The Fourth Law

by Paul Stein

  He took a deep breath and continued, fully committed to his course of action. “I realize I’m going to jail when this is all over, but I’ll do it on my terms with a clear conscience that I spared nothing that could have saved my family…even if it costs my life. If you were in my shoes, maybe you’d understand. Shoot me if you must…but I’m leaving. Good luck, David,” he said conclusively.

  Ryan slid into the driver’s seat, started the car, and slowly drove away, leaving Morris standing alone on the side of the road. He didn’t have a clue where his determination came from; there seemed to be an untapped reservoir of strength within him, granting immeasurable courage, blind faith, and mystical protection from danger. It was like a metaphysical force pushed him inexorably forward, breaking down barriers, smashing obstacles that blocked his way. Jarrod had sacrificed himself to identify Jer’s kidnappers. It was time to repay that debt and reunite his family. Ryan felt an unrecognizable power coursing through his body; destiny lay ahead. I can’t let Jarrod down.

  Morris stood on the side of the road, gun drawn, watching as the Navigator’s taillights slowly receded. Good luck, you crazy son-of-a-bitch, he thought. You’re on your own, Mr. Marshall.

  But somehow he didn’t figure luck had anything to do with Marshall’s fate. Ryan’s tenacity and perseverance were immeasurable. Never had he encountered anyone with such stubborn and unwavering determination. He secretly admired the Marshalls and hoped whatever they had going for them would last a while longer. I hope I’m not attending a funeral when this is all over, he mused.

  Morris’s only priority now was to get to the men in the Kenworth and impede their progress. He imagined they were awaiting a signal that the coast was clear before advancing their mission.

  Morris opened the satchel and put on the night-vision goggles. The Foxfire mic would be useless from this range but he hooked it up anyway. He grabbed a couple of ammo clips and stuffed them in his back pockets for easy access. Starting out he climbed a barbed-wire fence to allow making a wide circle back to the truck. He covered the distance in just a few minutes.

  When he arrived, Morris could hear the low rumble of the diesel engine still idling, but noticed that only the driver was still inside. The passenger had exited the vehicle and was standing inside the bed of the truck. He looked to be positioning a sniper rifle on top of the cab. Hell’s bells, not a moment too soon.

  Morris gave the truck a wide berth and slinked back across the barbed wire fence, coming at it from the rear. Protocol dictated he take out the sniper first and then handle the driver. If done in reverse, he chanced drawing deadly fire from the sniper. He thought about simply shooting the tires from the darkened field, but this tactic would risk setting both men free, making them increasingly difficult to apprehend. Sniper first.

  He moved cautiously, creeping steadily toward the back of the truck, hoping to surprise the sniper before he could retaliate.

  “Police officer! Hold it right there, mister,” Morris shouted, stepping sprightly onto the bumper at the back of the truck, but keeping the thick steel tailgate between him and the sniper. “One twitch and I’ll shoot you where you stand.”

  The sniper froze, completely caught off-guard, assessing his next move.

  “Tell your partner to exit the truck with his hands over his head,” Morris barked, realizing it would be impossible for him to cover both men from his position. “If either of you makes a false move, I won’t hesitate to shoot.”

  “Easy, mister,” Tom Starkovich replied. “I don’t want any trouble, but I’ve got a strict timetable…if we don’t respond on schedule, some hostages will be eliminated.”

  “Yes, I know all about your man back at Wildcat and the hostages. Unfortunately for him, he’s missing his head and the police are on their way,” Morris said smugly. “Now if you’ll slowly put your hands on your head and back away from the rifle, we’ll step down…real easy like.”

  The man in Morris’s sights reluctantly complied, placing his hands on his head, keeping his back exposed. He yelled to his partner, “Emil, we’ve got problems. Step out of the truck. There’s a man holding a gun on me. He wants your hands visible…do as he says.”

  Morris heard the truck door open but the next few seconds compressed as if the laws of time and space were suspended. Everything happened instantaneously. As the driver stepped from the truck, the shooter took a quick step back and swung around, firing a barrage of bullets from a compact automatic weapon concealed on the front of his black vest. Morris ducked instinctively behind the protective steel gate but kept his hand over the top and blindly returned the man’s fire.

  At the same time the driver exited the cab and began shouting, “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot! I’m unarmed.”

  Morris knew he’d hit the sniper, but it didn’t seem to stop him. There was no way he could have missed him firing six shots into the tight confines of the dump truck. And then it dawned on him: He’s wearing a vest. He heard the man’s spent clip hit the steel bed of the truck and another snap into place. Morris retreated, taking cover underneath the truck, and waited for the man to climb down. Lying flat on his stomach, he looked around, but he’d lost sight of the driver. There was no way to verify the man’s claim to be unarmed. One thing at a time…concentrate!

  He fired off two well-aimed shots into the front tires, which audibly wheezed as the truck slumped to the ground. Having immobilized the truck gave Morris more leverage over the shooter, still hidden up top inside the dump bed. “Give it up, mister. You’re trapped. You can’t get past me. Let’s be reasonable,” he urged, buying time and calculating the possibilities.

  “Can’t do it, sir,” Starkovich replied. “There’s too much depending on my unit.”

  Morris picked up two important details from the man’s response. First, his comportment suggested he was military-trained and therefore a professional. And second, judging from the strain in the man’s voice, he could tell the shooter had been hit. I’ve got the advantage.

  “Whatever your mission, it’s over,” Morris said. “You’ve been hit; I can hear it in your voice. I’ve been tracking you guys since the Quantum job. You’re done…give it up.”

  “Sorry, sir, I’ve got to take this all the way. It’s just you against two of us and I’ve got the high ground.”

  “That may be, but reinforcements are on the way,” Morris lied, buying time. “You can’t win.”

  “We’ll see about that, sir.”

  Damnit! Where’s the other guy?

  SIXTY-SEVEN

  FORT KNOX DEPOSITORY

  EVERYTHING WAS IN PLACE: Terry Ventura completed the overhead electrical connection and the antigravity machine was ready to power up; Mills had the computers running and the microwave dish was extended and focused on the closest perimeter guard tower; the initiation sequence was the last step to complete. On Kilmer’s order, Mills began turning the large orange dial and the nuclear core started spinning inside the generator housing. Jarrod Conrad had only to enable the flow of gravitrons with his laptop equations. History was about to be made.

  “Righto, yer on, Professor,” Kilmer said, roughly grabbing Jarrod’s arm and forcefully dragging him toward the control console. “No bullshit! Ya squib out, and yer rellies are dead.”

  “I know, Chief,” Jarrod scoffed, unable to simply acquiesce to Kilmer’s insufferable bullying. “I promised to cooperate…that’s my intention.”

  Then Jarrod raised his eyebrows, looking excited. “Actually, I’m just as interested as anyone to see if the antigravity generator you boys fashioned will handle the load. As I’ve said, there’s no empirical evidence to support how the machine will respond. We could be signing a death warrant for everyone within fifty miles of this base.”

  “Whatever, wisearse…git yer bum to work,” Kilmer said, figuring this was Conrad’s last-ditch effort to drag his feet. He grabbed Conrad by the collar, speaking loudly over the din of the machine. “Just like we planned—first, blast the fencin’ to cripple
the guard towers. Then clock the buildin’. Give it all she’s got…flatten everythin’. When ya spot the dumper, clear a path to the vault. If the bludger won’t open, keep blastin’ ’til she does. Git me, Professor?”

  “Perfectly. Now leave me be…” Jarrod replied, brushing back Kilmer’s grip and stepping onto the ladder. You bet your ass we’re clear. Wait ’til he gets a load of what’s coming….

  Jarrod arrived at the console and waited for Mills to vacate the seat. As he did so, Rafie Nuzam whispered something in his ear. It sounded like: “Do as you’re told…don’t worry…help is on the way.”

  Jarrod paused, looking quizzical, unsure if he’d heard right. This man had never once shown any reticence to carrying out Kilmer’s demands. How was it that he would now be offering encouragement? Jarrod figured he must surely have mistaken his comment. But as he opened his mouth to question what the man said, Rafie placed a surreptitious finger to his lips, warning against further discussion.

  “Do your job now, Professor. Don’t hold anything back,” Rafie said loudly with an indiscernible wink.

  Jarrod was more confused than ever. He could have sworn the man said ‘help is on the way’…but he’s still encouraging me to do all I can with the machine?

  Jarrod sat behind the console and began surveying the multiple dials and technical information spewing from the computer’s sequencing mechanism. The focal array and actuating arm on the dish were pointed squarely at the closest guard tower. With a few minor calculations he was about to send a stream of gravitrons and tons of gravitational force down upon the men in this tower. The lives of Sela and Ryan’s family were at stake—he had only one choice. God help me. I’ll make Kilmer pay for this.

  Mills had linked the laptop containing the proprietary equations into the main computer. Conrad began tuning the orange and green dials, adjusting the spin and the electrical throughput to the nuclear core. When he did so, the core cycles began spinning faster and the same audible low-pitched hum indicated gravitrons were beginning to flow. He turned the main dial incrementally, increasing the intensity while at the same time keeping a steady eye on the central monitor. This showed that the beam of gravitrons was focused squarely at the guard tower.

  Suddenly, a flurry of activity erupted from the towers—sparks flew, lasers randomly cut across the landscape, and staccato machinegun fire spit lead in random directions. The vaunted Fort Knox surveillance system was under attack. The depository was brilliantly illuminated with millions of lumens of bright light, hidden sensors programmatically scanning for the source of the breach.

  As previously planned, when the first guard tower had been decimated, Jarrod now expanded the aperture of the device so the wave of positive gravitrons would pressurize the entire front of the complex. A few mathematical adjustments later and Jarrod turned up the intensity to three-quarter throttle, the beam refocusing, resulting in an even bigger response.

  The outcome was staggering: Dozens of hidden landmines and gun emplacements were activated by the increased gravitational pressure. The landmines exploded in a magnificent shower of energy. The area around the depository was still lit, and shrieking high-decibel sirens pierced the night air. There was no doubt the depository was under heavy attack.

  “Stark, mobilize…I repeat, mobilize…” Kilmer said, giving the command for the transport team to advance. “The op’s goin’ down now…confirm.”

  There was a long, unexpected pause. It was uncharacteristic of Starkovich not to immediately confirm the message. “Stark, confirm, goddamnit…mobilize yer arse now!”

  “No joy…I repeat, no joy. I’m pinned down, Boss,” came Stark’s unwelcome response.

  Kilmer felt like he’d been hit by a sledgehammer. He couldn’t believe his ears. No joy was their code for being under heavy fire, trapped, or unable to respond as planned. His forces were cut off; the mission was blown. More troubling was the deadly realization that even with an immediate evacuation, there was no way to outrun a heavily armed assault in the Peterbilt. They were sitting ducks. Fuckin’ Holloway. We’re dead.

  Ryan Marshall was speeding toward the Fort Knox security gate in sheer panic. He feared he was too late—the invasion had already begun. The sky ahead was ablaze with showers of multicolored explosions reminiscent of an Independence Day fireworks display.

  He bolted out of the vehicle, rushing to the guardhouse, giving every appearance of a man who had lost his mind.

  A startled MP stepped from the guardhouse and held Ryan at gunpoint. The guards couldn’t fathom yet another demand for entry so close on the heels of the past two incidents; the top-secret delivery and then the DOD agents were clearly enough excitement for one night. They were in no mood for Ryan’s reckless frontal assault, irrespective of whatever role he might have in the exercise.

  “Stop or I’ll shoot!” the MP ordered, having drawn his weapon to assess this latest threat.

  “Listen to me!” Ryan screamed. “The base is under attack! The men you just let through have a machine to steal the gold,” he ranted. “This isn’t a joke…you’ve got to believe me. There’s no time…come with me, please…see for yourself,” he pleaded.

  The MP didn’t budge or hesitate. He kept his weapon aimed steadily at Ryan’s chest. “It’s a training exercise, sir. We know all about it. A major brought the load through. General Hershey authorized the whole thing. I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but you won’t get past this gate,” he announced, looking like he had every intention of stopping Ryan regardless of the amount of force necessary.

  Ryan’s behavior became more troublesome for the MP. He continued acting irrationally, screeching, waving his arms, and pacing in front of the gate despite having a Rugar covering him the entire time. “Listen to me…it’s not a training exercise! It’s an attack...we’ve got to get in there right now!”

  “Sir, stop! Put your hands on the vehicle,” the first MP shouted, keeping his weapon trained on Ryan while his partner cautiously approached, dangling a set of handcuffs.

  As soon as the MP put a hand on Ryan’s wrist, he spun around, grabbing the Glock from under his shirt, and put it forcefully to the young man’s head.

  “I am not joking around here, boys,” he said, measurably calmer, having gained some leverage over the situation. “Now open the gate. I’ve come too far to get stopped now. Follow me if you want, but I’m going through.” Ryan marched closer toward the first MP, holding the Glock to his partner’s temple. “Open the gate!”

  David Morris lay underneath the Kenworth, waiting expectantly for the injured man to step down. He rolled over on his back to facilitate scanning the area; by tipping his head back, he could see more easily in all directions. He figured the man inside the dump bed couldn’t get past, but his partner could easily shoot him where he lay. His only alternative was to lie flat, keeping a low profile. His heart was pounding; the tension was palpable. He had no backup and couldn’t call for reinforcements. How the hell did I get in this predicament?

  “You’re out of time, mister,” Morris shouted. “Give yourself up… I’ve got all night. No need to die out here,” he said, doing his best to encourage surrender.

  There was no response. The night was calm; there wasn’t a breath of wind. The only sound rustling came from thousands of cicadas, their melodious buzzing resonating through the open fields. The truck above Morris shuttered slightly under the shooter’s footsteps. It sounded like he might be slithering over the side, bracing to jump down and commence another assault. Morris steeled himself for this possibility, keeping his attention on the back of the truck. Then it sounded more like the man was climbing on top of the cab; he moved his head back and forth, hoping to detect the man’s position.

  Automatic gunfire rang out, disturbing the otherwise tranquil evening. When it stopped, the cicadas were also deathly silent. Dust from bullets hitting the dry ground permeated the air. The man was indeed standing atop the cab of the truck and had fired along both sides, hoping to disorient
Morris, believing this tactic would hasten his escape. While the gunfire was clearly unnerving, Morris kept his composure, undeterred by the man’s desperate attempt to flush him from beneath the truck. Then he heard one of the most shocking and unexpected statements imaginable.

  “Stop! Enough already!” a man’s voice vigorously yelled. Morris presumed he was the same man who had earlier fled from the truck. He had professed to be unarmed, which now indeed seemed to be the case.

  “Emil, get back. This is none of your affair. If you want to see your family again…do as you’re told,” Starkovich ordered. Morris could once again hear the strain in the man’s voice.

  “No! I’m done with this,” Emil replied. “When Alastair promised to cancel the debt I owe him, I never thought my help included accessory to murder. I’m drawing the line…you can’t keep killing people.”

  Morris recognized that the diversion was his opportunity to act. He figured the shooter was focused briefly on his partner. If he acted swiftly, he might regain the upper hand. He rolled over to the opposite side of the truck from where Emil was standing.

  He jumped up behind the shooter, leveling his weapon. “It’s over, mister,” he shouted. “You’re covered…drop the gun and put your hands behind your head. Don’t make this any worse.”

  Unfortunately, Tom Starkovich chose not to go down without a fight. He moved surprisingly fast even though a bullet had torn through his left knee in the previous gun battle. Stark spun on his good leg, strafing automatic fire in a wide arc across his body. It was his last desperate act, unable to get turned far enough to bring the deadly fire upon his foe.