Kurt manning fired another blast with his right hand shotgun, taking out one of the suited bouncers. More of the hostiles had broken into the fight, firing from hidden positions across the nightclub. The civilians who hadnt managed to escape lay whimpering with their hands over their heads. The dance floor was strewn with quaking bodies, none of them brave enough to get up and make a run for it. Sayne Jadyn and the Black Flag Corsairs exchanged idle weapons fire with Manning and Anderson, almost as if they were toying with them.
Kurt ducked back down to reload, knowing that his enemy could kill him at any moment. He prayed to whatever gods there were that Sayne didnt have any grenades about his person. He stood up and fired again, the effect of his weapon shattering another speaker. He ducked back down into cover and leaned against the wall. Lucas was still firing away from his cover behind the overturned table. The two of them had stopped speaking on their channel ever since Sayne had interrupted.
Suddenly, the weapons fire stopped. The only sound to be heard was the steady whimpering of the frightened clubbers and the gentle tinkling of glass fragments bouncing on the floor. Kurt slowly raised his head above the bar. The scene that met his eyes was one of utter chaos. Bodies lay strewn across the floor, mixed with blood and sweat. Some were dead, others shook with fear. The surrounding walls and speaker systems were torn to pieces and the bar behind which Kurt hid was riddled with bullet holes.
Sayne Jadyn stood up, along with two others and gestured across to Manning.
Give yourself up bounty hunter, He said evenly, And this might not end with your life.
Id rather die than surrender to you Jadyn, Kurt spat, glancing across to where Lucas was taking cover. The Admiral had stood up fully and was looking Sayne squarely in the eye.
If you think were giving up now youve got another thing coming, Anderson backed up Kurts statement of defiance.
Sayne sighed, as if he had been through everything already. If we continue this you will both die, you must know this by now.
If we die, we martyr ourselves against your cause, Manning said, Fleet Admiral Merlow will just come for you with more vengeance at heart.
The esteemed Fleet Admiral will die trying, Sayne said with a mild smile. Fair enough, if that is your decision, then we shall continue this charade. Gentlemen
Jadyn gestured to his cohorts, ducking back down into cover. Kurt swiftly took up position once more, loading another two cartridges into his spent shotgun.
Lucas, He called over the bar.
I hear you, Anderson replied.
You wanna live forever? Manning rammed the cartridges home.
Hell yeah, Andersons voice sounded determined.
Then lets blast these ****ers to hell, Kurt stood up and leveled both shotguns at Saynes bouncers. The moment he pulled the triggers, several things happened at once. Sayne began to laugh once more, his cackle seeming to thunder over the blasts of Kurts weapons. Jadyns men opened fire once more, adding to the noise with the chattering of sub machineguns. And finally, and most bizarrely of all, the set of double doors that marked the entrance to the nightclub suddenly blasted inwards in a violent cloud of smoke and debris.
---
Seras Victoria blasted through into the nightclub, the barrel of her Harkonnen rifle glowing a vibrant amber. It hadnt been difficult locating Manning and Anderson. Once they had found Obsidians four and five, they had simply followed the sound of gunfire, leading them directly to the nightclub. Seras aimed her rifle at the nearest hostile and fired. The long gun lurched with the strength of the shot as the white hot bolt of plasma tore through the mans torso. Beside her, Miyu and Harada both jumped into action.
Miyu removed the head of one of Saynes men with one of her blades, darting past him in a blur. Harada rammed the end of her cane into the kneecap of one of the Black Flag Corsairs, snapping his leg like a twig. The man howled in pain, falling over into a devastating blow from the opposite end of the cane. The swift crack silenced the mans anguish for good. Seras aimed her rifle at a ruined speaker and fired, hoping to catch Sayne Jadyn off guard. As the speaker melted down into a sizzling puddle of liquid plastics however, Sayne was nowhere to be seen. A fire door at the back of the room clanged back into its frame as it was thrown shut from the outside.
Quickly, after him! Seras shouted. Miyu lunged for the door, barraging through it with her shoulder. Harada followed, using her cane to swing her around the stage and out through the door. Seras turned her rifle on another bouncer, reducing him to a pile of slag and limbs.
From behind the bar, Kurt Manning stood up and fired his two shotguns, eliminating another Corsair about to slash into Seras unprotected back with a bayonet. Lucas Anderson also emerged from cover, dealing with two more hostiles as they tried to make a run at Seras. His well placed shots took the men down, searing perfect holes in their foreheads.
Seras turned to Manning, smiling sweetly. Pleased to see me?
I could kiss you for the rest of the week woman, Kurt said as he vaulted the ruined bar.
Id rather you didnt, Seras shouldered her rifle and made for the door, Come on.
Sayne barged through the fire exit shoulder first, ramming the door so hard that it splintered as it doubled back round and smashed into the wall. He took in his surroundings in an instant. A small gritty back-street lined with upturned trash cans and rusting fire escapes lay on the other side of a high mesh fence. The only illumination in the street was a single creaking streetlamp with a bulb that occasionally blinked several times. Sayne never stopped; as he ran he jumped at the fence, purchasing a hold on the mesh as his body slammed into it. With a metal ringing, Sayne began to climb the fence. He was soon up and over and running off down the alleyway beyond. Miyu and Harada broke out of the ruined nightclub several seconds behind him. They both vaulted the fence with ease and began sprinting down the alley after Sayne.
Seras, Kurt and Lucas were next to come running out of the club, Kurt taking the fence first in a flourish of leather. Seras followed, neatly clearing the fence with an impressive array of twists and spins. She landed neatly on her feet on the other side of the fence and turned back around to look at Lucas. Lucas had skidded to a halt on the other side of the mesh fence, looking up at the height of it.
I think Ill find another way round, He said as he met her gaze. She sighed and sprinted off down the alleyway after Kurt.
Sayne ran around a corner, not at any point slowing as his pursuers got ever closer. He would have easily been able to dispatch one HiME Agent, but three! He ran as fast as he could at the nearest wall, sprinting part way up it as his booted feet made contact. As soon as he ran out of momentum he reached out with his hands, his fingers barely grasping what purchase the wall offered. He began scrambling up the wall, using windows and guttering to assist him. Miyu and Harada rounded the corner behind him. They skidded to a halt as they saw Sayne climbing the building. Harada pointed to the opposite row of buildings, indicating for Miyu to climb to the top, before herself heading for the nearest fire escape. Within seconds Sayne had arrived at the top of the building and was running away along the rooftops of the block, vaulting the gaps and numerous obstacles with ease. Harada arrived at the top of the fire escape and began sprinting after him. Miyu scrambled up the wall of the building opposite and began running after them in a parallel line, her twin blades glinting elegantly in the dim light.
Manning arrived around the corner just in time to see Miyu and Harada arriving at the tops of the buildings. He continued running down the centre of the alleyway, skirting bins and boxes as his eyes probed the rooftops for signs of Sayne Jadyn. He caught a glimpse of the man vaulting another rooftop and sprinted harder down the alleyway.
Seras and Lucas came around the corner last, Seras a good pace ahead of the Freedom Fighter Admiral.
Hes on the rooftops, Miyu voxed across to her comrade.
Roger that, Seras replied, running directly at one of the walls. She jumped before she reached, shouldering her Harkonnen rifle as she flew through the air. She landed on the wall with the grace of a creature as light as a moth and began scampering up a drainpipe. Lucas skidded to a halt back in the alleyway, looking up at her incredulously. Oh come on!
Sayne glanced back at his pursuer. The HiME Agent was gaining on him, vaulting over vents and generators as she ran. Sayne leaped across another gap in the rooftops, looking down at the narrow alley below as it briefly blinked past. He landed on the next rooftop and continued to run. He grabbed a small vox-mast as he ran, ripping off all of the smaller rods until all he had was a single, large strong metal pole. He dug the pole into the corner of the next rooftop and used it as a lever to fire him across the next rooftop. The pole bent slightly as it gained purchase of the rooftop and hefted his weight into the air. Sayne flew across another gap in the rooftops like an arrow, landing again squarely on his feet. The HiME Agent was a stones throw away, ready to jump directly behind him. As he landed, he used all of his strength in bringing the metal pole swinging back around. It swung through the air, making a vicious whipping noise as it went.
Harada Chie was taken completely by surprise as the metal pole caught her mid-jump. Sayne smashed the pole into her chest, halting her flight entirely. With the wind knocked out of her, she began to fall down the narrow gap in the rooftops to the alleyway floor below.
No! Miyu saw the devastating blow but carried on running as Jadyn took off once more. Harada is down, Harada is down!
Harada hit the floor with a sickening crunch, bouncing as she did so. Her staff clattered to the concrete beside her. With the wind knocked out of her, Harada could do nothing but watch her narrow view of the nights sky from in between the tall buildings.
Kurt sprinted past the downed HiME Agents, ignorant of her plight. He could still make out Sayne Jadyn as the man ran along the rooftops. Ahead, Kurt could see the end of the line. The line of buildings ended and opened out into a wider road built for surface faring vehicles. Miyu Greer was still sprinting along on par with Sayne on the opposite rooftops. Kurt ran as fast as he could, holstering his shotguns so that he could gather better momentum using his arms. He vaulted a large metal waste disposal unit and spotted another fence at the end of the alleyway. He gritted his teeth and ran faster.
Sayne saw the end of the rooftops coming and braced himself for it. He jumped across a glass paned ceiling window in the roof of one building and rolled as he landed on the other side. Picking up his sprint again he prepared himself for the jump. His augmented muscled tensed as he primed himself for the final jump. With a great leap of faith, Sayne Jadyn hurled himself from the end of the long line of buildings, flying through the air out over the wide road beneath. Miyu Greer skidded to a halt at the end of her line of rooftops, cursing as she watched Sayne flail out into the air. Jadyn slammed into the concrete floor, landing squarely on his booted feet. The impact of his landing was so powerful that it cracked the concrete around him, creating a small crater in the middle of the road. He steadied himself with one hand on the floor before turning to look up at the second HiME Agent. He grinned as he noticed she had stopped at the end of the rooftops. Turning across the road, Sayne made for a gathering of parked jetbikes.
Greer saw the jetbike gang gathered outside of a diner just across the street. The purple neon sign on the diner flicked on and off lazily as its nighttime customers sat around enjoying a snack and a drink. The bike gang sat outside, some on benches, others on their bikes. Miyu watched as Sayne grabbed one of the bikes and fired it up. The bikers all seemed to be stunned into silence as they watched Jadyn steal one of their jetbikes. Miyu snapped out of it and looked around her. She saw the end of a drainpipe and grabbed a hold. Sliding down to the surface, she head somebody yell, followed by the roar of a jetbikes engine. She landed on the concrete below and looked across the street just in time to see Sayne blast away on his stolen jetbike, an unconscious biker lying on the side of the road where he had been. He bolted off down the street, kicking up small dust tornados in his wake. Miyu wasted no time. She ran across the road and grabbed another of the jetbikes. One of the bikers turned to her, but she gave him a stern glare before kicking open the throttle. She was soon tearing down the roar after Sayne.
Just as Miyu took off on her bike, Kurt Manning came hurtling into the street as he vaulted the fence at the end of the alleyway. Flicking one of his shotguns into his hand, he sprinted across the street.
Im taking a bike, He yelled, jumping across the saddle of one of the parked jetbikes. The confused bikers again said nothing as the bounty hunter fired up the bikes engine and roared off after Miyu.
Seras slid down the wall, bringing up a cloud of dust and brick fragments in her wake. She landed on the floor beside Harada and quickly ducked down to inspect her fallen comrade. Chies breathing had leveled out and she was gazing up at her friend with a slight smile on her face.
He caught me off guard, She said disappointedly.
Harada you had us all worried! Seras scolded her.
Miyu is after him, Harada continued, Shell get him.
Come on, we have little time as it is. Seras bent over and helped Harada to stand up. Harada winced as pain crossed her shoulders and back.
I think Ive dislocated my arm, She said through gritted teeth, And possibly broken a couple of ribs.
Seras bent down to retrieve Haradas cane and handed it to her. As Harada took the cane with her unhurt arm, Seras quickly grabbed her injured one and tugged hard. With a pop and a yell, Haradas arm locked back into place. Grinning Seras rounded the corner and took off after the others before Harada could say a world.
Now all you have to worry about is your ribs, She called as she went.
Lucas Anderson ran down the long alleyway, skirting a fallen dumper as he went. He saw the fence at the end of the alley and gritted his teeth. He ran harder and faster, exerting all of his strength into his sprint. As he reached the fence, he jumped at the side of a dumper and used it to gain more height, flying through the air towards his goal. Lucas knew he wasnt going to make it as soon as his boot left the dumper. He flew through the air and crashed ungracefully into the top of the fence. A tough metal pole acting as a strut caught him directly in between his legs, acting as a point to carry his momentum. He flailed over the fence and tumbled into the sidewalk. The pain in his groin was that sickening it made him cross his eyes. Aaaaaaiiiiiiiieeeeeecaaaoooouuugh!
Shortly after the pained had dimmed somewhat, Lucas was vaguely aware of somebody standing over him. He looked up through the haze of pain and recognized the face of Seras Victoria. She was looking down at him with concern.
I dont understand it, She said, Why didnt you just use the door?
Lucas whimpered and tried his best not to let a tear role down his cheek.
Seras grinned smugly and turned away from the fallen Admiral, Harada giving her a disapproving look.
But there wasnt a door Seras, She said.
I know, but he doesnt have too. Seras smiled, Can you collect him up for me please, I need to go secure us a mode of transport.
Alright, Harada shook her head.
Seras walked across the street, knowing that there was no chance of them catching up with Miyu and Manning now that they had sped off. A confused and disorientated group of bikers sat outside the diner across the street, most of them sitting on their bikes protectively. Seras raised an eyebrow at them before entering the parking lot around the side of the diner.
The only vehicle in the lot was a large, eight wheeled ground vehicle designed for heavy transport. She tapped on the window and held up her identification card. The driver sat reading a newspaper with a cup of coffee resting on the dashboard.
Excuse me sir, but Im afraid Im going to have to commandeer your vehicle,
Like hell you are, the driver said, Your not even police.
Im close enough, now are you going to cooperate or am I going to have to remove you?
Several seconds later, the eight wheeler lurched out of the diner parking lot and stopped in front of Harada and Anderson. The two of them clambered into the cockpit, Lucas still wincing from his painful experience with the fence post. The gears ground on each other as Seras fought with the shift lever. The truck began to pick up speed as Victoria finally brought it into gear. They rolled away from the diner and stunned biker gang, their truck snorting as it went.
Where do you suppose Jadyn is heading? Harada asked, massaging her shoulder.
My guess is hell be heading back to his hideout, Seras said as she steered the truck down another street, Well have to head him off, theres no way this thing will catch up with those bikes.
She glanced across at Harada and frowned, You hurt yourself when you hit the floor didnt you.
Lucas grunted over in the other side of the cabin, Its okay, dont be concerned about me,
Seras ignored him and concentrated on Harada, Ill pull us over, let me see.
No, Harada said, holding up her hand, Ill be fine, keep us moving.
Seras grudgingly complied and carried on driving as they sped down the quiet, dimly lit backstreets of Los Angeles Capital.
---
Kurt shifted the jetbike up a gear, barely catching up with Miyu Greer as she merged with a long line of traffic.
I had to pick a bloody slow one, He growled as he pulled up alongside Greer. The HiME Agent was facing forward with grim determination as she weaved in and out of the lines of hovercars and speeders. She caught sight of him and nodded, indicating the large steel jungle of downtown LA Capital ahead of them. Manning understood, Sayne must be heading back to wherever his hideout was, and it seemed to be somewhere within the city centre its self. Kurt nodded back at Miyu and watched as she peeled away, out of the line of traffic, to find a different route into the downtown area. All Kurt had to do was follow Jadyn and try and divert him into a trap. He gunned the throttle and pulled up on his handlebars. His speeding jetbike climbed up and over the line of traffic for a moment, so that he was just above the rows of aircars. He caught a brief glimpse of a weaving jetbike ahead before gravity pulled him back down into the line of traffic. Filled with determination, he willed his bike further on and began climbing through the ranks of vehicles, pursuing his target.
---
Marcus gripped his FTX15 bullpup scoped assault rifle more tightly as the Thunderhawks outer hull began to shake and rattle. The roar of re-entry filled his ears as the dropship dove into Los Angeles upper atmosphere. He tried not to think of Victoria and poor Heather Scarman. The universe really did work in strange ways, to create a totally contrasting version of himself. Marcus had never thought such things were possible until Merlow had first told him about his alternate self. How the man was so evil, Marcus couldnt understand. With grim determination, he swore that he would rescue Victoria and Heather, no matter what happens.
Okay, heres the situation, Robert Merlow called from the head of the transport. The gathered marines all turned to look at their leader intently, Our enemy the Black Flag Corsairs have been operating from within LA Capital, and now we know where their hideout is. The Starwood Hotel seems to have been secretly overrun by the scum pirates and has been acting as their base of operations ever since. The bastards have been right under our noses the whole time.
This is a rescue operation; our targets are a young female civilian, eight years old with long blond hair, and Captain Victoria Wade, who ought to still be wearing her marines gear. They are our priorities, their safety is paramount. Our secondary targets are the known terrorists Sayne Jadyn and Tyrant Marcus Scarman. I know youll all find it odd shooting at a parallel version of our Admiral Scarman, but remember that this man is nothing but a cold bastard. Hes a killer, and he must be stopped.
“We’ll be dropping onto the Starwood Hotel from above, cable descend. Five-minute warning, prep yourselves. This is a hot zone; we expect to be under fire the minute we drop. Keep a cool head and a sharp eye. Good luck all.”
Marcus caught Robert’s eye as the Fleet Admiral completed his briefing. Merlow gave him a reassuring nod and turned back into the Thunderhawk’s cockpit. Marcus looked away and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The hammer of the Freedom Fighters was falling hard on Sayne Jaydn and Tyrant Scarman. I’m coming Victoria…
Tyrant Scarman and Connors arrived in the wide audience chamber they had been using as their command centre. Their two prisoners were dragged in behind them and thrown to the floor. The young Scarman girl scrambled her way over to the corner of the room and hid out of sight, too scared to make a noise. Captain Wade slowly sat up, defiantly glaring at the Black Flag Tyrant. She had been bound and gagged, so that she couldnt move or speak.
Okay ladies, youre free ride is over. Now were going to have a bit of fun. He turned to Connors and nodded at the girl. Take the girl to a secure location; shes just a bargaining chip. Wade however is mine.
Understood my Tyrant, Connors nodded and walked over to the girl. Her eyes widened in terror as he grabbed her by the arm. He released the catch for the main gangway and waited for it to reach the deck before leaving the Thunderhawk.
Scarecrow turned to Victoria, Finally, dimensions have denied me this moment!
Somehow, she managed to work the gag from her mouth. As Marcus reached to grab her, she spat in his face.
You ****er,
Pausing, his dignity wounded, Marcus slowly wiped the spittle from his face and glared down at the defiant Captain.
Im going to enjoy hearing you scream.
With that, he knocked her head back with a neat swipe at her jaw. Her head lolled backwards and she tumbled over. Marcus grabbed roughly and hauled her up, heading for the opposite corridor.
As Seras Victoria brought the bulky truck lurching around yet another dimly lit street corner, Lucas communicator began to chime. He pressed the receiver on his earpiece and listened intently. The voice of Fleet Admiral Merlow crackled over the channel, he sounded as if he were being thrown around inside a wind tunnel.
Admiral Anderson, what is youre current location?
Lucas quickly checked the trucks navigation console, Somewhere off Eastern Boulevard, heading for the city centre.
Roger that, Merlows voice replied, We have a positive location on Jadyns hideout. You are to proceed to the Starwood Hotel, downtown. I repeat; the Starwood Hotel, downtown.
Roger that, Lucas turned to Seras and mouthed Starwood Hotel, Sir, what is youre current location, where is Admiral Scarman?
Marcus is with me, Merlow replied, Were currently making planetfall, well be at Starwood in just under three minutes.
Well be there shortly; Manning and Greer are already ahead of us, chasing Sayne.
Confirmed, Merlows voice began to crackle and fade, Be quick Lucas, were gonna need all the help we can get.
With that, Merlow cut the channel, leaving Lucas to his thoughts.
We can make it to the Starwood Hotel in just less than ten minutes from here, Seras Victoria said as she plotted a course on the trucks navigation system. Manning and Greer will make it ahead of us, I only hope they manage to stop Jadyn, or at least slow him down.
Indeed, Lucas nodded. He couldnt help but feel slightly useless as their slow moving freighter trundled along the cracked concrete of the cities streets.
---
Kurt weaved between two more aircars as he pressed on with his pursuit of Sayne. Jadyn was a skilled biker it seemed, and had almost given him the slip several times already. Air screamed past him as he opened his jetbikes throttle and tore after his target. Sayne was still just a blur in the distance however as the two jinked between the slower moving traffic. Kurt cursed as he forced his jetbike beneath a large freight carrier. The freighters driver slammed his fist on his vehicles horn and made a rude gesture.
Manning, can you hear me? Miyu Greers voice sounded over his earpiece.
Yeah I can hear you, He shouted back. Ive still got Jadyn in my sights, barely.
Understood, Ive got intel on his hideout, Greer replied, Hell most likely be heading for the Starwood Hotel, thats where the rest of the Black Flag Corsairs are.
Right, you break off and head for the hotel, Ill keep on his back so his attention will hopefully be focused on me.
Roger that, Greer cut the link, leaving Manning alone with the whistling air streaming past his head. Now I just have to keep up with him, he thought bitterly as he gunned his engine in an attempt to gain more speed.
The Thunderhawk dropship swooped gracefully over the spires of upper Los Angeles Capital as her pilot took her over for a second pass. The first had revealed a chaotic scene of scattered vehicles, gunfire, and a lot of local police presence, all over the Starwood Hotel tower complex. The Thunderhawk banked sharply and swung around, approaching the tower from the west.
Several floating landing platforms surrounded the higher levels of the tower: an array of rentable Anti-Gravity decks for the Starwood’s wealthy and commercial customers. The first Thunderhawk to leave the Danaan with a complement of Marines and Sadukar warriors had already converged with the LZ, depositing soldiers on the platforms around the tower. Light arms fire chattered between the platforms and the building’s upper levels, as the Freedom Fighter combatants exchanged fire with the pirates inside.
“LZ acquired,” the pilot’s voice crackled over the internal comm, “Hot, hot, hot.”
With a lurch, the Thunderhawk decelerated over the top of the Starwood Hotel, taking care to miss the building’s lightning spire. The main entrance swung outward, and the side doors slid along in their tracks, exposing the lines of patiently waiting crewmen inside.
Marcus unlatched the wall bracket from around his chest, pushing it up on its hinge and locking it back into place on the wall. He pulled his rifle from his weapon locker and moved quickly across the deck.
“Ropes!” He called, as he merged with a couple of marines on the starboard side of the ship. The three of them unbuckled some long, tough cables from hatches within the Thunderhawk’s walls and secured single ends to rails above the open side door. They then dropped the reels down towards the tower’s upper maintenance platforms.
“All teams, move, move, move!” Fleet Admiral Robert Merlow barked the order as he latched himself onto one of the cables and disappeared out of the side of the Thunderhawk. On the opposite side of the ship, and at the open front, other cables were being attached in a similar fashion. Marcus latched himself onto the cable Merlow had used and swung himself over the side of the dropship.
“Targets!” Merlow’s voice sounded in his ear as he descended.
As soon as the warning came, weapons fire lanced up at him from down below. Beams of searing hot laser energy and the zip of projectile ammunition seemed to engulf him as he descended.
“Cover!” He yelled as he hit the deck, unlatching himself and diving for a nearby air conditioning unit. The unit exploded in a shower of glittering metal fragments as he dove behind it.
The Black Flag had seen the Thunderhawk coming, presumably in the obvious wake of her predecessor. An unknown number of enemy combatants were already present on the rooftop of the hotel tower.
A Freedom Fighter Sadukar warrior collapsed next to Scarecrow, clutching at an open wound just below his neck. Marcus grabbed him and dragged him into cover behind the ruined aircon unit.
“Come on, you’ll make it,” Marcus said under his breath as he sat the man up against the unit. He reached down to his belt, quickly producing his field medical kit. He growled as he saw that another bullet hole had appeared in the man’s skull. The Sadukar warrior lay still, his eyes sightless. Marcus gritted his teeth and dropped his medpack. Leaning out of cover, he opened fire at the enemy positions.
“We push now!” He yelled into his comm, “Or we’ll be stuck here.”
“Agreed,” Merlow’s voice returned, although Marcus had no idea where his friend was.
“Follow my lead!” Marcus grabbed his fallen medkit and returned it to his belt. He then took a deep breath and broke cover.
- - -
Starwood Hotel, Ground Level
Sayne Jadyn pulled his jetbike up high to avoid the gathering of blaring sirens. The local law enforcement had turned up in force and blockaded the entire base of the Starwood hotel. Getting inside was going to be difficult. He leveled his jetbike and slammed on the air brakes, bolting over the roof of one of the police vehicles. The bike emitted a deafening boom as Sayne brought it to a halt. An armed response team stood around the hotels main entrance, making sure that all of the civilians and residents of the hotel were evacuated swiftly. Sayne unholstered his blaster pistol and jumped from the jetbike. He began to walk purposefully towards the nearest police officer. The man stood with his arms stretched out, directing the scores of terrified hotel residents. Sayne disposed of him with a point blank laser blast into the small of his back.
The shriek of the blaster turned the heads of the armed response team. The stricken police officer muttered something unintelligible before slowly toppling forwards. As he fell, Sayne neatly removed the mans sidearm, bringing it up with his free hand to fire on the other officers. The armed response team barely had a chance to work out what was happening before Sayne opened fire. Three of the officers went down instantly with bullet holes and laser scorch marks appearing rapidly over their bodies. Saynes duel onslaught caught the law enforcement team completely off guard and before they could react, half of their men were already down. Sayne crouched behind one of the parked cruisers and took cover as the police officers began to return fire. Bullets rattled off the metal hide of the aircar as the officers fired their RPL submachine guns in Saynes direction. They all panicked, looking desperately for cover. Sayne leaned out of cover and took two more of the officers out with his stolen handgun before finishing off a third with a well placed head shot.
Taking his chances, he made a break for the hotel entrance. Heavy weapons fire began to rattle from somewhere behind him. Rounds began kicking up dirt around his feet as he sprinted for the revolving doors. Bullets scythed through the air, missing him by mere inches before crashing into the glass front of the reception hall. Glass shattered all around him as Sayne dove through one of the now vacant windows. He rolled when he hit the floor and carried on running into the waiting area. More law enforcement officers appeared in front of him, firing close quarters combat shotguns. He killed another two with well placed shots to the head before sliding to a halt behind a large brown leather sofa. Bullets began ripping into the sofa as he took cover, several laser rounds narrowly missing his head. The shredded sofa caught fire as more laser rounds smacked into it. Smoke began billowing out of the rips and tears, forcing Sayne out into the open again. He ran for the reception desk, firing from his hip as he went. He slid over the counter and landed on the other side, temporarily out of harms way. Round after round tore into the desk, splintering wood and reigning debris down on Saynes head. He had to move, and quick. The bounty hunter was still close behind and catching up fast. He glanced across to his left and saw the exit to the emergency stairwell. Taking a deep breath, he broke cover and ran.
***
Miyu Greer and Kurt Manning entered the square from opposite ends. They zoomed over the gathered law enforcement vehicles and braked when they arrived at the main entrance. Kurt instantly saw that the place had already taken a beating. Hardly any of the glass panes that made up the front of the reception lounge were still in their places. There were corpses everywhere and one of the patrol cruisers was riddled with bullet holes. He slowed down and dismounted before his jetbike had even stopped. He began to run across to the main entrance, but was met with an array of weaponry.
Hold it right there, A deputy growled at him, his blaster aimed directly in between Kurts eyes.
Whoa, slow down, Kurt raised his arms, Its okay, Im with the Navy.
I dont give a rats arse who youre with! The deputy growled, Ive just lost twelve men, youve got some explaining to do.
Kurt gritted his teeth and glared at the deputy before him. The carnage around the entrance was plain to see. Sayne had carved a brutally rapid path through the gathered armed law enforcement.
“I don’t have time for this,” Manning growled, looking past the deputy to the hotel’s ruined frontal façade.
“You’ll make time!” The deputy said angrily, standing squarely in front of the bounty hunter.
“Officer!” Miyu Greer shouted from where she had parked her energy bike. She had dismounted and was walking towards the front of the hotel. “Detaining us is a mistake, the threat is moving into the building as we speak!”
“Detain her!” The deputy yelled at an adjacent comrade.
Manning didn’t need any encouragement. He took Miyu’s distraction and rolled with it, darting neatly around the law, whose back was now almost fully turned to him.
“We will not stand for- Hey,” The deputy spun around, “Wait!”
But Manning was already gone. He made a break for the entrance to the hotel, sprinting hard.
“Stop or we’ll shoot!” Another voice warned loudly from somewhere behind him. He wasn’t sure who it was.
Manning pushed forward, ignoring the alert. Sure enough, the growl of small arms fire opened up behind him. He made it to the threshold of the shattered hotel frontage just as the gunfire sounded. Diving into a long forward roll, Manning crossed into the ruined reception, sparks and debris kicking up around him as projectiles peppered his surroundings. A bullet nicked his leg as he rolled through the destroyed windows.
“Fuck!” He snarled as he ducked into cover, drawing his shotguns.
He glanced down at the wound. A dark red stain was beginning to seep through the fabric of his trousers. No time!
Be broke cover again and sprinted for the central elevators. The onslaught from behind continued, but this time it didn’t seem to be coming at him.
He didn’t look behind. He didn’t need to. He knew that Miyu was buying him the precious seconds he needed. He slammed into the wall beside the elevator doors and jammed his elbow into the call button. An LACPD officer rounded the far side of the reception area, aiming a small submachinegun in his direction. Kurt fired at the floor, aiming short of the man’s feet. The combat shotgun let off with a rending howl, flechettes of plasma-lined debris punching into the tiled flooring. The officer floundered, just in time for the lift doors to chime and open.
* * *
Starwood Hotel, Centre for Commerce, Floor 73.
Tyrant Scarman dragged the bound and gagged form of Victoria Wade roughly along the adjoining corridor, towards the next conference room. The Black Flag had taken up positions all throughout the top ten floors of the hotel, and the centre for commerce had been their headquarters for the operations against the Freedom Fighters. Now the centre was almost redundant, as the enemy were upon them. Pirates from the remaining ranks of the Black Flag were scattered throughout the rooms, laying traps and securing doorways and windows. Scarman threw Victoria in front of him as he entered the next chamber. Two of his Corsairs skittered away in fear as he emerged.
Victoria had once again been able to work her gag from her mouth. She scowled at Marcus as he stooped to grab her by the ankles.
“He’ll kill you. My Marcus will be here in minutes, and when he gets here, he’s going to end this.”
“The big hero, is he?” The Tyrant snarled has he snatched at Victoria’s feet. She pulled away, trying to evade his grasp. “Always there to rescue you?”
Victoria wormed away from the monstrous alternate version of her friend. As she moved, she worked frantically at her wrist bindings.
“He is-” She grunted as she wrenched her hands free, “But sometimes, I don’t need rescuing!”
Victoria grabbed out at the Tyrant’s wrists, barely catching them as he reeled backwards. Building momentum with her body, she pulled inward with her hands whilst angling upward with her hips, knees, and feet. Her boots caught the Tyrant squarely in the jaw with a sickening smack. She released his wrists as she made contact, sending him sprawling backwards. Tyrant Scarman howled in pain as he toppled over.
Victoria frantically set to work at the tape wound around her ankles. She dug her fingers into the tough bindings and pulled. The sticky tape shifted slightly under grasp, but nowhere near enough to loosen the grip.
“Shit, shit, shit-” She cursed as she tugged.
Tyrant Scarman was recovering from the blow. With his head in his hands, he was slowly pulling himself to his feet.
“Come on, come on-” Victoria desperately pried at the tape as she pushed herself backwards along the floor, trying to gather distance from her attacker.
Tyrant Scarman started laughing. It was a cold chuckle at first, but it opened as he broke out into a full belly-laugh. His cackle seemed to be the only sound in the room, despite the ongoing battle outside.
“Very good. Very good.” He wiped blood from beneath his nose and slowly began to walk toward Victoria. “Fighting is good. Keep that spirit up. You'll need it.”
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