Time passed.
On the platform, the seven Predators remained gathered around the blast-proof door, the fleshy growths on their heads occasionally twitching.
Mikey's hushed report came through the team's communication channel. "The device is secured to the left wall of the duct. The angle has been adjusted according to Jenson's instructions...
"We're placing tripwire flares and the remaining small explosives along the route... Done. We're withdrawing now."
"Copy. Cover your tracks on the way back," Calista replied, never taking her eyes off the Predators.
A few minutes later, Honeywell, Mikey, and Leon slipped back to the shaft entrance looking somewhat disheveled. They were covered in even more dust, clear evidence of how difficult it had been to move through the cramped duct.
"All the decoys are in place. We're ready to trigger them," Leon reported calmly.
Now the pressure was on Jenson.
He silently calculated the trajectory the bullet would have to follow, deliberately slowing even his heartbeat.
On the platform, the fleshy growth of the Predator closest to the maintenance compartment suddenly turned toward the duct opening, as though it had sensed something. The grooves along its surface began opening and closing more rapidly.
But it did not move. The faint disturbance was not enough to lure it away.
It merely twitched its fleshy growth toward the two smaller Predators at the edge of the group and made a rapid clacking sound.
The two smaller Predators immediately grew restless. Their forelimbs lifted slightly, their bone blades opening and closing as their fleshy growths remained fixed on the duct. Low gurgling sounds rose from their throats.
They appeared to be listening.
Jenson slowed his breathing. His entire field of vision narrowed to the crosshairs in his scope and the exposed copper contact at their center.
Now!
"Whoosh!"
The sniper rifle's distinctive low roar echoed through the confined space around the shaft. Even with a muzzle brake and suppressor attached, the sound still made everyone's heart jump.
The spinning bullet left the barrel and struck dead center.
"Crack! Sizzle——!!!!"
A faint, sharp impact came first, followed immediately by the piercing shriek of an electrical discharge.
A dazzling burst of blue sparks erupted from the top of Bossie's makeshift device. The electromagnetic pulse spread outward at the speed of light.
Almost at the exact same instant, the thermobaric charge detonated.
"BOOM!!"
The confined duct amplified the muffled blast, and a wave of searing pressure erupted from its opening.
Even the crystals along the edge of the platform were blasted apart and scattered into fragments.
They had thoroughly kicked the hornet's nest.
All seven Predators sprang into action at once.
The electromagnetic pulse had clearly disrupted the sensitive sensory systems in their fleshy growths, while the explosion and shockwave gave them an obvious source for the perceived threat.
The two restless smaller Predators, which had just been urged forward by one of the larger ones, were the first to release piercing shrieks. Without hesitation, they dropped to all fours and charged toward the ventilation duct.
Their enormous crystalline foreclaws swept forward, easily tearing away the shattered grate still hanging from the opening. They plunged into the dark duct without hesitation, pursuing the imaginary intruder.
The other five, including the three scarred and battered large Predators, were also completely drawn in by the sudden disturbance.
Although they were more intelligent than ordinary walkers and the Claw mutants that walkers could mutate into, their intelligence was still clearly limited. Every one of them gave chase.
This was their chance.
"Now! Bossie, move!"
Bossie had been ready for some time. He slipped out of the shaft like an agile weasel, keeping low as he raced silently toward the control panel beside the blast-proof door.
He moved quickly and lightly, choosing the firmer sections of the sticky platform whenever possible to avoid leaving deep tracks or slipping.
Jenson and Ethan adjusted their aim as Bossie advanced.
The instant any of the Predators turned or showed any intention of attacking him, they would open fire.
Maya and Calista also held their breath, gripping their weapons tightly and preparing to charge out at a moment's notice.
Bossie reached the control panel without incident. He pressed his back against the wall and took several ragged breaths.
He glanced toward the retreating backs of the Predators disappearing into the duct, forced down his pounding heart, and quickly pulled out his tools.
The severed cable hung right in front of him.
Bossie swiftly checked the cut ends and the detonator's connector. Then, with trembling hands, he stripped the insulation from both sections of cable, carefully twisted the copper cores together, and wrapped them tightly in several layers of electrical tape.
The entire process took less than thirty seconds, but to Bossie, it felt like an eternity.
"Wiring complete!" Bossie crouched even lower.
"Test the power, Bossie. Hurry!" Calista urged.
Bossie drew a deep breath, aligned the reconnected cable with the only socket on the detonator's main unit, and shoved it in firmly.
Click.
A soft sound followed.
A moment later, three small indicator lights on the side of the detonator flickered to life.
The power light, circuit-check light, and agent-pressure light were all on.
The main activation light remained red, but the circuit was connected and the device itself was operational again.
However, the faint sound of the electronics powering on and the glow of the indicator lights still caught the attention of the Predator at the back of the group, the one closest to the duct entrance.
Its massive body stopped abruptly. The spindle-shaped growth on its head snapped away from the duct, its grooves opening and closing violently as it locked precisely onto Bossie's position.
"Damn it," Maya whispered.
A low growl rumbled from the Predator's throat. It slowly began to turn, taking a step toward Bossie's hiding place.
"Jenson!" Calista called, her voice taut.
"Whoosh!"
Jenson fired again.
This time, he aimed at the side of the Predator's raised fleshy growth.
The bullet struck directly inside one of the grooves just as it opened.
Splat!
Black-green fluid sprayed outward.
The shot did not kill it, but it halted the Predator's turn and drew its fury away from Bossie.
The Predator roared, swinging its fleshy growth toward the general direction of the gunshot and temporarily ignoring the faint sounds from Bossie's position.
The nearby Predators were also startled by the shot and their companion's roar. Their fleshy growths turned as they tried to identify the source of this new threat.
With that single shot, Jenson had transformed the situation from a partial distraction into total confusion caused by multiple threats.
There was the explosion and supposed intruder inside the duct, the noise near Bossie, and the distant sniper fire.
The Predators' simple minds seemed unable to process everything at once.
That confusion was exactly what Calista needed.
"Bossie! Activate the detonator! Maximum dose, immediate release!"
She shouted the command while tensing to move.
"Maya! Get ready to charge!"
Bossie no longer hesitated. He lunged out from his hiding place, disregarding the risk of exposing himself, and slammed his palm down on the detonator's red manual emergency activation button.
...
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