Turncoat: Turncoat Trilogy Book 1

Chapter 19.4

My ears rang as I opened my eyes and I turned and bolted, sprinting straight for the exit. An arm wrapped around me and pulled me into one of the stations and pushed me against the desk. I looked over to see Nick knelt next to me but no Kai.

"What about--" I started.

"Don't worry about him," Nick said. "We just need to get out of here. What's the fastest way?"

"Through fixed equipment storage, though they could have that sealed off," I said.

Nick shook his head. "Front door then," he said. "I'm going to cover you, run as fast as you can to a new station. Stay low."

I nodded and he popped up, firing a volley of rounds at the men. I tore down the stations, hunched over and praying Nick was on my heels. I flattened against a desk as bullets smacked into the ground beside me. I gasped for air and drew my pistol, peeking out to try to get a look at Nick. A round seared past my ear and sent me back behind cover quickly. I looked up and saw the sniper sitting on the catwalk.

I aimed in his general direction and started shooting, emptying the clip in his direction as Nick came running. He flattened against the desk next to me and pulled me down. I fumbled while switching my magazine, my hands shaking.

"Relax Tawny," Nick whispered. "You need to relax."

I nodded and pointed up. "Sniper."

Nick nodded and motioned to my left. "Run that way, draw his attention. Stay hunched over, don't let him get a good shot at you. Run erratically, vary your speed, it'll make it harder to hit you."

I went to start and he grabbed my shoulder. I paused, waiting for his go ahead. He tapped my back and I took off. Doing exactly as he said. I'd run, then jog, or stop completely. Rounds seared over my hunched back. Pain flashed over my shoulder and I pitched forward, feeling warm liquid sliding down my back. I heard Nick's rifle discharge and seconds later, he grabbed the back of my shirt. He pulled me over to the desk and sat me up against it.

"Can you move your legs?" he asked.

I flexed my ankles and nodded. He reached down and pulled a grenade off of his belt. He held it up and pressed it into my hand. "Throw that at them when I tell you to," he said. "Give me your pistol."

I handed it to him, my back spasming in pain. "How bad is it?" I asked.

Nick shrugged. "Can't get a good look at the wound," he said. "Ready?"

I nodded and he took my collar. I stood and he forced me to bend over, shooting over my back at the men as we ran for the door. Nick fired sporadically and a barrage of rounds came flying back at us. He grunted and nearly pitched forward. I pulled him down and pushed him against the last row of desks, breathing heavy.

"Throw it," Nick said through clenched teeth.

"What about--"

"Just throw it!" he seethed. "Count to three and throw."

I pulled the pin out of the grenade and counted. Rearing back I threw as hard as I could and followed Nick for the door. Heat seared off my back as we entered the front hall. "Why did you have an incendiary grenade?"

"Never know when you'll need one," Nick said.

I shook my head and we jumped the security turnstiles, Nick using specifically his bionic arm. "What's wrong with your left arm?" I asked.

"Not now, just keep running," he said. "Get in contact with Vicki, tell her we've been compromised and to return to the room."

I nodded and started typing, hooking a microphone over my ear and listening to her dial tone. It went right to her voicemail. "She's not responding."

"Then go get her and come back to the room," Nick said.

"What about your arm?"

"Just go, Tawny!" Nick snapped. "I'll meet you back there, be careful of your wound."

I nodded and turned. I emerged onto the streets and headed for the slums. There was one spot where you could overlook the outside of the city and see the super highways, mostly empty now except for ground cars. I shoved through the crowd, ripping the shemagh off and wrapping it around my hands. I tossed one end over the elevator cable and wrapped my legs around the cable. Plummeting, I grit my teeth as the nerve sensors screamed at me in agony, my back screamed and a fresh gout of hot liquid began sliding down my back. I struck the ground hard and released the shemagh with one hand. I shoved it into a pocket and resumed my run, gritting my teeth against my screaming legs.

I shoved through a crowd of people and climbed the stairs, wind up and up and up under I emerged on a roof to see someone standing on the edge.

"Vicki!" I shouted, before doubling over and wheezing.

She turned back and narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Something went wrong," I said between gasps. "We're compromised."

"Nick?" she asked.

"On his way back to the room," I said.

"Kai?"

"I didn't see. Nick's hurt, I don't know how badly."

"And you let him go back alone!"

"He wouldn't take no for an answer and you weren't answering your phone," I said.

She shook her head and took my hand. "Come on."

It was a mercifully short trip back to the room but as soon as we entered the hallway, I froze.