Re: JR’s Characters

[JR19759]

Arcade Angel

Chapter 9

We screeched to a stop out-side the EYE center just as the sun went down. I could see the faceless scrambling inside through the windows. I grabbed one of the rucksacks loaded with explosives off Sparrow and nodded over in the direction of the door.
“They know we’re here, so everyone guns ready.” The sound of simultaneous gun drawing greeted my words. “When we get inside Sparrow, Venus and Night-streamer make for the generator room that way we should make the biggest impact. Me and Ruby-Star will go to the monitor room. If you guys fail we should at least be able to make it hard for them to see for a few weeks. If all goes well you guys meet us in the monitor room. Ok.”
Everyone nodded. We were grim faced as we drew our guns. I could see the faceless tense behind the glass.
“On three. One- two- three!”
We ran forward as the gun fire started. I shot on faceless in the head through the glass and got another straight in the chest as I got through the door. I held the door open for the others as Venus covered me. Once we were all in, we didn’t hang around. Sparrow’s team went left whilst me and Ruby-Star went right. The faceless chased us as we made our way to the monitor room. Ruby-Star lit one of the dynamite sticks and threw it. It collapsed one of the walls, blocking off most of the faceless. We took care of those that hadn’t been crushed very quickly. The monitor room was pretty much deserted apart from two security guards. The first one to get up was thrown back onto the monitor he had just been at, thanks to a well placed shot from Ruby-Star. I shot the other before he got up and his body slumped forward. I chucked my bag down on the floor and went over to check the screens. I could see Venus on one of the generator room cameras. It was good to see everything was going ok down there; I had worried that they would have a harder time than this.
I turned back to Ruby-Star. She had already started laying out the dynamite. I grabbed a few sticks from the bag and placed them at strategic intervals on the monitor desk. Then I saw something on one of the screens. A huge troop of faceless was heading down the corridor towards where the others where. I grabbed the tannoy mic.
“VENUS, SPARROW, GET OUT OF THERE” I shouted. I saw them look up on the screen. “There’s a load of faceless heading your way, now shift it.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of them move faster. But it didn’t look good; they had at least 20-30 faceless chasing them and the faceless were catching up. Ruby-Star stopped what she was doing and came over to look. Then something happened that made me feel sick inside. The faceless front runners got within shooting range and opened fire. I saw Venus stumble and fall. Ruby-Star gasped. I felt sick. Four of us in little over two days. Sparrow & Night Streamer turned round and started shooting back at the faceless. Sparrow was quite close to Venus & he ran over to her. I breathed again when she responded to him. However, something didn’t feel right. Sparrow tried to help Venus up, but she kept on falling back down. She’d been paralyzed from the waist down by that shot. She looked defeated and helpless, which made it even worse. Venus never acts defeated, even when the situation looks hopeless, so I was feeling pretty dead inside. Then Venus’ voice came crackling over the transmitter.
“Sparrow, you need to go. Get Night Streamer out of here. I’ll hold them back whilst you go.”
I couldn’t see Sparrow’s face on the monitor, but I could tell he didn’t want to go. His voice was broken when he spoke.
“No….. I’m not gonna leave you……. We can’t let it end like this……. Not after everything that we’ve been through.”
“It’s going to be ok. I can’t even get up, let alone run. Just promise me you’ll take care of Night Streamer for me.”
Sparrow nodded. I could hear his tears dripping onto the transmitter.
“Now go. The others need you.” Venus’ was trying to sound strong, but I could tell she was close to crying as well. Then she addressed me. I guess it was stupid of me to assume she hadn’t wanted us to hear that conversation, but I never had Venus down as one for the dramatic gesture. “Hey, X.”
I fumbled with my transmitter before raising it to my lips.
“Venus.” My voice sounded strangled. I hadn’t realized how choked up I was getting.
“I’m sorry about this, but it’s our best hope. You understand don’t you?” She sounded very relaxed. I could see the faceless closing in on the monitor. Venus couldn’t have more than a few seconds left.
“Yes, I understand.” I said, trying to sound as strong as I could. “I’m sorry I got you into this situation.”
“Don’t worry. Now you need to get out of there. Sparrow and Night Streamer should be nearly with you. And anyway, I’ve got a date with some faceless.”
“Ghost a few for me.”
There was a distant crunching sound, which I assumed was Sparrow and Night Streamer reaching the rubble pile down the corridor. I nodded to Ruby-Star to go help them. As she left I went back on the transmitter
“Got to go, Sparrow and Night Streamer are here.”
“Take care of them X. They need you.”
I didn’t say anything. I could see the faceless where pretty much on top of Venus now and I could hear the gunfire starting. Then I saw Zane striding down the corridor towards them. The blood in my veins froze as he raised his blaster, took aim and fired. Venus went limp, her blaster falling from her lifeless hand. I let out a howl of anger. I was barely aware that Ruby-Star had returned with Sparrow and Night Streamer. I was concentrating on the screen, willing Zane to drop dead. He didn’t. He just turned around and walked away from Venus’ limp body, leaving the faceless to body bag her.
I turned round to the others. Night Streamer was lent on Sparrow’s shoulder. Both were crying. Ruby-Star looked shell shocked. I grabbed the detonator out of my bag and thrust it into Sparrow’s hand. He looked at me bewildered.
“Get out of here.” I said in a steely voice. “When you get to a safe distance, you know what to do.”
“But, what are you going to be doing?” He asked. I could tell that he was finding it hard to come to terms with what I was planning to do. Night Streamer had raised her head and was looking at me in disbelief. She’d guessed what I was doing as well.
“I’m not going. Zane is going to pay for all our friends that he has ghosted over the years.”
None of them looked very willing to walk out of the building without me.
“Don’t say anything.” I said as Sparrow opened his mouth to speak. “I know what I’m doing and nothing you can say is going to change my mind. Now go.”
I waited for a few seconds before reaching for my gun. They still stood their ground.
“I won’t have any problem in stunning all of you and dragging you outside, taking the detonator and doing it myself, from the inside. There is no point fighting it. I will try to get out but if I’m not out in 10 minutes, then do it. Now go, before I make you.”
I set my blaster. Sparrow still didn’t look happy, but he finally bowed to my wishes. As they left, I went over to the tannoy. All I needed to do was get Zane’s attention and get the faceless out of the generator room. And I knew just how to do both.
“This is a staff announcement.” I said in a superstore tannoy voice. “Would Zane the agent please report to the generator room for a major dose of ass-kicking. And if any faceless should want to take part, may I advise them to start looking for the detonator; otherwise they are going to go in many different directions, all at the same time. Thank you.”
Now all I had to do was wait.