by Jan Domagala
A throaty roar grumbled from each beast as they approached the complex. Their nature was to hunt and kill but the inhibitors kept that nature under control, they kept them calm and sedate and under control. The trio of beasts reached the complex where Hermes was waiting for them.
Pointing to three of the clones who had come across with the beasts he said, “Take them down, reduce the neural inhibitors control and let them loose.”
Turning to the shuttle where a small contingent of clones had remained behind he said, “Get the defences set up.”
24
“I doubt any of us would get close enough for that to work,” Mitch told Jess after she had relayed to them her plan.
“Don’t dismiss it though, we could use it as a fall back option maybe?” she argued.
“Perhaps, but for it to work we’d need a diversion, and I mean one that will really concentrate his attention away from what we’re trying to do here. At the moment, we just don’t have that,” Josh said.
“I agree with Josh on this so for the time being we’ll just have to try and stall him until help arrives,” Mitch said.
“I’m not following,” Jess said her eyebrows knitted with her confusion.
“There’s a purpose behind all this. You just don’t walk into a megacorp building like this one armed with the weapons he has knowing all the security measures in place without having an agenda. Trust me this guy wants something and all this is his way of getting us to listen,” he explained.
“So you think they’ll send someone to deal with this? I thought all comm. links had been jammed?” Jess said.
“That’s just so the right person gets to come to the party. He doesn’t want gatecrashers busting their way into his little party especially after he’s gone to the extra trouble of sending out the right invite. All we have to do is make sure everyone else is safe and bide our time until the guest of honour arrives, then the fun really begins,” Mitch said.
“You’re enjoying this aren’t you Mitch?” she said anger building inside her.
“I must admit it brings back memories from my days in Recon Delta.”
“This isn’t a game Mitch, my father is in there with that mad man,” she raged.
“Sis, Mitch didn’t mean anything and I’m sure he’s as concerned as we are over Dad’s safety,” Josh said stepping in front of his sister.
“You don’t have to intervene on my behalf Josh,” Mitch said stepping around him. He said, “I know your father is in there,” as he stepped in front of Jess, then continued with, “and I’ll do everything I can to ensure that mad man does no harm to him, even if it means laying down my life. I’ll do it, not just because it’s my job description but because Able is my friend.”
“I’m sorry Mitch, it’s just, I can’t stay here and do nothing,” she said her anger and frustration almost boiling over.
Mitch looked her in the eye and softly said, “Yes you can because if you try to do anything you will get your father killed. You could get killed too, so yes, you can stay here. You will stay here and play nice until it’s time to not play nice, okay?”
She looked deep into his eyes and slowly she got herself under control again forcing her fear for her father back down where it would remain under guard. She nodded her head in agreement fearing that the quaver in her voice would give away the fear she still battled.
“Good,” Mitch said then added; “Now we wait.”
*****
Jake and his team were all suited up and ready to go. They all wore battle suits similar to the one Kurt had on and they were on the flight deck of the forward section on the Pulsar.
“Sir I’m reading a small craft attacking Area 15,” the Pulsar’s AI said, the automated voice coming from the integral speakers making it sound like it was all around them.
“Can you elaborate a little Artie?” Jake asked.
“Certainly sir, a shuttle has just landed at Area 15 after attacking the guards stationed there. Once it landed a force of soldiers entered the complex followed by three creatures.”
“What sort of creatures?” Torres asked.
“I believe they are from Tartaran sir.”
“Can you put a visual up on the monitor?” Vance asked. Within a second the image of the three octo felines slinking toward the complex was on the forward monitor.
“Holy fuck! I hoped I’d never see those bastards again,” Cooper said.
Jake said, “Artie contact Colonel De Boer at Fort Bragg, it’s no use trying anyone at the bases closer to, there will be communication blackout over the entire area. Inform him of the situation at Area 15 and ask him to get some reinforcements over there asap. Let him know what he’ll be facing, they need to be prepared. It looks like it’s an all out attack on Col Sec HQ.”
As the AI was complying with that order Torres said, “Jake are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That this whole thing is a diversion to get us and Kurt away from HQ while they attack?” Jake replied.
“It does seem a tad suspicious Jake,” agreed Cooper.
“What do we do boss?” Vance asked.
“Our jobs, we back Kurt up like ordered then we get back to base to help the Colonel,” Jake said.
“Sounds like a plan,” Torres said.
“Artie take us down,” Jake said.
25
When the call from Artie came through to Colonel Anton De Boer he was just about to sit down at his desk in his office to review the recent performance reviews of his men. The data from the AI was sent in a burst transmission direct to his NI and it hit him like a bullet to the head.
He cried out in shock as his NI received the data and almost fell to the floor, his face contorting from the intense pain.
An aide came bursting into the room when he heard the colonel cry out. “Sir, what’s wrong?” he asked as he ran around to the side of the desk to him. It took a few moments for the pain to ease enough for De Boer to be able to speak. His eyes opened and his vision cleared enough for him to realise he was not alone.
“Are you okay sir?” the aide asked once more when De Boer looked up at him.
De Boer waved a hand at his aide to reassure him he was alright, while his NI assimilated the amount of data it had just received. The pain finally subsided enough for him to be able to talk and he looked at his aide, his expression that of deep concern.
“Scramble the men, immediate departure for Area 15. Col Sec HQ is under attack,” he said.
*****
Kurt was getting ready for his arrival in Washington when a call came through to his NI from Jake.
“Kurt I think you should know that this action is a diversion. Col Sec HQ is under attack from an assault force of Rover5’s and three of those huge creatures from Tartaran, I’ve contacted Colonel De Boer at Fort Bragg to send reinforcements to help out” he said.
“Go secure,” Kurt said, his voice a little shaky as he scrambled the call via his NI.
“Copy that,” Jake said as he complied wondering what had got his friend so spooked.
“I think this is not just a diversion, I think it’s a two pronged assault on Col Sec. The guy I’m going to face at RandCorp HQ is just like me. He has the same regenerative capabilities as me and he’s taken control of the Rand’s to lure me out. He must be with OMEGA which means that this situation has just got a whole lot worse,” Kurt told him.
“So are you saying that they’ve sent him to kill you?”
“If anyone could, I’d bet it would be him but I think that there’s something else going on here.”
“Are you saying that you think they want to capture you?” Vance asked joining the conversation.
“Could be yes. Think about it, Norsky and I would be more or less, evenly matched so we would cancel each other out and that’s where the Rover5’s come in,” Kurt said sharing his theory.
“Yes they would give this Norsky an advantage I guess,” Torres observed, also joining the conversation.
“T
hat’s why it’s vital you take care of the Rover5’s at the lobby, you can leave Norsky to me,” Kurt said adding grit to his voice as he anticipated the battle to come. It was time to settle the unfinished business between the two of them like Norsky had mentioned and he was determined to end any further threats from this quarter.
“If this is a plan to capture you Kurt then they must have an evac strategy in place. You need to consider that too,” Cooper said mentioning something the others had missed.
Kurt thought about it for a moment then said, “They must have a shuttle parked on the roof of the building ready to take off, which also means they also have a starship in orbit.”
“You’re right, all these troops must have come from somewhere, I’ll get Artie on it right away. If we can identify it then we can take measures to prevent it escaping,” Jake said.
“Good idea, you take care of that end and I’ll sort out the shuttle from this end,” Kurt said.
“Copy that,” Jake said then added, “We’ll see you at the party, and good luck.”
“You too,” Kurt said then the call was ended. Kurt said to the pilot of the Hornet, “I’ve just received news that Area 15 is under attack. There are reinforcements en route to that location and as soon as you drop me off I want you to return there and give them whatever assistance you can. Co-ordinate your actions with the Colonel De Boer, he’ll give you further orders.”
“Copy that sir, we’re coming up on the drop zone so you’d better get ready. Good luck sir,” replied the pilot.
“You too,” Kurt said.
With that the pilot pulled the lever that operated the canopy above Kurt’s seat. It slid back to reveal Kurt’s section to the open air. The sudden inrush of air would have taken his breath away had he not been wearing a Rapier battle helmet with full face mask. The second he saw the canopy slide back he felt the sudden kick up his spine from the rockets blasting his seat into the air. He soared high over the rapidly disappearing Hornet’s trajectory as the pilot followed his orders and spun his aircraft back toward Area 15.
He had a wild idea on how to deal with the shuttle on the roof of the RandCorp building. It meant him doing a modified HALO jump. HALO or High Altitude Low Opening jump usually meant the jumper would jump from a high altitude around thirty thousand feet, then free fall at terminal velocity and open the ‘chute at a low altitude around seven thousand feet or lower. Kurt’s idea was to do the same without the high altitude. He had been ejected from the Hornet at around five thousand feet, once he was free from the confines of the flight chair he positioned his arms by his sides and began his descent. He hurtled toward the ground at an alarming rate and soon reached terminal velocity. He knew he didn’t have long before he reached the rooftop and had to act fast. He accessed the onboard computer of the shuttle via his NI and switched off the jamming device.
He could see the shuttle getting closer every second as his speed ate up the distance between them. He calculated the time he needed to open his parachute. If he opened it too soon the pilot of the shuttle would spot him and have time to shoot him down, if he opened it too late he would die on impact.
It would be tight and the margin for error would be almost impossibly difficult to calculate.
He waited and waited and then, hoping he had got it right, pulled the ripcord to open his ‘chute.
The fabric of the parachute billowed out above him snapping him upright with such force his head snapped back almost rendering him unconscious. His speed slowed dramatically but as he saw the top of the RandCorp tower approaching he knew it wasn’t quick enough but he hoped he’d got his calculations right.
He slammed into the top of the tower with such force his legs broke just before the rest of him impacted with the roof.
He was dead on impact.
The pilot of the shuttle got out of the cabin as he saw Kurt approach the roof. When he saw him crash into the roof a smile crossed his rugged features.
“What an idiot,” he said as he approached the body lying close by. He leaned down so he could check the pulse just to be on the safe side. He knew there was no way this idiot could’ve survived that fall but he had to make sure. He couldn’t see what all the fuss was about this guy, if he was dumb enough to foul up a simple parachute jump then he wasn’t the big threat they all thought he was.
As he reached down to check for a pulse Kurt’s hand snapped up and caught the Rover5’s wrist. He had regenerated just in time, his broken bones had reset, his internal injuries healed and his skin had reformed over all his cuts and lacerations. The look of surprise on the clones face was almost comical as he saw Kurt’s eyes open.
“Boo!” Kurt said and pulled the clone over his head to fall on the floor behind him. Kurt flipped himself back onto his feet and turned to face the clone who combat rolled to his feet also. Both of them went for their weapons but Kurt was faster by far. He had his Sig out of his holster and aimed before the clone’s hand had even reached his pistol. Kurt fired the Sig blowing the top of the Rover5’s head apart. The clone was sent backwards to land on the floor and Kurt replaced his Sig in the holster. Leaving the body where it was he walked over to the door that led to the interior of the building.
Once the door was opened he walked down the stairs that led to the Penthouse stopping before he reached the next door. Now that the jamming device had been switched off he knew he would be able to contact those left inside, particularly Able Rand.
Using his NI he contacted Rand directly, NI to NI. “Don’t react to this call in any way, your very life depends upon it,” he said. When he got no response he accessed the other’s NI to check his vital signs. From the elevated heart rate he knew that Able had received the call. To make it easier for Able to communicate with him he said, “Swallow once for yes and twice for no. Are your son and daughter on the same floor as you?”
One swallow, good. Switching from Able to both Josh and Jess, something he had never attempted before, he said, “My name is Kurt Stryder and I’m here to help. I need you to remain where you are for the moment, the man who has your father is a very dangerous man and if you interfere you could get him and yourselves hurt or worse, killed. Please allow me to do my job.”
Jess told him of her idea of using the SUT and Josh said, “Leave it Jess, let him and Mitch do their jobs.”
“Mitch, Mitch Ryan, is he there with you too?”
“Yes he’s our chief of security. He made sure everyone on this floor evacuated before he came here to us,” replied Josh.
Kurt tried to envelop Mitch in the conference call. When he knew he was also involved he said, “Mitch Ryan, I’ve read your record in Recon Delta, it’s very impressive.”
“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, I know nothing about you, not even your name,” Mitch replied.
“Kurt Stryder.”
“I have heard of you, rumours mainly from buddies of mine who still have contacts in Delta. From what they tell me you’re the new hot shot in town which means, Able’s chances of survival have just increased.”
“Curb your enthusiasm Mitch, you don’t know who we’re dealing with here and trust me you don’t want to. He’s as bad as I am good, if that makes sense?”
“It makes a great deal of sense; he’s the yin to your yang.”
“Sort of, yes so there can only be me who goes up against him because if you try to take him, you will die. I’m not bragging when I say that, it’s just a fact.”
“Okay, what do you want us to do?”
“Jess’ idea may have some merit, but we’ll only have one shot at this and the timing will be crucial so you’ll have to be ready.”
“Don’t worry about us, we’ll do what we have to,” Mitch said speaking for them all.
“Okay, here’s what you need to do.”
26
General Sinclair heard the alarm blast through the HQ and reached for his service weapon from the draw in his desk, a Sig P999 in a soft leatherine holster. Through his NI he accessed th
e computer to see what had triggered the alarm. When he received the signal from the video feed delivered directly to his visual cortex he was shocked to see the Rover5’s leading the three huge octo-felines inside the upper complex. As he was placing the weapon around his waist the door to his office opened and Matt walked in.
“Sir we’re under attack,” he said. He looked at the general’s face while he read the reports from the computer.
“Yes we are,” Sinclair replied, he then passed on the video signal to his NI making him also aware of the severity of the threat. After a pause he went on with, “It seems that this may be their endgame. Everything that has gone on before this has been setting us up for this attack.”
“We’d better get the rest of the staff out of here so we can defend it properly sir,” Matt said with grim determination.
“Initiate the evacuation protocols then see who is available to form a defence force.”
“Copy that sir,” Matt said.
Zara appeared at the door then, she had been on her way up from the firing range after Kurt had left her there when the alarm had sounded. She had rushed up to Sinclair’s office just in time to see Matt enter.
“What’s going on?” she said bursting through the door.
“We’re under attack,” he said and he included her into the video loop shared by him and Matt, it was the fastest way to bring her up to speed and he needed her at her best, now more than ever. “This has been their plan all along. We have to get everyone out so we can defend the HQ,” Sinclair said as he saw her eyes focus after receiving the signal.
