Page 110

Kill Count

W e get lucky as we run through the corridors of the underground bunker.

All the guards seem to be distracted by something, so we manage to slip through without being noticed.

We head straight for the door, intent on getting outside, but as we head to the hangar, a guard turns the corner, his eyes widening in alarm.

Before he can sound the alarm or ask what we’re doing, I sprint forward, leap into the air, and tackle him to the ground.

I smash his head into the white floor below, and he’s knocked out instantly.

Climbing to my feet, I grin back at Dray who’s staring at me like he wants to tackle me to the floor.

“Later, big boy.” I tap his chest as I glide by him, and he quickly follows as I sneak back through the hangar door. I frown when I notice the blast door is slightly open, but it works in my favour, so I roll underneath it with Dray close behind and instantly sit into a crouch.

“Where are Evan and Archel?” I hiss, climbing to my feet and looking around at the empty ramp leading to the blast doors.

What’s going on?

Where is everyone?

An alarm blares then, coming from Paradise, and I spin, looking at the blast doors.

I can hear gunshots, the siren almost covering them and…

screams? Fuck! Looking down at the map, I debate my options for only a moment before I fold it up and stick it in the back of my trousers, then pull out my swords.

I look at Dray to see he has his bl ades in his hands as well.

We nod at each other, but a noise behind us has us whirling.

A blood covered Archel strides towards us with a pissed off looking Evan, who’s clutching a knife.

I check them over, but it doesn’t look like the blood is theirs, so I roll back under the blast door and move away quickly.

Ducking behind a truck just in case anyone is waiting to shoot us, Dray, Evan, and Archel join me.

“What happened?” I question, as I look around the corner of the truck.

“Fucking traitors,” Archel spits.

“The rogue Berserkers?” I growl, looking over at Archel.

He nods. “Attacked when they were changing guards, got under the door. I couldn’t stop them all, they left twenty outside and some slipped past while we were fighting.”

I grin then, unable to help myself. “Only twenty? You’re getting slow if it took you that long to get through them.” I tease.

“You want to wager that?” he challenges, smiling back.

“Most kills?” I offer.

“You’re on!” He stands up then and I follow him.

“You are all fucking crazy,” Evan groans while Dray laughs.

Archel heads around the right side of the truck and I go around the left, with Dray and Evan on our heels.

I look back at Dray and motion to Evan. He understands and moves closer, protecting the doc.

The hangar is filled with trucks, weapons, and supplies, but it’s deadly silent apart from the blaring alarm as the lights flash across the white utilitarian walls, creating a creepy effect.

We move silently across the wide open space, our eyes scanning everything until we get to the door.

I press my back against the wall next to it, and Archel copies me on the other side.

Excitement courses through me, my body moving smoothly, my adrenaline pumping.

I grin at Archel and he returns it. I hold up a finger then drop it and we move at the exact same time.

Rushing through the door, I spin left and he spins right, but no one is in sight.

I press my back to his, and look down the empty corridor.

Even the guard I knocked out is gone, leaving behind just a blood smear to show where I took him down.

“It’s too fucking quiet. They must be fighting elsewhere,” I mutter softly.

Just then I hear gunshots and I point down my hallway, going silent.

Archel moves up next to me while Dray protects our back as we press up against the walls, stilling.

Even though we haven’t really worked together, we’re comfortable with one another, but the most important thing is that we trust each other.

I trust his skills and he trusts mine. I know Dray is looking after Evan, so I can concentrate on hunting down the rogue Berserkers who have laid siege to Paradise.

I shouldn’t help, not after the captain’s rude behaviour, but there are innocents down here.

They don’t deserve to die, not even the assholes, especially since the rogues are here because of me.

We move around the corners, ducking low in case anyone shoots at us.

The gunfire is getting louder, so we slow down slightly, and I stop at the next corner, ducking low as I peek around the bend and spot the flashing of guns at the other end of the corridor, moving the other way.

A line of soldiers are firing into what looks like a never-ending horde of rogues, who are ripping, slashing, and tearing these prissy guards apart.

I glance back at Archel. “Get ready to lose, assassin,” I taunt, before slipping around the corner.

I move to the back of the guards, hearing them shouting and swearing at each other as they continuously shoot at the Berserkers, the bullets just barely slowing them down.

I hear a guard’s gun click empty and he looks up just in time to see a Berserker leap at him with a war cry.

His screams start instantly, his blood spurting as he’s ripped apart.

The line breaks as guards start to fight hand-to-hand.

I jump into the melee, my swords flashing as I arc one down and hack through the neck of the Berserker on top of the guard.

He howls and falls to the side, bleeding out, and I spin with the movement and grab the back of another’s head.

When he snarls into a guard’s face, I slit his throat and let him drop the floor.

“Two!” I call to Archel, and hear him swear as he appears behind me and takes down a Berserker who was trying to sneak up on me.

“One,” he replies with a wink, not sweating or even out of breath.

I move farther into the hall, and the Berserkers start to notice I’m here and yell as they all head towards me.

“That’s it, you motherfuckers, come and get it!

” I shout, swinging my swords in an arc as I walk towards them.

A big bastard with a scarred face rushes me, his long sword coming down to cleave my head off.

I duck under his arm and stab forward, impaling him on my swords, and keep moving as I spin to the right.

Pulling my blades free, I hear the thud as he falls behind me.

I duck under an arrow and slide across the floor, thrusting my swords upwards, and cutting the femoral artery of a Berserker as I move through his open legs.

Jumping to my feet behind him, I grin at another Berserker as he narrows his eyes and waits for me to make a move. Playing it smart, I see. “Four,” I yell for Archel’s benefit.

I hear the sounds of his blades and the death gurgles following, and know he won’t be far behind me.

I flick my eyes next to the Berserker, and like I predicted, he turns slightly to look, so I jump at him.

He doesn’t even have time to raise his sword to stop me as I hack through his arm holding it.

He howls, his blood spraying me in the face as his arm hangs half cut off from his shoulder.

He blinks in shock as I spin and slash his throat, making blood arc behind me as I move on again.

A guard is firing at a Berserker who just keeps coming, so I wait for him to run out of bullets before I throw one of my knives, and it embeds in the Berserker’s chest. He freezes, looks down at it, and as the guard falls to the floor, crouching and protecting his head, I leapfrog from his back and throw two more blades before landing behind the Berserker and turning to find my next opponent.

Only a few are still remaining, and I glance behind me to see Archel laughing and fighting two.

I sweep my gaze and spot an open door at the end of the hall coated in blood.

“You clean up, I’m heading deeper!” I call, before rushing to the doorway.

Slipping in and crouching to the floor, I peek around the door, noting the occupants before forming a plan.

There are at least fifteen Berserkers, with multiple dead guards on the floor, and what looks like a few innocent Paradise dwellers cornered while the Berserkers taunt them.

Standing up, I swing my blades as excitement courses through me.

I can fight some of my tension and anxiety over my men away.

Let’s show both the Berserkers and Paradise who they are messing with.

Kicking open the door, I press my fingers to my mouth and whistle. Every head turns my way. “Alright, bastards, why don’t you pick on someone who can fight back? Unless you are all scared.” I grin then, my swords held loosely at my sides.

They are half turned towards me, forming a barrier between the Paradise dwellers and me.

I see pale, fear-filled faces peeking between legs, silently begging me.

Their sobs fill the air, and the familiar scent of blood hangs heavily in the room from the guards left gutted and ripped apart along the floor.

I’m guessing this used to be some kind of canteen, since tables fill the big room, some turned over and covered in half eaten food, with some still standing.

“Fucking slave!” one of the men shouts, and it seems to wind the others up. Four men step forward.

I grin, walking farther into the room. “Only four? Damn, you should have brought more,” I sneer.