Phantom Prospect - Alex Archer [80]
And before Annja could say anything, Cole jumped on the dolly and used his legs to push off out into the open. From the position he was in, he was looking back and up at the catwalk above where he had been with Annja.
As he rolled out, Cole brought up the submachine gun and aimed the barrel at the guard above them. Cole fired three times and then came to a rest out in the wide-open part of the cavern.
Annja immediately started firing up at the two guards in front of them, at the ten-o’clock and two-o’clock positions. She made it to a crate in front of her and waited until Cole got down next to her.
“Another stalemate,” he said. “What side do you want?”
“Ten,” Annja said. “We need to get through this fast or they’ll reinforce and chop us up.”
“I’m on the two,” Cole said. He leaned out and fired off three rounds. Annja did the same.
“We need to catch them reloading,” Cole said. He nodded toward the area under the catwalk on the other side. “If we can make it there, they won’t have the drop on us anymore and we should have a clear run to the subs.”
Annja nodded. “I like it.” She leaned out and drew more fire from above before responding with her own.
Cole fired his bullets and then they waited for return fire. Annja heard something that sounded like an empty magazine dropping. She pulled on Cole. “Now!”
They darted from behind cover and zigzagged across the space toward the underside of the catwalk. Annja could hear the fresh magazines being slapped into place and pulled Cole down behind a tall stack of machine parts. Bullets exploded off the wall closest to them.
Cole blanched as a shard of rock cut his face. He drew his hand away wet with blood but nodded to Annja. “I’m okay. How much farther?”
Annja pointed. “If we can make it twenty feet, we should be okay.”
“Twenty feet’s a mile in this game,” Cole said. “You think we can do it?”
Annja smirked. “We’ve already gotten farther than I would have given us odds on.”
“I love the optimism,” Cole said. “Let’s get going. I’m tired of being shot at. It really sucks.”
“Tell me about it.”
“How the hell do you get used to this?”
Annja looked at him and then checked the expanse in front of them. Another bullet rebounded off the metal parts in front of them. “You never get used to it, actually.”
“Good to know.”
“You ready?”
Cole nodded. “Another volley?”
“Yeah, on three.” She counted off and they both fired at the same time. Annja nudged him. “Fire on the run.”
She knew it wouldn’t be accurate fire. That was almost impossible for anyone to do while they were running and dodging bullets being fired at them. What Annja hoped to achieve was to just get them ducking down and not worrying about firing back at her or Cole.
She fired upward as she ran and was ten feet away from the safety under the catwalk when she tripped and fell. Cole didn’t notice and kept running until he made the safe area. Then he looked back and saw Annja scrambling to her feet.
She held up her hand. “Stay there!”
Bullets exploded around her. She needed cover fast.
Annja jumped up and dove for the minor safety behind another open crate. She could tell the wood was flimsy and wouldn’t stop any of the bullets being shot at her.
She ducked down and checked her magazine. There were only two rounds left so she dropped it and slapped another in its place.
“You okay?” Cole called to her.
“Yeah.”
She risked a look out and almost got her head blown off for her troubles. “Can’t make it.” The open ground was too exposed.
“I’m coming back.”
“No!” she shouted. “Stay there. If I can’t make it, get out of here and tell someone about this place. Come back for me with the cavalry.”
She heard nothing in return. She knew he wouldn’t like it, but if he tried to come back for her, they’d both get killed. And that would be useless.
“Cole, don’t think about it!”
Annja ducked out and squeezed off a single round at the two-o’clock position. A rain of lead answered her back, the withering fire reducing the top of the crate to Swiss cheese. Splinters of wood showered down