Serve & Protect

Chapter 15- Battle of Starcourt

"Bald Eagle, this is Scoops Troop. What's your 20?"

"I told you, radio silence!" Came Murray's response through our radios.

"Yeah, but we have a problem."

Your blood turned cold at those six little words and Hopper's expression hardened as he yanked his radio from his belt.

"What kind of problem?" He questioned.

"The monster is at Starcourt Mall, and I cannot confirm Griswold Family's safety. I think they are still at the mall, over." Dustin hurriedly explained.

"They were meant to be en route to Murrays already." You pointed out and Hopper nodded with a tight frown.

"I need more information than that kid." Hopper said through the radio.

"That's all I know. Steve and Robin have left to go and get them out, over."

"Our kids are in the mall with the flesh monster?" Joyce questioned joining you and Hopper in the middle of the room.

"Jesus Christ." Hopper whispered, rubbing his face with his hands anxiously.

Now it was Hopper and Joyce that were starting to panic and although you were as well, you needed to step up for them.

"They're smart kids. They'll know to hide from the monster, right? They'll be fine."

"You don't know that." Hopper responded shaking his head.

"Yes, I do. I might not know the other kids very well, but I know El. She is smart. She will hide and so will the others." You insisted as you reached over and grabbed Hopper's hand giving it a small squeeze for comfort. "They'll be fine."

He took in a deep shaky breath but nodded at your words and squeezed your hand back. Joyce hovered close by biting her lip worriedly but remained silent.

A few agonising minutes later, Murray's voice finally crackled through the radio.

"Bald Eagle has landed. Repeat. Bald Eagle has landed."

About damn time.

"How much longer?" Hopper questioned through the radio impatiently.

"I don't know, I've never done this before!" Murray snapped causing Hopper to groan in frustration. "Never mind. Get ready, lovebirds, you're almost up to bat."

Lovebirds?

Really?

A moment later the red alarm on the wall behind you started flashing followed by an emergency siren blasting through the speakers.

He did it. Murray killed the power to the machine and activated the alarms.

The three of you sprinted over to the door to your left, Hopper using the key card to get through. Dozens of Russian soldiers were sprinting down the corridor as the three of you hurried past them. They didn't pay you a second glance while the alarm was blaring, all of them too focused on finding the intruders instead of looking at each other.

Two more locked doors later and you finally reached the vault. Joyce read the code aloud from the piece of paper Murray gave her while Hopper typed the code into the keypad, but it didn't work.

"Try it again, maybe you pressed the wrong number." You instructed and Hopper nodded before Joyce repeated the code.

"Six-six-two, six-oh-eight, oh-oh-four."

The keypad beeped and flashed red at Hopper after he pushed it in and you watched him do it, double checking it was the right number, but it didn't work. The code was wrong.