Star Cat Forever: A Science Fiction & Fantasy Adventure (The Star Cat Series - Book 6)
Page 27
Sierra ignored the flippant remark, “Unbolt the doors.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing—”
“—Goddamn it, just shut up and do what I say. Unbolt the doors.”
Sierra pushed herself away from the back window and turned to face the front of the van.
“Good luck back there,” Rana said as the back of the mack truck enveloped the gray van’s windshield.
Sierra threw her a wry grin and bolted up the aisle with her gun aimed at the back window.
“Amelia, duck.”
She did as instructed and kept her hands steady on the steering wheel.
“Move, move,” she screamed as Remy and Roman moved out of her path.
BLAM — BLAM — SMAASSSSHHH.
Sierra shot the windshield to smithereens before pushing herself - head-first - through the shower of glass falling within the frame.
WHOOOSH.
She opened her hands and grabbed the handles on the back door of the mack truck.
WHUD — CLANG.
“Gaaaaah,” she squealed as the tips of her feet hung five feet from the speeding freeway ground, “Go, go, go.”
“I gotcha,” Rana’s voice tore into Sierra’s headset, “Hang on.”
“What do you think I’m doing?”
KLATCH — KLOTCH.
The left door of the mack truck unbolted and swung out, flinging Sierra’s legs into the air.
“Waaaaah,” she screamed as the door bounced on the side of the truck and slammed to the back.
Jelly balanced herself on top of the gray van as it swerved to the left and caught up with the mack truck.
GRRRRRRR.
She swung her right arm at Metal Bird One and gripped the trigger.
“Come to Mommy, you dirty little mouse,” she growled.
THRAAAAA-TATTAAA-AAT.
She fired a round of bullets at the whizzing helicopter as Brayn fired back at her.
BLAM — BLAM.
The bullets rocketed past the helicopter door and narrowly avoided taking Brayn’s head off his shoulders.
The returning shells flew towards Jelly.
She barrel-rolled across the roof as one of them smashed onto the top of the van.
“Whoa,” Jelly squealed and brought herself to her knees, “Come here for a murdering, dickheads.”
The shell bust through the roof and nearly took Roman’s head off.
“Jesus Christ,” he yelled and ducked as the fifth row of seats bust open upon the bullet’s impact. He turned to Remy and lifted his gun.
“Comrade, get back. They’re firing at us.”
“Okay.”
“You got a gun. Are you ready to shoot these mothers?”
“You know I am.”
A whirlwind of white lights illuminated the interior of the van from the back window.
Remy and Roman turned, together, to face the onslaught of MagCycles.
“Oh dear,” Roman said. “Now’s the time, young man.”
The first USARIC MagCycle sped up on the MagStrip alongside the gray van.
“Citizen,” the cycle screamed, “This is The United States and Russian Intergalactic Confederation. Stop your vehicle, now.”
“I don’t think so.”
Roman smashed the glass on the back of the van and shot at them. Remy joined him and took pot-shots at the cycles approaching from behind the first.
Jelly was about to take another shot at the helicopter when she noticed the commotion coming from the freeway’s MagStrips.
“Huh?”
Her torso swiveled around, followed by her limbs and, finally, her head.
STOMP — STOMP.
Her eyes enlarged as she saw the stream of USARIC mercs on MagCycles speeding alongside the van.
“Stop your vehicle,” the first MagCycle screamed.
“I don’t think so,” Jelly roared inside her helmet.
SWISH — SCHUNT.
Jelly pointed her right arm at the MagStrip and yanked on the trigger.
TRAT-AAAA-TAT — BLAZZZEEEEE.
Thousands of bullets screamed at the MagCycles. A bullet hit the first cycle, sending it wobbling left and right and off the strip, losing its magnetic levitation.
KERRUUNNCCCHHH.
The nose of the cycle rammed into the ground and catapulted the mercenary into the air.
ROAAAARRRRR.
The mercenary darted through the air like a spinning firework, “Aggghhhhhhh—”
CATCH — CRUNCH.
Jelly caught him in her left hand and slammed her boots on the roof of the van.
“Ah,-n-nooooo,” he begged. “P-Please, d-don’t k-kill—”
“—A bit late for that, isn’t it?” Jelly screamed in his face and turned to the helicopter. “Let’s see how well you can fly, asshole.”
She spun around on the spot, using the inertia to fling the mercenary at Metal Bird One.
ROOOAAARRR — WHOOOSH.
The mercenary darted through the air, smashed head-first against the side of the helicopter and plummeted down to the ground.
WHUMP — SCHPLATTT.
Jelly brushed her left hand on her waist and scowled at the helicopter door.
GRUNT.
Maar could barely believe his eyes, “Brayn?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Why aren’t you firing all the bullets at that bitch?”
“The spool mechanism needs to cool down. If it overheats it’ll break. Or worse, explode.”
“Damn it,” Maar screamed at Santiago, temporarily forgetting the mini-drone was capturing all the events. “This cannot be happening to me. She’s using our own employees as ammunition against me?”
He stepped forward and slid his shotgun from his shoulder.
WHUMP.
“That goddamn rodent is dead,” he screamed as he cocked his gun and aimed it down at her, “Die, you dumb pussy.”
BLAM — BLAM.
Maar’s first bullet whizzed past her helmet.
“Huh?” she growled.
The second bullet screamed towards her. She lifted her right arm and batted the shell away with her mini-gun.
KRAAA-SCHTAAAAM.
The speed of the bullet put a dent in the USARIC logo on the side of her firearm.
“Ha. How very apt,” Jelly snorted and returned fire. “Eat lead, you bastard.”
THRAAAAA-TAT-A-TAAAAAT.
“Jesus Christ, she’s shooting back,” Maar screamed. “Do something.”
WHUDDA-WHUDDA-WHUDDAAAA.
Metal Bird One banked to the left, forcing the occupants in the back to slam against the closed door opposite the turret.
“Waaahhh—”
KERRR—RUNCH.
Maar yelped as he rammed against the door, “Yaaaoowwwffug—”
“—Sir, are you okay?” Brayn asked.
“—No I’m not fricken okay, you dummy,” he yelled and pointed at the turret, “I want that damn vermin dead. Get back on the thing.”
“Yes, sir.”
Brayn raced over to the right door and gripped the turret handles once again.
“Game over, pet,” he yelled as his fingers slid over both triggers.
Jelly aimed her right arm at the helicopter once again and pulled the trigger within.
THRAAAAA-TAT-A-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK.
Her giant min-gun ran out of ammo.
Click-click.
“Damn it,” she snorted as the last of her bullets blasted along the side of the helicopter.
Brayn hollered at her from the turret. “Hey, Anderson. Out of ammo, you dumb animal? Haha.”
GROOWWWLLLL.
Jelly braced herself for an onslaught of ammunition. She held her gun across her chest and crouched to her knees.
“The first ever Star Cat, huh?” Brayn finished. “And the last.”
BLAM - BLAM - BLAM - BLAM - BLAM.
Santiago held his breath as he witnessed Brayn squeeze the triggers and unleashed a flurry of bullets at Jelly.
The concentration of spent ammo pulverized her armor in a blaze of orange fury. The bullets that missed chewed into the freeway and broke its surface.
SCHTANG — CRACK — SMASH.
The bullets chewed into her armor as she covered her body with her arms. If nothing else, her selfless act protected the roof of the van. The final bullet smashed into her visor and tore a streak of cracks across the panel.
She grunted and turned over her shoulder to find the top of the mack truck speeding alongside her.
GROOOOWWWWLLLL.
She twisted her hips and prepared to throw herself at the truck.
BLAM - BLAM - BLAM - BLAM - BLAM.
Jelly launched off the roof of the van and rolled onto the adjacent roof.
“Guuuhhhh,” she shook her head and slammed her left hand down.
Sierra landed inside the back of the mack truck and caught her breath.
“I’m in,” she said into her mouthpiece.
“Good,” Rana said. “Get the EMP and take care of those cyclists—”
WHUMP.
The ceiling jutted down in the middle, struggling to carry the weight of whatever had landed on it.
“Jelly?” Sierra shouted.
CLANG — CLANG — CLANG.
“It’s her,” she yelled as she ran over to the silver crate in the corner. “Anderson’s on the roof.”
Sierra flipped the latches on all four sides and removed her left thumbnail.
Bwip-pip.
“Arming, now.”
Sierra placed her thumbnail onto the plate, forcing the device to spring to life.
“The EMP is hot,” she said as she slid her foot underneath the crate and lifted it up to her arms, “Damn, this is heavy.”
Jelly had no choice but to balance precariously atop the speeding truck and watch the USARIC mercs on their MagCycles surround both vehicles.
“Driver. Pull your vehicle over,” roared the front-most MagCycle. The USARIC merc pointed his gun at the doors.
“Well, this all seems very familiar,” Rana muttered as she peered into her side mirror.
Dozens of USARIC mercenaries on MagCycles zipped up behind them.
“Driver, pull over now.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Rana snapped.
She spun the steering wheel to the left.
The truck veered onto the MagStrip and smashed against the cycle, forcing it to nose-dive to the ground and fling its occupant over the handlebars.
Jelly grabbed her mini-gun with her left hand, swung it behind her head, and watched the mercenary come flying towards her.
“Batter up.”
The spinning mercenary tumbled past her, just in time for Jelly to swing her gun and—
THWACK.
The mercenary’s chest exploded as Jelly’s gun smashed into him like a baseball bat. His body contorted around his abdomen, snapping his bones, and sent him hurtling to the ground.
WHUP — WHUP —WHUP.
His body tumbled over and over on the shiny surface, barricading the speeding cycles headed in his direction.
The driver of the first MagCycle twisted the brakes around, “Oh, nooooo—”
It was too late.
The freshly-executed mercenary’s corpse provided an absence of magnetic force, pushing the next six MagCycles over his waist, off the strip entirely, and into the air.
WHOOOSHHHH.
Jelly lifted her head as six men catapulted into the air with their arms and legs flailing.
GROOOWWWWLLL.
She held out her left arm and caught two mercenaries on their downward trajectory.
WHUMP — WHUMP.
“Afternoon, gentlemen.”
The first mercenary pressed his hands to her colossal “thumb” and tried to wriggle free, “Oh, n-noooo. P-Please, d-don’t—”
GRRRRR — CRUNCH.
She squeezed their waists in her giant clutches and crushed them to death.
They hung, limp and lifeless, in her grasp.
She stormed to the back of the mack truck and flung both corpses at the dozens of MagCycles approaching on the metal strip.
TUMBLE — BOUNCE — KEERRASSSHHH.
The two bodies rolled over the metal strip and crashed against the first cycle. The first hurtled to the freeway’s side verge and slid across the grass.
The second occupant launched over the handlebars and slid into the distance.
“Heh,” Jelly sneered and dropped to her knees. She gripped the lip of the truck and lowered her head.
Sierra hulked the EMP to the back of the truck with her hands. She tilted her head up to see an upside-down tiger face encased in heavy armor grunting at her from the roof.
“Hello, Sierra.”
“Jeez,” she squealed and dropped the EMP on the floor. “Don’t scare me like that.”
“What’s that thing you’re carrying?”
“The EMP,” Sierra said. “It’s for—”
“—I know what it’s for,” Jelly spat. “Looks heavy. You need a paw?”
“I could use a hand, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Just give me the EMP,” Jelly said.
She flung her left hand down and opened her gigantic clawed hand.
Sierra slid behind the device and rammed it forward with both hands, “Ngggggggg.”
“Come on, hurry up,” Jelly screamed and snapped her claws together.
KLITCH — KLATCHHH.
Sierra yelled at the top of her lungs as she shoved the device along the grooves on the floor of the truck.
WHUMP — CATCH.
Jelly’s fingers closed around the EMP, securing it in her bullet-proof palm.
“Thanks.”
“Hey, you’re welcome,” Sierra said.
“Get in the front and look after the girls.”
“Okay.”
Jelly slammed her right mini-gun to the roof and used it to hoist herself to her knees.
She lifted the beeping EMP with ease in her left hand and lifted it above her head.
“Okay, assholes. Get some of this.”
Roman and Remy joined Amelia at the front of the van, “What’s Jelly doing now?”
“She has the EMP,” she said. “I need to get away from the MagStrips—”
BLAM - BLAM - BLAM - BLAM.
Several mercs screamed a few feet ahead of the van and smashed onto the freeway, creating a cloud of smoke and a litany of potholes.
WHUMP — B-BUMP.
“Gah, hold tight,” Amelia screamed as she veered the van to the right and inadvertently hit the side of the mack truck.
“The hell are you doing?” Rana’s voice flew into her ears.
“It’s not my fault. That damn metal bird is shooting at us and we have bad guys on cycles trying to blow us to kingdom come.”
“Damn it, be careful,” Rana snapped. “We have explosives in here.”
VROOOOOOOM.
Amelia looked through the shattered windshield and focused on Jelly standing at the edge of the truck.
“Oh, Jeez.”
FLING.
Jelly launched the EMP into the air and rammed her foot into the roof of the truck.
A giant crack bust along the edges.
“Now.”
The device fell to the tarmac. A mooring spike jutted out through the bottom and impaled the device to the middle lane of the freeway.
BOLT.
“Sierra?” Jelly grunted, calmly, as she studied the MagCycles on either side of them, “I dunno if you can hear me, but they’re about to shoot. Do it now.”
Sierra pulled her sleeve up her left forearm and pressed her thumb to the ink on her skin.
SWIPP.
“Hold onto something,” Sierra roared into her headset. “EMP. EMP.”
Roman and Remy watched the EMP fizz to life as it vanished behind them.
Roman pushed the boy to the floor, “Get down.”
The entire scene slowed down in Remy’s eyes. A blast
of pure white light emitted from the device.
BIZZZZOOOOOOOWWWWW.
The whizzing trees and landscape stopped still, leaving a ghost-like trace of their contours spreading away.
The MagCycles appeared to crash to a halt and freeze in time.
“Aggghhhh,” Remy screamed, but couldn’t hear his own voice. The air in front of his face rippled like water as his voice escaped his throat.
The magnetic force on both strips vanished, rendering them useless.
One by one, each of the thirty MagCycles catapulted vertically into the air, releasing their occupants.
Falls to their death were assured, but not before the entire road rained heavy machinery down before them.
Remy grabbed Roman’s pants leg and yanked him down. “Duck, duck.”
Dozens of cycles rained down all around the van.
WHOOSSSHH — CRASH — SMASH.
The cycles exploded as they made contact with the ground.
Jelly stormed backwards to the front of the mack truck as she took in the spectacle.
First, the cycles daggered into the ground, narrowly avoiding both the truck and the van.
Next, dozens of USARIC mercenaries rained down and splattered across the ground in a frenzy of messy deaths.
“Hallelujah,” Jelly grunted and turned around to see Metal Bird One was escaping further ahead.
She looked at her mini-gun.
Click-click.
“They’re getting away.”
Maar thumped Brayn on the shoulder and screamed sheer insanity.
“What the hell is that? We have a friggin’ army after them and she takes them all out?”
“Sir, sit down. It’s not safe.”
“Damn it,” Maar grabbed his mouthpiece with his right hand and punched the pilot’s shoulder with his left, “Can you hear me?”
The pilot’s lips spoke a second before his voice came through Maar’s headset, “Yes, sir. ETA two minutes.”
“USARIC HQ?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I want Weapons & Armory and everyone at Merc Division on standby, now. All vehicular units, land and air based, all droids, guards. Protect Opera Delta. Get everyone out there, armed, and ready to kill. And I do mean everyone.”
“Everyone?”
Maar about lost his temper once and for all, “Didn’t you hear me the first time, you asshole? Everyone.”