The laser cannon poking out of the building took a direct hit and exploded. Logs, splinters, and shielding flew.
The armed men out front died.
The garage doors blew apart, Tesla shielding flying. Decapitating a man aiming into the woods.
I raced toward the house. Men in gray camo began to fall.
I sped across the open parking area. Ducked under flying debris.
The workers who reached for weapons were picked off behind me.
The workers who cowered and rolled under vehicles were spared. For now.
I ducked inside. Shotgun in hand. Two bodies slumped against the back wall. Hamburger.
Form in the doorway. Gray camo. Weapon. I fired. He slid down the wall.
I advanced, took out three more. Then more. “Garage clear. Entry hallway to the house, clear. All the men from the front room ran this way. All down.”
“Sending out two female prisoners. Hold fire,” Jagger said. A moment later, he said, “Front room clear.” From inside the house a shot fired. Another. “Hallway clear left and right. Stairway to upper level, clear,” Jagger said.
“Back entrance, clear,” Amos said. “Heading up back stairs.”
I stumbled forward. Dizzy, disoriented. Shivering. Transition sickness combined with the vision of seven cats as they sped toward two guards who were entering a room. The cats threw themselves upon the men. Claws cutting, fangs biting, screeching. I fell against a wall.
Two women in the room attacked the men too. My cat-sight resolved into one set of eyes, Spy’s. A white-haired woman took a weapon from a guard and put two shots into his head. Two shots into the other one. Two women in front of the group were now armed and clearly had training. The other women were staring at the bodies and cats.
Some cats sped away, back down the hall, following Spy’s order, which was a visual of coyotes. Confusing, until I realized she was calling the men wild dogs and ordering her cats to watch and attack.
Spy stood atop one dead body, made eye contact with the white-haired woman, and hissed. It was a “follow me” command. Spy leaped out the door, looked back, and hissed again. The woman opened her mouth, shocked, and said, “I think we just got rescued by a bunch a cats. Carol, you’re the best shot. At our six. Let’s move.” Spy sped down the hallway following the black male cat. Cats zigged and zagged. Clearing the rooms. Sounding alarms.
“The women are heading toward the back stairs,” I said. “Cats leading.”
My sensors showed movement. I shoved upright, turned toward the shape. Almost fired, until I saw the pink.Amos.
He discharged a shot off to my left, and a body fell. “Hell yeah,” he said. “This is fun!” He whirled, and took off, shouting, “I got the back stairs. I’ll take the women into the woods.”
“Where are the men from the upstairs lounge?” I asked into comms.
All I got back was the sound of Jagger clearing rooms and firing.
Amos called out to the women. “I’m with the fucking cats! This way!”
“Amos. Six men, the top brass, somewhere in the house.”
“Amos. Stop on the stairs,” a young voice said, the words sharp. “A hidden door opened on the back of the house. Six men. Three in MS Angels camo.”Jacopo.Good tactical awareness, maneuvering to cover the back. “All heavily armed,” he said. “There’s two Outlander Vehicles. Take all of the men out?”
“Make sure the MSAs are all taken out,” I said. “I want the deputy alive, but I don’t care if he’s in good shape or not.”
Shots rang out.
A sensor pinged. A blow hit my back. I’d been shot. It hurt. I pivoted. Fired. Again. Again. Again. Changed out magazines as two bodies fell.
“All down,” Jacopo said, calmly. “Deputy needs a knee-replacement med-bay. Others need caskets.”
“Jagger,” I asked. “House clear?”
“Roger that. All clear.”
