By now, the riot inside the camp had spread. Only a few of the machine guns were spitting out death to Stephen’s men. Most of the guards were locked in close combat with the prisoners. The prisoners wouldn’t last much longer without backup, though. Already, Stephen counted at least ten Quasing floating in the air.
To his left, Smitty, his second division commander, fell to a spray of bullets. Stephen veered to the right as a stream of small eruptions on the ground zinged at him. He dove to the side and huddled behind an upturned patch of earth. He peered over the top, shot two Genjix, and continued on. Before he knew it, he had reached the splintered fence and was climbing over the mound into the camp.
Stephen was nearly impaled by a destroyed section of fencing as he jumped down into the makeshift trench and killed an enemy with a point-blank shot to the face. Then he dove to the side as a line of bullets sprayed just over his head. He pressed on, the image of Fromme’s face etched into his head. He was going to save all his people today or die trying. The melee continued as small groups of Prophus and Genjix collided.
Stephen and his staff took on a larger group of Genjix from behind, eliminating half of them in their initial charge. He took out a Genjix’s kneecap and finished him with a crushing blow to the face. He grappled a guard from behind and snapped his neck as the guard beat on one of the prisoners. And then the prisoners joined his gang, swelling their numbers.
The fighting raged on, with the Prophus slowly pushing the Genjix toward the center complex. Enemy snipers from the upper windows in the building became an issue, and the offensive stalled. As long as his men were outside, they were sitting ducks. The enemy had fortified themselves inside. They had to press on. Stephen roared and led the charge, knowing his men and women would follow. And they did.
The battle intensified as the fighting became concentrated at the three narrow entrances of the building. Leading the charge on the northern entrance, Stephen saw the young psychopath in the thick of the melee. Enzo, wielding a machine gun and a machete, was a whirlwind of death, taking out anyone who got within reach. In a span of five seconds, he took out six Prophus soldiers, including one host. Even more impressive was that Enzo was speaking through a mic, giving orders without missing a beat. Somehow, the boy was effectively managing the battle while wading through the thick of it. Stephen had to admit he was breathtaking.
Stephen, withdraw. You have control of the exits and the majority of the prisoners. You cannot match an Adonis Vessel.
“I’m not that old yet, Camr.”
The boy is not worth it.
He saw Fromme’s face again, and Ginny’s, and his friends who had died in the laboratories. That boy needed to be put down. If this boy wasn’t worth it, he didn’t know what was. Zoras being on the Council was just a bonus.
Stephen charged straight in.
Enzo was having the time of his life. This was the glory he’d always envisioned. No more hiding behind fences or plowing through thick forests into ambushes. He reveled in the honest combat where two sides locked themselves together until one fell, where a warrior could see the will drain out of his beaten foe’s eyes. Guns and technology had made boys out of men. Now, in this chaos, the fight reverted back to how man was meant to kilclass="underline" with his bare hands. Still, even though Enzo reveled in this melee, he was not an unthinking beast. There was a plan in this defense, and it was working to perfection.
Do not push out, but do not retreat too quickly. Draw them in. Give them a reason to press on.
Their tactic was working and would prove to be the linchpin to winning the day. Enzo admitted that while he thought he was versed in matters of war, he was like a babe next to Zoras. He may have been knowledgeable in strategy and command and was quick to identify and forecast tactics, but Zoras really understood the timing and flow of a battle. That came from the experience of centuries of warfare. Enzo would be wise to learn.
Meyers is reporting that they’ve broken through the Prophus line. Order him back.
The frenzied battle had raged for thirty minutes, and the initial disruption caused by the prisoners had proved costly for the Genjix. They had lost the advantage of being a defending force. Whatever sport claimed the best offense was a great defense, it was doubly so for war. The mark of a great general was the control he had over his troops amidst the chaotic battle. By fighting in the interior and keeping the Prophus in a holding pattern, the Genjix could inflict heavy casualties while replenishing some of their tired and injured ranks. It also left the Prophus wildly exposed. All it required was Enzo’s exacting control over his men. His lips curled into a sneer as his men baited and repelled the Prophus at the steps leading up to the doorway. Meanwhile, snipers on the upper level decimated Prophus ranks.
Suddenly, a body charged forward and slammed into him, pushing him into his men. The Prophus surged at just the right time, and the northern exit point crumbled. Enzo twisted around and grappled with his assailant.
It is Camr!
When he realized it was Stephen, he smirked. Things had just gone from good to better. Still being pushed back by Stephen’s momentum, Enzo locked onto the other man’s arm and twisted, throwing him through a window, shattering the glass, into the corner room.
Stephen’s specialty is Aikido and boxing. Utilizes little footwork but has power in both hands. Do not count on him to tire.
He put his hand on the nearest officer. “Maintain choke points. Under no circumstances do you push forward. And make sure I am not disturbed.”
He turned back to climb over the window only to take a punch to the jaw that snapped his head back. Now, a lot can be learned about a person by how they react to being sucker punched. It’s one thing when a person knows a punch is coming. It’s another when his mind isn’t prepared to get the brain rattled. Well-trained fighters instinctively cover up and protect their heads. Almost all take a step back to try to access the situation. The unlucky ones freeze like deer watching the headlights of a fast approaching semi-truck.
Enzo was none of these. He was an apex predator, and when an apex predator is attacked, he attacks back. Even as the bone of Stephen’s knuckle cracked against his chin, momentarily causing his vision to blur, his hands reacted the only way they knew how. Three quick blind jabs, two of them connecting with Stephen’s face, were his body’s response. Both men fell backward, but it was Enzo who recovered first and leapt through the window into the room.
“You and I are about to have a long, painful talk, old man,” Enzo said.
Stephen, who was still picking himself off the floor, had the audacity to grin. “So you’re that smart ass chosen one who’s pissed everyone off.” He made a face. “Thought you’d be taller.”
Enzo launched a vicious attack, swinging a nine-strike combination with his legs, fists, and elbows, tossing in a head butt for good measure. He thought the best the old man could do was duck the first few hits before the withering barrage overwhelmed him. Instead, Stephen took the first punch, sidestepped, and using Enzo’s forward momentum, shoved and tripped him from the side. Enzo crashed into the wooden door and knocked it off its hinges. He found himself back in the crowded hallway.
You are taking him too lightly. He is a master of counterattacks. Watch his left hand.
Enzo’s earpiece crackled. “Father, we have a situation on the eastern flank. Requesting reinforcements.”
“Not now!” Enzo snapped. He grabbed the two men who positioned themselves between him and Stephen. “This one is mine. I do not wish to be disturbed. Keep the rabble out.”
Then a brazen Prophus fool tried to charge past the line to reach Stephen. He pushed past the initial Genjix line and almost made it into the room. Enzo caught him by the neck, threw him down on the ground, and killed him with a punch to his throat. He looked up at the nearest officer. “I said, keep the line intact! Do not disturb me!”