When They Were Gone

Why Did They Come? - II

Holding her hand up to try and stop the wind's passage towards her eyes, Pea walked over to them, frowning at the giant ship. With an attempt to be heard over the loud engines, she shouted in Richard's ear. "What's happening?"

He shook his head, joining her volume. "I don't know. I think they're State vehicles!"

Sighing, she wrapped her arm around him, pulling him down to her so she wouldn't have to use her voice to its extreme. "They're from the State - they used to be prominent war vehicles, but when the weapons were removed, they got replaced as bigger movement vessels." She grimaced. "What I'm wondering, is why they're here and why they're focused on this building. They don't know our location; they can't be here for us. But what else are they here for? Why did they come?"

Coming beside her, Laura lowered herself so she was of equal height with Pea, talking in her ear. "It only makes sense that they came for us. Look where they're focused." She point down one of the lookout points. "That's the floor below. We just checked the floor below and there was no-one there, so how could they be focused on anything else? They tracked one of us or there's a spy in our midst and now we're all fodder for their amusement, here for them to chase down at their leisure. With their attention on the building, we can't move to another one or risk their retaliation."

Pea pulled away, shaking her head as she turned and began heading back.

Flicking his head towards her in surprise, Richard followed her with upheld hands. "Woah, wait, wait, Pea! Pea! Stop!" He jogged, catching up to her and placing out a hand to stop her. "What are you doing? If you go down there, you're going to get spotted!"

She looked up at him, indicating for him to move. "No one in our group could have betrayed us. So, the State must be focused on the vigilante. There is no way I'm going to let the vigilante go into the clutches of the State now that we're finally found them. So, I'm going to go and stop it. Please move."

As Pea stalked through, Richard continued to keep pace, Laura not far behind. "Wait, wait, Pea! Do you really think it'd be the best idea to go down there? I mean, there must be an easier way and, you know, if the State turns out to be looking for us specifically, we won't just be playing right into their hands, but we'd be deliberately putting ourselves, this mission and the potential vigilante in harm's way. Isn't there another way?"

She glanced at him. "Do you have any better ideas? I can't see any other way."

He looked to the side. "Well, not at the moment, but if we calm down and think for a second, then maybe we could come up with something..."

"No time."

She climbed over the small wall, stepping onto the ledge before hooking her hands around the wire and swinging into the floor below.

Laura stepped behind him, pushing him out of the way to swing down the ledge. "You can leave if you want. I'm not stopping you."

He sighed, jumping down behind her and following her swing onto the floor below. "Not a chance."

Standing in the darkness, barely breathing to avoid making any sound, the three of them stared through the shadows, creeping silently behind a few of the framing poles and staring out into the light beyond.

A figure stood there. Tall. Muscular. Cast in black from the shadows above. The vehicle's eyes seemed to be trained on them, hovering to connect to the railing as red spotted their form. 

The three, curious, maneurved closer, attempting to see what was taking place. A few steps, creeping, soft placements of feet. And they hid. They were far enough way not to be spotted unless thoroughly close inspection was made, yet close enough to hear any conversation that would happen.