Lachlan spends a bullet on the third, blows his brains out and takes all three weapons, no time for extra ammunition.He runs back to Sorrenko, hands him a gun and picks Roman up again.
They make a break for the bunker.
Sorrenko has decent aim and lays down steady cover fire while Lachlan cuts down everyone between them and the bunker.They’re deep into the mansion when a projectile slams into the façade behind them, detonating spectacularly.Lachlan doesn’t see it happen, only hears the orchestral catastrophe of shattering glass and collapsing steel.
He hears more glass breaking from up ahead to the right.
They’re coming in from all sides, likely have the place surrounded.
From over Lachlan’s shoulder, Roman groans.
‘Mikhail, try to wake Jules,’ Lachlan says, banking left to avoid incoming gunfire.They pause for a moment in the L of a nook and Lachlan slips Roman off his shoulder, shaking him.‘Wake up.Wakeup,Ro, come on.’
Groggy and confused, the boy comes to with a deep frown.‘Lock?’
‘You were drugged and we’re under attack.’
That helps bring him around.‘Blyad.’
Jules is still very much under.
‘Can you walk?’Lachlan asks Roman while helping him up.
‘Y-yes.Where’s Ana?Where is Papa?’he asks in his mother tongue.
‘I’m here, Roman,’ Sorrenko says.‘Tanner take Julian.I will go first.’
Roman and Mikhail slip into rapid-fire Russian that Lachlan can’t keep up with as he takes hold of Jules.He’s lighter than Roman but even so, he has to go over the shoulder, so that Lachlan has one arm free to aim with.
He gives the spare gun to Roman who takes it with a nod.
They carve a path to the bunker.
People are inside the mansion now, above and behind.Lachlan estimates they have less than thirty seconds before they’re surrounded.
The bunker door is slightly ajar still.
Sorrenko opens it, bids them hurry.
The spiral staircase makes it hard to rush down, but Lachlan does his best, careful not to lose his footing.At the base, Alistair and the others are waiting.
‘Are we under attack?’Madeline asks, eyes wide.
‘It’s the Front,’ Thomas utters, ‘isn’t it?’
Lachlan says nothing, headed determinedly for the safe rooms.
He hears Kessler yelling something from above, silenced quickly by gunfire.Sorrenko urges Roman into the safe room where Lachlan hands Jules over to him.The boy is slowly waking.
‘Where’s Ana?’Roman asks, adjusting his grip of Jules.
‘I’m going to get her.Roman, look at me,’ Lachlan says.‘Put Jules down inside somewhere out of sight and then go fill—lookat me and listen!Fill the bathroom sink with water, plug it up.Bathtub too if there is one.Plastic boxes,anythingyou can fill, fill it with water, do you understand me?’
‘I… I don’t…’ Roman shakes himself.‘OK, yes, I will do it.’
‘Good.And keep the gun on you.’
Lachlan casts around.Sorrenko is at the top of the spiral, keeping the intruders at bay but he’ll run out of bullets soon.
