Tunnels 03, Freefall

little creep!' she screamed, holding a scythe high in the air as if she was going to throw it. "This is it for you!"
    Will flipped over onto his back, whipping his Sten round. His finger was on the trigger. He felt no hesitation. It was as if he was seeing everything in monochrome. He had to do this. He didn't know for sure if he'd got the genuine Dominion phials, so none of the Styx could be allowed to escape. If a single one of them got away, his job wasn't finished.
    In his panic, Will began to fire the Sten before he was on target. Rounds sprayed wildly, hitting the corrugated metal of the hut and punching holes in it. As he swung further around, the twin seemed to go down.
    That was enough for Will.
    He was on his feet and running through the passage.
    He heard another shout.
    It was a man this time.
    Will snapped his head round.
    With his spear poised above his head, the Limiter was running like some sort of machine, pounding towards him in huge strides. The soldier shouted again, his words like a call from a bird of prey. They sounded so harsh it was as if they scored the hot air itself around the Limiter, leaving their marks in it.
    Will didn't know how far down the passage he'd gone, but he couldn't see the mouth yet. And he still hadn't finished the job.
    He skidded to a halt, turning to aim at the Limiter.
    Everything was happening so fast it was a blur.
    Then there were two sounds that Will couldn't understand. He heard a sharp crack and at the same time, a swishing sound. On the top of his head, the Limiter's black hair seemed to fluff up. He was flung face first to the ground, his legs still running, as if the machine couldn't stop.
    And as for the swishing sound... Will felt a sudden pain in his arm. His hand twitched, and he dropped the Sten.
    Then there was a flash of light, quickly followed by a second, and Will was lifted clean off his feet. Perhaps it was the lower gravity, but he seemed to be whisked an incredible distance through the air, smashing through some thick bushes and tumbling over several times before he finally came to a rest.
    He tried to pull himself up, but his arm hurt too badly. He looked at it, and saw that it was covered in blood. All of a sudden, he felt very cold -- he couldn't understand why when the sun was still shining. The sun always shines here , he reminded himself quickly.
    Then he tried to get up again and this time managed to prop himself up on one arm. He looked where he thought the passage was.
    Twenty meters away, all he could see were huge swirling sheets of fire and thick black smoke, the colors so vivid against the white rocks of the escarpment. "Cool," he said, before he lost consciousness.
    He came to a little later. He lifted his head, noticing that there was a bandage on his arm.
    "You bloody fool. Only an amateur could have attempted that, and got away with it," Elliott said, moving into his field of vision. "Next time, can we please stick to the plan?"
    Will looked at her blearily. "Oh God, I haven't upset you again, have I? I always seem to do this with girls, I always say or do the wrong thi--"
    "Just shut up, Will," Elliott said.
    He tried to move his arm again, but it was too painful. "What happened?" he asked.
    "The Limiter clipped you with his spear before I took him out. Sorry, couldn't get him in my crosshairs quick enough," she replied, as she knelt beside Will, adjusting the bandage on his arm.
    "The Rebecca twins?"
    "I think you took care of one of them, and the other didn't have a chance. See for yourself."
    Elliott helped him to sit up. He recalled seeing smoke and flames before he'd passed out, but down by the escarpment a huge fire was raging. There was a plume of smoke above it, like the ones he and Dr. Burrows spotted from time to time in other parts of the jungle through the binoculars.
    "After I set off the charges with a shot, the passage collapsed in on itself, and the remaining twin was stuck inside. With all that dry stuff around, the whole place went up like a tinderbox. And even if you only winged the other twin, she was in there too," Elliott said. "There's no way either of them could have made it out."
    "So we did it?"
    Elliott nodded.
    "And you're not angry with me," Will asked, blinking at her.
    Elliott held up the two phials. "How can I be?" she replied, smiling broadly. Leaning forward, she kissed him on the cheek.
    Will smiled, the pain in his arm forgotten for the moment.

39

    In a small terraced house in the Colony,