Trailers within Belleview Port were stacked sky-high. They looked as though they were a trillion elongated Rubix Cubes stretched across the Port in hundreds of rows, with small pathways separating each row.

Sadly, the trailers weren’t as pretty as a Rubix Cube. The majority of them looked as if they were left there to rot, rust and ruin. You would’ve figured the Antillean Federation would’ve sold them at auction as their owners didn’t collect them. But no, The Federation had too much pride in being ‘unilaterally fair’, leaving them here to collect at any time.

I thought about the plan these kidnappers had was smart. Drug the girl, make her head to the bathroom and cause a ruckus with one of the most notorious organisations within the Federation. Use that window of time to take her out of medbay and out of the auction.

It wasn’t a perfect plan, but it was smooth, and to do it under the nose of a Federation War Hero; Colonel Landrin Levisay, these kidnappers were either bold or batshit crazy.

I believe it was the latter, but it could be both. Especially, after witnessing their Water Tower manoeuvre. It was done perfectly, as if, practised thousands of times, meaning they were expecting this situation to take place, or they were trained for it.

Tryzer landed the Thundrum within the electric fence. All of us began gearing up as best we could, in such a short period. I clipped an AR-style Assault Rifle, specifically the BZ-459, modular in make-up, but with an ingrained suppressor at the nozzle, making bullet trajectory shorter than your average Assault Rifle.

The flak-jacket I slid into had multiple pockets across the chest, sides and back, fitted with all the basics I’d need, such as magazines, medi-pack, searchlight, grenades and a few motion sensors.

“Ready?” Naedon asked, after clipping his Assault Rifle to his flak-jacket. “Ready.” His team said in unison. “Cypher, You and Rynord will comb through the southern stacks, whilst Tryzer and I will hit up the northern half. Stelig will try to get the best vantage point to spot these bastards…Any better suggestions, speak now or forever hold your peace.” Naedon finished. No one had any objections, and we carried on our way.

I darted towards the southern side of the Port, where the majority of the machinery was. Stelig and Tryzer, climbed the surrounding stacks with great speed, getting halfway up before I could even round the corner.

Naedon and Rynord both went North, where the majority of the abandoned stacks were. I believed that’s where they were, but with no confirmation of that, it’d be hard to verify.

The stacks smelled of rotten food and ageing garbage, with a mixture of feces in between. It was like Belleview Port was more of a sewage treatment and Garbage piling.

The port was devoid of people, whilst the automated machines worked, groaning and hammering through the night. The light was provided in small areas where they worked, not like they needed it. I passed a forklift lodged into one of the stacks at an angle, ensuring it wouldn’t leave anytime soon.

“Rynord…Stel, anything?” Naedon asked.

“Nothing yet, still climbing,” Stel answered. “Cypher, make a right five meters from your location, then two sharp lefts. I see some flickering lights over there.”

“Got it.”

“Repositioning to cover Cypher,” Rynord said.

I sped down the pathway, electric fence buzzing to my left whilst Automatons worked diligently in the distance. I made a right at Stel’s suggestion and came across a blue trailer, then made a sharp left.

I unclipped BZ-459 from my flak-jacket, shouldering it in one quick motion. Flashlight waving around the corner swayed up, down and left, as if someone was searching for something.

“I don’t like this Fradin.” Someone said around the corner. I pushed myself up against the trailer, and slowly crept to my left. “Shut it! Stop being a poser, look…we’re just here to nib some canned food, there’s no reason to stop, now let’s go.”

“Fradin, I know why we’re here. I just don’t like when the security drones are turned off. It means someone that has enough credits to pay off the security forces here, are not to be played with.”

“He’s right Fradin,” Another voice said.

“Look…it’s either we get this food, or starve. The choice is yours. I have a daughter to feed. Hasto has three brothers, Tyra has a disabled older brother. We all know why we’re here.”

“I’m in position Cypher,” Rynord said.

“I’m listening in.” I said, “sounds like kids rummaging through trailers for food.”

“Kids? Can you confirm that Stel?”

“Roger.”

I turned, pushing myself off the trailer, then moved in the opposing direction. “I think I found the van Captain…Cypher, you said it had an exterior armoured layout?” Tryzer said.

“Confirm.”

“…I think I see a large dent going down the side, Yeah…left side. Confirmed. It’s the van.” Tryzer said whilst panting.

“You OK over there Tryz?”

“barely, these trailers are eight feet tall, each of them. I’m tired.”

“We haven’t even st— “ Rynord said but was cut off by Naedon. “Locale on the truck Tryzer.”

“Sorry cap, thirty fifty meters to your right, looks like a smaller warehouse within the Lot itself. You should see it, big rusted doors, with one open.” Stel said.

“Ping your location Captain. I’ll back you up.” I said.

“I’ll take that, Rynord…follow through with Cypher, we don’t know what to expect, but if they came prepared we’ll need more hands-on deck. Stelig, watch our 6. Rynord, I’m pinging you my locale as well, watch my 9, in case I’m flanked.”

Rynord hopped off the trailer with a thud, then sprinted off in the distance leaving me on my own to make my way to Naedon. He pinged his location to me, and A yellow pulsed resonated into my cybernetic eye, drawing a small thin line weaving through the trailer park, directing towards Naedon. “You’re heading straight in?” Stelig asked.

“No, but I want to bait them out,” Naedon answered.

Naedon was at least three hundred meters away from me. Not far, but with hundreds of trailers between us, it’ll seem like miles.

I stomped my way through the trailers, listening to the Automatons work around me. The buzzing sound of the machines, followed by the magnetic pulses were enough to make me wary, but not worried.

Three hundred meters off, Stelig joined me in the sprint to Naedon as he slowly began positioning himself to entreat on the warehouse. “I see movement Captain!”

“I see it, three men coming from the warehouse, AR brandished. Why in the Imbibe do they look ready for a fight?”

“Three? I’ll make quick work of them.” Naedon said.

“Hold it, Captain, I see something.” Rynord snapped.

A bellowing explosion groaned into the air, followed by the sound of strained metal crashing into one another. The sky was lit aflame with fire, coming from the direction in which Naedon was.

I slammed into the trailer behind me, sending ripples of pain throughout my back. Not having a chance to check my faculties, I jumped up, sprung to my left, shouldering Stelig in one quick motion. He groaned from the jolt of pain that pulsed throughout his back, no doubt.

The shock wave from the explosion tipped the trailers above us. I watched as the trailers began to slowly bend…then fall towards us.

A trailer crashed into the ground behind us, sending ripples through the ground, making it hard for us to keep ourselves up. I allowed the wave to usher me a few feet but kept Stelig arm around my shoulder tightly. Then, another loud groan of metal cracked my eardrum to my left with trailers collapsing on towards me.

Andrenaline took over my body as I felt as if the world was collapsing around me. I strafed, dodged and stalled, doubled back, crept between trailers and leapt meters, trying my best to do dodge and every one of them.

It was hard, but I succeeded. Barely.

The Port was already poorly lit, but a large shadow cast itself over me and I knew what to expect next. I chucked Stelig out of the way, pushed myself back. I know I didn’t have much room behind me, but it was the best option I had.

I collided with the fallen trailer behind me, to my left, rice, canned goods and anything consumable lay on the ground. Another trailer hit the ground with a boom, sending another shock wave through the floor. The trailer didn’t capsize though, it landed on its ‘head’ for five seconds, then slowly fell towards me.

If there was a time to eat my heart when I found its way to the back of my throat. It was now. Shit, I said to myself, feeling like my heart thump violently at the back of my throat.

I watched as the tumbling trailer fell towards me, hoping to squash me like a bug. I had nowhere to go, nor no way to hide. So I did the only thing possible left.

I sent my cybernetic arm through the trailer to my left, which leaked rice, waving it frantically opening the trailer like a sardine can. The bags of rice tumbled out and flooded around me water a burst pipe, guzzling everywhere.

Stelig, who lay next pushing himself up against the trailer, agony written all over his face. If I didn’t know better, the man had a concussion, but that didn’t stop him.

He pushed himself up, jumping into the hole I made in which I soon followed, barely escaping the tumbling trailer.

It crashed into our place of refuge, flattening it with a loud boom that echoed throughout its wide mass, rumbling and coiling as though it was ready to snap!

“Cobra Squad are there?” Stelyne asked. But no one answered. “Cobra Squad do you read me!?” She hissed a few seconds later. I would’ve spoken up, but my heart was in my mouth and so was a hand full of rice.

“Loud and Clear.” Naedon finally said a few seconds later. “What the hell is going on down there? The sky IS PITCH BLACK around the Port!” Stelyne hissed. “Stay back Stelyne” Naedon commanded, breathing heavily. “…Hostiles on sight…STATUS REPORT.” Naedon roared. “Rynord!”

“Here…boss, barely. That shock wave knocked me from my position.” Rynord answered.

“Doesn’t matter. I got twenty hostiles pinning me and Tryzer down. He lost comms and is drawing fire from them, I need you here…double time.”

“Copy that,” Tryzer said

“STELIG!”

“I’m battered Captain.”

“Better to be battered than dead…Cypher?”

“Cypher’s here Cap playing with ri—“ Stelig was saying before I cut him off.

“I’m alive…somewhat” I grunted

“Good…both of you need to be here double time it! I don’t know how long we can hold out for!”

“I’m halfway there Captain,” Tryzer said.

“Stelig, make your way there, I have an idea.”

“You sure?”

“Positive,” I said.