“What if she doesn’t come around?” Flynn asked.
Barnes looked at Mercy, “We ain’t got no medical facilities here, she could have anything from a fractured skull to internal bleeding. We’ll just have to wait—”
Mercy nodded, “Agreed, Rose too. She needs to sleep this drug off. We’ll make them comfortable and secure the room in case there’s any more hostiles. How’s Tawny?”
Barnes grunted, “She’s OK, you were right Flynn and Tawny took care of a couple of alphas creeping up on our six. She’s keeping watch back in the corridor—”
Barnes handed Mercy his water bottle, “Here, use this for Rose. I saw a leaking pipe back in the first room we checked. I’m pretty sure it was water, we can refill our canteens on the way out—”
Mercy looked at Rose, “I’ll stay with Rose. Flynn can you watch over Annalise, and keep an eye on Jade, she looks a bit shaken? Barnes, can you buddy up with Tawny? She’s solid but I want no one alone while we’re down here—”
Barnes nodded his agreement and moved off. Flynn helped Mercy to place Rose on the floor. Flynn embraced Mercy, burying his face in her hair. Mercy threw her arms around him.
“I know,” Mercy said. “I know, I know, I know—”
“We can’t think about this stuff, we just have to ride the wave and not let it drag us under—”
“I know,” Mercy repeated.
Riptide. Ride the wave of chaos—
Chapter 27
Oscar Mike
“Water,” Rose said, stretching her hand out to Mercy three hours later.
Mercy sat up. “Rose, you’re back. Here, drink,” she handed Rose her water bottle.
Rose took a tentative sip then gulped the water down. It trickled down her chin as she drained the bottle. She came up for air and slumped back against the wall. “Is it… over? Are they gone?”
Mercy nodded, “Yes Rose, they’re dead. They’re gone. You made it. Me, Flynn, Tawny and Barnes are here. We’ve got two new friends; Jade and Annalise. It’s all good. Once you’re feeling better we can think about getting out of here.”
Rose closed her eyes. “They’re gone,” she whispered. Her breathing deepened and she fell asleep.
An hour later Annalise stirred. She was disorientated, her memory of the attack was blurred but she could walk unaided.
Barnes crossed the room to Mercy, “OK, I think we need to move out now, this is as good as it’s gonna get.”
“Agreed, let’s get everyone up and ready to bail,” Mercy said. She turned to wake Rose.
They left the missile launch room and retraced their steps down the long corridor, Mercy in the lead. Movement caught Mercy’s eye in the doorway at the end.
Something’s up ahead. Shit, we can’t go back, we’re committed—
Mercy ran towards the door. A familiar figure stepped into the corridor.
Shit, a flamethrower robot. Nail it before it gets me—
Mercy ran towards the DARPA hunter killer robot, her HK45 raised.
No time to aim. Just fire, get its sensory array on the top—
Red laser light erupted from the robot’s turret, scanning the corridor and Mercy. Her rounds hit the robot’s armoured panels, raising sparks. Mercy counted her rounds, her trigger finger a blur.
Five, six, seven—
A panel opened in the thing’s chest and a dripping tube appeared.
Eight, nine, ten—
Her tenth round struck the narrow laser slot in the robot’s sensory array, smashing its delicate optical network. Sparks and smoke erupted from the robot’s turret. It slumped to the floor, the smell of gasoline heavy in the air.
Shit, if it catches fire. Don’t think, just move—
Mercy turned to the others behind, “Quick, climb past it—”
Mercy reloaded and held her breath as everyone clambered over the destroyed robot. A minute later they were all through. They passed the security room and made it down the next corridor to the first room they had encountered.
“Here,” Barnes pointed at the dripping ceiling pipe. He held out a hand and let some of the liquid fall onto his skin. He tasted it and nodded, “It’s water… we should stop and rehydrate then move on—”
Mercy looked at Rose, “Yeah, makes sense.”
Tawny collected everyone’s water bottles. Flynn and Jade watched over Rose and Annalise. Mercy caught Barnes’s eye and stepped over to talk to him. Without warning a figure lurched out from behind a cabinet and threw itself at Barnes.
Oh—
Mercy dived forwards and extended her gun hand over Barnes’s shoulder. A mottled blue trope face appeared beside Barnes’s neck, its mouth gaping. Mercy thrust her HK45 into the trope’s mouth and squeezed the trigger. Its head flew back as the bullet tore through its throat and brain stem. The gunshot reverberated through the room.
Barnes dropped to the floor, his hand covering his ear. Mercy stood over the trope and shot it a second time through the forehead.
Should’ve taken you out the first time I saw you, you bastard—
Barnes knelt on the floor, his eyes closed.
Mercy dropped down beside him, “Christ Barnes, I’m sorry, that thing almost had you.” She touched his shoulder.
“It’s OK. I’m OK. I can’t hear you though, my left ear’s dead. It’ll come back, give me an hour or so. Thanks for nailing that fucker… it’s my fault for not seeing the bastard—” Barnes said, his voice raised.
Mercy nodded and held a finger to her lips. She leant into his good ear and spoke, “Copy that Barnes. Just keep your voice down—”
Barnes stood up. He dragged the dead trope into a corner and covered it with a bloodstained sheet from one of the gurneys. They rested for an hour and rehydrated using water collected from
