The lead soldier’s gun was coming up, and she saw the man start to bunch the muscles in his thighs. Don’t even think about it, Aimee silently pleaded.
In a split second, the PLA leapt and fired.
In response, there was the sound like a soft whine, and a pencil-thin beam of light touched the diving soldier, passing right through him. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Blake coughed blood and turned on his side. His words were croaked and strained, but the fluent Chinese filled the silent space.
After a moment, there came a few words in return. Blake groaned, exhaling his exasperation. “They think we have set a trap for them.” He looked across to Aimee. “Hug the floor, it’s going to get ugly.”
“Works for me,” Casey Franks said, and Aimee could imagine the grim smile on her face.
The silence stretched and the PLA soldiers didn’t flinch. They waited, but with their command structure taken out, there was no one to issue new orders. So they did the only thing they knew how to do — fight. They came fast, yelling and their guns set to full automatic.
Rapid gunfire filled the tunnel, and Hagel, the most exposed, took a round in the chest, punching him backwards.
But the HAWCs were also trained to respond, quickly and efficiently, and the only way they knew how. Unfortunately for the PLA, the HAWCs were better at it, and better equipped. In seven seconds, the PLA were all lying dead, and there was just a whiff of burning skin floating in the air.
Casey Franks was first on her feet. “Look’s like we just declared war on China. Cool.”
“Stow it, Franks,” Dempsey said, also now on his feet. “Parcellis, check on Blake.” He half turned to the McMurdo team, searching for Jennifer. “Hartigan, see to Hagel, then check on the Chinese engineers. Franks, make sure we don’t have any active shooters.” He walked down the cave and crouched next to Aimee.
Aimee nodded. “I’m okay.” She got to her feet, and crossed to where Parcellis was helping Blake sit forward.
“Lucky you were so close.” Jennifer Hartigan joined Parcellis who had Blake’s suit open as he examined the graze. He turned, showing her the injury. “The bullet was still hot; singed the wound closed — immediate self cauterization.” Parcellis applied a med-patch — the swatch of synthetic skin contained antibiotics, steroids, and painkillers. “Good as new.” He pulled the uniform back into place. “Well, hardly, but you know what I mean.” He grinned and then turned.
“Hey, how you doin’, Hagel?”
The young HAWC sat forward and spat onto the tunnel floor. He knocked on the armor plating over his chest. His fingers stopped at a chip in the ceramic plates.
“Feel like I’ve been mule-kicked, if Officer Hartigan could just take a look…”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re fine,” Parcellis slapped Blake on the back and got to his feet, pulling his friend with him.
“Five down, boss,” Casey Franks spoke over her shoulder, as she stood glaring at the cowering engineers, as if hoping another PLA soldier would miraculously rise up to challenge her.
“I counted seven coming in.” Dempsey growled and looked around. “Fuck, we lost two.”
Franks turned. “Let me chase ’em down. They get back to their pals, and we’re going to be fighting every step of our way.”
Dempsey stared off into the dark. “Negative on that.”
Aimee walked over and crouched beside Soong. “I’m so sorry.”
Soong looked at the downed men. “Typical American negotiation.”
Aimee winced. “You saw they left us no choice.”
Soong lips turned down. “These men were not our friends, and I do not grieve for them. But there are a lot more soldiers down in the tunnels, and I think you are in big trouble when those two fleeing ones get back to their squad. Maybe they will negotiate with you in the same manner.”
Dempsey appeared beside Aimee. “I suspect they will, and then more of them will die. Maybe some of us too, but they’ll find out we don’t die easily.” He stared hard at her. “So my money is on them going down — all of them.”
“You said you need to find Shenjung Xing,” Soong said softly. “He is my friend, and he is with them. I would like to find him too.”
“Well, you want to stop more deaths, keep your friend safe?” Dempsey said. “Then come with us, and tell them to talk first, rather than shoot. Their only chance.”
Soong glanced over her shoulder at the huddle of engineers and scientists. “I do not think they will come with you. They will trust in their own government to save them.” She turned back to look Aimee in the eye. “But I will check.”
She walked back in among the group, and within a few seconds, agitated, rapid-fire dialogue bounced around the tunnel. Aimee shook her head, wondering how any of them could understand the other, with everyone talking at once. There were a few foot-stamps, and pushes in the chest before Soong returned with just two smaller men at her shoulders. She pointed to them: “Lee Pinying and Bo Xingmin will also come with you. The others will stay.”
Aimee saw that one of the men with Soong had an intricate tattoo just showing above his collar. Hagel walked towards him, and at first the man cowered, but Hagel held up a hand. “It’s okay, brother, just want to check out your cool ink.” He peeled down his collar a few inches.
“Whoa, dig this.” He stood back.
Just showing was the tip of an intricate dragon tattoo appearing from under the collar of the man’s gray coveralls, the reds, yellows, and greens all swirling in a maelstrom of color and movement — wisdom, luck, and ferocity, Aimee bet he would have told her if given the chance.
“Cool stuff, man.” Hagel swatted his shoulder, and then rolled up one of his sleeves showing his own tattoo of an eagle crushing a snake.
Rinofsky snorted with derision, and lifted half of his armored top — there was a blur of colors and designs. “Two days’ work.” He grinned and winked.
“Nice.” Hagel nodded. “Who did it, a blind twelve year old?”
Rinofsky’s grin broadened as he flipped Hagel the bird.
The engineer said something to Soong, who grunted. She took the pack off her shoulders and handed it to one of her engineers. “Shenjung Xing will listen to me.” Her eyes were expressionless. “But the other men, the soldiers, are not the same. Their leader is very, ah, patriotic.”
Aimee took that to mean the likelihood of negotiation with him was probably zero.
“We only need one to hear us.” Dempsey turned to his team. “Franks, Parcellis, out at point.”
Jennifer Hartigan pointed at the downed soldiers, and the huddle of very confused looking Chinese engineers. “What about them? Will someone stay and…”
“Not a chance,” Hagel said, his lips turned down.
Aimee saw the look on Soong’s face, and knew they needed her cooperation. “Captain, one of us should at least secure this position. Remain here to… supervise.”
Dempsey shook his head. “Can’t spare a single body, Dr. Weir.” He stepped closer to her, but his voice was loud enough for Soong to overhear. “You know I can’t make them come with us, and I’m not about to drag them under guard. Besides, hopefully we’ll all be back soon, and working on a way out together.” He smiled. “Think about it. They’ll probably be safer here, than where we’re going, right?”
Aimee looked to Soong momentarily, and then back to the HAWC captain. She exhaled, knowing the answer. “Yes.”
“We’ll leave ’em some extra water.” Dempsey grunted and turned away. “Let’s move.”
The two surviving PLA soldiers, Han Biao and Fan Kai Ling, ran hard. Not that Han Biao was afraid of the Americans, but he knew that it was best to inform Captain Yang of their numbers and firepower, so they could make preparations, organize and ambush, and then wipe them all out.