It took about five seconds to have the desired effect.
***
Seven saw the Thor’s nozzle fill up the window, the superheated exhaust now concentrated on the polyglass. In absolute horror, he watched as the glass almost seemed to liquefy and began expanding.
Are you fucking kiddin’ me?
“Back!” he yelled to Six. He didn’t need to repeat himself. Six could now feel the vibration of the Vecto-Thrust engines through the floor, as Tiger over-revved them, while at the same time firing the braking rockets at full power.
Amber saw what was happening as well. Again, that strange instinct inside her took over, and she pulled the mattress off the bed and atop her. The very next instant, the window exploded inward, and hot exhaust gases shot through.
Seven fell through the bathroom door just in time to avoid the searing heat. Behind him, Six dove back out the door, his trouser legs ignited by the exhaust. As he rolled down the hallway, Five was on him instantly, beating out the flames. The full blast hit the opposite wall of the hallway, reflecting the heat equally, blistering paint both ways down the entire corridor.
Tiger swung back around, bringing the driver’s side door back up to the now-shattered window. He scanned his now-devastated room. Behind him, peeking over his shoulder, Jock scanned the damage as well, pistol at the ready, albeit a bit shaky.
“Amber!” Tiger shouted, as he reopened the door, the bottom half once again becoming now a running board for him to stand on. He had the spingun in hand, powered up and trained on the hallway door.
Amber!” he called out again, fear stabbing into his gut. The Thors were by no means spacecraft-grade rockets. Comparing them to a Super Charger’s Star*Burst Super Nova would be like comparing a cigarette lighter to a flamethrower. Still, if she’d taken the full blast of heat … Had he just screwed up on a massive scale? Did she not see what was coming and take cover? In trying to save her, had he burned her to a cinder? Oh Jesus! He felt the panic set in, as he called out again. “Amber? Talk to me, darlin’!”
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the mattress move. Instantly, he trained his gun on it. It might be one of the bounty hunters. He wasn’t taking any chances. But when he saw the small, dainty hand covered in black fur reach over the top, struggling to push the scorched bedding aside, a huge grin of relief broke across his face. Ignoring the pestering fire from below, he leapt through the window, and scurried over to help her out.
“C’mon! We gotta go, sweetie!” he whispered hastily, as he hooked a forearm under her armpit and helped her stand. She was a bit unsteady from the concussion of the blast and some of her left side fur was singed slightly, but otherwise she appeared unharmed.
“I need you to get through that window for me, okay?”
She nodded, shaking the confusion from her head. Tiger knew the clock was ticking and time was not on their side. Any second now, the mercs in the hall could regroup or the ground team could receive reinforcements. Or an attack could open up from somewhere else. They might come at them from the rooftop or the floor just above or below. He didn’t know … and he sure didn’t want to hang around and find out.
At the window, he turned to her. “Lemme get over first and I can help you over. Whatever you do, just don’t look down!”
He spanned the six-foot gap between the building and the Pegasus with the nonchalant grace of a cat, landing on the running board with the lightness of a feather. Turning around, he beckoned to Amber.
“C’mon. Your turn! I got ya!”
But before she could move, a rain of red laser fire suddenly ripped into the truck’s roof and the side of the building. Large pieces of the hotel’s stucco veneer disintegrated, engulfing him in a thick debris cloud.
“Jesus!” In instinctive, self-preservation mode, he fell back into the cockpit, a windmill of flailing limbs, as he sought cover from the firestorm of killer light. Glancing up through the rear window, he caught a glimpse of the evil looking gun drone hovering nearby. It looked like some alien creature out of a sci-fi movie, with its squat, menacing body and spindly, latticed landing gear. The infrared targeting sensors looked like evil, demonic eyes.
Fuck! Should’ve known these boys weren’t local gun thugs hired out from the closest honky-tonk. High tech and well-financed! He knew he couldn’t stay here much longer. That thing would rip the truck to shreds with a few more bursts. They had to go. Now!
“C’mon, girl! I need you in this truck!” he shouted as he leaned out and let loose with a barrage of three second blasts at the pesky drone. Each one found its mark and the aerial robot was buffeted with each hit. Unfortunately, it also appeared undamaged. After each hit it absorbed, it simply righted itself and began returning fire. He ducked back down behind the cockpit as it continued to rain down red streaks of destruction. As he did, he caught a glimpse inside the cab, and instantly his blood began to boil.
His worthless sidekick had yet to fire a shot. In fact, he’d eschewed his pistol and was now on his PDC. He’d even calmly conjured up a hologram on the windshield, which he now furiously jabbed
