s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

pants, bitch. Have yourself a taste of a real man.” When Chloe fought him instead, the human hit her
— and Joe could wait no longer.
As the oblivious human pul ed down the zipper of his pants, in one fluid motion Joe brought both his
arms forward and snapped the weakened restraints holding him. Freed from his bonds, he flexed his
hands. “I’ve computed your suggestions,” he intoned flatly as the soldier gazed at him with a shocked
expression. “And have decided none of your threats or suggestions are acceptable.” Not pausing, his
every move already calculated, Joe punched out with one fist and snapped the wrist of the hand that
held Chloe’s hair. As the private screamed and yanked his injured appendage to his chest, Joe swept
an arm around Chloe’s waist. He dragged her back and tucked her into his side, out of the way so that
his other hand had a free path to lunge forward and grip the soldier’s neck.
“There is only one acceptable solution to the current dilemma,” Joe continued in the same monotone,
as he tightened his clasp. The soldier’s eyes bulged as he gasped for air. “Death for you and any
humans who stand in my way.” With a final crunch, the body before him went stil , the eyes glazing
over. Joe dropped the repulsive being and went to work freeing himself.
He tugged first one leg, snapping it free, fol owed by the other, his nanobots having absorbed most of
the restraint’s ores, weakening the bonds that held the metal together. With Chloe tucked to his side,
he immediately stepped out of the cel , lest they activate the electricity that would send him into a ful
system reboot. And not a moment too soon. Electricity crackled to life making the bars of his prison
hum.
A siren final y sounded, a strident scream that announced to al he broke loose. As if they didn’t
already know. Despite the soldier’s claim, Joe knew the placement of two hardwired cameras and
microphones. Those monitoring him knew every move he made and recorded every word he uttered.
The fact they al owed Chloe to be abused didn’t surprise him in the least. He, of al beings, knew the
depravity of humans.
As for the guns those in charge relied on? They paid silent testament to his abilities, their remote
access disabled during his many forays into the military network.
Joe took a step towards the guard station — and freedom — but stopped when he heard a whimper.
He peered down at Chloe stil tucked against him. Her frightened eyes gazed back up at him.
“Please don’t kil me,” she whispered as tears pooled and spil ed upon her cheeks.
“I have more efficient uses for you,” he replied curtly, for some reason annoyed by her fear of him.
“You wil come with me.”
“But why? I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
A chuckle rumbled forth. “I am not afraid of you harming me, little one. That is not my reason for
taking you.”
“You’re going to use me as a hostage to escape?”
“I need no help escaping. Enough talking. We are wasting time, and the soldiers wil be arriving.”
Actual y, they should have already been there. It made no sense to his neural implant or his remaining
human faculties why they didn’t have a squad of soldiers stationed nearby, but for some reason, the
humans preferred to rely on their security systems to keep him prisoner. Idiots. This was the third —
and last — time he snapped the manacles they bound him with, their use of stronger and thicker al oys
no hindrance to his highly adaptable nanobots.
Striding from the area of his incarceration, an unbreakable grip around her waist, Joe dragged Chloe
along with him, her steps not so much reluctant as short compared to his longer stride.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked in a quavering voice stil determined to question.
“Away from here.”
That simple answer eased some of her tension. “But how? In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re buried
several levels underground in a military instal ation with troops al around. Armed troops, I might add.
How do you figure you’l get out of here alive?”
“You’l see,” was his cryptic reply.
Reaching the guard’s post, he slid behind the console and retrieved the weapons stashed underneath.
Two measly laser pistols. Not exactly the most efficient of weapons, but he’d acquire more during his
exit. Placing his free hand on the keyboard, he attempted to connect himself to the server, only to find
it shutting down, the humans having final y gotten smart enough to realize no firewal could stop him
from taking it over. He couldn’t halt the server shutdown, but in the time remaining before ful
blackout, he managed to set off a few planted viruses. The chaos they would create could only help.
Only one of his sub-routines didn’t initiate, the one that was supposed to seal the levels from each
other.
Annoyed at the snag, he mental y adapted his plan as he hoisted Chloe and draped her over his
shoulder. Wrapping one of his arms around her legs as an anchor, he freed his hands. A gun in each
fist, he left his prison, fol owing the escape route he’d already meticulously planned.
Of course, when he initial y plotted his path, he just had himself to worry about. Now he had Chloe
too. Delicate, little Chloe who couldn’t handle the damage done by bul ets.
I guess I’d better make sure my aim isn’t off then. As if his BCI would ever al ow that to happen, he [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]