Chapter 5

The double doors behind the quartet of Freelancers closed as they moved forward.

"Alright, everyone, spread out!" Carolina ordered. "What we need is here somewhere."

Colorado spotted a large container at the end of the aisle, and immediately went towards it.

"Take as many scans as possible," Team A's leader continued. "There may be other things here we can use."

"I'll be sure to pick some up, then," the crimson Freelancer joked. He examined the container for the markings he had seen earlier. "Found it!" he yelled, waving Wash and Carolina over.

"Team A, got us an exit up here. Straight up the stairwell, door to the roof, helipad."

"Copy. I'll radio air support." Carolina looked at the other team members. "Now, how are we going to get that thing up to the roof?"

"(I don't know.)" Maine growled, shaking his arms dismissively. 'Rado noticed the large weapon magnetized to Maine's back.

Focusing back on the issue at hand, Colorado pushed the Sarcophagus, and took note that it was lighter than he expected. "Sure as hell can't carry the thing."

"York, I saw window washing unit when we came into the facility. Can you find where it attaches to the building?"

"I don't know, that's a tough one. Let me see what I can do."

"What are you up to?" Wash asked.

"Improvising. Come here, Maine." Carolina moved to the window, Maine following eagerly.

Colorado looked to the doors and saw the bright white-blue cutting torch as it went up. So did Wash. "Better hurry!" the latter shouted as he and his comrade raised their rifles at the ready. They looked back when they heard a kick followed by a gunshot. Carolina stood there, alone, and Maine was nowhere to seen.

"I don't even want to know," 'Rado said, shaking his head.

"That oughta buy us some time." The radio on Maine's end was picking the screams of the poor souls who were "fighting" him.

"I almost feel bad for the people down there," Wash said.

"Don't."

"What? I said 'almost.'"

"Can it, please," Colorado said, aiming his DMR at the doors. The slabs of steel were blown towards the trio once the torch met the top. The Freelancers opened fire, cutting down the breaching Innies. Through the smoke, they could see another figure slowly approaching.

The soldier passed through the smoke slowly, showing his red-and-black armor. On his back was obviously a fuel tank, since a hose connected it to the flamethrower he held in his hands. His visor was painted a blood red, with sharp white teeth coming out of the edges. The look reminded Colorado of one of those aliens or something from an horror film he watched.

Wash lowered his weapon as the unknown pointed his flamethrower at the trio. "What the f**k is with this guy?"

His question was answered by a huge stream of fire that shot out of the large weapon. All three Freelancers dove for cover, Colorado moving the farthest back. Once in their spots, they opened fire. Unfortunately, the guy's armor was strong enough to stop the bullets, some ricocheting into the walls.

The flamethrower retaliated with another burst aimed as Wash, who dove to the ground to avoid getting hit. He tossed a grenade as he got up, which blew up in midair. The flames forced the steel-and-yellow soldier into Colorado's cover, then swept across the floor and over Carolina's spot. The weapons on the table in front of her sparked and detonated, blasting her back.

Colorado opened suppressing fire on the attacker, fighting against his instinct to save his ammo. The flamethrower ignored the shots and sent another burst in Wash's direction. He jumped over the flames, grabbed a weapon that was laying on the ground, took aim, and fired a bright green shot at the Insurrectionist soldier. The man sidestepped the shot and watched as it bounced off the floor and into the ceiling outside the room.

"What the hell?! It bounces?" Wash complained while stupidly staying in the open. "Who designs a gun that bounces? This is the worst gun ever... of all-" He was interrupted by Carolina tackling him back into Colorado's position.

"Stay low!" she ordered before running off.

Colorado took the opportunity to smack Wash's helmet. "Next time, don't stay out in the open." Wash groaned and both men watched as Carolina proceeded to take down the flamethrower guy, using only an alien aircraft, a grenade, and a giant hammer. As soon as stuff stopped flying everywhere, Colorado and Wash got up and regrouped with Carolina.

"That guy was a d**k," Wash commented.

"Shut up, Wash."

"Come on. Let's get moving, you two," Carolina responded, the trio jogging to the stairwell to the roof.

"That bit with the purple plane, that was just showing off."

York was waiting for the other agents. "Come on, come on, hurry!" Once Colorado was out, he smashed the control panel and closed the doors. He lingered, but caught up to the others. "Hey, where's Maine?"

"Downstairs, keeping our hosts occupied," Wash answered. Ahead of them, Colorado smiled as the screams were picked up again.

"Man, I almost feel bad for them."

"That's what I said!"

"479er, this is Team Alpha; we need evac on the roof of the tower," Carolina radioed.

"Roger that! I'm on it!"

"Come on," York started, "its up... here."

All four Freelancers stopped upon seeing the black figure in front of them.

"Oh, crap!" Colorado mumbled and speedily made sure his knuckles were powered down.

"You!" Carolina growled. "What are you doing here?" She spotted the device that Texas had been working on. "Is that a bomb? I knew it. It was you who blew up the oil platform!"

"That thing blew up?" 'Rado asked, surprised.

"Somebody's been covering our tracks. You're on the roster too, but they hid your name. Why did they send you?"

York moved between the two ladies. "Hey, hate to bust up the reunion here, but we got a problem."

The door behind them smashed open and another red-and-black soldier appeared, shouting orders. Within seconds, a large force appeared on the rooftop with air support. "Completely surround them!" Colorado recognized the voice and growled. "No one gets behind me!"

"Drop your weapons!" All five Freelancers released their guns from their grips and let them fall to the ground, and raised their arms in the air. Colorado didn't bother with his knuckles, knowing he'd likely get shot before he would be able to use them.

The leader pointed his shotgun at York. "You, d**khead! Disarm the bomb!"

"Easy, easy. No reason to get all dramatic. Okay? Let me take a crack."

"Just f**king do it already!"

"Easy, easy, man," York said calmly as he picked up the bomb. "Uh, this isn't a bomb. It's a transmitter."

The man sighed in relief. "Alright, it's not a bomb. Wait, a transmitter? What's it transmitting?"

"Our location." York looked up at the sky.

"Why would it do that?"

A circle of lasers surround the tower, then closed in to lock onto the transmitter with a loud beep and a single red laser.

"What the hell? There were five of them here! What the f**k is going on?" Colorado looked around, seeing Carolina and Texas had disappeared, only for the enemy soldiers to starting falling to the ground in pain. "What'd I say? I said one thing! Keep them in front of me!"

York stood next to the guy and handed over the transmitter. "Hey, man. Would you mind holding this for me for a sec? Thank you." Then he ran away.

The Innie looked up to follow the laser and saw a massive yellow slug shoot towards him. "Oh, son of a-"

The MAC round burrowed into the tower, blowing away everyone on the roof and knocking the aircraft askew. The Freelancers got onto their feet and looked around. The tower made a very loud creaking noise before the roof began collapsing. "Oh, crap!" Colorado yelled as he ran to the edge, the others and the growing hole catching up to him.

"This must be karma for kicking Maine out the window!" Carolina shouted.

Team A jumped off the building. They streamlined themselves and caught up to the falling Sarcophagus. Carolina got on top and directed it to the Pelican below, but had to leap off to avoid getting hit by a Hornet. Wash took her spot and took out the aircraft before Texas came out of nowhere and pushed the container into the Pelican, which left as soon as the hatch closed.

"Well, there goes our ride," York said.

"You think maybe we should have had a fallback plan?"

"Where's Maine?" Colorado asked, visibly trying to keep calm despite the ever increasing chances of becoming a rather messy stain on concrete.

Without warning, a Warthog caught them out of the air. Carolina hung onto the turret while York and 'Rado hanging onto the rollcage. "Are we in a car?!" York yelled before they went into a tunnel.

Inside, everyone got situated; Carolina took the machine gun with Colorado sitting against the driver seat, hanging onto the hull, and York took the passenger seat. The jeep jumped out onto the freeway, and Maine constantly swerved as he tried to both get on the right side of the road and not smash into a car in the process.

"Let York drive for the rest, Maine," Colorado yelled once they were on the correct side. "I don't trust you behind the wheel."

"(Fine.)"