Time Salvager (Time Salvager #1)(118)
“What are we looking at?” Elise thought to Grace.
“Within the hour and according to Smitt, a shit many. I’ve already woken James. He’s still an hour away. The chronmen will be here before he arrives.”
Elise relayed the message and again, Qawol took the news in stride. He barked out a message that was repeated by everyone in earshot. Within moments, the tribe was a hive of activity as the fit men and women appeared with weapons, the elderly grabbed children, and everyone else stowed what valuables they had into buildings or the deep underground tunnels that ran for kilometers under the city.
At the same time, even more assembled with weapons ranging from ancient bows and spears to old projectile rifles to energy pistols. There were even a few wrist beams. She was amazed at how quickly the tribe armed themselves. She guessed they would have to in order to survive so long out here in the wastelands.
It seemed like only seconds had passed before she heard a horn coming from one of the guards standing watch atop one of the Farming Towers. She saw a small speck in the distance, and then she saw another. Within a minute, the sky was littered with them, all growing steadily larger.
The first explosion came a moment later when the bridge over one of the many river tributaries cutting through Boston exploded into a column of wood and dirt. The dam near the common area was the next to go and soon, Elise found herself wading ankle-deep in rushing water. A wave of the flying ships zipped overhead and she saw them turning around to make another pass.
A streak of red flew up from the ground near her toward one of the fast-moving specks and trailed a ship that tried to zigzag left and right to shake it. Their chase ended with the ship exploding and crashing into one of the derelict buildings, shaking the ground as chunks of the building rained down nearby. Fortunately, none of the Farming Towers, where dozens of Elfreth were hiding, was hit.
It then began to rain men, and not in the good way. Dozens of the same black-armored men who had attacked her at the plaza jumped out of the collies, landing around the edge of the communal fields and forming a perimeter around the Farming Towers’ grounds. Scratch that; some of the attackers were women as well, and they were every bit as aggressive and dangerous as the men. All of them looked dangerous and seemed to be shooting at anyone who moved, the remaining women and children included.
The dried-up water fountain in the center of the common area exploded, sending chunks of concrete and debris flying into the air, tearing through the closest group of tribesmen. Another explosion followed. Then a chain of explosions erupted, a line of earth and rocks cutting through the camp as four attackers flew by overhead. She didn’t know they could do that. Elise saw two more groups of black-armored people charge in from opposite sides. Six more dropped in from the sky. Within seconds, the entire encampment was a battlefield.
The tribesmen returned fire, pulling together their awaiting barricades, forming small squads of twos and threes, and retreating to cover from the clearing in a surprisingly orderly and tactical fashion. Well, no. Nothing the Elfreth did surprised Elise that much anymore. They even fought as a cohesive unit. Still, they were outgunned. Several of the tribe, if not all, would fall before the night was over.
Elise was in a dangerous spot and stayed huddled behind one of the broken columns, too terrified to move. Instead of retreating underground with the children, she had stupidly stayed above and watched the attackers sweep over them. Now, she was caught in the cross fire as the advancing attackers moved in on all sides while the members of the Elfreth defended from assorted barricades, desperately trying to keep them out of the communal fields.
Rough hands pawed at her and lifted her off the ground. Elise screamed for a second until she realized that it was Chawr dragging her toward the first tower. She looked up and saw dozens of the Elfreth shooting from all levels, either at the air, at the ships buzzing about, or at the encroaching invaders at the ground level. It was chaotic. People were dying everywhere. One thing was clear, though; the tribe was slowly losing ground.
Chawr half-dragged, half-carried her back to one of the larger barricades and dumped her at Qawol’s feet. The Oldest looked as calm in the midst of this battle as if he were just going out on a stroll. He was studying the enemy and giving orders like a seasoned general, every once in a while pointing at certain places he wanted his people to be.
“Qawol,” she urged, “You shouldn’t be here.”
He smiled. “There is nowhere else I should be. You, child, should be with the children. You are too important to be wasted as weapon fodder.” He was interrupted by one of the younger guardians—barely fourteen by the looks of him—reporting in from the far side. Qawol gave him a few orders and then looked at Chawr standing next to Elise. He tilted his head toward the Farming Towers entrance. The young Elfreth grabbed her by the arm and dragged her from the battle.
A line of black-armored soldiers stormed the clearing, overrunning some of the outer barricades. Several more of the Elfreth charged out of the Farming Towers and met them in the center of the fields, using their primitive spears and rifles in whatever ways they could. Before Elise realized what had happened, the guardians were fighting close with them on every side. While they still outnumbered the enemy, the guardians’ ranks were falling. Everywhere she looked, she saw the brave guardians taking on the chronmen, their weapons often ineffectual. But still, they fought.
It soon became apparent to Elise that several if not all of these attackers were looking for something. Someone. Without a doubt, it was her; she was their objective. Part of Elise wanted to give herself up to end the fighting. Another part of her knew her surrender would do nothing for the Elfreth.