Unexpected 4: Digital Purge

Chapter 18: The decision

"Tan?" Deacon called as he and Hondo went down slowly to place the log on the ground.

"Guys, hold up!" Hondo called, both of his arms giving up on him

Both officers were exhausted, as they had carried their teammate for over 35 minutes already. Hondo and Deacon tried to catch their breath, as both placed their hands on their hips and brushed the sweat off their head and neck. The way through the woods wasn't an easy one, especially when you are carrying a full on man on a wooden plank.

"Thank you" Tan managed to say, still sobbing in pain.

"Hey! You're gonna be ok." Deacon consoled him in between breaths.

"Street!" Hondo called, still trying to catch his breath, both legs giving in now as he crouched over the ground, hands on his knees. Deacon was resting his body against a tall tree. "How u holding up, kid?"

The group was gathered under a grove with a heavy canopy layer. The Marshalls were still behind the fence, as they were trying to put out the fire. Max could see from afar that they had a couple of men coming out of the building racing in with small tanks, which he assumed were extinguishers. Nobody really could've predicted the fire would spread so far and so fast, but it did, as the area around the fence was filled with very flammable debris. The fence was already electrified, which meant the officers  had to be careful not to touch it or let the fire overtake it for it could cause small explosions. For now, all of this was a saving grace for the runaways, who could have some minutes now to catch their breath.

Street sobbed as he moved closer to Hondo, holding on to his injured arm, "I'm going to be ok. I'm more worried about Tan." he said looking down at the trunk

"I ain't dead, Street. You're not getting rid of me that easily!" the injured officer joked

"I'm glad to hear that, bro" Street said as he approached him. Both men fist pumped.

Hondo turned to Deacon, as both men looked at Tan. As they dealt with the situation, Hicks and Max separated themselves from the group to look for a spot with good signal to communicate with their rescue boat, using Max's satellite phone. Hicks had the topographic map of the area in the tablet-like control, which helped them coordinate the best possible rescue location. They had spoken with Captain McGregor, the skipper that had helped rescue Chris when she was abducted the previous week. They had agreed their safest bet was to stay under the radar, which in this case meant the farthest possible from the view of the fortress. Max was sure the place had installed a huge satellite in the roof, which could detect any incoming force within a 200 miles radius. So, they figure their best bet was to get picked up  from behind the mountain, which they could use as a shield from the radar. 

"Tan, buddy?" Deacon called now breathing steady, "You think you  might be able to stand, and maybe rest on our shoulders?" the question seemed pretty obvious: Deacon knew the officer and the trunk were too heavy to carry all the way to the other side of the mountain. They needed Tan to at least give it a try.

Tan sat up in the trunk, trying to keep the plank balanced by shifting his weight around. He stopped frozen when he felt a sudden rush of pain strike his body. A shot of lighting pain came running from his leg up to his spine and brain. "AHHHHHHHHHHH" He yelled uncontrollably. He felt as though someone had ripped out his leg! Hot lava had been poured all over his body, and his lungs began to give in. His vision became blurry and his arms became heavier and heavier. The pain was unbearable!

Everyone froze as Tan yelled in pain. His screams were gut wrenching, especially since no one had any clue what to do.

"TAN! TAN!" Chris tried calming him down, but his yelling only grew louder. She went to him in the trunk and placed a hand on his shoulder, but it was used less.