The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion #2)(19)

“Correct. They’ll have to hit us by coming over the walls or down the stairs,” Franklin answered.

“Then we keep our backs to the doors.” The two red dots on Lindsey’s screen were still a safe distance away. “Petra, open it up.”

The blast doors behind them shuddered as the gears within twirled and opened the locking mechanism. A second later, the doors started to part.

“Let’s see how desperate they are.” Lindsey adjusted her crouch and pressed against the steps, her gun resting on Hobbes’ shoulder. Her leg and hip were on fire with pain, but Lindsey ignored the discomfort.

Franklin and MacDonald also tried to minimize how visible they were from the top of the stairs and lifted their weapons.

The doors continued to yawn open.

Lindsey could only hope that the Abscrags took the bait. It wasn’t just her life on the line, but those of her squad, MacDonald, and the city. The intelligent Inferi Scourge would cause serious trouble for the forces clearing out the valley. If the Anomaly Scrags continued to ambush squads and transform them, a new outbreak would cause delays The Bastion couldn’t afford. The very survival of The Bastion’s populace depended on the valley being retaken and the lost resources being reclaimed. Humanity was hovering on the brink of extinction.

The Abscrags had to die.

“Where are they?” Franklin’s voice whispered through the feed.

“Watching,” Lindsey answered.

If she were her enemy, she’d be weighing her options. They were under duress to make a choice and soon, which meant they might act on impulse.

“I have to shut the doors, Vanguard,” Petra said.

“Understood.” Lindsey knew this would be the pivotal moment. Once the doors started to close, the Abscrags would have to make a decision.

“They’re going to rush us now,” MacDonald said with certainty.

A loud Scrag screech sliced through the night. The two red dots on Lindsey’s readout started to turn back. Body tensing, Lindsey aimed at the top of the stairwell.

The attack came from both flanks. The two Inferi Scourge bounded over the low wall at the same time from opposite sides. The Abscrags hadn’t dared to fire on the three soldiers below in fear of losing precious seconds they needed to get into the subway station. The woman, Alkan, landed on top of the insensible forms of Hobbes and Giacomi, lost her balance, and slammed backwards onto the stairs.

The male, Reese, landed in close proximity to Franklin, almost striking her, but she managed to roll to one side. Landing awkwardly on one leg, there was an audible snap as his femur took the brunt of his weight. Howling, Reese lost track of his weapon as he toppled over.

It was all happening so fast.

Lindsey attempted to aim at the female, but Alkan swung her electroshock weapon toward Lindsey and MacDonald and fired in short bursts. Ducking, Lindsey hunched behind her two unconscious friends. Hobbes’ body seized as a disc struck him. Flinching, Lindsey mentally apologized to him.

Behind Lindsey, Reese grappled with Franklin. Lindsey gritted her teeth and lashed out with one leg, her boot slamming into the side of his head. With a terrifying screech, he turned on her, red eyes illuminated by the light from Lindsey’s weapon. Her finger started to pull on the trigger just as Reese was struck by one of the discs. Collapsing, Reese’s body fell toward the closing doors. Franklin grunted as she kicked him with both feet, knocking him away from the entrance.

“I’m good, I’m good,” Franklin said breathlessly. She had apparently only received a minor shock. With a grunt, she fired a single bullet into Reese’s head.

Meanwhile, next to Lindsey, MacDonald attempted to get a good shot at Alkan. The female Abscrag was relentless and had MacDonald pinned. He couldn’t even risk lifting his head for fear of being hit. The second she had to reload, Alkan had to know she was as good as dead. Lindsey and MacDonald both waited for that inevitable moment, fingers ready on the trigger.

Instead, Alkan gave the unconscious bodies at her feet a mighty shove while continuing to fire. Hobbes rolled onto Lindsey, pinning her to the steps with his weight. Meanwhile, the blast doors continued to close and the female Abscrag was single-minded in reaching it. Leaping over the tangle of bodies, Alkan fired at Franklin at nearly point blank range, paralyzing her instantly.

MacDonald flung off Hobbes’ legs just as Lindsey rolled out from beneath him. Alkan hurtled her body toward the doors.

Lindsey realized in that moment her plan had failed.



*



Torran ascertained that the female Abscrag was going to make it through the doors if he didn’t act. He and Lindsey were jumbled up at the bottom of the stairs with her unconscious squad members. Shoving off the heavy legs of the man, Torran watched as Alkan leaped over them and toward the opening only to be momentarily thwarted by Reese and Franklin. The insidious little black discs embedded in both the living and the dead soldiers were sparking, meaning she couldn’t touch either one.

Attempting to drag his weapon out from under Hobbes, Torran shouted, “Alkan!”

The woman whipped her head toward him in surprise.

“You’re not going in,” Torran shouted.

Alkan shot at him just as he expected.

And the vanguard shot Alkan just like he hoped.

As the Abscrag crumpled to the ground, Torran flinched as the evil black disc unleashed its current into his armor, causing his limbs to spasm. A second later, it was knocked into the wall with the butt of Rooney’s weapon.