Time War: Onslaught
Page 20
“What the hell is this?”
“It isn’t Hitler, Nylund. That’s what it is,” said Porter.
Nylund shook his head in disbelief. “What? No, it has to be!”
“They’ve modified this man to be a double, and it was a fucking good job.”
“So we did all this for nothing?”
“No, not nothing.”
“Corwin!” Chas shouted from across the hangar bay floor.
They all turned towards her. She was pointing out to a small group of soldiers carrying stretchers to a craft in the hangar. As Corwin noticed them, a glass divider began to shut between them at quite some speed. Their comrades were being taken to the transport. One man had stopped and was watching them.
“Villiers,” said Corwin.
He rushed forward at a sprinting pace to try and make it under the door, but it was closing too fast. It slammed down shut between them, effectively dividing the hangar in two. He smashed into the glass and wailed against but he realised it was far stronger than they could hope to deal with in the time they had. Villiers looked calm and collected. So much so that it was as if everything had gone to his plan. It made Corwin feel sick.
“You lose, Sergeant.” Villiers’ voice was transmitted over the intercom.
“I’m gonna fucking kill you!” Corwin smashed his fist on the glass, his despair visible, but the sound did not carry through. He fell to his knees.
He watched Lecia being loaded into one of the craft. She was so close, so close to his grasp, and yet so far away.
“I thank you for providing me with such fine specimens to continue my research. Be assured, they will be quite useful in my programme. And, Sergeant, this will be a goodbye. As much as this has been fun, all good things must come to an end,” he said as he lifted up a timer and pushed it to the glass. Its suction system held it in place, and Villiers began to laugh uncontrollably.
“You would destroy this whole place just to get us?”
“I would destroy an entire city to kill you, Sergeant, but who knew it could be so easy?” he replied with a wicked smile before turning and heading for the craft.
Corwin looked around for some help, and a few of them were looking for a way in.
“It’s no good. We have to find another way out!”
There was just seven minutes left on the count.
“There is no other way out!” replied Nylund.
“Just one.” Rane pointed up as if to the sky and remembering the helicopter on the way in.
“What? It might not even be there anymore, and who the hell is going to fly it?”
“I will, now move!” Corwin ordered.
He looked back one last time as the aircraft began to taxi with their three friends on board and Villiers himself. He grabbed Chas in both arms and rushed on as they each helped one another. Nylund and Rane seemed to be the only ones not hurt. Rane carried Frasi, but Porter and Harland would accept help from nobody.
“He’s really going to blow this place just for us?”
“What would you be willing to destroy to kill him?” Corwin asked breathlessly.
Nylund could see it was a fair point, and they kept going, using every ounce of strength they had left. He fired the last two shots he had in his pistol into a remaining soldier as they took the bend. Corwin checked the time. They were quickly running out of time. Finally, they were on the ramp up to the roof, and there seemed some sign of hope. They ran on and could just see the outline of the rotors of the helicopter. They were in luck, but as they drew nearer, they were stopped in their tracks. Robak was blocking their way. He was covered in blood, but still standing, and very much alive.
Nobody had a bullet left, and most of them were too badly hurt to fight. Corwin passed Frasi to Nylund and stood his ground.
“He’s mine,” he stated.
The others went to protest, but he carried on, “Don’t argue with me. Go!”
He drew his knife and slowly moved ahead. The rest of them went around, and Robak let them pass. It was as if he cared for nothing now but killing Corwin, and Corwin him. The Captain took one last look at his watch; they were painfully short on time now.
“All this loss, and what did you achieve?” he asked, laughing loudly.
“Your death will be enough, Robak!”
Corwin jumped forward and slashed into Robak’s face. His legs were too badly wounded to move as he was used to, and the blade cut deeply into his nose. He responded by going forward, parrying Corwin’s next strike, and then punching to his already bloody and painful nose. Corwin spat out blood and staggered back, but he managed to keep hold of the knife.
The rest of his people jumped into the aircraft and looked at one another for answers.
“Who’s going to fly this heap of junk?” Chas asked.
Everyone looked to Nylund.
“Oh, what the hell!”
He went to the cockpit and looked around at the controls, shaking his head in disbelief.
“What the fuck is this?” he said quietly, not sure where to start.
Corwin staggered back and looked at a fresh slice he had placed on Robak’s arm as the engines of the helicopter fired up. He looked down at his watch again.
Only one minute to go!
“Boss, we gotta go!” Chas shouted from the door of the chopper.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Robak snapped.
“Just go, now!”
Nylund listened to the orders, whether through loyalty or to save his own neck, none of them were quite sure.
“You know you really are an ugly piece of shit,” Corwin replied.
The helicopter slowly began to lift.
“Now you are mine,” said Robak.
Corwin rushed forward without another word and ran at Robak. He swung for him, but Corwin rolled under him and slashed his hamstrings out with his knife. He then rolled back to his feet and kept going. Robak collapsed down. His blood poured out onto the ground, and he desperately tried to stem the bleeding.
Corwin was running with everything he had, but the helicopter was lifting. He felt the ground beneath him shake. The massive explosive charges in the complex had ignited, and the ramp behind him collapsed into the mountain.
“Run!” Chas screamed at him.
The ground of the landing bay was collapsing in after the ramp quicker than he could run. He gave it his all and could hardly breathe, but leapt at the last moment. He covered a massive height and distance, landing with just his hands gripping the edge of the door. At that moment the helicopter quickly rose up higher, and a dust cloud erupted beneath him. Chas reached down to help him. She took his arm and hauled him in through the door. She stumbled back as he collapsed on the floor beside her.
Corwin breathed a sigh of relief. “We fucking did it.”
“Did what? We didn’t get Hitler. We didn’t get Villiers,” said Porter.
Corwin looked sad, but he still shook his head.
“No, but we came close, and that terrifies them.”
“But we’re still half a team,” Harland said solemnly.
“I know where they are being taken,” a faint voice said. Frasi was conscious, and he carried on speaking, “I know where Villiers’ base is and how to reach it. I know how to get our people back.”
Corwin shook his head in amazement.
“We all know what we have to do. We struck a blow today that let the Nazis know just how close we are on their tails. Next up, it’s time to get our people back!”
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
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