Terminator Salvation_ The Official Movie Novelization - Alan Dean Foster [65]
“You get a good shot?” Williams asked him.
He raised his gun, sighted.
“You know I don’t miss.”
“You know I don’t miss either.” She jerked a thumb back the way she had come. “Connor wants to see you.”
Barnes lowered his weapon halfway, looked at her uncertainly.
“What for? You’re the one knee-deep in shit for dragging this little puppy back home.” As he finished the question, he raised the gun quickly and let off another shot. Like its predecessors, it bounced melodiously off the invulnerable metal body hanging in the center of the room.
Williams sniffed.
“Must be why I got sent to relieve you.” She held out a hand.
Barnes glanced down at it, then back up at the pilot. Shouldn’t he be formally relieved from guard duty before reporting to Connor—or anyone else? Of course, what with everything suddenly in frenzied motion due to the impending all-out attack it was understandable that normal procedure might be a bit hurried, or even overlooked.
Williams was gesturing for him to hand over the gun.
“Come on, let me have it. I could use a little practice myself.” When Barnes continued to hesitate she rolled her eyes in exasperation. “What, you don’t trust me with your gun now? You think just because I’m a pilot I’m gonna shoot myself in the foot? I’m as good a shot as you ever were.” She grabbed the weapon away from him and he didn’t—not quite—resist. “Here, I’ll prove it to you—since you seem to need proof.”
Turning, she raised the weapon and aimed it directly at the prisoner. Their eyes met, briefly.
“Upper right clavicle area. Bet I can spin him.” With no further hesitation, she fired.
Another loud ping resounded through the enclosed space. Wright swung slowly in suspension until his back was toward them. Barnes hadn’t moved. Lowering the muzzle, she widened her eyes at him and made as if to return the gun.
“Kind of fun.” She paused, then added, “You want me to go and tell Connor you’re not coming?”
The lieutenant considered. “No. No, of course not.” He started to reach for the gun, but Williams was already aiming again.
“Other shoulder. Spin him the other way.” Her second shot reversed the direction of Wright’s rotation.
Barnes finally smiled. “Okay, pilot, you’ve convinced me you can shoot a target that’s close in. Now why don’t we make it a little harder?” Moving to the relevant instruments and before Williams could object, he activated the release on the suspension mechanism.
Still bound in heavy metal links, Wright plummeted to the bottom of the silo and in a rattle of chains crashed to the concrete floor far below. It was a fall that would have killed any man. It should have killed Wright. Instead, he climbed slowly to his feet, shook his head, and tilted it back to stare up at Barnes and Williams.
The lieutenant saw how the hybrid had survived, sniffed disdainfully, and turned to leave.
“Keep an eye on it, all right? I don’t know what Connor wants, but I doubt it’ll take long.” He nodded downward. “Let’s see how many dents you can put in it at this distance before I get back.”
Once Barnes had departed, Williams became pensive, as if she was waiting for something. Then she hurriedly put aside the gun.
Looking up again, Wright saw something plunging toward him and managed to stumble aside. The object landed with a soft thud close to where he had been standing. A quick glance revealed it to be Williams’ travel pack. As he stared at it, the sound of lightly clinking chain caused him to raise his gaze a second time.
Utilizing a basic loop ascender, she was heading down the chain toward him at a speed that would have had most people screaming or covering their eyes. Braking with the ascender, she touched down lightly.
Without offering a word in greeting she moved quickly to the lumpy pack. From its depths she hauled out several articles of clothing that were