Tucker did his best to conserve his ammunition, but his magazine quickly emptied. He rolled to his hip and pulled out his Makarov PMM pistol. He had already reloaded its eight-round box magazine, but it would never be enough to hold off the remaining force on the stairs.
He had only one option left.
Take out as many as I can.
He extended his arm, cradling the pistol in his hands.
Then a new barrage erupted from the stairwell, sounding savage and fierce. Body-armored figures burst into view, fleeing from the threat behind them. Tucker aimed at those who fell into his sights and squeezed his trigger, dropping man after man.
He was down to his last round when no one else rose out of the stairwell.
He waited.
Eventually, two figures crept into view.
Tucker sighed with relief, then called from his position. “Gray... Yuri...”
The pair abandoned their caution and hurried forward.
Tucker rose to meet them, with Kane at his heels.
Gray cast his gaze around, quickly assessing the situation. “Where’s Dr. Stutt?”
“Captured.” Tucker clenched a fist. “Along with Kowalski... and Marco.”
Gray absorbed this, showing no reaction. “Then we need to get clear of here.”
This was reinforced by the rising scream of sirens in the distance.
Tucker stepped forward, then retreated. “I need to find where they’re taking the others.”
Gray turned on a heel, anger slipping into his voice. “You can’t find them if you’re dead.”
Yuri grabbed Tucker’s arm. “He’s right, my friend.”
Tucker allowed himself to be led back toward the basement. Fires raged everywhere, burning throughout the old building. They ran into two other combatants, who appeared to be fleeing, likely ordered toevacuate as the Russian authorities closed in. Those last two never made it out of the building.
Back in the conference room, Tucker noted the steel door at the far end. Bodies lay on the floor. All in combat gear. Monk stood shielded in the threshold, but relaxed when he saw who had arrived.
Monk checked his wristwatch. “I gave you an extra two minutes before locking up.”
Gray clapped him on the shoulder, then turned to the others. “Everyone get below.”
Yuri headed down, followed by Kane. When Tucker passed Gray, the commander grabbed his arm as the door was sealed behind them. Tucker expected to be berated, deserved to be.
I lost Elle, Kowalski, and Marco.
Tucker waved at the stairs. “I... I didn’t know you had an exit strategy.”
“There’s merit to being a team player. If you’d stuck around long enough to find out...”
Tucker shook off his grip, as frustrated as Gray about the situation. He could not hold back his anger, stoked by loss and fear. “And you could’ve said something sooner, rather than waiting for a firefight to break out.”
Gray stared him down, then sighed in acknowledgment. “That’s not why I stopped you.”
“Then what?”
Gray stared at the door, expressing aloud his own fear. “Have you seen any sign of Seichan?”
