Read Online Forged From Ash by Marcus Pelegrimas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marcus Pelegrimas
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city’s infrastructure, even honest to God dungeons…Rico had seen them all.
The stairs leading into the basement below the warehouse were accessed through a small room in the back corner opposite from the offices. Three of the four IRD soldiers, Rico and both Nymar descended into a hallway lit by buzzing fluorescent lights. At first glance, it was just a basement. Musty smells, cobwebs, rusty drains. There were cheap metal shelves against the left wall spanning the entire length of the hall and seven doors to the right.
“Looks like there’s a ladder at the other end,” Rico said as he squinted for a better look at the farthest end of the hall.
“Didn’t see any rooms at that end of the building,” Wright said. “Must be a trap door or something.”
“Why don’t you post up here and keep an eye on both ends of the hall. Think you could hit anything between here and there?”
Wright laughed once under his breath and hefted the weight of his sniper rifle. “I could circumcise any man that climbed down that ladder.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Sayers said as he patted PFC Wright’s shoulder. “But it’s good to know. Hold position here and the rest of us will move on.”
Now that Rico’s suggestion had been made official, Wright put his back to a wall and kept the L115 sniper rifle ready. If anyone tried to come at him from closer range, there was always the Desert Eagle holstered at his side.
“Which room were you kept in?” Rico asked.
Drea walked beside him. Pointing further down the hall, she said, “Third door.”
“What’s in the other rooms?”
“I’m pretty sure the first room is used by the Skinners. The second one too.”
“Used for what?”
The Nymar shook her head. “I was a prisoner,” she told him. “They didn’t give me a tour. All I know is that Skinners were the only ones I’ve ever seen coming or going through those doors.”
“If you were locked up,” Sayers asked, “how did you see anyone coming or going through any doors?”
“My cage was closest to the door. Whenever any of them came into that room, I could get a look down the hall.”
“Could one of those other rooms be an armory?”
“Maybe. All I know is that the fourth and fifth rooms held more prisoners and if we don’t get them out now, they probably won’t be going anywhere.” Looking back at the soldiers, she added, “Neither will any of you.”
“All right, then. Since that’s all you can tell us, McCune is going to keep you both company while we clear these rooms,” Sayers announced.
“But we can help,” Seth offered.
“It’s a hallway and some rooms,” Rico said. “We shouldn’t need much help. That is, unless there’s more you need to tell us.”
Grudgingly, both Nymar allowed themselves to be separated from the group by Lance Corporal McCune. Although she didn’t hold either of them at gunpoint, McCune kept her PSD at the ready so she could easily answer any threat she might encounter.
Pointing to the first door, Sayers said, “Marsh, you’ve got point.”
Marsh’s Benelli shotgun was made for being the first barrel through a hostile doorway, and he gripped it like it was a battering ram. First, however, he tried the knob. It turned and opened, but he didn’t allow it to move more than half an inch before the others were ready. As soon as he felt a tap on the shoulder from Rico, Marsh shoved the door open and stepped back while bringing the shotgun to his shoulder.
Rico moved inside with his Sig Sauer held in a two-handed grip. His heavy biker’s boots stomped into a room that was half kitchen and half bunkhouse. Cots lined the wall to his right, and the opposite side of the room contained a microwave oven, two fridges and several cabinets.
“Those racks look empty,” Marsh said as he walked over to have a closer look at the cots.
After opening some of the cabinets, Rico said, “Just food and cooking stuff here.”
In less than a minute, the room was
The stairs leading into the basement below the warehouse were accessed through a small room in the back corner opposite from the offices. Three of the four IRD soldiers, Rico and both Nymar descended into a hallway lit by buzzing fluorescent lights. At first glance, it was just a basement. Musty smells, cobwebs, rusty drains. There were cheap metal shelves against the left wall spanning the entire length of the hall and seven doors to the right.
“Looks like there’s a ladder at the other end,” Rico said as he squinted for a better look at the farthest end of the hall.
“Didn’t see any rooms at that end of the building,” Wright said. “Must be a trap door or something.”
“Why don’t you post up here and keep an eye on both ends of the hall. Think you could hit anything between here and there?”
Wright laughed once under his breath and hefted the weight of his sniper rifle. “I could circumcise any man that climbed down that ladder.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Sayers said as he patted PFC Wright’s shoulder. “But it’s good to know. Hold position here and the rest of us will move on.”
Now that Rico’s suggestion had been made official, Wright put his back to a wall and kept the L115 sniper rifle ready. If anyone tried to come at him from closer range, there was always the Desert Eagle holstered at his side.
“Which room were you kept in?” Rico asked.
Drea walked beside him. Pointing further down the hall, she said, “Third door.”
“What’s in the other rooms?”
“I’m pretty sure the first room is used by the Skinners. The second one too.”
“Used for what?”
The Nymar shook her head. “I was a prisoner,” she told him. “They didn’t give me a tour. All I know is that Skinners were the only ones I’ve ever seen coming or going through those doors.”
“If you were locked up,” Sayers asked, “how did you see anyone coming or going through any doors?”
“My cage was closest to the door. Whenever any of them came into that room, I could get a look down the hall.”
“Could one of those other rooms be an armory?”
“Maybe. All I know is that the fourth and fifth rooms held more prisoners and if we don’t get them out now, they probably won’t be going anywhere.” Looking back at the soldiers, she added, “Neither will any of you.”
“All right, then. Since that’s all you can tell us, McCune is going to keep you both company while we clear these rooms,” Sayers announced.
“But we can help,” Seth offered.
“It’s a hallway and some rooms,” Rico said. “We shouldn’t need much help. That is, unless there’s more you need to tell us.”
Grudgingly, both Nymar allowed themselves to be separated from the group by Lance Corporal McCune. Although she didn’t hold either of them at gunpoint, McCune kept her PSD at the ready so she could easily answer any threat she might encounter.
Pointing to the first door, Sayers said, “Marsh, you’ve got point.”
Marsh’s Benelli shotgun was made for being the first barrel through a hostile doorway, and he gripped it like it was a battering ram. First, however, he tried the knob. It turned and opened, but he didn’t allow it to move more than half an inch before the others were ready. As soon as he felt a tap on the shoulder from Rico, Marsh shoved the door open and stepped back while bringing the shotgun to his shoulder.
Rico moved inside with his Sig Sauer held in a two-handed grip. His heavy biker’s boots stomped into a room that was half kitchen and half bunkhouse. Cots lined the wall to his right, and the opposite side of the room contained a microwave oven, two fridges and several cabinets.
“Those racks look empty,” Marsh said as he walked over to have a closer look at the cots.
After opening some of the cabinets, Rico said, “Just food and cooking stuff here.”
In less than a minute, the room was
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