Gustave reloaded again, raining hot shells down on the inhabitants of the laboratory.
"Gustave!" Shelton tried to yell over the gunfire.
"It's okay, by my count he should be running out of ammo very soon," Masters said. "He'll have no choice but to retreat then."
Suddenly, a retaliatory push from the guards sent Gustave scrambling for cover. The guards were laying down suppressing fire. Something was evacuating the lab.
As Masters and Shelton watched, a horribly disfigured creature very similar to the thing Shelton saw in the airfield escaped into the hallway, flanked by all the guards.
"My god..." Masters breathed.
Gustave emptied his current clip at the thing, but only hit surrounding security guards. Expulsing the spent shells, Gustave reached for more only to discover he was out.
"I'm not letting that thing get away," he growled. Brandishing his shotgun like a club, he raced after the posse, which had already turned the corner.
Masters and Shelton ran into the hallway after him. Masters cursed as he saw Gustave wasn't stopping.
Dammit, I have to stop him before he gets himself killed, Shelton thought.
Desperately, he yelled, "Gustave! Those guards aren't responsible for your family's death! I am!"
Gustave stopped very suddenly. Still brandishing the smoking gun, he turned around slowly.
"What did you just say?" he said in a low voice.
Shelton took a deep breath. "While in Dragonstorm, I was given orders to find the location of Gustave Chiumbo's family. I didn't know who you were, and I didn't want to blow my cover, so I completed my orders." Shelton felt his chest tighten up. "I didn't know you then, you were just another name. I'm sorry, I really am."
"You?" Gustave dropped his shotgun. "You are responsible?"
"Yes," Shelton repeated, face turning pale and heart thumping audibly. "I'm really, really--"
Gustave let loose a bellowing war cry and thundered down the hallway at Shelton, who immediately bolted as fast as he could. Masters tried to block Gustave, but Gustave sent him flying with a flick of his wrist.
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Further down the hallway, a small detachment of guards patrolled the other exit off of this floor. They heard something coming their way. A few of them put their hands on their sidearms.
They were startled when a screaming Dragonstorm scientist came hurtling past them, followed a few seconds later by a savage, beastly crocodile in the heat of rage. At the mere sight of him, most of the guards let their weapons drop to the floor and cowered, or bolted from the room. None offered any resistance, and the crocodile didn't even see them.
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Panting heavily, Shelton saw the exit to the elevators, and the blast doors which signified the exit from the floor. Skidding though the exit, Shelton cast his hand out and mashed the button which closed the blast doors.
Gustave smashed into them a split second later. The doors shuddered, but held.
Gustave started smashing his massive fists against the door. "Open this door, Rudy! God dammit, open this f***ing door so I can f***ing kill you!"
Shelton scrambled backwards. Slowly getting to his feet, clutching his heart, he pressed the button to call the elevator. "I'm sorry, Gustave. Really. I know you deserve to kill me, and sometimes I wish someone would kill me for what I've done. But right now I've got to get that relay down and help everyone on the team."
"Rudy!" Gustave yelled. "Don't you run away from me!" He pounded several more times. The doors didn't even dent. "Get back here, dammit! Shelton!!!"
The elevator arrived, and the doors opened with a ding. Shelton got on and headed down into the maintenance floors.
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