Gunner: The Hacker's Code by Michelle C. Reilly
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Gunner had to make this quick. The hallway was a dead end, and if he got seriously hurt, the show was over. He elevated his powers to one of his higher levels and dashed forward, faster than the speed of sound. His shoulder slammed into the stomach of the first man and sent him crashing into the marble wall. The material cracked and fell on top of the criminal.
He gripped the jacket of the second man and spun him into the air, propelling the man’s legs into the face of the third guard. Gunner loosened his fingers and the man continued to fly in a flat out spin until his potbelly cushioned his fall twenty feet away.
The last guard sprayed rounds from his Uzi across the hallway. The man’s eyes were closed and he swung the gun around in all directions. Gunner sprung into the air, trying to find a safe area. A bullet pierced his right thigh and two drilled into his left calf.
“Shit!”
I fucking hate getting shot.
The guard’s eyes popped open. Gunner’s powers flared higher, and he landed in a crouch on the ground. His neck burned and the glow of his Designation shone off his skin. He lifted his head and snarled at the man, giving him a good view of his fangs.
The man’s mouth hung open and he dropped the gun. “Madre de Dios,” he mumbled as he stumbled back and crossed himself.
Gunner came to his feet and stalked over to the man. “You will regret doing that.”
He clutched the man’s purple tie and wrapped it once around his hand. With his other hand, he punched the man in the face.
“Get yourself,” he said, and punched the man again, “a real fucking job.” His fist pummeled into the man’s jaw.
“Stay the hell away from,” he said as he landed another hit to the eye, “little girls, you sick fuck!”
“And never—and I mean never—shoot me again.” He landed a blow on the man’s nose, breaking it. Blood poured from his nostrils and the man whimpered. “Got it?” The guard nodded with quick jerks.
Letting loose of the tie, Gunner watched with satisfaction as the man teetered on his feet and fell to his back, hitting his head on the floor.
Gunner sighed and shook his head, disgusted. Sharp tingling shot up his legs as his wounds began to heal. The bullets sprang free from his openings and clinked on the floor. His muscles cramped and he cringed as he kneeled over to relieve the guards of their weapons, tossing them into garbage bins. He stashed the guards away so they were out of view. There was no reason to give Nay more reasons to question how he took the men out. He could tell she was already skeptical. Gunner checked the rest of the area for any leftover security. Finding none, he returned to the girls.
After knocking twice, he opened the door and found Nay on the ground with Kristine on her lap. Her pale skin accentuated the line of her clenched jaw. When her eyes met his, she sagged. Gunner kneeled down and studied her. Her sister was passed out. “You all right?”
“Oh, God. Gunner, I thought you were dead. I’m so sorry,” she said, as wet streaks trekked down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook. “I’m so sorry I got you into this. I’m so sorry.”
“Hey,” he said and reached out to run his fingers through her hair. “I told you I’d help. There’s no reason to apologize.”
“I…” She hiccupped. “I just don’t know what I’d do if you ended up hurt or k-k-killed. I-I-I don’t think I could handle it.”
He leaned over and kissed her head. “I’m fine. Cheer up, little buckaroo. We’re almost outta here. You ready?”
She sniffed and wiped her sleeve on her nose. “I’m ready.”
Gunner hefted up Kristine over his shoulder and opened the door. He peered outside, glad to see the area was still clear. Glancing back, he saw Kailey, the Glock clasped in her hand, gathering the rest of the girls. “Stay together. No one is to go ahead of me, okay? Kailey, you take up the rear.”
Kailey nodded at him. He traversed into the hallway, the line of girls following him, and sped to the far wall. Planting himself against the marble, he scooted along the surface until he reached the edge. Soft footsteps came from the group behind him, but they weren’t loud enough to draw attention to themselves. He peeked around and found an empty hallway.
They made their way to the stairwell and ascended two levels. The girls’ whispers echoed against the walls, making Gunner edgy. He breathed a sigh of relief when they came to the door on the same level where they’d originally entered the building.
“Let’s move,” he said, after making sure the coast was clear, and shot out quickly into the area. In vivid detail, his mind recalled the pattern they took when they entered the building. Gunner plastered himself against the far side, and the rest of his group copied him. He stopped before each turn, checking for any of the security detail. It made him uneasy when they didn’t come up against anyone.
They’re blind without their video surveillance.
They maneuvered a corner into a hallway and tiptoed toward the garage door some distance away. The only light came from a green exit sign above the door. Light flared as the garage door opened and pounding feet filled the hall. “Get down!” Gunner crouched and pulled Nay down with him. He pushed Kristine into her arms. “Go back!” The girls screamed, covering their heads as they hunched over and ran back around the corner.
Gloom bathed the area again as the door shut. Gunshots rang out and a round grazed his hair.
Damn. I need a haircut, but not like that.
He fell to his stomach and yanked his Glock free. Legs flashed back and forth and he aimed for the kneecaps, trying not to kill anyone.
He got off two rounds. Yelps and curses told him his aim was true. Gunner squeezed the trigger again, but nothing happened.
Shit! It’s jammed!
His other gun had run out of ammunition earlier and he’d ditched it. Jumping to his feet, he kept close to the wall and lifted his pant leg, tugging his knife free. He preferred his bare hands or his guns, but the knife would do. His powers cascaded through his muscles and he barreled down the long hallway. He counted at least five more men. It was dark, which meant they were at a disadvantage. But not having light didn’t bother him. The first man, dressed in a black t-shirt, shot blindly down the corridor. The others held their weapons at their sides, unable to get a clear shot past the first guy.
Gunner ducked past him. He thrust out his hand and gave a good tap to the back of the man’s head with the knife’s pommel. The guard fell forward. The rest of the men paused. Gunner took advantage of the lull and whipped between them, taking out one after another, spinning like an F5 tornado, flattening everything in its path. He hamstringed one with the long blade. Another aimed his weapon at Gunner’s stomach. Gunner saw the gleam of a silver bracelet. “Hello, Juan,” he said, and then twirled around the man, yanking his head back. “No pussy for you tonight, pendejo.” He jerked the man’s neck. It snapped and the body sagged.
He grimaced at the loss of life.
The dumb ass shouldn’t have said rude things about my girl.
He reached into the man’s jacket to grab his cell phone. While slipping the phone into his back pocket, another guard approached him from behind. He glanced over his shoulder and recognized Jorge. Gunner used Juan’s gun and gave the criminal a reason to require a knee replacement. He leapt into the air and faced the last two. They backed up, and he sprinted toward them. Gunner clutched both of their heads and slammed them together. They fell on top of each other, unconscious.
He stopped and contemplated the pile of bodies.
That was quick.
Gunner dashed forward to the garage door and cracked it open to check for any other surprises. Finding no one, he scurried back to the girls. They bunched together, some crying while others whispered reassurances.
“Almost there, ladies,” Gunner said.
Smiles lit up their faces. Nay stared up at him. Exhaustion marred her usually vibrant features. He bent over and gathered Kristine up one more time. They traipsed down the long passageway. A few of the girls
He peeked out the door again to double check the garage. Blue and red lights shone off a far wall and then police cars and a SWAT vehicle screeched around the bend. “Looks like our ride is here,” he said over his shoulder. He kicked the door wide and leaned against it to let the group free.
In the light from the garage, he was afforded a better view of the abused girls. Bruises marked the faces of some, while others showed the effects of drug use and malnutrition. Each of them smiled at the sight of the law enforcement vehicles.
A black sedan screeched to a stop and Double T slid from the vehicle. The girls gathered around in front of Gunner. He let the door close and circled the crowd to the detective. “Gunner,” the tall, thin man said. “Some kind of party you got going on.” The man’s smile was bright against his dark skin.
“T, I’m glad you could make it.”
“No doubt. It appears you’ve got yourself quite the group.”
Gunner nodded. “Yes, sir. There’ll be more inside. Any chance you got the EMTs with you?”
The detective nodded. “I wanted to make sure the area was secure first.”
“It’s secure for the moment, though I didn’t see any sign of Vargas.”
T scrunched his mouth sideways and shook his head. “That one’s slippery.” The man pivoted around and yelled at one of the officers to send in the EMTs as the SWAT personnel sped past them into the building.
“Is it done?” Nay asked as she walked up beside him.
He glanced down at her, frowning as he searched her face. The only color came from the darkness below her eyes and her chapped lips. Gunner wanted to pull her close and tell her everything was all right. But, he knew this was just the beginning.
“This part is.”