Chapter 21 #3
Apparently, Phoenix had been wrong. It didn’t seem as if Smyth’s men cared if Smyth lived or died. If he got caught in the crossfire.
That had Phoenix adapting. Rethinking how he’d reach the door before the men adjusted their trajectory.
Landed a few lucky hits. A glance to his right revealed the only cover option.
What looked like fuel barrels. Not much, but it beat being out in the open.
It only took a few seconds to dive behind them—prop Smyth against the wall before focusing on the increasing number of men gunning for them. Lay down some return fire.
There was a moment of pause. Of what felt like Phoenix’s last chance to make a run for the rear door—leave Smyth and get out while he was still breathing—then the hanger exploded into more gunfire.
Endless bullets pinging off the metal barrels.
Impacting the wall behind him. A few ricocheting far too close.
Phoenix returned a couple more trigger pulls, watching for anyone trying to flank his position, when shouting rose from beyond the open hanger doors.
He chanced a quick peek just as a wash of bullets pelted the tarmac.
Not the kind from his team. Controlled bursts from M4s or P90s.
This was heavy. Fast. Like the fifty-cal on the helicopter.
Hearing rotors beat the air a second later confirmed that Olivia was swooping in to save his ass. Again. That she and Relic were doing their best to draw off Smyth’s men.
And damn if it didn’t work. Had half those men in the hanger racing out to fire at her.
That got Phoenix up and moving. Grabbing Smyth, then popping out.
Hitting two mercenaries trying to get behind him before rushing the door.
Praying he’d make it through in time. Having the door swing open when he was a few feet back had him changing directions.
Tossing Smyth down then jumping on top of the man.
Targeting the doorway just as he thought the first few bullets would come his way.
Recognizing Cannon as he stormed through the door allowed Phoenix to breathe.
To twist and focus on the men behind him.
The ones Cannon, Dungeon and Gibson were quickly dropping.
They weren’t all fatal shots, but they did the job.
Gave Phoenix the chance to get Smyth outside.
Allow his team to clear the hanger. Secure the other weapons.
Smyth regained enough consciousness to struggle against Phoenix’s hold as he dragged the man into the night. Phoenix dropped him onto his feet, giving Smyth a shove.
Smyth stumbled a few steps then turned to face him. “You’re insane, Vale, you know that?”
Phoenix stopped long enough to pull Smyth in close. Stare the man down as he decided whether to cap his ass or keep going. “I told you I’d hunt you down if you were lying to me. You never should have used Anna as leverage.”
“Her name’s not Anna.”
“I know.”
“I hope she was worth dying over.”
“You tell me, because from where I’m standing, you’re the one who might not leave here breathing.”
Smyth laughed. “You think this will be over by capturing me? Killing me? Son, I’m just another puppet. Like McCormick was.”
“Bullshit.”
“The real threat? He’s a nightmare. A man that only exists in a virtual world. And he’s not going to let me get taken, alive.”
Another chopper. Rising up over the hanger then swooping in toward them. A gunner seated in the open door, just like Phoenix had been. Rifle aimed their way. They didn’t seem to care about Olivia and Relic—the other men running around shooting. Just focused on Phoenix and Smyth.
Phoenix didn’t have time to do anything other than grab Smyth and hit the ground, narrowly missing the first few shots that ricocheted off the metal wall then chipped the asphalt an inch from his head.
The next couple caught him in the vest. Fuckers hurt, but they didn’t go through. Didn’t kill him on the spot.
He returned fire, emptying a full mag toward the machine, before tossing another smoke grenade across the icy pavement.
Waiting until it started spewing smoke to roll to his right.
Drag Smyth with him behind a small set of portable stairs.
Hardly enough cover, but it was all he had at his disposal to avoid the next barrage of bullets.
The ones that pinged off the metal rungs—damn near caught him in the shoulder.
Trapped. That’s what they were, with no other recourse but to attempt to return to the hanger. Hope they could make the ten-meter dash back to the door without getting shot down.
He’d promised Olivia he wouldn’t die. That he’d come back. Now, he wasn’t sure he’d make it. Not with that asshole shooting up his route. Smyth likely fighting him the entire way, but he’d try. Do his best not to break that promise.
Phoenix rose onto his hands and knees, waiting for a break in the gunfire to make a run for the door, when the helicopter banked left. Started gaining height. Not that he had a clear view of it, but he saw the rotors. How the whole machine began rising.
A few shots from off to his right, then Olivia swung into view, sweeping across in front of him as Relic fired on the other helicopter.
He must have hit something vital because the machine started spinning as it banked left.
Veered out of sight. There was banging and grinding, metal scraping across the pavement followed by glass breaking.
The engines whining without fading into the distance.
No explosion, but Phoenix had no doubts the machine had crashed.
Olivia spun the helicopter around—swirling the colored smoke in every direction—just as a spray of bullets pelted the fuselage.
Sent black smoke pouring out of the top of the cowling.
She hovered sideways in what looked like an attempt to give Relic access to whoever was firing at them, but it wasn’t going to be enough.
After all the ammunition he’d used up outside the hanger, it wasn’t likely he had a sufficient amount left to eliminate the three groups of men closing in on them.
Too far to hit with a pistol, but enough their rifles would down her chopper.
If she didn’t escape, now, she wasn’t going to get away in one piece.
Phoenix didn’t think about his next set of actions.
Simply removed the Havak from his shoulder—knocked Smyth in the head to remove him from the equation—then aimed the rifle and fired.
Adjusting everything in one fluid motion.
He downed the closest group in about five seconds, had already changed mags and taken out one of the others before the men realized it wasn’t Relic shooting at them. That there was another threat.
They tried to target him, but Olivia moved in front. Took a few more hits before the chopper listed to the left. Looked as if she was battling to keep it steady. That the men had either injured her or one of the controls.
Fuck that. He was not losing her.
He hit the two men targeting her the moment they popped into view.
Was already sighting the last guy aiming his way, when some asshole with a rocket launcher stood up on top of an adjoining building.
No need to make any calculations, he’d just aim and fire.
Would hit Olivia in the space of a few heartbeats.
One chance. That’s all Phoenix had. Either he stopped the guy from firing the RPG, or he capped the mercenary who had him in the crosshairs.
No contest. No hesitation. He simply shifted his rifle and fired.