Justice Keepers Saga--Books 10-12, page 47
The force-field winked out.
Jack’s next shot put a head-sized hole in that metal monstrosity, damaging several key systems. Time to end this.
Anna fired several pulses of white light that struck the robot’s head, current arcing along its metal body. With one final sputter, it dropped to its knees and fell face-down on the floor.
“Melissa needs our help,” Anna said. “Let’s go.”
The ziarogat sauntered forward, eying her like a fox who had just cornered some unlucky hen. It maintained the hypersonic pulse, but Melissa’s multi-tool countered it. She felt the occasional flash of wooziness, but it never lasted more than a second.
If anything was going to put her down, it was exhaustion. The tingling in her skin had become a painful sting. A thousand tiny pinpricks driving her to distraction. It was a warning that she had pushed Ilia too hard, used her powers one time too many.
She had to get out of this room!
Melissa clung to the desperate hope that her friends were trying to get the door open. If she could just hold out a little longer…
Without warning, the ziarogat broke into a sprint, closing the distance within seconds.
Falling over backward, Melissa slammed her hands down on the floor and thrust her feet into the air. She flipped upright.
Melissa jumped and kicked the cyborg’s nose, forcing it to stumble backward. Tiny drops of metallic blood flew from its nostrils. Melissa landed, closed the distance with a quick sprint and spun for a back-hand strike.
An arm popped up to intercept her wrist, blocking the blow. The ziarogat grabbed the back of her collar. With a hard shove, it sent her stumbling toward the pods full of Overseer goo.
She heard heavy footsteps as it chased her.
Melissa jumped, back-flipping over her opponent’s head. She landed right behind the creature, gasping for breath. When it whirled around to face her, nanobots emerged from a slot on its gauntlet, forming into a razor-sharp sword.
It slashed at her.
Melissa ducked, the blade passing over her head. She rose, but the ziarogat kicked her in the stomach, forcing her to retreat. God in Heaven, this thing was fast. Before she even realized it, her back was up against the wall.
The cyborg charged her.
Melissa slipped out of the way half a second before it plunged that nano-blade into the wall. She kicked the side of its knee, throwing it off balance.
Spinning around to face her enemy, Melissa backed away with her fists up. Stay in the middle of the room, she told herself. Don’t let it corner you.
The creature released its nano-blade and opened a small pouch on its belt. It retrieved another ammo cartridge and slid that into the slot on its gauntlet. “Oh no…” Melissa moaned.
The ziarogat rounded on her, raising its fist.
Melissa crouched down, bullets flying over her head. She threw herself into a forward somersault and then came up on one knee. With a feral scream, she leaped like a lion pouncing on some helpless zebra.
A gray shoe kicked her in the face.
She flopped onto her back and rolled along the floor. With incredible speed, she got up and whirled around to face her-
A single bullet hit her chest, bouncing off her light armour. The sudden jolt of pain was a shock to her. Did that just happen? Shouldn’t she have been fast enough to-
A second shot went through her thigh with a spray of blood. Melissa toppled over, screaming as her body hit the floor. The grim reality of her situation became painfully clear to her. She was going to die.
Tears blurred her vision, but she saw the ziarogat as it marched forward to stand over her. It pointed that wrist-mounted gun at her head.
Melissa shut her eyes tight.
Nothing happened.
She could sense her enemy’s silhouette; it was just standing there, ready for the kill shot. Why was it hesitating? Why not just end it?
The ziarogat flinched as a bullet burst out of its forehead. It fell forward, landing next to Melissa and revealing Corovin and Rajel standing in the open doorway.
Keli was there as well, clutching her head as if she had just expended a great deal of effort. She must have restrained the cyborg before it could take that final shot.
“She’s hit!” Rajel shouted.
Anna shoved both men aside and ran through the lab, dropping to her knees and sliding the last few metres. Her face was pale as she examined Melissa’s wound. “No, no, no, no,” she panted.
She twisted around, looking over her shoulder. “Jack, Rajel!” she barked. “Get the prisoners out. Corovin, clear a path to the nearest SlipGate. Keli, you’re with me.”
Anna removed her overcoat, revealing a black t-shirt and body armour underneath, and tied it tight around Melissa’s leg. “You know first aid?” she asked Keli.
The telepath shook her head.
“Scan my mind; you’re about to learn.”
4
When Corovin exited the lab, he found Mareen standing in the corner, still tied up with the polymer cord he had used to bind her. Jack was out here as well, keeping a gun pointed at the one Ragnosian soldier who was still on his feet.
That man wore a mocking grin as he peered into the lab. “I see your little friend ran afoul of our latest creation,” he said. “Well…at least we know the cyborgs live up to their reputation.”
The fury in Jack Hunter’s eyes made Corovin shiver. “Come on, Captain Smiley,” the Justice Keeper said, gesturing with his pistol. “There are a couple dozen people in those cells who would like to have a word with you.”
They started down the hall that led to the cellblock.
Rajel followed a moment later.
Alone with Mareen, Corovin took a moment to reassess the situation. The original plan was to escape to the SlipGate they had left in the woods, but he was fairly certain that Melissa wouldn’t make it that far. There were Gates inside the base, but he wouldn’t be able to access them without the proper security codes. But then, the solution to that was right in front of him.
Mareen was trembling.
Corovin stepped up to her, ordering his mask to split apart so she could see his face. He frowned at the woman. “Stretchers,” he said. “Don’t tell me you don’t have any. This facility turns people into killing machines. Some of them won’t survive the process.”
Pale-faced, Mareen looked up at him through those thin glasses. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.
“Hurry up!” he snapped.
“In the medical bay,” the woman said. “Follow me.”
She guided him into the corridor that led to the cellblock. He could see that it went on for quite some time before ending in a room where the lights flickered. He had heard gunfire coming from this direction while they tried to get the lab door open. Hunter and Lenai must have fought something big.
Mareen stopped in front of a door on his right. She turned awkwardly and struggled against the cord that held her. “I will need my hands.”
Corovin touched a button on his gauntlet.
The cord uncoiled, falling to land at her feet. Wasting no time, Mareen turned and pressed her hand against the palm scanner on the wall.
The door slid open.
Inside, Corovin found a large room with six large hospital beds, each with multiple screens to monitor the patient’s vitals. Those screens were all black now, the beds empty. Mareen grabbed a stretcher from the corner and wheeled it out into the hallway. Corovin had to run to keep up as she pushed it back to the lobby and into the lab.
Anna and Keli had Melissa’s leg wrapped up with multiple bandages. The girl was staring numbly at the ceiling, her face covered in sweat. She was breathing hard.
“Exit the lab area,” Corovin said. “Turn right and follow the hallway all the way to the end. You’ll find a SlipGate chamber. That is how they bring the prisoners in.”
“We’ll need access codes,” Anna grumbled.
“Mareen will help with that.” Corovin nudged her with one finger. “Won’t you, Mareen?”
Two seconds after he returned to the lobby, the door out of the restricted area slid partway open. “Stay back!” he shouted.
Corovin spun around, his mask snapping back into place. Two spider-bots leaped through the opening, both landing on the floor. In perfect synchrony, they flexed their little, plastic legs and jumped, gaining incredible height.
They turned upside-down along the way, tiny feet clamping onto the ceiling, round bodies swiveling to point those guns at Corovin. And they pelted him with ammunition. His armour deflected every shot, but even with all that padding, it hurt.
He pulled his rifle off his back, swung it over his shoulder and gripped it with both hands. Lining up his shot, he fired a single EMP round at one drone. The damn thing jumped out of the way.
More ammo hit Corovin.
If any of those shots pierced the weak parts near his neck and joints…
Retreating into the corridor, Corovin leaned against the wall. He raised his rifle and fired. Both spiders jumped – one going left, the other right – and his shot hit the ceiling instead, plastic crackling as it burned.
One of those spiders twisted in mid-flight, attaching itself to the wall. It adjusted its aim to target Corovin.
Streaks of white light shot out of the lab, hit the spider and smashed it to pieces. Several chunks of plastic landed on the floor.
The other one adjusted its aim to target the new threat.
Choking up on his rifle, Corovin squinted behind his visor. He squeezed the trigger, releasing a charged bullet that ripped right through the second spider, reducing it to a smoking ruin of plastic.
Corovin strode out into the lobby with his rifle in one hand, its muzzle pointed down at the floor. He shook his head in dismay. “I think we’re about to have company.”
Keli hissed as she pulled Melissa’s stretcher out of the lab. The girl was shivering, her eyes darting back and forth. Poor thing. How old was she anyway? It was so hard to tell with these Justice Keepers. “I thought they were keeping human soldiers away from us,” Keli said. “Because they feared my power.”
“I think they just got desperate enough to try.”
Corovin went to the door, slamming his shoulder up against the wall. He peered through the narrow gap, into the hallway outside the restricted area. A squadron of men in gray uniforms was coming this way. At least twenty of them.
Those who were sleeping on the lobby floor might start to wake up soon. A stun-round usually knocked you out for at least an hour, but there was always a chance that it might wear off sooner. Damn these Leyrians and their foolish notions of mercy.
This was going to get ugly.
The palm scanner had been damaged when Anna threw her grenade into the cellblock; Captain Smiley had to use the manual override to open the cell doors. Fortunately, those doors were thick enough to absorb the blast.
When the first one opened, nine people in blue smocks that covered them from shoulders to knees came stumbling out. Five men and four women. Their leader was a skinny fellow who looked as if he hadn’t eaten in days. Curly, brown hair fell to his shoulders, framing a haggard face with olive skin and deep, brown eyes. “What’s happening?” he asked.
Shutting his eyes, Jack took a deep breath and nodded to the man. “We’re getting you out of here,” he said in Vanasku. “Taking you back to Leyria where you’ll be safe.”
“Leyria?” one woman gasped.
“I don’t want to go to Leyria,” another added.
Cocking his head, Jack answered that with a smile. “Would you rather stay here?” he asked with a shrug. “I’m sure you’ll make wonderful cyborg slaves.”
The two women exchanged glances and shivered. The lead man ran fingers through his curly hair. “We’ll be grateful for any assistance you can offer,” he said. “My name is Pel. Just tell us what we have to do.”
Smiley used a manual crank to open the second door. Seven men and three women emerged from a cramped cell, stepping carefully over the fallen battle drone. They all had questions, more questions than Jack could answer; so, he directed them to Pel.
It wasn’t long before Smiley had the third cell open, allowing Rajel to usher its seven inhabitants into the open. Once they were all gathered in the cellblock, Jack raised his hands for silence. “We’re gonna make our way to the SlipGate,” he said. “We have ships waiting to take you to safety. But I need you to stay quiet and do exactly as I say. Are you with me?”
Several people nodded.
“Good enough,” he said.
The ziarogat pod pulsed like a beating heart, veiny flesh stretching. Maybe it was her imagination, but Anna almost thought she could see the body writhing inside. She wished that she could free whoever was in there, but the reality was that it was probably too late for them.
Sliding a two-hundred-and-fifty-gram brick of C-4 to under the pod, she attached a blasting cap to it. She had already done the same for the other two cocoons using bricks she had taken from Keli and Melissa. Every member of the team had one. Even Corovin. Together, they would provide enough explosive power to destroy the lab and most of the surrounding area. She set them all for remote detonation with a twenty-second timer once she pushed the button.
Kneeling on the floor, Anna wiped sweat off her brow. “Okay,” she whispered. “Onward to the next challenge.”
The last thing she did was affix a portable scanning unit to the wall, one that would transmit data to the Endeavour. With any luck, they would be back on the ship when the explosive went off. She had to be sure that it would work.
Upon exiting the lab, she found Corovin in the lobby. The man was peering through a crack in the door. “They’ve sent another security squad after us.”
Keli had wheeled the stretcher into the corner. That look of concentration on her face meant that she was probably using her talent to soothe Melissa. The girl did not look good. They had to get her out of here. She saw pieces of smashed spider-drone on the floor along with before Ragnosian men who were still sound asleep.
Anna ran for the door.
Turning around, she put her back to the wall, then closed her eyes and let out a breath. “Open it,” she said. “We take the fight to them.”
The Ragnosian scientist – Corovin said her name was Mareen – stood at the console, watching her with disbelief on her face. Surely, the intelligent thing to do was to keep the door shut as long as possible. Or, well, half shut.
Twenty well-armed soldiers against one Keeper and a guy in a fancy suit of armour. Not good odds. Keli was busy tending to Melissa. Anna didn’t think she could do much with her talent anyway. So, it was just her and Corovin.
He was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the door, breath rasping through the speaker that amplified his voice. “Are you insane?” he asked. “We keep that door closed, and they can’t rush us.”
Anna bared her teeth, hissing air through them. “No,” she said. “They’ll just hunker down and box us in. Then we’ll never get her to the Gate in time.”
“The girl is an acceptable loss.”
Anna hit a button on her pistol, setting it for stun-rounds. The LEDs on its barrel turned blue. “I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that!” she snapped. “Stay here and cover me. I’m going out.”
“You’ll be cut to pieces.”
“When your enemy has the advantage,” Anna said, “do something they won’t expect.” The prickling in her skin had faded to a mild tingle, and she felt a rush of confidence from Seth. She knew what it meant. Her Nassai had enough strength for one Bending, maybe two. She had to be careful. “Now, open it!”
Mareen pressed her hand against the console.
Anna heard the sound of the door sliding on its track.
Bullets rushed through the opening, across the lobby and into the hallway that led to the cellblock. They would hit the back wall of the anteroom. Mareen was trying to stay out of the line of fire. “Keli,” Anna said. “Give me her grenade.”
The telepath snatched the small, round explosive off Melissa’s belt and tossed it. Anna caught it with a deft hand.
She threw it out the door.
“You didn’t even arm it,” Corovin muttered.
When Anna peeked around the corner, she saw the backs of twenty gray-clad men all fleeing from a grenade that had landed in the middle of the corridor. She lined up a shot and pulled the trigger.
Her bullet hit the back of one man’s leg, and he convulsed, falling flat on his face. Before he even hit the floor, Anna targeted another man and shot his arm. That one went down as well.
Anna ran out the door.
Her feet pounded the tiles as she bolted across the intersection and into the hallway full of enemies. She was like a wolf on the hunt, coming up behind them. So far, they didn’t seem to notice, though they were stopping now that they had gotten away from the grenade. Some of them were probably wondering why it hadn’t gone off.
Anna hopped over the bodies of the two she had stunned and continued her pursuit. The men in the back of that crowd were exchanging confused stares. There were three of them abreast. One by one, they turned around.
She jumped and kicked the one in the middle, driving a foot into his chest. The strength of a Justice Keeper sent him careening backward into his comrades, and several soldiers fell to the floor.
Anna landed between the other two.
She immediately kicked the knee of the one on her right and heard the stomach-churning snap of shattered bones. That man shrieked, dropping his weapon and leaning against the wall.
The one on her left was swinging his rifle around to aim at her.
Bending her knees, Anna jumped and back-flipped through the corridor. She landed hard and put up a Time Bubble the instant her feet touched the floor. A vertical cylinder that didn’t quite brush the ceiling.
Through it, she could see that the third man had already brought his rifle around to shoot at her, had already fired several rounds that were inching toward the shimmering patch of warped space-time.
