. He looked at the three humans and continue, "Who is funding you?"

They truly did not knew what was he talking about. It was pure luck that they survived every confrontation this far, with no help but a few. General Sinas started suggesting names, but they either have never heard of them or they never met. After asking so many questions and getting nowhere, Sinas gave in.

"I want to talk to Dr. Mace alone. Take Heron's bodyguard to be interrogated." Two officers in helmets grabbed Spike's both arms and pulled him to the door.

"Kwee de ma iouniv? " one of the generals in the room asked. Sonie understand one phrase in that sentence, "young man". They were asking what to do with Kane. Sinas spoke something in their language to the same general that Sonie did not quite heard. She became concerned when the general took Kane along to the door after Spike.

Walking distant from the conference room, Spike continued to struggle from the two officers' arms. Then, out of the blue, the officer on Spike's left aggressively pushed him and the officer on the right to the wall. Spike fell on the floor, while the rogue officer started beating the other. With his swift movements, the rogue officer knocked his opponent down. He opened his helmet and dropped it to the floor. He was a human.

He was very tall, almost nearing the height of an average Hollowan. His curly blonde hair dropped down to his brute facial features. For a human, he looked like he was in his thirties. 

"Is this another disguise?" Spike said sarcastically. The man helped Spike to his feet and spoke, "Let's rescue your friends."

They turned into another hallway and saw the general that was taking Kane away. The general turned around and saw the rogue officer and Spike standing in the corridor. The rogue officer reached for his holster, and so did the general. In a blink of an eye, the rogue officer shot down the general. 

"The sound will draw other's attention. By others I'm referring to General Sinas as well. He will leave or take the doctor along and see the commotion. Any ways, it will give a chance to save her too," the rogue officer explained. "Oh, here. I think this belongs to you,"

The rogue officer reached in his coat pocket and gave Spike his gun. Kane was processing all this while he handed him a small leather pouch that belonged to Kane.

"Cover me," the rogue officer said to Spike. They walked through the halls and shot any officer that came. Spike was facing behind and throwing out frequency blasts to the Hollowans. 

"Who are you?" Kane found the right timing to ask.

"Call me Bitzer. It's not easy for me to do this, you know."

General Sinas was already digging into Sonie for information when they both heard the noises. He dragged Sonie to her feet and pushed her so she would walk in front of him. He held out a pistol to her waist, as if he knew that Spike and Kane was trying to escape, and wanted to threatened them with Sonie's life. They kept running to find Sonie, and Bitzer gave them a heads up, "If we continued right in the halls, there will be an exit. There's an old but functioning vessel in the compound."

Eventually, they came face to face with Sinas, holding the gun's nozzle to Sonie's head. Sinas asked them to drop their weapon. With a hidden relief, Kane saw Spike surrendering his gun from a height. The moment he released it, Kane and Spike covered their ears. The oblivious Bitzer, Sonie and General Sinas was taken back by the screeching sound the gun made when it was in impact with the ground. The gun was unwillingly taken away from Sonie's head and she made a run to her team. The high frequency sound stopped.

Bitzer slipped a piece of paper into Kane's jacket pocket. 

"Go, take the vessel and follow the lead. I will cover for you." as Bitzer said this, fifteen Hollowan generals and officers arrived at the hallway. Sinas was pulling himself together and reaching for his gun. Bitzer was shooting all the Hollowans that were charging for them.

"Bitzer, come with us!" Kane shouted.

Bam! Bitzer fell on one knee as a blast went into his thigh. "Go!" he shouted.

They listened to him. But Kane turned around, feeling guilty of leaving him. "Go with them, don't waste your time on me," Bitzer barked harshly. So Kane turned around the hall and was out of range from the Hollowans' arms. 

Bitzer kept on shooting, but the one man was outnumbered. They placed one more blast into his left arm. He dropped to the floor, yelling in pain. 

"Stop, you low-minded! Go after the fugitives. Officer Bitzer couldn't oppose anymore," General Sinas demanded.

All of them did as told. Bitzer had fear in his eyes as he gasp for air that his blood now lacked to bring. As Sinas approached him, Bitzer thought he had something in his Hollowan heart to spare him. But he was wrong. Sinas used his foot to step on Bitzer's blast wound on his arm, making him scream in excruciating pain. 

"I should have known you would betray me. I should never have trusted you that much. I did not save you, Officer Bitzer. I will let you suffer your pain."

Two Hollowan officers entered the corridor. Sinas instructed them to put Bitzer in the prison and ensure that he stays there. Sinas added, don't tend Bitzer's injury.

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Spike, Sonie and Kane reached the compound. There was a VECO few yards away. They ran as fast as lightning to open the hatch, while Spike watched their back and shoots. As they entered the vessel, Kane was good with vehicles, so he took the wheel and did his best to take them off the ground. Sonie co-piloted and they finally flew into orbit. For the fifth time for Spike, he escaped the clutches of trouble.