Not only was she well aware just what I was capable of, but she'd also be desperate to stop a repeat of Winter Halo's destruction.
I continued to speed along the darkened tunnel but slowed as I neared its scanner-packed entrance. There was no movement in the receiving bay beyond, but it was far from empty. There were at least two squadrons within the room; while some were positioned in front of other tunnel entrances, the majority had their weapons aimed at this one. I paused and studied the bay’s roofline. Thankfully, there were still enough shadows to hide within. As the final bombs erupted and a heavy rumble filled the air and shook the walls around me, I slipped past the scanners and moved to the tunnel that led to the main receiving dock.
The intensity of the ominous rumbling increased until the noise of it overran even the screech of the alarm. Cracks appeared in both the walls and the ceiling, fine lines that seemed intent on racing me through the darkness. Jonas had warned me that the RTXs packed a serious punch, so maybe using so many in a relatively small area had created enough force to compromise the integrity of at least this part of the base.
I couldn't help but hope so. It would make getting out a whole lot easier.
The end of this larger tunnel came into sight and, once again, I slowed. There were still guards on either side of the gateway, and both had their weapons raised and ready to use. But they were scanning the walls uneasily, probably wondering—just as I was—how far the destruction would go before those in charge of this place ordered something done.
I slipped through the gateway and made my way around the shadowed wall. An ominous crack appeared in the center of the loading bay’s ceiling, and dirt and debris began to rain down. People were now bolting for the side tunnels, but I wasn't entirely sure that was wise. Given the noise and the multitude of fissures appearing absolutely everywhere, it really did seem possible the whole base was now in danger.
I dodged the debris as best I could and continued to make my way toward the elevator. As I drew near, the indicator light flashed on and the doors opened. Light poured out of it, and in an instant, the shadows were torn from me.
I dropped heavily to the ground and staggered forward several steps, fighting to keep my balance against the rush of people now racing for the elevator. If I went down, I might not get up.
Someone hit me side-on and threw me against the wall. My head smacked against the stone and stars danced as my legs threatened to buckle. I forced my knees to lock and wrapped my arms around the body armor, giving the little girl an additional layer of protection against the tide of hits and bumps as people continued to rush past.
Another siren went off, and then a metallic voice grimly gave the evacuation order. People pushed and shove even more fiercely in their desperation to get into the elevator. But, beyond it, a red light flashed and then a section of wall slid aside to reveal a stairwell.
The elevator doors began to close, even though people were still trying to get in. Others were racing up the stairs. The quake was now so fierce that the floor buckled and large parts of the ceiling started to drop. It surely wouldn’t be too long before the whole lot came down.
I gathered my strength, and then forced my way into the thick throng of people running for the stairs. No one paid any attention to me, let alone the tightly wrapped bundle I carried. They were all too busy avoiding the debris and trying to escape.
Just as we reached the stairs, there was a huge crash behind us, and then a fierce blast of dusty air hit, knocking several people over. I stumbled as someone ran into my back, but somehow kept my balance and kept on moving. The screams of those who had fallen were quickly cut off.
We raced upwards, a human mass of fear and desperation. I could see neither the top end of the stairs nor daylight, but given the length of time the elevator had taken to get down to this level, that wasn't really surprising.
Though we were tightly packed, no one was pushing. Everyone was too intent on keeping their balance and their position. But those cracks were beginning to chase us upwards, and the stink of fear, of desperation, became so fierce it filled every breath.
A shudder ran through the metal stairs and then the lights went out. The man next to me hesitated, only to be sworn at and shoved forward by the people behind us. He stumbled, and I instinctively reached out to steady him. He thanked me and kept on going.
The earth’s rumbling was now fierce. While the walls and stairs in emergency exit tunnels were generally built to withstand great force, they could be destroyed—something I now knew all too well, thanks to the bombs that had all but obliterated the two tunnels I’d used to get in and out of my bunker.
This place, like the loading bay and the laboratories below us, wasn’t going to last.
I didn't even think about it. I simply sucked in the shadows and once again became one with them. And then, with every ounce of speed I could muster, I surged upwards.
I reached the exit in a matter of seconds but the storm still raged on the surface, and it almost tore me apart. Panic surged and I hastily regained human form, hunkering down on one side of the exit and shielding the babe with my body as I tried to see where we were.
The elevator appeared out of the ground, sand falling like water from its roof as people scrambled out. They all headed to the left and, after a moment, I saw why.
Transporters were waiting for them.
I kept as low as I could and ran toward them. There were over a hundred people trying to cram into each of the first five trucks—trucks that had been designed to carry an eighth of that. I ran past them. There were another three trucks parked beyond them, as well as a number of hovers and sand barges. I went to the very last vehicle in line and jumped into the main cabin.
“Sorry, love,” the pilot said, without even looking at me. “We're not cleared for takeoff as yet. Hop into the back and wait.”
I didn't bother replying. I simply hit him over the head with the butt of a gun, and then dragged his unconscious body out of the pilot's seat and dumped him into the storm.
Once I'd closed and locked the door, I stripped off the armor and used it t
o create a rough sort of pouch to hold the little girl secure in the passenger seat, and then slipped into the pilot seat. I’d never been at the controls of a barge before but they didn’t look all that different to the truck I’d recently driven into Winter Halo. After a moment, I located the starter switch and kicked the engine into action, then pulled out the geo-locator and transferred the rift’s coordinates into the GPS.
As the big machine rolled forward, I leaned back in the seat and finally allowed myself to relax.
The minute I did, a red tide of pain hit, threatening to overwhelm my senses and sweep me into unconsciousness.
I fought it with everything I had and, after a few minutes, the threat receded, allowing me to do a quick wound check. There was a large and painful lump on the side of my head, a graze on my cheek, several surface wounds on my left arm, and a deeper one on my right. Blood ran freely down my side and hip, and my left thigh burned. Though my pants were soaked in blood, it didn't feel as if the blood was still running. All in all, despite the pain, I'd been pretty lucky. I took a deep, somewhat quivery breath, and then checked the little girl. No hits at all. There wasn't even a speck of dust on her. Rhea really had been watching over her.