Free Ceaseless by S. A. Lusher Page B

windows built into the front doors. He could see the killer making slow, relentless progress towards them. How much time did they have? Would this plan actually work?
    “The shift leader is coming,” the woman said.
    A few agonizing moments later, an even sterner looking woman with short black hair and cold eyes appeared. Allan spent the next sixty seconds detailing the plan he had come up with to her, and appraising her of the situation.
    “And you have the authority to do this?” she asked when he was finished.
    “Yes. Under command directive Double A Five,” Allan replied quickly, using the directive that he actually had no real authority to use. It was an emergency directive that those in the higher echelons of command that ran the SI Branch could use in times of emergency. Technically speaking, a Sergeant wasn't even close to the proper rank to use it, but there were times when no one in Command could be reached and those on the ground had to act.
    “Very well,” the woman replied. Her demeanor seemed to suggest that she'd served in either the Marines or SI before. She turned to the security room. “Give the order to evacuate,” she said. Glancing back at Allan, she asked, “how long can you give us?”
    “Five minutes,” he replied. “Probably less.”
    The woman frowned and turned back to the desk. “Change that to a meltdown evacuation order.”
     
    * * * * *
     
    Allan stood on the second story of the power plant and stared out the front windows, into the wastelands. Behind him, Johnson fidgeted and Lucy worked the controls as quickly as she could. Allan could see the killer. He was much, much closer now, just a few dozen meters short of the gate. Everyone had evacuated, heading for the nearest source of civilization: a small colony about five miles from the plant.
    “How much longer?” Allan asked.
    “Hush,” Lucy hissed, wholly focused on her work.
    Allan left her to it and then glanced at Johnson. “Why didn't you leave when you had the chance? You could have easily gone with them,” he asked.
    Johnson laughed bitterly. “I feel like I've got a better chance here at ground zero than hoping to outrun the blast. They build those bunkers to last.”
    “They'll be fine,” Allan said. “The actual blast is extremely powerful but contained to about half a mile. They should easily be able to make it beyond that. Hell, they probably already have. You would have been fine.”
    “Whatever,” Johnson muttered miserably.
    Allan wasn't sure if the man had stayed behind because he'd been paralyzed by his sudden ability to do exactly what he'd wanted to from the beginning, or because, despite all his bitching and moaning, he did want to put a stop to this psycho killer.
    “Done,” Lucy said suddenly. “The reactor will meltdown in one hundred and twenty seconds,” she reported.
    “Good-” Allan paused as he looked out the window. The killer was going around the building instead of through it. He cursed, hurried over to the wall and opened the window. Bringing his rifle to his shoulder, he glanced at the others, “get to the shelter. I'll be along shortly.”
    They didn't argue and hurried out of the room. Allan aimed at the killer and fired off several three-round bursts, hitting him in his massive chest.
    “Come on, asshole!” he screamed. “Come get it you stupid fuck !”
    He fired off a few more shots. The killer seemed to hesitate, then turned and began walking directly towards the building. Allan laughed and hurried out of the room. He rushed down the stairs, leaping down the final set of them and landing with a heavy thud on the ground floor. He glanced out the front doors and saw the killer, coming for him. Turning, Allan sprinted across the room, exited the structure and bolted across the exterior.
    He spied the bunker at the edge of the compound. Built to withstand the brunt of a full meltdown blast, it came standard with all power plants. It was a squat, rounded building just big