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THE SUNSET
* 12D *
The fourth and final phase of their mission was their return to the real-world...
As the decapitated Agent fell forward into the firelit dirt and returned the dead plugged-in body to the inconsequential horseman, the lightning flash of cyber-transition blinded Million briefly before she circled around and sped away from the blazing wall.
Anticipating the arrival of the other two Agents, she stopped her dirt bike, unclipped the discharge hose from her left forearm, unstrapped the flamethrower tanks from her back, and tossed the entire setup to the ground.
"Thanks for the memories," she murmured.
Fighting a single Agent with a backpack flamethrower was one thing... But fighting two Agents, that was a different story altogether... Million needed her full maneuverability and full agility to delay multiple Agents.
Then above the crackle of the black-smoking blaze, she heard the rumble of horses.
"It's about time," she whispered. Time to make some new memories.
Kicking a spray of dirt behind its rear tire, the motocross bike jerked then spun further away from the blaze in the direction of the hidden tepee.
Then glancing over her left shoulder, she saw their black images... Around the right side of the growing blaze, the first Agent emerged at full gallop... Around the left side, the second Agent followed.
Her twentieth-century motorized vehicle designed for speeds several times faster than the fastest racehorses, Million could easily outrun them... But instead, she needed to delay them... until her captain and crewmates were ready.
"Time to play," she allowed herself another small smile.
As the Agents pursued in a tighter and tighter formation, Million slowed her dirt bike to match their horse speed... to let them approach within one-hundred feet behind her... Far enough to weave from their bullets... yet near enough to take them by surprise.
With a glance at her mirror, she saw their dim images aim their handguns.
The Agents opened fire! Brack! Brack!
Instantly, she weaved her bike to one side. The shots whizzed wide.
Then the sudden beeping divided her urgent attention. Unclipping the cellphone from her holster belt, Million brought the phone to her ear.
"Yes, Hitch!" she replied over the buzz of her bike.
"We're ready. It's time to come home."
"Just a couple more minutes and a couple more bogeys!... Thanks, Hitch!" And Million quickly hung up.
Another shot! Brack!
She weaved to the other side. Another miss.
As her dirt bike leapt over a series of low-sloped mounds and landed just as gently, Million decided it was time to end this game... time to take them by surprise.
Sitting low, she opened the throttle, accelerated, and then leaned her bike to the left, cutting a wide high-speed turn. Speeding around the left side of the first Agent, cleverly limiting the aim of his gun-gripping right arm, Million reached for her left hip-holster, pulled out her automatic pistol, and aimed at the galloping legs.
She opened fire! Brat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Its legs shattered, the maimed beast toppled forward at full speed, tumbling across the cold hard dirt in a broken and bloody heap. But as the beast toppled, the anticipating first Agent sprung instantly and thudded effortlessly in a feetfirst crouch.
Spiraling around the broken beast without a break in her flowing turn, Million closed behind the second Agent, and aimed at the second set of galloping legs ahead.
From her far left, the grounded first Agent fired his weapon! Brack! Brack! Brack!
Weaving away from the crackling flashes, Million cried out as a wicked well-aimed bullet sliced through her raised left arm.
"AHHH!"
Curling her burning and bleeding arm against her chest, Million had no other choice but to steer clear of the second Agent, pass him, and accelerate towards the hidden tepee only minutes ahead... towards the exit-fire... towards home...
And away from the automatic pistol that tumbled across the dirt behind her.
"AHHH!"
Agent Gray smirked contentedly as he witnessed the weaving biker drop her weapon and curl her wounded left arm against herself.
"Gotcha," he whispered wickedly.
As the biker sped away towards the undoubted source of the signal trace, Agent Graham turned back to pick up his grounded partner. With their right hands locked, Graham lifted, and Gray leapt into place behind him.
Applying greater leg pressure, Graham commanded the horse to accelerate in the direction of the rebel biker and the rebel-hacking signal trace... They intended to inflict maximum fatalities on any freed rebel minds.
They intended to fulfill their secondary mission... as ordered by Agent Greene.
"Captain!" the operator voice emerged from his sleek silver cellphone, "We have the kids!"
"How are they?"
"They're alive... Threads is looking after them!"
"Good," Helios sighed in relief. "Where's Million?"
"Dammit! Million's coming, but she's been hit!"
"Understood," Helios replied, pulled back the canvas entry flap, and peered into the starlit night. "The Agents?"
"Just a few minutes behind her!"
"And the fire?" Helios glanced at the steadily-fading stone-ringed fire.
"I'm still working on it!"
Suddenly, Helios found the distant headlight approaching at high speed.
Without the full focus to cut her lights and engine, Million skidded her rock-scuffed mud-encrusted dirt bike into an awkward spin outside the entry flap.
With blood trailing along the entire length of her left arm, and staining the maroon leather hugging her chest, the commander found herself on her back, surrounded by the concerned looks of Helios and Unicorn.
"It's just my arm," she breathed wearily.
Helios turned to the senior operator and handed him his cellphone, "Take her to the fire... She'll exit first."
With a quiet nod, Unicorn helped Million to her feet, led her into the tepee, and into the nearest chair... the recliner used by Miriam.
Surveying the shadowy woodlands in the north and south, the Mirrorbrook in the west, and the Rollingridge in the east, Helios finally held his position facing the southeast... the direction from which the Agents would approach...
And they would approach within a few minutes.
Within the tepee, Unicorn shouted into the cellphone, "Come on, Hitch! We need the damn fire!"
"I'm working on it! Gimme a minute!"
Unicorn fretfully dug his fingers into his pale scalp. "We don't have a minute!"
"Dammit, I'm looking at your code! I'm trying to see how you stabilized the flames!"
"Fuck my code!" Unicorn rapidly raked his fingers through his short blond hair. "Look for the core, the central axis! That's the most stable code, the most important! The flames, the color, everything is based on that!"
"The central axis! Dammit!... Okay, let me find it! Come on, come on!"
Unicorn paced anxiously from one side of the tepee to the other, "You got it?"
"Come on, come on, let's go! Yes! I got it!"
"Then do it, you motherfucker!" Unicorn commanded, as he threw his tightened fist through the air.
"Just a sec! Just a sec!... Reinforcing the axis... Okay, okay... Stabilizing the code... Okay..."
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!"
"Sending the signal... NOW!"
Instantly, the faint and fragile orange-and-yellow flames flickered blue, and Million vanished from her stark recliner chair.
"YEAH!" Unicorn screamed into the phone. "Hitch, you did it!"
And to his utter horror, the fire went out.
"NOOO!"
"Captain?" Unicorn called out. He emerged from the darkened tepee, with his white overcoat spotted with blood, his eyes expressionless, his skin cold, and his heart fading into despair.
Standing several yards away, facing the southeastern night sky, Helios answered without turning. "Yes?"
"I have some good news and some bad news."
Helios allowed himself a slight smile. "I heard you... I think I know the good news."
"Yeah," Unicorn nodded. "Million got out."
"And the bad news... I heard your scream, too."
Unicorn kicked the cold dirt and chuckled.
Helios turned to face his senior operator, "So we're stuck here."
"For several hours... Unless Hitch can find another exit in less time."
"What do you think?"
Unicorn shook his head, "I seriously doubt it... We were lucky to find this one."
Turning back to the southeastern night sky, Helios silently agreed with his senior operator. They couldn't live out here forever... Eventually, his hovercraft, the 'Nosferatu,' would have to leave the broadcast depths to recharge on Zion... and their plugged-in connection to the Matrix would be terminated...
Even before that happened, they couldn't flee or fight forever... Eventually, their motorbikes would run out of fuel, their weapons would run out of ammunition, and their martial arts defenses would fall... especially against two, or three, or an entire army of Agents...
Even worse, all this was based on the assumption that the Agents wouldn't already destroy this exit point, or the next exit point, or the next...
Yet Helios was at peace...
He seized the opportunity for a new rescue mission, an extraordinary opportunity to free, not just ONE mind, but TWO minds from the Matrix... Two powerful minds, two teenaged kids, a brother and sister, named Aaron and Miriam... They deserved more than a living lie... more than the Matrix...
And Helios succeeded!
"Well, Unicorn," the captain straightened. "If we're gonna protect this exit for several hours, we're gonna do it... or we're gonna die trying."
"Let's do it."
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