Resurrection - Chapter 25
The score is improving, but the bad guys have retreated to Helm's Deep, and now it appears they might have the upper hand. It's a Mexican Standoff, but then things change for the worse.
Chapter 25
“Four down,” Phil said to Skye. “Three left? Or more?”
Skye glanced over at him. “Dunno. There’s at least one, but I’m betting on more.”
Phil nodded. “That’s the safe bet. Trip, can you work up to that window?”
“We’re on it.
Phil began to work his way to the door, seeking cover behind whatever was available…the car, a pile of wood crates, and some other debris. Skye covered his advance, but for the moment both sides were preparing for the next round.
“Bennett Gross, we’ve come to take you in,” Phil called out. “We don’t want to hurt anyone else, but you need to understand that you cannot escape.” There was no response, and for a brief moment the team began to hope that the battle was over. Just as Trip was about to peer through the edge of the window David had blown, a voice finally responded.
“Not this time, SHIELD. I’m all done taking orders from you. I’m not going back into your cage.”
Phil glanced around, stopping his eyes when they met each other member of the team. Okay, we have to do this the hard way. He motioned to Skye, and then worked his way to the doorframe, pulling out a flash-bang and tossing it into the room, accepting the dangerous possibility that it might damage the nuralizer if it was in the room.
As the noise settled, Trip peered through the window, and received a blaster burst for his efforts. Because he was otherwise hidden from view his defense pod didn’t create a cone that would protect him and the blast singed the side of his face, causing him to scream and fall back on the floor, out of sight but also out of the battle. Kadeem crawled to his side, confirming that it was a flesh wound.
“Take it,” Trip croaked, pointing to his pod.
“But….”
“No. I’m out for the moment. You need the protection if you’re going to continue.” Reluctantly Kadeem pulled the pod off of Trip’s vest, slapping the velcro back onto the front of his own vest and confirming that it was still operating. Then he dragged Trip away from the opening and behind some boxes and crates where he would be better protected.
Skye went low, peering into the room with her head just slightly off the floor. She concluded it was some sort of lunch room, with a couple of tables and what appeared to be a kitchenette along the side wall. The back wall held some display boards that might once have held production reports along with the minutes of the meetings of company committees. One space, outlined in green, was headed SAFETY. The only thing she could read was a notice that they had worked 300 days without an injury. Well, there goes their safe work days!
As an arm came into view she took careful aim and fired, eliciting an immediate cry of pain. “I could see at least two,” she reported.
“Gotcha. Any sign of the prize?”
Skye looked in again. “Nope. But there’s a lot I can’t see.
Phil considered the situation and then decided to act, pulling a crate over to the door and then climbing on top of it. “I’m going high,” he said. “You stay low.” He knew it was a risk, but they had to break the stasis. As he slowly advanced his head the room came into view, first just the sidewall, complete with the blown window, and then finally the farthest corner.
As his face began to clear the doorframe he saw one man sitting on the floor, leaning against a cabinet door and clutching his wounds. The man did not appear to have a weapon, but next to him, leaning up against the wall, was the nuralizer. Damn! That’s right about where the back door is supposed to go. If Chuck and Anthony blow the door they’ll damage or destroy it! He retreated a little to consider the situation.
“Chuck, how far is your door from the west wall?”
A scratchy voice responded. “We measured 6 feet, and it’s about 3 feet wide.”
“You need to move it. The prize is in that blast pattern. The room is probably…about 20 feet long, so go out at least 15 feet.”
“Will do,” came the reply and Phil went back to considering the situation.
“Five down,” he added, considering the man he’d seen as effectively out of action. Skye decided it was time to force the issue. She moved back a few feet and then stood up, hugging the wall with her back as she returned to the doorway.
“I’m going to turn the corner,” she said calmly, almost as if she was ordering a pizza. Before Phil could caution her she turned to face the opening and took the first step towards entry, however she slipped in the pool of blood and fell into the room. In some ways that was a good thing since the weapon blast went over her head, scorching the wall but causing no wound.
Bennett Gross had been standing behind the door on Coulson’s side, completely out of sight, but now he lunged, dragging Skye around until she was between him and the doorway. “Okay, Coulson, time to make a decision. Either you give me a way out of here or the girl dies, and it won’t be pretty.”
He stood upright just inside the door, holding his blaster at Skye’s throat, and Phil, suspecting the worst, stepped back, taking position where he could see through the doorway and assess the situation. Gross continued. “Hi, Coulson. Long time, no see. Now…you gunna let me out of here…or does she need to die?”
Chapter 25
“Four down,” Phil said to Skye. “Three left? Or more?”
Skye glanced over at him. “Dunno. There’s at least one, but I’m betting on more.”
Phil nodded. “That’s the safe bet. Trip, can you work up to that window?”
“We’re on it.
Phil began to work his way to the door, seeking cover behind whatever was available…the car, a pile of wood crates, and some other debris. Skye covered his advance, but for the moment both sides were preparing for the next round.
“Bennett Gross, we’ve come to take you in,” Phil called out. “We don’t want to hurt anyone else, but you need to understand that you cannot escape.” There was no response, and for a brief moment the team began to hope that the battle was over. Just as Trip was about to peer through the edge of the window David had blown, a voice finally responded.
“Not this time, SHIELD. I’m all done taking orders from you. I’m not going back into your cage.”
Phil glanced around, stopping his eyes when they met each other member of the team. Okay, we have to do this the hard way. He motioned to Skye, and then worked his way to the doorframe, pulling out a flash-bang and tossing it into the room, accepting the dangerous possibility that it might damage the nuralizer if it was in the room.
As the noise settled, Trip peered through the window, and received a blaster burst for his efforts. Because he was otherwise hidden from view his defense pod didn’t create a cone that would protect him and the blast singed the side of his face, causing him to scream and fall back on the floor, out of sight but also out of the battle. Kadeem crawled to his side, confirming that it was a flesh wound.
“Take it,” Trip croaked, pointing to his pod.
“But….”
“No. I’m out for the moment. You need the protection if you’re going to continue.” Reluctantly Kadeem pulled the pod off of Trip’s vest, slapping the velcro back onto the front of his own vest and confirming that it was still operating. Then he dragged Trip away from the opening and behind some boxes and crates where he would be better protected.
Skye went low, peering into the room with her head just slightly off the floor. She concluded it was some sort of lunch room, with a couple of tables and what appeared to be a kitchenette along the side wall. The back wall held some display boards that might once have held production reports along with the minutes of the meetings of company committees. One space, outlined in green, was headed SAFETY. The only thing she could read was a notice that they had worked 300 days without an injury. Well, there goes their safe work days!
As an arm came into view she took careful aim and fired, eliciting an immediate cry of pain. “I could see at least two,” she reported.
“Gotcha. Any sign of the prize?”
Skye looked in again. “Nope. But there’s a lot I can’t see.
Phil considered the situation and then decided to act, pulling a crate over to the door and then climbing on top of it. “I’m going high,” he said. “You stay low.” He knew it was a risk, but they had to break the stasis. As he slowly advanced his head the room came into view, first just the sidewall, complete with the blown window, and then finally the farthest corner.
As his face began to clear the doorframe he saw one man sitting on the floor, leaning against a cabinet door and clutching his wounds. The man did not appear to have a weapon, but next to him, leaning up against the wall, was the nuralizer. Damn! That’s right about where the back door is supposed to go. If Chuck and Anthony blow the door they’ll damage or destroy it! He retreated a little to consider the situation.
“Chuck, how far is your door from the west wall?”
A scratchy voice responded. “We measured 6 feet, and it’s about 3 feet wide.”
“You need to move it. The prize is in that blast pattern. The room is probably…about 20 feet long, so go out at least 15 feet.”
“Will do,” came the reply and Phil went back to considering the situation.
“Five down,” he added, considering the man he’d seen as effectively out of action. Skye decided it was time to force the issue. She moved back a few feet and then stood up, hugging the wall with her back as she returned to the doorway.
“I’m going to turn the corner,” she said calmly, almost as if she was ordering a pizza. Before Phil could caution her she turned to face the opening and took the first step towards entry, however she slipped in the pool of blood and fell into the room. In some ways that was a good thing since the weapon blast went over her head, scorching the wall but causing no wound.
Bennett Gross had been standing behind the door on Coulson’s side, completely out of sight, but now he lunged, dragging Skye around until she was between him and the doorway. “Okay, Coulson, time to make a decision. Either you give me a way out of here or the girl dies, and it won’t be pretty.”
He stood upright just inside the door, holding his blaster at Skye’s throat, and Phil, suspecting the worst, stepped back, taking position where he could see through the doorway and assess the situation. Gross continued. “Hi, Coulson. Long time, no see. Now…you gunna let me out of here…or does she need to die?”