The Dictator

Chqpter Eighteen

Alina poked her head through the trapdoor and looked around. After scanning the deserted corridor, she hauled herself up. She was closely followed by Cassie. The two were wearing anaylasis goggles. From the outside, they looked like cheap steampunk junk, but that was just a clever ruse. As Alina looked around, analysis notes flashed across the screen. Objects turned colours according to danger levels. Alina looked over at Cassie, and was immediately impressed. The technology identified her, told her what side she was on, and how dangerous she was. It even highlighted her gun holster in pulsing red.

Alina hoped that Cassie's goggles didn't say what side she was really on. She was probably okay; if Miles had programmed them, it would say she was on his side. But there was still a small risk and Alina tensed as Cassie turned to her.
"Ok, so this is the biology corridor, the nearest we can get to the chemistry corridor without encountering guards." Cassie said, almost robotically. "We need to enter the lab on the left, then take the fire escape down to the third chemistry lab. From there, we take the side door into the lectue room, where the uranium is."
She paused, and Alina took the chance to ask a question.
"Right, then do we just wing it?"

Cassie looked at her, half annoyed, half scornful.
"Of course not! Everything must be planned perfectly. I'll go in first and take cover under a desk. From there, I'll take out the guards with the pistol. That will leave us with one bullet for emergencies, and emergencies only. I'll grab the uranium, then you can radio the boys to get back. Then we make or escape. They won't even know the stuff is gone, until they come in on Monday.

Alina bit her lip. She doubted that. The whole chemistry corridor was bursting with guards. Surely someone would come in and see the bodies. A thought occurred to her; what if there were more than two guards? Cassie made it sound so simple, but Alina knew something was going to go wrong. She started to ask Cassie about he guard problem, but Cassie had already started striding along. Alina closed her mouth and hurried after her.

When Alina caught up with her, she was already disconnected the fire alarm from the escape. She cut the last wire, then pushed the heavy door open with surprising ease. Together, they stepped out onto the precariously high metal platform. Alina glanced sideways at Cassie. She had clenched her teeth and was gripping the railing with white knuckles. The platform was old. The wind that was wipping Alina's gingery hair across her face was also rocking the platform like a boat.

Slowly, Cassie peeled herself off the railing and edged along until she came to the door of the chemistry corridor. She shoved it open, then wipped her pistol out. Now she was on stable ground again, she was back in her element. Turning back to Alina, she nodded at her to be ready, then kicked open the door to the lecture room. Chaos ensured.

The boys had got there first. But they hadn't done a clean job. Far from it. They were now in a huge mess. The two were huddled under a table. Jack leaned against Flynn, clutching his arm, groaning. Flynn was squatted over the gun, frowning and desperately trying to clear a cartridge jam. Three guards surrounded the table, guns levelled at them. Swearing, Cassie aimed. The gun recoiled with a bang and one of the guards fell to the ground. She took out another, then fired at the last one. The bullet smashed into the opposite wall. She had missed.

The guard spun round and pointed his gun at Cassie, who quickly dodged back inside the room. She tried to pull the dood closed, but it was stuck. Alina saw panic in her burning brown eyes as she sprinted away from the doorway. There was a burst of fire and she was dead.

But the guard hadn't seen Alina yet. Behind him, she raised and kicked him hard in the privates. The guard doubled over in pain, but didn't drop the gun. He tried to turn around, but Alina kicked him again and he fell moaning on the floor. His gun fell to the ground. Alina stumbled to grab it, then almost dropped it again in dismay. The chambers were empty. He had used his last bullet killing Cassie.

The guard tried to get up, but Alina hit him hard on the head with the barrel of the gun. He crumpled to the ground at her feet. Hearing heavy breathing behind her, she turned and saw Flynn standing behind her. He nodded then spoke quickly
"Good fight. Now lets grab Jack and get- Oh no." he swung round and saw an empty room. Jack was gone. And so was the sealed clear box of glowing uranium. "I thought that bullet didn't hit him. Come on!"

He and Alina raced out of the door, into the chemistry corridor and looked left then right. He guessed right, then immediately changed his mind as a patrol of five heavily armed guards wearing full body armor charged down towards him. He charged the other way, as Alina followed him. Alina glanced at him, panting. He was actually extremely handsome when he ran. He-

Alina shook the thought away. This was no time to think about things like that. Their lives were on the line. Bullets cracked throught the air towards them, spraying splinters from the walls. Suddenly they came to a divide in the corridor, and took the left turn without stopping, and Flynn threw the useless gun to the right. They dived into a small cuboard and quickly shut the door. Outside, the guards skidded to a halt. They looked left and right, then one of them saw the gun that Flynn had thrown, lying on the ground of the right passage.
"They went right!" he yelled, and the footsteps faded away.

Alina and Flynn dived out of the cuboard, just in time to see a panicked Jack racing towards them. He was holding a glass box of
uranium, and had another group of guards on his heels.
"Catch!" he screamed, then threw the uranium to them, just as a bullet hit him in the back of the head. He shrieked then fell motionless to the ground, a red stain growing round him. Alina grabbed the uranium from the air, and the pair raced off again, the guards in tow. Bullets smashed at the air around them, and Akina realised it was only a matter of time until one of them was hit. Flynn must have realised this as well, and he grabbed a round iron object from his pocket, pulled something out of it, and threw it behind them. Black smoke hid the guards, and he grinned sideways at Alina.
"Smoke bombs. Nicked them from Miles' stash."

Behind them, the sounds of pursuit became sound of confusion as the air behind them was filled by cloaking mist. Alina looked at Flynn for a moment as they crashed down the corridor. "What do we do with the uranium?" she hissed. Flynn looked unsure for a moment, then replied. "Bring it, we can dispose of it later. Together they rounded another corner, and dived down a trapdoor. For a moment they sat panting in darkness. Then a torch beam flicked on in front of them.
"So you got the uranium then." said Miles.