Page 121 of The Hero Within
The ground shook, and Johnny could just make out screams and confused yelling in the distance. "Do I want to know what you just did?"
"Comms are down." Mayhew gave a sinister smile. "It seems someone’s taken over their drones. They’re attacking the barracks, keeping the wargs within pinned down."
"Shame." Johnny allowed himself a tight smile.
"I live for this shit."
They skidded around a corner.
"Remember the exit plan," Johnny snarled at Eden. "As soon as we’re out, we’re heading for the storm water tunnels. No time to waste. Mayhew’s going to cover us from the inside."
She nodded, her eyes wide.
"Incoming!" Arik yelled, slamming the pair of them into the wall as gunfire suddenly barked.
"Fuck." He cupped his arms around Eden’s head, as hell opened up around them. There was a doorway there. Just enough cover, if he and Arik pressed tight.
Mayhew found himself in the middle of the line of fire. He spun the other way, using the steel case to shield himself. Bullets punched into the case, and one hit him in the side. He went down, the case hissing pressurized gas.
"Mayhew?" Eden screamed.
"Got him." Lincoln had been last. He grabbed Mayhew by the arm and hauled him back into the corridor they’d come from, leaving a smear of blood on the tiled floors.
Mayhew groaned, cupping his side. "My datapad."
It lay on the floor in the middle of the hallway.
"Go, go, go," called a tinny voice near the exit.
Heavy booted feet drummed on the floor, coming closer. At least one squad had managed to clear the barracks.
He hoped they were only human.
And that it was just one squad.
"Without that datapad," Mayhew gasped, "none of us are getting out of here alive."
Johnny poked his head out of the doorway. Over a dozen black-clad figures in full riot suits clomped toward them. One of them yelled when they saw him and pointed. Light flared as a gun retorted.Ping. Ping. Ping. Bullets bit into the back wall.
Pinned down. Shit.
"We’ve got to get moving," Arik warned.
"Count of three." He grabbed Eden by the arm. "Get the datapad."
"One… two…." Arik counted.
"The cure!" Eden held her hand out imploringly toward the shattered case.
"Down to one case," he yelled, shoving her back down the corridor they’d come from on the count of three. "We’ve got enough for over a hundred people. It will have to do."
Arik slid across the floor behind him, as bullet fire barked in the hallway. He had the datapad and shoved it toward Mayhew as he gained his feet.
Lincoln was tucked under Mayhew’s shoulder.
"Let’s get moving!" Arik remained at the back to cover them in Lincoln’s place.
Down the hallway, past Infectious Diseases.
