Hammer leveled his Manhunter at the first guard, who was trying to bring his own weapon to bear on the runners. To the ork’s enhanced nervous system, the guard seemed to be moving in slow-motion—time compressed itself into an eternity between aiming and firing. The targeting systems in the pistol interfaced with Hammer’s built-in smartgun circuitry and he fired. The high-caliber rounds from the Manhunter made even Sloane’s Predator look like a cap-gun. The shot caught the guard in the high collar of his armored uniform. The armor absorbed most of the impact, but there was still more than enough force to crush the man’s trachea and send him flopping onto the floor, dropping his gun and clutching at his neck before he passed out.