Merciless (Option Zero 1)

“Ah, hell, Ash.”

“What?” Ash barked.

“They’ve got a rocket launcher.”

“Get down here, Bates. Now!” He looked at the other two men. “Let’s get them out.”

They ran back inside. Their number one priority was protecting the people in the room. That meant getting them out of the building before the walls exploded around them.

Two men stood at the outside of the double-door entrance. Ash ran toward them, shouting, “We’ve got trouble. Get everyone out!”

Looking more irritated than alarmed, one of the guys said, “What the hell are you talking about?”

Ignoring the idiot, Ash jerked the door open. A hand pulled at his arm. “Hey, you can’t go in there. This is a private—”

He shoved the guy away and ran inside. “Everybody out! We’ve got heavy fire coming our way!”

Either these people had been expecting trouble, or they were hyperconscious of the dangerous location. Men and women jumped up, grabbed laptops, papers, and briefcases, and hurried toward Ash.

Noting that Mayhugh was in the middle of the pack, Ash turned to lead them to safety. He had studied the blueprints of the building this morning. The side door was not only closer but also led to the parking lot where several SUVs and a passenger van were parked.

“This way,” he yelled.

He heard a curse from the direction of the door. Mason ran toward him, fury on his face. “The door’s locked. They’ll have to go out the front.”

Turning, he yelled at the small crowd, “Change of plans. We’re going out the front.”

“Over here!” Dunley shouted from the front door.

Ash barked, “Move!” and shoved them forward.

As if in slow motion, he watched the people scramble to get out. A couple of them were pushing others out of the way to try to save themselves. One woman went down, and Ash reached for her. Picking her up, he ran toward the door, set her on her feet, and shoved her out.

Yeager’s voice sounded in his ear, “Incoming!”

A half second later, hell exploded.

Glass shattered, bricks hurled through the air, and the world went black. Ash threw himself out the door and landed hard several feet away from the building. If he lost consciousness, it was for only a second or two. When he raised his head, he saw that a thick cloud of dust and debris surrounded what was once a large office complex.

Stumbling to his feet, his ears ringing, a haze of confusion covered his thoughts. Eyes stinging from blast debris, he squinted through the thick fog of smoke. Had they gotten everyone out? The last thing he remembered was practically throwing a woman through the door. Had she survived?

Shaking his head to clear it, he stumbled toward the demolished building. Whatever had hit them had done more damage than one rocket shell. There had to have been two or three. The entire building lay on the ground, smoldering.

He touched his ear, noting that he’d lost his earbud. What about Yeager and the other men? Had they survived?

“Over here!” The shout came from within the rubble.

The dust was settling some, leaving a hazy, blurry image of the destruction that surrounded him. Ash spotted a man lying beneath a steel beam. His torso and head were clear, but his legs were pinned. The man was Yeager Bates.

Ash ran forward, stepping over debris, pieces of clothing, and other items. When he reached Yeager, he was relieved to see a grin on the man’s face. “Told everybody to get out and forgot to take that advice myself.”

Stooping down, Ash tried to lift the beam with no luck. “I need to find a rod or something to bolster this thing.” His eyes searched for something sturdy. Everything looked too twisted or damaged. “Hang on.” He glanced back at Yeager’s face. “How bad is it?”

He grimaced, tried to move. “Can’t tell. Nothing hurts.”

Standing, Ash surveyed the area. It was amazingly empty of people. Had everyone else died in the blast? How was that possible? He remembered several people exiting the building. Where were they?

“You need help?”