up and let me think?’ James said. ‘We need to get under cover. Kerry’s team was only dropped a few hundred metres from here. They could be on our backs any second.’
James led Lauren, Bethany and Jake towards a single-level structure with a canopy, designed to resemble a fast-food stand. He opened the aluminium door and stepped inside, surprised by how cramped the space was.
‘Bethany and Lauren, keep the chatter down and watch out of the window. Me and Jake will cover the rear.’
‘There’s a duffle bag behind this table,’ Bethany said excitedly, as she crouched down near the back window.
James turned towards her. ‘Large said we’d find extra equipment scattered around the training area.’
The team gathered in a semi-circle. Bethany undid the buckle and opened the bag, revealing five pairs of night-vision goggles. The sets were specifically designed to clip on to their helmets.
‘Sweet,’ James grinned. ‘These will give us a massive advantage once it starts getting dark.’
‘Hang on though,’ Lauren said. ‘This is the first building we’ve been in and we’ve already found some valuable equipment. For all we know, there’s something useful in every building.’
Bethany finished her sentence. ‘And if we hole up here while the other teams grab a load of fancy equipment, we could end up being totally outgunned.’
James, Lauren and Bethany looked at each other. ‘Lauren,’ James said, ‘you stay here with Jake, be ready to start shooting if someone attacks Dana’s building. Me and Bethany can head out on to the street. We’re gonna check all the other buildings and see what we can find.’
‘What am I, an octopus?’ Lauren gasped. ‘I can’t do all that on my own.’
‘You’ll have to try your best,’ James said stiffly. ‘You’ve got Jake with you.’
‘Great, a red shirt,’ Lauren sneered. ‘What’s he gonna do?’
‘I don’t wanna stay with her,’ Jake said. ‘Can I go outside with you, James?’
‘James,’ Lauren said. ‘This isn’t a strategy, this is a disaster. One minute we’re all holing up here waiting for an ambush. Now you want us all to split up. If someone comes after us we’ll get picked off one at a time.’
‘Well, what do you want me to do, sis?’ James whispered angrily. ‘I’m the team leader. Being my sister doesn’t give you the right to start an argument over every single decision I make. Now, I know this isn’t ideal, but we can’t let the other teams get hold of all the equipment.’
‘How about I stay here with Bethany and you go out hunting with Jake?’
‘Fine, whatever,’ James said angrily. ‘I’ll go out with Jake. You stay here and play dolls’ houses with your little friend.’
It was hard to read Lauren’s expression through the visor over her face, but James was fairly sure she was glowering at him. He spun on his heel and crashed out of the aluminium door. Before realising how stupid it was to make so much noise, James felt a loud crack against the side of his helmet. As he stumbled sideways, a second shot tore painfully into his ribs. The paint dribbling down his side was yellow, indicating that he’d been shot by a member of Kyle’s team.
James had been hit hundreds of times by paintballs. It wasn’t nice, but the stinging went away ten minutes later. The simulated ammunition was in a different league. James could hardly draw breath as he collapsed against the side of the building. Luckily, the third shot skimmed past his shoulder and clanged into the metal door behind him.
As James gasped, he spotted the eleven-year-old twin girls from Kyle’s team ducking down behind a car. James reached for his gun, but the pain in his chest made him clumsy.
‘Don’t think so,’ the girls chanted, as they came out of cover with their weapons aimed at James. ‘Drop your gun, and throw us the pack with your eggs in.’
James didn’t want to surrender his eggs, but the girls were standing at the regulation three-metre minimum shooting distance, and he’d already found out how painful the simulated rounds could be from much farther out.
As James unhooked his pack, a red shot smashed into the thigh of one girl, sweeping her right leg from under her. James realised it had to be Dana, firing from up high. A second later, Bethany booted open the door behind him and shot at the other one. The round missed, but the girl ducked and James used the instant while she was distracted to roll forwards and aim his gun. He took great