Alexei looked up in time to see Annabelle flying in on a steep dive, Matthew’s snipers covering her descent, with Madison gripped tight in her hands. Annabelle let go as they pulled out of the dive and Madison fell the last few meters to the ground. She landed on her two feet, moving immediately into a roll from her momentum. Annabelle shot back up into the sky, veering away from the part of the National Mall that was the nullification dead zone.
“Here to relieve you, Inferno,” Madison said as she dove for cover behind a car.
Alexei would’ve responded, but the sound of an explosion going off closer to Third Street drowned out everything else. Windows rattled in their supports, with quite a few shattering in cars around them. Alexei reflexively ducked a little, head tilted in the direction of the National Mall. For a moment, the only sound he could hear was distant gunfire and the roar of enemy fighter jets duking it out in an aerial battle with Air Force-manned fighter jets.
Then the screaming started.
Alexei extinguished his fireball so they could all get as clear a line of sight down the street as possible near the intersection with Third Street.
“Snipers got eyes on that detonation area. Can confirm that was a Splice bomb on East Capitol Street Northeast,” Matthew said in a tense voice.
Madison bared her teeth in a snarl. “Leave me some of your snipers. I’m going to need them to take out anyone who comes our way. Fucking suicidal assholes. Who detonates a Splice bomb in the middle of their own people?”
“Ones who want to spread the chemical. If any of those fighters make it outside of the fighting zone, we’re going to have a massive quarantine problem.”
“We already have that. This wasn’t the first they’ve detonated.”
Alexei scowled. “Know it not first. Still need to contain.”
Madison nodded sharply. “That’s my job. You need to rendezvous with Apollo at the Supreme Court Building.”
“Know why?”
“He didn’t say—”
“Fuckingshitthey got a Howitzer!” one of the snipers on the roof yelled.
Madison pointed a finger at Alexei, snarling out, “Go! Now!”
Alexei turned his back on Madison, knowing that she’d hold the line here or die trying, as any of them would. “See you on other side, Nova.”
“Damn fucking right you will.”
Matthew fell into position on Alexei’s six as they and half the Strike Force soldiers still with them headed west. The count was still less than a full team.
“Where rest of your people?” Alexei wanted to know as they ran toward the intersection of East Capitol Street NE and Fifth Street.
“Sent half to the White House to help protect VIPs there with my second-in-command. Hughes knows what to do. Now shut up and keep moving.”
Alexei couldn’t stop the fleeting smile that crossed his face. Just like old times, when he’d used to call Matthew his teammate and captain. And just like old times, the shooting never seemed to stop.
“Incoming!” Madison roared from behind them.
It was all the warning they got as the group made it to the intersection proper, charred cars and bodies littering the area. They scattered right before the M509 Howitzer shell reached their position. Alexei was already running for his life when the shell hit the residential home on the corner, the concussive wave picking him off his feet and tossing him meters away.
Alexei landed hard, grunting from the impact against the left side of his body where he hit first. Without tactical body armor, asphalt ripped his combat uniform in places as he rolled from the impact, scraping skin raw for a few seconds before coming to a stop. Debris rained down around him from the blast, some hitting his body with enough force to instantly bruise. Ears ringing even through his hard helmet protection, Alexei forced himself to his feet, knowing he couldn’t remain out in the open like this.
“Everybodymove!” Matthew roared.
“Any wounded?” Alexei yelled as he braced his weapon against his shoulder.
“Higgins is down with a shrapnel wound,” someone yelled.
“Stabilize her and hand her off to Marshall. We need to keep moving,” Matthew ordered.
“Yes, sir!”
Alexei didn’t look back, knowing that Matthew’s people would follow his instructions as quickly as they could. He hoped Madison was up to the challenge of taking out a Howitzer. Out of everyone on the team, his money would be on her and her power.
