Page 60 of Jump or Fall
Thunder rumbled and raindrops tapped against her helmet. It was going to be a wet evening.
Gun slung over her shoulder, Mara took her position. The rhythmic thump of the mech’s footfalls grew louder as it rounded a corner.
It was massive, taking up the entire sidewalk as it patrolled. Ten feet tall with a two faced head that swiveled in every direction to absorb sensory information. The eyes glowed a pale blue, scanning every surface it could find.
Gordon said over the channel, “Flash in ten from the north. Hit when it’s confused so it can’t track the shots.”
They tapped their helmets to acknowledge.
She synced to the scope on her Umbra and ducked behind a piece of metal laying against the side of the building.
BOOM!
Mara snapped back into position and aimed at the mech. As expected, it thrashed its arms wildly, struggling to recalibrate. She fired two shots in rapid succession. One struck its chest, while the other veered wide asthe machine stomped across the sidewalk, searching for the threat. From another direction, she heard a few shots ring out—likely Silva.
Despite the hits, the mech showed no visible damage. She hesitated, reluctant to waste more rounds before it regained its bearings.
“Head is the weak point,” Gordon said. “Next flash in ten, followed by a heavy.”
Damn it, she wished she was a better shot. Aiming for the head would be nearly impossible while it moved so erratically. Ducking for cover from the flash, both Mara and Silva acknowledged the message.
BOOM! BOOM!
Mara readied herself and took another shot, trying to aim between the mech’s frenzied movements. It was limping now—the heavy must have damaged its leg. She fired three more rounds. One got its head, and an additional shot from another direction connected. The mech’s eyes flickered before dimming to black.
Gordon emerged from his hiding place, pressing himself against a building as he cautiously approached the downed mech. He swept the area before retreating and activated the gauntlet display on his wrist.
“I think it’s done,” he said.
A mechanical whir sliced through the night. The mech’s eyes flared back to life, but now they were a hellish red.
“It’s up!” Mara shouted.
Gordon’s head snapped up. Without hesitation, he hurled his final heavy at it.
The mech lurched, metal scraping against pavement as it registered the incoming projectile. At the last second, it swatted the heavy, sending it back toward him with aclunk.
“No!” Mara screamed. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she broke into a sprint, firing relentlessly at the mech’s head. Several shots missed, shattering windows and riddling the building behind it with bullet holes. But enough landed to make a difference.
Its eyes flickered off again.
BOOM!
Chapter 21
Mara
She scanned the area where she had last seen Gordon, her pulse pounding. A gaping hole marred the street, surrounded by smoldering rubble. He was nowhere in sight. The rain had picked up, blurring her vision and hissing against the scattered debris.
“Gordon!” Mara called out, desperate.
Nothing.
“Silva!”
“I’m here,” Silva replied, “but I don’t see him anywhere.”
She wove through the wreckage, kicking aside rubble. Her augmented strength made clearing the path effortless.
