Shit.
She quickened her pace.
On her left, Blue Berets engaged with Czarina. One of them found Sophia in his field of vision and took aim. She couldn’t rely on Czarina to save her, so she brought her pistol over her sword-wielding hand, using the wrist to steady her aim as she moved. She emptied the chamber. Then emptied the magazine. The Blue Beret stumbled, fell face-first.
She was halfway to Denton, out in the open. He didn’t even think to check directly behind him. He was too focused on—
An explosion vaporized the end of the concourse.
The concourse shook and a white cloud of debris rolled toward them. She covered her face and dropped to one knee. The cloud enveloped Denton. It was the last she saw of him as she was knocked from her feet.
Chapter 33
Jay hung onto a seat. The Marauder’s rear doors swung open and he could see the second Marauder fighting its way through the rain and wind.
Jay didn’t spare much energy thinking about the second Marauder: he had other things to worry about. Like the operative in the cabin with him right now, aiming his fingerprint-coded pistol at Jay’s face.
Damien’s Marauder struck something. Jay hit the ceiling, desperately clung to the seat. The operative hit the ceiling with a crunch, landed beside Jay and almost rolled out of the Marauder.
Beside them, Jay caught a glimpse of the Cheetah. Damien had steered into it on purpose, ripping it apart. Pieces of Cheetah armor were strewn across the road.
The operative clung to seats on both sides, stopping himself from falling out. Jay was about to kick him out but the operative launched at him before he could.
Elbows struck Jay’s face, knees crunched into his ribs. He couldn’t let go of his own seat or else he’d fall out instead. He felt he was at a slight disadvantage, being severely wounded and having only his legs and one hand to fight back. Oh, and his head.
He head-butted the operative.
The operative’s skull struck the cabin floor. He lay there dazed, his grip around Jay relaxing. Jay looked up and spotted the operative’s pistol sliding down the aisle. Jay reached for it. The pistol slid right into the operative’s hand.
‘Oh fuck you,’ Jay said.
He could barely hear his own voice over the diesel engine and hurricane winds. He clamped his hand on the operative’s wrist, pushed it back at a painful angle. He was almost hugging the operative now. The operative switched hands, arm around Jay’s head, barrel pressed into the base of Jay’s skull. Jay wrapped his hand over the operative’s hand. The operative slipped his finger in the trigger guard and squeezed the trigger.
Jay let go.
He dropped out the back of the Marauder. He reached out, grabbing anything he could. The open doors. He grabbed the handlebar.
The operative’s body slumped out below him, half the mouth missing.
Jay tried to pull himself back toward the cabin. His ribs were on fire and the exit wound in his stomach felt like an erupting volcano. He was sure he’d started bleeding again. Using the two convenient steps at the bottom of the cabin entry, he found his footing and hauled himself back in. He turned to close the doors and noticed someone sitting in the second Marauder’s gunner platform.
Jay dived from the doors—
An explosion ripped through Grand Central terminal. The entire side of Lexington Avenue turned white hot. Jay hoped Nasira hadn’t been caught in the explosion.
The Marauder lurched from the impact and turned onto its side. Jay dropped through the cabin. He pawed a handrail on the ceiling, clung desperately. Behind him, the second Marauder — closer to the explosion — rolled in the air and smashed through an entire row of cars.
Fire and brick showered Lexington Avenue. On one side, Jay saw chunks of the US Post Office building missing. Damien’s Marauder continued on its side, grinding past a row of parked cars. The cars buckled against the Marauder’s weight and actually helped the Marauder right itself. They were back on four wheels.
Jay found himself dangling from the ceiling. The heavy cabin doors still flapped behind him. He dropped into a seat and held onto it as Damien hit the gas again. One hand ran over his bandaged exit wound. He held his fingers up and saw blood.
Chapter 34
Sophia coughed dust from her lungs and peered through the haze. The café before her was covered in rubble. Denton was missing. She looked around and found only dead Blue Berets — and Czarina crouching nearby, watching and waiting.
‘Did you see Denton?’ Sophia said.
‘Negative,’ Czarina replied.
Sophia shoved a finger under her vest, searching for the button. It was difficult to get to so she shed the vest, putting her ruck back on over her T-shirt. She hit the button.
‘Nasira,’ she said. ‘I’m here.’
‘I know that,’ Nasira said into her ear. ‘I’m looking right at your ass.’
Sophia looked up and noticed a security camera still intact.
‘Where are you?’ Sophia said, dusting bits of tiles from her legs.
‘Operations control center,’ Nasira said. ‘We sealed in for now.’
‘Did you see where Denton went?’ Sophia said.
‘No,’ she said. ‘But the explosions wiped out forty masked Blue Berets and the commander to boot.’
Sophia felt her chest constrict.’
‘Was DC with them?’ she asked.
‘Didn’t see the motherfucker,’ Nasira said. ‘What happened down there?’
‘Long story,’ Sophia said. ‘Couldn’t stop Denton. He has two Phoenix viruses now.’
When she released her button, Nasira was hitting hers to get a word in.
‘Blue Berets!’ she shouted. ‘Standby standby! Dining concourse, moving west to you. Get the fuck out!’
Sophia tried to see through the haze but she only had visibility of twenty feet. She turned to Czarina.
‘Blue Berets are coming, move!’
Czarina was already running before Sophia could give her any further commands.
‘Get to the subway platforms!’ Aviary cut in. ‘There’s a train you can take in the subway.’
‘Uh, don’t you need keys for that?’ Sophia said.
She steered Czarina to the nearest stairs that led to the main concourse. It delivered them to the market inside Grand Central, which was strangely silent.
Czarina steered Sophia around the corner, through a passage. They passed the entrance to the Hyatt hotel. Masked Blue Berets materialized at the end of the passage. Czarina pulled Sophia down the escalators. She heard their boots echo as they gave chase.
She reached the bottom and Czarina jumped the turnstiles, carbine swiveling to check both sides. Sophia leaped after her, sword still in hand.
‘Train is new stock,’ Aviary said. ‘I can open the doors remotely and give you access.’
Sophia wished she had the time to find her missing magazine back in the dining concourse but her sword would have to do for now. She holstered her pistol in the Blue Beret belt she was wearing. She could hear boots scuffle over the turnstiles.
‘Run!’ she told Czarina.
Slave mode didn’t argue and Czarina pointed her carbine ahead as she legged it for the train. Sophia ran after her, sword in hand. She hit the stairs and took the steps two at a time. She landed on the platform.
‘Where is it?’ she yelled into her throat mike.
‘Staircase!’ Aviary said. ‘Down to the Seven train!’
Sophia saw the sign with the red 7 and the words, To Times Sq & Flushing — Main St. She ran for it. Czarina was looking back to check on her so she pointed to the stairs. The operative understood and disappeared down the stairs to the lower platform.