Hard Mercy
The Survival Chronicles VII
by Fergal F. Nally
Copyright © Fergal F. Nally 2020
“Life is the great torturer. Death is the great rapture—” President Mitchell, Commander-in-Chief, New State Army.
“I’m gonna put bullets on your grave—” Brother Bastion of the Kindred.
“The human experience is just fear wrapped up in skin—” Laurient of the Angels, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC.
“There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." Acts 24:15 King James Version Bible.
“What are the children of men, but as leaves that drop at the wind's breath?” Homer-The Iliad
The moral right of Fergal F. Nally to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act, 1988.
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Cover design: Beetiful Book Covers
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter 1—Detection
Chapter 2—Blood and Iron
Chapter 3—Infiltration
Chapter 4—Deeper
Chapter 5—Smithsonian
Chapter 6—Hidden
Chapter 7—Knockout
Chapter 8—Crack
Chapter 9—Past Life
Chapter 10—The Approach
Chapter 11—Penetration
Chapter 12—Gone
Chapter 13—F&T
Chapter 14—Resurrection
Chapter 15—L’Enfant Station
Chapter 16—Chase
Chapter 17—Barboursville VA
Chapter 18—Crash
Chapter 19—Entrapment
Chapter 20—Respite
Chapter 21—Mind Cipher
Chapter 22—US-33 West
Chapter 23—Campground
Chapter 24—LGM-25C
Chapter 25—The Oaks Overlook
Chapter 26—Riptide
Chapter 27—Oscar Mike
Chapter 28—Rubicon
Chapter 29—The Gathering
Chapter 30—Silver Flame
Chapter 31—Overkill
Chapter 32—Freedom
Chapter 33—Crash Site
Chapter 34—Incursion
Chapter 35—Stealth
Chapter 36—Wish
Chapter 37—Damage
Chapter 38—Beginnings
Chapter 39—Word
Chapter 40—Deep Blue Dark
About the Author
Chapter 1
Detection
The red laser filled the room. Mercy froze.
It’s a DARPA hunter killer robot. It’s scanning me—
Mercy blinked.
Move—
She dropped to the floor, rolling right. She brought up her HK45 pistol and shot twice. Her rounds bounced off the machine’s armor. Mercy’s eyes narrowed.
NSA markings on its side. It’s a beefed up version of the bots we saw in Annapolis. It’s read my biometrics. They know I’m here. Shit—
The machine stepped into the room and advanced on Mercy. A panel on the robot opened, revealing a nozzle.
Christ. Flamethrower—
Mercy rolled left and fired her pistol at the sensory array on top of the hulking machine. She grabbed a combat jacket from the floor and hurled it at the robot. The jacket landed on the array’s revolving drum, partially covering it. Mercy grabbed an M16 from the floor, ran to the open window and threw herself out onto the fire escape. A few drops of liquid fell from the flamethrower’s nozzle. An explosion of flame filled the room with incandescent rage.
Fuck—
Mercy scrabbled back under the tongue of flame as it burst through the window, searing the night air. The flame vanished and she threw herself down the fire escape steps to the level below.
Get away. The NSA will be here in minutes—
Mercy rolled over and pulled herself up using the railings. The machine appeared at the window and tried to climb out. Mercy scrambled down the fire escape toward the night-shrouded street. She glanced back.
You’re too big, you bastard. You’ll not get through that—
The machine rammed itself against the window frame and the surrounding wall. The brickwork bulged then disintegrated.
Jesus—
Mercy looked onto the dark street below. She clambered to the end of the fire escape, reached down, and released the sliding ladder to the ground. The fire escape grated and shook as the DARPA robot stepped out onto the metal platform above. Mercy climbed down the ladder and jumped the last few feet to the sidewalk. She glanced around.
Clear—
A distant siren pierced the night air.
The bastard’s called for reinforcements. I need to get out of Dodge—
Mercy cradled the M16 and ran across the road, she ducked down an alleyway and glanced back. The DARPA robot was stuck on the fire escape. It fired a burst of flame after her, lighting up the surrounding buildings with an eerie glow.
Fucker’s too big to get down. You need wings you bastard—
Mercy’s eyes darted to the sky overhead.
Shit, don’t forget they’ve got drones—
The sirens drew near. Flashing blue and yellow lights lit up the next street. Mercy shot down the alley and turned left at the end. An IAV Stryker and an M113 Armored Personnel Carrier raced by fifty yards to her right, heading towards the building she had just escaped from.
The net’s tightening—
Mercy entered another alley and slowed down, to avoid tripping in the dark. She picked her way through the next few blocks, stopping finally at an overgrown residential complex. She leaned against the wall breathless, her eyes taking in the building.
I could hole up in there. Wait until the heat’s off—
She glanced back. The sirens had stopped. The street was dark behind her, she shivered. A light drizzle filled the night.
They’re in stealth mode—
Mercy stared at the building ahead.
Hide or run? Stay or go? Make your mind up, dammit—
A high pitched buzz broke through Mercy’s thoughts. Her eyes flicked to a building in the next street. A small red light flashed twice above its roof.
Shit, their drones are out. They’re doing a sweep, widening the search area. Keep moving—
Mercy turned and ran along the side of the fire-damaged building, through a car park and into the next street.
Stay dark, keep going, get to Stadium-Armory Metro Station; that was the plan. Barnes and Rose will figure it out. They’ll be there, they have to be—
Mercy pulled out the Washington DC map from her pocket. She ducked into a covered doorway and crouched down, turning away from the street. She pulled her jacket and hood over her head and switched her torch on, using its red filter.
Rose said we were just south of Lincoln Park… just off 11th Street—
Mercy found the area on the map and traced the surrounding streets with her finger.
Shit, it’s not good enough. I’ve no idea where I am—
She slapped
