“That wasn’t the deal!” Nolan took a menacing step toward the man.
Agent Styver shrank back slightly, but he managed to plaster a defiant expression on his face. “It is now! And I’m not saying another word until you keep your end.”
Nolan briefly entertained the idea of putting a bolt in the man’s head—which brought quite a great deal of entertainment. But Agent Styver had the upper hand now, and they both knew it. The man was stubborn, spiteful, and cruel enough to bleed out before he gave Nolan that one critical piece of intel. Everything he’d given Nolan thus far had been a tease to draw him in, and now that he had Nolan on the hook, it was time for Agent Styver to turn the tables.
Growling low in his throat, Nolan knelt by Agent Styver’s side and drew out a strip of quick-clotting gauze from his pack. With deft movements, he applied the gauze to the wounds in the man’s abdomen, then repeated the process on his back.
“There,” he snapped. “You won’t bleed out anymore.” He leaned closer and growled in Agent Styver’s face. “But you’ve got dust and dirt in your wounds, so unless you want to die a slow, painful death by infection, give me that call sign and comms channel now!”
Panic flitted across Agent Styver’s face at the mention of “dirt” and “infection.” “Raptor!” he all but shrieked. “His call sign’s Raptor.” He rattled off an alphanumerical sequence Nolan recognized as the comms channel. “I never met him face to face. For all I know, he might not even be a he. But all of my instructions come directly from him.”
“That’s it?” Nolan stared down at the man. “That’s all you can give me?”
“It’s enough!” Agent Styver’s tone was midway between pleading and insistent. “Your AI can verify the comms channel and run a search for the call sign. It will—“
“She won’t find a goddamned thing, and you know it.” Nolan ground his teeth together. “You Protection Bureau fucks cover your tracks too well.”
Taia confirmed his suspicions a few seconds later. “The comms channel is untraceable,” she said to the whole team. “And there is no record of anyone with the call sign Raptor in any established branch of either the Imperial or Terran League military.”
Nolan stared down at Agent Styver. The man looked desperate, and with good reason. He truly believed he was bleeding out. He was either just cunning enough to feed Nolan believable bullshit to convince him to render aid, or he truly had given Nolan something of use. Even if no trace of Raptor existed, he might still have a chance of getting the right people’s attention.
“Please!” Agent Styver begged, a shudder shaking his whole body. “That’s all I have. But they will bargain for me. They will want me returned unharmed.” He looked ready to crawl out of his own skin, as if repulsed by the dust and blood staining his flesh. “I’ll be no good to you if I die of infection before you can trade me with them.”
With a grunt, Nolan reached into his pack, drew out a container of combat wipes, and tossed them at the man’s feet. “There!”
Agent Styver tried to snatch at the container, only to realize that his hands were bound behind his back. His efforts to break free of his bonds and reach for the wipes grew frantic.
After a moment of delight at watching the man struggle in vain, Nolan told Darren, “Cut him loose.”
“Copy that.” The big gunner knelt and snipped the quick-ties locking Agent Styver’s wrists in place.
Nolan turned away—he had no desire to watch the man scrubbing violently at his skin—and glanced toward Bex. “Good work,” he said over comms. “Really sold that ‘you’re going to die’ bit.”
Bex laughed. “I was being serious, you know. Even after what he said about being one of the few real agents, I’m not convinced his bosses will bargain for him.”
Nolan couldn’t argue that. The Protection Bureau hadn’t struck him as a particularly sentimental organization that placed high priority on the wellbeing of their personnel. But he didn’t have much else to go on at the moment.
“How did I do?” Taia asked. “Was I believable?”
“Absolutely,” Bex replied before Nolan could. “Even I was certain the fucker was bleeding out after hearing you describe his wounds.”
Nolan grinned. Both Bex and Taia had played their parts to perfection. Had Agent Styver actually sustained those particular wounds, he would have bled out in a matter of seconds, not minutes. Just one more indication that he had virtually no real field experience, and he spent his life pushing buttons and giving orders from the shelter of his spotless, sterile white room.
Yet Nolan’s smile quickly faded. He had no way of getting into the Protection Bureau’s offices now, which meant he was cut off from their data, with no way to upload his virus. If Agent Styver wasn’t as valuable a bargaining chip as he believed, Nolan would have no way to get the Protection Bureau off his back. He’d spend the rest of his life being hunted. Likely Bex and Warbeast Team would share his fate, as would Jadis and Jared.
He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut, tried to clear his mind to think rationally. This was just a setback—a bad one, but not the end of the world. There had to be another solution, another way to get to the Protection Bureau.
As if she’d read his mind, Taia spoke in his earpiece. “Nolan, I’ve just cracked the Pioneer Data-Comm system, and I think I’ve found us a solution.”
“Tell me!” Nolan said. Even just the tiniest flicker of hope was welcome, and he clung to it, used it to push back the rising despair.
Taia spoke quickly. “Using the work-order logs and the dates given us by Detective Locke, I’ve backtraced their latest maintenance to an apartment on the sixteenth floor of the building. Analyzing all incoming and outgoing data from that entire floor, I located one hardwired link between that apartment and the Protection Bureau building. That connection cut off just a couple of minutes before the smart cells on Agent Styver came online.”
Nolan sucked in a breath. “Holy shit, he does have an off-site system at his place!” His spirits soared. It was their best shot—hell, the only real shot—at taking the Protection Bureau’s systems hostage. He still had a bargaining chip; he just had to get there before the Black Crows caught up and cut off any hope of escape!
Chapter Twenty-Two
Nolan’s mind raced. If Agent Styver had shut off his off-site terminal or disconnected from the Protection Bureau’s network, there was a chance his device’s hard drive hadn’t yet been purged of all the sensitive and confidential data. Now that Nolan knew where Agent Styver’s apartment was, he had a clear path forward to achieve both his original objectives.
He quickly relayed his plans to Warbeast Team over comms, making certain his helmet’s external speakers were silenced to keep Agent Styver from overhearing.
“If I can get my hands on his terminal, I can copy all his Protection Bureau data and unleash the virus into their system,” Nolan said. “That’ll work, right, Bast?”
“In theory, yes,” Taia replied. “The moment the device connects to the network, it will receive the burn order from the primary system and begin shunting all its data to whatever off-world server it’s programed to send it to. I should have time enough to generate a digital image of the hard drive and slip the virus I’ve crafted into the data being purged from the hard drive. Once the virus hits the Protection Bureau’s back-up servers, it will activate and start encrypting everything with an uncrackable algorithm. The only way they get access to their data is if they negotiate with us.”
“We’ve got the live hostage,” Nolan said, gesturing to Agent Styver. “But if we can get access to their data and copy everything we can find to use against them, there’s no way the Protection Bureau will make a move against us. Not if they know we’ll release everything like you did with the Ghostwalkers intel.”
Darren looked to Master Sergeant Kane, who had remained silent throughout Agent Styver’s “deathbed” confession.
“Wyvern?” Zahra asked over comms. “What’s the play?�
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“Cerberus has a point, sir,” Bex put in. “We hold that many cards, they’re going to have to fold.” Her helmet light swiveled toward Nolan. “Contacting them’s going to be tricky, though.”
“Not as difficult as you might think,” Taia said. “The Protection Bureau has a number of filters that flag any holo-net searches for specific keywords. Cerberus and Nolan Garrett are just two among hundreds of thousands.”
Zahra seemed to understand Taia’s thought process first. “So all you have to do is drop a few pieces of intel in the right place with the right keywords, and you’ll get the Protection Bureau’s attention.”
“Precisely,” Taia said. “Thanks to Agent Styver”—her voice held a surprising amount of distaste, even for her—“we now know Raptor’s call sign. That’ll certainly get attention from the right people.”
“Do it,” Master Sergeant Kane said. “Kali, you’re with him.” He turned to Darren. “You, me, and Phoenix will take our chatty friend to a secondary location—“
“I’ve got a safe house in the Iceglades where you can lay low,” Taia said. “Close enough to the Sentry Division hangar that you can get to the ships in a matter of minutes in case you need a quick exfil.”
Master Sergeant Kane grunted and nodded once. “You two, rendezvous at the safe house as soon as you’ve got the intel. From there, we’ll plan next steps.”
“Copy that, sir,” Nolan said.
“Solid copy,” Bex added.
Nolan glanced down at Agent Styver. The man had lost a great deal of blood, but he was far from dead. Indeed, he’d recovered much of his former vehemence, and now glared up at him, Darren, and Master Sergeant Kane in turn. If looks could kill, everyone within a thousand-kilometer radius would’ve dropped dead.
A grin broadened Nolan’s lips as he took in Agent Styver’s ragged condition. How the self-important have fallen! he thought. The last time he’d seen the man, Agent Styver had been immaculately dressed and in full control of the situation. He’d come to Nolan with “one last mission,” doubtless knowing that the Protection Bureau planned to lock him away in the Vault.
Now, the man slumped on the dust-and-blood-covered floor bore only marginal resemblance to that Agent Styver in the Leaping Guest. Naked save for his crimson-stained underwear, gauze slapped roughly over his wounds, his ankles bound and wrists now quick-tied in front of his body, he looked a pitiful sight. If he hadn’t been worth more to Nolan alive, he might not have lived to see the light of day.
But he did matter. At least so he’d claimed. If the Protection Bureau truly was the organization Agent Styver had described, there existed a chance that “Raptor,” whoever the hell they were, would come to the negotiating table willing to deal. That meant Agent Styver’s continued health had to be a priority.
Reaching into his combat pack, Nolan drew out a Modi-flesh injector. “Here.” He handed it to Darren. “He gets worse or the bleeding starts again, this should keep him alive.”
Darren accepted the injector and tucked it into his own pack. “We’ll keep him breathing,” he rumbled. “He tries anything dumb, he’ll find out how hard it is to walk on broken legs and eat with broken teeth.” This last was projected over his helmet’s external speakers. Agent Styver seemed to shrink back at the threat.
Nolan stared down at the man who could very well be one of his only bargaining chips to get his life back. The blood, dust, and sweat slicking Agent Styver’s face filled him with a grim sense of satisfaction, but there was something missing.
Crouching, Nolan snatched up the filthy cloth and stuffed it into Agent Styver’s mouth. “That’s better,” he said with a harsh chuckle.
Agent Styver’s face twisted into a look that was half horrified grimace and half glare. His eyes shot venomous daggers at Nolan, which only made Nolan’s grin broaden.
He reached out and patted Agent Styver’s sweat-soaked scalp. “Much better.”
The fury in the man’s eyes promised all manner of torments and suffering the moment he got free, but seeing Agent Styver reduced to such a state banished any vestiges of fear from Nolan’s mind. The Protection Bureau wielded one hell of a large stick, but even the most powerful organizations were made up of individuals as mortal and pathetic as the man huddled on the ground.
Turning away from Agent Styver, Nolan nodded to Master Sergeant Kane. “See you at the rally point.”
“Haul ass, Cerberus,” the team leader growled. “I’ll put out some feelers, see what I can do to expedite this process.”
“Thank you, sir.” Nolan wanted to say more—to thank both the master sergeant and his entire team for risking everything to help him—but he snapped his mouth shut and turned to go. Now wasn’t the time for that.
He hurried down to Bex and Zahra’s position by the tunnel’s exit. Without a word, Zahra pulled the heavy metal door open and stepped aside for them to pass. Bex moved through the doorway first, advancing into the darkened maintenance room beyond. Nolan trailed a few steps behind. The hum of machinery was the only sound.
Bex led the way toward the door at the far end of the maintenance room, then paused there just long enough to activate her digital cloaking. Nolan did likewise and sent a single comms click as the signal to advance. After a quick scan, Bex pulled the door open and slid out into the hallway beyond. They moved past laundry facilities, up a single flight of stairs, and into the run-down lobby of the apartment building.
The lobby’s glass-fronted windows offered a clear view of the street beyond. They were a full block east of the building that the Black Crows had surrounded, and not a single contractor was in sight.
“Bast, chart us the quickest route,” Nolan said over comms. The channel was now dedicated to him and Bex, though he could still access the team-wide channel with a mental command. “No way we can just fly up, is there?”
“Not with that targeted EMP system active,” Taia replied. “It would target your combat suits, and I’m not certain your armor’s built-in shielding could withstand a concentrated blast of electromagnetic energy.”
“Damn!” Nolan gave a frustrated grunt. “Looks like we’re on foot, then.”
He and Bex raced out the door, down the walkway, and onto the street. Agent Styver’s apartment complex was just a few blocks south, and they covered the distance in a matter of minutes. Their armor’s servo-powered limbs enabled them to move far faster than they could under their own steam and reduced the energy expenditure required to gain speed. Nolan’s breathing had barely sped up by the time they reached their target.
“Which way?” Nolan asked as he led them into the apartment building’s lobby.
“South stairs are your best way up,” Taia said. Her route led directly along the north-south hallway that cut straight through the ground floor. “I can’t get eyes inside, though.”
“Copy,” Nolan replied.
A mental command activated his penetrative thermal imaging, giving him a clear view into the apartments that lined the hallway. Dozens of heat signatures popped up on his HUD as he passed, but all of the inhabitants remained indoors. At this early hour, most people would be at work or already asleep after a night shift.
All except one elderly woman, who had chosen that moment to emerge from her apartment. Nolan was just two meters away when her door swung open and she stepped out into the hallway. He barely had time to throw himself to the opposite side of the hallway, narrowly missing her and her walker. The dog leashed to her wrist set about yapping, and the sound followed Nolan all the way to the end of the corridor.
They reached the entrance to the southern staircase without running into any other tenants. As Bex shut the stairwell door behind him, Nolan studied the way up. Taia had, indeed, chosen well. Unlike the enclosed U-shaped staircase from the previous building, this one wound around in a double-L shape that offered ample open space between the floors.
Nolan grinned. “Going up!” With a thought, he activated his boot thrusters. Blue light filled the dimly lit sta
ircase as his ion engines flared to life, sending him rocketing upward. At fifty percent power, it took just ten seconds to reach the sixteenth floor—a fraction of the time it would have taken them if they’d ascended the elevator shaft or an enclosed stairway.
Bex landed a couple of seconds behind him. “Damn!” she said. “Good work, Bast!”
“Agent Styver’s apartment is at the end of the first hallway to your right,” Taia said as Nolan moved toward the door.
Even with his digital cloaking activated, Nolan peered cautiously into the corridor outside the stairwell. He didn’t know what sort of security measures Agent Styver had installed, or if the Black Crows had come to stand guard.
To his relief, the hallway was empty. He saw no sign of cameras, laser tripwires, or any other countermeasures. By all appearances, it was an ordinary, unprotected corridor.
No way it’s this easy, Nolan thought. He emerged into the hallway slowly, moving with caution toward the door Taia had marked. Or is it?
Agent Styver had proven himself surprisingly inept when it came to anything outside the confines of his office and his bubble of technology. If he believed the Protection Bureau’s cutting-edge clothing, EMP targeting system, and control over local surveillance equipment truly concealed him from any threats, he might not have installed any fail-safes to protect his domicile. There existed a possibility that his trust in the shield of his agency’s seemingly unlimited power had made him overconfident in his safety.
Nolan, however, refused to make the same mistake. His head moved on a ceaseless swivel as he approached the doorway, his thermal imaging scanning for any threats, reinforcements, or hidden defenses. Outwardly, the apartment appeared as ordinary as every other lining the hallway.
However, as Nolan approached, he realized that something was different. His thermal imaging couldn’t penetrate the walls of Agent Styver’s apartment. Either the wall was too thick, or it was lined with something that defeated his helmet’s scanners.
Rampant Destruction (CERBERUS Book 10) Page 18
