ABANDON

Chapter 55 -- How Long to Hold On

A whining sound started at the second group of rockets. The sound grew in intensity causing everyone to look towards it. One of the rockets leaned out from the scaffolding. The arms of the scaffolding snapped back as metal cracked at the seams. The rocket picked up momentum, dropping Anders as it fell. It smacked the ground causing dirt to rise high into the air. Some of the Anders stayed on the ground unmoving, but most of them were back up, scanning the area looking for the highest point. Movement was everywhere as Anders clustered in groups heading in all directions.

Jane heard a familiar voice calling out through the gray haze.  A dune buggy came speeding through packed full of children with grubby faces and rosy cheeks.  Kill was driving and Eina and Kalic shared the seat next to him.  All were armed and ready. "We have to keep the Anders away." Kill called.  "Where is John?"

Michael turned to Jane. "He's on top of the burning building.  He says he'll pick off the ones that get passed Kill and the kids. We can't let the Anders overtake our ship. Oh, and John wants you to know he's very happy to see you again."

A quick smile jumped onto Jane's face, excitement lit up her eyes.

"He wants you to know he saw that look and he's going to take it personally."  Michael said and Jane laughed.

The impact of the Saturn created a wide open path. Now that the dust had settled, Jane saw it at the same time Michael and Captain did. She looked back to speak to them but found she didn't have to.

"We're right behind you." Michael said.

Jane ran hard through the movement all around her. She dodged bodies on the ground, knocked unconscious by the fall, or perhaps dead. There was no time to see if they belonged to anyone she recognized. She made it to the tip of the fallen rocket and then stayed close to it, at least that gave her cover on one side as she moved forward. Dirt rose up in thin spurts in front of Jane as bullets rained down. Jane tried her best to stop. She was grabbed from behind by Michael. He held her arms for a second then pushed her away. "Go!" he shouted, "Run!"

Debris from the fallen rocket was ahead. Jane managed to duck under the flapping metal sheets. Then she was moving through Anders. Some moved against her, others were moving perpendicular trying to get onto the rocket, the rest were running with her. They've gone crazy, Jane thought. 

Bullets stung the ground around her. Jane cried out as she changed directions. She wondered if Michael was still following behind her. She wondered if Captain had been able to keep up. But Jane wasn't going to waste her momentum by trying to look behind her. Her new direction was taking her straight to the building with the burning roof.

"Stay away from the building." Michael's voice was right behind her.

In response, Jane changed directions again. She moved through the center of the rocket tower, running under the gigantic engine nozzles, feeling thrust press her down even though there was none. Jane focused on her goal. The stairs were directly ahead. She rounded the corner and took the stairs two at a time. She was up the first flight in seconds.

"Jane!" The familiar female voice was intense, drawing out her name in one long syllable. Jane looked aside as she ran. Soon and Sama were in a dune buggy along with Hoshe and Aatann. They were a distance away, cutting through the Anders and moving rapidly towards her. The thought occurred to Jane that if she hurried she could catch a ride back to the transport.

Jane felt her body begin to protest. Around another landing and she forced herself up the stairs. With every breath forced through her dry throat, she could taste blood in her mouth, but she refused to stop, the door was only one flight of stairs away. Jane could taste the success as tangibly as the blood.