“In that case, we’d better not take the route back that the ground car would take us. Can you change the routing on it?”
“Yes, it’s a public one. Anyone can choose their route on it.”
“Good. We’ll go off route, dump the car and pick up another public one. You can tell Brel Edd Senn you thought it was being tracked by my friends. Remember we’ve still got to dump the stun stick. One more thing, I don’t share your confidence that Brel Edd Senn won’t send anyone to check on your story about Tarb Af Ack. They won’t be able to check if his body is in the collapsed tunnel, but they’ll find it here. Drop the signal suppressors for the shortest possible time, a nano second will be enough, and I’ll send a message burst to get the tunnel cleaned up.”
They left to find the ground car, with Mike wondering what she was going to do when she got to the rebel base. This wasn’t going to be easy.
Chapter Thirty Four
Tunnel To Nowhere
“Kate, open the door!” Mark told his AI.
“I would Mark, but it is not a connected device. I can’t tell if it is manual or electrically operated. It does not appear on the Palace plans. I can tell you that there is what looks like a release catch just above floor level on the left. Try pressing it.”
A green rectangular patch three centimeters high and five centimeters wide appeared on the door and Mark bent down and pressed it. The door gave a loud click and opened by two centimeters. Simon grasped the open edge and hauled it open.
“Before you go in, it would be prudent to send drones in to ensure it is safe.”
“It must be safe, otherwise the kidnappers wouldn’t have gone into it.” Mark said to his AI.
“Your lack of experience is showing. They may have booby trapped the tunnel.”
“Good point.”
Mark turned to the team, who were gathered round the door. “Before we go in, I’d like to send drones in to check the tunnel out, it may be booby trapped.”
“Obviously.” Simon said. “Don’t just stand there, send them in!”
“Drones are deployed. I have one traveling quickly building a map and looking for Mike. The tunnel has been cut through a soft sedimentary rock. There are a few support structures, but it looks like the bare minimum have been used, which indicates that the tunnel is not intended for long term use.
The other drone is conducting a detailed scan and has detected charges embedded in the tunnel roof. The drones are not equipped with bomb disposal capabilities and I do not recommend that you attempt it. You do not have a good track record.”
“There is no need to bring that up again.” Mark said. “So is it safe to enter?”
“I do not advise it.”
Mark relayed this to the team. Sally said, “Close the door. We’re not going in there. Mark, I want the quickest route out of here that doesn’t take us back into the palace. As soon as the drone exploring the tunnel finds the end, I want the location and route to it.”
Mark’s AI created a route map to a gravity tube six hundred meters away that exited in a secluded area in the Palace grounds. He passed the map to Sally’s AI. She gave him a nod and told the team to follow her and led them off at an easy running pace. Five weeks ago, Mark would have broken into a sweat at the thought of running six hundred meters, but the exercise, diet and hormonal changes that his AI made had improved his fitness dramatically since he had left Earth and he easily kept up with the rest of the team.
Sally paused by the door that led out of the tunnel, then, as it swung open ran into a small hallway with a broad spiral staircase leading upwards, Sally sprinted up it followed by the rest of the team.
“No gravity tube?” Mark asked his AI as he ran up the stairs, right behind Sally..
“In an emergency, the power may be cut. If this were a gravity tube all you would have then would be a smooth sided stone or concrete cylinder which would be impossible to scale.”
The small hallway at the top of the stairs was held closed by a metal bar across it and two lever operated locks. They quickly got the door opened and stepped outside onto a gravel surface large enough to get two civilian or military landers in. Opposite was a five meter high stone wall with multiple coils of razor wire along the top.
“We’ll never get over there!” Simon said. “You should have let us bring the demolition charges.”
“But…” Mark started to say, but was interrupted by Bekkreshan.
“Step back. Touren and I will soon make a hole through that wall with these.” she said, bringing her missile launching rail rifle to her shoulder.”
“Stop!” Mark shouted. “Wouldn’t it be easier to leave in a lander without carrying out large scale demolition on the Palace?”
“Yeah, it would be if we had a lander, but we haven’t. Fire away Bekkreshan.” Simon said.
“Drop your weapons!” Sally barked. “Since when did you make tactical decisions when I’m here!” she growled at Simon. “Mark has called in a lander. It will be here in a couple of minutes. Simon, If you can’t act like a responsible soldier, I’ll send you back to HQ with orders for Colonel D’Nesh to have you put through basic training!”
“Sorry Sir, I guess I got carried away in my eagerness to rescue Mike.”
“That’s no excuse, and we don’t even know where she is, so there is no point in rushing and blundering around when we don’t know where we’re going yet. Mark, do you have a projection of where they might be taking her?”
“Yes, the drone almost reached the end of the tunnel before the demolition charges detonated. It was going towards an abandoned tunnel system that used to be part of their now disused mass transit system. It is ten meters from an intersection, so there are four possible routes they could have taken. The nearest is in the middle of an area with artisan studios, the next nearest is in a residential area, the next is in an entertainment area, right next to a concert hall, the last is in a corner of parkland surrounding the Tefran City University. All the exits are sealed and according to my AI, have been for decades. The artisan studio area is always busy, the exit in the residential area has a children’s play area close by and always has people there, the concert hall is empty at the moment so there will be few people near it, but the one in the University grounds is in a secluded and overgrown area with easy access to the road if they’ve got a ground car, but with enough room to land and take off in an air car. What do you think Sally?”
“We’ll go to the University and monitor the others with drones. If it’s as quiet there as you say they’ll be able to break out without anyone noticing. I can’t see that being possible at any of the other sites. How far away is the lander?”
Moments later, the lander touched down and the team ran in.
“Emergency route to the University station!” Mark ordered his AI.
“A direct supersonic route?” his AI asked.
“No, it might be better to be discreet, so as quick as possible without drawing undue attention to ourselves.”
The station wasn’t far away and four minutes later the lander put down in a relatively clear space in front, where a broad pathway with bushes and weeds overhanging it ran from the station entrance to the main University building.
“They’ve not broken out of the entrance.” Mark said, pointing to the bricked up doorway.
“It’s just as well we’ve got you here to point out the blatantly bleeding obvious, otherwise we might not have noticed that.” Sally said. “Kar Fen, Seltet, check the rear and sides for emergency exits, then take up position to cover the rear – whether or not there is a doorway there. Just because there are doors at the front doesn’t mean they would break out through that way; I don’t suppose the walls are any thicker than the bricks in the entrance. Touren, Bekkreshan, take up position on the left. Ranesh, Simon, take up position either side of the bricked up entrance. Stay a couple of meters to the side of the doors and stay close to the wall. If they use explosives to make an exit you won’t get caught up in the blas
t. Mark and I will cover the right. The first priority is the safety of Mike, second priority is to free her. The third priority is to capture her kidnappers. I want them alive, only kill them if it’s necessary to save Mike’s or anyone else’s life.
There was a rear emergency exit, but it was also bricked up.
The minutes ticked by with nothing happening. The drones monitoring the blocked off entrances to the other stations showed no sign of activity there either. After an hour waiting, Sally told them all to stand down.
“If they were coming out of any of these, they would be out by now. Shit! We’ve lost them. Get back on the lander, we’ll go back to the Palace and consult with the Major. He might have some ideas where we can look now.”
The lander had just lifted off when Mark said, “I’ve just had a burst transmission with a message from Mike!”
“Yeah, I’ve had one too.” Sally said. “Was it about removing a body from the tunnel?”
“Yes. If they went that way, it’s not surprising we haven’t seen her here.”
“It doesn’t explain how she got out. The drone watching the exit hasn’t seen any movement from inside it.”
“She didn’t explain what was going on either. If she’s a captive, why is she asking us to clear up behind her, and if she’s not a captive, why didn’t her message tell us where she is or what she’s doing?”
“Kate, take us to the station in the artisan area. Is there anywhere near there we can land?” Mark asked his AI.
“There is a ground car park behind the station. I’ve instructed the drone at the front to check it.” The AI went silent for a minute. “The parking area is empty, there is plenty of room for the lander to set down.”
The lander came down in the parking area and extended its ramp. Simon was first to the emergency exit doorway and said, “I think I see how they got out without us seeing them.”
Sally came to stand behind him and saw the rear maintenance door. “I don’t understand. If she can send us a message, why didn’t she tell us about this? We could have come here and rescued her.”
“Perhaps she’s got something planned.” Simon said.
“If she has, I hope she tells us what it is. Now we’re here, let’s get this body cleared up.”
“Sally!” Mark called out. “Have you got that message?”
“Just got it.” she answered.
“What does it say?” Simon asked.
“This is even more cryptic. It’s another set of coordinates and a message saying, ‘Stay concealed unless I ask for you to come and get me.’ What is she doing?”
“Let’s hope that whatever it is, she’s in control.” Mark said. “I’ll tell my AI to get a lander and a couple of cleaning bots down here, we’d better get to those coordinates.”
Chapter Thirty Five
Rebel Headquarters
Having swapped cars and dumped the stun stick, they approached an industrial sector several kilometers outside of the city of Tefran, dominated by large ‘lights out’ automated manufacturing units.
“Time for the bag.” Mike said to Sha. “Leave the lock on the drawstring loose so I can take it off myself if I need to.”
“It doesn’t work like that. It’s either locked or unlocked.”
“Shit! Better lock it then. It would look suspicious if was unlocked.”
This wasn’t what Mike wanted to hear. This was a high risk strategy. If Brel Edd Senn wanted her dead, as Sha believed, she may not survive long enough to have it removed, and even if she did, she was unarmed and alone with no backup. Although, she wasn’t quite unarmed. Sha’s team had taken the knife she had on show, but hadn’t searched her and found the one strapped to her thigh, next to her skin. The knife had a twenty centimeter long blade that was razor thin, composed of an alloy that made it strong and rigid, and had a pellet of a heavy transuranic metal embedded in the end to give it balance. It was extremely sharp.
The car slowed to a stop and Fet pulled her from it. Mike had told them to act as though she was still their prisoner and not to put themselves in danger.
“Just remember,” she said, “be ready to support when the time is right.
“How will we know when the time was right?” Sha asked.
“I don’t know,” Mike replied, “but you’ll recognize it when it happens.”
Rad came around the car and put his hand on her arm. “Treat me roughly you morons!” Mike hissed at them. “I’m supposed to be your prisoner!”
They grasped her arms tightly and marched, half dragging her, towards a warehouse. “Brel Edd Senn’s thugs are coming over. They’ll try and take you from us.” Fet whispered to her. “What should we do?”
“It’s what they’re supposed to do! Your job was to snatch me and bring me here. You’ve done that, so hand me over. Don’t do anything if they get rough with me, go about your business but stay together and be ready if I need you.”
Mike heard the tread of heavy feet and then a grunt from Rad as he released her arm, Fet let go at the same time and two large strong hands gripped her upper arms and lifted her off her feet. She felt their claws dig in as she was carried forward. The sound of the thud of their footsteps changed as they entered the building.
They walked a long way along what Mike deduced was a corridor from the echo of her captors heavy footfall. They stopped and Mike heard a door being opened, then she was thrown to the floor.
“Can you take the bag off my head? It’s not like I can tell where I am now.” She asked, starting to get up.
She didn’t receive a reply, just a kick in the ribs that rolled her onto her front. Her hands were roughly pulled behind her and quickly tied with cord.
The door slammed behind her captors and she heard the whirr of an electrically operated mortised security lock. She lay on the floor, trussed up and with the bag still locked over her head.
She sighed and said to herself, ‘I’ve had better days.’
Moving onto her side, she grasped the multiple layers of fabric that made up her royal robes and pulled them up until she could reach the knife strapped to her thigh. Twisting round and reaching down, she pulled it free of its sheath. She rolled onto her front and manipulated the blade so that she could saw at the cord around her wrists and patiently started to cut into it. After a great deal of effort and only a little blood spilt where the knife had slipped and sliced into her hands and wrists, the cord parted. She immediately started to cut into the drawstring holding the bag on her head. She expected this to be really tough, as they had gone to the trouble of putting a lock on it, but her knife cut through it quickly and she pulled the bag off.
The room had no window and no light. A signal suppressor was still preventing Mike’s AI from communication with the buildings control AI, so it couldn’t request the light be turned on. The edges and top of the door were sealed and lightproof, but a sliver of light came under the door giving just enough illumination for Mike to see the sides and corners of the room, which apart from her, was empty.
“That hasn’t gained me much.” Mike said to her AI.
“On the contrary. Assuming that they aren’t going to leave you here until you die, which seems unlikely – they could have killed you as soon as you arrived if they wanted you dead - you now have a considerable advantage. Your hands are free, you are armed, and you will be able to see as soon as the door is opened. I have, of course, started to construct a map of the premises, although it’s limited to providing you with an escape route at the moment.”
“An escape route. That’s useful. Or at least it would be if I didn’t already know to turn left, go straight on for about fifty meters and then I’ll be outside.”
“That is true, but you don’t want to escape yet. By the time you do, I do not expect the route will be so straightforward, but I will have a detailed map of everywhere you have been taken on the premises.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Have you got anything else helpful?”
“I can pinpoint us on a map, tho
ugh that is somewhat redundant. I could tell from the sound of their footfall and their stride length, that the two who brought you in here are right at the top end of what is considered to be the normal range for height and weight of a Herassan. Bigger and heavier than the unfortunate Tarb Af Ack that Sha Ast Ral shot and killed in the disused subway.”
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