Priss yanked back with both her arms and the grate came free. The broken tops of screws rolled about her feet. "You're the smallest Nene- go first."
"Why me? We don't know who is in there and how many..."
"Because you've got the sensors to determine that, in you go." Priss took hold of Nene's arm and herded her into the duct ignoring the complaints.
Nene crawled inside. Her foot slipped on the aluminum surface and kicked Priss in the head.
"Stupid..."
"Quiet. This is meant to be covert remember?" Linna put her hand over Priss' faceplate and was second into the duct.
With nothing to do but scowl, which nobody could see she came last into the duct.
With arms tight against their bodies the three Knight Sabres crawled through the warehouse complex's air-system.
On monitors in the van Sylia watched their progress through the helmet mounted cameras. Her gaze shifted between them and the data she was getting from Nene's sensor suite.
They came to an intersection.
"Which way?" Linna tapped Nene on the ankle.
"I don't know. Left..." she twisted and started crawling again and then vanished from sight.
"Aaaahhhhhhh!!" she yelped as head first she fell down a shaft. Although the distance between herself and the other Knight Sabres grew they could hear here perfectly.
"Nene!" Linna / Sylia in unison.
Sylia watched Nene's fast descent and abrupt stop.
"Ow..."
"Are you all right Nene?" Sylia asked.
"Yeah, I thi... ulp" Nene gulped the end of the sentence when she saw the eyes looking at her. Two pairs, through a grate.
Sylia's heart froze.
Barrels of weapons pointed up to the grate.
"What do we have here?" it was a man's voice with a trace of disbelief.
+++===+++
Priss came onto the line, "Sylia, where's Nene? What happened?"
Silence.
"Sylia?"
Sylia responded with some shakiness in her voice, "Nene's been captured. By Genom or the other party I don't know yet. I'm still receiving her signals and visual. There are four of five of them."
Priss swore.
"What do we do?"
Sylia checked the building layouts that Nene's sensors were sending her.
"Go right about ten meters and cut a hole in the bottom of the duct. It looks like a small store room. No one is around. When you get there let me know and I'll have something,"
Great, just great. Trust Nene to go get herself captured within minutes of starting the mission. "Hear that Linna?"
"Obviously. Lets go," with care to look out for sudden drops Linna lead the way.
She used her whips to cut the hole in the duct and lightly dropped down into as Sylia had correctly surmised a, storeroom. She went to the door, opened it a little and saw nothing down that side of the corridor. The were rooms on the other side, offices it looks like as they had windows and she could see in. Cabinets. She couldn't see down the other way without exposing her head and so moved back.
"What's it like?" Priss asked.
"Can't tell on that side," Linna waved in the direction of the length of corridor she didn't check.
"It should be fine girls. I'm not getting any signals." Sylia chimed in, "You need to go down to the sub basement. That's where they've got Nene."
"Is anyone else in the building?" Linna.
"I don't know. Be careful."
"Roger." Priss.
Linna took a deep breath, Okay, here goes. She pulled the door open and ducked out too fast for Priss who was caught off guard and rushed to catch up.
+++===+++
Priss and Linna could take care of themselves.
Sylia returned her attention to Nene and her captors. They had pulled her out of the air duct and three faced her, two with guns aimed at the terrified girl who was, in her hardsuit, shrinking up against a wall. All the captors were wearing balaclavas and looked heavy set. Their guns were no joke either.
The one without a ready weapon spoke, "Who are you, where' you from? Genom? The Police? Army?"
All the wrong guesses piqued Nene a little, "No, I'm a Knight Sabre." she snapped back. The captors all gave each other glances.
"A what?" one of them said.
"Anti-boomer vigilantes. It was in the sitrep somewhere." a reply, then to Nene, "No boomers here, so what are you doing here? Answer of its lights out for you."
"Please don't kill me!" Nene screeched.
One of the armed me stepped forward.
Nene raised her hands to cover her face and turned away, "Nooo!"
Sylia shouted out through Nene's comm, "We're hear because you," she guessed that if the captors didn't recognise or know of the Knight Sabres then they weren't from Genom, "stole boomer related information from Genom and anything boomer related is my concern!"
"More than one, how many of them?"
"The helmets probably got a camera, remove it."
Nene wailed and hands grabbed her.
If it had been any of the others they would have taken this lot down, guns or no. My hardsuits can withstand bullets Sylia grimaced.
Then something came up on Nene's sensors. Movement. Not Linna or Priss. Closer. In-between them.
"Genom has arrived so I don't think you have the time." she said to them via Nene's helmet.
The captors paused. A voice not in Nene's field of vision spoke, "I can't get an uplink down here. We have to move higher."
"What about her?"
"She comes."
Nene was hauled to her feet.
"And the one monitoring us?"
"Doesn't want her companion dead so will cooperate. Lets move."
+++===+++
Sylia quickly informed the others what was going on. Then her sensors filled with static.
"Shit! Their jamming me." without losing a beat she called up Nigel.
"Sylia? Sylia. Dammit lost her." Priss knocked the side of her head. Doing that with technical stuff usually worked. Not this time.
Linna spoke on broadcast, "Priss, my com isn't working."
"Mine either."
"I can't even get you direct, I have to go through the speakers."
"Then we'd better do it quietly cause this place is getting busy."
Linna nodded. Without Sylia they were blind.
Priss took the lead. She knew warehouses pretty well, having lived in or around them for some years of her life post-quake.
They came to a gangway over a open floor area. Sticking close to the wall Priss scanned the area. She flipped through different optics.
There was definitely movement down there.
Must be the Genom team. Not boomers though. She looked to the other side of the gangway. Fifteen or so meters. Exposed. Two ways of doing it. Quietly and hope they weren't looking up, or quickly dash across. Who ever was second would have the rougher time of it.
She pulled back from the corner and put her helmet against Linna's, "Genom's goons are on the floor below. I think we're going to have to make a run for it if we want to get to where Nene is."
"How many?"
"Don't know. They don't know that we are here so the first one across should make it easily."
"And you want me to be the first across?" there was some accusation in Linna's voice, and some steel.
"Yes." please Linna, don't turn this into a you-and-me thing Priss mentally pleaded. Linna hated her guts. She knew that from the moment Linna's narrow gaze locked onto her own outside the place of her work. Where she had gone to try another apology. A futile failed attempt. Most of the time she would have responded in kind, hatred for hatred. But not this time. Not with Linna. She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve Linna's hatred either. But it didn't look like there was anything she could do about it.
"Well isn't that just typical."
"Linna don't fuck around OK?" Priss butted the others helmet, "We don't have the time, Nene's in trouble and so will we. I'm still faster than you- and don't have a family to send a casket back home to-"
"Don't bring my family into this,"
"There is no this. Go. I'll be right behind you."
"You're wrong about you being faster," and with little run up before reaching the gangway Linna with pumping arms sped across it.
Each step rang out as metal struck metal.
So much for secrecy.
Priss steeled herself and followed with gathering speed.
Linna reached the end of the gangway and whisked around. Priss was about a third of the way across and closing fast.
Sparks erupted around the rails as she ran.
No sound accompanied them but Priss knew she was being shot at.
Linna's heart jumped into her throat as she watched Priss raise her arms to cover her face. Half way across. More sparks. Infront and behind her. One off her forearm and she was pushed to the side. Another and she hit the rail. The sparks concentrated inwards. She kept moving, pumping her legs. Two-thirds of the way. A few seconds more. She rocked back. Three quick successive sparks striking under her arm jerking it up to expose her face. Sparks danced over her face plate.
"Priss!" Linna screamed.
Priss stumbled backwards and tripped.
Without thinking Linna rushed back out onto the gangway and into the hailstorm as fire redirected onto her.
She heard the zing and crack of bullets racing by.
Priss was trying to stand, holding her head, but being still she was an easy target and the sparks rippled over her.
"Priss, get up!" Linna reached her and pulled on one arm.
"You idiot! Get back," Priss snarled. She pushed forward but Linna slipped around her and using the momentum added her own push.
"Run!"
Then there was a sound, above the swarming buzz around her. A dull crack and then a woosh.
Linna saw it out of the corner of her eye. A pointed mass halo'd in flame leaving a white smoke trail rushing towards her.
Time changed to move frame by frame.
Priss heard the noise and turned her head. Stumbling forward she watched the long metal dart lazily rise up on an angle towards the gangway.
Sylia broke through the jamming with help from Mackey by signal hopping. Her screens flickered to life and instantly settled on Linna's which looked odd.
Linna was off balance from pushing Priss in the direction of safety. Her hand reached out to grab the rail and steady herself, and to give herself something to push off of for the dash back to the safety of the corridor six of seven meters distant.
Her fingers tightened around the rail.
She bent her knees for the push.
Her lips pulled back from her teeth.
She ignited her jets.
The rocket struck her in the side of the helmet.
The rocket exploded.
"LINNA!!!!!!!!!" Priss screamed flinging her arms out vainly.
"Oh Linna no!" Sylia sobbed throwing her hands over her mouth.
Linna's body reeled over to the side and then shot over the railing as the jets with no direction hurled her away from the blast.
"LINNA!!!"
+++===+++
Priss was frozen in place. The pressure wave of the explosion did not even sway her.
Linna was gone.
Gone.
"Priss," shaking, "Priss, you're still in the open- get into the corridor!" Sylia could only choke out the warning.
To make it clearer the firing began snapping Priss out of her freeze.
As when anything she loved was destroyed she grew angry. Because this was her closest friend she became very angry indeed.
"Mother fuckers! You shit fucked bastards I'm going to kill you all!"
Sylia cut through the thickening red haze, "Priss, listen to me. I've located Linna's ..." she was about to say body, "position but they're heading there already. More are covering the gangway. There's an enclosed stairwell not far. Take that down two flights..."
Sylia's voice was drowned out by the pounding of the blood through her mind and heart.
+++===+++
Sylia gripped the chair tightly. Her whole body shook. Linna. She had seen the impact from both Linna's and Priss's cameras. Impossible to survive a direct hit... she sobbed.
Her legs felt weak. She wanted to slid down and cry. Telling Priss what she had had been pure reaction. That had left her now. The shock of what happened overwhelming her.
"Sylia... Sylia?"
It was Nene.
"Are you there? They want to talk to you, I heard some explosion..."
Nene.
She was still out there. A captive.
So was Priss. Out to avenge Linna.
Two of her companions, her friends. Still in there.
They needed her.
"Sylia?"
Pulling herself together as much as she could, "I'm here Nene."
"They want to know what's going on, where are the Genom men."
"You're still clear to get to higher ground," she checked the map, "Listen Nene, I'm going to be off the air for a little while." she didn't add that she was coming in. Her captors might be listening, "Just keep going and stay out of the fighting."
"Okay."
Sylia closed down the channel and opened up another, "Nigel, where are you?"
Sounds of traffic. "Not too far away."
"Hurry, Linna's been hit,"
"What?!"
"Linna. She got shot. Badly." her voice was close to breaking, "I don't even know if she's alive. So. So I'm going in. Priss and Nene need me."
Roaring of engine. Tires squealing. "I understand."
"Take over the van,"
She closed the line and tearing at her clothing went to suit up.
+++===+++
Roger peeked around the corner. It was clear. He motioned with his fingers to the rest of the team behind him, the Knight Sabre in the middle who was providing what hopefully was accurate directions and movement of Genom's men.
Who were getting closer.
Opposite him was a stairwell going up.
"Go go." he whispered.
The other four and Nene rushed over to the stairwell.
Roger quickly checked the way they'd come, both directions of the corridor and then crossed and took up rearguard.
They made one level and then paused.
Gunfire.
+++===+++
What ever was shooting at her didn't look human. It had a human shape, arms legs and head but bulky. Larger than her hardsuit but smaller than a boomer or the suits the ADP wore. That that it mattered if it was boomer, human or an alien. It was going to die.
A stream of bullets cracked around her as she ate up the distance between herself and the gunman.
It had been further down the corridor she had come screaming into from the stairwell. On a dime it had turned around and started firing. Its eyes glowed red.
Impacts chipped her armour but did not penetrate. Or slow her down.
The gunman shuffled to the side and fired point blank into Priss' chest. She rocked back onto the wall but bounced back.
"DIEEEEEE!!!" she threw her fist forward and the knuckle bomb cover slid over her clenched fingers.
She connected with the front of the gunmans full face helmet.
The knuckle bomb detonated and the gunmans head disappeared in red.
The lifeless body sank back to the other wall and with a trail of blood slid down it. Priss gave the corpse a kick and ran again.
She came to the end of the corridor, kicked the doors open and was in the main warehouse floor, from where the gunmen had been firing at her. But on the other side.
She picked up two more gunmen infront of her. Backs towards her. She ran at them.
The first one had no idea what had hit him. His body lifted off the ground and arched backwards as a terrible force ground into the small of his back. It snapped loudly alerting his companion to his fate, and Priss' arrival.
The other gunman pivoted and fired a burst striking the blue Knight Sabre and friendly who thudded onto the ground. There was no damage to the Knight Sabre.
Priss was inside the gunman's reach in an instant and sent him reeling back, knocking the helmet off, with a kick into the stomach.
The gunman bounced off a stack of pallets into Priss's waiting hand. She grabbed him around the neck and slid her visor open, "This is the last thing you are ever going to see!" she hissed.
Blood foamed from the gunmans mouth.
Priss tossed the limp body away.
She saw a pallet that had been knocked over. She ran to it.
Amid the pile of boxes lay Linna. Smoke rose form her hard suit. One side was scorched black. The helmet was intact.
The helmet was intact!
Priss dove next to her friend.
"Linna! Can you hear me?"
She grabbed the helmet.
It fell apart in her hands.
"No!" she sobbed.
Blood covered Linna's face. Bits of metal were stuck in her.
Priss cleared away the scraps with shaking fingers.
I need to clear away the blood.
She pulled off her helmet. Grabbed and pulled at the gortex about her throat. She ripped it. Used it to wipe away the blood.
Cuts. Many of them.
Is she alive is she alive?
Can't check for a pulse with the glove.
She leaned close, her cheek against Linna's throat. Searching for a pulse.
Her hair lay over Linna's face.
Her heart beat frantically.
Cough.
Sneeze.
Priss sat up.
Linna's face twitched.
"Linna!"
An eye tried to open.
"Don't move, you're hit."
"Priss,"
"It's me."
"I hurt."
Priss almost laughed. Instead it came out a sob. Forgetting her own advice she wrapped her arms around Linna and lifted her to her own chest.
"Don't, don't ever do that again." she cried.
Linna gasped in pain.
"What is it?" Priss pulled back. Her lip trembled.
A large jagged piece of metal had penetrated the flank of Linna's hardsuit below the rib. Her side was slick with blood.
"I'm, I'm fucked up aren't I?"
Priss pulled Linna to her again.
"No no. You're going to be fine. I'll get you out and to a hospital and they'll make you better."
"Liar."
"Don't die Linna! Don't you dare."
"You'll miss me?" blood appeared on her lip.
"Yes! But I wont have to because you'll be with me."
"Does this mean that I get the girl?"
Priss trembled. She tightened the grip with her fingers as if willing her strength to pass through them into Linna. She tried to smile. Failed. Tears dropped down onto Linna's cheek.
"Yes. You get the girl Linna."
"Good. I've always wanted a happy ending."
It was too much.
Priss pressed her lips onto Linna's. She held her eyes tight not wanting to see if the end had come. Her body shook but she held tight and kept the kiss. Willing Linna to stay with her.
She opened her eyes. Through tears saw that Linna's were closed.
"No, no nono. You're not dead. You're not..." she lowered Linna back down and let the anguish free.
A hand came to rest on her shoulder.
Priss had no will left to fight. Defeated, exhausted she looked up.
Up to Sylia. In her hardsuit. Gleaming like a White Knight.
"Sylia..." Priss was barely audible.
Sylia knelt down, "Priss."
"She gone Sylia."
Sylia grasped Priss by both shoulders, "Priss, she isn't dead. She's unconscious. That's what my sensors are telling me."
Priss looked up, "Don't lie,"
"I'm not, put your helmet back on and check for yourself. We can still save her. We have to get out of here quickly or she will die."
Priss did as Sylia said, fixing her helmet back on. Sylia was right. Linna was alive. A faint pulse.
Hope flooded through her.
"Genom's men have moved on to surround Nene. We need to hurry and get Linna out and then come back for her."
"I can do it!"
"I know you can Priss. You're always strong. Linna needs your strength now. I'll lead,"
They both stood, with Linna in Priss's arms, her uncovered head secure by the shoulder.
Just in time, Sylia thought. If she hadn't arrived Priss would have unknowingly let Linna die. But Linna, all of them weren't out off the fire yet. They all had to get out of this deteriorating situation.
"Nigel?"
"Status?" Nigel had made it to the van.
"We need to get Linna to a medical facility of she's not going to make it. Call this number immediately..."
+++===+++
They spotted the Genom Response Team down coming up some stairs at the other end of the room. Immediately two of the team raised their weapons and moved into cover. Roger quickly checked his uplink connection, flaky.
"I need one more level," if this place has any more left. If not then it was the roof. Hopeful there'd be cover up there from snipers.
"Got you covered."
The weapons barked.
Smoking casings tinkered on the hard floor.
Muzzle flashes responded.
Grabbing the Knight Sabre by the arm Roger pulled her along behind him, useful cover- she was armoured.
The man infront of him kicked open a door, went through followed by the second. Clear. Roger went through. Behind him his other two men fought to give them time.
+++===+++
Gunfire erupted from everywhere.
Priss covered Linna's head with her arms and slunk into a doorway. Sylia did the same on the other side.
"Shit!"
Nigel came on, "You need to get forward another room before you can get out,"
"And how are we suppose to do that!" Sylia shouted. Why hadn't she given any of the suits guns besides Nene's? Because boomers didn't shoot back.
Priss knocked open her door, "Fuck this." she entered the room, ran up it. Walls on all sides. The only exit the way in.
"Priss, we can't get through here."
"Take her," she held Linna out for Sylia to take. She did so. "And turn around."
The wall exploded as Priss punched through it with her knuckle bombs.
Before the dust had settled she widened the gap and jumped in.
There was gunfire. Loud in the enclosed space. It stopped.
"C'mon, move it!" Priss urged.
Sylia entered.
Priss stood over two gunmen. She dropped one of their rifles.
"OK. Priss, through the east wall," directed Nigel.
"Got it."
A burst of fire shattered the chest height windows along the room. Sylia dropped to her knees and Priss reflexively raised her hand.
She screamed.
"Priss!" Sylia's head snapped around.
Priss clutched her right hand with her left. "Fucken, finger. Shot."
"No time, the wall!"
Biting back the pain Priss drew her arm back,
"AAAHH!" dust and splinters filled the room.
+++===+++
Nene was crouched in the corner. Well away from the men with the guns. Away from the man who had set up a small satellite transmitter and was aligning it.
Each time there was a crack of gunshots she closed her eyes and tried to squeeze herself into as small a size as possible.
"Sylia, Priss, Linna. Where are you?"
+++===+++
A Genom gunman fell back out of sight with flailing arms.
Two of Roger's men, the last pair now, held the approach. A single entry point hall with no doors on either side and nothing in it. Clear open space. They hid behind a rude barricade of tables and cabinets now pock-marked with bullet holes.
They were professional men. Many years in the Service doing this kind of thing all over the world. Any one of those jobs could have been their last and many times they considered retiring and returning to a normal civilian life with a good pension. But each time they said, "After the next one". What could they do with their pension? Or get another job, as Security Consultants or something? That wasn't for them. It didn't appeal. It didn't give them the same reason for doing their job as this did. To work for their country. To protect it. So, dying, while they didn't welcome it and took every chance to avoid it, was just another risk that came with the job. Overtime risk added up and now it looked like they were due.
The one on the left side of the barricade fired. Short burst.
"Changing." he said matter of factly and pulled out the empty clip in his rifle and replaced it with another stuck to his chest harness.
The one of the right covered the entrance.
"They're regrouping, bringing up more men."
"That's not going to do them any good. Some suicidal banzai rush."
"It's an unprogressive culture-psyke."
"Don't get heavy on me now."
Bullets from the enemy raised splinters around their position.
+++===+++
The one inch thick metal security door crashed to the ground.
Priss stepped out, looked both directions and spotted the van.
"Nigel, we're coming in."
They brought Linna into the van. There was no where to put her except onto the floor.
"Jesus. She looks bad." Nigel knew nothing that he could do to help. Humans were completely different creatures to boomers.
"How long until Dr Shan arrives?" Sylia rushed over to the monitors to check on Nene. She could hear gunfire.
"He'd better be soon." Nigel opened a first aid kit, hopelessly inadequate for the injuries Linna had suffered.
Priss yanked her helmet off and kneeled down beside Linna. She took her friends hand.
"Hang in there Linna, help is on the way,"
Sylia got back in touch with Nene, "Nene, can you hear me? What's happening?"
"Help me Sylia." the distress was evident. Nene wasn't coping and seemed close to breaking point. Sylia's own nerves were strung tight.
"I need to know what's going on first. I can see your location. Look around for me,"
The youngest Knight Sabre did so, showing Sylia the man working on the transmitter. The one with the data.
"Is he the only one?" Sylia asked.
"No. More outside. Some of them have been killed. They'll all be killed and so will I!"
"Calm down Nene! Your position is safe," was it? She remembered how Linna had been hit. With a rocket launcher. If Genom brought that to use it would be over soon. "Sit tight, I'm coming for you."
"Hurry."
Sylia pounded the console. She looked over the map. Getting to Nene meant having to go through everyone in-between.
Quickly she changed her battery.
"I'm going back out." she announced.
There was no question that she would.
"Priss, Nigel needs you to take care of Linna until help arrives."
Priss didn't answer. If she even nodded it was weakly. Mentally exhausted.
Sylia stopped by the van door, looked back, "Don't wait up."
+++===+++
"They're holed up in there pretty tight Sir."
The Genom Response Team Leader frowned. Not that anyone could see him do that beneath his helmet. He had the enemy contained, which was good, but they held a strongpoint that would be insane to attack, which was bad. And time wasn't in his favour. Every minute gave the enemy time to figure a way out or transfer the information. He looked down the hallway to his men with the rocket launcher. The information tape had to be recovered intact. A large explosion could damage it.
It might look like a stalemate but that meant he was really losing. Sooner or later Genom would have to allow the Police in and then it was all over.
"Dammit."
He motioned to the rocket team.
+++===+++
It was silent in the hallway. Mostly. Wisps of smoke from burning wood or paper trailed into the air. Spent brass littered the floor behind the barricade.
"How's it going in there?" the one on the right asked, closest to the room.
"It's going."
A fairly noncommittal response.
"How long?"
"Long. Its a big bastard."
"I knew I should have brought something to eat."
+++===+++
Sylia reentered the building. All the current- alive- occupants were in the same area so she quickly moved to where they were without being noticed.
She didn't have a plan. There was only one of her and lots of them all with weapons that had the ability to kill her. The people who carried them weren't underpaid, underarmed cops but professional soldiers. They had real guns and knew how to use them.
Nene was in a tight spot. Right up against a solid wall on three sides. Her blades, even knuckle bombs wouldn't get through it. The only way in was through a deathzone. It wasn't appealing.
Maybe the best time was when Genom made its attack, and then come at them from behind- they wouldn't expect that, and hope they and Nene's captors had killed enough of each other.
Her steps sounded hollow.
Or.
A spark.
It could work.
+++===+++
It would be a difficult shot the Team Leader judged. And would expose the gunner to fire. Still, it was all he had at the moment and higher-up had refused any option that might damage the tape.
He told his men and they got ready.
+++===+++
Roger checked that his pistol was loaded. He was going to need it soon. Genom and been inactive for too long. Not that he didn't mind. The uplink was operational and data being transferred. Too bad some of it wouldn't make it.
Like he wouldn't make it. The end of a glorious career, one that he couldn't share knowledge of with anybody. A real Covert Operations man. Not really a spy, but one who did the dirty work. Assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, data-theft. A high stress life. The only way to live outside of it was to have an equally high social life. Partying, booze, women. All of it transient. Required to keep him going.
This job, data-theft. Grab and snatch operation against Genom, the worlds biggest boomer concern. They had an unfair advantage in technology and monopoly power. His government wanted to change that. So in he was sent, with the others, given easy clerical jobs at some friendly international corporations with suitably located offices. The contact on the inside sending out the signal and in he went. Into the heart of Genom. Back out again. Pursuit hot in his heels.
Shit happens.
"Anything going on down their end?" he asked outside.
"No.. wait..."
Up through the floor a blade pierced.
"What the?"
The Knight Sabre in the corner noticed and scrambled up.
"Some..."
+++===+++
"Now!" the Team Leader shouted.
Three of his men rushed into the hall with guns blazing.
Bullets raced back at them and one went down instantly, throwing his legs out in spasm.
More guns appeared on the wall corners and added to the cover fire.
He tapped the man with the launcher on the shoulder and he shuffled out, took aim and pressed the launch trigger.
The rocket jumped out of the launcher and then fired its own propellant. Heat washed over the Genom soldiers.
On a white trail of exhaust the rocket sped into the far back corner of the hall. With a roar it exploded and showered the hall with debris.
"Go go go!"
Men rushed forward flame leaping from their hands like the breath of dragons.
+++===+++
Sylia cut open a hole in the floor big enough for her to get through when the rocket exploded. She steadied herself as the walls shook with the pressure wave.
Quickly now, not much time.
She fired her jets and rose up a level.
"Nene!" she called, landing on the floor. The air was heavy with dust.
"Sylia!" the younger woman rushed at her and threw arms about her. Sylia pulled her off.
"Quick, get that." she pointed to the transmitter.
A large volume of firing started and it grew closer rapidly.
"Shit, another one." Roger pulled himself up from the floor. His ears rang.
Sylia was about to attack him when a Genom gunman burst into the room.
Completely covered in body armour he was inhuman.
Sylia was right in front of him. He pressed the trigger.
Sylia leapt to the side. Bullets ricocheted off her armour. Her blade swept out and she lunged.
Nene watched as Sylia cut the man in two.
Blood spilled on the floor.
"Let's leave now!" the leader of the Knight Sabres shouted.
Nene didn't need any encouragement and made for the hole.
Roger grabbed for the transmitter.
He was no match for the power of a hardsuit and Nene kicked him into the wall.
"Down the hole and listen to Nigel!"
Nene dropped down the hole in the floor to the next level. Sylia followed.
Gunmen burst into the room above.
"Take this you bastards!" Roger shot the first from within a foot, in the head. Blood splattered over the facing wall.
In turn he was riddled, body dancing back as if electrocuted until he flopped down lifeless in a spreading pool of red.
Sylia and Nene moved quickly through the warehouse with sounds of pursuit.
Genom was closing in when bullets began to whizz by.
Even if we get out they'll be right ontop of us and the others. I have to buy them some time.
"Nene, keep going. I have to slow them down,"
"Sylia!"
"Move!"
Sylia retired into shadow. She didn't have to wait long before footsteps could be heard. She waited until the the second was just entering her field of vision when she struck.
She dashed out, eviscerated the second man in one clean motion sending his guts spilling out. The lead turned and Sylia kicked knocking his gun aside. He fell back.
Using her jets she crashed through a partition wall.
Office space.
There was movement all about her. Heavy boots running. Voices shouting. Being directed towards her.
She ran heading for the other side, a door. She kicked it open, stepped through.
Came face to face with a jogging gunman.
She kicked sending him sprawling back to the floor with broken ribs.
He fired as he fell.
A line of bullets stitched up her thigh. She screamed as the hot lead, deformed, entered her flesh.
She kept herself upright, fell back into the room. Blood ran down her leg.
"Aaaahh! Fuck." tears of pain welled in her eyes. She pressed at her thigh smearing the blood. It was hopeless while she had her suit on.
"Sylia, you've got to get out of there now, they're all over you and the police is moving in too."
Sylia breathed heavily. She kept moving. Into another room adjacent. Cautiously they followed, fearfull of her weapons. But they had to know now that she was wounded.
Then for her to hear, "It's no chance Knight Sabres. You're surrounded."
There was always a chance. And she wasn't ready to die yet, not while she was still out there.
Once chance. All she needed. Charge and don't stop.
With blazing jets Sylia crashed through the wall. A hailstorm of fire pelted her. Armour chipped and the force threatened to topple her over. But she kept moving across the line of fire towards the outside.
Kept moving as everything around her exploded. Kept moving, passed a gunman that died on her blade. Kept moving as pain coursed through her leg. Kept moving until she reached the outside.
Stumbling on the ground. Bile in her throat.
The van was gone. Good. She ran out into the access roadway. Time to leave.
Something hit her from behind and she was knocked to the ground.
She fired her jets, backwards and was rewarded with a cry and the weight lifting from her. She roll over and backwards away from the assailant.
One of the gunmen.
The Team Leader wasn't about to lose everything. The tape and the Knight Sabres. He pulled out a pistol and a knife. Neither too effective against armour but even the Knight Sabre's suits had weakpoints. And this one was wounded.
He approached.
Sylia stood up, weight on her good leg. Red marred the whiteness of her armour. This one wanted a challenge. She wouldn't refuse.
He fired running forward.
Sylia covered up. The bullets bounced off her armour.
Then he was in close. Strong and fast. Too fast, too strong her mind raced.
A flurry of blocks and punches then he kicked to her thigh.
She cried and dropped down almost fainting as a wave of white flared beore her eyes. He grabbed right her arm and yanked it harshly.
Her shoulder popped. Stars and static filled her vision.
She swung with her other arm.
He grabbed it by the wrist.
She fired her jets and they flew into the wall.
"Time for this to end!" she said through grit teeth. Barely able to see her opponent. He can't be human, but not a boomer either. What?
She lowered her arm putting all her strength forward. He resisted, keeping her hand away from his face.
The arm still came down. Away from his head but still in front of it.
Her blade snapped straight out piercing the helmet between the eyes.
The grip of her arms weakened.
She retracted the blade and stepped away.
The body collapsed to the ground.
A searchlight appeared at the end of the road. At its source an ADP Firefly. She looked down at the body. Questions gnawed at her. But they would have to wait. As much as she detested not being able to take the body with her, she didn't have the strength. With her good arms she held her dislocated one to her body.
The searchlight approached. Time to leave.
"Nigel, where are you?"
"Close. Home in on this signal and we'll get you to Dr Shan."
"I couldn't think of a more agreeable thing to do."
+++ 30 +++
Music of the writing: Soundtrack of HEAT: the movie of the best gun fight ever; Rammstein: Herzeleid; Malice Mizer: Memoire DX [track 3]; Madonna: Ray of Light