SUNGLASESS AND ROCKETS Part 2: The Machine

QUAKES

"Go!" the Asian woman seconded.

Darwin and I got out of our hideout and headed to the closest stepladder.

"Moses!" his friend shouted.

I looked. The guard holding him fell howling dreadfully, shooting his gun in the air. Behind him a greenish thick gush appeared, which the exhausted Phil was trying to avoid.

"Moses!"

The doctor broke into a run toward his friend. Again, I looked forward: Darwin was starting to ascend the stepladder, in a frenzy.

I sped up and followed him.

"Darwin!" the doctor called. "Gordo!"

Darwin stopped at once, sliding downwards like a firefighter. I braked and we both ran to help the doctor and Phil.

The trembling wouldn't cease. It was intensifying.

"Help them out!" Lucas' voice was heard.

The Asian girl ran by us. She reached the doctor and helped him with his enormous friend, pulling onto her shoulder one of his heavy arms.

"Lucas!" the doctor called. "Get out of here at once! Have the ship ready!

Lucas was probably still at the plant.

"Please, take care of the personal SVM !" he was heard yelling. "It is worth a lot of money!"

Holy smoke!

Darwin and I finally caught up with the doctor and Liu, who had already rested the large character in front of one of the tottering ladders.

"You better look after Mr. Wright!" the doctor said to the Asian girl. "We'll take care of Phil!"

Liu doubted, but a distant "ouch" from her boss made her change her mind: she passed the heavy arm to Darwin's shoulder and gave him a soft slap on the face as good bye.

She turned around ready to fly like the wind. Darwin grabbed her arm and detained her. The Asian girl turned around surprised and my friend gave her a huge French kiss, which the sexy bodyguard, in spite of her ultra rapid reflexes couldn't avoid. She had a reaction one second later, taking my friend by the jaw and pulling him away like a suction pump. Following, she gave him a discreet smile at the same time that she fixed quickly his eyeglasses.

And without saying a word, undertook a swift retreat.

It is needless to say that the scene—which didn't last more than four seconds—left me astonished. I stared at Darwin: he was savoring it. I looked at the sexy and dangerous woman; she was fighting a thick acid spur coming out of a large vessel.

She reached the corner and made a turn.

Several barrels on the side of the hallway were tumbling over. The tremor increased its force...

"Gordo! Darwin!" the doctor yelled. "We have to get out! Move it!"

Darwin came out of his trance and so did I. We helped the doctor push his friend upward.

"It's hard!" Darwin complained using a lot of exertion.

The acid began to rain in the plant. I looked around searching for another exit.

"What if we exit from where we came in?

A gigantic duct was tumbling down onto a tank in the corner, splitting it in half. An acid stream crashed against the wall and set out for the hallway...

"Let's demassify him!" the doctor yelled, as last resort.

Huge pipes began to topple in the plant, swinging like lianas in the jungle.

"It doesn't work!" Darwin said. "The gadget doesn't work! It doesn't spark!"

Fortunately, the arms of the weakened Phil went up and grasped the banister. Through his whines, he started to go up slowly, like a sloth.

All three of us grasped his massive body and pushed him up.

"We'll take over!" it was heard.

A couple of guards joined us pushing Phil amazingly easy.

"Take the other ladder!"

"We'll see you at the second level!" the doctor replied. "Let's go!"