AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Son of a gun!" Bryan shouted.
I immediately released my seatbelt, momentarily surprised that I did it in one swift flick of my fingers without tying myself in knots, and then I was up and reaching for Black, to pull him back inside and out of the sight of any contemporaries.
Grumpy, however, was having none of that. The muzzle of his gun swung toward me and then the idiot fired the bloody thing.
I ducked instinctively, almost performing a perfect somersault across the dimpled metal floor. If Black hadn't been in my way. I knocked the overseer right out of the module as the bullet whisked past my ear, almost deafening me in the process, and hit something probably vital across the MPCV from where Grumpy was screaming bloody murder.
Fawkes started to wrestle the gun from Grumpy's hands, their big bodies tumbling around the inside of the module as if it were a tumble-drier set on maximum. Grunts of pain sounded out as things were knocked off the walls and pipes burst overhead in the ruckus. I heard something crack and then an alarm went off. Water or fluid of some description rained down on everyone and everything, making the surfaces slick. Bryan and Grumpy slipped and slid, cursing, but they kept throwing punches. I had no idea who had hold of the gun anymore. Sparks flew in more than just a metaphorical sense. I could smell burning electrical wire and still, the pipe that had burst was spewing its contents onto everything, turning the hazy smoke into a curtain of water interspersed with flickers of flames as a fire inexplicably caught.
Outside the module, Black hit the ground in a resounding splat, arms outstretched, legs flung wide; the man did not know how to duck and roll to save himself. Lastly, his face came down on the concrete and I heard — even over the loud noises issuing from inside the Vehicle — his nose break. Maybe it was a cheek. Whatever.
I jumped down, bypassing the automatically extending steps, and knelt beside him. As a recently appointed Novitiate — even though I'm now an Intern — it hadn't been that long since I'd conducted my basic training. I glanced around the surrounding area for threats before I attempted to help my injured teammate. Dr Bauer would have been very pleased with my progress.
Black was out cold but had a steady pulse and better yet, the area we had landed in was obscured by a blocky, dirty, cream-coloured building on one side and deciduous trees minus their leaves on the other. I noted the grey sky, the bleak forest, and the biting cold air, thankful there was no snow yet. Judging by the lack of foliage, it was Autumn. Cold, but not freeze your tits off cold, thank God.
I looked up at the building, noting the odd light on inside the windows. None of them appeared to have curtains, but I thought it might be late in the day and the building was an administrative one. That would make sense. Sergei would have wanted to steal secrets, not the actual Luna module. He would have locked onto an office and not the launchpad for this trip back in time and the rip, being centred here, would have brought us close enough to repair it.
Close enough to catch Sergei in the act?
I turned back toward the Orion, aware now that no more sounds were coming from inside it. Tiny swirls of smoke were curling up out of the hatch, but I could only hear the odd drip of water inside, so the pipe must have emptied its contents. The scent of wet and rotting leaves outside the module met the smell of burned electrical wires inside of it. And was that fire suppressant foam?
I couldn't imagine Grumpy doing anything to put a fire out, so with a smattering of hope and a whole lot of courage, I gingerly made my way to the hatch on the module to peer inside.
Grumpy lay in a heap in the middle of the MPCV; bruised, battered, bleeding from multiple wounds and, like his comrade, out cold. Bryan was slumped in the commander's chair, nursing a black eye and a swollen cheek, and dabbing at a split lip; the cloth he was using came away bright red with each swipe.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Never better," he slurred.
I climbed up into the Vehicle and retrieved the med device from the first aid cupboard. Handing it to Bryan, I checked on Grumpy. I noticed his gun was gone and his spare holster at his ankle was also empty. I was sure Bryan had frisked him and taken anything else the goon carried on him as well.
"We should get Black inside," I said, ascertaining that Grumpy was merely unconscious.
"And tie 'em both up," Bryan replied.
"What?"
He sighed, lowering the med device. He looked a sight. Bruises were already forming and colouring up his face. He winced when he moved, as if he had a broken rib or two. Every action was careful and measured. Grumpy had not gone down easily.
As opposed to Black, who had been taken out by a somersaulting girl.
"We're not gettin' out of this without a slap on the wrist, Mouse," Bryan said.
"This wasn't our fault!" I exclaimed. "We didn't open the door or shift planes. And if Grumpy hadn't pulled that gun, Black wouldn't have gone flying. They can't blame this on us!"
"You think?" Bryan drawled. "Of course, they'll blame it on us, Mouse. Who else are they gonna blame it on? Sergei? They refuse to believe he's a problem. Despite the multiple rips we've had to attend because of his duplicitous ass, Anderson still doesn't think the cosmonaut has it in for RATS. They're blind!He'sblind! And all he'll see here are two doctors recently returned from suspension causin' havoc all over again. We're fucked no matter which way we turn."
"And your suggestion is to make it worse? Tie up our overseer and security guard?"
"Ain'tmysecurity guard," Bryan muttered. "And yes, princess, I think we take the opportunity Fate has given us and go get Sergei Fuckin' Ivanov."
He had a point. But still, I wavered for a moment.
"Come on, Mouse," Bryan cajoled. "This might be our only chance. It sure as shit is gonna be our last time flyin', so why don't you and me go out with a bang, yeah?"
Sod it, as Carrie used to say. Live life, don't hide from it.
"Okay," I said.
