orders,” Landra said. “We need this to work quickly or there could be a lot of trouble, and nobody wants that. At the moment, Metzler isn’t in the mood to be cooperative and Keegan is working on that. I know that was originally why you were brought up here, but things have changed. L.A. is on the verge of chaos. We need to get moving.”
His men were moving off to either side, as if getting ready if things went bad.
Rainee wanted to defuse the situation. Mora and Duran and the others with them weren’t going to let Landra take her, and she had no interest in any battle developing.
Rainee said, “I’m sorry, but until I talk to Metzler, I can’t be going anywhere. That’s what I’m here for. If you tell me what’s really going on, what’s behind all this, maybe I can be more helpful.” Get him talking. Explaining.
“That’s not your call,” Landra said. He put a finger to his earpiece, walked off a few steps, nodded.
Then he turned back to her. “We need to go now. The city will be in lockdown soon.”
“She wants to see Metzler,” Duran said. “That’s going to happen.”
“I told you to back off,” Landra said. “You and your men aren’t part of this. I’m under orders.” He turned and nodded. There was movement in the dark recesses of the building. He turned to Rainee. “You don’t have a choice in this. Come with me, Doc. No harm will come to you, that’s for sure. The chopper is landing on the roof as I speak.”
“Not happening. She’s going to wait for Keegan,” Duran said. “Those are my orders.”
Landra turned and said, “You boys don’t seem to understand. I’m not making the decisions. They want her airborne now. Don’t get in the middle of this. Keegan isn’t running the show and neither is Metzler. This is from headquarters. Back the hell off.”
Rainee felt this was going to go bad in a hurry. She said, “Landra, I’m here to deal with a problem that affects the whole program. I’m going to see Metzler before I go anywhere. Don’t start a stupid war over it. I think the golden oak leaf makes me the highest ranking person on the ground here at the moment.”
Landra gave her a thin smile, not much impressed. He said, “I take orders from a higher rank who in turns takes them from a much higher rank. Let’s not quibble. We need to go.”
She could hear the chopper above them now.
Duran said, “Ain’t nobody taking the doc anywhere until Metzler okays it. That’s why she’s here. Let’s just ease on down.”
“You’re making a bad mistake,” Landra said angrily. “I got no argument with you, Duran. But my orders are my orders. I’m not part of Metzler’s team. Or Keegan’s. They don’t run the show. So get out of here. She’s going to the roof to be picked up and that’s the end of it.”
“Everybody calm down,” Rainee said.
Landra ignored her. He glared in Duran’s direction.
Rainee, in her best command voice, said, “Hey, this isn’t going to work if you shoot each other and me in the process. Everybody, back down. I’m not leaving until I see Metzler and I don’t want a bunch of dead soldiers.”
Duran said, “Pull back like the doc says.”
Landra had something else going on, hearing something they couldn’t hear. Then he said, “No can do. That’s the big dog talking from above. Duran, get your boys out of here.”
When Landra moved his hand ever so slightly on his weapon and made a slight nod of his head, she knew something bad was about to happen.
She didn’t know where the first shot came from, but even as Duran hit her like a linebacker and drove her hard to the floor behind some crates, she saw Landra stagger. Gunfire echoed loud in the building, seemingly from all sides.
24
The smell of gunfire, a smell she knew well, and the familiar post-violence stillness.
Duran helped her up and said, “Sorry I hit you so hard.”
“Rather you than a bullet.”
The firefight had ended as quickly as it
His men were moving off to either side, as if getting ready if things went bad.
Rainee wanted to defuse the situation. Mora and Duran and the others with them weren’t going to let Landra take her, and she had no interest in any battle developing.
Rainee said, “I’m sorry, but until I talk to Metzler, I can’t be going anywhere. That’s what I’m here for. If you tell me what’s really going on, what’s behind all this, maybe I can be more helpful.” Get him talking. Explaining.
“That’s not your call,” Landra said. He put a finger to his earpiece, walked off a few steps, nodded.
Then he turned back to her. “We need to go now. The city will be in lockdown soon.”
“She wants to see Metzler,” Duran said. “That’s going to happen.”
“I told you to back off,” Landra said. “You and your men aren’t part of this. I’m under orders.” He turned and nodded. There was movement in the dark recesses of the building. He turned to Rainee. “You don’t have a choice in this. Come with me, Doc. No harm will come to you, that’s for sure. The chopper is landing on the roof as I speak.”
“Not happening. She’s going to wait for Keegan,” Duran said. “Those are my orders.”
Landra turned and said, “You boys don’t seem to understand. I’m not making the decisions. They want her airborne now. Don’t get in the middle of this. Keegan isn’t running the show and neither is Metzler. This is from headquarters. Back the hell off.”
Rainee felt this was going to go bad in a hurry. She said, “Landra, I’m here to deal with a problem that affects the whole program. I’m going to see Metzler before I go anywhere. Don’t start a stupid war over it. I think the golden oak leaf makes me the highest ranking person on the ground here at the moment.”
Landra gave her a thin smile, not much impressed. He said, “I take orders from a higher rank who in turns takes them from a much higher rank. Let’s not quibble. We need to go.”
She could hear the chopper above them now.
Duran said, “Ain’t nobody taking the doc anywhere until Metzler okays it. That’s why she’s here. Let’s just ease on down.”
“You’re making a bad mistake,” Landra said angrily. “I got no argument with you, Duran. But my orders are my orders. I’m not part of Metzler’s team. Or Keegan’s. They don’t run the show. So get out of here. She’s going to the roof to be picked up and that’s the end of it.”
“Everybody calm down,” Rainee said.
Landra ignored her. He glared in Duran’s direction.
Rainee, in her best command voice, said, “Hey, this isn’t going to work if you shoot each other and me in the process. Everybody, back down. I’m not leaving until I see Metzler and I don’t want a bunch of dead soldiers.”
Duran said, “Pull back like the doc says.”
Landra had something else going on, hearing something they couldn’t hear. Then he said, “No can do. That’s the big dog talking from above. Duran, get your boys out of here.”
When Landra moved his hand ever so slightly on his weapon and made a slight nod of his head, she knew something bad was about to happen.
She didn’t know where the first shot came from, but even as Duran hit her like a linebacker and drove her hard to the floor behind some crates, she saw Landra stagger. Gunfire echoed loud in the building, seemingly from all sides.
24
The smell of gunfire, a smell she knew well, and the familiar post-violence stillness.
Duran helped her up and said, “Sorry I hit you so hard.”
“Rather you than a bullet.”
The firefight had ended as quickly as it
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