Kaspar followed in behind the others. Upon approach of the kicked in door, the deafening sound of gun fire caused a ring in his ears. When he entered he saw flashes from the guard’s automatics from the back. Gun smoke and flying stone filled the air. He took aim with his PSD and fired as he ran towards a wooden sign in desk. Once close enough, Kaspar slid the rest of the way feet first and took cover behind it.
Behind the desk, Kaspar moved the stock of the PSD to his shoulder. He forced himself to move from safety to help the others. His upper body moved up from behind the desk. He scanned his eyes wildly as he looked for a target. There was a guard at the back who fired at someone else. Kaspar took aim and squeezed on the trigger. Six rounds spit out. He took cover before confirming his kill.
Paxton kept his cover behind the pillar. Bullets continued to tear through the stone structure. He pivoted right and found an enemy. The Agent just stood, scared shitless, his head moved around without aim. Paxton almost felt bad when he squeezed the trigger. The three rounds tore through the Agent’s chest. He dropped. Paxton pivoted back.
Krys peered through the safety of the pillar she used. Out of the corner of her eye was an Agent sprinting to a new position. She moved her gun and aimed a few inches ahead of the runner. She pulled the trigger. Four rounds tore through the Agent. Krys moved back.
Kilbourne fired at a rapid pace; the pillar behind him used only when he needed a reload. He shifted his body from left to right, the red bag over his shoulder swung around with each move. To his right he took aim at an Agent behind a computer desk. To his left he hit another Agent who pivoted out from behind a pillar. The PSD went dry. In a quick motion, his back rested against the stone, he grabbed a fresh mag from his flak jacket and reloaded.
Li moved from pillar to pillar firing away with his PSD. He moved left and saw an Agent pop out of cover. The Agent took an automatic burst to the chest then a round to the head. Right beside the Agent was another one who was delivered the same fate. Li made a run for the pillar in front of him. After running full speed he slid on the slick floor for it. An Agent with a shotgun moved towards his direction. Li aimed and pulled the trigger. Nothing but clicks. A squeeze of the trigger and buckshot tore through Li’s armor.
The scene unfolded in front of Paxton. “Yung!”
The Agent pumped the shotgun and fired again. Paxton moved back to safety. Shattered stone flew in every direction.
Kaspar saw the Agent with the shotgun. After he took careful aim with the PSD he squeezed the trigger. A full automatic burst exploded the Agent’s armor. He looked left and delivered another automatic burst into another Agent.
Krys came out of hiding. She ran fast towards her fallen comrade. She flung the PSD over her shoulder then reached down for her P99. With her right arm in full extension she reached down for Li.
“Krys,” Paxton yelled. “Get back!”
He stopped his order. An Agent came out with a clean shot on Krys. Paxton delivered a three round burst into the chest. Then sent another burst to the head.
The sound of a door opening came from the back. Three more Agents, P90’s shouldered, started to fire away. Paxton eyed them. He sent several short bursts their way. The PSD started to click. Back behind the safety of cover, he reached for another clip.
Krys fired her pistol at one of the Agents. The Agent backed off to find cover. With all of her strength, Krys drug Li to the pillar beside them by his collar. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an Agent poke his head out. She sent a 9MM round through it.
The whole scene unfolded in front of Kaspar. He moved his head up and the thing he feared most happened. He froze. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Paxton shouted inaudible commands like he was yelling underwater. He watched Krys reload her pistol then looked right to see Kilbourne take out another one. Is this what his world had come to? Is this what it took to be free?
Kaspar saw a flash from the distance. The bullet was stopped only by the front of the wooden desk. Splinters of the wood bounced off the dark lenses. Snapped back into reality, Kaspar aimed his PSD towards the source of the flash. The full automatic burst tore through the Agent’s chest. Kaspar dropped back down behind the desk.
“That’s all of them for now.” Clarke said through the radio. “But get back there and set those charges. Reinforcements are on their way.”
“Let’s get moving!” Paxton ordered.
Paxton looked over to see Krys sitting behind Li. She had his head rested on her chest. Paxton could see that Li still drew breath. Li reached up to rip his mask off to make the breathing easier. Unable to do so himself, he waited for Krys take it off. Even without the mask, his breathing was labored and his face had gone pale. His lips shook as he tried to speak.
The old veteran put his index finger over his lips. He reached down and took hold of Li’s right hand. With what strength was left, his fallen comrade squeezed back. Paxton had seen death far too many times during his days as a Marine and now as a rebel leader. Seeing comrades, no brothers, die never got easier.
“You did well,” Paxton said. “You can go now with honor.”
“G—go on,” Li whispered. “I’ve got this room covered. Any USR t—try to come through here and they’re to—ast.”
“Yung,” Krys started to say.
“I j—just need to get into a good f—firing position.”
Krys reached down. She moved Li sideways and allowed him to rest his back against the pillar. Li had a clear shot at the front door. Paxton picked up the PSD from the floor as Krys grabbed a mag from Li’s flak jacket. Paxton handed over the gun it for him. Li reached up and took hold of it. He moved the gun up to aim it at the door.
Seconds later the PSD crashed to the floor.
Forty-Five
Paxton led the way to the backdoor of the lobby. He opened the door and pointed the barrel of his PSD forward. There were no guards to be found so he relaxed his stance. He turned and gave the signal for the others to file in. The door led to a hallway with white walls and shined, black tiles. At the end of it stood a white door. Paxton grabbed the silver handle with his left hand. With his right, he raised the PSD once more. He took a quick breath before he pushed down on the handle.
With the PSD shouldered, Paxton scanned the empty furniture and desks of yet another lobby. When he saw the coast was clear, he lowered the weapon.
“Move in.” he ordered through his throat mic.
The others obeyed. Kaspar entered the lobby with his PSD at the ready. This lobby had an eerie silence to him. There were no guns blazing; no one shouted orders. No comrades bleeding to death. Silence. The silence made him feel uneasy. The room’s lights were turned off; the only source of light came from the TVs on the wall. Kaspar looked up to one and saw Krys’s handiwork on a news broadcast. He smiled underneath his mask.
Paxton touched his ear again. The static disappeared to the point that he could hear Clarke’s voice clear.
“The main lab,” Clarke instructed, “is in the east wing of the building. Use room A8 to gain access.”
“Roger that.” Paxton replied.
All the doors in the lobby were made of well-maintained glass. The doors were clean and perfectly clear with the names of each room in bold, white letters. Paxton scanned them. When he found the one he searched for, he pointed it out to the others. The door had a security reader by the handle. Paxton reached up with his PSD then fired. The glass shattered, giving the team a clear entry into A8.
Paxton moved forward ahead of the others, kicking the loose glass at the bottom of the door. He scanned for enemies but found none. Upon entry, the lights above kicked on automatically. The illumination revealed the inside of the lab. There were shiny metal desks lined up in the middle. Again, it was quiet. The only sound came from the buzz of the lights above. At the far left corner sat a glass structure with holes in the sides, black gloves attached. Paxton saw it and figured that was where the USR created their great contributions to mankind.
Kasp
ar stood in the back, his PSD held at the waist. He looked around the room. Just like outside, the offices had glass doors, names written in bold white. He started to move around and in the corner of his eye one of the offices caught his attention. It read: “DANIEL JOHNSON: TEAM LEAD”. The old bastard had been telling the truth. Underneath his mask, Kaspar cursed Danny one final time.
In the back of the lab stood a white, rectangular shaped object leaned against the wall. Paxton walked up to it. The machine made a soft rumbling sound. Down on one knee, Paxton examined the box. To the side he could see clear tubes that ran towards the box with the black gloves. The tubes fed a milky substance into it.
“Ron,” Paxton called out as he stood to his feet.
“What’s up?” Kilbourne asked. He walked over to the box.
“This is it, set the charges here.”
“On it.”
“Double time it,” Paxton ordered. “Your only function in life right now is to set those charges, do you get me?”
“Yes, sir.”
Kilbourne got down to one knee and removed the red bag from his shoulder. He pulled out the C4 first, then the charges. After he attached the plastic explosive to the box, he inserted the charges. Kilbourne started to fool around with the timer.
“Don’t worry if things…” Paxton began to say.
“You’ve got trouble!” Clarke cried through the ear piece.
“AMBUSH!” Kaspar called from the front of the lab.
From out of nowhere, an assault team of thirteen Agents began to pour through the broken glass. Kaspar took aim and fired off several rounds before he ducked behind a desk. At the far end, Paxton turned to face the Agents. He fired off his PSD in three round bursts while he ran for cover.
The assault team came fully armed with full body armor. They aimed their M4 Carbines and fired at everything in sight. Computer monitors went up in smoke. The doors of the offices shattered, sending shards of glass into the air.
Kilbourne worked on the charges faster than he knew he could. He connected the last charge then set the timer for ten minutes. Kilbourne reached down to pick up the PSD that lay on the ground. When he turned around, he saw nothing but the muzzle flashes of the automatic weapons. The rounds shredded his Kevlar vest and he fell to the ground. He lay in a pool of his own blood. He took his last breath…
“Ron!” Paxton cried out. “Goddamn it!”
Paxton reached down and switched the PSD to full auto. He popped his head up to see an Agent storm his position. Paxton, quick and decisive with his aim, put a burst of rounds into his enemy. The other members of the assault team began to take their positions around the lab. There would be no easy escape, Paxton knew. They would soon be surrounded and picked off one by one.
He moved his head over the corner of the work station. He saw the Agents forming up on the left hand side. They were going to flank him, then take out Kaspar and Krys. Paxton could not let that happen. He would not lose any more men tonight.
Paxton shot up from his cover and began to fire away. He drew the assault team’s fire. Paxton managed to take out another Agent in the process. He ducked back down. The computer monitor on the desk exploded before his head was fully down. Through the black cloth of his Balaclava, he could feel the shards of glass from the monitor poke through.
Krys rolled over onto her back. An Agent tried to take cover beside her, oblivious to her position. She took aim. The barrage of automatic rounds took out that Agent’s legs. When he fell to the ground, Krys ended it with a burst to the head. She continued to move backwards on her back. She rounded the corner of the workstation. She saw another Agent and dropped him. When she finished rounding the corner, she pressed her back against the metal desk and reached in her flak jacket for a fresh mag and then rolled over to the right. As soon as she was exposed, automatic fire ripped apart the tiled floor in front. She moved back over and took a deep breath.
Kaspar, still at the front of the lab, poked his head over the desk. He saw an Agent fire at someone. Kaspar squeezed the trigger. The rounds tore apart the Agent’s backside. A burst of fire came Kaspar’s way. He ducked his head back down just in time.
In the back, Paxton had a fresh magazine. He moved his body up from cover and searched for an enemy. He found one. He took aim. Something bit into the right side of his neck. Paxton reached towards the source of the pain before he fell backwards.
“NO!” Krys yelled.
Krys stood. She took aim at the Agent who had taken down her leader. He turned only to be taken down by the burst of rounds. Krys turned and fired away at another Agent while she ran towards Paxton’s position. The rounds disintegrated his body armor.
Kaspar moved his head up for a brief moment. A hail of gun fire destroyed everything in his line of vision. He ducked back down. His breathing increased. The adrenaline flowed through his body. His hands shook from his overworked nerves. Kilbourne was dead for sure. The same had to be assumed for Paxton, who wasn’t in any shape to fight now, anyway. All that remained now was himself and Krys. Kaspar looked down and touched the yellow fabric with his index finger.
Mother, I’m coming…
He held the PSD up and rested the stock against his shoulder. He stood and began to yell. The Agents drew their attention the source of the noise. They all aimed towards his position. The rounds from their M4’s shattered what was left of the glass office door beside him. Kaspar began to jog towards them, firing his gun away as he did. Kaspar took out an Agent before he lowered his head. He took cover two work stations over. He poked the barrel of the PSD over the desk and squeezed the trigger until the gun started to click.
Kaspar brought the gun back to his waist. He released the empty clip and then inserted a full one. There were only four Agents left. Kaspar and Krys…they had to a chance to make it out of this alive.
Hearing the yell in the back, Krys forced her body up from out of cover. She took out the Agent that Kaspar missed. She lowered herself back down. Paxton lay in front of her. Krys could see that he still breathed, but he was unconscious, and blood leaked from his neck. There was nothing to be done for him at this point. He just had to hold on.
Kaspar heard footsteps coming from his right. He raised the PSD and was ready to make his move…
“Ryan!” Krys cried.
No, Kaspar thought. No, Goddamn it, no.
Krys stood and ran towards Kaspar’s position, firing away. She took out the Agent to Kaspar’s right. Still behind cover, Kaspar moved his head over and saw her running. He saw the flashes from her gun. What was she thinking?
An Agent got into position to fire at her. Kaspar saw him. He pointed his gun and pulled the trigger until it could fire no more. The Agent fell to the ground, his body riddled with bullets. Krys dropped and took cover at the work station in front of Kaspar. The two remaining Agents moved swiftly to her position. They were trying to surround her.
Kaspar saw it. He dropped the empty PSD to the ground. With a hand on each Beretta attached to his thighs, he yanked the guns free. He popped his body up and aimed each of the handguns at the two Agents. They saw him, turned their direction his way, and took aim at him as well. Kaspar squeezed each trigger repeatedly. The semiautomatics sent a spray of bullets towards the bogeys. He continued to pull…until each of the slides locked back.
The Agents dropped to the ground. Krys moved up. She pointed her PSD in all directions. When she saw there were no lingering enemies, she lowered her weapon. Her attention turned to Paxton, who was slowly bleeding to death. Kaspar dropped the two empty handguns to the ground. He picked up the PSD and moved in towards Krys. He grabbed her by the arm. When she turned, Kaspar pulled her in close with his hands. He could feel on his chest that her heart was beating as quickly as his own. He then looked over at the timer.
4:34…4:33…4:32…
“We’ve got to get out of here now.” Kaspar said.
“I know,” Krys replied. She pulled away, “The others?”
“They are dead.
If we don’t want to lie next to them we have to…”
“I hate to break this up,” Clarke said through the radio. “But, you guys have to get out now. Another van full of USR troops just pulled in front of the building. Get out now.”
“Let’s go.” Kaspar ordered.
Krys’s eyes were fixated on Paxton’s body. “He might still…”
“Maybe so, but we can’t drag him out of here, can we? We’d never make it past the timer. And, even if we did, the reinforcements would send us to hell.”
Krys sighed, “Fine. Let’s go.”
“Guys,” Clarke’s voice again, “you really need to get moving. Those reinforcements are already in the front lobby.”
“Any suggestions?” Kaspar demanded as the two began to move.
“The emergency exit is right in front of you. You see that red door next to the bomb?”
“Yes.”
“Go through that. It’s going to take you outside.”
“Roger. And…” Kaspar started to say.
“What?”
“I’m…sorry about the others.”
“Don’t worry about that now. Just get yourself and Krys out of there.”
Kaspar pushed the red door open in front of him. As soon as the door moved, a loud buzzing noise filled the air. Krys tailed behind him. Once through the door, they ran fast through the knee high grass and weeds. They searched around the blackness for somewhere to go.
“What now?” Kaspar demanded.
“Umm…” Clarke’s voice said. “Look to your left. Straight ahead is an old abandoned church. You can try to hide out in there.”
“Copy that.”
Kaspar grabbed Krys by the hand. The two ran through the tall grass towards the church building. Kaspar kept moving his head from left to right. He was anticipating an ambush at any moment. With a squint of his eyes, the decaying exterior of the church came into view. The rusted cross which once stood on the roof had fallen off long ago. It was stuck in the earth on its side.
Rebels & Lies (Rebels & Lies Trilogy Book 1) Page 30
