For a moment they were shooting and then Chaney dove and rolled over the desk, fiercely exchanging a clip as Brick slammed into a wall, eyes blazing, searching. He dropped the long clip in one of the Uzis, slammed in another. His face was red and sweaty, and his eyes flashed as he scanned the room. For a long time they heard nothing and then there was the faintest rustling sound from a connecting hallway.
Chaney turned his head toward it, knew Brick would watch the rest of the room. It had been five years since they were in the field together, but it was like yesterday. Without words, each knew what to do. Chaney raised a hard aim on the corner, waited, and tried to slow his racing heart. He knew what separated him from his prey — plaster, two-by-fours, more plaster. Not enough to stop a supersonic 9-mm hardball round.
He fired ten rounds through the wall, moving in a quick pattern, then moved his sight alignment again to the corner, ready for an attack. Then there was a stagger, a groan, and the clattering of an M-16 hitting the floor. He saw a form fall, a blood splash erupting across white tiles.
Brick looked up. "You getting help off the psychic hotline? Good shot!"
Chaney grinned mirthlessly as he mentally counted his rounds — six left in the clip, a full clip with fifteen, and two left in the emergency reload. He decided to stay with the six rounds, moved from behind the desk with Brick moving back-to-back, staying tight.
"Just like the old days, Brick," he said. "Same routine."
"Two by two on doors without any crossovers and don't get fancy on me," Brick rumbled, holding the Uzis at chest level. His dark eyes, quick and wide open, read everything.
Chaney had the impression that the old man hadn't lost that much after all. And in ten minutes they were near the door of the silent laboratory. Chaney swung the Sig left to right as they entered quickly, in more than a hot-enough mood to kill another one. But there was nothing; the laboratory was deserted.
"Don't relax," Brick rasped, scanning the mezzanine that ran the length of the facility. "Just keep looking like you know they're here. Which they are."
Chaney crouched beside a computer base. He was out of breath and tried to calm down. "The guys…" He swallowed, took another breath. "The guys up at the front, they weren't wearing mikes that I could see."
"They weren't," Brick confirmed, turning to look behind them. "Don't mean they ain't got friends."
"So… how do you want to do this?"
"This is where she's supposed to be?"
"Yeah."
A pause.
"All right," Brick began, "we'll do it by the numbers. Room by room. Stick to the routine."
"Real methodical."
"Slow and careful."
Chaney sniffed and thumbed back the hammer of the Sig. "Okay, I know this place so follow my lead," he said as he rose and walked slowly forward, watching everything. Brick was close and turning, looking behind, above, reflexes sharp and poised. And in five minutes they forced open the door of the lead-shielded electron microscope room to find…nothing.
Chaney's sweat-streaked face twisted in frustration.
"They had to have gotten to her before we did," he whispered. "They already did her. Carried her off."
Brick, bent like he'd heard something, was silent. "Did you hear that?" he whispered.
Chaney paused, listening.
"No," he replied softly. "What was it?"
Shaking his head, Brick continued to stare. Then he moved slowly for the door, one Uzi at shoulder level, the other low. He did a slow scan, inch by inch, of the room. "I don't know," he said. "Sounded like… something hitting something."
Chaney walked into the room, moving ahead of the bigger man. Caution was good, but he was losing patience and quickly nearing the point where he was going to start kicking in doors to find some answers.
The pain and the violence and the medication had given him an edge of indifferent recklessness. If they wanted to leap out right now and begin firing, it was fine with him. He would give as good as he got.
Chaney jerked his head
"There." Brick raised the aim of the Uzi and together they were moving toward a wall of yellowish white refrigerator doors. There were about twenty separate doors that fit neatly into the wall, the panels flush with the plaster. Chaney stood a long time, and this time he heard it.
Together they targeted on the door and Chaney moved behind it, Brick taking aim with both Uzis. Then — on a practiced count of three— Chaney ripped it open and Brick tensed dramatically. The Uzis dropped to his waist as he leaped forward.
Even as Chaney turned the door, Brick was hauling Gina Gilbert from the refrigerator and ripping off the plastic bag wrapped around her head. Her hands were tied to her feet. Chaney didn't even check her condition as he ripped out a knife and slashed the ropes.
Her face was white and tinged with blue. Then she made a choking, guttural, frightened moan, half raising a hand like someone returning from the dead. She rolled over, inhaling deeply, wrapping arms about her chest.
Brick grunted, "Get her a blanket!"
They managed to warm her quickly — Chaney knew it wasn't the best medical treatment, but they were in a tactical situation — and she slowly regained the power of speech. She weakly acknowledged Chaney and Brick, and asked, stuttering, "They… they t-t-tried t-to kill me. The men…"
"It's all right." Chaney nodded.
She seemed to notice the heavy smell of gunpowder permeating both of them. Confusion was in her face.
"We had it out with them in the lobby," Chaney said evenly. He shook his head. "You don't have to worry about them."
Revealing no remorse at their deaths — understandable — she said, "We'd better get out of here."
"Wait a second," Brick asked, a hand on her shoulder. "How many did you see?"
"F-five."
Chaney raised his eyes at Brick.
"That leaves one," the big man said.
"We gotta get her out of here, Brick," Chaney said as he dropped the six-round clip and loaded a full fifteen-round mag. The big man nodded with a frown.
"Can you walk, Gina?" Chaney asked as he lifted her, but she fell limp.
He picked her up in his arms, holding the Sig in his left hand. He looked at Brick cautiously. "You know that you're gonna have to spot him and take him, don't you?" he said.
With a quick nod Brick turned and went to the door. He stepped out, came back. "Okay, it's clear to the hall. We'll do it in sections."
Section by section they carried her through the building, moving for the exit nearest the car. Chaney had thought of taking the closest exit but that would have meant going around the building, exposed and without cover or concealment. Better to take a chance in the hallways and office rooms where they could quickly find cover.
They reached the main lobby, second-guessing that the last hitter wouldn't expect them to leave through the scene of their earlier firefight. Chaney glanced over the long lobby, mostly open floor, and blew out a hard breath; there was no way to do this safely.
With a coordinated glance at Brick, they opened the door and began the only act left to them: they started walking slowly across the open space. Every two steps they turned, moving in circles; slow, cautious, open-eyed movements. Chaney had the Sig leveled at the waist, holding the girl. Brick had two fresh sixty-round clips in the Uzis.
Cautious, slow…
Gina screamed.
Chaney didn't even think. He spun in the direction she was looking at. Everything in a micro-second coordinated in his mind, his body moving three to four moves ahead: Throw her out as you spin and get the Sig from under her legs, take one step to the left, protect her with your body and fire fast to rattle him. Then acquisition and open up with everything you've got—