enough to recognize a motion detector when she saw one.
“I’ve got movement!” Patterson yelled just as a staccato of gunfire erupted from one of the darkened buildings along their path.
“Look sharp!” Keith shouted, returning fire. “Box formation, now! Protect Miss McKelly!”
The four men took up flanking positions around her and combed the fog-bound ruins, searching every window and open doorway in a desperate attempt to locate their unseen assailants.
In all the excitement Luna had completely forgotten the 9mm fastened to her hip. With a trembling hand she reached down and gripped the small weapon. Did she really have to use it? Could she use it?
She had never so much as fired a gun before, much less used one on another person. She swallowed hard and yanked the pistol from its holster, cautiously eyeing the weapon. There was no time to think. Though her heart dreaded what she may have to do, she knew that given the choice between dying in the swamp along with her research and living to help millions of people, she would rather choose the latter.
Dear God, what am I doing? she thought, switching the safety off, desperately hoping that she wouldn’t actually hit anything.
Her helmet’s motion tracker beeped, and she caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure emerging from the mist. She held her breath, feeling the adrenaline coursing through her bloodstream. She raised her weapon. Her finger curled around the trigger, and she squeezed, sending several copper-jacketed rounds racing toward the figure.
Her bullets missed their mark—but they served their purpose: the Swamper quickly withdrew in search of an easier target.
Luna tightened her death grip on the weapon, trying to steady her shaking limbs. She’d actually shot at another human being! The thought that she could have killed someone—even someone who was trying to kill her—filled her with shame.
The agents continued to return fire, and after what Luna thought had to be the longest sixty seconds in history, the Swampers fell back into the shadows.
“Come on, miss!” Agent Patterson shouted, grabbing her arm. “We need to fall back!”
Luna didn’t argue. She’d had just about as much of the war zone as she could take. Wordlessly she hurried after Patterson while the rest of the team took up covering positions at her back and sides. They sprinted across the short distance to the nearest ruin and ducked inside.
“What was all that Terence said about incoming targets? These guys have us surrounded!” Agent Rush said between gasps.
“How’d they get the drop on us?” Perkins replied, poking his head around the corner to survey the deserted street. “It’s like they’re invisible. Motion trackers didn’t pick anything up until they were on top of us.”
“One thing’s for sure, they’ve gotten a lot better since the last time,” Patterson said, shouldering his weapon. “Hey, Keith, where’s Terence? Isn’t he supposed to be getting us out of here?”
“Just sit tight, Patterson. He’ll be here.” Keith replied, slamming another magazine into his weapon’s receiver.
“Well, it had better be soon. I doubt these Swampers will be fooling around much longer,” Patterson replied, turning to Luna who was kneeling beside the building’s thick, concrete wall.
“You all right, miss?” The tall agent knelt beside her.
Luna glanced up at him and nodded, trying to calm her shaking body.
“Yeah … I’m all right.”
“You sure?” he replied, placing an armored hand on her shoulder, “you look pretty shook up.”
That’s because I am, Luna thought, fighting back sobs.
“No, really. I’m okay… ” she said, looking around at the men. She’d heard the tension in their voices, and she knew that their present situation was not good.
She cleared her throat. “Do you think we’ll be getting out of here?”
“Of course we will,” he replied, patting her
“I’ve got movement!” Patterson yelled just as a staccato of gunfire erupted from one of the darkened buildings along their path.
“Look sharp!” Keith shouted, returning fire. “Box formation, now! Protect Miss McKelly!”
The four men took up flanking positions around her and combed the fog-bound ruins, searching every window and open doorway in a desperate attempt to locate their unseen assailants.
In all the excitement Luna had completely forgotten the 9mm fastened to her hip. With a trembling hand she reached down and gripped the small weapon. Did she really have to use it? Could she use it?
She had never so much as fired a gun before, much less used one on another person. She swallowed hard and yanked the pistol from its holster, cautiously eyeing the weapon. There was no time to think. Though her heart dreaded what she may have to do, she knew that given the choice between dying in the swamp along with her research and living to help millions of people, she would rather choose the latter.
Dear God, what am I doing? she thought, switching the safety off, desperately hoping that she wouldn’t actually hit anything.
Her helmet’s motion tracker beeped, and she caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure emerging from the mist. She held her breath, feeling the adrenaline coursing through her bloodstream. She raised her weapon. Her finger curled around the trigger, and she squeezed, sending several copper-jacketed rounds racing toward the figure.
Her bullets missed their mark—but they served their purpose: the Swamper quickly withdrew in search of an easier target.
Luna tightened her death grip on the weapon, trying to steady her shaking limbs. She’d actually shot at another human being! The thought that she could have killed someone—even someone who was trying to kill her—filled her with shame.
The agents continued to return fire, and after what Luna thought had to be the longest sixty seconds in history, the Swampers fell back into the shadows.
“Come on, miss!” Agent Patterson shouted, grabbing her arm. “We need to fall back!”
Luna didn’t argue. She’d had just about as much of the war zone as she could take. Wordlessly she hurried after Patterson while the rest of the team took up covering positions at her back and sides. They sprinted across the short distance to the nearest ruin and ducked inside.
“What was all that Terence said about incoming targets? These guys have us surrounded!” Agent Rush said between gasps.
“How’d they get the drop on us?” Perkins replied, poking his head around the corner to survey the deserted street. “It’s like they’re invisible. Motion trackers didn’t pick anything up until they were on top of us.”
“One thing’s for sure, they’ve gotten a lot better since the last time,” Patterson said, shouldering his weapon. “Hey, Keith, where’s Terence? Isn’t he supposed to be getting us out of here?”
“Just sit tight, Patterson. He’ll be here.” Keith replied, slamming another magazine into his weapon’s receiver.
“Well, it had better be soon. I doubt these Swampers will be fooling around much longer,” Patterson replied, turning to Luna who was kneeling beside the building’s thick, concrete wall.
“You all right, miss?” The tall agent knelt beside her.
Luna glanced up at him and nodded, trying to calm her shaking body.
“Yeah … I’m all right.”
“You sure?” he replied, placing an armored hand on her shoulder, “you look pretty shook up.”
That’s because I am, Luna thought, fighting back sobs.
“No, really. I’m okay… ” she said, looking around at the men. She’d heard the tension in their voices, and she knew that their present situation was not good.
She cleared her throat. “Do you think we’ll be getting out of here?”
“Of course we will,” he replied, patting her
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