Maniacs The Krittika Conflict - By Nick S. Thomas Page 0,71

in trouble!”

“You go. I got this,” replied Liu confidently.

He hated the idea of leaving his friend behind, but he knew so many more friends were in danger. His confidence in Liu was all that got him to his feet and moving for the door. Another shooter rushed through the rear entrance, with his rifle to fire. He got off the first shot, and it hit Mason’s body armour, but he weathered it and kept firing. Three shots struck the shooter and killed him. He had to step over several bodies to reach the door and found more outside. Only one man remained, and he put down his weapon when Mason reached the doorway.

“Go on, get!” Mason yelled.

The man ran for his life as the Captain stepped through the scattered bodies of those who had attacked them. He rushed for the back of the bar without checking a thing. It was risky, but he knew time was of the essence. Hughes was at his console and nursing a wound from a shot that had struck his body between his armour and his shoulder. He was unable to stand, held a pistol in his hand, but wasn’t even able to lift it.

“Where?” Mason asked.

“The roof,” he replied, though obviously in pain.

“You hold on. We’ll get through this!”

Hughes just about lifted his pistol, and to Mason’s surprise, loosed off a shot. One of the shooters dropped dead beside him. He nodded in gratitude and headed out quickly to the front. The silhouette of an enemy soldier was coming through the front door. He was surprised to meet the barrel of Mason’s gun and several shots knocking him out the door. Three bodies lay at the entrance, beside the one he had just shot. He knew Erin had shot them.

She’s done her part, and that gives me hope.

He looked out to see dozens of shooters approaching from the east. Just when the situation seemed hopeless, he heard the coarse growly voice of Viktor across the road.

“Come on, you fuckers!”

It was followed by a hail of gunfire from a heavy weapon the hulking man had ripped from the roof of one of the trucks they had disabled earlier. Blood poured from his mouth, and he was almost entirely covered in dust and dirt, but he was back in the fight. It spurred Mason on, and he turned and rushed for the roof. As he got to the last flight of stairs, he heard a shot ring out and a scream follow it.

At the top of the stairs, Mason found the Boss. He was bleeding out at the neck. Bodies of the enemy shooters surrounded him, and Volkov held Erin hostage. Mason rushed to the Boss, dragged him back out of view and applied pressure, but he was fading fast. With his last energy, he smiled and said, “Kill that bastard!”

A single tear dropped from one of Mason’s eyes as he realised he’d lost his oldest friend and father figure in a split second. It was too much to handle right then, so he turned his attention away for follow the Boss’ final request. It was far from the ending Mason had ever wished for him, but it was not the time to dwell on it. He pulled out the magazine on his rifle. It was empty.

I never cared for rifles anyway. You’re gonna die, you son of a bitch!

He stepped out with his hand close to his holstered gun. Volkov’s expression was still confident and loathing. He held a pistol to Erin’s head. Mason could see the fear in her eyes. More than anything else she didn’t want to die.

“It’s over Volkov!”

“Really? Because it looks like you haven’t got much left to stand on. I kill this one, and you’re another one down. Not many left standing.”

“Or I could shoot you in the head right here and now, and it’s all over.”

“No, your girlfriend here means too much to you for that.”

Mason wanted nothing more than to draw out his pistol and fire, but he couldn’t risk it. They both heard engines roar as something drew near. He saw Volkov take a quick look and turned back with a broader smile. He threw Erin forward, and she stumbled towards Mason. He caught her and watched Volkov leap from the rooftop. He rushed to the edge and could see he had jumped onto one of his quad copters and was already fifty metres away. Mason fired two shots, but they didn’t even come close to hitting