Zadie tapped the final keystroke, and the backdoor deployed.
She ripped the portable drive from the terminal, shoved it into her vest, and turned again.
The soldier flipped Gideon onto the floor and wrapped his fingers around his neck.
To avoid any possibility that her kill shot would go through the target and hit Gideon, she leaned forward, pressing her weapon into the enhanced soldier's side, just under his armpit beneath the body armor. She angled so it would penetrate deep into the body cavity and pulled the trigger, twice.
He sagged, and his hands loosened.
Gideon shoved the body sideways, gasping for air, and rolling onto his hands and knees on the concrete.
"It's done," she said into comms. "Backdoor is planted. Drive is secure."
Silence over comms but not outside. Gunfire tore through the compound.
Zadie pulled Gideon to his feet. His neck was red, and his breathing was ragged.
"Thank you," he said.
"Thank me later." She shoved Gideon's rifle into his hand and grabbed her sidearm and rifle. The portable drive pressed against her ribs inside her vest. Everything they'd fought for was on that drive, and her only job now was to get it out of this building.
Gideon stuffed the cables, laptop, and other accessories into his backpack before slinging it over his shoulder.
"Can anyone give me a visual on the hub station exit?" Zadie asked.
"What happened to the man that went inside?" Coulter asked. His breath was choppy, and his words were tight.
"Down."
"I have partial visual, but he was the only one I saw," Coulter said.
"But at least one other breached the perimeter," Scout added between gunshots. "Everyone’s under heavy fire."
"We gotta make a run for it," Gideon said. "Everyone should push toward the SxS’s now that we have what we came for."
"Copy that," Neve said.
They ran through the broken doorway. Her ribs shrieked. Her knee buckled on the second stride. She caught herself on a conduit pipe.
"You okay?" Gideon held her upright.
"I’m fine. We need to?—"
Bang! Pop!
Live ammunition reverberated off the hub’s concrete walls and bounced throughout the valley.
She ducked right and Gideon crouched left.
A branch snapped.
She spun, rifle up.
A man casually emerged from the woods, as if on a leisurely walk, wearing tactical attire and carrying a handgun.
A moment later, before she could take a breath, he’d taken her weapon, pinning her against him with his gun to her stomach.
Gideon spun and raised his rifle.
