Rea caught a few garbled words. Keith's radio fell to the floor.
"Fletcher got the drop on Brice at the tracks." Keith shoved a gun into Eric's hand. "He's hit. Everyone is stuck where they are. Fletcher and a few of his men are coming toward us."
"Or they're already here," Eric muttered with his face squished to the floor.
"We've got to go." Gears stood. "I need to get my medical bag. I need to help Brice."
More bullets hit the door. Rea threw Gears back to the ground. So far, the door held, but the metal was beginning to look like Swiss cheese. He needed to problem-solve.
Rea stood and slid to the side of the door. He pressed his back to the cement. He would have to take Gears to Brice. He would also have to get out of this room before the door broke into tiny pieces.
"Gears, turn off the lights. All of them. Security included."
Karma was crouched on the ground. She glanced up, surprised. "Really?"
"Gears, turn them all off. Give Karma one minute, and then bring them up again. Ken, Keith, whatever, warn the men it's about to happen. The dark will give Karma time to kill whoever is outside this room. Hopefully, at the tracks, it'll throw off the guys wearing night vision. Is one minute enough?"
Karma smiled. "One minute is great."
Keith barked out the information to Brice. He waited until he got the okay. Rea looked at the time on the radio. He waved to Gears.
Gears stood and turned off the sub-panels at the main breaker.
Darkness enveloped him. Next to him, the door opened. He heard it shut. It was the longest minute of his life. Shots sounded. He prayed to a God he didn't believe in that Karma wasn't hurt. Rea didn't know what he would do if she died. The seconds ticked by at a snail's pace.
The lights came on. He quickly noted his surroundings. The doctor stood next to the panel. Eric was flat on the floor. Keith stood on the other side of Gears.
The silence worried him.
"Karma?" he whispered. No response.
The door was slightly open. Cautiously, Rea tilted his body around the opening. He swept the hall with a quick look. On the floor were three men, all shot in the head. Further down the walkway was another assassin, facedown.
Keith came up behind him. "I'm sure Karma is further down the hall. She's got luck to spare."
Another volley of shots rang out away from them. Rea stepped out into the walkway. Keith was probably right. Hopefully, Karma wasn't hurt. He had to get to her. More shots ricocheted off the bricks.
Rea hurried to the end of the walkway. Keith followed. He moved pretty fast for an older man. When they reached the end of the corridor, Keith pushed past him. Still trying to babysit him, Karma's father stuck his head out mere inches.
Instantly, a tall, well-dressed man skidded to a halt at the other end of the hall. Rea only got a brief glance at the stranger before he was slammed backward against the cement. Keith had shoved him aside. He fired his 9mm. The other gunman did the same thing.
Rea knew the moment a bullet hit Keith.
Keith stumbled. Rea grabbed Karma's father around the waist. Blood spurted from Keith's leg. He yanked hard until Keith fell back onto him. Rea put both arms under Keith's armpits as he heaved the large man backward. Keith's legs dragged on the floor.
Once he was around the corner, he propped the other man up against the wall.
The stranger stopped shooting. The halls were silent. Had Keith hit the assassin?
"Dad?" Karma came up behind them. Rea had never been so happy to see someone.
"He was shot by the other gunman down the hall. I think the shooter is injured as well. Where were you?"
"I followed one of Fletcher's men down the hallway, to the left." Karma leaned over her father. "Dad, you okay?"
"Tough as nails," came the older man's response. "It's Fletcher, Karma. Go get him."
Karma didn't spare either of them another look. She stepped around her dad and began shooting down the hall. The zing of the bullets bounced off the cold cement walls.
"I'll try to put pressure on this wound. If only Gears was here."
Rea set down his weapon. He pressed his palms to the blood gushing out of Keith's leg. Keith did the same. He fumbled with the torn fabric. Together they ripped a larger hole in his pants. Rea had just started to think he might have to create a tourniquet when he heard a noise behind him. Both he and Keith picked up their guns.