Excerpt: Unkillable

Bellen ran as fast as she could, ducking guards, avoiding gunshots. It was all a ruse though. She knew there was no chance of getting a mile and a half away in the 30-45 seconds before her explosives vaporized everything. She was never one to just lay down and die, though, so she ran. To see a prisoner come tearing out of Adam Chambers offices trailed by four screaming guards was enough to startle many who would have ordinarily stopped her. One such guard standing at a water cooler froze, finger still depressed on the dispenser pouring water into his already overfilled cup. She aimed carefully as she ran, and when she zipped by him, her hand shot out, and grabbed his sidearm. She turned around and fired at the group of pursuers that was steadily growing behind her. Sparing an instant to look at her watch, Bellen swore. Twenty seconds to get away. Ignoring the guards, and anything but her own two feet, she put every last bit of strength into running. Up ahead were the blast doors that marked an old missile silo. They might be far enough away, and strong enough to shield her from the blast. She reached the door, which stood slightly ajar, and slipped in shoving the heavy 2 ton door closed behind her. Casting around the room she spotted a rack of old flack vests and helmets. She threw one on, pulled a helmet on and pulled the rest of them down on top of her. Outside the guards had reached the door, and were trying to pull it open. She raised her head to check her watch, when she heard the sound of the explosion. She braced herself for the first impact. Outside, the guards were screaming. She heard the skittering noises of their fingernails scrabbling at the door in desperation. Then they were drowned out by a roar that sounded like the thunder of the gods. It impacted so hard Bellen felt her teeth rattle. The door behind her grew so hot, that the bit of her boot touching it began to melt. She heard groaning metal behind her, and just had time to think “It’s not enough” before the door, and part of the wall came crashing down on her.