Alicia opened fire with her second machine gun. With a precise lob she slung a grenade so that it landed under the nearest tower, detonated, and destroyed its moorings. Bullets struck the soil all around her feet. Dancing from side to side, she raced after Russo and Healey as the guard tower smashed into the forest floor, timbers shattering amongst the rocks and trees. Russo put paid to another tower as they changed the angle of their run, heading not for the main gate but back toward the HQ.
Mercenaries gathered around the entrance, weapons trained and bristling, stood up in surprise.
Alicia pounded the dirt, breath flowing easily, fighting in her element, the life that she lived a testament to almost all that she loved. Only with thwarting death could she send cloying old, desperate memories back to the darkness where they belonged. By risking her life she chose to go on living.
Head down, shooting to left and right, bloody and bruised and loving it, her attention was suddenly captured by a booming voice.
“Look, they are there, you idiots! Take them!”
The man stood on the roof of the HQ, peering down at her. Philip Solomon, the monster, stared down as if he had every right to take her life, to choose whether she saw another tomorrow. His furrowed, loveless face was stretched with hate and arrogance, lit by the fires of hell. With a gesture of disdain he shook both fists at the air.
“Do not let them escape!”
Alicia veered at the last moment, as did Russo and Healey. A quick glance back showed them that the mercs that had gathered at the entrance were now pounding toward them as if taking part in the bad-guys’ hundred-meter sprint, guns waving. Alicia opened the door of the lead Jeep and shouted at Healey to get behind the wheel.
“Move!”
The keys were already in the ignition, as Russo had determined earlier. Healey started the engine and gave it chance to roar. Alicia and Russo clambered into the open back, ducking beneath the ridged metal sides.
“Which way?” Healey cried.
Alicia shook her head at Russo. “Through the front fucking gate! Which way do you think?”
“Just checking.” Healey floored the gas pedal. The Jeep sprang forward, wheels spinning, gravel spraying from beneath its tires. The initial acceleration sent it hard into the running men before they could bring their guns to bear. Faces slammed into the windshield and bodies smashed off the bodywork.
Alicia blinked in shock at what she saw nestled beneath the vehicle’s tailgate. “Oh, look. A rocket launcher.”
Russo gawped. “I guess such discoveries are just normal to you.”
Alicia picked it up. “Assholes love their big weapons.” She grinned. “I’m just a teacher, showing them the error of their ways.”
With that the Englishwoman hefted the RPG over one shoulder and took aim at the only target that really merited a rocket launcher’s full attention. When Solomon saw the weapon and its intended goal his face lost all of its conceited bravado and fell no doubt at least as fast as his heart.
“Goodnight… ” Alicia depressed the trigger. “Motherfucker.”
THIRTY SIX
The roof exploded, the blast firing blocks and wreckage in a wave off the far side. Flames spurted at the skies and ignited the nearby trees. Solomon and his closest men vanished in a blaze of fire and a deadly surge of rubble, their side of the roof completely collapsing.
Alicia discarded the RPG as Jeeps started up and sped after them. She shouted at Healey to hold the vehicle as straight as he could and picked up her machine gun.
Russo slid to her side. Together they kicked the tailgate off its hinges.
Healey picked up speed as he smashed through the gates. Chain-link fencing swarmed to the sides and rolled wire coiled above the roof of the vehicle. Metal struts bent and shattered. The Jeep bounced across a double-dip, momentarily out of control but quickly reined in by the young soldier. As the last obstacle tore around the Jeep’s hood and a heavy crossbeam soared away, Healey swerved them back onto the main track, heading between the first trees of the forest.
Alicia lay half on her back, alongside Russo, watching the pursuing Jeeps speed ever closer. She smiled when Russo held out a hand.
“Pleasure working with you, Myles.”
“Likewise, Russo.”
As one, they opened fire, their bullets strafing the first Jeep, making it veer madly to the side. Its wheels rode up a rise at the side of the track, sending it up and over, suddenly landing on its roof, smashing and scraping into the surrounding trees.
Instantly, a second Jeep took its place.
Men leaned out of the windows, firing madly, crazily. Alicia and Russo climbed to their knees, machine guns pouring bullets off the back of the Jeep. A tire blew on the chasing vehicle, sent it spinning to the side.
A third took its place.
“Shit, how many more do they have?”
Healey flung the truck around the meandering track, upsetting both Alicia and Russo’s aim more often than not, shouting sorry but assuring them they’d rather be on the track than off it. Alicia fell into Russo more than once, and he into her, but the pair silently agreed to speak nothing of it. Bullets clattered against the rusted side of their truck as one of their assailants scored a lucky hit. The Jeep at their rear came in close, its occupants’ faces visible through the dirty glass that separated them.
Healey swerved hard. The pursuing truck didn’t stand a chance. It plowed on through the forest, hitting trees and plummeting down a vertical slope. Alicia moaned as a fourth vehicle took its place.
“Last clip.” She rammed the mag home.
“Make ‘em count.”
Caitlyn’s voice hollered at them through the comms. “Y junction ahead. Take the right-hand fork.”
Healey listened as Russo relayed the information, but missed the turn because of the hard camber.
“Idiot!” Caitlyn cried. “There’s another fork three minutes ahead. Go left there, for fuck’s sake.”
“Jesus,” Alicia murmured, firing again. “It’s like having an abusive satnav in my head.”
“I wish it was in mine!” Healey cried.
“Yeah, I bet you do.” Alicia listened to Caitlyn’s highly-strung voice, knowing at least half the nerves were due to Healey’s predicament.
Healey made the turn this time, pitching them back on track. Alicia stood up in the rear of the Jeep, keeping her footing amongst the rusting metal ledges that made up its bed, and squeezed her trigger. Instantly, their pursuer’s windshield shattered and blood fountained into the air as both driver and passenger died. With nobody to give it momentum the Jeep came to a standstill, a blockage to those still behind.
As one more tried to squeeze by, Alicia lobbed her final grenade at it. The explosion took out the front end, leaving it a twisted mass of metal and iron, innards smoldering. The road was now well and truly blocked.
Healey threw their vehicle from corner to corner, allowing the tires to slew around the bends, drifting from one to the next. The young man even appeared to be enjoying himself.
“I guess they didn’t hurt you then.” Alicia bent through the window at the back of the cab.
“Nah. Told them exactly what you’d do to ‘em if they did.”
“Good boy.” Alicia grinned. “Now you’re learning.”
Healey chanced a look at her. “You said… you said you had Caitlyn in your head?”
Alicia sighed heavily and took out the implant. “Here you go. Keep it clean.” She turned to Russo.
“I guess tonight we’re soldiers and we’ll get drunk together.”
“That we will,” Russo agreed. “Because we’re still alive.”