Chapter 23 Stupid move
Smith entered the stairwell and smiled with satisfaction as he saw a phone lying on the steps. He bent over and picked up a dropped phone. He knew someone was left without a phone line. The mainframe had told him that there were two of the rebels in the stairwell but one had escaped. He knew there was still one in here with him.
Mia looked up the stairwell but couldn't see anyone. She heard the sound of a closing door and hoped it was Hannah getting away. Mia wasn't sure what to do as she no longer had her phone. So she listened and when she couldn't hear anything, she crept up the steps. Mia went up a level until she was on the landing between floors. Her eyes widened with Surprise to see Agent Smith standing there. He had his Desert Eagle out and was now pointing it at her. Her brain was screaming to RUN as she pointed her own .45 at him. She could hear her heart thundering in her ears and could see how badly her hand was shaking. Mia wet her lips and called out," Smith?" His gun was now aimed straight at her heart and she knew if he'd fire, she would be dead. She watched as he inclined his head and heard him whisper, "Run." He aimed the gun above her and fired off several shots into the wall behind her. She ducked but still continued to stare at him until he yelled, "RUN!" Mia didn't need to be told twice as she heard bullets ricocheting off the walls around her. She ran down several floors and found a back door leading to an alley.
Smith stood there in shock as he listened to Mia running down the stairs. He had not expected to see Mia come around the corner. He had automatically raised his gun and aimed. When Mia had called his name, he fought the urge to squeeze the trigger of his gun. Instead, he forced himself to focus on the wall behind her and fired off several shots and thought, 'She was just another rebel, another virus to be destroyed.' He felt the mainframe within his thoughts and his programming was strong but he had been able to warn her. It was only when he heard the sound of the closing door at the bottom of the stairs did he put his gun away. Smith fought the urge to chase after her and returned to the other Agents.
Lewis saw when Mia was in the stairwell and had no way to tell her not to go up the stairs. When he saw her face the Agent, he knew who it was. He watched as the Agent fired point blank into the wall over Mia's head. He shook his head and called Captain Jackson letting him know that Mia was out there without a phone.
Mia ran down the street and tried to get her bearings. She ducked as a bullet whizzed past her head. As she leaned against a car, she tried to see where the bullet had come from. She saw one of the Agents looking around trying to locate her. She slowly backed into the doorway of the building she was standing at and waited. She hoped that no one came out in to the hallway as she waited for him to pass. Mia watched him through the dusty glass as he advanced down the street. She waited until she thought he was further down the street and slowly opened the door. She chanced a peek around the corner and he was all the way down the end of the block. She would have to risk it - she took of running in the opposite direction. Mia was almost down to the end of the block when she felt someone tackle her from behind. She hit the ground hard but went down fighting. The next thing she knew she was wrestling on the ground with an Agent. Pure terror flew through her veins as she fought to keep his hands from reaching her neck. She couldn't tell which Agent this was but he was big and bulky. Mia ducked under him and felt her gun beneath her. She managed to grab hold of it and fired with him on top of her. She rolled him from top of her and stood up looking around. A small crowd had gathered and several gasped at the sight of the dead body on the ground and her holding the gun. She took off running just as she saw three people shimmer and become Agents.
Mia tried to make her mind focus as she the wiped blood from the side of her face. She was bleeding from where she had hit the pavement when the Agent had knocked her to the ground. She needed an exit and as she ran past an intersection, she paused. She knew this street! She shook her head, she really didn't have much choice as she turned and ran towards her old apartment.
Captain Jackson unjacked and immediately sat up and asked for a status on everyone. Lewis answered," Hannah is getting to an exit now. She should be calling in any minute. We got Royers back but he has a bullet wound in the left shoulder. As for Mia, she has two Agents after her and I don't know where the third one is. And I can't tell if any of them are Agent Smith or not. She has a nasty cut on her face but so far, no bullet holes." Captain Jackson looked at the monitor and then closed his eyes. He heard Hannah call in and after a few minutes, she was out of the Matrix and back aboard the ship. The crew crowded around the monitor and watched as the Agents closed in on Mia. Lewis yelled at the monitor, "Mia they're setting you up - don't go down that street!" The crew watched as Mia paused at the start of the street and then took off running. Mia knew the Agents where somewhere around and had most likely figured out where she was headed. She only hoped that if she didn't make it out, it wasn't Smith who fired killing shot. Mia took a deep breath and started running as fast as she possible could.
Agent Smith had figured out where she was headed when she had changed directions. He knew that Agents Jones and Brown were in pursuit and would very likely kill her before she reached the neutral area. There was nothing he could do he thought in frustration. The rules were clear, he could not interfere. He had deliberately not followed in the pursuit because he did not want to be there when she was shot and killed. He listened through the mainframe as she was trying to reach the safety of the neutral area. Smith knew if she could make it there, she would be safe. But he also knew that Agents Brown and Jones where waiting for her in the lobby. He closed his eyes and thought - Roof top! She can go into through the roof. He put his finger to his ear piece and looked for someone's code to shift into. He found some hoodlums spray painting on top of the building and jumped. As he shifted form, all he saw were the retreating forms of his host's friends running away in terror. Smith ran to the edge of the roof yanking out his ear piece as he did. He reached the side of the roof to see Mia sprinting towards the building. He yelled out, "Mia! Use the fire escape! Go in through the roof!" She stopped and looked up. She took off towards the fire escape and jumped up catching the bottom and pulled herself up.
Smith walked over to the door that led out to the roof and with one yank on the door handle, broke the door open. He then walked to the edge of the roof over looking the street and stood looking for a host. Smith saw someone walking down the street and jumped into their code. He then turned and stood facing the building. I was all up to Mia now if should could make it into the apartment she would live.
Mia began running up the steps and made it to the top of the roof in a matter of minutes. As she climbed over the side of the roof, she saw a dazed kid standing there but rushed past him and down the stairs. So she never saw the kid morph into Agent Brown. Agent Brown gave the door a curious glance as he raced passed after her.
Mia had made in down one flight of stairs when she heard the unmistakable sound of someone running down the steps after her. She then knew the Agents would know she was coming in from the roof. She only had four more flights to go to get to the 3rd floor. Mia began leaping down the stairs as many as she dared and made a mad dash towards her apartment door. She hit the ground hard and could hear bullets hitting the wall around her. She ran straight into the door, forcing it open. She landed on the floor inside the door and lay there panting. She rolled over and looked out into the hallway, Both Agents Brown and Jones stood out there with their guns drawn. Mia watched them not certain what they would do. She stared in amazement as she watched them both holster their weapons and walk away. Agent Brown was the last to leave and walked up to the doorway and said, "I expect Agent Smith will be pleased to see you." Mia closed her eyes and kicked the door shut with her foot.
Smith entered the stairwell and smiled with satisfaction as he saw a phone lying on the steps. He bent over and picked up a dropped phone. He knew someone was left without a phone line. The mainframe had told him that there were two of the rebels in the stairwell but one had escaped. He knew there was still one in here with him.
Mia looked up the stairwell but couldn't see anyone. She heard the sound of a closing door and hoped it was Hannah getting away. Mia wasn't sure what to do as she no longer had her phone. So she listened and when she couldn't hear anything, she crept up the steps. Mia went up a level until she was on the landing between floors. Her eyes widened with Surprise to see Agent Smith standing there. He had his Desert Eagle out and was now pointing it at her. Her brain was screaming to RUN as she pointed her own .45 at him. She could hear her heart thundering in her ears and could see how badly her hand was shaking. Mia wet her lips and called out," Smith?" His gun was now aimed straight at her heart and she knew if he'd fire, she would be dead. She watched as he inclined his head and heard him whisper, "Run." He aimed the gun above her and fired off several shots into the wall behind her. She ducked but still continued to stare at him until he yelled, "RUN!" Mia didn't need to be told twice as she heard bullets ricocheting off the walls around her. She ran down several floors and found a back door leading to an alley.
Smith stood there in shock as he listened to Mia running down the stairs. He had not expected to see Mia come around the corner. He had automatically raised his gun and aimed. When Mia had called his name, he fought the urge to squeeze the trigger of his gun. Instead, he forced himself to focus on the wall behind her and fired off several shots and thought, 'She was just another rebel, another virus to be destroyed.' He felt the mainframe within his thoughts and his programming was strong but he had been able to warn her. It was only when he heard the sound of the closing door at the bottom of the stairs did he put his gun away. Smith fought the urge to chase after her and returned to the other Agents.
Lewis saw when Mia was in the stairwell and had no way to tell her not to go up the stairs. When he saw her face the Agent, he knew who it was. He watched as the Agent fired point blank into the wall over Mia's head. He shook his head and called Captain Jackson letting him know that Mia was out there without a phone.
Mia ran down the street and tried to get her bearings. She ducked as a bullet whizzed past her head. As she leaned against a car, she tried to see where the bullet had come from. She saw one of the Agents looking around trying to locate her. She slowly backed into the doorway of the building she was standing at and waited. She hoped that no one came out in to the hallway as she waited for him to pass. Mia watched him through the dusty glass as he advanced down the street. She waited until she thought he was further down the street and slowly opened the door. She chanced a peek around the corner and he was all the way down the end of the block. She would have to risk it - she took of running in the opposite direction. Mia was almost down to the end of the block when she felt someone tackle her from behind. She hit the ground hard but went down fighting. The next thing she knew she was wrestling on the ground with an Agent. Pure terror flew through her veins as she fought to keep his hands from reaching her neck. She couldn't tell which Agent this was but he was big and bulky. Mia ducked under him and felt her gun beneath her. She managed to grab hold of it and fired with him on top of her. She rolled him from top of her and stood up looking around. A small crowd had gathered and several gasped at the sight of the dead body on the ground and her holding the gun. She took off running just as she saw three people shimmer and become Agents.
Mia tried to make her mind focus as she the wiped blood from the side of her face. She was bleeding from where she had hit the pavement when the Agent had knocked her to the ground. She needed an exit and as she ran past an intersection, she paused. She knew this street! She shook her head, she really didn't have much choice as she turned and ran towards her old apartment.
Captain Jackson unjacked and immediately sat up and asked for a status on everyone. Lewis answered," Hannah is getting to an exit now. She should be calling in any minute. We got Royers back but he has a bullet wound in the left shoulder. As for Mia, she has two Agents after her and I don't know where the third one is. And I can't tell if any of them are Agent Smith or not. She has a nasty cut on her face but so far, no bullet holes." Captain Jackson looked at the monitor and then closed his eyes. He heard Hannah call in and after a few minutes, she was out of the Matrix and back aboard the ship. The crew crowded around the monitor and watched as the Agents closed in on Mia. Lewis yelled at the monitor, "Mia they're setting you up - don't go down that street!" The crew watched as Mia paused at the start of the street and then took off running. Mia knew the Agents where somewhere around and had most likely figured out where she was headed. She only hoped that if she didn't make it out, it wasn't Smith who fired killing shot. Mia took a deep breath and started running as fast as she possible could.
Agent Smith had figured out where she was headed when she had changed directions. He knew that Agents Jones and Brown were in pursuit and would very likely kill her before she reached the neutral area. There was nothing he could do he thought in frustration. The rules were clear, he could not interfere. He had deliberately not followed in the pursuit because he did not want to be there when she was shot and killed. He listened through the mainframe as she was trying to reach the safety of the neutral area. Smith knew if she could make it there, she would be safe. But he also knew that Agents Brown and Jones where waiting for her in the lobby. He closed his eyes and thought - Roof top! She can go into through the roof. He put his finger to his ear piece and looked for someone's code to shift into. He found some hoodlums spray painting on top of the building and jumped. As he shifted form, all he saw were the retreating forms of his host's friends running away in terror. Smith ran to the edge of the roof yanking out his ear piece as he did. He reached the side of the roof to see Mia sprinting towards the building. He yelled out, "Mia! Use the fire escape! Go in through the roof!" She stopped and looked up. She took off towards the fire escape and jumped up catching the bottom and pulled herself up.
Smith walked over to the door that led out to the roof and with one yank on the door handle, broke the door open. He then walked to the edge of the roof over looking the street and stood looking for a host. Smith saw someone walking down the street and jumped into their code. He then turned and stood facing the building. I was all up to Mia now if should could make it into the apartment she would live.
Mia began running up the steps and made it to the top of the roof in a matter of minutes. As she climbed over the side of the roof, she saw a dazed kid standing there but rushed past him and down the stairs. So she never saw the kid morph into Agent Brown. Agent Brown gave the door a curious glance as he raced passed after her.
Mia had made in down one flight of stairs when she heard the unmistakable sound of someone running down the steps after her. She then knew the Agents would know she was coming in from the roof. She only had four more flights to go to get to the 3rd floor. Mia began leaping down the stairs as many as she dared and made a mad dash towards her apartment door. She hit the ground hard and could hear bullets hitting the wall around her. She ran straight into the door, forcing it open. She landed on the floor inside the door and lay there panting. She rolled over and looked out into the hallway, Both Agents Brown and Jones stood out there with their guns drawn. Mia watched them not certain what they would do. She stared in amazement as she watched them both holster their weapons and walk away. Agent Brown was the last to leave and walked up to the doorway and said, "I expect Agent Smith will be pleased to see you." Mia closed her eyes and kicked the door shut with her foot.