Page 121 of The Mech Who Loved Me
But how many charges hadUlbrichtset?
Pistol fire pinged off Kincaid's shoulderarmor.
"Keep moving!" the duke barked, and then they were running through black clouds ofsmoke.
Starfire bursts in the darkness indicated pistols firing at them. Something hit Kincaid, throwing him off balance. Another bullet ripped into the chest-plate, hammering a punch into his ribs. His mech hand shattered as he flung it up to protect his face, and Kincaid had the sudden sensation someone hadactually shot him, as Malloryn drove him under cover with Ava andCharlie.
"Covering you!" Charlie called, firing over his shoulder and momentarily silencing theiropponents.
Kincaid slumped on his back, sucking in lungfulsofair.
"Are you all right?" Ava demanded, touching hisshoulder.
He held up his ruined hand. Fifteen years with this steel fused into his flesh. fifteen years of blood and sweat in order to pay for it; his brother's life; his sister's suicide; it had seen him through all ofit. "Hell."
It felt like losing the bloody hand all over again, and his forearm ached from theimpact.
"I'll buy you a new one," Malloryn barked,returningfire.
"All good," he breathed, meeting Ava's eyes. "Just winded me, and shatteredmyhand."
Her face was so pale. "I couldn't see you! When the vat exploded, you and Mallorynvanishedand—"
"I'm here. I promise, luv,"hesaid.
She sucked in a shaky breath, and then helped himsitup.
"Gemma?" Malloryn snapped. "Byrnes? Are we allalive?"
"Get out of there!"Byrnes's voice echoed in all their ears."Ulbricht's rigged all the vats. We'retoolate."
Not only too late—they'd walked into afriggingtrap.
"Where's Ulbricht?" Malloryndemanded.
"Evacu—"
Another whoosh of hot air, and the second vat went up, a fireball of heat blossoming out from its base. Shards of metal hammered into the tanks on either side of it, and glass shattered, spewing waves of blood across thefloor.
Ava screamed. Kincaid hauled her to her feet, using his body and mech-suit to protect her. "We've got to get outofhere!"
"Working on it!" Mallorynyelledback.
"Kincaid!" Ava cried, as he scannedtheroom.
"What?"
"I think there's a bomb under here," she said in a very quietvoice.
Both he and Charlie looked at each other, and then knelt where she'd been to see. A small case was attached to the base of the filtration device, and it wasticking.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are, Malloryn," a voicecalled.
"Above us!" Kincaid croaked. And there on the mesh walkway was a figure wearing a black cloak.Ulbricht.
"We're pinned down." Malloryn shot a look atthedoor.
"The bloody bomb's ticking down! We have to get out of here!" Kincaid eyed the distance. "How good a marksmanareyou?"
