The moment I counted the three, I knew something bad had happened and saw it play out in slow motion. I wonder if every defining moment in my life is recorded in slo-mo somewhere for God to laugh at.
I leaned to the left to clear the conduit and raised my weapon, seeing the same son-of-a-bitch that I shot in the ear was holding the Warmonger. It wasn't a vet in crackshot and I think I smiled as I swept the site up towards his chest. The look on his face told him that he knew he was mine, even as the muzzle flash lit up the wall near him. Nothing he was wearing could stop the Blitzer's round and just beyond him, I saw Bayer taking cover. This was going to be it. This was the end and I was thankful.
McNeil.
I should have killed him when I had the chance, but now was a little too late. It's funny how clear things become sometimes. Hindsight is a real bitch.
Casper and I both leaned around to shoot at the same time, but he had other ideas. McNeil shouldered me to the side and I tumbled into the open, stumbling as I tried to stay steady enough to fire. Right into the line of fire.
Pain. A lot of it and then my vision went white hot.
Heat roared across my chest and face and the laminate of my breastplate popping apart was clicking in my ears. My face and throat were wet and I and tasted blood.
More impacts shook me and I heard sounds, but couldn't react. The Blitzer went off silently in my hand and I saw the face of the guy on the other end smiling as I fell backwards.
White light, gentle heat, and waves of darkness.
The roar of blood was in my ears and I caught the muffled sounds of yells and gunfire. McNeil's face leered down at me and I saw him spit, proud of himself. Then the bastard got hit and blood sprayed out from his chest, soaking the cover in front of him. I'd say that was a career ender for him.
Funny. I thought the bad guys were only in front of us.
The world tilted again and I smelled smoke and cinders. Then the fire in my chest came back and the world burned out to darkness as I screamed. Just when I was about to spin away into the darkness, I bounced back.
Silence again and the pain left with the sound.
I tried to sit up, but couldn't move.
I was floating.
Obie's face looked down at me and I stared back, but what could he tell me? I think I heard something, but wasn't sure because someone had stuffed cotton in my ears. Was I being carried? I tried to ask what had happened to Bayer, but he ignored me.
"Did you get McNeil?" I asked. Still no response.
Dumbass biogenetic.
Now K'rth and Nix were there, looking down at me and I tried to laugh because they looked so damn serious. I'm not sure if I made any sound or not, but I wanted them to know that I was okay because there wasn't any pain.
That had to be a good sign. It meant it was over.
K'rth's face was tense and I saw he and Nix were fighting over something. The room was small, like an Ebon-made closet and they were hunched down trying to give me a shot.
What were we doing in a closet anyway?
I tried to tell him to stop, but he ignored me. That stuff is expensive and they shouldn't waste it. Even I knew I was dying and there was nothing he could do about it.
Just like Angus and Gael.
"Let me go," I said, but he didn't hear me, or didn't want to. He's pig-headed about things sometimes but doesn't like to be told that. The two of them were still scrambling and I saw a stream of blood splatter him in the face.
That couldn't be good. You'd think he'd know that, considering the death he' s seen.
"Hey K'rth, did I die well or not? Not too bad for a human, huh?" I asked, but he couldn't hear me. It was probably fair because I couldn't hear him either but he was talking.
Gradually, like a bad camera fade, I lost sight of him and the brightness was finally swept away into the blackness.
Next
Cos if you are like me
you will be relieved to know
there is one.
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