Read Tunnels 04, Closer for Free Online Page B

soldier jumped from the cab of the lorry, approaching with his handgun pointed directly at her.
    " Wer sind Sie? " the young soldier barked at Rebecca Two.
    "He wants to know who we are," Rebecca One mumbled. "Sounds nervous."
    "Yes, I know -- I speak German just like you," Rebecca Two replied briskly.
    " Wer sind Sie? " the soldier demanded again, this time emphasizing each word with a motion of his sidearm.
    Rebecca turned to face the soldier, who she assumed must be the senior officer. She took in his sand-colored uniform, which was turning a shade darker as he was drenched by the downpour. " Meine Schwester braucht einen Arzt! " she enunciated flawlessly.
    "Yes... need a doctor," Rebecca One murmured.
    The soldier seemed surprised at Rebecca Two's request, and didn't respond. Instead, he issued a command and his squad lined up behind him, their rifles trained on the girls. Then, as he led them, they began to move slowly forward in formation.
    There was a blinding flash of lightning, followed by more thunder.
    Then, all of a sudden, the soldiers halted.
    Rebecca Two realized that she couldn't hear the tinny opera music from down the street any longer.
    And if the soldier had seemed anxious before, she could now clearly see the fear etched on his face. On the faces of all the soldiers.
    Real, unbridled fear.
    "Einen Arzt," she repeated, wondering what was having such an effect on them. She heard a low growl and spun to the street behind her. As they advanced, it was almost as if the men were materializing from the heavy rain. Their dun-brown camouflage blended perfectly with the deluge of water, making them appear like shifting human shadows.
    "Impeccable timing," Rebecca Two said, as the brigade of Limiters came to a halt at precisely the same moment. There were forty of them positioned across the full width of the street, their rifles aimed at the German soldiers. At regular intervals along their line the dog handlers struggled to keep their stalkers under control. These attack dogs were making unearthly noises; low whining sounds vibrated in their throats, as their lips, drawn back to reveal their ferocious fangs, twitched in anticipation.
    But the young soldier and his men weren't looking at the dogs. They were transfixed by the Limiters' death's-head faces, whose eyes were so black it was is if they had been drilled out.
    There was no movement from either if the opposing sides. Except for the rain pelting down, it was as if the scene had somehow been frozen.
    Rebecca Two strolled into the middle of the road and stopped between the two lines. " Offizier? " she asked the German soldier. She was as confident and relaxed as she would have been if she'd been asking a Topsoil policeman for directions.
    He tore his gaze from the Limiters and, focusing on the slim girl in her ragged clothes, nodded mutely.
    " Ich --" she began.
    "I speak English perfectly," he interrupted with a trace of an accent.
    "Good, then I need--" she continued.
    "Tell these troops to stand down," he cut her short.
    Rebecca Two didn't answer him, crossing her arms as she stood square on to the officer. "Not going to happen," she said firmly. "You have no idea what you're up against here. These soldiers are Limiters. They'll do whatever I ask of them. And although you might not be able to see them, there's a sniper detachment positioned on the rooftops. If you or your men so much as think about firing..."
    She didn't bother to finish the sentence, aware of the slight tremor in his arm as he kept the pistol pointed at her chest. "I'm going to bring two men up," she said. "One's a medic for my sister. She's dying from a stomach wound. This is not an act of aggression, so tell your squad to hold their fire."
    He hesitated, throwing a glance at Rebecca One, slumped against the railing where her sister had left her. The German officer looked the picture of health, with blond hair and clear blue eyes, and the skin of his face and forearms below rolled up