Chapter Eighteen
Mighty Mouse
I ducked back around a corner, as bullets chewed up the drywall spraying dust into my face. I pressed Asia back. This wasn’t good!
We were going to be caught in a crossfire soon. We’d lost our Special Force escort to a series of grenades three floors down and it wasn’t looking good for us now.
I glanced across to the elevator. We’d likely be cut down before we could get to it, but right now it seemed like the only option as those pursuing us were closing in fast. I didn’t want to dwell on the fact that even if we did get to the elevator and away from this floor, we would still be practically gift wrapping ourselves for those waiting on the next floor.
I heard steps down the hall behind us. I slung my rifle on and then picking Asia up I slung her across the space to the elevator gallery before a shot could be fired. I followed after her, but wasn’t so lucky.
Shots slammed into me, knocking me down at one point, but I managed to crawl out of the field of fire. Asia was in a panic, as she helped drag me clear of the bullets. I couldn’t breathe. She was screaming at me and then a little air seeped back in and I felt better for it.
My chest and back smoked from where hot lead stuck out of my vest and burned widening holes in my clothes, “I’m okay!” I said wheezing my way up to my feet.
I jammed the elevator button hard, as I held my gun ready to fire. Something wasn’t right with my gun. It was shot to pieces and I threw it down disgustedly and undid my pistol. The elevator doors opened up to thankfully reveal an empty space. We quickly stepped in and I punched in the top floor.
The doors had starred to close, when I heard automatic gunfire from both ends of the corridor. Going on instinct I held the elevator doors open, while Asia looked at me as if I was nuts for waiting.
I shrugged, some things you had to take by faith, and my instinct was one of them. Temple and Maria soon appeared coming down one corridor and a moment later Tyre and Galloway came down the other.
Galloway approached with a big smile and I gave him one of my own. He and I had always gotten along well together.
“Room for a few more?” He asked with a cheeky grin.
I grinned back, “Sure thing, hop in!”
Tyre stepped over my shattered rifle and peeled another one off his back to hand to me, as he stepped into the elevator, just as the doors whisked shut. Tyre punched the button for the floor beneath the top floor.
I glanced down at him then, “So I heard you got married.” I said.
He nodded.
“Congratulations!” I said and got another nod.
“Any kids?” I asked.
Tyre tapped the elevator door twice with the muzzle of his rifle, in cryptic response to my question.
We reached his floor and he stepped out with both of his guns hammering. The elevator doors closed shut as we continued to rise. A man of few words that one was.
“He does actually talk more than he used to.” Maria said into the silence.
I hit the stop button and the elevator came to a halt in between floors.
“What are we waiting for?” Asia exclaimed.
I glanced at her still slow counting in my head, “Waiting for Mighty Mouse to do his army of one routine.”
Galloway burst out laughing, while Maria and Temple both tried to stifle grins.
Galloway recovered first, “You know saying things like that is what made him not like you to the point that he won’t even talk to you.”
“I know. I really feel bad about it inside.” I said disingenuously.
I disengaged the stop button and the elevator rose to the last floor that it reached to. The doors whisked open to reveal a pile of bodies and the image of Tyre changing out his gun magazines. The little dude sure did love his guns.
“Classic as usual Tyre.” I said in genuine admiration, as I looked around at the cleaned out space.
“Likewise.” He said in response.
I wasn’t quite sure I understood what he meant by that, but I didn’t think it was in reference to a good thing. Had he heard me in the elevator or just surmised my smart comment? Probably the latter.
Tyre led point out into the dark room filled with tall windows, beyond the short hall leading from the elevator bay. Lights came on suddenly and something moved away from the wall in front of us. Before Tyre could get a shot off he was picked up and lobbed across the room to thud heavily against the wall, where he lay still not moving at all on the floor.
There were four of them. They were like tall people only they were somehow robotic as well. Their arms and legs looked, as if they’d come out of a Terminator movie, but the skin of their faces looked real. What were they?
“Go!” Maria screamed, as she broke left and Galloway broke right giving us cover fire. I saw the door that would lead to the other elevator that went to the top floor and I ran for it tugging a petrified Asia along with me, as Temple followed after me giving covering fire. It was one loud hammer of sound within the room as guns roared. I wanted to stay and fight, but I couldn’t. I slammed through the heavy door and Temple slammed it shut locking it after us.
Maria fired until her gun clicked empty. Three of the robot things had left immediately breaking through the glass and disappearing along the outside of the building. They’d left one of their number behind though to finish them off. Whatever it was it was bleeding, but it looked unfazed as it sprang for her. Oh God she was going to die!
Something shoved her hard and she fell away to roll over and see that it had been Galloway, who had shoved her. The robot’s hand had fashioned itself into a blade and it was run clear through him. The robot twisted the blade and Galloway jerked hard before being tossed to the side by the robot.
The robot came for her then and Maria drew her pistol and started emptying it into the thing from where she lay on her back on the floor. It just kept coming though. Suddenly it jerked hard as it was hit from behind by gunfire and Maria saw Tyre on his side firing up at the tall robot person from the other end of the room. He must’ve hit something vital, because it pitched over to land heavily onto the floor.
Tyre dropped the rifle and crawled across the floor to Galloway, who was coughing up blood. Galloway’s eyes traced over to Tyre and Tyre grasped his hand hard.
Galloway managed a brief smile, “End of the song little buddy.” He was dead then, but Tyre didn’t let go of his hand.
Maria saw that Tyre’s other arm was broken badly. Maria went to him and helped pull him up to his feet, “We need to get you out of here!” She said wiping tears away. She’d never cared for Galloway’s lusty devil-may-care-attitude, but in the end he’d given his life for her. What more could one ask of a person than that?
Tyre stared at the closed door, where the others had gone through, but Maria pulled him along with her stubbornly, “We can’t help them now! We need to group up with any others that might still be alive, come!” Resolutely she tugged him away and back toward the elevator that they’d used to reach this floor.