by Tara Ellis
Two of the four support troops sent with us will stay on the outside perimeter for containment, while the other two will advance inside with the rest of us. This is supposed to be nothing more than a high-tech lab solely for Professor Hassan. During the day there is a small assortment of personnel and minimal guards in order to prevent suspicion. The one thing we’re counting on is the belief that he actually lives in the basement of the building, in the restricted access portion. This is based on reports that he has never been seen coming or going, although our man on the maintenance team arrives at five-thirty in the morning and often works twelve to fourteen-hour shifts. While food and supplies come in on a regular basis, nothing ever goes out, including the professor. He suspected he might possibly be down there, but was never able to confirm it because of the lack of movement.
The story Seth’s friend gave matches up with that. He claims to know one of the lab techs and saw him last month on his way from headquarters up North to another key Mudameere cell down in Utah. He said there’s an important scientist that lives here and it’s all very hush-hush. That’s it. But when compared with the other info already gathered, it’s enough for us to take a chance and make a move while we still can.
I catch up easily to Seth and the other two before they reach the door, constantly scanning the long wall of the three-story cement building. It’s isolated in a remote, wooded region. No doubt it was selected for just this reason, and I have no idea what it was used for before. I guess it doesn’t matter, but there are plenty of places for adversaries to be lurking, so I really hope our information is at least somewhat reliable.
Missy and Benuk start pulling equipment out of a bag and go to work on dismantling and disengaging the keypad and coded lock on the door. It’s dimly illuminated, so the building must have power. However, all of the windows are dark.
Placing a hand on Baxter’s back, I close my eyes and carefully reach out. I’m surprised and disappointed that I haven’t sensed any more Shiners. That would have made this much easier. I could have just taken control of them and followed their lead. Or even simpler, get them to lead the professor out so that we wouldn’t have to go in. I’m counting on manipulating him at some point, so the longer we go without my making contact, the less likely this mission has of being a success.
Approximately ten minutes later, I hear the tell-tale clunk of the deadbolt disengaging. Although it sounds loud to me, I know that Chris is possibly the only other one to hear it. The virus improved his hearing, but not as much as mine. Looking at the device, now in several pieces on the ground, I wonder how much we’ve all learned in the past eight months. I’m not sure if Missy can see me smiling at her in the faint moonlight but she grins.
I pull the door open and slip through. I swing to the left, and Seth moves to the right, intending to clear the space before the others follow. It’s a good thing I come in low and fast because I nearly run head-on into a large, dark-clad man. It’s likely he was about to open the door, perhaps drawn by what little noise we made.
He isn’t a Shiner. I determine all of this in an instant, and I’m on him just as fast. We’re too close for guns, and I have to silence him before he can raise an alarm. Reacting instinctively, I wrap myself around the startled man and snap his neck before he utters a sound. Both of us fall to the ground and I roll away, bringing my rifle up and completing the sweep as I try and keep from vomiting. I’ve shot my fair share of Shiners and Mudameere, but I’ve never killed anyone with my bare hands. I know without a doubt that the sound will wake me up at night for the rest of my life.
Seth motions the rest of our team in, and they pause to look at the crumpled body, his head off at an odd angle. I fight to control my rising panic at what I’ve been forced to become and avoid the questioning gaze of my best friend. Instead, I find Chris and move close to his side so we can talk in hushed tones.
“Something isn’t right, Chris,” I say to him. “I’m still not sensing any other Shiners in here, but they must have security. Why wouldn’t they use Shiners? I have no way of knowing now what might be downstairs. I think this mission might be compromised.”
He hesitates, considering what I’ve said. Ultimately, the decision to continue or not rests on him. He’s in charge. “No,” he says louder than necessary. “We move ahead. Quitting isn’t an option.”
The two soldiers, as well as Nate and Kyle, start to move toward our next goal, a stairwell in the corner. I remain in front of Chris, blocking his way. I don’t know how well he can see in the murky darkness, but my glowing eyes are easy for him to lock onto. The rage I see creep into his expression at the realization I might challenge his authority is shocking. The Chris I knew back in Omak wouldn’t have cared. He would have listened to my concerns and based our actions on the best ultimate outcome and likelihood of success.
Turning abruptly from him, I head for the stairs. Seth grabs hold of my arm as I pass by him. “Alex! If you think we shouldn’t-”
Yanking my arm away, I push his back, forcing him ahead of me. “Just shut up and do what he says, Seth. This is on him now,” I mumble, deciding I can’t take on any other battles right now.
I wince when the door creaks, hoping it’s not nearly as loud to anyone else. Baxter and I enter first, slowly creeping downward. About halfway to the bottom, I pause and reach out again, searching for any sign of either Shiners or the professor. Nothing. Baxter suddenly starts a low growl, and I immediately shush him. What could he be sensing that I’m not? Wait. There: the faint sound of footsteps fading away below us. I give Baxter a good scratch behind the ears in acknowledgment of a job well done.
Seth joins us in the narrow space, and I hold up one finger close to his face so he can see it. I then point it to the right and indicate that I’ve got it. When we reach the bottom, I move silently up behind the retreating man and drop him with one shot from about twenty feet away. The silencer on my AR is good for many more shots than I’ll hopefully ever need tonight. I check to make sure he’s down for good and then go back to where Seth is waiting for me.
“It’s clear,” is all I say, my voice flat.
Chris, Nate, Kyle, Missy, and Benuk make their way into the service hallway, leaving the last of our armed soldiers to guard the entrance. At least this area is lit by faint, red emergency lighting, so now I’m not the only one who can see. All we know about the basement is that this hallway runs the whole perimeter, with supply closets scattered along the outside wall. The only other door on the inside wall that I can see is near us and has a fresh coat of white paint and red words stenciled across the middle that says ‘Restricted Access’. It’s fitted with another keypad, and Missy starts taking screws out of it.
We knew there would be one guard circling this hallway, but I’m not convinced there aren’t others. Kyle and Nate will remain here to make sure.
This security lock takes Missy longer, and the tension is mounting by the time she gets it open. The five of us move into the inner chamber without incident. It seems to be a foyer with three other entries into the labs. Everyone looks to me and so I try again to pick up on any sort of sign that we’re not alone.
Holding onto Baxter, I do my best to block out everything else and focus on expanding my reach. The professor has to be here! Farther … just … a … little … My eyes snap open and I gasp involuntarily.
“He’s here!” I announce, both relieved and confused. “But I can’t get to him.”
“What do you mean, you can’t get to him?” Chris demands.
“I don’t know Chris! I can feel his presence somewhere nearby, but it’s almost like he has his own bubble.”
“Well, that’s odd,” Seth says evenly. Suddenly, the unmistakable, hollow thud of a silencer being fired twice comes from outside in the hallway where Nate and Kyle are stationed.
Chris slips back out and reappears less than a minute later. “Two more guards,” he explains matter-of-factly. “They were neutralized.”
“Are we ready to re-think
this approach yet?” Seth asks, turning to Chris.
“Absolutely not!” Chris barks. “Benuk, you’ll stay out here. The rest of us will start with the middle door. It’s the only one with any light coming out of it.” He’s right. The other two are dark while that one has a thin line of radiance seeping out from around the edges.
I try the handle and it turns easily under my hand. As expected, Seth and I go first, leading the way for Missy and Chris. We’re in what appears to be the outer workings of a large lab. It’s empty, so we move cautiously across the room toward the only other door on the opposite wall. It has a fogged glass window in it, and there is clearly a light on behind it. It’s not quite nine at night, so it wouldn’t be surprising to find someone in here, instead of any living quarters.
As I reach for the knob, Chris stops me with a hand on my shoulder. Looking back at him, he indicates that he’ll remain in the outer room to cover our backs, while the three of us proceed. Missy might be needed for other locked entries, while Seth and I are the most effective firepower. Baxter is, as always, by my side and I consider telling him to stay here. However, if the professor really is in the room beyond, I might need his help in gaining control of him because, for some reason, he’s stronger than any other Shiner I’ve encountered.
As I suspected, this inner sanctum is filled with large machines and computers similar to what I found in the professor’s basement. Many of them are humming, a soft blue light radiating from within. I look first at Seth and then Missy before motioning for them to move forward. Baxter doesn’t need an explanation.
The machinery becomes louder the deeper we go, but underneath it, I begin to pick up on another kind of sound. We haven’t gone far before I stop them and strain to pick out what it is. I can sense the professor even more now and I’m sure he’s got to be close. I can’t see past a bank of huge cabinets, but I suspect there is an office space on the other side, because someone is having a whispered conversation.
I put a hand out to stop Missy, pointing at my eyes to indicate she needs to stay and watch for danger. Waving Seth on, we make our way around the furniture.
Sure enough, there’s an office area with three desks and a couple of chairs. There are two men standing, and as they turn toward us, one of them automatically goes for the gun on his hip. Although my weapon is already trained on them, I hesitate when I see who the adversary is. Seth, on the other hand, does not and I cringe as he shoots his own father in the chest.
THIRTY
Rushing forward, I kick the dropped pistol away from Nossor Busiri, a Mudameere cell leader, and Baxter sniffs suspiciously at him. I’m already chastising myself for forcing Seth to be the one to do this. Looking back, I find he’s shifted his attention to Professor Hassan, and his face is an unreadable mask.
“Over here, Professor,” he orders evenly. I’m unprepared for how my old friend looks. He must have lost nearly fifty pounds. His previously plump frame is now merely skin and bones, and his face is gaunt under his completely gray beard. Looking back and forth between the two of us, he doesn’t necessarily appear confused, but neither is he confident. As a Shiner, I would expect him to be. But his eyes are glowing dimly in the subdued light.
“As you say,” he finally answers. He steps over the moaning form of Nossor on his way to Seth’s side. Seth grabs him roughly by the forearms when he’s near enough and slaps on a pair of cuffs, securing his hands in front of him. “These are unnecessary, young man,” he informs Seth, without emotion.
“Sure, whatever you say, Doc,” Seth replies sarcastically before coming to stand next to me, pulling the professor behind him. “Will he live?” he asks me as he looks down at his father.
“I don’t know, Seth.” It’s obvious the wound to his chest is serious, but he’s still conscious.
“Seth. You’re … alive,” the man gasps, looking up at Seth with ice-blue eyes that match his son’s. “Why?” he manages to mutter before passing out.
“Because you gave me no choice,” Seth says quietly. He shoves the professor toward me before picking up his father’s limp body. With some effort he hoists him on his shoulder and then looks back at me, his cheek streaked with his father’s blood. “If he lives, he’ll be the highest ranking prisoner we’ve ever taken.”
Not waiting for a response from me, he trudges back the way we came, his dad’s head bobbing against his back with each step. Taking a deep breath to center myself, I turn to Professor Hassan and grasp his arm.
“We’ve got to go now,” I explain, guiding him along. “Is Susan here somewhere?” His wife, Susan, isn’t part of our primary goal, but if she is in this building I will do all I can to retrieve her.
“Susan? Why would she be here, Alex? There would be no benefit in that. She isn’t a scientist. I didn’t think to ask where they took Susan, so I can’t answer the question.”
My throat clenches at the stark explanation and I have no doubt now that the professor is a Shiner. Still, there is something about his demeanor that’s off, but I can’t figure out what it is. It doesn’t matter, I tell myself, trying to keep focused. There’ll be plenty of time for that later.
Baxter whines longingly at the man, likely remembering his original owner and the time they spent together. Nudging at his secured hands with his nose as we walk, I note the lack of response from Hassan, which causes Baxter to run ahead.
Missy is looking at me wide-eyed, and I motion for her to follow behind us and cover our backs. The four of us quickly make our way out to where Chris is waiting. He smiles when he sees that our mission has been successful. With barely a second-look at Nossor, spins on his heel and leads the way.
When we reach Benuk, Chris directs him to take control of Professor Hassan. Benuk quickly determines that it’ll be faster for him to carry the professor so he picks him up as if he were a child and easily tosses him onto his back. Hassan makes some remark about how unnecessary it all is, but Chris tells him to be quiet.
This allows me to regain my proper team role as our lethal protection, and I fall back with Missy, who has taken over for Seth. Our retreating group joins Nate and Kyle who, without question, lead the way up the stairs. Baxter seems eager to get back outside and abandons his normal spot near me to trail close behind them.
As they disappear onto the first floor, Chris follows, and then Seth, who struggles up the steep stairwell with his father. Missy and I wait behind Benuk in the service hallway, watching to the left and right for signs of anyone approaching.
“You really shouldn’t take me up there,” the professor says. His face is turned sideways into Benuk’s broad back, and his cuffed wrists hang forward awkwardly so that Benuk can hold them. He looks like a kid getting a contorted piggy-back ride and I feel bad, knowing how ashamed the real professor would be.
“I’m sorry sir, but that is the only option right now,” Benuk whispers. The older man tries to object but is shushed.
Seth makes it to the top and then gives the all-clear sign for Benuk. Missy and I advance to the bottom of the stairs as he carries the professor up. It appears we are going to be successful, but I’m still plagued by a feeling that something is wrong. In spite of the four guards we encountered, this has been too easy. Why the lack of security? I expected it to be crawling with Shiners. Yet I continue not to sense any aside from the professor and the ones out front.
I’m about to voice my concern when a loud alarm starts to sound, piercing through the compound and echoing in the small space we’re confined in. Something on Hassan must have triggered it. I see awareness cross Benuk’s face as he looks back at us. He lunges up the remaining steps just as a hidden fire door slams across the opening. It connects solidly with his right shoulder and there’s a sickening crunching noise as it pins him momentarily in the space, Professor Hassan safely in the void created. If it weren’t for Benuk’s massive size and density, due to his Nephume heritage, he would surely be crushed. But he somehow manages to pull himself and the professor through, before the
heavy metal door crashes home.
Cut-off, Missy and I look at each other in the almost total darkness. Knowing she can hardly see, I take her firmly by the arms and lead her back out into the dim hallway. Looking both ways, I note that all three prone bodies of the guards are to the right. “This way!” I tell Missy, and we turn in the opposite direction.
“So that was why they didn’t have more security down here,” Missy says, breathlessly trying to keep pace with me.
“Yeah,” I agree. “They didn’t need it. He was locked in, and so they only needed outside containment. But I still don’t understand why they don’t have Shiners down here for extra measure.”
I hear two distinct voices and footsteps ahead of us and put out an arm to stop Missy. She drops to a crouch while I silently sprint ahead. Rounding the corner, I shoot both of the armed Mudameere before they even realize I’m here.
I go back to Missy and wave her on. As we come up on the next bend, I know we’re close to another stairwell and the main entrance. Just as I see the glowing exit sign, I also sense what I’ve been waiting for all night. Smiling, I turn to my friend. “Shiners!” I tell her, and then reach out with confidence to envelop them.
There are two shots from above as the Shiners take care of the remaining Mudameere on the first floor. A moment later, after opening the identical fire door at this end, six Shiners walk down into the hallway and line up in front of me.
“I’m going to have them surround us, Missy,” I explain to her. “They can shield us as we run out the front door and head for the extraction rendezvous point. It shouldn’t be far from here. We just run out past the far corner of the building and toward the tree line.” She looks stunned, but nods in understanding and follows me without question.
