Read Online Connor Rix Chronicles 1: Rules of Force by Steve Statham - Free Book Online
Authors: Steve Statham
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fired. One of the men crumpled instantly; the
other staggered, trying to raise his weapon and find a target. She fired again.
He collapsed and was still.
Angie 6
struggled to her feet and coughed from the smoke. She slid along the wall,
weapon raised, toward the smoldering opening. Taking a heartbeat to steel
herself, she darted inside, rolling to a secure spot behind a desk. She exposed her head for an instant to
read the situation in the room. She could make out one of her men across the
room from her, behind a desk as she was, firing his weapon toward what was left
of the glass wall and door at the entrance to the large room. The unmoving
bodies of four of her team lay sprawled in unnatural positions across the
floor. Among them was one of the invading giants. The fire suppression system
in the ceiling sprayed the entire scene with a fine shower.
She could also
make out at least five members of the opposing force darting between covering
positions, occasionally rising to fire a variety of weapons. As she peered
through the dust and smoke, she saw that two of the men were the Fightin' Mads,
her former prisoners. Released from their bonds, they were eagerly joining the
battle against their former captors.
She attempted to
com Martin, her surviving team member, to coordinate a counteroffensive, but through
the noise, water and chaos could not raise him. The invaders were so focused on
him, however, they had not noticed Angie 6 enter the room. She ran, crouching,
along the wall to a position closer to the remains of the front entrance.
She took a breath
to steady herself, and raised her gun to fire. Her optics outlined her targets,
pulling coherent shapes out of the shadows. The smoke and dust cleared
momentarily, revealing a familiar face among the attackers. It was one of the
men who had been on the raid on Open Sky, one who had killed the people she had
been hired to protect. It was the copper-colored man, she felt sure.
She squeezed the
trigger. Simultaneously, she felt the bark of the gun and witnessed the look of
surprise on the man's face as her shot found home. Vicious bastard… She felt a split second of satisfaction knowing that
at least one of the murderers had met justice.
She moved to
target one of the others, but they were suddenly falling back as a unit. Before
she could isolate another target, a blinding flash of light seared her vision,
followed instantly by a thump she felt to her core.
Flash-bangs…
She staggered
backward, supporting herself against the wall.
Her optics
protected her sight from the worst of it, but even so, it still took a moment
to clear her vision.
She blinked away
tears and saw the outline of two large men lift a conference table, wielding it
as a shield, and rush Martin on the far side of the room. A third man, larger
than the rest, wearing some sort of facial covering that shimmered and
distorted his features, walked upright behind the table, almost casually. She
watched Martin fire blindly into the table. The large third man dropped to one
knee and slid to his right from behind his cover. He raised his arm, a chunky weapon
in his hand she did not instantly recognize.
The man fired.
With horror Angie watched the barrage of darts and blades from the flechette
shotgun shred the desk Martin was using for cover, and with it, Martin as well.
She cried out
and raised her gun.
Without even
glancing her way the giant raised his arm, flechette weapon aimed precisely in
her direction. He fired.
Angie 6 stared
in shock at the man. Her head then dropped as she surveyed her own body,
although she could not seem to see it all clearly. Blood was running freely
from her arms and chest. She felt consciousness slipping away, and with it, she
knew, her life.
Too short…
Not enough.
She slumped to
the floor on her side, eyes open, unable to move. As she lay there, vaguely
awake, she could still see movement in the room. The men coalesced around the
largest man, the one obviously in
other staggered, trying to raise his weapon and find a target. She fired again.
He collapsed and was still.
Angie 6
struggled to her feet and coughed from the smoke. She slid along the wall,
weapon raised, toward the smoldering opening. Taking a heartbeat to steel
herself, she darted inside, rolling to a secure spot behind a desk. She exposed her head for an instant to
read the situation in the room. She could make out one of her men across the
room from her, behind a desk as she was, firing his weapon toward what was left
of the glass wall and door at the entrance to the large room. The unmoving
bodies of four of her team lay sprawled in unnatural positions across the
floor. Among them was one of the invading giants. The fire suppression system
in the ceiling sprayed the entire scene with a fine shower.
She could also
make out at least five members of the opposing force darting between covering
positions, occasionally rising to fire a variety of weapons. As she peered
through the dust and smoke, she saw that two of the men were the Fightin' Mads,
her former prisoners. Released from their bonds, they were eagerly joining the
battle against their former captors.
She attempted to
com Martin, her surviving team member, to coordinate a counteroffensive, but through
the noise, water and chaos could not raise him. The invaders were so focused on
him, however, they had not noticed Angie 6 enter the room. She ran, crouching,
along the wall to a position closer to the remains of the front entrance.
She took a breath
to steady herself, and raised her gun to fire. Her optics outlined her targets,
pulling coherent shapes out of the shadows. The smoke and dust cleared
momentarily, revealing a familiar face among the attackers. It was one of the
men who had been on the raid on Open Sky, one who had killed the people she had
been hired to protect. It was the copper-colored man, she felt sure.
She squeezed the
trigger. Simultaneously, she felt the bark of the gun and witnessed the look of
surprise on the man's face as her shot found home. Vicious bastard… She felt a split second of satisfaction knowing that
at least one of the murderers had met justice.
She moved to
target one of the others, but they were suddenly falling back as a unit. Before
she could isolate another target, a blinding flash of light seared her vision,
followed instantly by a thump she felt to her core.
Flash-bangs…
She staggered
backward, supporting herself against the wall.
Her optics
protected her sight from the worst of it, but even so, it still took a moment
to clear her vision.
She blinked away
tears and saw the outline of two large men lift a conference table, wielding it
as a shield, and rush Martin on the far side of the room. A third man, larger
than the rest, wearing some sort of facial covering that shimmered and
distorted his features, walked upright behind the table, almost casually. She
watched Martin fire blindly into the table. The large third man dropped to one
knee and slid to his right from behind his cover. He raised his arm, a chunky weapon
in his hand she did not instantly recognize.
The man fired.
With horror Angie watched the barrage of darts and blades from the flechette
shotgun shred the desk Martin was using for cover, and with it, Martin as well.
She cried out
and raised her gun.
Without even
glancing her way the giant raised his arm, flechette weapon aimed precisely in
her direction. He fired.
Angie 6 stared
in shock at the man. Her head then dropped as she surveyed her own body,
although she could not seem to see it all clearly. Blood was running freely
from her arms and chest. She felt consciousness slipping away, and with it, she
knew, her life.
Too short…
Not enough.
She slumped to
the floor on her side, eyes open, unable to move. As she lay there, vaguely
awake, she could still see movement in the room. The men coalesced around the
largest man, the one obviously in