Thick as Thieves 2: Under Your Command

Chapter 32

Inside the colony, the violent fight continued. Buildings had been destroyed, spilling debris out onto the Plaza. Soldiers scrambled for cover, attempting to avoid the chaos. Wash pulled Michael behind the school unit for cover.

"You good?"

Michael nodded, dusting himself off as he heard the devastation continue across the Plaza.

"Glad someone is!" another soldier spluttered beside him. Michael looked over to discover Carter looking rather exasperated.

"Carter?" Michael said with surprise. "You know when you said you'd be willing to risk your life for the colony, I didn't think you meant it!"

"Neither did I!" exclaimed Carter. "But I'd rather not die for it yet. What do we do now?"

"We need to get them out of the colony," Wash speculated aloud, watching as the creatures wrestled and destroyed anything they came into contact with.

"Oh, is that all?" Carter said sarcastically.

Michael peered round the unit, just in time to see one dino throw the other into the entrance of the Infirmary. The force created a massive dent in the building's structure. Michael was about to express his concern for the patients inside when Wash caught onto his panic.

"It's okay, the last few patients just evacuated."

"What about -"

"ELISABETH!"

They looked around to see Jim speeding towards the damaged Infirmary, straight for the battling dinos. Wash shot out of her hiding place, firing a sonic blast at the dinos and driving them away from the building. Jim used this opportunity to start shifting debris, climbing over the remnants to get to his wife.

"Help him," Wash instructed Michael and Carter. Immediately, they darted off towards the Infirmary, shifting wreckage to help save the doctor.

After a moment, Jim found an opening and climbed inside. Michael and Carter followed close behind.

They found Doctor Shannon on the floor by one of the biobeds, picking herself up after a nasty fall. Jim rushed to help her up, inspecting the cut on her head.

"I'm fine," she insisted. "I just came back to grab a few things when I got knocked over. What's going on out there? Are we in trouble?"

"You could say that," Jim replied. "We need to get somewhere safe."

"Skye," Michael blurted, drawing everyone's attention. "I saw her get hurt. She needs your help."

Taylor and Reynolds sprinted over to the remnants of Boylan's Bar, attempting to find a good vantage point. They were stunned to see several smaller dinos race through the colony gates, practically taking it in turns to bite and slash at the mutant who once abused them.

"Guess they're not under its control anymore," Taylor surmised, watching the seven-on-one fight in the middle of the Plaza.

They turned to see Wash dashing towards them, a serious look on her face as she attempted to catch her breath. "Sir, this is getting out of hand. We need to do something now."

"Agreed. We can't let them destroy any more of the colony. Any ideas?"

"I do. But it might be a bit risky."

Taylor looked at the destruction ahead of him before turning back to his lieutenant. "Let's hear it, Wash."

Michael, Carter, Jim and Elisabeth were making their way out of the rubble when Michael received word on his communicator to stay away from the Plaza. As they made it outside, they could see why.