but Jill found herself feeling frustrated by the talk. She wanted to act. Waiting for the S.T.A.R.S. to contact them had been bad enough; knowing that Rebecca was going to be risking her life while they waited idly by would be excruciating.
"You said you had some thoughts about what else we could do," she said. David nodded. "Yes, though once we involve the government, it may not come to anything quite so daring. I had been formulating a plan to infiltrate Umbrella headquarters, a risky proposition at best. It seems wisest to work on a smaller scale for now, but I do believe the three of you should drop out of sight, as soon as possible. I also think it would be prudent for you to see what you can uncover on Mr. Trent, though I have the distinct feeling that you won't come up with much, if anything."
He smiled a little, and having met Trent, Jill understood his doubts perfectly. Their strange bene- factor had struck her as a very careful man.
"I get the impression that we'll only find what he wants us to find," David continued, "but it is worth a look. And we'll need to arrange for a rendezvous site after we've..."
His soft, musical voice broke off suddenly as he tilted his head to one side, listening intently. Jill heard it in the same instant and felt her heart freeze in her chest. A rustling in the bushes outside the window that Barry had opened.
Umbrella!!! "Get down!" Jill shouted, and rolled off the couch, pulling Rebecca with her as the window shattered, the curtains blown aside in an explosive burst from an automatic rifle. David dove for the floor as bullets riddled the chair he'd been in, already grabbing for his weapon. Tufts of padding floated past his wide eyes as a smoking trail of holes tore across the wall, plaster and wood flying.
Bloody hell...
There was a split-second break in the onslaught, just long enough for them to hear the crash of glass breaking from the back of the house. "Barry, lights!" he shouted, but Barry was way ahead of him, the thunder of his Colt revolver drown- ing out the intermittent spray of the machine gun. Boom! Boom! The room went dark as Barry's rounds found their mark, glass raining down from above. Light still streamed into the darkness from the hall, and there was another hail of bullets from outside. Chris scrabbled on elbows and knees for the hall-way and in one smooth movement rolled onto his side and took out the additional lights. The living room was now completely black, and the bursts of automat- ic fire stopped. Over the ringing in his ears, David heard boots crunching on glass from back in the kitchen. The heavy steps paused, the intruder probably waiting for the window shooter to catch up and there will be more than two, covering the exits. Kitchen door, front porch, someone watching the windows... Another set of steps entered the kitchen, these hurried and shuffling, but they also stopped. The pair was waiting, either for more of their team or for the assembled S.T.A.R.S. to make a move. David's thoughts raced independently of him, reflexively con- sidering and rejecting theories and options at light-ning speed.
We get upstairs, pick them off one at a time- -unless they mean to torch the house- -so we run straight through them, out the back- -except they've got the firepower advantage, maybe spook eyes and we'd be moving targets, no contest...
All he knew for certain was that they couldn't stay where they were. There was no cover for when the thugs got tired of waiting. There was shuffling movement from the right as Barry's hulking shadow crouched toward him. Da- vid's eyes had adjusted enough to see Jill and Rebecca on the other side of the coffee table, both of them crouched and holding handguns. He couldn't make Chris out, but he was probably still by the hall. Barry's house was the last on the block, a wooded park just past. If they could slip out, get into the trees... The thought stuck; even a bad plan was better than none at all, and they didn't have time to work out alternatives. "Basement door?" David whispered. Barry's gruff voice was soft and strained. "Yeah." No good, it would be posted. They'd have to get out through the second floor. "We go through the park," he whispered quickly. "Jill, get to Chris and prepare to lay