Ambush

"I swear, I heard some weird noises from over there... And where's Kira? I didn't see her for a while..."

* * *

"HQ, this is Delta-2. Suspicious noises in the underground hallways, investigating, over."

"Delta-2, this is HQ, roger. Proceed and report afterwards, over."

"Wilco, out."

Maria made her way to the underground of the old industrial complex. She advanced through the darkness of now eerily quiet maintenance hallways towards the approximate origin of recent noises with her rifle at the ready. After walking some distance, she began to hear occasional unintelligible sounds. With each step, the sounds became more and more distinct... Was it groaning?

Maria made another turn. She pointed her underbarrel flashlight forward, and in the next moment she revealed the source of groans in the room across the hallway.

"What the... Kira?!"

Maria found her colleague and friend kneeling in the middle of the empty room, all bound, gagged and blindfolded with tape. She carefully approached her distressed friend, not entering the room yet, wary of possible ambush. Nothing is heard beside desperate sounds of struggling, no sight of threats in front, only the upcoming gamble with two blind corners on each side of the entrance.

Maria made a step forward and peeked the corner at her right. Moment after, and someone grabbed her neck from behind and poked a gun to her masked face.

"Freeze. Drop your gun."

Maria startled and a few seconds after complied with the sudden cold-sounding order.

"Hands up, be quiet."

Maria held up her hands. The grip on her neck has gone, and she slowly turned around to see her captor. Through her night-vision goggles she saw a two-meters tall skeletal figure towering over her. It was not a human, it was an android, staring at her with its glowing circular visors.

"Oh fuck..."

The machine grabbed Maria by the neck once more and nailed her against the wall. Maria used her hands to try to get the metal arm off her neck, but its grip only tightened.

"Gah! Let me go!"

"Shhh. Behave. You don't want me to put a bullet in your friend's head, do you?"

The threat made bound and gagged Kira make a panicked sound.

"Hmmph?! Nmmph!"

"W-what?! No! No. Don't do this, I'll comply."

"Good girl. Now, be useful, answer my questions, or this underground will become your tomb."

"Fine, what do want to know, you piece of scrap?"

"Tsk-tsk-tsk, watch your mouth, little girl. Now, speak, where is Olivia?"

"Olivia? She... She must be in the west shop, fixing the equipment that broke just now."

"What's her security?"

"There are several patrols along the way, and she's usually accompanied by a guard or two... And, the door to the shop is locked with a code."

"What's the code?"

"6465."

"Very well. Your friend over there said mostly the same things to me. I expect your info to be correct... Otherwise I won't hesitate to come back here to punish you both."

"Please, leave us alone! I told you the truth."

"So honest and obedient... You deserve a reward, my dear."

"W-what reward?"

"Why, I'll let you and your friend live, silly girl. Now, you must be exhausted, how about you take a little nap?"

The robot put the gun away, and then started strangling Maria with both hands, slowly lowering her to the floor. As she lost consciousness, the captor picked her radio. His voice instantly changed from a cold, monotonous, and low-pitched, to a smooth and high-pitched, almost perfectly mimicking Maria's.

"HQ, this is Delta-2. Investigation completed, 𝚖ore to follow, over."

"Delta-2, this is HQ, send, over."

"Searched the underground area thoroughly, nothing out of ordinary, noticed only a fresh pile of rubble. Seems like part of the old ceiling collapsed and made noise, over."

"Roger, return to your post, over."

"Wilco, out."

* * *

Maria started to regain her consciousness. She felt cold hands stuffing something into her mouth and then wrapping duct tape around her mouth and limbs...