Rebels & Lies

by Brian Cotton

  ***

  Paxton applied the brake on the USR van inside the Precinct 28 parking garage. He left the engine running just in case. The van would not be much of a disguise if an Agent came snooping around, asking too many questions, but it would do for now. He didn’t expect Krys to be in there very long in any case. The 28 was chosen because of the multiple escape routes available to Paxton should they need to escape.

  Since this particular mission dealt with computers, Clarke insisted on joining them this time. Once again, Paxton played the role of heart breaker. He explained that Krys was very good at infiltration. All she would have to do once inside was turn over control to Clarke. He could do that from the safety of the safe house.

  Kaspar sat at the back of the van, his mask off, it rested on his shaking knee. He did not like this mission one bit. Sending Krys into a USR building, no matter how lightly guarded, all by herself. Did they want her to get killed? He watched as Krys threw on her mask, eager to get out there, to get on with what Kaspar hoped would not be a suicide mission. Why not send everyone in? He cared nothing for Paxton’s explanation that it would draw too much attention. His only care, at the present moment, was for Krys’s safety.

  “Robert,” Paxton said into his mouth piece, “we’re in position.”

  “All right, John,” Clarke said through the ear piece. “Just give me a few more seconds.”

  “Move your ass.”

  Back at the safe house, Clarke typed away at a lightening pace. He clicked his mouse around at several items. He reached the 28’s security system; his typing resumed. He reached over for a handkerchief and wiped away the beads of sweat that began to form on his forehead. Clarke then managed to fully hack into the security system after what felt like forever. He clicked around on each of the security monitors and sent each of them looping pictures of empty hallways and corridors. Clarke made the real images available to him on the second of his three monitors.

  “Good to go.” Clarke said.

  “What’s security like outside the building?” Paxton asked.

  “Alarm systems are offline. I’ve unlocked the electronic locks on all the side doors. Come on, John, you know me better than that.”

  “Good work,” Paxton said. “Keep Krys informed.”

  “Will do.”

  “Krys,” Paxton said. He turned to face her. “You’re on.”

  “Yes, sir.” Krys replied.

  Krys moved back to the double doors and swung them open. She pulled out her silenced P99 to inspect it. As she did, she felt someone grab her by the arm. She turned and faced Kaspar.

  “You be careful,” Kaspar said.

  “Don’t worry about me,” Krys said. She moved her arm from Kaspar’s grasp. “I’ll be fine.”

  Krys shut the double doors behind her. She took a deep breath then moved with a quick yet quiet pace out of the parking garage. She arrived at the target building. With her back pressed against the cool concrete, she moved sideways and turned the corner. Around the corner there was a side door that led to the main offices. One of those offices was for the archives.

  “Robby,” Krys whispered into the mouthpiece under her mask.

  “Hold on a sec,” Clarke replied.

  Clarke scanned the security monitors on his second computer screen. He saw two guards patrolling at the moment, but none of them were in position to catch Krys enter the building. There was one, however, who held a submachine gun posted in front of the door.

  “You’ve got one bogey,” Clarke’s voice said. “He’s posted right in front of that door.”

  “Copy.” Krys replied.

  Krys started to grow anxious when Clarke didn’t say another word for a moment. She started to scan the area with her eyes, awaiting a guard that was unseen to him to take her out. Her hands began to shake a bit with the increase in her heart rate. She kept her silenced pistol below her waist, gripped with both gloved hands, her right index finger rested on the trigger.

  She couldn’t take the silence any longer. “Robby?”

  “He’s still there.” Clarke said.

  Clarke kept his focus on the guard in front of the door. He tried to keep track of all the other feeds, but his main priority right now was that door. The guard stood with barely any movement. The only movement he made was to put his hand in front of his mouth while he yawned. That was good: he was tired from boredom.

  Back in the van, Kaspar’s nerves started to get the better of him. He pleaded one final time for Paxton to let them all go in, but his request was ignored. So he sat back, hands gripped to his PSD, listening with intent to his ear piece.

  Come on, Kaspar thought to himself. Move, you son of a bitch.

  Clarke watched as the guard looked to his left then to his right. The guard then moved down the hallway. Clarke was about to give the order for Krys to move in, but he paused. The guard looked back over his shoulder one last time. Clarke tapped at his lips with his fingers while he watched. He waited. The guard turned and opened a door. It shut behind him. No time to wait any longer. It was now or never…

  “Clear.” Clarke said.

  Krys slid the silver door handle down and walked through the door. She entered the lobby with her gun drawn. She did a quick sweep from left to right then headed for the archives. Her feet made little sound under a quick but steady pace. She pressed her back against the end of the wall, the men’s restroom located to her immediate left. Around the corner was the hallway which led to the archives. She needed to reach the last door to the left. She moved her covered head around the corner to get a good look at the hall. Nobody was posted there.

  “Get moving!” Clarke shouted. “Your bogey is coming out of the restroom!”

  The door creaked open. The guard walked out, looked to his left and his right and saw nobody. He moved back to his post in front of the door, yawning as he did.

  Krys’s heart rate picked up as she moved down the hallway. She caught a brief glimpse of the guard when he walked out. She was lucky to be alive and she knew it. Her pace quickened as a result. With her silenced pistol at her waist, she kept her eyes peeled and ears glued to the ear piece. She reached the last door to the left. It read “ARCHIVES” in bold, black letters against the glass. Krys reached for the door handle. When she was inside, she made sure the door was shut as quietly as possible behind her.

  After a brief sigh of relief, Krys moved to the main computer in the back of the room. She wheeled the chair back, took a seat, and then moved the mouse. The USR insignia over took the computer screen.

  “Okay,” Krys said. “I’m in.”

  “Good,” Clarke replied. “Now, do exactly what I say.”

  “I’m all ears. Just keep your eyes on those bogies.”

  Clarke began to bark out instructions. After following his orders, Krys could see the mouse pointer move on its own. She always wondered how Clarke pulled off what was like magic to her. How he could remote link his computer to another one miles away like it was just another day at the office. She spun the chair around with her pistol in both hands, pointed at the door, ready to fire if anybody had the misfortune of walking in.

  “Krys,” Clarke said. “You need to stay focused.”

  “I’m focused on that door. You just stay focused on getting that Intel.”

  Clarke typed away at the third computer, the one remote linked to the archives. He kept looking over to the middle monitor, to ensure that no one would catch Krys by surprise. He looked around at all the files. It took him a few seconds, but he found the one he was looking for. He double clicked on it. What he saw caused his eyes to grow wide.

  “Umm, John?” Clarke said.

  “What is it?” Paxton demanded.

  “This is pretty major, just like The Committee said.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, it’s,” Clarke looked over to the middle monitor. “Oh, shit, Krys!”

  Krys jumped for her seat, her gun still aimed at the do
or.

  “What?” Krys asked.

  “You’ve got two bogey’s moving in your direction. Take that memory stick I gave you and stick it in one of USB ports. We need to download this. I have no time right now.”

  Krys pulled out the memory stick from the pouch next to her right breast. She scanned the computer for a USB port. She found it, stuck the memory stick in, then ran to the left of the room. She hid herself underneath one of the computer stations. She held her pistol up next to her cheek and waited.

  0.4…3.9…8.2…

  The doors flew open and the two guards entered the room. She could hear the sound of the feet walking against the tile floor. They were also conversing with one another. Krys could not make out what they were talking about nor did she care. She focused her mind. She had to be ready to kill these two men if circumstances called for it. Krys kept a firm grip on her pistol. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to use it.

  “Just shut up,” one of the guards said. “Go get that roster sheet off the printer for the boss.”

  Clarke’s voice was clear and steady over the ear piece. “You cannot let them see that download. They will know there’s an intruder. They will raise the alarm and you’ll never make it out of there. Take them out, now.”