“What is it?” Sierra snapped. She pulled out her scanner and flicked the catch on the side. A thin blue light spread out across the interior of the van and beeped.
“They’re onto us.”
“No kidding,” Sierra held the device at the two cages. A blue holographic number floated in the air, counting up from one.
The blue beam flipped through the cages, catching the kittens’ eyes.
Two, three, four, five… the counter total rolled up as quick as the van sped along the road.
“Get out of the way, damn it,” Rana shouted and blared her horn at a row of maddeningly slow cars ahead of her, “Move, move.”
NEEEEEAAAWWWW.
Grace gripped the door frame and shouted at Rana, “We got company.”
Sierra left the counting device to hover in the air and continue its work. She joined Grace at the window and scrunched her face.
The road snaked around like a furious tail, indicating that they’d joined the freeway. The three cars shot into view as the van tilted around them at speed.
In the distance, Sierra saw a flurry of tiny white dots flash their headlamps at them.
“It’s them, it’s them,” she turned to Grace and held out her hand, “Give me my gun.”
Grace pushed the machine gun into Sierra’s hands, “Here.”
“Thanks,” she thumbed the safety catch down and observed the shotgun in Grace’s hands, “You loaded?”
“Fully.”
The torrent of white dots in the distance enlarged into the shape of MagCycles, each containing a driver wearing a helmet.
An electronic voice announced from the first MagCycle, “Driver, pull your vehicle over to the side of the road.”
“Rana?” Sierra yelled.
“What? Are you going to tell me to speed up? Drive quicker?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t bother,” Rana looked at the speedometer; 100 mph and counting. “Should have gotten a better vehicle for this.”
“Jesus Christ.”
Sierra shook her head and looked at the felines in the first cage.
A chorus of meows and hisses came from behind the bars. The cats fought over each other in anger to try and escape. The bars bent out due to the force and struggled to contain them.
“Stay,” Sierra said just as a Noyin’s voice crept into her headgear.
“Sierra?”
“What is it now?”
Back at base, Noyin angled the live feed from the van’s camera and focused on the speeding MagCycles tearing their way along the magnetic strip on the side of the road.
“I don’t wanna worry you, but the bad guys are about twenty seconds ETA.”
“Just focus on the damn truck,” Sierra spat and knocked Grace on the shoulder, “Let’s take out the trash?”
“Hell yeah.”
Grace cocked her shotgun and placed the sole of her boot on the back door, “Just tell me when.”
Sierra turned around, keeping a stern eye on the angry cats making a terrific fuss in their cages, “Noyin? I have scores of cats in here, and they’re desperate to get out—”
CLANG-CLANG-SHRRREEEEEEEK.
A pale, white bobtail yanked on the bars with her silver claws and scowled at Sierra.
“Hisssss.”
“Jeez,” she stepped back, afraid of the animosity on display, “She’s seriously pissed off.”
“Who’s pissed off?” Noyin asked.
“Forget it,” Sierra made her way to the back of the van, “They’re secure for now. Get the truck ready. Rana, how long till the bridge?”
“Couple of minutes, maybe a bit more,” she said, keeping her eyes fixed on the freeway in front of her.
“Noyin, we’ll be there in two minutes,” Sierra nodded at Grace to boot the door open, “Get Siyam in position.”
“You got it,” he said, and pressed his finger to his ear. “Siyam, man?”
“Yeah, Noyin?” Siyam palmed the plate on the truck’s dashboard and fired up the engine.
It roared to life and rolled along the grass verge.
“You’re on. Ninety seconds and we reconvene.”
“On it,” Siyam pressed on the gas and drove the truck over the MagStrip and joined the freeway. He peered into the side mirror and saw a pile of random vehicles slow down, “Seems there’s a bit of a jam on I-608.”
“A jam?” Noyin’s voice came through the headgear, “Yeah, the cars aren’t moving very fast. Rana might encounter a bit of a blockade.”
“Damn,” Noyin said, “Okay, leave it with me. Just make sure you’re under I-608 when it happens.”
“Got it.”
The Mack Truck growled as it passed the 30 mph mark and drifted into the middle lane.
Noyin looked at Jamie, Leesa, and Remy, who watched the live feed as if it was some bizarre action movie.
“What’s going to happen?” Jamie asked.
Noyin moved the van camera to the left and zoomed into the MagCycles gaining ground along the magnetic strip at the side of the freeway, “USARIC is after them.”
“They’re going to get caught,” Leesa gasped and clung to Jamie’s shoulder, “You have to do something.”
“What can I do from here?” Noyin gripped his mouthpiece and pulled it to his chin, “This is it guys. You’re about to go dark. You’re on your own from here. Good luck.”
Rana watched the speedometer creep past 110 mph.
“Guys, this is the fastest we can go without tearing this useless piece of junk apart.”
The walls of the van began to shake violently, rocking the two cages back and forth.
Rana slid her binocles down her face. The screen ran a white line around the contour of an eighteen-wheeler joining the freeway in the distance.
“Okay, there’s Siyam.”
“Where?” Sierra turned around and caught Rana pointing at the huge, black truck a few dozen cars ahead on the freeway.
“There.”
“Good.”
Sierra hollered pointed her machine gun at the back door and hollered at Rana, “Okay, do it.”
“Let’s kill us some bad guys.”
SCHWUNG.
The two back doors flung out and smashed against the van. Rana and Sierra aimed their guns at the build-up of cars and the dozen surrounding MagCycles whipping along the magnetic strip.
BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM.
“Oh, shi—” the first USARIC cyclist screamed and swerved to the side of the strip.
BAM-SPROITCH.
Grace’s shotgun blast hit the silver strip, narrowly avoiding the underside of the cycle but pushing it onto the grass island.
“Whoa,” the merc lost control of the cycle and careened over the lip of the strip.
The cycle lost its magnetic connectivity and bounced into the air, flinging the merc several feet into the air.
“Whoa,” Grace cocked her gun again and took aim at the MagStrip.
Another USARIC merc sped forward on his cycle, “Pull the van over. Now.”
WHOOSH-WHIZZ-ZOOOOM.
A dozen more armed USARIC mercs on MagCycles whizzed up the magnetic strip.
“This crate can’t outrun those cycles,” Rana screamed. “Take care of them.”
Grace fired her shells at each of the cycles, “Eat lead, you bastards.”
BEEEEEEEEP.
Several cars skidded to a halt, forcing the cars behind them to crash into the backs of them.
SMASH-CRASH.
The car’s windows exploded as the second row of vehicles flew into the air and collided in mid-air.
KA-BOOOM.
“Oh dear,” Sierra blinked at the calamity occurring behind the wheels of the van, “Rana, step on it.”
“I’m going as fast as I can, you mad woman—”
WHOOOOOSH.
Three MagCycles zipped up to the side of the van and kept up the pace.
“This is the United States and Russian Intergalactic Confederation,” announced the first cycle, “Pull
your vehicle over or we will be forced to open fire.”
“What, like this?” Grace lifted her gun to the side and yanked on the trigger.
BLAM-BLAM-SPLATTTCCHHH.
A direct hit - right in the merc’s visor, busting open the back of his head and pushing his body to the floor.
“No, no, no,” Sierra darted forward and yanked her friend back by her jacket sleeve. “Grace, get back.”
The next USARIC merc produced a D-REZ semi-automatic machine gun and opened fire from his MagCycle.
THRAAA-AAA-TATA-TAAAAT.
A string of bullet hits formed across the back door, coughing orange sparks and smoke into the air.
“Jesus,” Grace jumped back, having averted a merciless execution, “Damn it, Sierra.”
“What?”
The road underneath the van’s wheels seemed to zoom even faster as Grace barged Sierra out of her path and stormed to the lip of the van.
BAM-BAM-BAM.
She unleashed a wave of bullets at the MagCycles.
The first bullet caught the front panel of the adjacent cyclist, twisting his vehicle around. The front of the cycle wheezed to a halt, ducked down and pronged away from the strip.
“Gaaaahhh,” the occupant flew over the handlebars and crashed into a nearby verge.
“Nothing like a gun fight to separate the girls from the boys, huh?” Grace swung her gun around to the next USARIC merc, who aimed his D-REZ at her chest.
The cycle visor amplified the merc’s voice, “Driver, this is your final warning. Pull over immediately.”
“I don’t think so,” Grace unleashed a round of bullets in his direction, just as two more MagCycles shot up behind him, “Nighty-night, assholes.”
BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM.
The merc swerved to the right as the magnetic strip popped open behind him.
WHUDDA-WHUDDA-WHUDDA.
The cycle waddled from side to side, but the driver managed to keep the bars steady and take aim at the back of the van with his semi-automatic.
The adjoining USARIC MagCycles whizzed alongside the first on the opposing side of the freeway. Each mercenary aimed their guns at the back of the van.
“God damn it, close the doors,” Sierra yelled. She bolted forward and yanked the left door shut.
THRAAAA-TAT-A-TAAAT.
The bullets sprayed across the door, shattering it in two.
WHUMP-BOUNCE-CRASH.
It slammed to the road underneath and bounced into the air, taking the first USARIC merc’s head off.
The MagCycle wobbled around, creating a gut-wrenching whine of magnetic turbulence.
BZOOOOOW-BLAMMM.
The cycle sprung into the air due to the lack of connection and crashed into the side verge a few feet away.
Grace emptied her shells to the ground, reached into her belt and slotted a fresh magazine into the housing, “How are the felines holding up?”
Sierra spun around on her feet and watched the counter creep forward.
Fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two…
“Hisss.”
“Miew.”
The cats chewed and clawed at their cages and demanded freedom. The white bobtail scowled at Sierra as soon as she clapped eyes on it.
“I, uh, think they want freed.”
“Tough,” Grace moved forward and kicked the van’s back doors open, “They’ll have to wait till we get back to the arena.”
BLAM-BLAM-BLAM.
Rana fired off a round of shots at the approaching MagCycles.
SHPATT-SHPATT-BOOM.
Two MagCycles wobbled left and right, shaking the occupiers from their seats. The third MagCycle’s front exploded as a bullet struck it dead center.
KER—RAAANNNGGG.
Grace raised her eyebrows as the Cycle exploded and threw the driver into the air, “Whoa. Remind me never to use those stupid MagStrips.”
“Uh, Grace?” Sierra barked from within the van, “We have a problem here.”
“Guys, we are thirty seconds ETA from I-608 underpass,” Rana said from the driver’s seat, “Whatever it is you have planned, get it done right now. And get ready.”
Grace turned around and was about to ask Sierra what was wrong, when she found out for herself.
“Oh, no.”
“Uh-huh,” Sierra said.
The top corner of the first cat cage had been hit by a stray bullet. The metal bars blew out, offering the cats a chance to escape, should they feel brave enough.
And they felt brave enough.
“What do we do?” Sierra asked.
Grace placed more shells in her shot gun and took several steps back, “Keep them inside as best you can.”
“But, how am I gonna do that—”
A loud spinning sound came from outside the van.
THRAAAAA-AAA-TAT-A-TAT.
Sierra flew to the ground, chest-first.
Grace held herself against the van wall as it swerved from left to right, “Rana?”
“Not now. I’m driving.”
“What’s going on?” Grace spun around and booted the door open. Three more MagCycles caught up with the van, speeding up the strip.
She looked up and gasped, “Jesus. A chopper. They’ve got a damn chopper. Metal bird, metal bird.”
WHUDDA-WHUDDA-WHUDDA.
“Driver, stop your vehicle,” the chopper announced. “This is USARIC, mercenary division. We will fire upon you.”
“You already are firing at us, dickheads,” Grace took in the gargantuan metal bird as it lowered and tilted forward, giving chase.
WHIRRRR-CLUNK.
Two massive canons swung out either side of the chopper and latched into position.
“Step on it Rana,” Grace screamed as she lifted her shotgun up to the front of the trailing USARIC helicopter.
“The underpass is coming,” Rana yelled. “Get ready.”
“It can’t come quick enough.”
Grace focused on the two canons adjusted their aim at the back of the van.
“Driver, this is your final warning. We will open fire,” the chopper roared at them.
Siyam glanced at his side mirror and turned the steering wheel. The truck rolled into the fast lane as a large shadow loomed over the windshield.
“Okay, I’m in. That’s the I-608 underpass.”
Noyin’s voice came through his headgear, “Slow down, Siyam. Coordinates one through five-eight, mid-way.”
“On it.”
Siyam hit the brakes and slowed the truck’s speed to an eventual halt.
He reached under the dashboard, gripped a yellow lever and yanked it back.
The back of the Mack Truck opened up and produced a tongue-like metal ramp.
WHIRRRRRRR-SCHUNT.
“Okay, we’re all set,” Siyam unfastened his belt and pushed the door open.
“Good,” Noyin advised, “Now, wait for the girls.”
“Way ahead of you, brother.”
Siyam ran alongside the seemingly endless truck and reached into his belt.
“Come on, come on, where are you?” he muttered, keeping an eye on the far end of the underpass.
He pulled out his handgun and pointed it dead ahead. A torrent of vehicles blared their horns, unhappy with the giant blockade.
“Girls, where are you?”
“On our way,” Sierra’s voice came through his headgear, “Are you ready to roll?”
“I’m looking for you. I can’t see you.”
BEEEEEEEEEEP.
A cacophony of car horns echoed down the underpass and screeched to a halt, trying to avoid colliding with the truck.
“Go around,” Siyam yelled at the cars, “Move.”
BANG-BANG.
He fired two shots into the air, scaring the drivers and forcing them to back up.
“Goddamn Texas traffic, man,” Siyam waved the drivers around the lorry, “Go round.”
Rana adjusted her binocles and scanned the underpass, “We’re approaching now, Siyam.”
A digital box crept down her visor and formed over the truck in the underpass. She saw Siyam waving the traffic around the side of his vehicle.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Clearing a path for you,” his voice whizzed into her ear, “They were gonna slam right into the back of me.”
“Get them out of our way, for God’s sake,” Rana looked over her shoulder and clocked the helicopter chasing them a few feet away from the back of the broken, busted doors, “What’s going on?”
Sierra tried to keep the cats from gnawing and tearing up the bars.
A few of them relieved themselves on the truck. The urine ran across the grooves on the floor and flushed out the back of the van, dripping along the road.
“Ugh, no.”
CRREEAAAAAAK.
Sierra gasped and jumped back, “They’re trying to get out.”
“Stop them,” Grace kept her shotgun aimed at the chopper, “Keep them in the cages.”
“How am I meant to do that? Shoot them?”
“If you have to. A warning shot, obviously. They’re malformed little critters,” she spat back and squeezed the trigger.
BLAMMMM.
The bullet shattered the helicopter’s windshield and hit the pilot.
WHUDDA-WHUDDA-WHUDDA.
The chopper slung from side to side and lifted a few feet into the air.
THRAAA-TAT-A-TAT.
As the front of the helicopter lifted up and back, the trajectory of bullets tore along the road, up the back of the van and across the underpass.
WHOOOSH.
“Oh, Christ, there’s more of them,” Grace swung her gun to the right and took aim at another USARIC merc on a MagCycle. He sped further up the strip and prepared to launch himself from his vehicle.
“Oh no, no, you don’t—”
Grace cocked her shotgun and fired at the cyclist, but missed.
“Meow,” the white bobtail sunk her teeth into the cage and pulled it apart. Sierra stood up straight and backed away.
“Jesus.”
“Hissss,” the bobtail jumped out of the cage, followed by three of her eager feline friends.
SWISH-SWIPE.
The quartet crept along the ground with the intention of smothering Sierra.
“Hey, get back. Bad kitties.”
“Hissss.”
KER-BWUMP.
Star Cat The Complete Series Page 88
