The Athena Operation Read Online Free PDF Page B

was quick to get back on his feet, and he took off up the steps leading to what remained of the military command building. A few scattered gunshots landed near his feet, but he managed to reach an alley nearby without getting hit. He rounded a corner and took cover against one of the walls, out of breath but stable.
    The digital ammo counter on the top of the shotgun read that five shells remained. He held his breath, keeping the weapon aimed at the corner he had just come around. Bombs were dropping from orbit and destroying buildings adjacent to him, but he kept his gun fixed on the corner, waiting for whoever was shooting at him to round it.
    A shot rang out from behind him. A sharp pain grazed Seraph’s right shoulder, and he fell forward, dropping the shotgun. He turned to see a seythra approaching him with an assault rifle. Seraph’s left hand moved towards his right hip, reaching for his pistol. The seythra fired a warning shot next to him. Seraph raised his hand to surrender.
    “Don’t!” The seythra yelled. “I’ll kill you! Hands where I can-”
    The seythra was interrupted by a gunshot from a pistol. The seythra slumped forward and crashed to the ground, dead instantly. Standing behind him was a human teen dressed in a Confederate Military vest over a long-sleeved t-shirt. He was wearing a beanie and had a sniper rifle over his shoulder. He approached Seraph cautiously. He put his revolver into his left hand and extended his right to Seraph, trying to help him up. Seraph winced at the pain in his shoulder as he grabbed the boy’s hand.
    Seraph grabbed the shotgun from the ground and turned to the boy. “Who are you, and what the hell’s going on?”
    “I’m Private Retton Johnson, Ret for short.” Ret took a moment to glance around, making sure they were safe. “I just came from Rotcher’s military command base. I was with a group of about twenty soldiers. The Lieutenant and Colonel were killed about six miles east, and I got split up from the rest of the group. You’re the first soldier I’ve encountered since I got here. Everyone else is dead. This shit’s bad.”
    Ret had a scar running on the side of his face, from temple to chin, but it looked like an older wound, certainly not fresh. Gauze hugged his right forearm under his shirt, white stained red.
    “You seen a fesar? Yellow skin, black spots?” Seraph asked.
    Ret shook his head. “No, I just-”
    A sudden burst of gunfire interrupted Ret. Ret dove to the ground and turned around. Seraph pulled his pistol out, aiming down the alley from the direction Ret had come. Both Ret and Seraph let loose gunfire into two seythra who were coming down the alley. Seraph’s shot cut right through one of the seythra’s skulls. Ret hit the other seythra in the arm, but his revolver began clicking immediately after. He quickly rolled to the side, avoiding the return fire. Seraph brought his pistol up and fired several shots into the seythra’s chest until the seythra fell backward to the ground.
    “Move up!” Seraph shouted at Ret, quickly moving to the pair of seythra they’d just taken out.
    Ret followed, loading his remaining rounds into his revolver. The seythra Ret had been shooting at was severely wounded, but still alive. He gurgled as black blood spilled out of his mouth and onto the concrete. Seraph used his foot to push away the seythra’s rifle, then knelt beside the dying male.
    “What the hell is going on? What do you want? Why are you doing this?” Seraph shouted.
    His questions were met only with gurgling noises as the seythra choked on his own blood.
    Ret came up on the adjacent side, shaking his head. He’d already fought through his fair share of seythra; he wasn’t about to waste time interrogating one, let alone one that couldn’t speak. They’d made their intentions clear enough. Ret cocked his revolver and aimed the gun at the seythra’s head.
    “Rot in hell.” Ret spat square in the seythra’s face. He then fired a