Once out of the door, Zadie knelt to the ground, pointing her gun at them. From her memory of their position, she was able to shoot ten down before the others realised what was happening and took cover.
Since they did not attack immediately, Zadie had the chance to hide behind a pillar as she heard someone call for backup.
Ten down. She counted, refilling her gun from the ammo strapped with her gun. Forty more to go and then some.
She peeked out, barely dodging a bullet to her head.
Shooting back at them, she ran out of her hiding place to another pillar. In the fray of bullets, Zadie managed to take out three more.
They are just like bugs that refuse to go away. She complained, digging her feet into the ground. Well, that just means that I have to adapt.
As bullets continued to shoot at her, she forced herself to relax and memorize their positions.
Seeing no movement from the woman, some began to walk out of their hiding place just as Zadie opened her eyes, feeling her leg burn again.
Jumping out of her hiding place, she rushed at inhuman speed to the people walking to her.
Dagger in one and the gun in the other, she was too quick to be seen, slicing their neck in the time it took them to blink, moving from one person to the next while her leg burned even more, the flesh around the machine tearing.
"Where the hell is she?" One of the men shouted as she appeared in front of him, blood running down her face as she shoved the gun into his mouth and shot.
"You!" A woman voice came from behind her as she, without turning around, rested her gun on her wounded shoulder side and shot at her.
Hearing a body sump to the ground, Zadie turned to look at the bodies scattered all around her, blood turning the cement floor red.
Six more. She thought, counting the number of bodies on the ground, wiping the blood trickling down her face from her hair.
Attempting to check the other six's location, she tried to use her leg again but it suddenly felt too heavy to carry.
Looking down, she saw the flesh torn from her stumps, only a bit of muscle attaching to the machine.
So I am stuck here. Sighing, she stared at the hallway in front of her. Heavy footsteps running up the building. Damn. I am screwed.
_________________
Minutes before,
"This is dull." One of the men in uniform complained, holding a box of cigarettes in his hands. "Why do we have to waste so many men for this one person?"
"I agree, captain Horis." A younger-looking male said, leaning against the jeep. "We could be anywhere else but here we are."
"I would much rather be with my wife, Jadin." Another remarked, pulling out the picture of a woman in his wallet. "She will be having our child any time now."
"Congratulations, Kyle! After three years of trying, finally." A woman shouted, pulling out a flask of whisky. "Cheers."
"You should not be drinking on the job lieutenant Elise." Captain Horis said, laughing.
"I don't think it is a problem." Another woman said, resting her hand on Elise's shoulder while she continued to drink. "Besides, what are the chances of us being called anyway?"
"That is true, we have never been called in before, why would we be called now?" The one near the jeep, Jadin said as they looked around the place.
Several soldiers stood in front of the door of the building, guns were drawn while others sat in the jeep. Most were bored out of their minds.
"An elite group of specially trained soldiers and we are here chasing one person." Another woman scoffed, clicking her gun and walking to them. "Where is the honour in this?"
"Now don't complain about it, Fiona. We are all getting one million each." The older man, still only holding the cigarette box in his hands said. "Don't we all need that money?"
"That is too generous," Elise said, speech slightly slurry. "I feel like they are hiding something."
"Why are we even after this person, captain?" Jadin asked, genuinely confused.
"Beats me." The man shrugged. "We don't ask questions here. We just accept jobs and get paid. What are you going to do with the money, kid? This is your first mission isn't it?"
"My mother's treatment!" he said happily. "I only joined for the money. My ... other job didn't pay enough."
"That is an honourable thing." The man nodded, turning to the two women, one trying to pry the flask from the other. "And you two? Lily?"
"If we do get that much, I am thinking of quitting and finally spending time with my kid." The other woman said, managing to take the flash away from her friend. "I do need to spend more time with him."
"I would like to go back to college and get my Bachelor's degree," Elise said, turning to Fiona who is still playing with her gun. "And you?"
"I don't know." She said, shrugging. "I would rather not count my eggs before they hatch. Kyle?"
"I would just settle down and be with my family." He said, gently looking at the picture of a woman. "That's all I wanted. What about you, captain?"
"Same as you. Just retire and be with my family. Do you know that my granddaughter is turning two this year?" He said proudly. "She is the smartest kid around."
"I am sure not as smart as mine is going to be, no offence captain," Kyle said, smiling cockily.
"We'll just have to see, don't we?" The man chuckled, finally putting a cigarette in his mouth as another jeep came to them, a soldier running out frantically.
"Captain!" he shouted, hat askew. "Sorry I am late. We ran into some problems."
"That's alright, you didn't miss much here." He laughed, looking at the man. "I don't think I have seen you before."
"Today is my first day." The man said sheepishly, brown eyes seeming to brighten. "I am excited to be here."
"Well, it is a pleasure to have you on board." The man said, unlit cigarette still hanging from his lips. "Kyle over there is new too."
"Really? I am so happy to meet you." The newcomer said, grinning broadly.
"Same here." Kyle shook his hand as Fiona walked up to the man.
"You can from squad Seven?" She asked, looking at the jeep he came in. "Is Hailee in there?"
"Yes, ma'am. All the others decided to wait inside the jeep." He said as she nodded, blankly standing there, staring at the newcomer.
"Now, where is my lighter?" Horis asked, feeling his pockets while the cigarette still hung from his lips. "It is a little gold and silver one with a dragon at the front."
"Didn't you give it to Hailee to carry it on the way here?" Elise asked, leaning on Lily for support.
"Oh yes, I did," Horis said sheepishly.
"Let me get it," Fiona said, walking to the jeep that the man came in.
"I have a lighter." The newcomer said, taking one out of his pocket, throwing it to the man.
"Thank you," Horis said, looking at the lighter and pausing. It is gold and silver with a dragon engraved in the lighter, albeit with brown spots all over.
Frowning, he looked at the man that just came, just to notice him smiling in his direction.
"Captain!" Fiona shouted from the jeep, eyes wide with horror. Turning to look at her, he saw the disembodied hand falling to the ground along with a pool of blood dripping from the jeep, like syrup.
Kyle ran to Fiona, staring with wide eyes at the sight of human body parts in front of him.
Panic filling him, he turned to the man that just came, the rest moving away from the man that came slowly, guns drawn.
"Who are you?" Horis asked just as a message came over the radio, requesting for backup.
"She is doing quite well." The man said, taking off his hat as he looked at everyone around him, guns pointed in his direction as his smile disappeared.
"I asked you a question!" Horis asked again, sending some men up into the building.
"I know you did." The man said, stretching. It was only then that they noticed the blood staining parts of the uniform. "And I can choose whether to answer it or not, right?"
"Why would you do that?!" Fiona tried to run to the man, fuming with anger. "She has a family she looks after! What will they do now?!"
"Please." The man said, leaning against a jeep while looking at her accusatorily. "Tell me you did not kill an entire family, leaving the kids out in the streets, just to get money before."
"I ... I had to do it. It is either them or my family!" She shouted, Kyle looking at the ground, pursing his lips.
"Then you will forgive my actions, right?" He asked, smirking, pulling out a gun to Horis. "After all, it was either them or my family. Just like now. And you already know what I will choose."
"Shoot him!"