"Shh," Bryan responded. He felt a little bad for being short with her; he'd been doing that since day one. But it was important right now that he concentrate only on the fight. Any distractions had to be nixed.
He peered around the tallest rock formation that they now were using for cover, several feet high. It was also fairly long, and it apexed, like the fin of a giant shark. Bryan hated sharks. They were scary-looking motherfuckers. There was that ADD kicking in again.
The ocean floor was dropping much more quickly now, and it seemed that it sloped into a basin-like deposit as it neared the marina. He would have to be careful not to get close to the fluctuating dangerzone. The water was nearly up to his waist, soaking his overalls. Bryan poked his head out again.
~~~
Harry closed in further, making sure that he was clear before swiftly darting out from behind his cover. He had been about twenty paces from Mr Sunshine when he'd been fired at. That shotgun would definately be lethal from this close range. Then again, he was packing a submachine gun. He had the advantage here. However, this would be his last dash for cover at this rate.
'Ok, focus,' he thought, safely deposited behind another rock for the moment. It was so hard to think with the splashing water and gunfire. Harry cursed his attention-deficit. Maybe it was the other half of his ADHD that was causing him to be so wreckless in his pursuit, too. Either way, he needed some way to overcome the ridiculous stalemate they were in. It was like the opposite of the scrapyard; there had been no cover there, and--oddly enough--too much here.
Harry stuck his head out just a bit to see if they'd changed position. They were still behind the large rock that jutted up like a sharks fin. It was a little unnerving, something he probably would have been afraid of when he was little and had a wild imagination. Now it was just another thought he'd have to push out of his mind to focus on rescuing that girl. And not getting shot.
BOOM! Another shot rang out, and a large spot on the water beside Harry flew upwards. This shot had been rushed, as he'd looked out at nearly the exact moment as the skinhead. Harry shut his eyes as a reflex to the adjacent impact, but quickly responded by shooting a hurried burst of 9mm rounds in his direction. They made a line up the water towards his opponent but ultimately failed to find their mark as he'd just run out of ammo. Mr Sunshine ducked back behind cover. Harry did the same, but he had a new plan. The discarded magazine hit the water with a light splash.
He sat with his back against the rock, holding the Agram with one hand and quickly reloading it with the other. Then Harry felt around for something to use as a sound feint. Of course there were plenty of stones lying around in the submerged sand, but he came across one about the size of a shotput. Maybe six pounds. That was perfect.
'Here's the new plan, Sunshine,' he thought, grabbing the rock firmly in his hand with conviction. He was going to go for it. Take the offensive. He took a second to prepare himself and let his daypack slide off of his shoulder, into the water. It sank to the bottom and stayed put. Harry crossed to the other side of his cover, staying low and keeping alert. By itself, his plan was pretty much nothing special. But with the proper distraction, he could get the drop on them--just a second was all he needed--and this would be over. He would be careful not to hit her too, though.
Harry waded as quietly as he could towards the shark fin rock, dangerously close to his enemy. This was it. With a generous amount of effort, he tossed the six pounder against a nearby rock, to his left. Into the no man's land that they'd created in the last half-a-minute. Halfway between his previous cover and theirs. Like a footstep splashing through the shallows.
~~~
Bryan had withdrawn back behind the rock to avoid the gunfire and pumped his shotgun, ejecting the empty shell from the chamber. It was a habit he was worried he might forget, and end up dead consequently. So far he hadn't forgotten a single time, though.
He crossed over to the other side of the giant shark fin and peered out that way. Maybe he could try something like at the scrapyard; distract the sonofabitch by throwing a rock or something on one side, and going around the other. The ol' Kansas City Shuffle. That'd--
SPLASH!
Sonofabitch!
Without a word Bryan urgently pulled Tori backwards and down, down the slope towards the docks. Hopefully not too close to the forbidden zone, but that was a risk he was willing to take. He took a short breath and allowed himself to fall forward onto the peak of the slope, still with an arm around Tori to make sure she had followed suit and wasn't planning on surfacing. He was completely submerged. They'd kicked a lot of sand around in the area, even now that they'd slid a little on the underwater slope, so the water in front of him was a bit cloudy. Still, Bryan would be able to see his legs if he was right.
Bodom Beach Terror
Before Tori could really get a full idea about what they were going to do, a loud splash came out of no where. Instictively she wanted to move away from it, but before she could start Bryan grabbed her and pulled her under the water with him. Because it all happend so fast, she didn't even get a chance to breathe. She lay under the water with Bryan, looking around trying to see what was going on, and it was then that she saw the other boy's feet. Her chest began to become tight as she couldn't hold the little air she had much longer.
Come on Bryan.... do something!
Come on Bryan.... do something!
Harry felt his muscles tense up, not with anxiety but with firm conviction. He had no time to hesitate. Even if he did he probably would have only steeled himself further. It was true that he'd never met this girl in his life, but he felt he owed her this for not dealing with Sunshine properly on day one. Plus, what kind of fucking coward would let some violent skinhead with a shotgun go on terrorizing potential survivors?
'This one's for you, Mary...'
Harry whipped around the corner of the shark fin, ready to pick his shot quickly. What came next was like mistaking the number of steps climbing a staircase in the dark; he became suddenly and unpleasantly aware that there was no one behind the rock anymore. There was someone beside him, though.
~~~
There were the legs; the signal. Bryan emerged from the murky water and fired.
~~~
Harry swung the Agram frantically to his immediate right, but it was too late. The shot hit him from about four feet away, between his right shoulder and collarbone. Flecks of red exploded from the wound. It was quite a feeling, not only of immense pain but also shock. Harry choked and subconsciously released his grip on the submachine gun. His back hit the water, which he'd all but forgotten he was standing nearly waist-deep in a moment ago. Water poured into his nostrils and caused him to gag further.
This was just the risk he'd promised himself to take. From day one. A million thoughts raced through his mind, but he couldn't focus any of them to sharpness with what felt like the weight of a car on his chest. Blood rose in his throat, but was pushed back down by more cloudy water that filtered through his nose and mouth, into his lungs. He was enveloped in a suffocating black mass...was this what Mary-Anne had felt when she died?
Harry blacked out.
B39: CONSTANTINE, HARRY -- DECEASED
'This one's for you, Mary...'
Harry whipped around the corner of the shark fin, ready to pick his shot quickly. What came next was like mistaking the number of steps climbing a staircase in the dark; he became suddenly and unpleasantly aware that there was no one behind the rock anymore. There was someone beside him, though.
~~~
There were the legs; the signal. Bryan emerged from the murky water and fired.
~~~
Harry swung the Agram frantically to his immediate right, but it was too late. The shot hit him from about four feet away, between his right shoulder and collarbone. Flecks of red exploded from the wound. It was quite a feeling, not only of immense pain but also shock. Harry choked and subconsciously released his grip on the submachine gun. His back hit the water, which he'd all but forgotten he was standing nearly waist-deep in a moment ago. Water poured into his nostrils and caused him to gag further.
This was just the risk he'd promised himself to take. From day one. A million thoughts raced through his mind, but he couldn't focus any of them to sharpness with what felt like the weight of a car on his chest. Blood rose in his throat, but was pushed back down by more cloudy water that filtered through his nose and mouth, into his lungs. He was enveloped in a suffocating black mass...was this what Mary-Anne had felt when she died?
Harry blacked out.
B39: CONSTANTINE, HARRY -- DECEASED
Tori emerged out of the water as she saw Bryan do just before her. The boy who was firing at them had now been blown away by his shot gun, blood splattering everywhere. How many times would she have to go through this?
"Let's go." She whispered quietly tugging lightly at the sleeve of his, now, soaking wet shirt. The announcements had gone off again.. and Tori was beginning to lose track of time. "...come on..."
((Continued in This could be anywhere in the world...))
"Let's go." She whispered quietly tugging lightly at the sleeve of his, now, soaking wet shirt. The announcements had gone off again.. and Tori was beginning to lose track of time. "...come on..."
((Continued in This could be anywhere in the world...))
Bryan pumped the SPAS-12 again. He heard the empty shell hit the water lightly as he eyed over his fallen opponent. It was definitely the same guy. The baggy clothes, reddish hair and that unmistakeable, pain-in-the-ass SMG.
"Gotcha, you sonofabitch," he grunted. He shouldered his weapon and grabbed the dead boy's weapon before it dissappeared altogether in the murky water. That was the prize. Another gun. In all honesty, the sense of accomplishment he'd expected just wasn't there. Maybe the big picture spoiled it. The fact that right now that prick Wilson was likely kicking back and enjoying the slaughter.
Tori wanted to leave, which was probably a good idea. The permanent dangerzones seemed to be closing inward from the parimeter of the island. "One sec," he replied absentmindedly, rifling through the pockets of the bloodied corpse. He was unsure as to where the dead boy's daypack had vanished to, but fortunately the box of 9mm ammunition had been stowed in one of the baggy pockets. There was only one magazine--the one attached to the gun itself--as far as Bryan could tell. That was fine, he didn't care. He could keep the soggy bread and crackers.
"Ok," he finally said, turning to her and handing her the Agram as if she'd used one a million times before. Bryan shoved the ammunition case into a side pocket on her daypack; he didn't need her permission, he figured. "Shoot anyone that ain't us."
((continued in This Could Be Anywhere in the World))
"Gotcha, you sonofabitch," he grunted. He shouldered his weapon and grabbed the dead boy's weapon before it dissappeared altogether in the murky water. That was the prize. Another gun. In all honesty, the sense of accomplishment he'd expected just wasn't there. Maybe the big picture spoiled it. The fact that right now that prick Wilson was likely kicking back and enjoying the slaughter.
Tori wanted to leave, which was probably a good idea. The permanent dangerzones seemed to be closing inward from the parimeter of the island. "One sec," he replied absentmindedly, rifling through the pockets of the bloodied corpse. He was unsure as to where the dead boy's daypack had vanished to, but fortunately the box of 9mm ammunition had been stowed in one of the baggy pockets. There was only one magazine--the one attached to the gun itself--as far as Bryan could tell. That was fine, he didn't care. He could keep the soggy bread and crackers.
"Ok," he finally said, turning to her and handing her the Agram as if she'd used one a million times before. Bryan shoved the ammunition case into a side pocket on her daypack; he didn't need her permission, he figured. "Shoot anyone that ain't us."
((continued in This Could Be Anywhere in the World))