Ghostwalker 03 - Night Game

his mind to think logically.

    The best bet is to push them toward the maintenance yard. We’ll have to go in and take them out.

    Gunfire erupted around the front of the building. It acted as a signal and immediately the eight men on the south side began spraying the area around them, moving in a much tighter and faster formation toward the building. Four gained the wall and flung what appeared to be grenades into the bank of windows Gator knew were offices. The explosion blasted the smoke into the air, obscuring vision.

    Ian? Tucker? Check in, Kadan demanded.

    Two down in the front. Two to go , Ian reported.

    Tucker interrupted. He’s hit .

    I’m not hit—well, maybe a little hit, but no problem.

    Gator swore under his breath. He’d been the one to pull the soldiers back. He had eight men swarming one side of the building with at least six more front and back. Ian was hit and there were men on the roof. For one brief moment insanity rode him hard and he contemplated wiping them all out. One long pulse would do it. Whitney’s army would be gone and Flame would be safe, at least for the time that it would take Whitney to rebuild.
    In the meantime, the GhostWalkers could actively search out their enemy.

    He brushed away the idea, refusing to give in to temptation. He couldn’t hurt innocent people, not even to keep Flame out of the hands of a madman.

    Tucker, stay on Ian, take out the other two and get around to the back. Gator and I will work our way to the southern side.

    The four men at the windows, threatening to gain en trance to the building had to be removed. Gator moved like a silent wraith through the tall hedges, utilizing the cover to get close to the first of the two-man teams. One man dressed in black signaled his partner to come forward to use him as a human ladder to gain entrance into the building. Gator took them both, two shots, two kills. A bullet spit into the wall next to his head and he spun around, spraying covering fire as he dove toward the ground behind a two-foot wall of cement.

    Corning up behind them, Kadan informed him.

    Gator held his fire, afraid of hitting Kadan. He waited, eyes searching out the second two-man team nearest the building. They’d gone to ground at the first gunfire, but at least they hadn’t gotten into the building.

    Kadan moved like a phantom, so fast, so silent, he was a blur as he crossed Gator’s line of vision. Gator blinked twice wondering if he’d really seen him.

    You’re clear. Two down.

    Tucker reported in. We’ve got two more down here and are going around to the back.
    Ian’s bleeding like a stuck pig.

    It’s a scratch.

    Tie it off, superhero, Kadan ordered.

    Gator crawled through the shrubbery, careful to keep from moving any of the foliage. He could just make out a boot and part of a leg. In the shadows it looked like a fallen log.
    The leg moved as the enemy propelled his body forward toward the building. Gator heard the whisper of an order on a radio. He only caught three disjointed words, but it was enough to have him rolling to his right. Bullets thudded into the ground right where he’d been. The shots came from above and the fire continued, pinning him down.

    They’ve got a sniper on the roof of the laboratory. He warned the others. He’s using infrared.

    I’ve got him , Ian said confidently.

    A single shot rang out and Gator saw the sniper fall. As the noise cleared away, he heard another sound and his heart nearly stopped. Maudit, Kadan, I hear them going into the vent. Warn Flame. I’m going in after them.

    Flame. Kadan reached for her immediately. Gator hears the enemy in the vents. Can yon hear them?

    Yes. We’ll take care of it.

    Gator’s coming in after them. Don’t shoot him, no matter how angry you are with him.

    I can handle this myself. She didn’t want Raoul risking his life for her. She didn’t want any of them to do that. Flame turned to Nonny. “I want you to get into the bathroom and lock the door. Don’t open it unless you hear either Gator or me tell you to, understand?”

    “I can use a gun. I’ve been hunting all my life,” Nonny said. “I don’ want to be in a bathroom hiding when they come. I wouldn’t know what was going on.”

    Flame handed her the semiautomatic. “Have you ever used one of these?”

    “Gator showed me how. If it’s a gun, I can shoot it.”

    “Then you get into the bathroom and stay there. Leave the door open if you prefer, but stay undercover.