Arlathan stormed into the lounge, and on the way toward Vex, he glanced at Karmen; she was still unconscious. Why she hadn't returned to her body or told them what she was doing was beyond him. He could only hope she was okay.
'You wanted to speak to me?' said Arlathan.
Vex nodded and placed his headset down on the top of the vox-caster. 'You were right. The public vox network are claiming it was us who are responsible for the destruction of the Arbites precinct. Or the "terrorists" who attacked the medicae facility yesterday. They also say the void battle is to destroy our ships.'
Arlathan frowned. 'Why label us "terrorists" and not "heretics"?'
Vex shrugged. 'Good question, Arlathan. Why don't you go back to that medicae facility and ask one of those Chaos Marines? I'm sure they'll be amenable to you and your questions.'
Arlathan rolled his eyes.
Vex turned to him. 'You sure it's a good idea not to relocate?'
'If the enemy knew of our location, we'd be either dead already or, at the very least, under assault. It'll probably be the latter. They'll probably want some of us alive for questioning.'
'Okie dokie, I'd rather put a las bolt through my skull than get captured by them.'
'Yes, agreed. More than agreed. Frig that.'
'So, now we have an enemy fleet between us and the Audacious Edge, great.'
'Don't worry, with our stealth tech, we'll get by no problem. We did on the way in.'
'I wouldn't underestimate them, boss, especially with the knowledge of the Traitor Marines being here now.'
Arlathan frowned. Damn, being lectured about "underestimating someone" by Vex Carpompter was humiliating, to say the least.
Before he could reply, Arlathan's vox beeped, and without checking, he accepted it.
'Sir!' said the voice of one of the Stormtroopers. 'Shit, we need backup, now. There are weird sounds: growling and groaning sounds inhuman coming from the prisoner's room.'
Arlathan's heart turned into ice. 'Yes, I'll be right down there soon!'
Before the Stormtrooper could reply, Arlathan cut the link and began for the door.
Arlathan, now with his storm bolter in one hand and a melta bomb in the other, approached the door; both Stormtroopers watched him through their visors.
'What's that for?' asked one.
'You know what it's for, trooper, just open the door.'
'But won't that catch the building on fire, sir?' said the other.
'Yes, but, as far as I'm concerned, I don't give a shit right now. Now, get frigging moving.'
The first Stormtrooper nodded, and he reached for his micro-bead, and the other did as told. The split second the door opened slightly, the gurgling, agonised shriek erupted unbidden into the corridor. Without looking, Arlathan pulled out the plug and threw it inside. The gurgling shriek rose into something utterly inhuman and so high-pitched it hurt Arlathan's ears as smoke and the stench of burning flesh invaded his sense of smell.
With his hand over his nose, Arlathan stepped through the door and opened fire, pulverising the superheated, shrieking form with bolt round after bolt round. The staccato of the storm bolter eclipsed the screaming in the tight confines of the room.
After his clip ran dry and the fire had engulfed most of the room, Arlathan activated his micro-bead, 'Everyone, we're getting out of here, now!'
Kalakor and Dellenger were near the edge of another building when they received the call. It made them slide to a stop, and Dellenger activated the link.
'Kalakor and I are still a good quarter of a kilometre from the base, Interrogator. What do you want us to do?'
'Hold your position, Dellenger. Or find a good position to hunker down for now, and if we need to break out of a blockade, we might need you to hit it from behind to allow us a gap through. I'll vox you when we need you.'
Dellenger nodded despite knowing the Interrogator couldn't see it. 'Understood, I-'
While Dellenger spoke over the link, Kalakor had crouch-walked to the parapet and interrupted Dellenger by saying, 'The Interrogator is correct. Come look.'
Dellenger quickly followed Kalakor and peered over the edge below; then, the street was full of military trucks similar to the one they'd stolen speeding westward. The Klaxons and Arlathan's call drowned out the sound of their engines.
'Well, you're right. The enemy are heading your way as we speak,' said Dellenger as he dropped out of sight.
The shrieking of a poorly maintained engine pierced Dellenger's ears, and he and Kalakor looked again. What they saw made Dellenger gape and drop his finger from his ear.
'Oh, shit,' Dellenger managed.
'What? What's wrong?' said Arlathan.
'I am afraid you might need more than just mine and Dellenger's aid to break through the enemy encirclement,' said Kalakor. 'As you have a frigging Chaos Land Raider heading toward your position as we speak.'
Instinct made Dellenger turn, lasgun raised and opening fire. The five figures converging on their position about twenty metres away scattered into cover, but one wasn't quick enough, and his torso became bifurcated in a bloody haze. They mustn't have seen Dellenger or Kalakor, or else they would've opened fire by now. That or the fools had wanted to take them alive.
'Hmm, good instincts,' said Kalakor as the staccato of his blasting bolter eclipsed Dellenger's lasgun shots. 'I am ashamed I did not notice them before you.'
Dellenger couldn't contend a reply, just then noticing the dozens more figures heading their way, weaving in and out of cover with impressive professionalism. They should've seen that the enemy would use the rooftops after his earlier encounter.
In the corner of Dellenger's eye, he caught Kalakor turning around and began firing. It seemed the enemy was coming from every direction now...frigging great.
