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EMMA HOUSTON SUDDENLY scrambled to her feet."You leave him alone!" she cried as she dove across the floor, wrapped her arms around the guard's lower leg and bit hard into his calf.
The guard howled. His gun came away from Corry's head as he pulled the trigger, the slugs hammering into the epoxy floor to his right, ripping up chunks of material that exploded into the air.
Young Corry Haney dropped to the floor and scrambled back towards the cafeteria tables. Children were screaming again.
Donna-Lou Haney dropped to her butt, picked up her weapon in one motion and fired up into the guard. Bullets ripped into his bullet-proof vest and then his throat, face, and skull, making him dance. His arm came up in a spasm and bullets ripped in a line across the floor.
Emma emitted a squeaky scream and scrambled away across the floor and under a cafeteria table next to Corry.
Rory, Skye, and Chet all dove for their weapons. Chet spun around on the floor and let a burst go in the direction of Old Tuck.
But Old Tuck was already running. He moved faster than you would expect an old, white-haired man could.
Chet's slugs ripped into the wall just to Old Tuck's right as he pushed open a door and disappeared. Chet continued to fire, filling the frame and the slowly closing door with 9 mm slugs before Rory's hand on his gun told him to stop.
Donna-Lou stopped firing as well.
The body of the dead guard fell backward into the floor, his weapon clattering beside him.
Dropping her submachine gun, Donna-Lou scrambled to her feet and ran for Corry.
Corry saw her coming, scrambled out from under the table and they wrapped their arms tightly around each other.
The smell of gunpowder was heavy in the air and everything was suddenly quiet. Chet looked around and then scrambled to his feet, his eyes wild and his chest heaving, "W-what do we do now? Old Tuck said other guards were coming. We can't stay here. What do we do?"
Rory had his cell phone out and hit speed dial as he held a hand up for Chet to calm down.
Skye moved to Chet and put a hand on his arm, "You cover that door and I'll watch this one. Okay?"
Chet looked at her and then nodded, "Yeah, yeah, Okay." He raised his weapon and aimed at the door where Old Tuck had disappeared.
Emma moved out from under the table and ran to Donna-Lou and Corry, joining the hug. Donna-Lou kissed her on the forehead, "Thank you, sweetie."
"You were badass mom!" Corry said.
"Language young man," Donna-Lou replied with a smile.
"Okay, listen up," Rory said in a loud voice. "It will take a few minutes for the ATF to crash the front of the compound and enter this building. We could get caught in the cross fire if we stay here. Let's take the kids to the back doors where we came in. The ATF will meet us there. If they don't get around there in time, we can use the trucks to get away."
"Good idea. I'll take the lead," Skye said and she was already moving to the door.
Rory nodded. He then turned to all the kids that were hiding under the cafeteria tables, "Okay, kids. The police are coming. We're going to the back of the building to meet them. Let's go." Only a few started to move, the rest obviously scared with all that had happened. Rory moved closer to the youngsters, "It's all right. We're going to take you home. Do you want to go home?"
A number of the kids nodded and they all began to move, scrambling past the cafeteria tables, fifty to sixty scared youngsters eager to get home.
"What do you want me to do?" Chet asked in the chaos.
"Go with Skye," Rory said. "I'll protect the rear."
"What about me?" Donna-Lou asked as she picked up her weapon.
"Help me keep the kids moving back to where we came in," Rory instructed her. "Work in the middle and I'll work from the end of the line."
Corry looked at Rory, a cheeky grin on his face, "And she should be a badass and shoot more bad guys when they show up. Right?"
"Yeah, what he said." Rory tousled the boy's hair, then gave Emma a wink.
Skye already had the door open and she stood in the doorway, watching both ends of the hallway. As the kids approached with Chet, she held a hand up for them to stop and then said to him, "Hold the door open while I go check the hallway down there."
Chet nodded, holding his weapon at the ready as he watched Skye move down the hallway. He glanced back at the scared kids and gave them a nod of assurance, even though he didn't feel too confident himself. A few moments later, Skye motioned for him to follow with the kids. Chet nodded, took a deep breath and stepped into the hallway, looking back at the youngsters, "Okay, kids. Follow me."
As they filed out, Donna-Lou helped herd the youngsters out as Rory acted as the rear guard.
At the first doorway, Skye had Chet watch the hallway to the left while she moved right, towards the back of the building. Chet waved for the kids to follow Skye and then turned to watch. Only half the kids were through the door when several guards burst into the far end of the hallway. Chet opened fire.
Two guards went down, their weapons firing into the ceiling. The remaining guards pulled back through a door for a brief moment.
Screaming filled the air as youngsters flattened to the floor and against the walls.
Skye turned but she couldn't do much with the possibility of hitting the kids or Chet.
Fighting her own fear, Donna-Lou kept Corry and Emma moving towards Skye and then she worked with the other kids, urging them to keep moving.
As the youngsters approached her position, Skye turned and moved low towards the back again, waving for them to follow.
Back down the hallway, one of the guards jumped out from the doorway, firing his submachine gun at Chet.
Chet dropped to a crouch, opened fire again and took out the guard.
More screaming erupted and the kids hit the floor.
Rory came out into the hallway behind the last youngster.
Chet opened fire as more guards appeared in the hallway. The two-way gunfire in the hallway was deafening.
Rory moved beside Chet, adding his own gunfire, cutting down at least a dozen men.
Chet made a grunting sound and his right hand dropped away from his weapon.
Rory looked quickly to see Chet had fallen to a sitting position, a dark wet spot showing he had taken a bullet to his right shoulder.
Chet kept firing with his left though, struggling to keep the weapon on target.
Rory looked behind them. The last youngster disappeared around the far corner. He tapped Chet on the knee and indicated he should get moving.
Chet nodded, struggling to his feet and running down the hallway, his right arm hanging.
Rory began backing up, laying down cover fire as they all headed for the back of the building.
Skye finally led the way through the last door. There was a slight movement on her left. She turned and took out two guards with a steady burst of 9 mm shells. Staying low, she waved the youngsters towards the transport trucks at the loading docks and then lifted her weapon to her shoulder, watching towards the double doors for more guards.
Donna-Lou rushed out of the hallway along with the kids, weapon at the ready.
"Get the kids in the back of the truck," Skye instructed, "I'll cover you."
Just as Donna-Lou moved, half a dozen men burst through the double doors.
Skye dropped to one knee, bullets passing over her head and burrowing into the wall behind as she opened fire.
Donna-Lou turned and began firing past the line of crates at the men.
The youngsters screamed and flattened to the concrete floor as bullets ripped into the walls behind them.
Chet came running out of the doorway along with more youngsters. He ran low to the left, his right arm dangling. He dropped to his knees and one-handed he added his own bullets to the thousand flying back and forth.
The guards were bunched together and the two in the front went down under a savage hail of bullets. The other four men turned, only to be cut down by Skye and Donna-Lou.
Rory was out behind the last of the youngsters and he knelt beside Skye and Donna-Lou, "I'll work with Chet to cover you. Get the kids into the trailers."
The two women immediately went to work to get the youngsters inside the trailers.
Chet kept his submachine gun trained on the double doors with his left hand. The barrel began dropping, along with Chet's head and then it snapped up as he fought to keep from passing out.
Rory glanced over at him, "Just hold on, Chet."
Chet nodded and grimaced in pain as he leaned back in his effort to keep the submachine gun up and aimed at the doors.
Black SUVs suddenly screeched around the back of the building. Men in bullet-proof vests jumped out before the vehicles had slid to a stop.
Donna-Lou turned toward them quickly and brought her weapon up.
"Don't," Skye yelled as she placed her hand on Donna-Lou's weapon. "They're ATF."
ATF personnel began climbing into the loading bays, scrambling into position to cover the doorways. One of the agents yelled out, "Everyone okay? Anyone need medical help?"
Rory got up and went to Chet as he yelled, "Just one. Chet's been wounded."
Donna-Lou turned and immediately showed concern.
Helping Chet to his feet, Rory moved with him towards the trailers as the agent talked into a mic at his shoulder.
As Chet came close, Donna-Lou cried out, "You're hurt!"
Chet's face showed agony and pain but he said, "I'm fine. It's okay–"
Donna-Lou dropped her weapon. As it clattered to the cement, she threw her arms around Chet's neck, hugged him and then planted a big kiss on his lips.
Chet's eyes stayed wide open in surprise and he turned bright red.
Donna-Lou broke off the kiss and she turned bright red herself. She withdrew her arms, looking sheepish as she whispered, "Sorry about that."
Corry was standing beside his mother, "Ewww, I like the badass stuff better than the kissy-face stuff."