They were on full view to all they passed. They were on the road for close to an hour when the convoy came to a slow grind. Jones tapped Taylor's shoulder and subtly pointed to where they were heading. Mitch turned to see a line of US MPs up ahead and checking the occupants of each vehicle.
"Ah, fuck," he whispered.
"No way we'll make it past them. They know what we look like," said Silva.
Taylor looked around for possible options, but they were few. He gestured for them all to come in closer to hear what he had to say.
"We can't make it through there. We're gonna have to make a break for it. We can't be far away now. When I say, we jump and head west. As far as the troops here are concerned, we're the MPs’ problem until we start shooting, so nobody fires unless you absolutely have to."
It felt like a last desperate attempt to get free, as criminals always do from the police when under pursuit, and so rarely successful.
"Once we hit the ground, you run. All of you," ordered Taylor. "You run and run until you get across the border, and if we don't meet again, it was an honour."
Taylor looked back to the MPs. Two of them were already taking an interest in the group. He knew they were on borrowed time.
"Good luck to you all," he whispered. "Now!"
He jumped from the stopped vehicle and hit the ground running. He glanced quickly to one side. He could see the MPs frantically trying to get their rifles in hand, but the six of them were already down a side street before they could open fire. He looked around to see the group was still together and following him. They took a bend and kept up a sprint, despite none of them knowing how far they were from friendly lines.
"I feel like a kid again, running from the cops!"
"Yeah, but cops don't shoot kids. These ones surely shoot marines!" yelled Taylor.
It was motivation to keep up the pace, but as they took a bend up ahead, they saw they had run themselves into a dead end with a brick industrial building that stood twenty metres high. It had been a heavy goods vehicle access road that overtime had been blocked for whatever reason.
Taylor looked down at the display on his suit. His boosters had almost no power left at all. He ran and jumped, hoping for the best, but he barely got five metres off the ground before smashing into the wall and landing hard on the concrete below.
He was quickly back on his feet and looking for anyway out, but there was none. The others all looked to him for options, but there was only one left to them.
"Take up positions and prepare to fire!"
They went thirty metres back the way they’d come to the nearest cover of a few walls and large industrial trash cans.
"So this is what it has come to?" asked Jones. "Backed into a corner by MPs. How lame."
"We aren't finished yet. Do not fire unless fired upon!"
The MPs took the bend up ahead and came into full view, but Taylor and his comrades did not fire. Their opponents quickly found any cover they could until the alleyway went silent. It became a standoff.
"This is Major Martin. You are under arrest! You are ordered to lay down your weapons immediately!"
They recognised the voice. It was the same officer who had tried arresting them the day before, and Taylor knew he would not be very forgiving after the punishment Jones had dealt out.
"You have five seconds to lay down your weapons and come peacefully!"
"You know this guy is really getting boring," said Silva.
"It's only a few cops playing soldiers. We can take 'em," said Rains.
Just as he said it, they watched in horror as a Mech strode into view beside the MPs. It was followed by a dozen more.
"Oh, shit," said Eddie.
"They must really want you out of the picture," said Jones.
The Mechs lined up in the open ready to fire.
"This is your final warning!" screamed Martin. "Lay down your arms and no harm will come to you!"
Nobody said a word.
"You have five seconds! Five...four...three..."
Taylor prayed for a miracle, but it seemed
"Ah, fuck," he whispered.
"No way we'll make it past them. They know what we look like," said Silva.
Taylor looked around for possible options, but they were few. He gestured for them all to come in closer to hear what he had to say.
"We can't make it through there. We're gonna have to make a break for it. We can't be far away now. When I say, we jump and head west. As far as the troops here are concerned, we're the MPs’ problem until we start shooting, so nobody fires unless you absolutely have to."
It felt like a last desperate attempt to get free, as criminals always do from the police when under pursuit, and so rarely successful.
"Once we hit the ground, you run. All of you," ordered Taylor. "You run and run until you get across the border, and if we don't meet again, it was an honour."
Taylor looked back to the MPs. Two of them were already taking an interest in the group. He knew they were on borrowed time.
"Good luck to you all," he whispered. "Now!"
He jumped from the stopped vehicle and hit the ground running. He glanced quickly to one side. He could see the MPs frantically trying to get their rifles in hand, but the six of them were already down a side street before they could open fire. He looked around to see the group was still together and following him. They took a bend and kept up a sprint, despite none of them knowing how far they were from friendly lines.
"I feel like a kid again, running from the cops!"
"Yeah, but cops don't shoot kids. These ones surely shoot marines!" yelled Taylor.
It was motivation to keep up the pace, but as they took a bend up ahead, they saw they had run themselves into a dead end with a brick industrial building that stood twenty metres high. It had been a heavy goods vehicle access road that overtime had been blocked for whatever reason.
Taylor looked down at the display on his suit. His boosters had almost no power left at all. He ran and jumped, hoping for the best, but he barely got five metres off the ground before smashing into the wall and landing hard on the concrete below.
He was quickly back on his feet and looking for anyway out, but there was none. The others all looked to him for options, but there was only one left to them.
"Take up positions and prepare to fire!"
They went thirty metres back the way they’d come to the nearest cover of a few walls and large industrial trash cans.
"So this is what it has come to?" asked Jones. "Backed into a corner by MPs. How lame."
"We aren't finished yet. Do not fire unless fired upon!"
The MPs took the bend up ahead and came into full view, but Taylor and his comrades did not fire. Their opponents quickly found any cover they could until the alleyway went silent. It became a standoff.
"This is Major Martin. You are under arrest! You are ordered to lay down your weapons immediately!"
They recognised the voice. It was the same officer who had tried arresting them the day before, and Taylor knew he would not be very forgiving after the punishment Jones had dealt out.
"You have five seconds to lay down your weapons and come peacefully!"
"You know this guy is really getting boring," said Silva.
"It's only a few cops playing soldiers. We can take 'em," said Rains.
Just as he said it, they watched in horror as a Mech strode into view beside the MPs. It was followed by a dozen more.
"Oh, shit," said Eddie.
"They must really want you out of the picture," said Jones.
The Mechs lined up in the open ready to fire.
"This is your final warning!" screamed Martin. "Lay down your arms and no harm will come to you!"
Nobody said a word.
"You have five seconds! Five...four...three..."
Taylor prayed for a miracle, but it seemed
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