The Hunted Chapter 39 snippet (next to last chapter)

The wet mud soaked through Kate’s pants, making her shiver. Of course she could kill the tactile sensors in her body, but for what point? Sensations at least gave the illusion of being human and not almost completely cybernetic.

Overhead, the rain beat off the APC, water running off its armor in rivulets. Since killing the connection, Kate had managed to slip a duct-aped explosive into the fuel tanks of each of them. In a matter of minutes, the corrosive liquid would eat away the adhesive holding the detonator pins from exploding. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that she needed to be someone else when that happened.

She watched ten marines come from the main complex building. That had to be the last of the troops Ferini had to work with, Kate reflected, which was a good thing. If they stayed close enough to the APC’s, then the explosions would take them out.

There’s on way to take care of that, she thought, give them a reason to be over here!

Kate rolled out from under the APC and up to a knee. The Kimber was out in a flash and aimed at the nearest marine. Without a moment’s hesitation, she fired, taking the woman down.
That should do it, she thought while crossing the few meters to the security building’s wall.

With a grunt, Kate leapt onto the roof, the marines surrounding the APC’s. A mental timer ran in her head while she ran across the roof. There wasn’t much time and the building wasn’t likely to survive the explosion.

A twenty-meter gulf separated the main building from the security office. Without breaking stride, Kate leapt across the gap and landed on the roof. She absorbed the impact, legs giving way, rolling forwards into a squatting position. Behind her, the sky lit up with a massive explosion.

On pure instinct, Kate dropped onto her belly as a second and third explosion filled the air. Shrapnel whizzed overhead, sounding like angry bees. Behind her, the sound of the security building collapsing filled the air with a roar.

A burst of flame and burning fuel flew overhead, the heat making Kate wince. The sounds of the explosions died down and were replaced by screams of humans in agony. With the coast clear, Kate looked over her shoulder at the carnage behind her.

Marines ran around the complex, nothing more then human torches. Their howls of pain reached her ears and Kate winced involuntarily. The security building had collapsed completely and the main complex was on fire in several places from burning fuel.

Holy ****, she thought, I knew it would cause a lot of damage but not this much! Reyes is going to KILL me!”

She looked across the roof and a raised skylight caught her attention. The schematics had said something about a skylight being in the conference room. That would be a perfect place to enter the building unseen! Besides, Ferini couldn’t possibly have any troops left to fight with anyway!

Kate walked over to the window and looked down. Below, the President sat, with his cabinet and Loving, two marines and a colonel guarding them. Holy ****, this was the opportunity to end it all!

The com unit on her belt crackled into life…

###

Ferini cursed while the whole building rocked, the windows shattered by the concussion. Flaming fuel flew by, setting the grass outside on fire. Goddamn that Katie!

“Katie!” he yelled into his radio. “What the hell did you just do?”

“Just a little pest control,” Almir said. “You like it?”

“You bitch,” he snarled. “I’m going to blow the bomb!”

“With you still here,” she said. “I don’t think so. Besides, you even got it armed?”

“It is now,” he said, pulling a control out of his pocket and pressing a button.

“I see that,” Almir said. “You ready to use it?”

She had to be able to see me, Ferini thought while looking frantically around for her. Where the hell is she?

“Why don’t you show yourself, Almir?”

“Okay then,” she said. “Don’t be surprised though!”

The sound of glass breaking made him look up. In a shower of glass and rain, Almir dropped through, holding a rifle and a pistol, looking like the black angel of death.

###

Kate jumped onto the skylight and felt it give way. She dropped through the glass with the rifle in one hand and her pistol in the other. A short burst of fire took down the two guards covering the President while a single shot hit the colonel in the head, sending him down in an explosion of blood and flesh.

She landed on the conference table, both weapons pointed at Ferini. The look on his face took her back two years into the past. A combination of shock and fear had crossed the Games Master’s face when the grenade had killed him and nearly killed her. Now, it was combined with the knowledge that he would die once and for all.

“Put down the detonator,” she said. “And you’re weapon.”

“Katie,” he said. “Can’t we come to an understanding?”

Could you believe the audacity of the man? Here he had tried to kill her numerous times and yet wanted to make a deal? Only a complete and utter arrogant narcissist would think of that! Jesus!

“No deals,” Kate said, watching him put the equipment on the table. “Jennifer, get everyone out of here-now!”

Loving did what she was told and started to get the President and his cabinet out while Kate watched Ferini. There would be no more bloodshed in the witness of the chief executive. Whatever would happen to Ferini would be done between him and her.