Chapter 7: The Bullet Brigade
Alec was cold. Really cold. He opened his eyes and groaned as vertigo his him. He quickly clenched them shut again.
"Take it easy boss." Ike's deep voice rumbled. "You're in pretty bad shape."
At this memories flooded back quickly. "Damn. Please tell me we are on our way back to TC." He said.
"We are on our way back to TC." Ike intoned.
Alec tried to sit up slightly and was suddenly aware that his shoes and socks were gone. He opened his eyes slowly this time and groaned again when he saw the steel gray walls and metal door of the small room they were in. "Liar." He stated.
Ike smiled slightly. "But you asked so nicely."
Alec chuckled then gasped as pain flared. "Damn that hurts." He wheezed.
"Yeah, getting shot twice does that to you." Ike agreed. Alec quickly surveyed the damage. Ike had bound his wounds with strips of his shirt, slowing the bleeding.
"I did what I could but they wouldn't even let me have a med kit." Ike stated. "You've still got a bullet in your leg." Alec swore. "Yeah my thoughts exactly" Ike agreed.
Alec surveyed the room. "I assume you've got no weapons huh?" Ike shook his head no.
Alec lay back down and heard metal clink as he did. This caused him to sit up quickly. He pulled the knife that Mole had given him from under his waistband. His shirt must have covered it. "I'm going to give that big paranoid lizard a kiss when we get home." He grinned holding it up for Ike to see.
Ike grinned and then grimaced when he thought of Alec kissing Mole.
Terminal City
Max was waiting in the courtyard when the supply vans came whizzing through the west entrance of terminal city. The gates shut quickly and Dani hopped out of the back of the van before it even stopped moving.
"Max! We've got to go back!" She shouted running up to her leader.
Max motioned for her to calm down and tell her what happened.
"Something went sideways with Alec and Ike. We left like the plan said but we have to go back and get them. Alec was shot and Ike stayed behind with him."
The blood drained from Max's face as she swore. "Okay thirty minutes." She turned to Duncan whose face was just as pale. "Get Tike, Mick, and Yana for me." The boy nodded and ran, blurring to the barracks.
Max turned and strode into headquarters. "Dix! I need you to run a trace on Alec's beacon now!" she shouted up to the mutant who nodded and started typing frantically on his keyboard. Mole looked up from his desk with a curious look. "Yeah, he's in trouble. Again." Max stated.
Mole stood and before he could open his mouth Max barked "Get your damn shotgun and be in the briefing room in 20." He nodded and moved quickly before she could change her mind.
Max talked quickly while she and her group donned armor. "It seems Alec's gotten himself in trouble again, and we get to ride to the rescue folks." She yanked the vest over her head and tightened the straps. "We are going to infiltrate from four sides. Yana and Mick, you two are going in from the west." Mole handed Yana two packs of explosives and their detonators. "We need you to make a distraction." Yana smirked.
Max looked to Dix. "You have his location?" The mutant nodded quickly.
"Yes Max. If the comm is still in his ear, I'll be able to get you within twenty feet of him."
Max jerked her head to the door, "Okay guys load up."
Mole jumped into the driver's seat and barely waited for the rest of the team to get in before driving at the gate. Max's breath caught and held while she prayed furiously for the gates to open faster. They made it through, sparks flying from the gate scraping along the side of the van.
Inside the compound:
Ike looked out the small, barred window to their cell and scanned the hallway. "One guard, end of the corridor. M-16. Damn they don't get anything fun do they?" he said in a low voice. They had already looked for hidden cameras and so far they were either hidden well or non existent.
Alec was propped up against the wall, opposite of the door and was going to keep lookout while Ike tried to jimmy the door open. After minutes of trying the door slid open with a soft snikt. Ike gently eased it open and blurred to the guard knocking him out. He quickly returned for Alec.
Alec attempted to stand but quickly discovered he wasn't going to make it far. Ike ended up throwing him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. "This is so embarrassing." Alec mumbled. Then he spoke a bit louder "Try not to get my ass shot please. Literally." Ike smirked.
They snuck quietly down the hall.
!
To the rescue:
They had just deployed from the van when Dix's voice came over Max's com set.
"Max, Alec's on the move." He said urgently.
Max stopped in her tracks. "Where is he going?" She whispered.
"It looks like he is heading your way, about six hundred yards to the east of you." Max altered her course, Mole forming on her to assist.
"Okay change of plan guys, hold off on the distraction and stay put for now." She commanded.
She and Mole ran swiftly, dodging the trees. The big lizard swore when an alarm started sounding from the compound. "That isn't going to make things easier." He grumbled.
"I know. Let's just see if we can find him." She agreed. "Dix, can you switch our frequency to the one Alec was using?"
"Give me a minute." Max could her tapping in the background. "Okay Max try it now."
Inside:
They had made it to the last door when they saw the next guard. Standing at the exit the soldier was able to call into the guard desk before Ike could take him down. As they exited the door a loud alarm started to wail. Alec, still over Ike's shoulder was fighting nausea and pain radiated through his arm and leg. He could see the red trail that they were leaving behind them. His leg was dripping blood again.
Ike's breathing was becoming labored as they head up the hill to the tree line. Alec was about to tell him to put him down when he heard the most wonderful sound.
"Alec? Ike? Can either of you hear me?" Max demanded in his ear.
"Ike's a bit busy right now, but we can hear you oh fearless leader." He replied weakly.
Outside:
Max sighed a breath of relief. "What's your situation? We are closing in on your position."
"We're doing dandy." Alec replied.
"Yeah dandy being two gunshot wounds, and none of them mine." Ike added sarcastically as the two groups came face to face.
"I knew we should have gotten long sleeve armor for him. Didn't I tell you?" Mole said gruffly.
He took Alec from Ike and cradled him easily. The DAC soldier's strength easily allowed him to carry his incapacitated friend. Alec looked up at Mole, the effort seeming monumental. "Didn't I tell you I wouldn't leave you cupcake?" Then he promptly fainted.
Max looked at him then up at Ike. Ike shrugged. "I'm surprised he stayed awake this long. He's lost a lost of blood. There is still a bullet in his leg." Max shook her head and sighed.
"Everyone return to the vehicles, we're done here."
They reached the vehicle where they carefully laid Alec down. Max grabbed a med kit and opened it as Mole started the vehicle. Yana and Mick were the last to climb in. Max caught a pout on Yana's face and asked "What's wrong?"
"I never got to set off the charges." She explained. "And they were the NEW detonators."
Max shook her head. She was going to have to introduce her to Zane when they got back. She quickly assembled a transfusion line and was about to insert the other end into her arm when Alec opened his eyes. "How you doin?" She asked.
"I'm always alright Maxie." He said slowly. She rolled her eyes and went back to what she was doing. For a moment they watched her blood flow through the tube into his arm while the van bounced along.
"How did you find us so quickly?" Alec asked and accepted the bottle of water Yanna handed to him.
Max blushed. "I uh, had Dix put a locator in your comm set."
Alec's eyes grew big. "You LOWJACKED me?"
"Well, it was a good thing I did wasn't it?" Max protested heatedly while the others snickered.
Alec huffed not able to come up with a good enough retort.
1!
Just a short one to tide you over folks. Next one will be up in a few days I promise.