Free Reckoning by James Byron Huggins

cross this street, exposing them to the light, in order to escape.
    The night visor’s power was exhausted or he would have scanned the surrounding trees. As it was, he couldn't tell if anyone was hiding in the distant darkness. For once they left the safety of the trees, anyone with a rifle would have a clear shot.
    Time was running out. He still had to find the translator, the last one that had been in the desert on that cursed night three years past.
    Unable to read anything in the shadows, Gage shook his head in frustration. He looked back toward the Hall of Ancient Languages and saw the security guard round the nearby corner containing the broken window.
    Time to move .
    Gage leaned down slightly, looking once again into the intelligent green gaze. "If I go down, run. Your father is in those trees. Remember to contact Acklin in Washington."
    Her almost indiscernible nod communicated far more than speech. Though fearful, it was steady and trusting and strong. A strength created, demanded by something within her – a strength that was the servant of the intellect, not the master.
    Gage gently took her hand and together they walked into the street.
    The bullet that ripped past their heads was so close that Gage felt the wind torn apart. Then the rifle shot thundered over them and Sarah was on the ground screaming. Gage fell to his knees beside her, firing as the ground exploded beside their heads once, twice, showering them in dirt and grass.
    Gage rose, moving towards the direction of the shots, firing and shouting, "Run! Reach the woods!"
    And then Sarah was on her feet, staggering and then running, not looking back. She reached the woods in seconds as a tree exploded beside her with the impact of another rifle shot. Then she was in her father's arms and the old man was shouting something as the trees around them were riddled by the assault of automatic rifle fire. Together they stumbled, reeled, and fell into the cluster of trees as the forest and the campus echoed with horror and chaos.
    Sarah raised her head, saw Gage down, the gun lost from his hand. At the Hall of Ancient Languages she saw the security guard crouched behind a building, heard him screaming incoherently into a radio.
    Gage jerked to one side. Was he wounded? Another rifle shot tore a chunk of wood from a tree near Malachi.
    She saw the familiar white van and remembered her phone call at the same time sirens began closing on the campus. Screaming wildly, she ran to the edge of the woods, ignoring the rifle fire, signaling with her arms. Two more bullets struck beside her and she leaped desperately back, using the trees for cover, still screaming.
    "Barto!"
    The dilapidated van skidded to a halt outside the cluster of trees. From inside, a heavyset, balding language student with thick glasses and a bushy beard, mouth hanging agape, stared at her in shock.
    A pause.
    Then a rifle shot and the front windshield of the van exploded.
    Barto bellowed and the van spun its wheels in a long, thin screech, hanging a tight turn that blasted it wildly over the sidewalk and grass to slide precariously into the cluster of trees beside Sarah. The right front fender smashed into an oak as it came to a stop. Two more shots ripped through the white panels, and then the door was jerked open from inside.
    "Come on!" Barto screamed.
    Sirens entered the outer perimeters of the campus.
    Sarah and Malachi scrambled inside and Barto spun out, Sarah's fingernails digging into his shoulder. She pointed toward Gage, lying motionless on the sidewalk.
    "Get him!"
    A volley of rifle fire tore through the side of the van, and Sarah was thrown wildly as Barto, still in reverse, spun across the grass. He slammed on the brakes and the van stopped beside Gage. The body of the van separated Gage from the volley of incoming rifle fire.
    Barto was shouting. "Get him! Get him! Hurry it up!"
    Sarah leaped out and tried to lift Gage. But he only stirred at her touch, rolled over. His eyes