Project Starfall (Completed)

Chapter 7

Pierce ran into few guards as she searched for the director's quarters, and the ones she did run into caused her no trouble. It wasn't fair, really. Pierce had a real gun, while the guards could only use stunners.

Focusing on the woman's voice, Pierce adjusted her course and the director's shouting grew louder, until she found the room it was coming from. From the outside the director's quarters didn't stand out any more than the other rooms. Its entrance was a simple white door. Pierce sucked in a sharp breath when she noticed it had a keypad, then let it out when she realized the door was cracked.

This is it. Pierce's pulse quickened as adrenaline rushed through her veins. Holding her gun tightly with her right hand, she pushed against the door with her left. The director was shouting so loudly inside that Pierce didn't fear her hearing the door squeak as it slid inward.

Pierce rushed into the room and aimed at the director's head. Her finger began to press down on the trigger. Bang! The sound of a gunshot went off. Pierce's gun clattered to the floor, and she stared with wonder as dark blood began welling up from a hole in her arm.

"You didn't think I would be expecting you?" The director's voice snapped Pierce back to reality. "The hallways are lined with cameras. My security team let me know as soon as you began heading this way. The question is, how did you get out of your cell? And how come my team didn't see you on camera until you were almost here?"

"In my defense, you seemed pretty busy with your angry screaming." Pierce grinned through clenched teeth. She pressed her left hand against her wound, attempting to stop some of the blood flow. Even with the white-hot pain in her arm, Pierce was able to stay focused on the woman before her. "As for how I got out of my cell ... There's no way I'm going to tell you."

"I knew of your reputation, but I never expected this. To be dumb enough to try and escape this place. Oh Pierce, I'm very disappointed in you." The director smiled sadly.

"You're disappointed in me?" Pierce chuckled. "The ones you should really be disappointed in are your top-of-the-line guards. They didn't pose much of a challenge on my way here."

A knock sounded on the wall outside. "Director, I heard a gunshot. Is everything okay?" a voice asked.

The director's attention wavered, and Pierce snatched her gun from the floor and aimed it at the woman. Even with only one hand, and her left at that, Pierce could shoot with exceptional accuracy. "Oh Director, now I'm the one who's disappointed," she said in a detached voice. "You in the hall. Don't come in if you value your life."

"What? Director, what's going on?" The voice became high-pitched.

"You heard her. Stay in the hall," the director ordered, not breaking eye contact with Pierce.

Blood rushed to Pierce's face. "This is for Foxx, Hunter, Claudia, and all the ones you killed before them." Her voice grew shaky. Her left arm remained still, gun steady in her hand. The director tensed. BANG! BANG! Their gunshots went off almost simultaneously. The director dropped her gun and clutched at her shoulder. Pierce bit her tongue to muffle a scream as the director's bullet embedded itself in her side.

The guard who had been waiting in the hallway charged in and Pierce shot him in the chest and head. He crumpled to the ground and didn't move again. Pierce twisted around to see the director scrambling for her gun. She stepped forward, wincing at the pain in her side, and kicked the gun away from the director's desperate hands. Then she raised her own gun, finger pressed against the trigger.

"Don't, 9021," the director said quietly. "You know there's no escape. Even if you make it out we'll find you."

"No. You, won't find me." The corner of Pierce's mouth twitched. "Why don't you ever listen? I've told you time and time again to call me Pierce." With a blank look in her eyes, Pierce fired her gun. Then again. And again.