Tank sank to his knees. “She’s released an invisible gas into the room,” he said. “We’ve been set up.”
Shooter and Gator went down next, followed by Battenford, Madison, and Pyro.
Hawkeye tried to cross the room, but his vision blurred five steps from Dominique. He collapsed.
Dominique and Pearson began removing large, clear chips from the mainframe.
OPS CENTER, ABOARD THE ALAMIRANTA
“Oh my God,” Cruz said. She sat, the blood draining from her face.
“What’s wrong?” asked Caine.
“There’s a corridor that runs beneath the length of the tunnel,” Cruz said. “It’s accessible from the cargo bay at the north end and the storage area at the south end. It’s heavily shielded from all forms of radar. That’s where the Dragons are.”
“Titan Six appears to be unconscious,” Touchdown said. “But I’m still receiving audio and visual feeds from their helmets. Gator’s head is apparently cocked at an odd angle that will allow us to see what’s going on in the CompCenter.”
“Let’s have a look,” said Caine.
“Very well,” said Touchdown. “Dragons are entering the CompCenter now.”
COMPCENTER, SAVAGE BAY
Aiko entered the Computer Center, followed by six Dragons. Six more remained in the storage area. All Dragons carried HK416 assault rifles.
“Your skills are indeed formidable, Dominique Caine,” Aiko proclaimed. “I see Titan forces have been subdued.”
“They won’t be out long thanks to their BioMEMS systems. Pearson and I are removing the CL chips with the Genesis data.”
“CL chips?” asked Aiko, her thin eyebrows raised. “What are they and why didn’t we get them before now?”
“They’re Crystal-Linear chips, coated with clear plastic for protection against breakage. One hundred in all. I’ve been downloading final data streams and encryption keys from other systems to the CL chips for the past twenty-four hours. We need the redundancy, plus the chips have some final bits of information that Dr. Boren uncovered in the last month or so. I thought it wise to send it to Gencore at the last minute. Is the sub ready to depart?”
“We’re going to allow the radiation leak to continue for another fifty minutes,” said Aiko.
The Commander’s facial features were cold and dispassionate. It was clear she was a career soldier on a mission. “When we’re ready to leave, all personnel and troops will be inoculated with Thorian 18 to treat for radiation sickness.”
Dominique glanced at the motionless Titan team. “In another two hours, it will be too late for our worthy opponents. No treatment will reverse the cellular damage caused by the leak.”
“What about the door to the submarine bay?” the Chinese commander asked.
“I have an override code that can raise it through Maniticore,” Dominique said confidently. “I’m the only one who has it.”
“Return to the sub when you have the chips. My men will make a final sweep of the complex while you finish.”
“There are some Dragons in the chapel,” Dominique said. “They’re sedated.”
Aiko faced her men and spoke to them in Chinese. “Take the Titan bodies and tie them up. Bring them to the cargo bay and deposit them in one of the metal containers beneath the Rail Lift System.”
Titan Six, Madison, and Battenford were removed from the CompCenter.
OPS CENTER, ABOARD THE ALAMIRANTA
Catherine Caine sat next to Cruz. “My daughter,” she said lowly. “She’s a traitor.”
“Maybe she was coerced,” Quiz said tentatively.
Caine shook her head. “My daughter would never surrender data pertaining to The Genesis Code under duress. It had to be voluntary. Now we understand the note Henry Garland was trying to write when he was interrupted by Dragons: has asked me to cooperate . . . Dominique apparently tried to enlist at least some of the Triad employees.”
She paused, choking back tears seldom scene by Titan personnel.
“We didn’t get a good look at the leader’s face from Gator’s helmet cam,” Cruz said, “but I presume that was Commander Aiko.”
“Affirmative,” said Touchdown. “Voice recognition verifies her identity. “As for her final orders, I have the translation. He told her men to — ”
“Thank you,” said Caine, “but I speak Chinese. Titan Six is being taken to a cargo container at the north end of Savage Bay.”
“Correct,” said Touchdown. “Titan reinforcements are approximately one hour away. Maybe less. Their C-17 Globemaster encountered bad weather over north Africa. Titan jets have scrambled, however, from our base in southern France. They’re over the Mediterranean.”
Caine turned to Ambergris. “How much Genesis data were you able to glean when we recorded double helixes in the lab on Level One?”
“Enough to know where to look for the most important part of the code,” said Ambergris. “But I didn’t get any details. Information stored on 100 CL chips is tantamount to a thousand encyclopedias. The Ancients must have been far more advanced than we originally imagined.”
“Unfortunately,” said Caine, “I don’t think the Ancients wanted their secrets to be decoded by a ruthless arm of a repressive government.”
COMPCENTER, SAVAGE BAY
Dominique Caine and Ted Pearson had finished storing the CL chips into an oversized briefcase with one hundred velvet-lined slots.
“Take these to the sub,” she told her subordinate.
As Pearson exited, Dominique sat at another of the many computer terminals in the center. She entered a password to access the base security directory and then typed several lines of code. At the opposite end of the complex, the steel door in the submarine bay slowly rose above the tail of the Chinese boat. The sub was free.
Dominique then typed more code, which produced an automated warning that would be heard throughout the base.
“Warning. Sixty minutes to lockdown.”
Once Dominique and the Beijing Recon and Strike Force were clear of Es Vedra, she wanted to seal off the base. Her superior may or may not want to destroy the island. Either way, there could be no suspicion that the most important genetic research ever conducted by humanity had been done at Savage Bay. She had wiped every system clean, but there were always the computer savvy techs who could resurrect a hard drive ghost.
That wouldn’t do at all. No, the base would be sealed until her superior decided what to do. And she certainly didn’t want her mother’s elite forces poking around, not to mention Ambergris. She still loved her mother, but secrets affecting humanity trumped all mother-daughter bonds.
A lot was going to happen in exactly one hour. By then, Dominique intended to be gliding safely beneath the waters of the Mediterranean.
Chapter 29
TITAN FIGHTER SQUADRON TWO
AIRBORNE OVER THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA
Fighter pilot Francois Trieste was known as Flamer because of his fondness for using the afterburner on his F-16. He was thirty-two and had pale blue eyes that peered from behind his helmet’s visor.
Titan Squadron Two consisted of four F-16s. Flamer was the squadron commander. He had served Titan for six years, and his missions had mostly been successful. Two had gone horribly wrong, and he’d lost a very good wingman on a third. Nevertheless, twenty-four lightning bolts, each indicating a kill, were stenciled below his cockpit, a testament to his skills as a fighter pilot.
Only Flamer knew the possible targets that Catherine Caine might order him to attack, and he dared not share the information with his fellow pilots. At least not yet.
Squadron Two held formation as they streaked through the sky three miles up.
For Flamer, the waiting game was always the hardest part of a mission.
TITAN SIX, SAVAGE BAY
Hawkeye opened his eyes and saw . . . nothing. He was sweating, and his hands were tied behind his back.
“Hello,” he said in the darkness. “Anybody here?”
“We were gassed,�
� said Shooter slowly.
“But where the hell are we now?” Hawkeye asked.
“In a cargo container,” said Pyro groggily.
“Chalk one up for the newbie again,” said Shooter. “Those nanobots have given this man an incredible olfactory sense.”
Within seconds, all team members were conscious again, including Battenford and Madison.
“I’m not feeling too great,” said Tank. “Nausea.”
“I’m getting feverish,” said Gator.
“Shooter,” said Hawkeye. “Scoot over and sit back to back with me. Let’s see if we can work our hands free.”
Something tapped the outside of the corrugated metal. Then a louder sound reverberated within the container.
“Nobody move,” ordered Hawkeye.
“What was that?” Tank asked.
“It’s the sound of a bolt sliding away,” Hawkeye said. “Someone’s unlocking this damn thing.”
A sliver of light leaked into Titan Six’s prison. Someone was lifting the square metal end of the container.
OPS CENTER, ABOARD THE ALAMIRANTA
Catherine Caine forced her attention away from Dominique.
“Touchdown,” she said, “are there any more Dragons on the beach?”
“No, ma’am. The beach is clear.”
Caine turned to Ambergris. “Joshua, I want you and Alamiranta security forces to meet on the Main Deck. You’re going to be taken to Es Vedra via landing craft and hopefully rendezvous with Titan reinforcements. Take what you need from sick bay to treat radiation sickness.”
Ambergris put several CDs into a shoulder bag next to his station and stood.
“And Joshua,” Caine continued, “Be prepared to perform data recovery on some of the hard drives at Savage Bay.”
“Titan Six may yet recover the Genesis data,” Ambergris said.
“I hope they can. If they do, I’m going to blow those Chinese bastards and that sub to kingdom come.”
* What about the other sub? *
Believe me, she’s aware of it. From here on out, it’s a game of chess.
TITAN SIX, SAVAGE BAY
The side door to the cargo container was opened all the way. Squinting, Hawkeye and his team looked to their left and saw a pretty blond leaning over, peering into the darkness. She held a flashlight with one hand and a pistol with the other.
“I’m Dr. Heidi Boren. Most of the Chinese forces have cleared out of Savage Bay. Dominique has opened the steel door in the submarine bay and initiated a second lockdown to commence in a little less than an hour.”
Two minutes later, the captives were free and standing in the cargo bay.
“Our weapons are gone,” said Hawkeye.
“We’re naked without them,” said Gator.
“I can get you more, though they may not be up to your standards,” Boren said. She held her pistol in the air. “I was held prisoner when the incursion began, but I know a trick or two. I started flirting with a Dragon, and before he knew it, he was out cold. I’ve been running from one section of the base to the other all day. There are a lot of places to hide.”
“So we’ve learned,” said Hawkeye. “It’s like the Labyrinth in Greek mythology.”
Boren held up a large hard-shell briefcase. “And I have these as well. CL chips from the mainframe.”
“Crystal-Linear data chips,” Madison said.
“I thought Dominique had all the data on Genesis,” said Hawkeye. “She was just in the CompCenter. Why would she leave any storage chips behind?”
Boren smiled broadly. “True, Dominique has a case full of chips. But they have random information, such as every Major League Baseball stat for the last one hundred years. Also the decimal pi, which is non-repeating, with digits that go to infinity. I have the Genesis data right here. A simple piece of spyware gave me her new passwords, and I accelerated her final download an hour ago and took these from the mainframe, replacing them with chips that will be useless to the Chinese. Unless they really dig baseball and pi, that is. That sellout Pearson almost found me, but I got out right before he went to the CompCenter to check on Gencore’s download from Dominique.”
“But they have the data in other formats,” Tank said.
“They do,” said Boren. “But the CL chips have a little bit extra. It will take Dominique a few weeks — possibly even months — to create a new encryption key. She’ll also have to extrapolate a lot of data not on the CDs and hard drives the Chinese took. They’ll get what they want, but we have the edge.”
“Baseball?” asked Hawkeye.
“Baseball,” said Boren. “I’m a big Yankees fan.”
DUBOIS ESTATE, OUTSIDE LYON, FRANCE
The Council members had left, and Dubois sat alone at the large table. He looked at the pearl inlays. The entwined serpents almost seemed to speak to him. Indeed, the white pearl almost glowed even in a room with muted ambient light.
He stood and leaned forward, his index finger tracing the number eleven on his side of the table. He was a scientist, a former biological engineer. He knew a thing or two about DNA. He was almost sure what the number 1,111 meant.
But there had been no need to share his speculation with other Council members. It would just fuel their agitation and concern.
Still, he had enjoyed being the only man in the room who probably knew the number’s significance. This meant that he was holding out two secret from his brothers.
He laughed out loud. A secret order . . . that had secrets from its own members.
86th FLOOR, JIN MAO TOWER, SHANGHAI, CHINA
Li Soo Yang stood in front of a wall-mounted video screen equipped with a camera lens. The image of Dominique Caine stared back at Yang.
“Are we alone?” Dominique asked.
“Yes.”
“The Genesis data is secure, my love. I cannot wait to be in your arms again.”
“And I in yours.”
“I am filled with joy,” Dominique said. “The world will have access to unlimited healing and advancement now. No political system, government, pharmaceutical company, or corporation can dominate information meant for all mankind. This has been a difficult day, and yet I am proud of our accomplishments.”
Yang opened a small blue jewelry box. A four-carat diamond sparkled in its velvet niche. “For you, Dominique.”
“It’s beautiful!”
Yang paused. “Is the submarine ready to depart?”
“Within the hour. Our mission is complete.”
“Very good,” said Yang.
He pushed a button, causing the screen to go dark. He then activated another screen. It showed the Alamiranta’s position in the Mediterranean.
Yang picked up a slim black telephone. “Open a line to Commander Chu,” he said.
TITAN SIX, SAVAGE BAY
The team re-entered the CompCenter.
“Nigel, can you stop the countdown?” Hawkeye asked.
Battenford sat in front of a keyboard, his hands shaking badly. Blisters had appeared on his hands and forehead.
“I’ll try,” said the IT specialist.
He tapped a few keys and then stopped, appearing confused.
“Nigel,” said Tank. “Do you want some water?”
Battenford’s entire body began to convulse. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. “You’re all dead,” he said. “Everyone.”
Battenford’s body slipped from the chair to the floor.
“Warning. Lockdown in fifty minutes.”
The team carried Battenford’s body to the corner and left the CompCenter.
***
Titan Six was led to a cache of weapons by Heidi Boren. They were now armed with automatic weapons, machine guns, side arms, and grenades.
“Touchdown,” said Hawkeye, “do we have company at the other end of Savage Bay? We’re going to retrace our path through the underground corridor beneath the main tunnel.”
“I show several Dragons in the cargo bay,” Touchdown said. “T
hey appear to be the only commandos in the base.”
Titan Six, together with Madison and Boren, made their way to the north end of the complex. The corridor dead-ended at a wall, upon which was mounted a ladder that led to a hatchway in the floor of the cargo bay.
Hawkeye scaled the ladder and took two concussion grenades from his belt. Pulling their pins, he quietly opened the hatch and rolled the grenades across the cargo bay. He then dropped to the floor and motioned for everyone to fall to their knees.
The emergency lights in the corridor dimmed as the charges above detonated.
“Okay, Gator,” Hawkeye said. “You’re up!”
Gator emerged from the hatchway, machine gun open wide and spitting thunder.
Within seconds, several Dragons lay motionless on the concrete floor of the bay. Others were scrambling to their feet.
Gator climbed all the way into the bay and kept firing. The rest of Titan Six followed him, Madison and Boren remaining below.
“Form a circle!” Hawkeye called.
Titan Six opened fire, cutting down the surprised Dragons. Screaming, one commando charged Hawkeye in a fit of homicidal rage. His dark eyes blazed with hatred. Hawkeye fired, hitting the soldier in the neck and opening his carotid. Blood sprayed out as if from a fountain.
Six remaining Dragons headed for the elevator at the far end of the bay, firing repeatedly as they retreated.
Shooter, Pyro, and Tank squeezed the triggers of their automatic rifles. The six commando bodies twisted and turned at grotesque angles as bullets tore through muscle and bone. Their rifles clattered to the floor.
Hawkeye held up his hand, and all gunfire ceased. Red lakes of blood were forming in a dozen spots across the cargo bay floor.
“We’re going to take the elevator down to the submarine bay,” Hawkeye said. “I’ve had enough of these sons of bitches. Everyone re-arm and reload.”
Titan Six stepped onto the elevator.
“Warning. Forty minutes to lockdown.”
OPS CENTER, ABOARD THE ALAMIRANTA
Catherine Caine walked nervously from one station to the next. Everything that Titan Six did in the next half hour would determine the outcome of the mission.
Savage Bay Page 18
