Uprising
Page 88
******
Rick marveled at the efficiency of the weapon given to him by his soldier. I've got to get something like this, he thought. It had already proven itself perfectly scoped in and accurate. When the unlocked lobby doors were flung open, his people streamed in and split. They moved along the walls behind the columns surrounding the immediate area, which was empty save for a receptionist and a guard on duty at the doors on either side, with two at the back. At first, the receptionist at the desk froze, terrified.
Rick had seen the man look to his bottom right, shifting his shoulder and reaching. The thought, He's going for an alarm, passed through Rick's mind in the exact same moment as he shouldered the weapon and fired. The high-velocity round tore through the man's throat, pausing very briefly to punch through the vertebrae and spinal column before tearing out the back of his neck, still maintaining enough velocity to imbed in the wall behind him.
Satisfied that the weapon worked, the area was secure within moments. The guards were neutralized without a fuss by the twenty-five or so soldiers Rick had remaining of his forces. As he moved towards the desk, Rick took a moment to marvel at the vaulted ceiling with the huge, crystal clear skylight allowing the shimmering, starry night sky to be seen along with a healthy supply of the waning half-moon's light. Turning back to his task, Rick shoved the dead receptionist in his swivel chair rolling out of the way. He examined the console in front of him, discovering the unlocking controls for each wing. He reached out to trigger the doors behind the desk to gain access to the Inquisition building when, off to his left, a different set sprang open.
Every man in the room snapped their weapons towards the unexpected entrance, and a large, rotund, bearded man whose expression could only be described as jolly bounded in the room.
Elijah yelled, "Hold your fire!" raising his hand before anyone could pull the trigger. "Arthur!" he cried out, flinging his arms wide and approaching the large man.
"Elliot, my dear friend! It's so good to finally meet!" The two men embraced and began speaking, leaving Rick simultaneously to assume that this rotund individual was the inside man and to wonder, Who the hell is Elliot?