"...If it looks like a rabbit, and it hops like a rabbit, run the other way and fast. That is shit is liable to tear your arm off." J.A. Saare, Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between
Ghost sucked in air through her bloody mouth. She tried to step back, but Rabbit didn't let her. She began to realize why Rabbit was so admired and feared. He was unstoppable. No matter what she did, and she was sure she'd done a lot of damage he didn't acknowledge it.
"What are you?" She screamed as he kicked her full in the abdomen slamming her back flat on the cement floor. Mac didn't answer; his face was empty. Down a long tunnel, Mac watched his body move automatically with speed and skill he never knew he could summon. He knew he had a couple of ribs, and something was wrong in his left leg, but he was floating comfortably in a soothing fog.
Ghost stumbled to her feet. She swayed. Mac smiled then let loose with a devastating spinning rear kick. His boot slammed into her chest. She stepped back shock evident on her face. Blood spurted out her mouth, and she gurgled. She fell backward dead, her chest crushed. Mac turned in one smooth move and blocked a hard front snap kick from Mongoose. Distantly Mac knew something had broken in his arm, but he wasn't worried. He felt nothing. Mongoose lashed out with a double kick combination. Mac danced back, ducked under the first kick stepped in close and caught the second kick on his hip. He wrapped his arm around Mongoose's calf and spun leaning against the joint. Mongoose screamed as his leg bent entirely backward. Without pausing, Mac stepped in grabbed the tall man by the shirt and pulled his head down. Mac turned and flipped the big man over his back. Mac pulled in close and rolled with the tall man landing heavy on the man's sternum.
Mongoose growled and grabbed Mac's hair pulling backward. Mac didn't notice. He rose to one knee then dropped his elbow crunching again into the tall man's throat. Mongoose pulled both hands to his throat panting; his face turned purple. Mac stood up and crossed to Jack's unmoving form. Mac picked up the Baretta walked to Mongoose and without a change in his blank expression shot him in the bridge of his nose. Mac strolled over to Jack and aimed the Baretta at his head.
A lightning strike exploded across his head. Mac cried out in pain and staggered a step as everything spun. Mac ran his fingers across the Baretta. He stood up straight. A mental image of a man floated in his head. Mac smiled. He had a target. He tucked the pistol in his belt and climbed out the broken wall to a small black SUV. He had it running faster than it would have taken if he had the key. He skidded across the parking lot and got onto the freeway heading north.
Matty followed the TAC teams through the front door before the cloud of dust, dirt, and debris landed. The soldiers fanned out behind her. Alpha Two, Jack's second in command, directed the teams to split up and move across the building. Riley and Bozer crept after Matty who walked behind Alpha team. A group of Corydon soldiers ran around the corner. Matty shoved Riley and Bozer behind her and opened up with her Kahr Arms P380 and shot half a magazine. Two opponents fell. Alpha joined the fight, and soon all Corydon soldiers were dead on the tile. Matty dropped the magazine and snapped in a new one. She glanced back at Riley, whose eyes were full, and Bozer who looked like he was going to puke.
"Let's go, Riley, you and Bozer go to the War room and take back our systems." Riley nodded. Alpha two waved them ahead. They were surprised to find all of the ops empty. Matty nodded at Matty and Bozer. Alpha six and seven went in with them to stand overwatch.
"All units are heading for rendezvous in the cafeteria."
"Ok, you head that way, I'm going to the loading dock."
"Ma'am, we should go with you!" Matty shot him a cold look that caused the man to look away.
"Listen." She snapped. They paused a minute. The sound of battle was loud and coming from the direction of the cafeteria. Alpha reluctantly nodded and peeled off toward the cafeteria. Matty growled and crept forward her ears straining for any noise. She was worried. Collins had radioed that the loading dock was clear. Where were Jack and Mac?
Something sharp scraped across her face slamming it back against the wall. Matty went with the movement and spun. Valencia Phyree-grace stood over her, her ugly green nails on her right hand covered in blood. The taller woman screeched then lashed out with a side kick back kick combo. Matty ducked and stepped aside. Valencia's foot cracked the wood paneling. The woman gracefully recovered and stepped back in one smooth motion. She studied Matty her eyes narrowed.
"Do you think you can win?" Matty smiled and pulled out the Kahr.
"Yeah, I like my chances." She emptied the clip, six rounds into Valencia's chest. Valencia stepped back, growled then straightened. She rubbed her chest.
"Ow." She growled. Shit. Matty stepped back studying the woman. Phyree-Grace wasn't wearing a vest; her suit must have kevlar as a lining. Damn. That left the woman's legs and head. Valencia danced forward her hands windmilling like a food processor. Matty grimaced and hit the wall again as Valencia clipped the side of her head. Matty saw locks of her long hair float to the tile like a dead tentacle. It pissed Matty off. She waited. To attack someone half her height Valencia had to fold into a tightly bent position. Only someone who fought like that a lot every day could maintain the awkward pose. Matty guessed Valencia didn't.
Matty stepped back and bent low. Valencia yelled and stooped lower. Matty grinned and grabbed the woman by her lapels and head-butted her. Valencia drew back and overbalanced. Matty pivoted and pulled Valencia over her back. Matty moved both hands to one lapel and pulled the cloth between around Valencia's neck.
Phyree-grace laughed.
"Really? Do...you...think you can...choke...me?" Matty smiled as the woman had to suck in air between words. She could feel Valencia move to stand. Matty separated her elbows putting more tension on the choke hold. The tiny woman put her legs on either side of Valencia's chest and dug in her heels. Valencia was fighting for air now. She jumped backward slamming Matty into the wall. Matty grunted and used the rebound to pull the cloth tighter. Matty grimaced at the wind-stealing impact but held on. Valencia fell on all fours. Her face was a dark rose. Matty put her knee on the woman's butt and leaned back with all of her weight. Valencia pulled at the cloth digging into her neck. Her eyes rolled to white, and she collapsed face first on the tile.
"Is she dead?" Matty looked up to see Jack limping toward her. Matty pulled her hair from her face and stepped off Phyree-Grace's body.
"I don't think so. Are you ok?" Jack had blood pouring down both sides of his head and out his nose which looked broken. He favored his left leg, but it didn't look injured or bloody. Matty glanced at him, and her heart froze with fear.
"Where's Mac?" Jack looked away and shook his head.
"I don't know...Matty, he killed seventeen people back there." Matty's eyes widened.
"He's been activated," Matty said in a hushed tone. Jack huffed wiping away the blood.
"How? He had a grip on this." Before Matty could answer Bozer came jogging around the corner.
"Uhg...uh, the building is ours. Riley says she's got the mainframe back, but everything is gone, they erased it."
"What?" Matty growled.
"They knew we were coming." Matty smiled down at the unconscious assassin, "Well she hasn't been erased yet. Get her in a cell; then we have to find Mac before he kills someone else." Bozer's eyebrows crept up to his hairline.
"Mac killed somebody? Oh man, oh man." Jack put his hand on Bozer's shoulder.
"You can say that again, bro."
Clean up took the next ten hours. Jack, Riley, Bozer, Matty and Doc Carl stood in a circle in the War room. All of them were more relaxed than they had been in the last twelve weeks.
"How are we going to get him back?" Jack asked pacing.
"And how do we keep him together when he learns...what he did," Bozer asked in a subdued whisper.
"More importantly where is he going and what is he going to do once he gets there?" Matty demanded.
"I managed to find the backup video from the loading dock." Matty nodded, and Riley put it on the big screen. All five watched it their mouths agape.
"Holy shit," Riley said watching Mac taking out fifteen soldiers in less than twenty seconds.
"Every one a perfect head shot." Jack offered. Jack winced at the fight between Mac and the other two assassins. He paused it and turned to Doc Carl.
"He took some hard hits, I'd be surprised if he has a bunch of broken bones, why isn't it slowing him down."
"He seems not to feel it." Bozer agreed. Doc Carl rubbed his chin.
"One of Mac's greatest abilities has always been compartmentalizing. I think he's disassociated from his physical body."
"Like he's on autopilot?" Jack asked frowning. Doc Carl shrugged.
"Riley keep going." Jack's breath stopped when he saw Mac casually point the gun at him. Jack closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.
"Oh, Mac." He sighed. Riley crossed to Jack's side and put a hand on the man's shoulder.
"Look," Bozer said pointing at the screen. Mac brought the gun up then curled over with agony in his head. Mac turned and stared into space blankly then crept outside. Riley clicked off the video. Jack turned to face Doc Carl. Doc Carl closed his eyes and shook his head.
"This is all my fault." He murmured.
"What?" Jack said, his voice edging up an octave. Doc Carl met his gaze.
"When Mac fought his programming he had blinding pain in his head."
"We know that," Bozer said impatience sharpening his tone.
"I gave him a migraine medicine to help prevent the pain."
"It worked, he didn't have a headache," Riley said her brow furrowed in confusion. Jack crossed his arms over his chest and eyeballed Doc Carl with aggression.
"But he was dazed...it took away his ability to fight the conditioning didn't it?" Jack's voice had dropped to a deadly flat voice. Doc Carl nodded looking miserable. Matty stepped between the two men.
"Ok, we need to focus on what to do now." Doc Carl looked at his feet and ran a hand through his curly hair.
"The shot lasts twenty-four hours, but I'm not sure how he'll react when it wears off."
"I'd guess it won't be good," Jack said staring at Doc Carl as if the doctor was a scrying mirror. Doc Carl shook his head.
"All the pain, and things he's done…"
"It'll flatten him," Bozer said closing his eyes.
"The big question is where did he go?" Riley asked. Everyone thought a long minute. Jack sighed.
"Sonrisa, he's going after that Man without a face."
"With his defenses down, he'll know who he is." Doc Carl said.
"Well, we need to get to him first. Jack, take a Blackhawk, go get our boy." Jack grinned and spun toward the door, Bozer a step behind. Jack paused he glanced at Matty who nodded then nodded. They both hurried to the helipad.
"Now we get to solve the mystery of what's in B7," Matty said. Riley nodded and gathered her laptop following the diminutive woman to the elevator.