Page 34 of True As Steel
“Good, stand by,” I replied.
“Acknowledged.
“You have one minute, Timmons,” I snarled at the doctor, while finishing downloading the files.
“Almost done! I only need a few more seconds,” he stammered.
In the meantime, Tamryn moved a few large items in front of us to provide cover and to break the line of sight of any intruder who could irrupt into the room. Weapons drawn, she took cover behind a large cabinet in a position that would give her a perfect shot at the entrance.
“There! Okay, that did it,” the doctor said with relief after casting a glance at the computer monitor next to him.
He carefully picked up the Cyborg’s right eye and reinserted it in the empty socket.
“Revive him,” I ordered as soon as he was done.
The doctor complied, picking up a hypospray and pressing it to the Cyborg’s neck before injecting him.
“Assuming everything went well, he’s likely going to be quite weak,” the doctor cautioned. “If you’re trying to break him out of here, he’s not going to be able to run or fight. Grellik will never let you get out of here with his prize.”
“You let us worry about that,” I replied dismissively, my focus shifting to the stirring Cyborg. “You worry about finding a place to take cover before Grellik’s goons break through this door.”
I didn’t have to say it twice. Timmons looked like he would be sick any minute, his brown skin taking on an ashen tinge as his black eyes widened in understanding. Without another word, he hastened to the back of the room to take cover.
The Cyborg’s eyelids fluttered.
“Hello, I am Jarog Kaijo, formerly a Major of the Cyborg Military Elite,” I said to the still waking Cyborg. “You’ve been captured after our escape. We’re breaking you out. Are you operational?”
His eyes snapped open, recognition brimming the moment his gaze landed on me. He sat up a little groggily.
“Running diagnostics,” he said before glancing at Tamryn, who was still watching the doors. “That’s the female you rescued off the ship.”
I nodded. “Her name is Tamryn.”
“I am Lieutenant Loreus Edojis,” the Cyborg replied. His nostrils flared, and he frowned.
“Sorium,” I said as sole explanation while fishing out of my pocket the last antidote pill I had on me. “This will counter it.”
Loreus took it without a word and popped it into his mouth. His eyes flicked towards the door as he swallowed. “Four people incoming,” he said.
“Yes, I hear them, too,” I replied, handing him one of the blasters Tamryn had given me. “They’re not allies. Avoid casualties.”
He nodded and took the weapon. I went on to take position near the door.
Chapter 12
Tamryn
Heart pumping, adrenaline coursing through my veins, I braced for what would follow. Although the Cyborg—correction, Loreus—looked like he’d recover, he was clearly too weak to make a dash out of here. He could barely sit straight on his own. That meant Jarog would pretty much have to carry him out of here, leaving me to protect us all. I could probably handle the four incoming by myself, but not the welcoming party that undoubtedly would greet us by the time we reached the ground floor, and maybe even before then.
A major sense of unease washed over me when Jarog simply handed one of his blasters to Loreus. Clearly, they didn’t know each other. Granted, we were rescuing his ass, but how did we know if he could be trusted? Then again, we didn’t have time for a proper interview to assess him. We were jumping headfirst into an epic shit storm.
I was beginning to question our decision not to use lethal force. I didn’t particularly want to kill anyone, but I also didn’t want to get my butt handed to me because someone didn’t get knocked out quickly enough.
All such thoughts flew out of my mind seconds later as the doors slid open, revealing four guards in full defensive gear. Three of them were taking cover on each side of the door frame while the fourth stood smack in the middle with a raised energy shield. One glance sufficed for him to realize what was going on. He opened his mouth, likely to issue a warning, but never got a chance to speak a single word. From the angle I stood at, with my blaster set at maximum stun, I fired at him. My shot struck his side with sniper precision, just below the arm keeping his shield raised before him. His body jerked, and he collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.
I barely had time to take cover behind the cabinet before the three remaining guards showered me with a barrage of fire. In their knee-jerk reaction, they’d advanced into the room, leaving themselves open to Jarog, who didn’t blink, taking out two of them in a heartbeat. The last guard threw himself back outside before either of us could get him.
“You’ve got a whole lot of people heading down,”Miko said in my earpiece.“They’re trying to lock the place down. I’m blocking them, but it won’t last. Get your asses out of there now!”