CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO—BIG GUNS AND INNUENDOS

Angling his wrists forward as hard as he could, the Kc-88 was nose diving toward the ground—the road filling up John’s view faster and faster.

Kyle screamed, his tone a low whoop of excitement while May muttered obscenities. As they descended, John swerved though sky lanes to keep the cops from getting a lock on their vehicle—either with car-to-car ordinance or an EMP that could take them out of commission in short order.

He angled his wrists back and what would otherwise be a sports car in the sky—pulled up. The handling of the Kc-88 was excellent. In fact—they were slightly faster than the Corvo Onattas, but the handling was just shy of equal.

May screamed as palm trees lining the roads wisped passed their windows like a blur, cars on the roads like slow-moving junkers. “John!”

The neon-lit skyscrapers started closing in—and to make matters worse the elevated corridors connecting the structures made things even harder for John to maneuver.

“It’s all right!”

He angled the car down just a matter of inches, the sound of wind whooshing passed the roof as they nearly missed the two elevated corridors—the sound like a lazy high-pitches swish of air among the roaring of the engines.

John turned left, pitching the car ninety degrees and pulling up to get the full advantage of the turn. Then he flipped the car right to circumnavigate the next building.

Heart racing inside his chest, he pulled her down above a park—the green trees on either side of them.

“I’ve—“ May began, then made a worried noise. “I’m never seen such flying before!”

“And this!”—John said, angling the car back up as they went below more raised corridors—“is why Kyle doesn’t get to drive!”

“Faster John!” Kyle ordered.

He angled the wheel back far enough to force the car into a straight climb as he smashed the accelerator. They slowed for just a moment, then caught speed as he flew a half loop and spun the car in a barrel roll.

Once they were reoriented John cut left into a sky lane, melting into traffic almost seamlessly except for a few proximity alerts on the dash.

“They’re probably still on our tail,” May said.

“That’s why we do what we planned to do,” John said in answer, then he broke from traffic, angling the Kc-88 down and about through a series of narrow alleys before they came to a stop in a dark steaming part of town near the factory district.

“Everyone out,” John ordered. As he stepped out of the car, his hand instinctually went to his rail gun tucked underneath his arm and he glanced back. Seeing nothing, he went to the trunk and pulled out a crowbar.

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May and Kyle both picked up separate bags.

The roar of car engines neared.

“Uh-oh!” Lexa exclaimed. “John—I think the cops are back.”

He bent and pulled off the sewer cap. “Get in!” he said. “May what are you doing?”

She ignored him, put on her shades and turned to face the oncoming sound outside of the alley. She unzipped her duffle bag and pulled out a gun. “Not if I can help it,” she said.

John now knew why that damn bag was so heavy. The Volkan. Dammit—Kyle had put the Volkan in the bag?!

She lifted the minigun-assault-rifle hybrid just as the police cars broke cover. John heard the trigger click and the rotator turned for a moment before hot energy rounds screamed out at two-thousands-rounds-per-minute. As she landed hits, they struck with lethal force that reverberated with thunderous crashing sounds.

The police cars swerved, trying to get out of the way of fire as one went down and exploded in a plume of fire thirty paces ahead of them.

“KYLE!” John bellowed as the dark alley lit up with yellow flashing lights. “GET IN!” He crawled in, glancing up one last time before disappearing below ground level.

John moved toward May and grabbed her by the shoulder as she rained hot destruction on the police cars. “LET’S GO!”

She started backing toward the sewer hole, then the yellow flashing came to an abrupt stop, the explosive hail of fire ended as the rotor continued spinning, the tips of the minigun barrels red hot and emitting fumes like a smokestack.

The police cars fell and tumbled into one another as they crashed between the walls inside the alley.

“That’s the end of their chase,” May said.

“I’m blowing the car,” John said as he lifted a grenade off of the bandolier around his chest. The handle clicked and flung away with spring-loaded force as the heavy explosive tumbled onto the floorboards.

By the time John turned around, May was already below street level. John jumped into the hole, holding his arms close on his way in, but then putting out his gloved hands to grab the sides of the ladder to slow his descent.

The car above them cracked in a percussive explosion that lit the fuel tanks. John curled up against his arm when the secondary explosion of super-heated air and fire covered the road above.

The loud noise shunted air into the sewer—the sudden roar of flames causing Kyle to flinch. He watched as May slid down the ladder, the hot smoking Volkan slung around her back.

Her white shoes hit the cement and she moved as John slid down as well, his heavier urban boots smacking behind her.

“Fuckin’ A!” Kyle screamed. “Did you see that?”

John smiled. “We were there.”

“John!” Kyle exclaimed. “I didn’t know you packed the Volkan. It’s not like you to bring heavy ordnance along.”

“What makes you think it was his idea?” May asked as she pulled her glasses off.”

Kyle’s mouth nearly dropped. “What the…”

She glanced back at John with a grin. He was clearly as exhilarated as she was.

“Then what was all that about big knives and big guns, huh?”

She shrugged.

“I have to say, May” Lexa said cheerfully. “I’m quite impressed.”

“Thanks, Lexa.”

Damn—I like this girl!

“Next time I don’t want to hear a word about big guns!”

May laughed. “Sure thing.”

“I mean it.”

She nodded. “So do I.”

“I really do!”

“Yes.”

“Come on,” John said. “We can talk about this later. For now, we need to get out of these sewers before more cops show up.”

“After that mess,” May said, “I’d be surprised if the cops can find their own shoes right now.”

Kyle laughed.

“You might be right,” John said. “But let’s be safe and get out of here. We had our fun.”

May grinned.

Kyle led the way, turned and started walking backwards. “You like this don’t you—being an Anarcho I mean?”

“You think this is my first time causing a ruckus?” she asked. “You’re cute.”

“Wait—what?”

“Tell you about it later.”