Maniacs The Krittika Conflict - By Nick S. Thomas Page 0,69

Hell?"

"Last I saw she was in the building across the street with me. Dunno if she made it out, same for Vik!"

He didn't have time to concern himself with her. He carried on down to the next floor, frantically looking around for anything which could help him deal with the armoured truck outside, but the only thing on the bar top was a roll of sticky tape. The gun stopped firing.

Must be reloading. If I don't seize this opportunity, we’ll soon be overrun.

He grabbed the tape from the table, drew out a smoke grenade, and launched it out of the main door between him and the vehicle. It was partially covered, but he didn't have time to wait. He pulled a grenade from his webbing, wrapping it in tape as he rushed, keeping low below the smoke. The gun began firing again as he neared it, but it was still firing high up into the bar.

Not gonna die, not gonna die, he told himself.

He reached the vehicle, pushed the tape-covered grenade to the driver’s thick armoured glass visor, and quickly jumped underneath the hull. Three seconds later the blast rang out; it was almost deafening. He got to his feet and found the glass had remained intact, but a hole little bigger than his hand had been punched through it. He pulled out one of Wizard’s pain grenades, stuffed it through the gap, and then made a run for it. Laser fire followed him as the gunner caught sight, but it stopped immediately as a muted explosion erupted in the vehicle.

He looked back, and a small haze of powder emanated from the hole in the driver's hatch. He could hear coughing and spluttering coming from inside, and it brought him much relief. A few seconds later, a hatch on top of the truck swung open, and the fearsome white powder spewed out into the air and settled over the roof. Mason stood back and held his rifle ready to fire, but they heard whoever was trying to get out slump back down inside the vehicle.

"I guess it was more lethal than he said."

Wizard's voice came over the radio.

"I forgot to mention. In a confined space like that, those grenades can cause unconsciousness or even death."

"Good to know," he replied, realising how serious they could have been had he wanted to use them in a non-lethal capacity. His thought was quickly paused as laser fire struck the ground around him. His instincts got his feet moving, and he was running for the bar as shots landed all around.

He slid in on his ass as the doorway was ripped apart by fire. He got to his feet and rushed behind the bar to where Hughes was set up with all the surveillance gear.

"Tell me what's happening!"

"They've stopped and are mostly out on foot moving through the buildings."

"How many are we talking?"

"Eighty soldiers, easy."

"Shit, we stay here, and we're gonna get our asses blown off."

He lifted up his comms.

"Liu, join me at the rear of the Digger now. Erin, you cover the entrance of the bar. Boss, you keep laying down fire on the roof. Andrews, if you've got anything left, you put it into the street, but be aware we will be among them shortly. Hell? Vik? Where the hell are you?"

There was no response, and he could only assume the two of them were dead or incapacitated at the very least. He heard Liu's footsteps rushing down the stairs.

"Nice job, Captain."

"Yes, but we aren't halfway out of trouble yet."

He stepped through to the bar and saw Erin was hiding behind it, her rifle at the ready.

"If they get here, and they probably will, you're the only one defending that door. You let them through, and Hughes and the Boss could be in trouble. You shoot anyone who comes through that door who isn't one of us, you hear?"

She nodded.

"No bullshit now. I need to know you can do the job. You shoot any bastard you see, then you shoot him again, got that?"

"I got it."

Her voice was a little shaky, but she seemed to be holding it together.

"Relying on you, just as you're relying on us. Keep it together, and we can make it through this."

There was nothing more to be said on the matter. He rushed out to the back of the building with Liu in tow.

"Where we going?"

Mason put his hand out and stopped him, pointing down to one of Wizard’s trip wires. Liu breathed out in relief, and