Suns out, guns out

It was nearing the end of the afternoon. The sun was preparing to retire when John's car stopped right beside a rundown small warehouse.

John looked at Rachel and said in a voice filled with doubt, "Are you sure, dear? This looks like it was abandoned a thousand years ago!"

Rachel rolled her eyes and said with exasperation, "Jezz, old man! Ye of so little faith!"

"Why are we here, honey?" asked Laura from the back seat. There was visible confusion on her face. "What's in that building?"

"I told you, mom, we came here to get some weapons," replied Rachel calmly.

"Oh, but why?"

"I'll explain once we're moving again. Let us finish this first, okay?" said John. Then he looked at Rachel and said, "And you're certain that there aren't any guards in this place?"

"No," said Rachel as she prepared to exit the vehicle. "The people who were guarding this place are mostly all dead."

"Hm, alright."

The two of them exited the vehicle and proceeded towards the building while maintaining extreme caution. They remained on guard even as they loaded various weapons and ammunition into the car. It seemed Rachel was correct; Kyle's team had abandoned this outpost since their entire team was decimated by that freak monster attack. Which worked out nicely for Rachel and her dad now. They got all the supplies they would need for their break-in.

Once they were on their way towards Dean's base again, Laura pressed to know more about the mission they were undertaking.

John hesitated, it was difficult for him to tell the cruel fate his better half was subjected to. But he left nothing out. And it would seem Laura knew none of these beforehand. In the end, she only cried and thanked the Lord for one more chance to be with her family. This, brought tears to both John and Rachel's eyes as they clenched their fists and hardened their resolve to see this through to the end.

John parked his car in a certain patch of forest where large rocks were providing cover. The three of them covered it with natural camouflaging materials and marched towards the eastern side of the base. They were armed, Rachel with a pistol at her waist and an assault weapon at hand, John with a shotgun, and Laura with a submachine gun. By the time they were standing behind the covering of wide trees not far away from the chain-linked fence of Dean's base, the sun had set and bright lights were illuminating the inside of the base. There was no way to get inside without notice with the base at its highest security level.

"So according to you, we're now waiting outside for a miracle?" said Laura with a hint of sarcasm at John.

"It was your daughter's idea," said John looking the other way, embarrassed.

"Well, as long it's not yours," said Laura while suppressing a smile. "Your ideas never tend to pan out!"

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?" said John warmly.

The night's breeze seemed to cool Rachel's heart as she listened to her parent's lovely quarrel. There was something about her android mother that seemed so human now. Could it be that there are still bits of her mother left in there? wondered Rachel. It isn't entirely impossible. Because her brain is still intact in there.

Then she recalled the memories with Rose. She was so lovely. So sweet. But then she changed. Something in her seemed to die. Thinking about it all put a pang of pain inside Rachel's abdomen. She bit her lips. Fate did not seem to take mercy on her or her family. Then she slowly steeled her mind, saying to herself: Rose changed only after Dean appeared. That bastard! He must have some sort of control over these androids. I must take away his control and free mom and Rose! I'll do it even if it's the last thing I do!

The three of them sat in the dark of the forest under tall trees, whispering as they conversed. They talked about the days gone, they talked about the challenges of life in the region and they talked about the nature of their lives now. Smiles brushed their faces and a stream of joy flowed. All of a sudden, they all crashed on the ground as the very earth trembled with rage. A terrible tremor was shaking everything. They scrambled and got up to their feet. Without wasting a moment, they grabbed the nearest tree and held on tight. As they endured the sudden earthquake, only one thought remained on their scared yet elated minds.

The initial earthquake passed, and then came a slight trembling of the ground with an air ripping roar.

"This is it!" said John through gritted teeth. "Judging by the sound of that, the monster has appeared on the western side of the base. We lucked out! They will be busy with the monster on the opposite side of us."

"Yeah!" said Rachel with a quick nod. "Once they are out, we go in!"

They waited with their eyes locked onto the far motions inside the base. Vehicles and armed men were moving out through an exit that was far-right from where they were hiding. They saw guards moving out of their posts and running towards the western side to reinforce that side's security.

After the sound of their vehicles melted into the distance where the roaring of a monstrous beast came from, John looked at Rachel and Laura and made a hand signal and told them to stay right behind him. They reached the fence. It was not electrified. Rachel and Laura pulled out bolt cutters and quickly began cutting the fence's links. Before long, they made enough space for a person to be able to enter hunched down. Once inside, they took cover behind a row of different types of machinery and small mover vehicles. Their eyes scanning for human activity around the area. But all seemed dead in these parts while loud sounds of gunfire and explosions and raged roaring came rushing in from the opposite side of the base.

"That monster is far too close for comfort!" gasped Laura.

"That's better, mom," said Rachel. "It'll work out in our favor."

"Let's move!" hissed John, "We'll be able to shoot our weapons without discretion under the cover of all that noise!"

"Yeah! I'll lead the way. Dad, you take the rear." Then she turned to her mom and said, "Mom stay right behind me, okay?"

"Okay, dear," Laura nodded.