Zero by J. S. Collyer Page B

display, saw Webb doing the same.
    “What happened?” Hugo whispered.
    Webb shook his head. “Someone logged into the security system and tripped my warning protocol. But they didn't do anything.”
    “ They left the security scrambled?” Hugo said, frowning. “Was it them?” he asked, pointing out the window.
    “ I don't know,” Webb said, shaking his head. In the wan light of his wrist display his face looked drawn. “There's something not right here, Captain,” Webb whispered. “I think we should abort.”
    “ No,” Hugo said.
    “ Captain...”
    Hugo looked at Webb, who stood rigid against the wall. “Commander, what's wrong?”
    “ I just got a bad feeling,” Webb mumbled to himself, still looking out the window.
    Hugo blinked. “The bald man with Gabor… you recognised him. He’s the one Jaeger said was looking for you, isn't he? Who is he?”
    “ Captain, there's no time. We need to get out. Now.”
    Hugo shook his head. “You'll answer my question later, Commander. But for now we carry on.”
    “ Sir -”
    “ That's an order,” Hugo said. “Move. We're running out of time.”
    Webb took a breath and peered out the window. He then unlocked the door and crept out into the corridor, drawing his gun as he went. Hugo did the same, but they didn't meet anyone. All was silent. They passed several closed doors and paused at a junction with a sign to the labs.
    “ Are you ready?” Hugo said. Webb tugged at the peak of his cap and nodded. “Alright then. Lab 4. Go.”
    Hugo saw him take a breath and then move to cross the junction to the lab.
    Hugo threw himself to the floor as the air was shattered by gunfire. The wall exploded in a rain of plaster and the ungodly noise tore everything apart. The firing was coming from somewhere out of sight down the left hand corridor. There was no sign of Webb, but then someone returned fire from around the next corner to the right. Hugo crouched down on one knee, edged himself to the corner, then leant round and started firing. The wall above his head exploded and dust almost blinded him. He ducked back out of range.
    There was a lull and Hugo crouched, breathing hard, gun ready. He leaned as far as he dared but he couldn't see Webb or whoever was firing at them.
    “Come out,” someone barked. “You're out-gunned and there's no way out. Give yourselves up.”
    Hugo cursed under his breath. There was no sound from Webb's direction. He heard some muttering and movement. He steadied himself, and when the first guard came into sight, shot him down. His companion wheeled around and started firing, but blindly, angrily and Hugo managed to duck back around the corner. He leant around and fired again, drawing out two more guards, hoping Webb would use the opportunity to get away.
    The security men fell back, took up a better position and worked on obliterating the corner of wall by his ear. Hugo continued to blindly return fire, and from the sound of a pained scream managed to take out one more, then turned and ran for the stairs.
    The stairwell was still dark. He could hear approaching booted feet and angry shouts from below so went up, taking the stairs three at a time. Two floors up, the stairwell flooded with light and alarms started blaring.
    He swore and shouldered open the next door he came across. He only had time for the briefest of glances at his wrist panel to determine the layout of the floor he was on before he hurtled around a corner, straight into a bank of armed men, guns drawn.
    “ Drop it,” one of them snarled.
    Hugo stood frozen in the sights of the half-dozen automatic rifles. He dropped his gun. One man put up his rifle and came forward. Hugo waited until he was at arm's length then grabbed the man by the collar, pulling him between him self and the guns. There was a confused moment of shouts and the man fighting against him that Hugo used to pull a flash charge from his belt and hurl it towards the bank of men.
    There was a deafening bang and