Fear the Fever ⏃ Captain America [3]

Chapter Ten

An alarm started blaring, the same whining screams as before. Christina groaned as the noise felt like someone was sticking knives in her ears. The noise seemed even louder in the garage than it had been in the hall, echoing off the high wall and ceiling.
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Liam looked with wide eyes at the doors they'd come through and Christina turned to see what had caught his attention.
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At least a dozen of the black-clad guards were pouring through the opening, weapons raised. They started firing.
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Someone grabbed Christina's shoulder and yanked her hard to the left, causing a surge of pain to course through her entire body; she stumbled and fell behind the cargo box just as the sounds of glass shattering and fiery explosions filled the garage.
Several arcs of fire threaded around and over the crate, singeing the air.
They'd barely flickered out before a round of bullets thudded against the wood.
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"Who let them loose?" Mary yelled.
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"Hardly think it fucking matters right now!" Micah shouted back.
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The group crouched low, their bodies pressed against each other tightly. It seemed impossible that they could fight back from such a position.
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"We need to start shooting back, or they'll flank us any second." Christina called out.
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The onslaught had paused momentarily, and Christina could hear shuffling footsteps and short barked commands. If they were going to gain an advantage, they needed to act quickly.
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"How do we do this?" she asked Micah. "You're in charge this time."
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Her friend gave her a sharp look but nodded curtly. "Okay, I'll fire right,
Liam fires left. Christina, you fire over the box. Mary, you scout a way for us to get to that vehicle over there. Shoot anything that moves or wears black. Get ready."
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Christina knelt facing the box, ready to jump to her feet on Micah's signal. She gripped the weapon tightly in her hands. Her eyes were like purple fire.
​"Okay!" Micah shouted. "Now!"
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They made their moves. Christina stood, lifting her grenade launcher up and over the box. She fired without risking a good look, and once she heard the grenade explode she popped up to search for a specific target. A man was creeping toward them from across the room, and Christina aimed, fired. The grenade burst into flames as it hit the man's chest, throwing him to the ground.
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Gunfire and screams filled the air of the garage. Guard after guard fell, some had gaping holes in their chests, others were missing legs. Others bolted for cover.
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"That's our only option," Mary pointed toward the vehicle in the far left corner of the garage. "It's a German vehicle, and it's pretty complicated to start up. But it won't take long for me to get her engine started."
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Micah shot another grenade. "Okay. First everyone reload. Then Liam and I'll cover while Christina and Mary run to the vehicle. Mary, you get her fired up while Christina cover us. Sound like a plan?"
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"Can these weapons hurt the vehicle?" Christina asked. Everyone was jamming additional ammo into their weapons and pockets.
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Mary shook her head. "Not much. The car is built out of a rare metal called vibranium, strongest metal on earth. If they miss us and hit the vehicle, all the better."
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Vibranium. That made a surge of nostalgia wash over Christina.
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"Then go!" Micah yelled without giving any warning. He and Liam starting launching grenades like crazy, volleying them all along the open area in front of their waiting vehicle.
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Christina felt a mad rush of adrenaline. She took up position on the left of Mary and they sprinted away from the protection of the cargo box. A flurry of firing weapons filled the air, but there was so much fire and smoke that it was impossible to aim at anyone. Christina shot her weapon as best as she could while running. She felt the bullets blowing right past her, barely missing.
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"Run!" Mary shouted.
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Christina pushed herself to go faster, her legs burning. Daggers of fire shot across the fire from all directions; bullets pinged against the metal walls of the garage; smoke twirled like fingers of fog in odd places. It all became a blur as she focused on the vehicle, now only a few dozen feet away.
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They'd almost made it when a fiery grenade grazed Christina's right thigh; taking a large chunk of it with it. She screamed and fell, her face smacking the concrete floor as fire burned at her flesh.
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Liam skidded to a stop as he cried out her name, then dropped to the ground to make himself a smaller target. The grenade had taken enough of her thigh out to see the specks of white from her femur bone; her flesh was burning and smoking. Liam lay on his stomach several feet away, dodging the errant streaks of white heat as he searched for a way to get closer.
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Micah had obviously seen the disastrous turn of events and given up on the plan - just like Liam had. He was running toward Christina and Liam as he continued firing. Mary made it to the vehicle and disappeared inside it.
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Liam waited anxiously on the ground next to Christina, cursing his inability to help. He knew he had to grab her and start dragging her to the vehicle.
Her face had gone completely white; blood dripped out of her mouth as her legs spasmed. Her eyes were frozen wide with agony and terror.
​Micah reached Liam, dropped to the ground.
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"No!" Liam shouted. "Keep going to the vehicle. Take cover behind it. Wait until we start moving, then cover us. Fire like crazy till we get there."
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"Just come on already!" Micah yelled back. He grabbed Christina by the shoulders and was able to stand and begin pulling her along beside him.
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Liam hooked his arms under Christina's shoulders, and they backed their way toward the vehicle. The garage was a world of noise and smoke and flames. A bullet plunged into Christina's side; a hot score of pain, then oozing blood. She let out a furious scream - not so much for the bullet wound, but for the burning and searing part of her thigh.
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They reached the vehicle. Mary immediately scrambled out of the vehicle and grabbed Christina's legs, trying her hardest not to glance at her missing flesh. Mary released her hold on her ankles, and clambered into the driver's seat, allowing Liam and Micah to yank her into the large truck.
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Christina felt as though her entire body had been set on fire; she fell backward against the floor of the truck, her whole body convulsing and her vision going dark.