Hyland #2
He’s half-folded over Ember, keeping her safely covered. One of the rear windows is blown out, leaving deadly spikes exposed, ready to slash any available flesh. We can’t take another direct hit.
“Get ready.” I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. “I’m gonna mount the kerb to get us out of here!”
Swerving past another lopsided car almost flings us straight into a collision.
Our rear bumper screeches when metal scrapes together, but it’s the least of our concerns.
Every tendon in my neck stretched taut as a piano wire, I’m able to point us towards the kerbside before powering onto the pavement relatively unharmed.
Warner braces himself against the door. “Look out.”
“Shit!”
It’s too late to avoid colliding with several bistro tables outside local cocktail bars, sending chairs and umbrellas spiralling. Thank God there are no customers left to dodge our steel beast ploughing through them.
As I make a hard right turn to avoid spearing a lamppost, the roar of another engine cuts through the successive quakes still exploding in our wake. I glance into the mirror to find the shadow of a car racing to catch up, fleeing the onslaught.
“We have company,” I announce.
“Where?” Blaine contorts to get a better look.
“Right on our ass.”
“We’ve cleared a path.” As Axel speaks, Ember lifts her head. “Perhaps they’re following us.”
From this position, the scene behind closely resembles an emerging apocalypse. Noxious clouds of black smoke belch from the growing inferno, coating the damaged skyscraper in a halo of flames. I can’t even see the destruction. Not through the ash plummeting in slate-grey hail stones.
Clutching Axel’s hand, Ember rotates to get a better look. “Oh my God. The penthouse…”
“It’s gone.” Warner shakes his head.
“How is this possible?”
“Never mind that.” I hiss at a hard impact with more abandoned chairs. “Our friends are gaining on us! They aren’t just following!”
Straight ahead, traffic has grown to a total standstill while pandemonium ensues on the streets. Bystanders flee at every angle, and horrified drivers escape their cars to run on foot, creating a complete lockdown.
I’ve no choice but to screech to a stop before we cause a head-on collision. Every escape route is blocked. My heartbeat is slamming so loudly in my ears, I almost can’t hear the squeal of tyres behind us, but it’s clear our company has done the same.
“How many weapons do we have?” I rush to detach my seatbelt.
“Enough.” Warner passes guns between the seats. “Prepare for an attack.”
Fuck this, I’m not letting my family sit here like lambs to slaughter. Checking the chamber on my semi-automatic, I roll my shoulders back then pop open the door, ready to fling myself into the fight before our enemies have the chance to fire first.
After years of combat side-by-side, Warner can read my mind without uttering a damn word. He follows suit, positioning his good leg first, then we launch from the car as a simultaneous duo to run full pelt.
The barrel of my gun trains on the blacked-out SUV practically kissing our rear. When there’s no movement inside, I almost doubt myself. Then the window screen cracks and fragments into a million lethal pieces, giving my fighting instincts the perfect excuse to activate.
“Incoming fire!”
Bullets eject through the opening created by the destroyed window, narrowly clipping our car. I pop off two rapid shots then duck to use the wheel arch for some meagre coverage.
“Blaine!” I shout as loudly as my lungs will allow. “Take out the back window then advance!”
“Cover me!” he bellows back.
From this vantage point, I’m able to pop off another round towards our attackers. One moves in a blur to exit their vehicle, following a similar trajectory before returning fire in my direction. The bullet ricochets off the front bumper, eliciting several sparks.
“Do it now!” I holler, panic threatening to strangle my vocal cords.
All around us, terrified onlookers continue to flee, screams flying up at the cacophony of gunfire. I allow myself a split-second celebration when one attacker yelps and hits the ground, clutching their shattered kneecap.
Above me, the SUV’s back window finally gives way to an abuse of bullets. There’s a flash where Blaine aims out of the porthole created, hitting the figure cowering on the ground a second time so they stop moving.
I move to launch a fresh attack, ducking at the hit that takes out the side window above my head. Glass and debris pelt me, yet the slash of shards hitting my face is hardly a distraction. I’m too busy vying to fire back, determined to take this motherfucker down hard.
Another strike lands dangerously close to where I’m crouched. Damn, they’re a good shot. I can hear Warner and Blaine returning blow for blow. For once in her life, I hope Ember stays safely inside under Axel’s care.
Not even the roar of approaching helicopters and the entire city’s emergency force coming in hot can slow our attackers down. Two more make their presence known. One inside the vehicle and one tucked somewhere behind.
“Cover me!” I order, rising to my full height.
It’s a risky move. Advancing between the two cars opens me up to fire. I have to put my full faith in my teammates, and from the whizz of bullets streaking past me, they don’t let me down. I hurl my entire body weight towards their SUV and land hard, curling in a fast, tight roll.
“Hyland!” Someone howls behind me.
With the wind knocked clean out of my lungs, it’s all I can do to slow my roll before tackling the hiding gunman at full force. We smack together with an audible crack of bones and his startled cursing.
Somewhere in the melee, I ditch the gun to wrap my hands around their mask-covered throat. The asshole grunts, bucking wildly in a pathetic attempt to throw me off. But I’ve got sheer bulk and size on my side.
A one-two punch to their clothed face elicits a wonderful sound. Satisfying. Like flesh and blood blasting against the righteous force of my cocked fist. If the sky wasn’t weeping hellfire, maybe I’d enjoy it.
I settle for the pleasure of smashing my prey into a pulp as our life burns in front of us. Crimson stickiness seeps through the woven mask, and eventually, their limbs cease struggling under my weight.
“Stay down!”
Tossing their carcass aside, my split knuckles sear under a thick coating of red fluid. Grinding my teeth, I pull myself upright long enough to locate my gun and keep moving, thirsty for more. I’ll crack the spines of anyone left standing in my path.
Circling their car brings me into the path of the final shooter. Sure enough, Warner and Blaine did their duty. The bag of shit lies spreadeagled on the glass-covered ground as my teammates advance closer for the final kill.
“You want the honour?” I heave out the question between breaths.
Warner shakes his head, chest rapidly rising and falling. “Be my guest.”
“I want to know who I have the pleasure of tearing apart limb by limb.” Blaine steps forward, pure, deadly fury seeping from his every pore.
Crouching to their level, I grasp the edges of the attacker’s mask under the watchful eye of the guys’ trained guns. The son of a bitch wouldn’t dare fight back now. With the fabric tugged free, the mask drops from my suddenly numb fingertips.
No, no… It can’t be.
Not even a series of blinks reveals an alternative sight. No matter how many times I shut my eyes, hoping for a different outcome. The bloodied man at our feet doesn’t change. Nor does his sick, gleeful grin abate.
“How does it feel to lose everything?” Kyle hawks up a mouthful of blood.
“You bastard! How could you do this?”
“You l-left Josh to die…. Like a-an animal in the dirt.”
“He was killed by the people we’re fighting!” Warner’s face is beet-red, his gun wavering.
“The same people you’ve aligned yourself with.” My mouth hangs open for a fraction of a second before I snap it shut, disgust taking over. “You’re the leak.”
Still smiling, Kyle licks the gushing blood from his lips, a gurgling breath emanating from his chest. There’s a gunshot wound placed precisely in his midsection. He’s got minutes or less.
“I a-am justice. Everyone e-else forgot Josh… but n-not me. Never m-me.”
“Harming us isn’t going to bring him back!”
“But it’ll m-make you f-feel his p-p-pain.”
Crunching footsteps near, bringing the rest of our team within earshot. I can’t look at Ember’s face. I’m not strong enough. More than anyone, Kyle blamed her for the death of his brother in arms. Wrongfully so.
“You,” she hisses.
“D-Didn’t see th-that coming, did y-ya?”
“Why did you do this to us? We’re on the same side!”
With the light in his eyes fading in real time, Kyle lifts his chin enough to stare up at the destruction unfurling in a maelstrom. Our group is caught in the eye of the storm. Fire dapples over his features, lit by our entire lives going up in flames.
“I w-wanted to see y-you burn.”
With that, every muscle turns to slack jelly. The Falcon Team’s prized sniper collapses in an expanding pool of his own lifeblood, taking any remaining loyalty to Sabre or our cause with him.
We’re left to watch the smoke.
Each greedy flame tearing a fresh chunk from our souls until nothing but ash remains.