Chapter 9 - The Breach at the Docks
The second heavy impact against the reinforced steel warehouse doors sounded like a localized earthquake, sending a cascade of dust and rust flakes raining down from the high rafters.
The heavy metal hinges shrieked in protest, bending inward as Julian’s tactical team hammered away with a hydraulic battering ram from the outside.
“Four minutes!” I yelled over the deafening noise, my fingers flying across the keyboard of the master terminal as the secure DOJ upload sequence initiated on the screen.
“Make it two!” Dominic shouted back, racking the slide of his tactical shotgun with a sharp, metallic clack that echoed through the cavernous space.
He limped swiftly toward the entrance corridor, taking cover behind a thick concrete support pillar directly facing the main doors.
Despite his severe injuries and the blood still soaking through his tactical vest, Dominic stood with the terrifying poise of a seasoned combat veteran.
Bang!
A third, massive blow shattered the locking mechanism entirely, and the heavy steel doors blew inward, crashing flat against the concrete floor.
Through the billowing cloud of dust and ocean mist, half a dozen heavily armed operatives in black tactical gear swarmed into the warehouse.
They moved with chilling synchronization, their automatic weapons raised and laser sights painting the darkness in bright, sweeping arcs of red.
“Clear!” the lead operative barked into his shoulder mic, stepping over the crumpled metal threshold.
Before they could fan out across the room to search the perimeter, Dominic stepped out from behind the concrete pillar and raised his shotgun.
Boom!
The deafening blast echoed through the warehouse like rolling thunder, catching the lead operative dead center and sending him flying backward out the door.
The remaining mercenaries immediately dropped to one knee, returning a blistering hail of automatic gunfire that chewed into the concrete pillars and shattered the glass server monitors.
“Suppressing fire! Sector one!” one of the guards screamed over the roar of gunfire, bullets chipping away chunks of concrete inches from where Dominic stood.
Dominic ducked back behind his pillar, pumping the shotgun action and firing two more rapid shots that forced the attackers to scatter into the shadows of the warehouse.
“Elena! How’s the upload?!” Dominic shouted over the din of battle, firing another blind round down the corridor.
“Ninety-four percent!” I screamed back from behind the heavy server racks, my eyes stinging from the thick haze of cordite and smoke filling the air.
“Hurry! They’re flanking the left aisle!”
I watched the progress bar on the screen crawl agonizingly forward: 96%... 97%... 98%...
Suddenly, a heavy combat boot stepped around the edge of the server rack, kicking my chair backward and sending me crashing hard to the concrete floor.
I gasped, the air completely knocked out of my lungs as a towering mercenary in a tactical helmet loomed over me, raising the barrel of his rifle directly at my head.
“Target acquired,” the operative growled through his comm-link, his finger tightening on the trigger.
Before he could pull it, a deafening roar echoed through the aisle, and the mercenary’s helmet shattered under the impact of a shotgun slug fired from ten feet away.
The man collapsed heavily to the side, revealing Dominic standing at the end of the aisle, his chest heaving, fresh blood pouring from his reopened surgical wound.
“Elena... now!” Dominic gasped, his knees buckling slightly as he leaned against the metal rack for support.
I scrambled frantically back to the keyboard, my fingers hitting the enter key just as the screen flashed bright green.
UPLOAD COMPLETE. FILES TRANSMITTED TO DOJ SECURE SERVER.
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“It’s sent!” I screamed, turning back toward Dominic just as a second operative rounded the corner behind him with a raised weapon.
“Dominic, behind you!”
