"So you're John Yancey's daughter?" The girl didn't answer. "Are you?" She shouted, stuffing the muzzle of her gun against the girl's forehead.
"Shay, stop!" Axel warned, reaching out and grabbing the m-16 by the muzzle. He forced it backwards, almost causing her to lose her grip on her weapon. She turned to stare at him, eyes blazing with fury. "It doesn't matter whose daughter she is- it matters what side she's on, and I don't think she's on his."
"I don't give a shit if she's walking around wearing a shirt and waving a flag that says 'I love the Carriers." She's fucking Yancey's kid. He wouldn't put his own daughter in the line of fire if he didn't expect us not to kill her. Those snipers weren't shooting to kill, they were shooting to incapacitate. If they wanted to kill us we would be dead. He wants us for something, Axel, and I bet you five dollars his little angel knows."
"For one, my name is Selena." The girl growled, her hands clenched tightly into fists. "And I do know what he wants, but think about it. I've had multiple opportunities to blow your head off. I'm a Carrier myself, for God's sake."
Her first reaction was to cry bullshit. She looked into the girl's eyes and found the signature rings encasing her pupils. Despite the evidence she wasn't convinced, and it wasn't in her nature to be trusting. Selena certainly was a Carrier, there was no disputing that- but who's side was she on?
"Tell me what your father wants and where Carson is and we won't kill you," she barked firmly, her gun back on Selena's head. "And make it fast."
"He ordered the snipers to incapacitate you so he could kill Carson in front of you. He expected more of you, which is why there was more than one sniper. I was one of them, too, but one of the agents here is infected and he coughed on me in the armory. As soon as I realized I was a Carrier I ran. I don't know where he's keeping Carson, I swear. Just look through every room you can." Her voice was soft, delicate features contorted in pain. The bandage wrapped around her hip was already blooming scarlet, a striking splash against the medical white. They couldn't move her.
"Stay where you are, we'll come back for you. Don't move that leg." Selena nodded quickly. I like how well she takes orders. "Axel, let's go."
They both stood up, slinging their backpacks back over their shoulders and grabbing their guns. There was only one route deeper into the facility, a long hallway past two large double doors centered behind the desk. She made a beeline towards it, stepping right over the bodies of the agents she'd dropped earlier. Dodging the snipers had been a warm up- the real battle was about to begin.
And the moment they broke through those doors, it did.
Chapter 42
Shay paused just inside the doorway, observing the hallway. It stretched out before her, several doors spanning the white walls. Carson could be behind any one of them. She took a few steps towards the one nearest to her, knowing they'd have to comb through every room until they found him.
The sound of footfalls snapped her attention away from the main task at hand. She turned gun first to find a wave of five agents rushing down the hallway towards them, their guns drawn. She raised her weapon and squeezed the trigger, mowing them all down within fifteen seconds. Quick, brutal, but efficient. It was her style. No need to make them suffer.
She stood there, finger still hovering over the trigger, waiting for the next wave. For a moment there was no sound but the wail of the alarm, drowning out her and Axel's heavy breathing.
A flood of agents came rushing out of the door on her left. She twisted, blindly firing into the crowd. One barreled into her and slammed her up against a wall, pinning her arms with her hands and rendering her gun useless. She struggled momentarily before it became apparent he was of superior strength, thus keeping her trapped. Think fast, Shay, think fast. You have about ten seconds before he kills you.
Making a quick decision she brought a knee up hard into his groin with as much force as she could muster. The man's hands instantly released her but she wasn't done- she took hold of the M16 in both hands and brought it down on his head as she slammed her knee into his chin. He crumpled onto the floor in an unconscious heap, prompting her to leave him. It would be pointless to kill a man who couldn't hurt her.
Gunshots echoed through the hallway and her first instinct was to hit the floor, pressing her body down against the tiles and sweeping the area for targets. She turned left to discover it had only been Axel who fired his gun, taking care of the other two that had rushed them.
A fresh wave of bullets ripped through the air above her head, burying into the wall behind her. Instinctively Shay returned fire, but from her low vantage point the best she could do was hit someone in the thigh, if she hit her target at all. She ducked to the side as an agent sent a stream of bullets her way, the first scarcely missing her temple. It would have been a kill shot.
A bloody hand clasped around her ankle. She twisted with a yelp of surprise, ready to finish off an agent. Instead she found Axel lying on his back, a crimson puddle spreading out beneath him. Panic surged through her and she fired back blindly before crawling over to her fallen friend, silently pleading it wasn't a mortal wound.
"No… Take care of them first," he told her through gritted teeth. Her heart told her to ignore the agents and care for her friend but her mind told her she had to kill them first, and she was a girl who always followed her instincts. They'd both be dead if she didn't take care of the remaining agents first. Become indestructible, Shay. You're alone now.
With a fresh dose of adrenaline she sat up and fired several rounds down the hallway, managing to kill or wound all four remaining agents. Two of the four were still alive, continuing to shoot at her. A bullet clipped her left arm just below the bicep and she cried out in pain, emptying her clip on the last two. The blood began to flow immediately, soaking the bare skin around the wound in moments. She clamped her teeth down on her lip, biting back whimpers as blood swelled around her teeth.
The gunfire stopped, signaling she'd succeeded. She turned and crawled over to Axel, struggling to ignore the sharp pain that shot up through her arm with every move. He was in a far more serious condition than she was. She was merely grazed- he had been full on shot. His hands were pressed over his upper thigh, dark crimson blood seeping between his fingers. She gingerly removed his hands, cringing when he winced. His breathing was shallow and rapid, features contorted in agony. Oh God, what if it an artery? He'll bleed out right here.
She inspected the wound. She'd seen brain matter, internal organs and chunks of bone blown everywhere- Axel's wound was small on the terms of gore. She could see the back of the bullet glistening in his flesh, coated with his blood. The flow of blood was steady but not enough to signal an artery had been ruptured. His condition was less than favorable, put he would live. Relief rushed through her and she audibly sighed, taking a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves.
"Shay, you were hit." Axel said in between shallow breaths. She shook her head. The adrenaline had done an excellent job at numbing the pain.
"Just barley," she responded, brushing him off. "The bullet's about three inches deep in your leg. You'll live, but I need to wrap it fast and stop the bleeding. I'll need you to cover me."
He nodded quickly and trained his gun towards the end of the hallway, bracing for the next wave. She slung the backpack off her shoulder, fumbling around inside until she found the roll of bandages. She wrapped it around the wound five times; identical to how she'd done Selena's, and secured it with a little knot. He grunted as she applied pressure for a few seconds, simply making sure it was secure. They were in the eye of the storm now, the momentary calm in a hurricane. Another wave would arrive before she knew it.
As if on cue Axel began to unload his m-16, gunshots popping in her ears. Positive his wound was secure she grabbed her gun and whipped around, prepared to rush into battle once more. Wait, shit, my clip's empty.
She snatched the strap of her backpack and heaved it forwards until it was resting just before her knees, top unzipped. She removed
the empty clip and stuffed a new one in, cursing as a bullet hissed past her ear. Too many near misses, step up your game Shay. Become indestructible. It's now or never.
"Don't try to walk; I'll hold them off until you can get out of here." She shouted at him, shooting at the remaining agent left standing. One bullet tore into his thigh and another into his abdomen, sending him crumpling to the floor.
"And let you die? You're not as invincible as you think. Carson would never forgive me. I'm not backing down!" He yelled through gritted teeth.
"I wasn't giving you an order before, but now I am. I'm ordering you to get out of here, Axel!"
"Goddammit, you can't do this alone!"
"Watch me!" She cried back, stubborn pride clouding her judgment. There was a song she'd always listen to before every game, her ultimate pump up. She was reciting the lyrics to that song in her mind then, channeling the motivation she received from the words. She was on a bloody warpath now; there would be no stopping her until she had Carson in her arms and Yancey's blood on her hands. It was what she came here for and it was what she would leave here with. She would not die trying. She would succeed and live to taste the pride. There were no other options. I'll have you know, that I've become indestructible.
Then she was off, charging down the hallway towards a fresh wave of agents. One fired at her and scarcely missed, provoking her to send several rounds into his chest. The other two lunged at her, one slamming the butt of his weapon into her gut. She doubled over as spit flew out of her mouth, pain just then registering in her mind.
The other agent struck while she was weak, barreling into her and slamming her against the wall just as her finger found the trigger. Her bullets went flying into the ceiling, useless. Axel fired twice from down the hallway, hitting the one who'd struck her in the stomach. His head snapped back as his face disappeared and then he was gone, crumpling on the floor in a heap. Determination that is incorruptible.
"It's about time you dumb kids finally made it easy for us," the agent sneered, digging his fingernails into the skin on her arms. His thumb found the bullet wound and he drove it down hard. Agony shot up from her forearm and she screamed, thrashing against his pin. "Where's the rest of your little army, Claire? They all dead, killed by the snipers? You're the only one we want alive." His face was inches from hers, hot breath against her cheek. The closer he got the hotter her blood became. I'm going to fucking blow your brains out, she silently sneered. And it will be the first kill I actually enjoy.
"Go fuck yourself." She sneered, spitting in his face. She brought her head forwards to head-butt him, their foreheads connecting with a wham. She was pretty sure the blow hurt her more than it hurt him, but it didn't matter- she now had to element of surprise on her side. She used it to her advantage and brought her knee up into his gut, kicking him off of her with a grunt. One clean shot to the head and he was gone, life blown out all over the wall behind him. From the other side a terror to behold, annihilation will be unavoidable!
She leaned up against the wall, breathing heavily. Her heart was pounding in her chest and blood roaring in her ears, every cell of her being tingling with the adrenaline of battle. The bullet graze on her arm still stung, blood slipping down her skin.
Another door swung open and she groaned. When would they stop coming?
The first agent didn't shoot at her as she'd expected. Instead he charged at her, arms raised to bring his gun down on her head. She raised the m-16 and waited until just the last moment, putting a bullet between his eyes right as he was about to strike her. It wasn't a difficult shot, as it was point blank, but the mess it left behind miles from pretty. Every broken enemy will know that their opponent had to be invincible!
The other agents kept coming. She cursed and shot at them, several bullets missing before finally hitting their mark. She still missed one and shot the other two in the chest. The survivor continued to gain on her, his eyes ablaze. It took several empty clicks for it to register she was out of ammunition yet again. The agent was almost upon her, there was no time to grab the 9 mm. She was going to have to improvise.
Thinking fast Shay reared her arms up behind her head as if she was about to swing a bat. She swung down, hitting him in the face baseball style. His head snapped back while his legs buckled and he fell, unconscious. Take a last look around while you're alive, I'm an indestructible master of war!
"I'm indestructible." She growled through gritted teeth. She'd never been more confident in her abilities than she was at that moment- She'd done it. Her fierce determination was something that could not be deterred and it had shone through there- nobody could stop her from obtaining her goals now. My motivation, an oath I've sworn to defend.
Silence then engulfed the hallway, the only sound her ragged breathing. Adrenaline was still coursing through her veins, momentarily numbing the pain. Beads of sweat were forming across her hairline, slowly starting to trickle down her face. Her heart was still pounding away beneath her ribcage as she slowly walked back over to Axel, picking her way over bodies. The reek of blood was strong in the air.
She returned to his side, squatting down to check the wrapping. Blood had soaked through to the top of the bandage but he otherwise looked no worse for wear. Only time would tell if it would leave permanent damage.
"Do you have any painkillers in there?" Axel asked groggily, weakly pointing to the backpack strapped to her shoulders.
"No, sorry. Stay here. I'm going to look through all these doors," Shay replied, patting him on the shoulder as if to say "chin up."
"In case you don't come back, can I say something?" Her dark eyes met his warily. Still taken aback by his revelation from earlier, she wasn't sure she wanted to permit him to go on. He parted his mouth to speak when more heavy footfalls reached her ears. She turned, and, sure enough, more of them were charging down the hallway towards them.
"Mother fucker!" She cursed, just ready for it to be over with. How many more of them could there possibly be? She turned, snatched Axel's guns from his hands and replaced it with her own. "Reload and protect yourself!"
Shay then charged into the next wave, taking out one quickly. The other three kept coming. Behind her Axel fired and another agent fell to the floor, blood quickly blooming across his shirtfront. The other two kept gaining on her, moving much faster than anticipated. The exact same moment her finger found the trigger the agents were upon her, the stream of bullets shooting directly between their bodies. Strong hands found her shoulders while boot-clad feet struck her shins, pulling her down to the floor.
Her body hit the ground hard. The back of her skull collided with the wall on the way down, bringing back the pain from earlier. She lay there stunned at the base of the wall for a few moments, brain only focused on the pain that seemed to be streaming from every pore. One of the agents brought his foot down hard on her stomach, winding her. It felt as if all the air had been stomped from her body in one blow, almost as if her lungs had been crushed. She coughed and gasped for air, trying to scream for Axel but her words weren't catching.
The dark outlines of the agents began to bend down in her peripheral vision, most likely planning on finishing what they started. She forced herself up onto her elbows only to be met with a hard blow to her nose, knocking her back down. Pain overrode her senses and her teeth clamped down on her lips to bite back a cry of pain. Blood was already freely streaming from her nostrils, slipping inside her mouth between parted lips. I swear to God, if those fuckers broke my nose!
"That'll teach her." One of the agents snickered as his hands found her arms, holding them down while his buddy pinned her legs. She knew screaming for Axel would be no use- he wouldn't shoot. There was far too great of a risk he'd miss his target and hit her instead. She was going to have to fight her way out of this one on her own.
She thrashed beneath their pin, only stopping when one of them kneed her in the side. All the oxygen was once again beaten from her body, leaving her lungs feeling deflated and hollow.
"Any last words for your little boyfriend, Claire?" One sneered as he dug the barrel of his gun into her temple, his face spaces away from hers. Her eyes grew wide and she began struggling again, pushing through the immense pain. That meant that somewhere Carson was alive and watching. If that was the only incentive she had to keep fighting through the agony then so be it- she wouldn't die without seeing his face one last time. "Hurry up before we blow your damn brains out!"
"Why are you so eager to blow my brains out, huh? Is it cause it's the only blowing you'll ever experience?" She smirked, making eye contact with the agent. Good move smartass- he'll only be happier to obliterate your skull.
The agent sneered and dug the muzzle of the gun deeper against her temple. His partner was smiling, the sadistic look in both of their gray-blue eyes terrifying her. She wouldn't have her one secret weapon coming to her aid this time- both of these agents were Immune. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, hoping her life ended in a flash of white light instead of a wave of agony.
"You better be watching this, Bradley! She's gonna look real pretty when the bullet's done with her!" The agent sneered. For Carson's sake, she prayed he wasn't.
Suddenly the agent's pressure was lifted off of her. Her eyelids flew open and she looked up to see the agent writhing on the floor, the bloody grip of a switchblade jutting out of his back. She stared at him, dumbfounded for a few moments before gunshots snapped her attention to the other agent, expecting to find him shooting at her.
Instead she found the carnage point blank shots to the head left in their wake. The other agent's face was gone, gore splattered all across the wall behind him. A girl was standing a foot from his corpse, red blood all over the hands that gripped a .45. Her olive skin was glistening with sweat and her long, dark ringlets were pulled back into a low ponytail. She racked her brain for recognition but found none- her life had just been saved by a total stranger.
Carriers Page 32