Time seemed to slow down as 595 exited the truck behind Dr Lang and Dr Girard. Flames and smoke curled out of the door after her, but it didn’t sound like that would stop the infected. The noise in the lobby was unbelievable; energy fire mixed with screams and mechanical grinding.

Freyr was still holding the shotgun while struggling forward with Dr Girard. 595 scooped it out of her hand and rested it upside down in the crook of her arm. With practiced precision, she unclipped the energy cell, letting it clatter to the floor and replacing it with the fresh one attached to her thigh.

The guttural screeching behind her grew louder. They’d got past the melting body of the ambusher she’d lodged in place. The shotgun dinged when the new energy cell reactivated its systems. 595 spun it round into a firing position and turned her body as well to face the danger. Her form was immaculate as she unloaded a barrage straight back through the door, where three of the crazies had just appeared. The truck rocked and they dissolved into a blue firestorm.

"Come on!" The Agent growled to herself, turning to assess the situation in the lobby with the shotgun up to her eye.

A few well-placed shots had evidently tipped the finely balanced melee by the second crashed truck in CraSec’s favour. Osman straddled her newly unarmoured opponent and smashed their visor with the butt of her gun. She then got up and fired energy rounds into their immobile form before looking round. The other two remaining CraSec soldiers were doing similar. 

On the other side of the lobby, the tall sheet of glass separating the brightly lit lobby from the comparatively darker outside fell and folded. The people banging against it from outside had melted it, and the material coated them like hot wax as dozens of them surged forwards.

The clouds of plasma from Vreta’s gun had disintegrated some of the first wave as they’d thrown themselves blindly towards them. This second wave spread out across the lobby, eyeing the big lizard up before trying to circumvent a fiery death. They were at bay for now, but there was only so much ground Vreta could cover.

"Tangier, do you read? What is your status, over?" A voice crackled over team comms. 595 tapped her ear in Osman’s direction, who nodded as stray energy fire from outside fizzed past her shields. “I read you! We’ve still got the civilians, taking heavy fire. All boxed in - where is our backup?” Osman looked out of the hole created by the second truck. CraSec were still desperately grappling with ambushers from all around the convoy. The Major’s subordinates were beginning to give out suppressing fire.

“We’re trying to get to you, but transit bubbles are opening all over the city. Are you mobile? Orders from Command are to evacuate all personnel.” Osman swore and looked at 595, but she had turned away to shoot an infected person who had got through the plasma net Vreta was dispersing. They flew backward and slid across the floor. “No, we can’t leave now! We’re so close!” Freyr shouted, hovering between 595 and Vreta with Dr Girard leaning on her left side.

“Ma’am, we’re out of time. The connection is happening in ten minutes.” The voice replied. “Tell them to call it off then, on my authority!” Freyr yelled. There was a pause. “Standby.” They replied. “We need to get you out of here!” Osman asserted, taking cover behind the truck as more of the ambushers took notice from outside. "Is that a hole into the garage?!" 595 asked, stealing a glance towards the gaping abyss in the middle of the lobby.