The commotion outside the door grew louder and louder. At first, it was only the sound of running footsteps, followed by shouted orders, and then gunfire. He could tell that it began with single-shot rifles, then shifted to Submachine Guns, and soon even machine guns joined in. At that point, he did not need super-hearing to clearly make out the sounds of conflict outside.
About another minute passed. He did not even need to listen to know something had happened, because the people in the interrogation room started running outside. At first, only the soldiers guarding the door were called away. Then the officers left as well. Soon, even the staff from the nearby Lounge and break room had vanished to who knew where.
Clark gently stretched his limbs, and the handcuffs shattered like freshly baked butter cookies. He stood, twisted off the doorknob, and poked his head out for a look. The corridor was terrifyingly quiet. The fully armed soldiers were gone, and no one was paying any attention to him.
So he casually strolled outside. The closer he got to the entrance, the more clearly he could hear the roar of guns and artillery, mixed with shouting and curses. Clark waited in the corridor for a while, only heading to the main gate after he heard the thud of helicopter rotors.
Outside was a complete mess, with traces of ammunition and explosions everywhere. Yet there were no bodies. The soldiers were all taking cover behind the base's rear fortifications, and there had been no casualties so far.
However, Clark had already spotted an injured soldier. One of the man's arms had been scorched black, apparently hit by some kind of laser weapon. Clark circled around that section of trench and came to his side. The man was shocked