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\u201cNo,\u201d Yamamoto said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not in a position to say no,\u201d Matthews said.<\/p>\n
The four deputies approached, hands resting on their weapons.<\/p>\n
\u201cIota Omicron Seven-Two-Eight is a Federal prisoner\u2014\u201d Wood began.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are laws higher than human ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wood narrowed his eyes. \u201cThe Maker?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthews nodded. \u201cHe who made the world also laid down his laws.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yamamoto barked a laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Matthews said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour Maker is but a twisted shadow of the One who created the universe. Even he shall bow to the Almighty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wood froze. His face went pale. His jaw set.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou dare\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Yamamoto stepped in and kicked him in the groin.<\/p>\n
Gagging, Matthews doubled over. Yamamoto scissored his palms together, left hand striking Matthews chest, right taking his back, spinning the deputy around. Snaking his left forearm around the deputy\u2019s neck, Yamamoto snatched up Matthews\u2019 pistol and aimed at the deputies approaching him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t move,\u201d Yamamoto said.<\/p>\n
Wood spun around, facing the other two deputies. They had their hands on their guns. With a ear-splitting roar, Wood lunged at the closer man. Wood\u2019s left hand closed around the cop\u2019s gun wrist, his right hand clawed at the deputy\u2019s face. The cop shrieked and backed up.<\/p>\n
Wood chanced a peek to his right, saw the other deputy trying to circle round him. Wood released his prey and backhanded the other threat in the face. As the deputy reeled, he slammed his head against the door and shoved him down.<\/p>\n
Wood turned back to the deputy he had clawed. The man shielded his face with his left hand, and snatched up his pistol with his right.<\/p>\n
Wood dashed in on the man\u2019s left. Whirling around, he yanked his left arm clear and rammed his elbow into the deputy\u2019s temple. He abruptly reversed his motion, jamming his forearm under his chin, and spun anticlockwise. The deputy went flying, slammed against the wall, and sank to the floor.<\/p>\n
Wood stomped his gun hand and seized his pistol. He worked the slide, saw a round fly, scanned\u2014both threats down\u2014and looked behind him.<\/p>\n
Yamamoto had the other two deputies at gunpoint. They had their hands raised over their heads, and stayed very still.<\/p>\n
\u201cClear rear,\u201d Wood reported.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoger,\u201d Yamamoto said. Raising his voice, he continued, \u201cGet on your knees and put your hands on your head.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t do this!\u201d Matthews said. \u201cEveryone in the building is seeing this!\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking up, Wood spotted a security camera. As if on cue, a ear-splitting klaxon blared, reverberating painfully in the cramped corridor.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet on the ground,\u201d Yamamoto said, \u201cor I will shoot. Do it now.\u201d<\/p>\n
The deputies exchanged a glance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0worth dying over,\u201d Wood added, training his weapon on the deputies. \u201cDon\u2019t give us a reason to kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n Swearing, a deputy sank to his knees, slowly putting his hands on his head. The other one followed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m getting the cyborg,\u201d Wood said.<\/p>\n \u201cGo,\u201d Yamamoto replied.<\/p>\n Wood burst into the interrogation room. The cyborg looked up with a blank expression.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re getting you out of here. Follow me,\u201d Wood said.<\/p>\n Wood hauled up the cyborg and walked him out.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d Omicron asked.<\/p>\n \u201cShut up,\u201d Wood said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re getting Santiago out of here,\u201d Yamamoto said.<\/p>\n \u201cToo late,\u201d Matthews said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou<\/em>\u00a0shut up,\u201d Yamamoto said.<\/p>\n Yamamoto forced the captive down the hall, weapon aimed at the surrendered deputies. As they passed the deputies, Wood pulled the guns from their holsters and jammed them into his pockets. The deputies didn\u2019t do anything fatally stupid. They just stayed where they were.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry about this,\u201d Wood said.<\/p>\n And slammed their heads together.<\/p>\n The deputies dropped. Matthews winced. Omicron smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cGo see if Santiago\u2019s still in his cell,\u201d Yamamoto ordered.<\/p>\n \u201cRoger,\u201d Wood replied.<\/p>\n Wood burst into the cell block. To his sides, prisoners sat up and stared at him in disbelief. A couple shouted questions. He ignored them all and ran down the hall, looking for Santiago\u2019s cell.<\/p>\n Empty.<\/p>\n He looked up at the number. Right cell, but no one inside.<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d<\/p>\n Wood spun around, weapon held in both hands.<\/p>\n In the opposite cell, a prisoner raised his hands in surrender.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, whoa, easy, easy!\u201d he said. \u201cI was just going to say your buddy\u2019s gone!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere?\u201d Wood demanded. \u201cWho took him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. I just saw a gang of suits, four, maybe five of \u2018em, walk in there and drag him out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDescribe them!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t looking too closely. They had long guns. Rifles and machine guns, you know? But your guy, he didn\u2019t look too happy to see them. When they entered his cell, he was shouting and cursing up a storm, calling \u2018em every name in the book. But I think they shot him up with something, and they carried him out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Wood said.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, you gonna let me out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Wood dashed down the hall, returning to Yamamoto and the captives.<\/p>\n \u201cSantiago\u2019s gone,\u201d Wood said. \u201cWitness said four or five \u2018suits\u2019 took him away. Santiago was noncompliant; he was swearing at them, and they had to sedate him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a rescue,\u201d Yamamoto said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re too late,\u201d Omicron remarked. \u201cThe Guild must have taken them.\u201d<\/p>\n Wood turned to Matthews.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you know about this?!\u201d Wood demanded.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Matthews replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re wasting time,\u201d Yamamoto said. \u201cWe have to go.\u201d<\/p>\n The operators stepped out into Booking, captives in tow. The desk sergeant poked his head above the table, steel glistening by his head, and cursed.<\/p>\n \u201cDON\u2019T MOVE!\u201d Yamamoto shouted, jamming his gun against his hostage\u2019s temple.<\/p>\n \u201cDROP THE WEAPON!\u201d the sergeant yelled. \u201cLET THEM GO NOW!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMatthews is dirty!\u201d Yamamoto replied. \u201cHe tried to abduct my prisoner!\u201d<\/p>\n A pinprick of red light flared from under the barrel of the sergeant\u2019s pistol. Laser sight, no doubt dancing across Yamamoto\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cSet down the weapon and we can talk this through!\u201d the desk sergeant said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know who\u2019s dirty and who\u2019s not,\u201d Wood retorted. \u201cHow do we know you won\u2019t just shoot us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s\u2026 a big\u2026\u201d Matthews began.<\/p>\n \u201cShut up,\u201d Yamamoto said. He adjusted his position, using Wood\u2019s head to shield him from the sergeant\u2019s gun.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s slow this down,\u201d Wood said. \u201cWe lower our weapons at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can do this on the count of three,\u201d Yamamoto added.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d the sergeant said. \u201cOne\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Wood tensed.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Yamamoto fired.<\/p>\n The sergeant screamed, dropping behind the desk. Blood splashed across the wall. Yamamoto extended his gun arm, waiting for the deputy to pop back up.<\/p>\n \u201cCover me!\u201d Wood called.<\/p>\n \u201cGo!\u201d<\/p>\n Wood circled right, keeping his head below desk height. Yamamoto blasted away, pinning down the sergeant. A cloud of concrete chipped dust off the wall. The sergeant screamed in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cLiftfireliftfireliftfire!\u201d Wood chanted.<\/p>\n Yamamoto held his fire. Wood vaulted over the desk and raised his pistol.<\/p>\n The sergeant cowered against the wood, his face cut up and bloody. His right hand was a bloody mess, his left hand going for his feet. For the pistol lying at his feet.<\/p>\n The sergeant looked at Wood and\u2014<\/p>\n Wood fired.<\/p>\n One two three four times and the man went down on the side with a pained shriek. Blood pumped from his shattered left arm. Wood kicked the deputy\u2019s weapon aside, then grabbed him by the collar and pressed his smoking muzzle against his neck.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is Antoine Santiago?\u201d Wood demanded.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going to kill me!\u201d the sergeant replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t kill cops. Not unless we have to. Now tell me: where is Antoine Santiago?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re too late. A group of men\u2026 dark suits. They\u2026 took him away!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho are they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t know. Sheriff said\u2026 let them take Santiago. That\u2019s all I know!\u201d<\/p>\n Wood swore. Was the entire Department dirty? How much juice did the New Gods have?<\/p>\n A faint sound caught his ears. He glanced above the desk, saw the main door crack open.<\/p>\n A stun grenade rolled in.<\/p>\n \u201cBANGER!\u201d Wood warned.<\/p>\n Wood shut his eyes, ducked, and opened his mouth.<\/p>\n The flash-bang erupted. A colossal roar attacked his eardrums. Staying low, he popped out behind the desk.<\/p>\n A quartet of heavily armored and armed deputies burst into the room. The leading deputy carried a large ballistic shield, his carbine resting on a cut-out. Two more deputies leaned out around him, and a third man followed. They must be the Special Response Team, and their armor would stop pistol bullets.<\/p>\n Aiming low, Wood fired at their legs.<\/p>\n A hail of lead scythed them down. He swept from left to right, right to left, knocking down the shield man, the deputy behind him, and when he turned to engage the other two he saw them fall. A small part of his mind registered Yamamoto cracking off a volley of his own. Wood scanned again, and saw four downed cops.<\/p>\n For a moment, there was only the screaming of the alarm klaxon.<\/p>\n Then Yamamoto cracked off four rapid shots.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the hell?!\u201d Matthews exclaimed.<\/p>\n \u201cI shot them in the helmets,\u201d Yamamoto said. \u201cThey\u2019ll feel it for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n The cyborg laughed sardonically.<\/p>\n The sergeant groaned, bleeding all over the floor. Wood kicked him again in the head, then retrieved his gun.<\/p>\n The operators were breaking all the rules of gunfighting. Shooting someone in the arms and legs belonged to the movies. Not here. Any second now, they might rally and counterattack. But hell, even the STS only had so much juice, and it just wasn\u2019t worth making war on an entire Sheriff\u2019s department.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re done here!\u201d Yamamoto shouted. \u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d<\/p>\n The operators dragged their prisoners into the secure vestibule, covering the downed deputies as they went. They found no more surprises in the small chamber, and entered the sally port. At least their car was still waiting in the corner of the secure garage.<\/p>\n \u201cGet your gun,\u201d Yamamoto said.<\/p>\n Wood unlocked his locker, retrieved his sidearm and magazines, and shoved his confiscated weapons into his pockets.<\/p>\n \u201cReady,\u201d Wood said.<\/p>\n Yamamoto pressed Matthews and Omicron up against a wall and slowly backed away.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not move from that spot. If you do, we\u2019ll blow your brains out,\u201d Yamamoto warned.<\/p>\n \u201cGot it,\u201d Matthews said.<\/p>\n \u201cUnderstood,\u201d Omicron said.<\/p>\n \u201cCross your legs.\u201d<\/p>\n The prisoners complied.<\/p>\n \u201cCover me,\u201d Yamamoto said.<\/p>\n Holding the pistol low, Wood split his attention between the captives and the door. Any moment now, more deputies would\u2014<\/p>\n The door unlocked.<\/p>\n Wood angled off from the doorway. The door swung open, admitting a burly deputy. Wood kneed the man in the thigh, then spun around and clotheslined him. The deputy stumbled back inside and Wood slammed the door shut. The lock automatically engaged.<\/p>\n \u201cReinforcements inbound!\u201d Wood yelled.<\/p>\n \u201cHold them off!\u201d Yamamoto shouted.<\/p>\n Yamamoto raced for the far end of the room and hit the gate button. As the gate slowly raised, Yamamoto unlocked the SUV and shoved the cyborg inside.<\/p>\n The door opened again. Another deputy stepped in and swung into Wood\u2014<\/p>\n Wood kneed him in the groin and jabbed his left palm into his chin. The double blows drove him back inside. Wood retreated and shut the door. The door locked once more.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d Yamamoto yelled.<\/p>\n The gate was up and the gravtruck\u2019s engine was running. As Wood ran for the vehicle, he stole a glance at Matthews.<\/p>\n Matthews had uncrossed his feet, his right hand was snaking for his ankle, and he was turning to face Wood.<\/p>\n Wood aimed.<\/p>\n Down his front sight, he saw Matthews\u2019 face. He saw surprise. Anger. Resignation.<\/p>\n Wood fired.<\/p>\n Wood clambered aboard and buckled up. Yamamoto accelerated out the sally port. The gravity mirror hummed to life, and the truck soared into the sky.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you kill Matthews?\u201d Yamamoto asked.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was going for an ankle gun,\u201d Wood replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Neither man said anything after that.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n For more tales of heroism and justice, check out Silver Empire’s\u00a0HEROES UNLEASHED<\/a>\u00a0Kickstarter!<\/p>\n![\"Cheah](\"https:\/\/steemitimages.com\/0x0\/https:\/\/files.steempeak.com\/file\/steempeak\/cheah\/jMhx4XC3-CheahGitSanRed.jpg\")
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