Page 105 of The Last True Hero

Twenty-Seven

“AREYOU SURE you’re up for this?” Mia whispered loudly as Sage broke open the fuse box that kept the armory door shut.

“More than sure,” Sage growled. “I am going to burn these motherfuckers to the ground.”

Okay. Her pacifist sister with her sunny disposition and constant smiles had vanished. Maybe Sage needed to work through her anger. Maybe destroying Rust City would be the perfect thing for her. Mia contemplated her sister’s face, her gaze lifting to Jake’s. He frowned at his wife’s back, but then nodded to Mia. He’d watch over her.

Zarina shook her head. "I think she's caught some of your stupid, or something."

Sage tugged wires out here and there. "Nearly there."

"This will get us into the main warehouse," Zarina said, "but the ammunition is kept in a separate locker within. Guns are easier to get your hands on round here, but the ammo's the real deal. Bullet trade dried up after the border dispute down south three months ago."

"How many guards inside?"

"One on active duty," Zarina replied curtly, looking around. "A few more in the back on stand-down. But we're going to have to be quick now. We're in a fairly suburban area here, and if anyone leaves the games early...."

Sparks fizzed, and Sage stepped back from the fuse box as the lock clicked open. "Electricity down. We're in," she said, setting her fingers into the handle on the door.

Jake helped her, and slowly the enormous steel door began to slide open.

Mia and Zarina went through first, covering the main warehouse with their shotguns. Crates were stacked neatly in rows. A faint light gleamed overhead, but most of the warehouse was cast in inky blue shadows.

“Hey!” Shouts echoed ahead as a reiver shook out the match he'd been lighting his cigarette with. He frowned as he saw the size of the group, then recognition dawned, and he turned and reached for something.

"Stop him!" Zarina yelled.

The alarm. Mia saw the red button now. The reiver's fingers almost brushed it, but a gun retorted and his body gave a jerk before it hit the floor. There was a small red hole in his temple.

"Got it," Jake said tersely, lowering his smoking pistol. "Get moving, guys. Someone might have heard that."

Too late. A couple of reivers burst through the doors at the back. Jake shot one of them, but the other dodged.

Zarina took the time to smash the control panel on the alarm system. "That'll slow them. It's the only alarm in this side of the building."

Mia shot the other reiver. Shotgun pellets ripped his chest open and he went down.

"Nice shot," Zarina said, dragging her along with the rest of the group.

She'd been aiming for his head. Mia looked at her treacherous hands. Still shaking. She felt so disembodied.

"This way," Zarina called, pointing them toward a smaller door. "The ammo's kept in here. Sage?"

"Got it." Sage used some sort of metal tool she'd picked up somewhere to jack open the fuse box. She cursed as one of the wires sparked and shook her fingers.

Reivers poured through the main doors behind them. They must have heard the shots. One of the younger girls tripped and went to her knees. Jake hauled her to her feet and shoved her behind a crate. He flinched as bullets slammed through the air around him, and Mia thought she might have been the only one who saw him get hit.

"Jake!" She jerked through the fleeing crowd to grab his arm.

"Just a... graze," he panted, shooting back over his shoulder. His eyes were wild, however. "Get them hidden, Mia. I'll cover our back."

"Sage!" she bellowed. "Can you open the next door?"

She thought she saw her sister's red head bob up through the crowd. "Trying my best."

"Can we shut it behind us? Wait until we're through though!"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Sage yelled back.