Chapter 14

My mouth suddenly went dry like someone had stuffed a wad of cotton balls down my gullet.

Sugar swore. "They tracked us. I told you!"

"If they're following normal tactics, they're disgorging shock troops on the roof as we speak," Rei interjected. "We don't have much time."

I could have kicked myself for my stupidity. I should have known—should have listened to Sugar. But I couldn't afford to beat myself up over it—not yet, at least. Rei was right. We had to get out of there.

I looked to Blitz. "How much of the equipment did you bring up from the van?"

He swallowed hard. "Um, none. I didn't think we'd need any of it."

"Drek," Sugar swore again.

I scooped up the Predator off of the table, shoving it into the back of my waistband and sliding the Warhawk back into its holster. "Alright, we'll have to make do with what we have. Let's get moving. Slot and run." I started for the door.

"Um, hello?" Rei struggled with the duct tape binding her wrists. "A little help here?"

I stopped and looked back at her.

"What, you're just going to leave me here?" She looked at me pleadingly

"Yes," Sugar snarled.

"No," I said firmly.

"What?"

"She's right," Diana said evenly. "We can't afford to take her with us. We shouldn't even leave her alive. She can't be trusted."

I growled under my breath and headed for the kitchen, grabbing one of the knives out of the drawer. I stalked back into the living room, brandishing the rusted blade before me as I approached Rei. Her eyes grew as large as goose eggs and she began to protest, but her cries stopped as I dipped the blade toward her wrist and neatly sliced off her bonds.

"What are you doing? Sugar exclaimed. "We don't have time for this!"

"We're not leaving her behind," I said as I helped cut off the rest of the duct tape. "If she's so important to Michelson, then we have to hold onto her until we can sort this out. She's the only bargaining chip we have."

"Gee, thanks," Rei muttered as she stood up, massaging her wrists.

"Would you rather go with us, or with the goon squad outside?"

The choice was an easy one for her. "Point taken. Give me a weapon and let's get out of here."

I scoffed. "I don't trust you that much. Just keep your head down and follow directions." I looked to Blitz. "Take a peek out the door and see what the situation looks like out there."

The rigger nodded and drew a slim machine pistol from the folds of his jacket, padding over to the door. He glanced out the peep hole and then stuck his head out the door. After a moment he called back, "It's all clear!"

"Alright, let's blow."

I headed through the kitchen toward the door, but Diana again stopped me in my tracks.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Do you hear that?" She tilted her head, straining to hear.

"It's probably just the chopper."

"No. It's something else. I think it's—"

She was suddenly cut off as the den windows shattered with a tremendous crescendo. A pair of troopers clad in midnight blue combat fatigues swung in, submachine guns blazing before they had even detached their repelling cables.

I dove to the side of the kitchen away from the doorway as the two yabos filled the air with a hail of bullets. Despite my quick action, I wasn't fast enough. A pair of rounds struck my shoulder and arm, but the dull ache told me that the ballistic weave of my jacket had held. Diana, Rei, and Sugar followed suit, sliding across the linoleum floor like errant missiles. I looked around for Blitz, but he had already pushed his way into the hall and was out of sight.

"I told you we didn't have time for this drek," Sugar shouted over the din of gunfire.

I grimaced and pulled out the Predator, sliding the piece toward her. "Baby, just shut up and cover me."

"What are you going to do?" she asked as she snatched up the weapon.

"Don't worry about it. Just get ready to run like hell when I tell you."

She swore and dutifully rose into a crouch, leaning toward the doorway. "Now?"

"Now."

Sugar grunted and leaned out toward the doorway, discharging shots as fast as she could pull the trigger. There was a muffled shout from the living room as the Ayanami sec-men dove for cover.

"Go!" I yelled, springing into motion myself. I surged toward the kitchen table, hefting it up before me to provide cover for our retreat. The others were already moving, heading for the door as I moved to cover them.

The sec-goons figured out what we were doing pretty quick, and soon they opened fire, slamming rounds into the raised face of the table and sending me staggering back toward the door. I stubbornly kept my feet moving, getting closer and closer to the promised salvation offered by the hallway. But before I could reach my goal, the Ayanami goons got smart—the sudden stinging impact on my shins told me that much.

My legs suddenly went to jelly as the table clattered to the floor and I sprawled backward out into the doorway. I hit the ground, momentarily dazed. When my vision cleared I struggled to lean up, looking down at my legs. I expected to see a torn and bloody mess where my unprotected shins were, but instead I saw nothing but a trio of flattened slugs where they had impacted along the limbs.

It wasn't live ammunition. They were using gel rounds.

I struggled to regain my footing, but my pain-addled legs were slow to respond. I could hear the corporate troopers hurrying toward me, but like someone just recently awoken from a deep slumber, I could hardly force myself to move.

Suddenly I felt a strong arm hook underneath my shoulder and heard Blitz's youthful voice in my ear. "C'mon P, this ain't no time to be laying around!" His machine pistol barked from somewhere behind me, striking one of our assailants full in the chest. His partner dove for cover as the other sprawled backward onto the kitchen floor. Even as Blitz helped haul me to my feet, the sec-goon was moving again, his armor having stopped the worst of the damage.

Then Sugar's arms were around me. She hooked her arm under my shoulder and helped me to stand as Diana moved toward the doorway, her hands dancing in the intricate pattern of a spell.

I glanced back into the apartment just as the spell finished to see one of the Ayanami men drop his weapon and arch his back as if every nerve of his body were on fire. He screamed, holding his hands to his head before dropping to the ground like a leaden weigh, his brains scrambled by Diana's manabolt spell. His compatriot evidently figured he was overmatched, and fell back into the living room before Diana could sling another spell.

I took advantage of the brief reprieve to lean against the wall and catch my breath. So far the hallway was still quiet. Even the Pakistani couple next door had quieted down in lieu of the sound of gunfire.

"Peaches, your legs…" Sugar insisted quietly.

"Gel rounds," I breathed, slowly catching my breath.

"What?"

"They're not using hard ammo. They're trying to take us alive."

"Finally, some good news for fragging once," Blitz said.

"Yeah, well we don't have time to sit here and chat," Diana snapped. "Peaches, can you move?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm starting to get some feeling back. I'll be okay."

"Then let's move. I know those two weren't alone. They're bound to have more friends on the way."