Maddie sent a look over her shoulder at Adam, shocked to see the man was actually grinning, but it instantly vanished when he saw her studying him. He jerked his chin, motioning for Maddie to go farther down the corridor. She nodded, then lost sight of him as he slipped deeper into the shadows.
Yep. Ninja.
“What’s the ETA on Will and the others?” she asked softly, exiting the corridor and entering an area of the factory that still housed the abandoned equipment and a few random parts that hadn’t yet been stripped or removed by looters.
“Will’s on his way,” Finn told her. “Should be here in ten. And I’ve got Luke suiting up now with the guys from Detroit. They’re taking point.”
She moved quickly across the open space, keeping close to the wall and watching for any movement above on the suspended walkways and observation points. Of course, considering the state the structures were in, someone would have to be a freaking moron to set foot on them.
“I’m approaching the east stairs,” she announced softly. “A little shock and awe for a diversion would be great right about now.”
There was a slight pause. “Hang tight, Maddie. Detroit team’s preparing to storm the castle.”
She shook her head. “Storm the castle, Finn? Really? You’ve watched too many—”
“Shit. Heads up,” he said, cutting her off, his tone suddenly serious. “You’ve got three dudes about two hundred feet to your left when you exit the stairs, Maddie.”
She liked snarky, irreverent Finn a helluva lot better . . .
Maddie took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she began to descend the stairs. “Copy that.”
She crept down the stairs, her back to the wall, keeping her gun trained on the semidarkness below. There had to be a light source somewhere below because a faint but harsh yellow glow produced just enough light to keep her from having to switch to her night vision.
Suddenly a barrage of gunfire rang out above her and a deafening boom sounded, vibrating through the concrete under her feet and raining down dirt and concrete. She sent a nervous glance behind her to what she could still see of the factory floor.
“Diversion worked,” Finn announced. “We’ve got everybody scrambling toward where the Detroit team breached. You’re good to go.”
Maddie exited the stairwell and cleared the corridor. The men who’d been there must’ve hurried off to assist the others on the main floor just as Finn had predicted. “All clear, Finn. Where now?”
“Looks like I have a lone figure about fifty yards south from your current location. That’s probably our best bet. Didn’t even switch positions at the sound of the breach, but the other one with him just left the room heading in the opposite direction.”
“Good enough for me,” she said, heading in the direction Finn had indicated. But after only about half the distance, the corridor ended, coming to a T with another corridor. “Dead end. You’re going to need to guide me in. Am I going east or west from here?”
She heard him clacking on the keyboard and then a juicy curse. “Okay, looks like you need to head west.” More clacking. “The blueprints of the building show there’s a series of rooms along this corridor with multiple parallel and adjoining corridors. It’s a fucking maze down there, so watch your back. I’ll watch for any heat signatures on the scope, but they could literally pop up from anywhere.”
“Great,” she muttered. “If demons and zombies start jumping out at me, I’m holding you responsible, Finn.”
“Holy shit,” he said. “Was that aDoomreference? That’s it. Youhaveto marry me now.”
She grinned as she headed down the hallway. “Okay, approaching another intersection. Where now?”
Suddenly a cacophony of gunfire and explosions sounded over Maddie’s comm and in the factory above her. She cried out as the sound assaulted her ear and concrete and debris crashed down behind her, blocking her retreat.
“Finn!” Maddie yelled. “Finn, do you copy? What the hell’s going on?”
More chaos on the comm.
“Finn!” she repeated. “Do you copy?”
Nothing.
Shit.
She was on her own.
Cursing under her breath, Maddie hurried forward, her heart pounding, fearing that her route to Jack had been cut off by whatever the hell was going on upstairs. She’d just reached another intersection of corridors when she heard Finn’s voice, the communication garbled and breaking up.
She pressed her fingertips against the device in her ear, trying to make out what he was saying, but all she could catch were a few random words—but they were enough for her to figure out what he was trying to tell her: Abort mission. Then it was Will’s voice in her ear. The transmission was just as bad. But the message was the same.
She clenched her jaw and shook her head. “Sorry, Commander, but screw that.” Moving forward, she murmured, “Don’t worry, Jack, I’m not leaving you behind.”
