Cj observed as Andrea stood up, pulling her blade out of the sentinel’s head. She flicked the blade, a black residue flying off of it before turning to Cj on the ground. Cj watched as Andrea began taking steps toward her illuminated by the flames in the background. She noted how tall Andrea seemed, she was at least 6 foot but her imposing nature made her seem even taller; definitely dwarfing Cj’s modest 5’4 frame. She also noticed how regally Andrea walked, her body perfectly straight and every step brimming with deliberateness and purpose. The around her quivered and everything about Andrea was intimidating in that moment. She was inches away and her hand was reaching out to Cj, dumbfounded Cj could only stare blankly. Andrea waggled her hand impatiently and Cj snapped back to reality. She balled her hand into a fist and jabbed her nails into her palm to stop her body from shaking.

Andrea had just saved her life right? Could she trust the hand that was outstretched to her? Cj asked herself. She decided to take a leap and took Andrea’s hand into her own and was soon hoisted up to her feet. Less than a foot away from a softly smiling Andrea, Cj’s eyes couldn’t escape hers. The smile didn’t reach her eyes at all as they were alarmingly intense and Cj found she was transfixed. Cj finally let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as she realized their hands were still clasped tightly together; she couldn’t help but feel how callused yet soft Andrea’s hand was, a radical difference from her own roughly callused hands. When she finally realized they’d been gripping hands for way too long she went to pull her hand away only to have Andrea pull back and quickly wrap her up into a submission hold with her blade resting against Cj’s cheek so close that any movement would cause blood to spill.

“Where is my dog?” Andrea growled low into Cj’s ear.

Cj couldn’t focus her thoughts with the suddenness of the move. The feeling of danger had sent her senses into overdrive. She felt everything from the heat and curves of Andrea’s body on her back to the heat of the flames from what was left of the sentinel tickling her face. She was sweating and her heart was racing, she could barely hear what Andrea had asked over the sound of her own heart beating and the ringing in her ears. She felt like she may vomit but it couldn’t get back the ball in her throat.

“I’m not going to ask you a third time. Where. The Hell. Is My Dog?” Andrea asked again with emphasis sending a chill down Cj’s spine.

“He was with our medic. The truck he was in was hit. Probably destroyed.” Cj finally managed to choke out.

She heard her own voice echo in her head; she hated the shakiness of it and hated herself for her own sudden weakness. She was a soldier; she’d faced down certain death on multiple occasions and never batted an eye. What was it about this woman that had her so terrified? She couldn’t even bring herself to try to fight against the woman’s grasp; she had completely submitted to the woman in an instant. She didn’t like this feeling at all.

Suddenly Cj felt Andrea’s hold on her begin to lax and she manage to regain her senses enough to push away from the woman. What she found surprised her as Andrea had fallen to her knees in despair. The woman that had just put a fear in Cj that she had never experienced before now had silent tears falling from her eyes. Cj didn’t know how to react.

“I’m sorry.” Escaped Cj’s lips before she could think better of it.

No response. Andrea just stood up, composed herself and began to walk away into the darkness of the woods. Cj contemplated moving to stop her when a voice came through her radio.

“Boss, you there? Can you hear me? She heard Grayson say.

"Grayson? You’re alive? Are you ok?” she answered quickly softening.

“Yeah boss, quite the story.” Cj let out an audible sigh of relief. “There’s something you may want to see. Where are you?” Grayson asked.

“Hey you, your dog. He was in the truck with Grayson. He may still be with him.” Cj said to Andrea.

®®®®­

Cj and Andrea walked through the forest until they noticed a bright light in the distance. It was past 10, there was no way it was the sun. They walked toward it and, as they got closer, noticed it was a bright golden dome. Andrea quickly moved up to it and went to reach for it.

“Be careful!” Cj and Grayson shouted simultaneously from opposite sides of the dome.

“Something else tried touching it and I’m not exactly sure what happened but I’m pretty sure it’s dead now.” Grayson said sardonically.

“What is this thing?” CJ asked.

“Not sure, we just know the moment before the truck exploded it began to expand from the dog.”

Cj looked over and realized that Andrea had already laid both palms against the dome. She hustled toward her.

“How are you not getting hurt by it?” Cj asked

“He doesn’t see me as a threat.” Andrea answered.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Andrea ignored her and began to call out to Nicholas. “Nicky! Nicky I’m here. You gotta let me in buddy. It’s safe now.”

At that the exploded into billions of shiny lights and dissipated. Tentatively Andrea took steps forward looking around for Nicholas. Grayson grabbed Cj up in a tight hug at the reunion.

“Where’s everyone else?” Cj asked never breaking their hold.

“I was right next to the dog so I was fine but the others got hit. Nothing fatal but they’re bandaged up and lying over by what’s left of the humvee.” He answers pulling away to show her. “I was hoping it would hide our heat signatures from the sentinel. Luckily the dome ripped through the truck as well separating it before anything really caught fire.”

“You said that it came from the dog? How?”

“Honestly, that’s not even the weirdest thing the dog has done.”

“What? What’s weirder than a golden dome?” As if on cue the two heard a dog’s whine.

“Nicky!” Andrea exclaimed. She was down on one knee with her arms open as a German Sheppard came limping toward her. It moved into her arms and let her wrap her arms around it then places a small reassuring lick on her cheek. “I’m glad you’re safe too bro.”

“Where the hell did that dog come from?” Cj asked startled.

“That’s the Jack Russell. Somehow it turned into a German Sheppard.” Grayson answered blankly, crossing his arms.

“I’m so confused.”

After a silent moment passed Grayson spoke. “It’s just the two of us, but if you want we can still try to take them.” Andrea overheard but just sat there quietly holding Nicholas and calmly running her hands through his fur, lightly fingering his stitches.

“After what she did to the sentry bot, I’m pretty sure that’d be a waste of time.” Cj answered standing with her arms firmly crossed over her chest mirroring Grayson.

“She fought one?”

“Not just fought it. She killed it.”

“What?”

“Alone, with a sword.”

“You’re kidding.”

“God, do I wish I was.” Cj said humorlessly

“Can we trust her?” Grayson asked hesitantly.

“Honestly, I’m kind of scared not to, but I know we can’t just yet. We need answers.”

“Something tells me she’s not on either side.”

“Same, but that might make her even more dangerous.” Cj sighed visibly exhausted.

“What’s the next move then boss? Are Sara and the others ok?” Grayson asks fearful of the answers.

“She’s fine Gray, they’re all probably fine. I had them leave me behind so I could try to delay the sentry.”

“Are you crazy?” He said grabbing her in another hug. “What would we have done if we lost you?”

“I thought I had already lost half my team Gray, I wasn’t going to lose the rest of them.” Cj answered muffled under Grayson’s chest.

Grayson moved her to arms length. “Don’t do anything stupid boss. This is war, casualties are unavoidable. I’m not in any rush to die but you’re more important to this fight than I am and you know it.”

“I’m no more important than anyone else; if anyone has to lay their life down for the mission it’ll be me.” Cj shot back resolutely. They held their intense unblinking eye contact as if wordlessly fighting for dominance.

“You guys should be safe here for now.” Andrea said getting to her feet and brushing herself off.

“What?” Cj asked breaking the eye contact. Grayson chuckled quietly but triumphantly, he was rewarded with a quick elbow to the stomach.

“The sentry bot for the sector was destroyed in this general location. They’ll assume that you’re going to keep moving into a different sector, not that you’re going to stay in the same location; especially if you have another vehicle out there continuing. We’re basically in the eye of the hurricane right now. They’ll be searching the continuing streets. The only reason you’d stay here is if you’re dead, in that case, there would be no reason to continue looking for you. It’d be best if you set up came near here. I can help you with the wounded.”

“That makes a strange amount of sense boss. I’d have to agree. These sentries are automated; they won’t be checking this area right now. We should be fine until morning.” Grayson said hints of enthusiasm in his voice.

“Fine. Radio the others if you can and let them know we’re going to be staying here for the night and see if they can loop back for us in the morning; take only back roads.”

“It’s best to move on foot if possible, with the group you have. The more bodies and tech the more attention it’ll bring. Use the tree lines to help cover your movement. Wait until day when you can see, the dark doesn’t bother the sentries. You’re the only one who will have any disadvantage in the low light.”

“How do you know so much about these sentry bots?” Cj asked suspiciously hints of irritation growing in her voice from taking orders from a stranger.

“Well, I was part of the team that designed them.”