'You crazy cat!' Vil shouted when the guards opened the cell door.
Simmini thrust her claws at him but he caught her by her wrists. 'Damned human! I'll get you!' she hissed from between her bared fangs.
The guard in the doorway looked left and right at the two fighting but before he could draw his stun gun they turned towards him. Simmini jumped up at him and drew his attention while Vil dove and came up from the other side. With a rapid slash he cut the Ant's throat.
The second Ant was confused long enough for Simmini to throw her cloak over its head and tackle it backwards. Vil finished him off with another stab and slash at its throat and both Ants lay motionless after a last gurgle from their mouths.
Vil looked up and down the hallway. 'Do you hear anything?'
Simmini listened carefully for a moment. 'Seems quiet.'
He stood up and checked the door a few metre further down the corridor. It was open and led to another empty cell. He went back and grabbed one of the Ants. 'We'll put them in there. Might give us a little more time in case someone starts missing these two.'
She nodded and dragged the other one to the cell. Holding up her cloak she scrunched her nose. 'Yech! Ant blood.'
Vil started stripping the first Ant. 'Forget it. You can't take it with you while we're wearing their uniforms.'
Simmini stretched and moved her arms around after she was done dressing. 'Luckily they're about our length.'
Vil examined the weapons the Ants were carrying. 'Just as I thought. These guns are like what we used to have when we used gunpowder.' he said and grinned. 'I'd almost feel nostalgic.'
Simmini checked her gun. 'I'd rather feel free.'
He chuckled. 'Yeah, let's go.'
They followed the corridor until they stopped at a store room where they picked up two small empty crates. 'Remember, act as if you're part of the workforce here.' Vil said. 'Look straight ahead, walk confident. As long as you don't show unexpected behaviour the workers here will ignore you. We'll be fine as long as we're not encountering any guards and I hadn't seen any when we were escorted around before.'
She nodded and followed him, carrying the crate on her shoulder to conceal her face from casual onlookers. They followed the corridor further and at a junction Vil took a turn into what seemed the corridor with the least amount of Ants going about. Simmini held her breath as they passed two Ants carrying bags and exhaled in relief when nothing happened.
'Don't worry.' Vil said. 'They seem to only focus on one task at the same time.'
When he saw a sign that looked similar to the ones he saw on Ant weaponry at home he took a quick look through the maze window in the steel door. He held back a wide smile as he opened the door and stepped inside.
Simmini followed at once and saw the reason for the sudden stop. 'Armoury.'
Vil smiled at her. 'Unguarded because here no one but Ants would need access to weapons and only when needed. So let's raid the candy store.'
She looked at him. 'What?'
He chuckled as he checked the racks. 'Human expression. Forget it for now.' he said and took one of the guns. 'Not much choice here. Either handguns or these bullpup submachine guns.' He checked the firing mechanism and loaded a full magazine from a crate underneath the rack. 'Seems they're only used to fighting in close quarters or in large numbers. That would fit them though.'
Simmini armed herself with a submachine gun and loaded up on ammunition as much as she could carry. 'They always attack in large numbers and don't care as much about dying.'
'Right.' said Vil and loaded up on ammunition as well. 'That makes them all the more dangerous.'
They continued their walk and were glad to come across an empty stairwell. They followed it up and ended up at another corridor at the top. Vil peeked both ways. 'Left or right?'
Simmini sniffed the air. 'Seems there's fresh air coming from the left.'
'Left it is then.' he said and they moved along at a steady pace.
The workers they passed took no real notice of them and Vil thought they might just get away quietly when two guards came up from the opposite direction.
'Vil.' whispered Simmini.
'Relax.' he whispered back. 'Just walk along like we did so far but be ready to fight.'
They held the crates closer to their heads to hide their faces more and almost passed the guards when they chirped and halted them. Vil tossed his crate at them at once. 'Fight!' he shouted and drew his submachine gun.
Simmini tossed her crate towards the second surprised Ant and drew her weapon, firing a short burst shortly after Vil did. She panted while the guards lay dead on the floor and nearby workers ran away. 'No more quiet escape.'
Vil looked around. 'Yeah, now we need to run. Can you sense where the air's coming from?'
Simmini stepped forward. 'This way.' she said and they hurried off while sirens whistled.
They had travelled two corridors when more guards arrived ahead of them. These fired at once and Vil and Simmini had barely time to dive into a side corridor for cover. Vil crawled to the floor and shot a few bursts around the corner to hold the guards back. 'Dammit! Can we get out of here!?'
Simmini looked around. 'We might be in luck.' she said and headed further into the corridor towards a niche. 'Vil! The fresh air is coming from here!'
He fired another burst at a guard who tried to move forward to a doorway, and crippled him before pulling back and hurrying over to Simmini. A man high grate blocked access to a large shaft. 'Let's see if there's a way up here.' he said and kicked at the grate with all his might until it caved in and fell down. It took a few seconds before they heard it crash on the bottom. He examined the steel rungs going up the shaft next to the opening and into the open sky above. 'I hope you're not afraid of heights.'
Simmini looked up and down the shaft. 'Not so much I'd like to stay here. You go up first?'
Vil pulled on a rung and stepped on another to test their strength. 'Yeah. I'll take point in case we get a surprise from above.' he said and began the climb.
They were halfway up when guards appeared at the grate of the level they passed and Vil opened fire at once. A bullet from the guard in front struck the arm he held onto a rung with and he lost his grip. 'Fuck! he shouted as he fell back and reached out for grip with his other hand, but missed.
'Vil!' shouted Simmini and sank the claws of one paw into his back and pulled him back forward.
His heart raced when he grabbed onto a rung. He had no time to waste though when guards fired into the shaft and Simmini returned it. He grabbed his submachine gun and fired at the guards before hurrying upwards again while ignoring the pain in his arm for the time being and Simmini fired down at the guards when one dared to take a peek.
The top of the shaft was clear and they climbed onto a large oblong and flat concrete roof. Vil moved towards the edge and looked down onto several more concrete roofs. 'We can go down here.'
Simmini nodded. 'Quickly, before they come out here.'
They lowered themselves down at each edge before dropping down the lower half of each storey and soon peered over the edge of the lowest roof at a row of military vehicles in a walled yard. 'Looks like this is the back of this place.' Vil said. 'Best to grab one of these and break through whatever gate they may have. Can you drive?'
'Yes. Drove a stolen one before.'
'All right. Last part of our escape. I hope.'
They jumped down onto the canvas back of a light six wheeled truck, onto the ground, and Simmini jumped into the driver's side. Vil ran along the other vehicles shooting the tyres while she warmed up the engine and drove to the end of the row. Ants appeared around a corner and from a doorway at the back and opened fire. He climbed into the cabin as fast as he could and Simmini accelerated the moment he stepped inside.
She headed straight towards another group of Ants, ducking down behind the wheel for cover as they shot at the truck while Vil returned fire. A couple of thuds were the end of the Ants unlucky enough to not jump out of the way fast enough. Simmini steered around the corner of the building, drove around the far edge of a large shed to avoid several more soldiers, then around the corner towards the front gate.
A car tried to block their way but she hit the back and spun it aside. Vil held on as best as he could while firing upon the Ants at the gate to clear them and braced himself as they collided with the steel doors and crashed with a loud bang through them.