Ch 4 Anyway (8)

The purple figure reached for him, but it was too late. He didn't shoot the leader first. A boy cried out in terror as the man holding him started to fall. Goliath moved faster than the remaining four red targets. He shot the next two through their hostages killing the grey targets and the red. The next hostage was maimed as the red target died. The man who had been breaking fingers released his hostage to take the shot at Goliath. Goliath killed the hostage and red target with the same shot. He then ejected the battery from his pulser, it had been spent anyway. He caught it with his off hand and then turned throwing it at the far corner. It struck a man who had just come around the corner in the head. "Wait, lady."

Goliath moved to the closest grey target and found an extra battery. He checked it then slid it into the bottom of his gun. "Come, you aren't safe yet." Goliath held out his hand to the purple target. It took his hand as they started off again.

Goliath found some stairs and started down. It stopped at a parking garage. Goliath took the lead checking the large open space before keeping the purple target against the wall behind him. A group of blue targets appeared out of a car. Goliath pushed the purple target up tighter against the wall, before calling out. "You got here fast, everything alright?"

A blue target turned and pointed it's handheld at Goliath. "We were on standby, with so many high value targets in the area, sir. We are retaking the mall, you can put the weapon down now."

Goliath shot the man in the head. His helmet didn't stop the pulser. "Stay down, head for the far stairs, get to the next parking lot, don't stop for anything. Can you do it?"

The purple target nodded and then took off. Goliath stepped out and headed away from the purple target, drawing the attention of the blue targets, which the computer had turned red. The two that had been with the one that Goliath talked to tried to shoot but Goliath killed them both with one shot. I hadn't thought you could make that angle but the computer said he could and did. The sound of gunfire got the attention of the other blue targets and they started moving towards Goliath. Goliath got to a different stairwell from the purple target and started heading down. None of the blue targets that ran into him survived the experience. Now sirens were going off as the military really did start arriving on scene.

The building was going into lock down as the military started to restore control. Goliath was faster though. He jumped down and got through the next parking garage door before it locked. The purple target appeared at the other stairwell door at the same time. She wasn't doing a good job at staying down and Goliath cursed again.

He ran right at her. There was a yell of surprise from the girl before she dropped and covered her head. Goliath fired and the blue target that had just come out of the door behind her fell. Goliath ejected the spent battery and looked for another one on the fallen target. This time there wasn't one, or wasn't one he could find fast enough. So he grabbed the girl again and raced off between the cars. He found the limo and opened the door. It came open easily at his touch, it should have been bio-coded to him after all. "Stay here until the driver or house security opens it. Do not open the door for anyone else. The hanger door is already sealed so hopefully there isn't a bomb but if I tell you, hit the emergency return."

He said all that quickly as he just about tossed the crying girl into the limo. He closed the door behind her and took up a position to defend it. Time ticked by as more gun shots could be heard higher in the building. Goliath held his ground. A group of five blue targets appeared, they had their weapons pointed at Goliath. "About time you appeared."

"The coconuts were harder this time."

"Sorry if I don't believe you right away. There were at least 15 black fish four floors up and I only netted 6."

The blue target looked around. "Well it seems to be just me and you right now and my people are securing the mall again so how about we just stand here staring at each other like big yard dogs that we are."

"Sounds safer to me. Here are the transponder codes my computer registered as black, be careful out there."

The blue target tapped the side of his helmet. A counter appeared behind Goliath. He was reaching the end of the scenario. It ended when the house guards appeared in the garage and the purple target was officially safe again.

The platform Goliath was standing on clicked as it fitted tightly back into the floor. Joe was still standing behind me with his arms crossed, "Let's start at the beginning. Why flip the table and not use it as a shield?"

"To distract the targets. The table wasn't built to stop pulsers it already was shot through by the shot that killed the first girl."

"You noticed that? Well why not take the other girl with you?"

"She would have been dead weight and I didn't know how far real safety was. The charges feelings came in second to keeping her safe. It is unlikely the enemies would bother the body as well."

"You chose a good route but it still led to the confrontation with the hostage takers. Why did you kill three hostages and wound another?"

"I will grant you I might have wounded one but if you tell me the three greys a shot through weren't really reds, I won't believe you."