Zak was grateful for Tom’s casual attitude. It calmed him a little, for he was feeling a sensation he had never experienced in a game before – fear. He crouched behind the desk, waiting for the soldiers to burst through the doorway.
Zak checked the CCTV, and saw a stream of soldiers shuffling along the corridor outside. He expected them to appear at that moment, but a few seconds passed. Confused, he poked his head above the desk to check the situation.
Immediately, there was a hail of bullets, but he withdrew before any hit home. The barrage continued above him. He wondered if he was protected enough by the furniture, as the top of the metal desk was buckling as each bullet ripped into it. The wall behind him was taking hits, showering him with debris. There was such a noise, with the sound of the guns firing and the impact of the bullets, that he found he was squeezing his eyes tight shut in an effort to block it out.
‘Hey Zak!’ shouted Tom. He was on the other side of the room, but Zak couldn’t hear his voice through the air, only through the communication channel. ‘What are you doing! These soldiers are a lot smarter than the Spongeymen. Stick anything out, and it’ll get taken off.’ Zak could see Tom mouthing the words to accompany what he could hear. ‘When they stop firing, let’s give them a burst of our own.’
Zak was relieved that his mistake hadn’t cost him. He felt the weight of the machine gun. Steel, not plastic. He had wanted to fire one for a long time. The time finally came, as the soldiers stopped firing and withdrew to the door.
Zak and Tom jumped out simultaneously from their cover and let fly with the machine guns, causing the soldiers to scramble for cover. Zak was flung back against the wall by the force of the recoil, but managed to keep the gun steady enough to keep it aimed at the soldiers confronting him. They jolted with the impact of each bullet, and fell to the floor as if finishing a crazy dance.
