On the run #2: Fire fight
York fastened on the last piece of his armour before pulling his helmet into place.
"Hey D, how are we looking?"
Delta's reply was quick and to the point, "Armour subsystems functioning at 100%. Armour integrity 100%. Warning. A scan of this building's inside security systems show another six man squad moving towards our position. ETA 6 minutes."
"Well we will just have to do something about that. I still have to grab a few things. Give me a display of the security system and warn me when an optimal firing opportunity presents itself. Assist aim as much as the armour will allow."
"Will do." A small section of the inside of York's visor lit up and began to show the video camera feed of the corridors. York glanced at it long enough to note the weapons each of the six men were carrying and their position within the building. They were still two floors below and the building did not have any elevators. He should be fine for a while longer.
He casually walked about his apartment and picked up the things he might need. The last thing he picked up was his credit card. That was one thing they had got right here. All the money was in data form. A simple credit card could hold millions or even billions of dollars. Or if you had armour like York's it could be stored in that. York inserted the card into the back of his helmet and watched as a figure of several tens-of-thousands appeared in the top of his visor. Yes it was all there.
"York, enemy squad has reached this floor. ETA 30 seconds."
York sighed and turned to pick up his pack. He then drew his pistol and walked towards the door, watching the security feed still playing on the inside of his helmet. As the soldiers reached the other side of his door York's visor began to flash with the words "OPTIMAL OPPORTUNITY." He fired, feeling Delta shifting the arm of his armour to ensure better shots. Six shots was all it took. Three went through the door and three through the walls.
York watched on the display as the squad crumpled as the bullets found their mark. He had to hand it to Delta, ever since going rampant he was efficient. Cold, calculating and if need be, deadly.
York kicked down his door and walked out into the hall. He paused and looked back into the apartment.
"Delta is anyone in the apartments that touch on mine on any angle?"
"No, apart from yourself, the only people in this building were this assault squad and an old lady on the ground floor."
"Good." York pulled out an incendiary grenade and hurled it into the room then began to walk of down the hall. As he rounded the corner the grenade detonated and a burst of flames rushed out into the hallway. York smiled as he headed towards the stairs.
He reached the ground floor without incident. As he stepped out of the building however he was met by a hail of gunfire. He dived for cover, landing behind a low walled garden block. He looked up to find that the gunfire was almost constant. Sighing he spoke.
"D, evaluation."
Delta's voice chimed in after a few moments.
"The number of bullets plus the direction of the gunfire would suggest that there are up to ten individuals equipped with MA5C Assault Rifles. They would appear to be holed up in Regie's Toy Barn."
York sighed. He liked that store, had in fact bought some toys for charity there once. And now those bastards were using it as cover. He refocused on Delta.
"Hack the store's security system. Are there any civilians inside?"
Delta was silent for a moment then he answered.
"Yes. There appear to be two children hidden at the back of the store in the soft toys section."
York sighed, "Okay D, calculate the most appropriate path for this grenade," he said as he pulled out the short dark cylinder. He then watched as a long arc stretched up to a spot on the wall above him then away over his head. Delta spoke again.
"If you throw hard enough at that spot then the grenade should land right in the middle of the group on the rebound. You do realise that this could reach the children?"
York nodded then pulled the pin and hurled the grenade. It bounced off the wall above him then glided away towards the store. It struck the ground in the middle of the group and before they could react, began to pour out black smoke. York stood and began to run towards the group of coughing and choking soldiers, pistol held in one hand while he drew his knife with the other.
He fired his pistol at the first man, catching him twice in the chest, before barrelling into the second and driving his knife into the man's throat. As the soldier fell gurgling to the ground York spun and shot three more of the men.
By this time the other five were beginning to recover from the effects of the smoke grenade and began to move about to block York's escape routes. York smiled at this and watched their faces as they took up their positions. Only once they had all stopped did he speak.
"There are three possible outcomes to this situation. One, you all just walk away now and continue your lives. Boring I know, but it does have a certain appeal. The other two are much more interesting. The second option is that we can fight, I can kill most of you, but I am inevitably either captured or killed. This option is however, what I like to call 'very unlikely'. The third and final option is the simplest. You all die. Which is it to be?"
He looked around at the five of them. One of them shook his head, turned and walked out the door. He had not gone three steps beyond the exit when the leader of the four remaining men turned, raised his rifle in one hand and shot the deserter in the back. He turned back and yelled at the other men, "If any of you even think of following his example then you will meet the same end." He turned back to York, "Its nothing personal but we have a job to do." He raised his rifle and prepared to fire.
York smiled, "You chose this."
In an instant he had hurled his knife into the leader's gun so that it jammed and fired his pistol, taking out one of the men. He then drew his second pistol and fired both weapons, killing two more of his assailants. He turned his attention back to the leader and found the man with a pistol in his hand.
As he pulled the trigger, York dodged to the right, but he still felt the bullets breaking through his armour. Two to the shoulder and one to the forearm. York gritted his teeth through the pain and as the man tried to bring his pistol to bear he ducked under his arm, caught it and twisted it behind the man's back. He then raised his injured right arm and almost blacking out from the pain, pushed his pistol into the back of the man's neck and pulled the trigger. Blood splashed across the floor and the mercenary fell forward with a gurgling sigh.
York groaned as he slowly holstered his weapons and then moved to the back of the store. As he walked the bullets in his shoulder and arm slowly pushed their way out and fell to the floor, showing that his armour's healing system was beginning to take effect. Even so, it would likely be more than a day before his arm was fully functional again.
He found the children, as Delta had said he would, in the soft toys section hiding among a display of teddy bears. It took some time, but eventually he was able to convince them that the danger had passed and it was safe to leave the store.
As York watched the two kids walking of down the street, Delta flickered into being beside him.
"Status report. Subsystems at 89%. Armour integrity at 81%. Vitals at 90% and rising." Delta was silent for a moment before continuing, "York we don't know who sent those men or why. We just demolished a toy store and set your apartment on fire. We're flying blind. We need information."
York nodded, "Your right D. I think its time we paid a visit to Natalya…"