Page 63 of Tracking the Alpha
“Shoot him so we can get out of here,” Barrett ordered.
“With what?” was the exasperated reply by a petite woman.
“Let me handle the soldier on duty,” Tanis stated, having an inkling who it might be. She’d only seen one soldier who could be referred to as baby-faced.
She strode for the main door, only belatedly realizing Barrett stuck close to her. Before she even opened it a few inches, a shot rang out embedding in its surface. Her jaw tightened. They didn’t have time for this.
“Peter, is that you?” she hollered.
“Tanis?” Peter asked questioningly.
She stuck her head through the opening and sought out Peter. “Yeah, it’s me. You need to stop shooting and start running.”
“I can’t. The general gave me orders to shoot anyone exiting the building. Apparently, some prisoners of war are trying to escape.”
“I think you mean the soldiers illegally being experimented on by the major and general.”
“What?” Peter exclaimed.
Tanis stepped fully outside. “Canadian soldiers were being kept captive in the basement levels by the military as part of an experiment.”
“What kind of experiment?”
“I don’t have time to explain. The main building has been rigged to blow, and we have only like a minute to clear the area.”
Peter gaped at her.
“Did you hear me? We need to run, or we’re going to end up as flying meat chunks in less than a minute,” she shouted.
“But the general told me to stay at my post.”
“And where is your general?” Barrett snapped, exiting to stand by her side.
Peter’s gun aimed at him. “You’re one of the prisoners I was told to prevent from leaving.”
“I’m a soldier, and captain at that,” Barrett barked. “And I gave you an order. Where is Davidson?”
“He left with Dr. Levy and two soldiers along with some big-ass crate. Told me the major was trying to contain a breakout by prisoners of war and to shoot anyone I didn’t recognize.”
“The major is dead,” Tanis announced. “And we will be, too, if we don’t get out of here.”
Peter’s shoulders slumped. “He left me to die.”
There was no time to console the boy about his realization he was expendable, and Barrett had run out of patience.
“Everyone move out.”
At his words, people poured from the garage, led by a tiger, who ran for the gate.
Not the weirdest thing she’d seen. Nor was the man carrying the naked woman over his shoulder. As a petite woman emerged, the last of the exodus, Barrett frowned. “Why isn’t anyone driving?”
“All the keys are gone from the board, sir. Looks like we’re hoofing it.”
“More like pawing,” Phoenix muttered with a snort.
Barrett held tight to Tanis’ hand as they brought up the rear. Peter had climbed down and stood by the gate, looking mightily troubled.
“Come on,” she encouraged as they ran past.
