Ch. 9: Fight

Benji and Hunley cut through a room in one door and out the other side, coming face to face with soldiers. The pair fired at the men, taking out one each and causing the third to duck for cover. They continued running, firing as they went. They reached a stretch of hall but it was packed full of soldiers.

"Back! Back!" Benji called, turning around and running in another direction.

Hunley hurried after him, head on a swivel as they sprinted. Suddenly a hail of bullets hit the wall in front of them. They ducked and kept running. Benji jumped over a flipped desk and they crouched a moment behind it. The pair were breathing heavy. Hunley was panicked.

"That exit is blocked, the first is too far, we can't get out…" he replied, checking how many rounds he had left.

"I've got a plan, sir," Benji replied. "The northeast fire-escape. You can't get in that way, but you can get out, it drops you to tunnel access. We can get there and close the way so they can't follow. I had it set up for emergencies, seems like it was a good idea."

A spray of bullets hit near them. They flinched, ducking down. Benji loaded another magazine into his gun.

"You ready?" He asked. Hunley nodded. They stood together, turning back and firing. Hunley turned to run and Benji fired off a few more rounds before following behind. They broke into a full sprint, barrelling down the hall. Down the way, they could see the escape door.

Suddenly a bullet whizzed past Benji and hit Hunley in the arm. He dropped his gun and stumbled, falling to the ground. Benji turned back and fired, killing the attacker. He whipped back, grabbing Hunley and the dropped gun. He pulled the secretary to his feet.

"Run, I'll cover you!"

Hunley did as he was told and ran for the door, bursting through it, he held it open for Benji. The agent continued firing, but more soldiers were pouring onto the floor through the stair exit at the opposite end of the hall. Benji turned back to run and a soldier with a rifle looked down his scope and fired a well-aimed shot.

Benji's left leg was clipped. The agent fell to the ground and began crawling, groaning in pain. The other soldiers sprayed the exit door, causing Hunley to shut it and step back. When the soldiers had to reload, Benji popped up his head and fired before dragging himself behind a wall.

Hunley opened the door again.

"Throw me a gun, Dunn, I can try to cover you."

Benji looked from the man to back where the soldiers had gathered. Off to his left was more hallway. His eyes went to his leg. It was bleeding pretty heavily. He wouldn't get very far. The sight of his own blood-soaked trousers made him snap his eyes shut and lean his head back against the wall.

"Benji! Come on. You're not far," Hunley moved to come back into the hall.

"Stop!" Benji commanded, holding up his hand, tears were forming in his eyes, partly from the pain, and partly for what he was going to have to say next.

"I can't. I'll only slow you down. You'll never make it. They will catch us. They will kill us," he managed, "You have to go."

"What are you talking about?" Hunley called, even though he knew Benji was right.

"You have to go. There is a bolt on the other side of the door. It will buy you time. You can make it. Find Ethan, tell him everything."

Hunley opened his mouth to protest, but the tear that dripped down Benji's cheek reminded him the man was right. He felt a pull in his chest.

"Benji, I am so sorry…"

Benji nodded, "You have to go. Get to the safehouse," he choked out, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

"We will come back for you," Hunley tried to reassure him.

Benji smiled sadly, more tears gathering. The face of a man who knew he was going to die.

Hunley ducked behind the door as more shots were fired. Benji poked his arm around the corner, firing blindly. The shooting lulled again. Hunley peeked out one more time and then turned to leave.

"Wait-wait," Benji called. Hunley stopped. "Tell Ethan that I'm sorry. Sorry for everything. Can you tell him that...that his driving isn't that bad," He and Hunley shared a broken laugh, "And that...that he can't let this end him. Please. Will you tell him?"

"I will," Hunley nodded. He lingered by the door.

"Go," Benji called, "Before I take you up on your offer to help."

Hunley nodded solemnly and shut the door, locking it. Benji felt a crushing weight in his chest. Grabbing the wall, he pulled himself to his feet with a terrible groan. The soldiers were closing in. Benji poked out around the side and fired with both guns, letting out a war cry. The soldiers ducked for cover, and Benji hobbled down the hall the other way, heading for an exit, any exit he could.

The soldiers rushed up, turning the corner. Some checked the fire escape door, but found it wouldn't budge. Benji stumbled and fired behind him, dragging his hurt leg. He turned another corner, running into another man. He fired until the gun in his right hand was out of bullets. He dropped the gun and switched the remaining one to his right hand. Now having a free left hand, he held his leg as he tried to limp away. He let out pained groans with every step, sweat pouring from his brow. He made it to a stairway and went down a few floors.

He burst in through the door onto the bottom floor and was met with more soldiers. He fired, ducking behind a wall. He poked out, shooting and hitting a soldier. An opening developed and he began to hobble quickly, laying down cover fire for himself until he was out of bullets. A soldier came in through the exit and Benji pulled the trigger, his gun clicking. The soldier raised his weapon and Benji threw his gun at the man's face, surprising him. Benji tried to limp past, but as he pushed through the doors and into the night, the soldier caught back up and shoved Benji in the back, sending him toppling to the ground.

A van was waiting at the front and several men jumped out, running over to Benji and pulling him to his feet and toward the car. He had been so close.

"...Always a goddamn van…" Benji sobbed, lip quivering with tears.

One man put a bag over Benji's head and he was thrown into the back. The van's wheels screeched and the vehicle peeled out, backed up by several trucks loaded with men.

On the other side of the building, Hunley dropped from the last bit of the escape and headed for the tunnel. Upon reaching the tunnel, another explosion hit the IMF building, making Hunley stumble into the wall of the tunnel. He turned back to the building.

"Oh god…"

He shook his head, but knew he had to keep moving. He turned towards the tunnel and ran, not looking back.