Chapter 21: Retrieval

Kasey's voice came through their earpieces, urgently. "Hold your fire! We can't risk a firefight. Surrender and buy yourselves some time."

Reluctantly, Edith and Zain raised their hands in surrender, their hearts pounding in their chests. Cian and Montana followed suit, their expressions grim as they braced themselves for what came next.

But as the security guards closed in, chaos erupted. One of them lunged forward, aiming his weapon directly at Edith. Without hesitation, Zain intercepted, tackling the guard to the ground just as a shot rang out.

The bullet struck Zain in the shoulder, sending a jolt of pain coursing through him. He gritted his teeth against the agony, his vision swimming as he struggled to regain his footing.

Edith's eyes widened in horror as she watched Zain fall, her heart pounding in her chest. "Callahan, stop taking shots!” she yelled.

Montana, seeing the opportunity, swiftly disarmed the guard who had fired the shot, knocking him unconscious with a well-placed blow to the head. Edith caught his body as he fell and dragged him over to a corner. “Whitney, secure him.” Montana nodded and zip-tied him to a nearby handrail. Edith looked over at Zain, alive bleeding from the shoulder, but nothing too awful. Her heart calmed in relief and she turned away from him. “Hale, get him up, we need to get out of here.” Cian moved in response, rolling his eyes at her carelessness.

Zain winced as he pushed himself up, his shoulder throbbing with pain. "I'll live," he muttered, his voice strained.

Cian moved to assist, his expression grim as he helped Zain to his feet. He quickly assessed his injury, he checked for an exit wound and there wasn’t one. “The bullet is still in you, but from what I can see it isn’t disturbing anything important, try not to move it too much, and if you feel any pain that’s new and isn’t from your current situation let me know.” 

As Cian took a shot of whiskey and poured it over his wound, Zain couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Why do you just have shots in your pack?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement despite the pain.

Cian shrugged nonchalantly as he ripped open a pack of gauze with his teeth. "Missions get tough, sometimes loosening up is necessary," he muttered, his tone casual but his eyes betraying a hint of sadness. Zain's heart clenched at the realization that Cian was carrying his burdens, just like the rest of them. He knew that they were all dealing with their demons, but seeing it first hand made him acutely aware of the sacrifices they were making for each other.

Breaking the tense silence that hung in the air, the guard’s radio crackled to life. "A-Team, where are you with locating the intruders?" the voice on the other end demanded.

"They're hard to locate," Montana replied smoothly, his tone calm and collected. "They've taken out Balum," he added, referring to the guard's name from his name tag. "They headed to the fire escape, must've left whatever they came here for."

Zain and Edith exchanged a glance, knowing full well that they weren't heading to the fire escape at all. Instead, they were making a beeline for the Sentinel-7, the very reason they had infiltrated the facility in the first place.

As they moved swiftly through the corridors, their senses on high alert, Zain couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of his stomach. He knew that they were close to their objective, but the knowledge that they were being hunted only added to the pressure.

"We need to pick up the pace," Zain muttered under his breath, glancing over at Edith as they rounded a corner. 

“Stop right there!” footsteps came barreling towards them.

Edith groaned and pulled Zain back around the corner, “Do your team a favor, don’t get shot this time.” 

The skirmish erupted into a flurry of action as the guards closed in on them, their movements fluid and precise. Zain's training kicked in as he dodged a swift punch aimed at his head, countering with a powerful roundhouse kick that sent his assailant stumbling backward.

Meanwhile, Edith seamlessly transitioned into a defensive stance, her eyes sharp as she assessed her opponents. With lightning-fast reflexes, she ducked under a swinging arm and delivered a sharp jab to the guard's midsection, causing him to double over in pain.

As the chaos unfolded around them, Edith spotted an opening and seized the opportunity to disarm her opponent. With a deft twist of her body, she flipped over the guard's shoulders, her legs wrapping around his neck in a vice-like grip. With a grunt of effort, she locked him into a tight thigh hold while raining down a series of sharp elbow strikes to his head.

But her triumph was short-lived as the guard retaliated with surprising strength, flipping her over and pinning her to the ground. Edith gritted her teeth against the pressure of his hands around her throat, struggling to break free as darkness threatened to engulf her vision.

Just as it seemed she would succumb to the guard's relentless assault, Montana came to her rescue, swooping in to put the assailant in a tight headlock. With a grunt of exertion, he applied pressure until the guard's grip loosened, allowing Edith to gasp for much-needed air.

Meanwhile, Cian moved with lethal precision, his blows landing with deadly accuracy as he incapacitated another guard with a swift kick to the stomach. With a low growl of frustration, the guard crumpled to the ground, clutching his abdomen in agony.

But the danger was far from over as another guard brandished a gleaming knife, his eyes glinting with malice. Zain's instincts kicked into overdrive as he dodged each razor-sharp swing, his movements a blur of speed and agility.

With a swift motion, Zain lunged forward, grabbing hold of the blade of the knife and wrenching it from the guard's grasp. With a grim determination, he turned the tables on his assailant, delivering a series of precise strikes that left the guard writhing in pain on the ground.

Breathing heavily, Zain glanced around at his team, each of them battered and bruised but alive. They had won this round, but the battle was far from over. With the guards incapacitated and the room finally silent, Zain took a moment to catch his breath, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He looked around at his team, each of them nursing their injuries but wearing determined expressions.

"Is everyone alright?" Zain asked, his voice tight with concern.

Edith nodded, rubbing her sore neck. "I've had worse," she replied.

Montana grunted in agreement, flexing his fingers as he checked for any broken bones. "I'm good, just a few bruises," he reported. Zain nodded, acknowledging Cian's assessment. "Let's find those blueprints and get out of here," he said, his tone resolute.

Together, they searched the room, scouring every corner for any sign of the elusive Sentinel-7 blueprints. After what felt like an eternity, Montana let out a triumphant shout, holding up a folder triumphantly.

"I found them!" he exclaimed, relief evident in his voice.

Zain breathed a sigh of relief, a weight lifting off his shoulders. "Good work, Montana. Let's grab those and get out of here," he ordered, his voice firm. With the blueprints in hand, they made their way to the exit, cautious but determined. As they stepped out into the cool night air, Zain couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. They had accomplished their mission against all odds, and now it was time to regroup and plan their next move. 

K.M Strunk