1
Daniel Bridgewater had been hit with many things in his forty-one years. Bullets, full-size boulders, lightning bolts, and alchemical blasts of pure magic.
Those he could handle. In terms of the job and the situation, those were to be expected. As he flew through the air with an RPG attached to his chest and destroying every wall he was blown into, this was a new, unique feeling of pain that he had felt.
He blasted out of the final wall, across the parking lot, and into the main street.
The main street, he thought.
Daniel had to think fast, he shifted his weight to the right and brought his right arm around and then under the RPG, then planted both feet on the ground and flung the RPG high in the air away from all the people on the street.
The RPG zipped high into the night sky and soon exploded.
I hope there were no planes overhead. He thought about that. Nah it was too low.
Before Daniel knew it, his legs gave way and his body crumbled on top of him. He figured after two explosions and being hit with life-force crippling embers, his body not fully recovered.
He felt the pain surge through his body. Normally he would be thankful for such a feeling, being able to do what he can do for so long gave Daniel Bridgewater a certain sense of not being human, being something more and at times arrogance emerged even when he did not want to.
Daniel had learned that pain—physical pain was good for him, it reminded him that he was not invincible. That he was indeed a human, a different kind of human, but one nonetheless. Still, this was not the time to embrace that feeling.
The police station was under attack by Oliver's Greycloaks and Daniel knew, he could feel it in his bones, bones that ached ever so righteously as he thought, Marco Reilly was close by. He was probably above him at this very moment, laughing at him.
He willed his body to move, but like what seemed to happen often, his body screamed at him;
Just rest for a moment. Please. The years we've beaten up. Just stay down. The action can wait.
But the situation could not wait. There were people, Daniel had continually tried to deny mattered to him, but he needed to be there for Erica and Royce.
Get up. They need you.
Daniel did get up, slowly, but surely. He had a little bit of a limp and like a normal human being, he had to walk it off. He walked back towards the station. He was in a direct straight line and he could see the flashes of gun fire. He started to jog and then run with great urgency.
I'm coming, motherfuckers.
2
The Greycloaks walked towards the station armed to the teeth with AR-15's and had combat protection gear that consisted of a darker grey bulletproof armour on the chest, arms and legs. They wore masks under their hood.
They moved in coordinated attack formations, three moved to the front and four to the left and for the right. Then switched positions. Four to the front and
The officers of central Preston will be ill-prepared for this as the returned fire, but many were hit. Some were certainly dead with clinical hits to the head and neck area. Those officers fell to the floor and did not get up.
Russo and Sampson were near the main office and had very little time to get their world in order after being sick from their first portal travel. They went to the small hallway that led to the street. Several were being hit by the Greycloaks. Russo's would stop spinning as one the closest officer to him was hit in the chest by a bullet and collapsed in front of him.
'Bradley!' Russo screamed and returned fire, but his shots hit the chest of two Greycloaks, but only pushed them back, but did not stop them. Russo screamed again. 'FUCKERS! and grabbed Bradley and dragged him around the corner away from the gunfire. Sampson instinctively moved in the way and provided cover fire towards the Greycloaks and moved with the pair.
Russo pressed his hand into the wound. He turned him over and saw an exit wound. That meant that bullet that hit Bradley just missed him. 'It was a through and through Bradley.'
'You sure? Cause it hurts like fuck!' Bradley said among grimaces.
'Yeah, I'm sure.' Russo said as smiled and tried to reassure Bradley. 'Keep pressure on it, cause I need to get back out there.'
Royce and Erica entered in. Royce managed to take down three Greycloaks in three shots. He aimed directly for the head. 'They have bulletproof armour. Aim for the heads.'
Another RPG came from outside and this time hit the first wall and exploded right in the middle of the office. Everyone was thrown from the force.
Erica was thrown into a desk. Her vision was a daze for a few seconds, but gathered quickly as Greycloaks spilled in from the street. Erica teleported between the first three that came and shot each of them in the foot, then shot two who still reached for their weapons in the head. Her first kill. She had no time to react as more Greycloaks ran in.
Erica ran to her right and fired indiscriminately at the emerging Greycloaks. She hit a few of them going around a corner, that same corner that was ripped to shreds by multiple bullets, before a Greycloak grabbed her neck, lifted her off her feet and slammed her into wall. Erica reeled, but stayed in the moment and used her hips to bring both her legs over and then around the Greycloaks head, in a tight scissors hold. She then slammed punch after punch onto the head of the Greycloak and he released his grip on her neck. Erica pulled all her body weight down and that flipped over the man's head first into wall.
Erica heard the crack of his skull into the brick beyond the plaster. She got up from under him as two more Greycloaks came to where Erica was and did not hesitate to fire at her. She teleported behind them and kicked both their calves in. She brought an elbow to the jaw of one and turned her hips and whipped a punch to the other. Both were hit with interest. Another Greycloak came but was immediately hit with shot to the head.
Royce delivered that shot. 'You okay?'
'Yeah.' Erica shouted as the gunfire around them was so loud. 'We need to get to Oliver, they've come for him.'
'You read my mind.' Royce said.
They ran into the main office, but immediately ducked as the office was at a certain height and was dominated by gunfire. Both of them fired at the Greycloaks, who boxed themselves to the right of the office and near the hallway that led to the interrogation rooms.
Other officers, which included Russo and Sampson, fired back, but Royce and Erica could see that the Greycloaks were filling in to the hallway.
'Shit,' Royce had realised something, 'the bracelet.' he looked at Erica. 'You gotta go.'
Erica nodded and got disappeared in front of him.
Royce moved to the table and flipped it over for cover. It was a good thing he did, as seconds later bullets rattled the table and holes that puffed with smoke. He turned to the right and fired from the side. He caught one in the side of their thigh and rolled about and screamed.
'LAZLO!' One Greycloak screamed. 'YOU BASTARD!' That was directed towards Royce and the rampant gunfire towards the table that Royce used for cover confirmed that. The Greycloak unloaded the full clip and Royce did not hesitate put two in the shoulder and one square in the forehead to the man.
'Need to be quicker then that pal.' Royce said as he reloaded another clip. 'Erica, don't let them get him.'
3
The officers in the personal possessions locker tried to defend themselves, but it was a failed effort. They could not get the door closed to lock themselves in. Both officers were shot in the back and slumped on the ground.
The Greycloaks came in and put the finishing shots in the head of the fallen men.
'You shoot at me and I kill you.' Said one Greycloak. 'That's a fair deal.'
One of the Greycloaks barged past and searched the personal possessions.
'You found it?'
'I just started!.' said the Greycloak that looked through. He then saw it. The Bracelet in bag numbered 888312. 'Got it.'
'OOOOF.' came from the outside of the small room.
The two Greycloaks turned and saw the body of one of their own slump on the floor with both shoulders hit and their AR behind them.
More gunfire was exchanged for a moment and the Greycloaks stood for a moment. They both froze as they did not know what was around the corner.
'I'll cover you.' said the taller, more broad Greycloak to the smaller, more lithe-built Greycloak, who just nodded. 'Get it to Oliver.' He then ran out in the hallway and sprayed that same hallway with gunfire. He screamed, 'COME GET IT!!! COME ON!!!!'
The smaller Greycloak ran to behind and turned to see Erica disappearing and reappearing and she took out the Greycloaks with efficient and clinical hits.
He did not fire at her, as this would alert her to his presence. He trusted his fellow Greycloak to do what he said and delay her, but he knew time was at the essence.
As he ran through and looked for the interrogation room, he mowed down any officer that came into his vision.
He did not think. At this time he did not need to.
He got to the room and fired on the lock. The door clicked open and he kicked it wide open.
Oliver Harris stood in front of him. He beamed a big smile.
'I am here, my mage.' The Greycloak said. 'We need to get out of here.'
'The Rogue and the Mount will bless you my soldier and you will be immortal in our new world.' Oliver said. He noticed the bracelet. 'Pass it to me, Leonard.'
The Greycloak did and Oliver put on the bracelet, which glowed bright purple. He felt a surge of energy go through his entire body and at that moment within all the gunfire and screams that littered through the now attacked police station. Oliver Harris found quiet. Voices of the past, present and future flooded into his brain with whispers and soft chants. This made him feel more powerful. 'Unlockus.'
The chains that locked into the hands disappeared and the handcuffs did likewise. Oliver smiled. 'Let us leave.'
The Greycloak nodded and went out into the hallway first, but was immediately hit with three bullets to the chest. He fell to the floor and clutched his chest.
Erica ran in and aimed his gun at Oliver who rose his arm.
'Velanco.' Oliver said as the bracelet rippled with purple mist.
Erica was lifted and thrown into the air, blasted through each floor smashed through the roof and she was in the night sky thrown to the left. It was there she passed the figure of Marco Reilly. 'MARCO!!!!'
Marco just looked confused as she flew past him.
Erica felt the momentum stop and she fell to earth. She was falling to the police station car park and she saw a cruiser slightly to the right of here and teleported to the cruiser and teleported six feet above it and landed hard into the top of the cruiser. She rolled off the top and landed hard to the ground.
Erica was on her back and she looked up and she saw Marco start to descend to the ground. 'Ah great.'
4
Daniel gathered speed as he saw Marco drop down to earth. He ran up to the station and leapt up and tried to grab him, but missed and landed hard into a few cruisers. 'Fuck.' He said as he got up and Marco saw him as his feet touched the ground.
'Smooth, Bridgewater.' Marco said. 'How about another car?'
'What?' Daniel said as he stood up slowly. 'What the fuck did you say?'
A car smashed into the body of Daniel Bridgewater and he, and the car flew into a nearby store.
Marco shook his head, but something caught the left corner of his left eye and he held his left hand up.
Erica ran towards him and unloaded not one, but quickly two clips at him, but the bullets never touched him. They were held in the air. Erica stopped. At that moment she wished she was a better shot and shot him without being able to get too close.
Marco smiled. 'You had the element of surprise, Agent Chandler, but I guess when you see the merchant of death up close. You'd just freeze.' he turned the bullets towards her. 'Goodbye Agent Chandler.' He flicked his wrist and the bullets came towards her like they were shot by multiple guns. Erica teleported behind him as the bullets rattled and destroyed one of the Greycloaks four by four.
Erica slammed an elbow into the spine of Marco, he buckled back and she brought his neck down and slammed her right elbow into the throat of Marco and he dropped to the ground, but launched a sweeping left hook that Erica did not see and got her square in her right ribcage. The wind sucked out of her body and another left hook sent her to the ground. She spat some blood as she tried to get up, but a swift kick, another kick to her ribs sent her back down.
'You fucking,' Marco's voice sounded lower, with a lack of clarity. The elbow to the throat did the trick. He spat some spit out and coughed deep into his lungs to try and get some vocal strength back into his voice. 'You're asking for an ass whooping bitch.'
'I have that talent. I can take it, Daniel; you fuck. Bring it. I'm not scared of you, Marco. BRING IT!' Erica shouted full of adrenaline. She looked past him and teleported away.
Marco turned and saw the same car he hit Daniel with, now flew towards him. He held it in the air, but did not see Daniel, who leapt high into the air and kicked the floating car towards Marco, who could not hold the car. He saw the car fly towards him, and the car bounced off him, and he was flung a few feet into another parked car.
Daniel looked at Marco as he got up slowly. 'You miss me?'
Marco looked like he smiled.
Erica teleported beside Daniel. 'Took your time.'
'Well, I was busy being courted by a rocket. It didn't last.'
'Too hot for you?' Erica said.
'I have to be the hot one. Plus, it was too fast. Took me to a place I didn't want to go.'
'You're in a losing battle there.' Erica smiled nervously.
Daniel smiled too. He looked more certain.
Marco walked towards them. 'I'm going to enjoy killing the both of you. You will not stop me.'
'You ready for this?' Erica asked.
'I was born ready.' replied Daniel.
'I thought you were born annoying.'
'What did I tell you? Stop conflating your issues into mine.' Daniel said.
'Now you're making up shit.'
Daniel laughed. 'It's a habit.'
'Take the moment of cheer now. I will peel the dead skin off your bones.' Marco said and he stood still.
'That sounded like an invitation to me.' Erica said.
'Me too. Let's get to it.' said Daniel as they went towards Marco when a bright purple light emanated from the police station and grew brighter and brighter.
This caused all three to stop what they were doing.
The light looked like it grew and grew and exploded and dominated the entire space. Glass flew everywhere. Bodies of officers flew out of the station. The sheer force of energy blew Daniel, Erica, and Marco back.
The light faded and Oliver Harris emerged with his Greycloaks. They walked towards their vehicles, and all were not affected at all.
They walked past the various bodies of officers. Oliver stepped on some of them, not even giving them the dignity of stepping around them. They were nothing to him, they were just in the way.
Marco was the first one to get up, though the world was blurred for him. He could see the form of Oliver Harris. He felt his head and it rang with a piercing pain that rendered him essentially defenceless. The form moved closer and closer to Marco.
'I warned you, Marco. I told you not to try me. I even gave you a chance to escape and find another life.'
'You know what you took…from…me.' Marco said as his world remained in a realm of disorientation.
'I don't know what I took from you, Marco. I only know what I gave you. True power, power that has to be taken away.'
'HARRIS!!'
Oliver turned and saw Royce stumble out as he conjured a Greycloak over his head and body and propped the hood over his face. 'Royce, you are tough. You still trying to arrest me?'
'No, we're in the killing game now you fuck.'
'I do love that game.' Oliver said and he looked at his fellow Greycloaks. 'Fucking kill him, please.' he said with such nonchalance it almost felt like he dismissed Royce, who fired at his Greycloaks, who returned fire.
Daniel and Erica started to get up and they felt the same as Marco, whose world now started to focus and the ringing around his head had started to fade.
Royce dove near the front wheels of the nearest cruiser As he was pinned down by four Greycloaks, he peeked out and hit one dove and then hit another, He ran across to another cruiser as bullets flew and skipped past each step he took and dove behind the cruiser as a shot gun blast past him and broke off part of the wall behind him.
Royce stayed down and scurried beneath and fired four shots at the wielder of the shot gun and aimed that the feet of the man. He heard a scream and the man buckled down and Royce hit the finishing shot on his temple.
Sampson and Russo came out of the station and they also looked a little disoriented, One Greycloak saw them and aimed his weapon rifle at the pair, and directly at Russo. Sampson being the more aware of the two stepped in front of Russo and took a few shots to the chest. He slumped down. This snapped Russo into focus and rolled over across the nearby steps and emptied a clip into the head of the Greycloak. He dropped dead before his body hit the ground.
Russo went to Sampson who was slumped on the nearby wall. 'No Samp, No.'
'Oh I had to be the awake one first, couldn't reach for my gun.' Sampson gargled blood as he spoke.
'Don't talk you fucker, just rest.' Russo said as he pressed Sampson's chest and he tried to will the bullets out of the chest of Sampson.
'Ah it's over. It's fucking over. Tell Cathy, she was more then a pair of breasts to me. She was more.'
'Shut the fuck up. You're tell her that yourself and then get suspended when you get better.' Russo said with tears. 'Just don't tell your wife that shit.'
'Ah my wife.' Sampson said. 'She took a lot from me. She's a good woman. Ah I should of told her that more. I should have. Ah fuck.' Pain coursed throughout the body of Sampson. Life flew out of him too.
'IS THERE ANYONE WHO CAN ASSIST? I NEED HELP.'
'I saved you Russo. You're the best fucking cop I know. You're a problematic man, but you're a good cop. No matter what these fuckers say, but I love ya Russo. I'd love ya. I'm glad I…saved you.' Sampson took his last breath and died right there. His lifeless eyes looked at Russo.
'No. No.' Russo's chin trembled and his eyes filled red with tears. He closed the eyes of Sampson slowly and he took each touch with precious softness.'Samp. Ah.' he felt the grief and the rage all at once. 'AH. AHHHH YOU FUCKERS!!!' Russo screamed and fired at the same time. He hit more cars than Greycloaks, but what he did do was push them back and he carried on with his shots as he moved forward. This allowed Royce to pick off Greycloaks who did not see him.
Oliver and the rest of the Greycloaks got in their vehicles, and they managed to drive off. Marco launched himself in the air and gave chase. Erica looked at the car with Oliver on and focused on that car.
Daniel looked at her. 'Go.'
Erica teleported on top of the speeding four by four.
Daniel ran after the other vehicles and got enough speed to leap high in the air and slammed into the street. He caused the nearby area to shake. The area was already a frenetic mess of fear and violence.
Cars collided into each other, just missing the vehicles with the Greycloaks. Daniel sprinted forward and vaulted over some of the cars that slammed into each other. There was no time to check if anyone was okay. Daniel's focus had to be on the Greycloaks. He took his gun out and fired at one of the vehicles.
The vehicle he fired upon, did a sharp 90-degree turn and faced Daniel, who ran towards the vehicle. The vehicle jerked forward and headed towards Daniel.
A Greycloak leaned out of the passenger seat window and fired at Daniel, who fired back and hit the man in the chest. The Greycloak clutched his chest, but still held onto his gun. He fired this time more meekly than before. Daniel fired again, hitting the man in the head this time and fired several shot at the driver. Those shots blasted through the windscreen and hit the driver a few times in the chest, but one hit the head. The car swerved to the left and flew towards people on the sidewalk.
No Daniel thought and he powered every sinew of his muscles across his body to his legs and he leapt in front of the vehicle that skipped up in the air because of the indent of the sidewalk and placed himself between imminent death for these people and his back took the brunt of the vehicle, which bounced off his back. He dropped to his knees for a moment, but then stood up and flexed his back. Everyone apart from him just looked at him in shock.
He just nodded. 'I think you all get to somewhere safe.'
The citizens he just saved did not need another reason to run away as a police cruiser with its sirens on—beeped in the distance and then stopped in front of Daniel. This was driven by Russo and Royce was in the passenger seat.
'You called shotgun?' Daniel said as he loaded another clip and walked towards the cruiser.
'Sue me. We going after Erica?'
Daniel got in the back and shut the door. 'Erica can handle herself. We're going after those other Greycloaks so let's move.'
Russo pressed the gas pedal down and they careered down the street.
5
'I heard something on the land on the roof!' yelled the driver.
Oliver looked up. 'It's her. Shoot god-damn it.'
The four-by-four swerved out of the way of a bus that was parked at stop.
Erica did not just hold on for her own life. If she did not try to stop this vehicle, they were going to hurt someone. A single bullet fired from inside missed her forehead by inches. She shifted her weight to the left and to the right to avoid gunfire, and somehow as each bullet ripped past her, thigh, elbow, and chest, Erica Chandler would consider this a miracle as the vehicle swerved in and out of lanes, in and out of the opposite side of the road, back to the correct side.
The vehicle drove onto pavement smashed into market stall and falafel stands, newsstands, store signage, clipped bus stops and almost smashed into buildings.
People dove and dove out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. Screams were heard everywhere. Erica tried to reach for her gun, but every tight swerve, jerked her arm away from getting to her gun and when she had to grab it, she could not afford to lose it. She may only have one shot to take out the driver and take out Oliver.
They had just left the city and were now heading into the nearest interstate, which led to Patterson.
'You haven't shot her?' Oliver yelled. 'Brake.'
'Huh?' this surprised the driver.
'For fuck's sake, BRAKE!!!' Oliver yelled at the top of his lungs and he pressed the brake for the driver and the vehicle came to an aggressive and sudden stop.
Before Erica knew it, she was off the roof of the four-by-four and was airborne for a few seconds. The ground met with as much love as a hard slap on the face. She made sure when she landed, she would land with her elbows and her side that met the ground first. It hurt, but not as much as it could have been.
Erica got up quickly and faced the bright headlights. It was almost like a stand off. She knew what they were going to do and they certainly knew what she was going to do.
Or did they?
'Mow her the fuck down.' Oliver commanded and the driver pressed the gas.
Erica remained still as she kept her gaze on what she could see and what she could see what the back seat and, in particular an empty section at the back. The car headed towards her and she teleported into the back seat and immediately elbowed the man to her right and slammed the bone to the central point of the nose which caused him to scream and blood spilled from that point.
The man to her left did not have much time to react either as she put both of her hands behind his head and brought her right knee right into the centre of his head. This knocked him out. She returned to the man who welcomed her elbow to his face. A swift and impressive, two hit combination with a left and right hook, put him down.
Oliver took out at gun and tried to aim at Erica, but before they knew it the vehicle was above the ground. Lifted around ten feet above the ground which carried on at the same speed, then went up another ten feet. Then the car was dropped back to earth and crashed with such force it knocked those who were conscious into the realm of the dark.
6
Russo drove like the worst version of Royce, the timing between a certain accident and a close near miss was too close to call even for the well experienced Daniel Bridgewater. He realised, in all honesty, to drive badly with such skill as Royce did.
'There are those fuckers.' Russo said as he went around another vehicle, a silver Toyota Prius. 'A chick car.'
The two 4-by-4s were in front of them. They swerved in and out of lanes trying to gain as much of a distance, but the second vehicle clattered into one car and span and did a full three-sixty. The driver put the car into reverse and smashed into another, the momentum of that made the car spin back facing the right way.
'You ready?' Royce shouted as Russo narrowly avoided colliding with another car. 'Bridgewater?'
'I was born ready.' Daniel took out his weapon, moved slightly forward and stuck himself out of the window.
Royce nodded and did the same thing.
'I'd say light those fuckers up, but no, I do want to say so do it.' Russo said.
The second car had two members come out and face the three and they fired their weapons as they swerved in and out of the right side of the road.
Both Royce and Daniel fired back, as Russo also had to swerve. Three bullets hit the windscreen and all somehow missed Russo's head.
'I'm blessed. I'm neat to hurt these guys!' Russo screamed at the top of his lungs.
Daniel fired three shots and he hit the Greycloak twice in the head and one in the chest. The Greycloak's dead body dropped onto the road and Russo ran over the body, which slowed down the car for a few seconds, but made him feel very good and raised his adrenaline up even higher.
Royce was caught in the shoulder and the force made him lose his grip on the hand rest he held on to. Daniel moved forward and grabbed onto Royce's legs and Royce's head was just a few inches from certain death and the speeding road. He still held onto his gun as more bullets rattled past him.
Russo held, took out his gun, switched it to his left hand and took a few shots. Some hit the back lights, breaking them and the Pennsylvania licence plate, which snapped that off.
Royce picked himself up slowly. He looked at his shoulder, it looked like graze more than a direct hit.
'You good?' Daniel asked, concerned.
'Yeah, Don just fucking line me up. I'm going to nail this fucker.'
Russo nodded, and he started to drive like he was a Formula One driver, matched turn for turn, swerve for swerve, and speed for speed.
The greycloak who hit Royce clung on the car as the driver hit more erratically, and that is when Daniel then noticed that the other car that was in front of that, which was currently in a chase with, was no longer there.
'Wasn't there two cars?' asked Daniel and the second car swerved in from a side road and was suddenly behind them.
The driver and passengers all started to shoot at the police cruiser, which was now being attacked from the front and the back.
The back windscreen shattered and broke apart.
Daniel shot at the back car and Royce took his sweet time in getting his kill shot ready.
Russo noticed this as gunfire rattled around him. 'You planning to shoot the guy or are you waiting to get close enough to ask if you can date his sister?'
'Both.' Royce said as his squinted a little bit and got his timing just right. He knew, he just knew that the driver was going to go to the right by ten degrees. By that time and the fact he counted the shots the Greycloak had, this was the right time. Two shots to the head were all it took and he did not miss.
The dead body hit the ground and Russo again ran over; this time his speed did not drop.
This annoyed Daniel as it shook his own accuracy of shot-making and a bullet grazed his cheek. 'RUSSO! STOP AIMING FOR DEAD BODIES WHILE YOU WERE DRIVING OR I SWEAR TO GOD!!'
'ALRIGHT, I'LL STOP, BUT WANT AM I GOING TO DO IF I CAN'T AVOID?' Russo yelled back.
'TRY TO AVOID.' Daniel and Royce said at the same time.
'You two spent way too much time together.' Russo said.
Royce at this point loaded a new clip in and turned and joined in firing at the car behind.
Daniel shot and killed the Greycloak that clipped his cheek. Royce tried to take the driver, but they were good themselves and Royce felt one particular bullet fly past his head and for a moment, the briefest of moments, his actual life flashed before his eyes.
'I don't want you fucks to kill them all. I want some for Sampson. Do not kill em all until I got some. You fuckers hear me?' Russo screamed as he maintained not colliding with a car despite his best efforts.
The sunroof opened on the car behind and a Greycloak aimed a rocket launcher at the police cruiser.
'What the?' Royce said and he could not finish his sentence.
'Take him out!' Daniel yelled.
The Greycloak pressed a button and a barrier came out in front of him and he dove. The bullets bounced off that barrier.
'Bulletproof.' Daniel muttered to himself.
The Greycloak rose up and aimed at them again.
'RUSSO!' Daniel yelled, 'START SWERVING!'
'WHAT?'
'START SWERVING!!'
'WHY DO YOU WANT ME.' Russo looked at his dashboard mirror and saw rocket launcher being aimed at his direction. He did not need any more instruction after that. He swerved in and out of the correct lanes.
Daniel kept on looking at the car behind and the car in front. 'RUSSO, THIS MOTHERFUCKER HAS AN ITCHY TRIGGER FINGER, WHEN I TELL YOU STOP SWERVING AND TO GET IN LINE WITH THAT DAMN VEHICLE IN FRONT AND THEN SWERVE RIGHT! GOT IT?' Daniel ordered.
'I GOT IT!' Royce yelled in acknowledgement.
The police cruiser swerved, but Russo started to swerve in time with the car in front and gained up to them. Daniel fired, but was not aiming at the man with the rocket launcher, while Royce. He could see that the Greycloak looked tired at holding that launcher. He could also see that the car in front could not cross into another lane.
'NOW! NOW!' Daniel yelled and Russo remained straight with the car in front.
The Greycloak got the perfect shot as the cruiser was directly in front. He pressed the trigger.
'NOW TURN RIGHT!' Daniel yelled at the top of his lungs.
Russo did swerve right and the RPG flew past them and hit the car of the Greycloaks in front of them, which exploded and lifted it's wheels a few feet off the ground and it rolled to the right and Russo tried to turn to the left, but clipped the burning car and the cruiser span around.
Both Royce and Daniel held on tight, Daniel holding on tight meant that he almost ripped off the roof of the cruiser as the world span around them. Russo managed to keep the cruiser on the move as he pulled up the handbrake and put the car into reverse.
'Whatever you guys are going to do, you better do it fucking now.' Russo said as he looked behind.
Daniel saw that the Greycloak had loaded another RPG on the launcher. He went to aim, but didn't press the button for the barrier. Daniel knew this was his opportunity and aimed and fired three shot into the head of the Greycloak, who dropped down but pressed the trigger and the RPG flew down into their vehicle, caused it to explode and flip up into the air and land on the roof.
'Good shot.' Royce said impressed.
Daniel just nodded and gave wry smile. Then he realised. 'Russo, stop the car.'
Russo did as their body jerked violently with that stop.
Daniel got out the cruiser and sprinted out towards the flaming four-by-four. He pulled out any body he could find. Which was around three and the four-by-four exploded a second time and knocked him a few feet to the street's hard surface.
By the time Royce got up to Daniel, he was already up and searched through the bodies and looked through their pockets and inside the cloaks.
'Why try to save them?' Royce asked. 'They're already dead and not that those fuckers deserve heroics.'
'I wasn't trying to same them,' Daniel said as slyly tucked something in his pocket without Royce being able to notice. He did take out something from another dead body. 'I was looking for one of these.' he showed Royce the swipe card to get inside the Engrave building.
'Clever.' Royce smiled in appreciation, but then grimaced as he looked and felt his shoulder.
'You sure you're good?' asked Daniel.
'I've live.'
Daniel nodded and then a chilling thought hit his mind and worry dominated. 'Erica.'
'I bet she's already at Patterson. Let's go.'
7
The sound of gunfire awoke Erica Chandler.
The world was upside, and she felt the cold streak of blood hit the left side of her cheek. Just like that, her old gash opened up again. The world, like it had often been during her first case, was a blurred realm of sight that slowly started to focus.
The aural landscape was dominated by gunfire and paused screams—the type of bloodcurdling screams that really woke a person to the immediate danger that was around them, and she knew what that danger was.
Marco Reilly.
Still, as much as she wanted dance with him in that dance of pure violence that he could only get from him, Erica wanted Oliver and looked around the car. There was no sign of Oliver Harris.
Did Marco get him?
She brought her feet down and pulled herself up and then she climbed out of the car and crawled for a few seconds before she felt confident that she could indeed stand upright and not instantly kneel over. She leaned on the overturned vehicle and went around it. She saw Marco raise a greycloak in the air and shout, 'WHERE IS HE???'
'I….I…' The Greycloak squealed.
'WHERE IS HE?' Marco shouted.
'I...I…'
'SAY I ONE MORE TIME. I SWEAR IF YOU DO.'
'I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE FUCK HE IS?'
Marco bent his neck to the right and the Greycloak's neck broke and he was dead before he hit to the ground. He looked at Erica. 'You.'
Erica was pulled towards in him and he grabbed her by the neck and lifted her feet off the ground. She tried to reach for her gun, but she could not move her arm closest to it. It was pinned.
'Nice try. Where is he?'
'You're asking like I fucking know him!' Erica said in immense pair.
'I know this hurts.' Marco said and Erica's arm bent at an angle that was not natural.
Erica did not scream. She did not want to give Marco the satisfaction, but her body began to shake involuntarily and tears streamed and hit the blood that poured her face. This caused a stinging sensation that created a painful tingle that made her body feel like it was burning.
'Where is he?'
'I don't know.' Erica said, tears and the blood fell faster as her arm was yanked even more out of place.
'You were in the car with him.'
'Yeah and you fucking lifted... and flipped the car over. You see me conscious as you pulled those men out looking for him?'
'Then you are no use to me alive.'
'Fuck you Marco.'
Marco smiled. 'I'm going to rip your arm out of it's socket and watch you bleed to death, Chandler.'
'DO IT THEN AND STOP DRONING ON ABOUT IT!!' She yelled as if this was her last act, she wanted to go with an act of defiance and not fear.
'Seren-Blasten.' came the familiar voice of Oliver Harris that went lower, but yet louder in octaves. A long beam of purple light knocked Marco to the ground and caused the hold of Erica to be released and she dropped to the ground and clutched her arm. The pain was great, but she knew nothing was over-extended.
Marco got up slowly as Oliver walked towards him. 'Your magic can't protect you.'
'It can.' Oliver said. 'I'm going to use it to kill you.'
'You said it like you believed it.'
'I created you, Marco. I know how end you.'
Marco smiled. 'Let's do this dance somewhere else. At the place where it all matters.' Marco revealed that he had a swipe card. 'Lower ground floor. That's where the elevator is? The caves are beneath.'
Oliver looked shocked, speechless even.
'It wasn't just about killing you, Oliver. I'm going to take away your dream and then you die.' Marco said. 'See you there.' and he shot up high into the air and disappeared with great speed into the night sky.
'MARCOOOO!' Oliver screamed into the air. Then he heard the click of a trigger being pulled. He turned to see Erica Chandler standing firm with her service weapon aimed at
'Oliver Harris. You under arrest for the murder of,'
Oliver shook his head. 'Luminatos.' he said and large, bright light almost blinded Erica; she was airborne again and landed onto of the car. That she only just left minutes earlier.
She rolled off it and got up quickly, but Oliver was already gone.
'Erica? Erica?'
She pressed her earlobe, and the communicator came through. 'Daniel.' She said, exhausted.
'You okay?' he asked as he sounded clearly concerned.
'Yeah, I'm living; my body's screaming, but I'm living.' Erica grimaced and held her hip and then felt that same gash on her forehead.
'We're on the way to Patterson.'
'You portalling?'
'Driving, needed extra ammunition.'
Erica straightened herself up and willed herself to move. To get ready for what she felt would be the last round. 'How far are you?'
'How far are we Russo?'
Russo? 'Russo?'
'Twenty minutes? Yeah, okay, twenty minutes away.'
'Russo?'
'Yeah, long fucking story, but very little time to tell it. Meet us there.' Daniel said.
'I'm on my way.' Erica said and she clicked her ear lobe again. She looked at an AK 47 that was on the road. She went to pick it up and took a few magazines. Then she thought of the Engrave building and teleported there.