Page 23

23

MAX

A s bullets rang past Max, he pressed himself against the wall of Rana's living room. The extraction that should have been relatively straightforward had devolved into a firefight within seconds of their entry. Rather than the two Doomers they'd observed entering earlier, they'd encountered four—with two more arriving as backup moments after Max and Anton breached the house.

It seemed the Brotherhood had been expecting them.

"Status on Rana?" Max called to Anton, who had positioned himself at the rear of the house, covering the kitchen and back door.

"Still in the bathroom," Anton said.

At least that was something. Max had immediately moved Rana to the home's single bathroom the moment the shooting started. It was the most defensible position with only one door and no windows. Now, they were pinned down, with Doomers at both the front and back of the place.

"Yamanu, we need backup," Max said into his comm unit. "Six hostiles, possibly more incoming. We're contained but unable to extract."

Static crackled through his earpiece before Yamanu's voice came through, broken and distorted. "—heavy resistance here too—Soraya secured but—reinforcements?—"

"Your transmission's breaking up," Max replied. "Do you copy? We need immediate support."

More static, then Dima's voice cut through, clearer than Yamanu's. "We copy. Holding position with Soraya. Yamanu says they're jamming communications across the sector. Appears to be a coordinated Brotherhood response."

Max swore under his breath. If the Doomers were jamming comms and mounting simultaneous resistance at all extraction points, it meant they had far more resources in Tehran than anyone had anticipated. The compound they'd destroyed the previous night had clearly been just one cell of many. Max also suspected a breach in their organization.

Someone was feeding the Doomers information.

"Anton, we need to change tactics," Max called. "They're trying to contain us until reinforcements arrive. We need to break out now."

The Kra-ell nodded, his eyes gleaming with battle-light. "Frontal assault or break through the walls to create an alternative exit? I might be able to break through with a kick."

A frontal assault against six or more Doomers was not an option, and Anton, with all his superior strength, couldn't kick down block walls.

But an alternative exit was a good idea, and Max had just the thing.

"Good thinking about the alternative exit, but not by kicking the wall in. I'm going to make us a new door. Cover me." He pulled out a C4 packet, a remote detonator, and a timer.

As Anton laid down suppressive fire toward the front of the house, Max moved to the wall opposite the bathroom. If he remembered correctly, the exterior wall here backed onto a narrow alley between houses, which was perfect for their escape.

Max affixed the C4 to the wall, set the timer for thirty seconds, then moved back to the bathroom door.

"Rana," he called. "We're going to blow out an exit. I need you to stay down, back against the tub, head covered. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Twenty seconds," Max told Anton. "On my mark, we move Rana through the breach."

Anton nodded, adjusting his position to better cover the approaching corridor.

The seconds ticked down, and Max readied himself, adrenaline sharpening his senses to preternatural levels. He could hear the Doomers communicating in low voices, coordinating their own assault.

They were running out of time.

"Five seconds," he murmured. "Four, three, two, one?—"

The explosive detonated with a sharp concussive blast, sending dust and debris flying as it cut an opening through the exterior wall.

"Move!" Max shouted, yanking open the bathroom door.

Rana emerged with remarkable composure, and Max guided her toward the newly created exit while Anton provided covering fire.

"Through here." Max helped Rana through the jagged opening. "Stay low and run straight to the gray van at the end of the alley."

Rana paused just briefly at the breach, looking back at her home with an expression that spoke volumes about what she was leaving behind. Then she nodded once and ran.

"Anton, go with her," Max ordered. "I'll cover your retreat."

The Kra-ell warrior shook his head. "I'm not leaving you to face six Doomers alone."

Max wanted to argue, but there wasn't time. The sound of boots pounding up the corridor told him the Doomers had abandoned caution in favor of overwhelming force.

"Fine. On three. One, two?—"

He didn't make it to three before the first Doomer rounded the corner, gun raised. Max fired immediately, catching the immortal in the shoulder and spinning him back. Not a kill shot, but enough to slow him down.

Anton moved with blinding speed, closing the distance to the stunned Doomer and driving his blade through the immortal's eye socket—one of the few ways to ensure an immortal kill.

"Go!" Max shouted, laying down suppressive fire as Anton pivoted and dove through the breach.

Max followed immediately after, bullets peppering the wall where he'd stood just seconds before. Outside, the narrow alley provided minimal cover—just a few trash bins and the uneven shadows of midday.

Rana was already halfway to the van, with Anton rushing her forward with one hand while the other held his weapon ready. Max sprinted after them, turning occasionally to fire at the Doomers now emerging from the breach.

They reached the van just as the first Doomer cleared the alley entrance. Max shoved Rana into the vehicle, and Anton jumped in behind the wheel.

"Drive!" Max ordered, diving into the van and slamming the door shut as bullets struck the exterior.

Anton didn't need to be told twice. The van lurched forward, tires screeching as it accelerated down the narrow back street. In the rear-view mirror, Max could see the Doomers already piling into their own vehicle to give chase .

"We've got pursuit. The black SUV."

Anton executed a sharp turn. "Don't worry. I'm going to lose them."

For someone who had just recently learned to drive using a simulator, the guy was a natural getaway driver.