The albino nodded.
“If you see somebody who looks like they know what’s what here,” Ryan said, “we need him alive.”
“Done.”
Ryan glanced back at the other three companions, used hand signals and put Krysty at the rear. J.B. came next, the first line of defense in case Ryan and Jak had to double back.
The two men led the group, working in tandem. The way was only partially lit by glowing fungus pods jutting from the walls around them, bathing everything in a lambent blue light.
“Lover,” Krysty whispered only loud enough to reach Ryan’s ears.
He turned, glancing back in her direction, knowing the albino had them covered. He followed the line of her pointing finger and saw the cameras embedded in the root flesh of the ceiling. Two more were visible behind them, sliding quietly along tracked gimbals.
It tore away even the illusion that they might be sneaking up on Boldt.
“Triple red,” Ryan growled. “They’ll be expecting company.”
The corridor turned left, leaving the far corner in the shadows, just beyond the reach of the light cast off by the glowing fungus. Ryan waved Jak on, taking the corner for himself. Already impaired somewhat by the monocular view of things, he took advantage of his peripheral vision, approaching cautiously.
A sec man was in hiding there, trying to remain out of sight in the recessed door he stood guard over. The man was obviously reluctant to engage the enemy creeping through the underground fortress, though whether by his own reticence or by order Ryan didn’t know.
The one-eyed man kept moving, staying loose and ready to move. The other companions kept going, following Jak. When he was sure he was out of the sec man’s field of view, Ryan doubled back, quick and quiet.
At the edge of the recessed doorway, the SIG-Sauer blaster hard in his hand, Ryan paused, waiting. When the companions passed from the sec man’s sight, the guard wasn’t able to resist peering out to confirm they’d gone.
Ryan brought the blaster around in a tight, fast arc, crunching the butt into the man’s forehead. Bone shattered, giving way before the pistol.
The man bleated in pain, trying to bring his assault rifle up to defend himself.
Blood sprayed over Ryan’s hand as he hit the sec man again. He moved up quick, not giving his enemy a chance. There was no doubt that the pain-filled screams had been heard by Ryan’s companions or anyone who was on the other side of the door.
Ryan went in fast, using his body weight to slam the sec man against the door. He swung the blaster once more, dropping his adversary with a blow to the temple. If the impacts against his forehead hadn’t killed him, the sec man would recover.
Movement sounded on the other side of the door.
Knowing he was expected, Ryan gripped the doorknob, twisted and followed it in. He dropped into a prone position at once, the blaster out before him.
Light spilled out of the room, coming from the small fungus positioned overhead, as well as from the monitor screens along one wall. Two men were in the room, scrambling for their weapons as they retreated to the door sliding open at the back wall.
Ryan brought up his blaster, firing at once. He put four rounds into the lead man, dropping him in his tracks, then another three into the man behind. Both seemed to be dead.
Ryan grabbed a swivel chair in front of one of the monitors lining one wall in the sec station. Whipping his body to use his weight as well as his strength, he threw the chair at the closing doorway at the back of the room, knowing he wouldn’t have been able to cover the distance on foot. And even if he had, struggling with the door would have left him an open target for hostile guns on the other side.
The chair sailed on target, clanging and ringing against the metal loudly when it slammed into the gap. Steel crunched when the door closed on the chair. A red light went on over the doorway, bleeding out letters that read ErrorDoor Malfunction.