The Zone: Life and Death

Jailbreak

*Virtue and Gremlin, in possession of two of the six shock sticks, lead the group down the halls, passing up rooms full of strange-looking equipment. The occasional scientist floats around the room, his head buried deep in research – keeping the Stalkers’ escape unknown for a while longer.

Screams and cursing pierce the hallway:*

Virtue: Reaper.

*Gremlin motions the group quickly, but quietly forward. They stay low as they flit between shadows in the corridor – the screams getting closer and closer with each step they take.

They reach another intersection in the hallway. Gremlin peers around the corner, then quickly pulls his head back in.*

Virtue: What’s the damage?

Gremlin: We’ve got four soldiers – two in front of the door and two standing in front of the observation room – they’re holding Enigma. They have guns.

Nimbus: My math may be rusty, but if there’s four of them with weapons and only two of us and they have the advantage of range doesn’t that mean we’re outmatched?

Gremlin: Normally yes, but like most soldiers they’re restless easily distracted. They’re all watching the testing in progress – we can use the opportunity to sneak up behind them and take their weapons. Then, we can find a way to shut down the experiment and get Reaper out of there – but we need to hurry, he’s not looking too good.

*The Stalkers nod in agreement and follow Gremlin’s lead as he peers around the corner, and slowly sneaks up behind the soldiers. He nearly reaches them when he stops suddenly, holding his side in pain.*

Nimbus *whispering*: Dammit, I knew I should have put more bandages on…

*He falls over in pain. The soldiers, sensing movement behind them turn slowly, expecting their long-overdue commander. Instead, one of them has the distinct privilege of taking a shock stick through the head. He yells out in pain as the rod pierces his skull and he falls to the floor. Nimbus, Zombie, and Solitaire rush the other soldiers, tackling them to the ground before they have a chance to un-holster their weapons.

Zombie pulls out a knife he had concealed, slitting the throat of one. Solitaire struggles to keep the soldier he attacked down, wrapping his hands around his head and gripping hard. The soldier’s eyes grow wide as he protests. Then, with a swift twist, Solitaire snaps his neck, and he goes limp. Nimbus takes a more brute approach and proceeds to beat the hell out of the soldier he’s on top of. The soldier starts to call for help despite repeated blows to the stomach. Zombie tosses his knife to Nimbus, who plunges I into the soldier’s heart. The soldier twitches a bit while blood streaks from the corners of his mouth. Finally, he stops resisting – collapsing on the floor with one last sigh.

Enigma, who took the opportunity to run as soon as she saw what was about to take place, reveals herself from around a corner, applauding the Stalkers’ efforts. Solitaire and Zombie assume the two shock sticks while everyone else takes the soldiers’ pistols.*

Enigma: Way to make me look like a damsel in distress… I was *just* about to make my move before you guys showed up.

Nimbus: We figured our approach was much more humane than what you would have done to them.

*She laughs as she approaches Virtue, reaching up and giving him a kiss on the cheek. The rest of the group stares at them awkwardly.*

Solitaire: Damn Virtue… ladies’ man?

Gremlin: I don’t mean to interrupt the moment but Reaper is still in there and needs help.

*Gremlin approaches the glass door to the lab, and yanks on the handle a couple of times. Being unable to force it open, he shoots out the glass – reaching his hand through and unbolting the door. The scientists inside looks up quickly at the disturbance, one of them quickly hitting a button on one of the consoles. A loud alarm sounds throughout the facility.*