Lockdown

by Peter Jay Black

  Jack nodded.

  There were several seconds of silence, then the Shepherd announced, ‘You’re going to America as planned.’

  Jack let out a breath. ‘Thank –’

  The Shepherd held up a hand. ‘You’re going to America. You’ll hunt down this Del Sarto boy and bring me the virus.’

  Jack’s chest tightened. ‘I –’

  ‘That’s not all.’ The Shepherd leant back in his chair. ‘In order to warrant return tickets, you’ll also need to do a mission for me while you’re in America.’

  ‘What kind of mission?’

  ‘I will send you details when you’re safely there.’ The Shepherd rested his hands on the table. ‘You complete that mission, and you’ll get your tickets home. And you’ll bring me the virus when you’re done. Clear?’

  Jack hesitated, then nodded. ‘Clear.’

  The Shepherd’s eyes narrowed. ‘You try to fool me again, I will hunt you down and put an end to your Urban Outlaws.’ He hit a button and the display went dark.

  Jack stared at the screen. ‘Great,’ he muttered. Now he had another enemy to deal with. As if things weren’t difficult enough.

  He switched off the tablet and stared at his reflection in the darkened screen, while he pondered his options.

  Jack’s first thought was of the others – going to America with yet another mission to complete was just too risky. Besides, there was no way he was going to bring the virus back for the Shepherd.

  Everything was moving so fast that Jack hadn’t had time to stop and think things through properly. Maybe he could go on his own. He had a passport; it was the other Outlaws who were the problem.

  Maybe Jack could find Hector in America and slow him down enough for the others to catch up once Noble had got them fake passports.

  It wouldn’t be easy, but it wasn’t impossible.

  At least with that plan they could do it without needing the Shepherd’s help.

  Jack let out a puff of air and stood up.

  Now he had to explain it to the others and hope they’d understand.

  • • •

  When Jack got back to the main bunker, Charlie, Slink and Wren were gathered around Obi’s chair, staring at the main screen.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Jack said, noticing how pale they all looked.

  Obi pointed a shaking finger at the display.

  Jack came round and stopped dead in his tracks.

  On the screen was the image of Hector standing in front of a grey wall.

  ‘Is this live?’ Jack asked Obi.

  ‘No.’ Obi pointed at the Cerberus forum logo in the corner of the display. ‘It’s secure. He’s left a recording.’ Obi swallowed. ‘And you’re not gonna like it, Jack.’ He pressed Play.

  A smug grin swept across Hector’s face. ‘This is a message for the Urban Outlaws.’ He said their name with contempt. ‘And’ – his eyes narrowed – ‘most importantly, Jack.’

  Now what was Hector up to? Jack wondered.

  Hector held up a file and fixed the camera with an icy stare. ‘Glen Draper.’

  Jack gasped and looked at the others.

  They each wore a solemn expression.

  ‘Glen Draper,’ Hector continued. ‘Your friend, Jack. Your mentor, aka Noble.’ He opened the file and his eyes skimmed the first page. ‘The man has an impressive résumé.’ He licked a finger and flipped through the sheets, scanning each in turn. ‘He’s had a very active life. Caused a lot of problems for a lot of people.’ Hector tutted. ‘Naughty. Very naughty.’ He snapped the file closed and looked at the camera again. ‘It would be a shame if these crimes caught up with him.’ The smile dropped from his face. ‘I’m sure I could invent a few new ones too.’ He paused for a long while, then said, ‘So, Jack, I suggest the Outlaws forget all about me and get on with your miserable little lives.’

  The image went dark.

  ‘We have to tell Noble,’ Charlie said.

  ‘No,’ Jack said.

  ‘What do you mean, no?’ Charlie waved a finger at the display. ‘He has to know about this.’

  ‘If we tell him,’ Jack said slowly, ‘what do you think will happen?’

  They all looked thoughtful a moment, then Obi said, ‘Noble will do something about it. He’ll go after Hector.’

  ‘Exactly,’ Jack said. ‘But that’s not a good idea. Hector has obviously managed to take apart the virus. We were too slow. Now he’s got a customised program to hack anything he wants. He has exactly what his father wanted – the ultimate hacking tool – and we need to be extra careful. That also means tracking down Hector without Noble’s help.’ Jack started pacing the bunker, trying to work out what Hector’s next move would be.

  ‘But that’s not the whole story. The reason Hector has gone after Noble is because even if he blamed a load of hacking on us, so what? Who cares? We’re always running from the police anyway. We’ve done loads of stuff that could get us into trouble. Noble, on the other hand, works for lots of legitimate companies now and if Hector sets him up he’ll lose everything he’s worked for. We can’t let that happen.’ He stopped and looked at them. ‘Right?’

  Charlie nodded. ‘What’s his plan then?’

  ‘He’s trying to force us to defend Noble. He’s set a trap.’

  ‘So what?’ Slink said.

  ‘So, Hector’s expecting us to go after him, but he thinks he’s safe in America, remember?’

  ‘We still carry on as planned though, right?’ Obi said. ‘We’re still going to New York?’

  Jack sighed and looked at the screen. ‘We don’t have a choice.’

  • • •

  RAF Hillgate was a Royal Air Force base just outside London. That night, Jack, Charlie, Obi, Slink and Wren sat on a hill overlooking the main runway. Several cargo planes were parked next to hangars and the whole place was alive with activity.

  Jack checked he had all the stuff the Shepherd had given them and he read the instructions one last time, making sure he’d remembered them correctly. Satisfied he had, Jack consulted the map on the back of the napkin. It was crude, but did appear to match up with some of the buildings inside the compound. ‘We’d better get in position,’ he said, looking at his phone. It was almost nine o’clock and the instructions were specific on timings.

  ‘And you’re absolutely sure we can trust this Shepherd guy?’ Slink said.

  ‘Nope.’ Jack took a deep breath and whispered to the others, ‘Stay close to me. All right?’

  They nodded.

  He got to his feet and walked into the trees, with everyone else following. At the bottom of the hill, they continued along a narrow path that wound through the forest. At the end, exactly as the instructions had indicated, was a metal gate in a chain-link fence.

  Jack pulled the rusty key from his pocket and tried it in the lock.

  It worked.

  He opened the gate and looked around. Mounted high on several poles he could see security cameras. He checked the map on the napkin and realised the drawn path would get them past the cameras without being spotted.

  ‘Right,’ he said, glancing at the others, ‘let’s go, and stay close – there’s no margin of error here.’

  Charlie grabbed his arm.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  She held out a hand. ‘Your phone. He said we couldn’t take anything.’

  Jack pulled the phone from his pocket and handed it to her.

  Charlie took out the battery and tossed it one way and the phone the other into the bushes.

  Jack stepped through the gate and checked no one was around.

  Then, following the layout on the map, they kept close to the fence until they reached an electrical box. They hid behind it as two military police officers walked past.

  When they were gone, Jack and the other Outlaws hurried to a small building, darted left and stopped at a side door.

  Charlie examined the electronic lock. ‘Without tools, I have no chance of getting through this.’

/>   ‘You don’t need to.’ Jack pulled the receipt out of his pocket and flipped it over. On the back were the numbers 7281. He handed it to Charlie.

  She typed in the code. A red LED flashed, then turned green.

  The lock clicked.

  Jack squinted at the map in the dim light. The path from here on was straightforward.

  He opened the door, peered inside, then gestured for Charlie and the others to go in.

  With a quick glance around to make sure no one had seen them, Jack followed them through.

  They were now standing in a wide corridor.

  ‘No cameras that I can see,’ Charlie whispered.

  Jack nodded and listened, but all was quiet. ‘Come on. This way.’

  He opened the last door on the right and peered inside.

  It was a supply room. Coats hung in neat rows, along with boots, gloves, shirts and various military uniforms.

  Jack strode to a door at the far end, opened it and peered through.

  On the other side was a huge hangar.

  He hid behind a stack of wooden boxes, and while he waited for the others to join him, he looked around.

  In the middle of the hangar was a cargo plane. The rear ramp was down and a crewman was loading crates of supplies.

  ‘That must be our flight out of here,’ Jack whispered.

  Charlie groaned. ‘Are you serious? How are we going to get on board?’

  ‘I reckon I can take that guy out.’ Slink cricked his neck. ‘There’s only one of him.’

  ‘He’s twice your size and highly trained,’ Charlie hissed. ‘You don’t stand a chance.’

  Slink winked at her. ‘Challenge accepted.’

  ‘No.’ Jack grabbed Slink’s shoulder and peered over the crates. ‘Just wait. We don’t need to do anything.’

  In the corner of the hangar was an office with its door open. Inside was a desk with a phone, two chairs and a clock on the wall.

  Jack squinted. ‘If that clock’s right, then . . .’

  The phone started to ring.

  The crewman put down the box he was carrying and marched over to the office.

  Jack grinned at the others as a huge sense of relief washed over him. ‘See?’ The Shepherd had kept his word and the plan was working.

  The crewman picked up the phone and turned his back on the door.

  ‘Go,’ Jack hissed, and the five of them sprinted to the plane and up the ramp.

  Inside were several large metal containers.

  Jack pulled the last item from his pocket – the picture. He checked the numbers on the containers until he found the one that matched. ‘This is it.’

  Slink swung the handle down and opened it.

  For a few seconds, everyone stared inside.

  There were five metal upright beds fixed to the walls. Strapped to each bed was a harness, an oxygen tank and a mask.

  ‘He has got to be kidding,’ Charlie muttered.

  They heard footfalls behind them – the crewman was returning.

  ‘Quick,’ Jack whispered.

  The Outlaws stepped into the container, and as soon as Jack had helped Slink push the door closed, a red light came on inside.

  Charlie examined the seal, then the door itself.

  ‘What do you make of it?’ Jack whispered.

  ‘Whoever modified this knew what they were doing. It’s airtight, the walls are insulated and . . .’ Charlie pointed up at a small heater mounted above the door frame.

  Jack nodded and motioned for them to strap themselves into their respective beds.

  ‘We’ve got to fly all the way there standing up?’ Obi whispered.

  Jack held up a hand and turned his ear to the door. He could hear voices outside. Other crewmen must have joined the first. Did they know the Outlaws were inside the crate?

  Jack braced himself, but to his relief a deep vibration started beneath his feet.

  He turned to the others again. ‘They’re raising the ramp,’ he hissed. ‘Hurry.’

  Just then, the unmistakable roar of the engines fired up.

  Jack jabbed a finger at the beds. ‘Now.’

  With obvious reluctance, Obi, Wren and Slink strapped themselves in.

  Charlie was still examining the door to the crate.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Jack whispered.

  ‘There’s no way to open this from the inside,’ she said, running her fingers along the seal. She stepped back. ‘We’re trapped in here.’

  The floor lurched and Jack and Charlie staggered backwards.

  ‘Too late. We’re moving.’ Jack helped secure Charlie into her upright bed then strapped himself into his own.

  The bed was surprisingly comfortable. Well, for now at least. Part of the padded straps went under his arms and held his shoulders back.

  How long would the flight take? Jack thought. Six hours? Ten? Longer?

  After a few minutes, the plane turned sharply to the right and came to a sudden halt.

  Charlie lowered her mask. ‘Runway,’ she mouthed.

  Jack nodded and glanced at the others. Obi and Wren looked panicked, but Slink seemed positively excited.

  Jack pulled the oxygen mask over his face and tried to pretend he was somewhere else, not about to be propelled thousands of feet into the air.

  The engines roared, vibrating the metal container around them, and the plane lunged forward.

  Green lights flicked on above each of the oxygen tanks and there was a hissing sound as their masks filled.

  Jack took deep breaths, allowing air to fill his lungs.

  Suddenly a strange tingling sensation came over him. He looked over at the others. Slink was frowning at his hands and flexing them.

  Wren’s eyes closed and she slumped forward in her harness. A second later, so did Obi.

  Jack’s vision started to blur. He tried to reach up to his mask, but he couldn’t – no matter what signals he tried to send to his arms, they just stayed limp by his sides.

  Jack watched helplessly as Charlie and Slink passed out too, and before he had time to really panic, his world turned to darkness.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Jack heard the faint rhythm of his own breathing.

  I’m alive, he thought, with detached relief.

  Groggy, he tried to open his eyes, but he couldn’t – his eyelids felt as though they were filled with lead.

  There was a rumbling engine noise, this one quieter than the plane’s. There was a thunk against one side of the container and Jack felt them lurch backwards.

  They bumped along, and after another minute or so the container tipped forward again and this was followed by a scraping sound.

  Lorry, he thought. Someone had loaded the container on to a lorry and was now taking them to the rendezvous point.

  Or so he hoped.

  Jack felt a hint of panic as he vaguely wondered whether everything had gone to plan.

  Were they in America? They could be in any country in the world for all he knew.

  Before he could think any more about it, blackness engulfed him again.

  • • •

  Warm red light cut through the darkness, and this time Jack felt his body slowly come back to life.

  Keeping his eyes closed, he flexed each muscle in turn, mentally checking each limb off: feet, legs, hands, arms, shoulders . . . As far as he could tell, all seemed to be intact and working.

  Finally Jack managed to open his eyes and he blinked a few times.

  Charlie, Obi, Slink and Wren were still in their harnesses, strapped to their upright beds, and were waking up too.

  Jack shook off the remaining grogginess and looked at the door to the container. It was closed, but there was no sound of engines or movement on the other side of it.

  For a few minutes, everyone was still, listening.

  Suddenly there was clattering and a heavy grinding noise, followed by the sound of an engine, but one less powerful than before – a car perhaps?

  Jack signalled to
the others and they all released their harnesses and stepped from the upright beds.

  He glanced at the container door, then at Charlie. ‘What do you think?’ he whispered.

  ‘Nothing we can do,’ she whispered back. ‘We can’t get out of here until someone opens it from the other side.’

  Jack assumed their compartment had been deliberately designed that way.

  Slink cricked his neck and bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. Then he hunched down, ready to pounce.

  The engine noise stopped and a car door opened and closed.

  Jack motioned for Obi and Wren to hang back while he and Charlie stood either side of the container’s door.

  Footfall approached and the Outlaws braced themselves.

  The door opened and Jack squinted.

  Standing in the light was a tall dark woman with long hair. She wore a leather jacket, jeans and a blue T-shirt.

  ‘Serene.’ Charlie leapt forward.

  They embraced for a moment, then Serene smiled at them all. ‘I’m so happy you made it here OK.’ Her American accent was softened by her time spent in England. ‘When I heard where we had to meet, I was worried.’

  Slink straightened up from his crouch. ‘Hey, Serene.’

  ‘Slink.’ She hugged him. ‘You must be at least six inches taller than last time I saw you.’

  ‘Hi, Serene,’ Obi said.

  Serene gave him a hug too. Then her eyes moved to the youngest of their group. ‘And this must be Wren?’

  ‘Hi.’ Wren thrust out a hand and they shook.

  Serene smiled at her. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’ She glanced between them all. ‘Noble keeps me updated on everything you Outlaws get up to.’ She looked at Jack and winked.

  Serene was Noble’s sister and you could see the family resemblance – especially in the eyes. During her time in the UK, Serene had helped out with some of the Outlaw’s missions and had taught Charlie everything about electronics and building gadgets.

  Charlie often said that she’d be useless without Serene’s teachings, but Jack couldn’t imagine Charlie being useless at anything. She had a natural gift at understanding how things worked.

  Jack peered out of the container. They were in some kind of giant warehouse. Hundreds of other containers were all around, stacked and packed into rows.