Lisa snorted. That wily old bastard Munroe had told her she could choose her team, all the while knowing he had these boys on base.
“It’s bud.”
“What is ma’am?” Reid said.
“The saying is nipped in the bud not butt. A common eggcorn.”
“A what ma’am?” Torres stared at Lisa like a deer in headlights. Reid was grinning at her.
“Never mind. Back to the mission. I’m sure you all felt and witnessed what some are calling the Combusting. I know, stupid name, but whatever it was, it was terrifying. It’s even worse out there. The highways and roads are clogged with crashed vehicles and burning wrecks. Trains have derailed. Planes slammed into mountains. Packs of the Rabids roaming the streets. Let me be clear. It’s chaos, pure and simple. On top of all that, we have an organization executing survivors. Their uniforms are all black. They have a Black Skull insignia, and they seem to favor Austrian weapons. Our mission is to locate these traitors, find their Forward Operating Base, and, if possible, their headquarters. They must be operating from somewhere close by. So we’ll start local and circle out. This is a green operation. In case you don’t know what that means, if we must fire our weapons on the enemy, it’s a failure. Recon and intelligence gathering only. If the enemy engages, then by all means we will defend ourselves. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Get some grub. We move out at zero-eight-hundred. On foot.”
One raised his hand.
“Yes, Clough is it?”
“Torres, ma’am.”
“What is it, Corporal? And let’s drop the ma’am. I feel like I’m in the South. Omstead is fine.”
“Are we expected to wear those Hazmat suits out there?”
“Only until we’re clear of the base.”
“Ma’am?”
“That will be all. Zero-eight-hundred. Load up.”
Lisa walked briskly away from the briefing and quickened her pace toward Munroe’s office. She needed to clear up a few points before she left.
Fourteen
Tomari Nuclear Power Plant
Hokkaido, Japan
Ryan groaned. What else could go wrong? They had made it past the cells and the blast doors, and then the doors had slammed shut – either Ebony’s doing or some sort of security protocol.
There had been a battle between the former occupants of the cells and the Black Skulls. Most of the cell occupants lay dead, their bodies riddled with bullets. Offenheim’s men hadn’t fared much better. Several were torn apart, arms, legs, and entrails splattered all over the floor. The man with the thick, bark-like skin stomped up and down the corridor, punching any commando foolish enough to get close to him and swatting away bullets as if they were annoying insects. Ryan noted that he never strayed farther than twenty meters from the blast doors. Was he protecting the place?
“Booth. Status?”
“In position at the access door.”
“Give us a minute. Might need you.”
“Copy. Holding.”
Ryan reached back to his rucksack and unzipped a second, smaller radio.
“Yamada. This is Connors. Target acquired. Need immediate back up.”
Hissing and static hummed. “Stand by. Position?”
“Pinned down at the blast doors.”
“Can you make it to the roof?”
“Negative. It’s too hot. Execute the back-up plan.”
“Hold tight. We’re having trouble amplifying the signal from the wand devices. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Affirmative.”
In truth, no, Ryan didn’t want to go through with the back-up plan. It was insane and risky, if not near impossible, given the time constraints. Sofia had come up with it as a failsafe: use the handheld wands to broadcast the kill signal to Offenheim’s men. They had debated most of the flight whether to attempt this before sending men into the fray, but without scanning everyone, there was no way of knowing their codes. Instead, they had scanned everyone on the mission and put their codes onto a separate safe list. It had been a painstaking task, with Goro assisting Sofia.
“Sofia. Yamada’s going to initiate the back-up plan. Are we in the clear?” Ryan said.
“Confirmed. We are safe. I found something you need to know while trawling through his servers. I got access to a YamTech satellite.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a countdown. Wave two is happening in a little less than four days.”
“What?” Ryan said. He pushed his back harder against the concrete, sweat suddenly beading on his forehead.
Cal flashed a stunned look at him, eyes wide. She mouthed, “What the fuck?”
“You have to be kidding me?” Booth said.
This changed everything. Here they were, helping one of the men responsible for the events of the last few days, and wave two was happening in less than four days. Not enough time to destroy the satellite installation – nowhere near.
“Stay focused. Allie, we need you here,” Ryan said.
“Copy. On my way,” she said. Her voice was strained but calm.
A pained howl broke through the cacophony of battle sounds. Ryan raised his rifle to scan the corridor for targets. He spotted eight. Four Black Skulls on either side. Two high-fived as the man with the thick bark-skin howled once more before falling silent, bleeding from a plethora of wounds. Ryan steeled himself for battle.
They had tried and failed to get back into the facility through the blast doors. Takeshi had attempted his personal code to no avail. Simply put, they were trapped. Trapped and relying on an untested theory.
“Heads up, guys. Sending you a gift,” Booth said over the comms.
“What?”
“Siphons. About ten. Hungry-looking too.”
“Copy.”
Ryan checked if Cal had heard. She nodded and slid her finger onto the trigger. He turned and handed Takeshi his Glock.
“Know how to use this?”
“More or less.”
“Good. Only use it as a last resort. Always stay behind us. When we move, you do. Understand?”
Takeshi responded by gripping the handgun.
The Black Skulls made no attempt to advance on their position as the concrete pillars supporting the blast doors gave ample protection. The commandos were less protected, but anytime Ryan or Cal tried to fire on them, they responded in kind. It was a stand-off. The Nameless couldn’t go anywhere.
The first Siphon reached them a few minutes later, stumbling and groaning, saliva drooling from its mouth. Its head snapped around. It was quickly followed by a second and a third, moaning and gnashing their teeth.
The Black Skulls split into two groups, four firing on the Siphons while the other four kept their rifles trained on The Nameless.
More Siphons arrived and were greeted with callous gunfire. They fell to the floor, landing on the dead prisoners. Still more Siphons came, groaning at the promise of the meal they desired. Far more than the ten Booth had mentioned. There had to be at least thirty converging on Ryan and Cal’s position.
“Connors,” Booth said.
“Go ahead.”
“On our way to assist. There might be a few more than I thought.”
“No kidding,” Ryan said. He checked the safety was off, breathed out and burst from behind the pillar. He squeezed the trigger and placed three bullets into the chest of the first commando.
Pain rocketed up Ryan’s leg and he stumbled, caught his balance then adjusted his aim to the next Black Skull, hitting him in the arm and chest.
The other commandos were too busy shooting at the Siphons crowding into the corridor to realize what was happening behind them. Ryan and Cal shot them without a second thought. Then they put a bullet in each of their heads to be sure. Ryan had seen what these men were capable of. He killed them with a clear conscience.
“You’re bleeding,” Cal said as she reloaded her rifle.
“I’m fine. Just a scratch.
”
With no time to check the wound, he hoped the nanites would do their job and stop the bleeding before closing the wound as if it had never happened.
“Booth?”
“Almost there.”
Ryan grabbed the handheld. “Yamada. Any progress?”
“Some. Another ten minutes.” His voice filtered through as a whisper.
A Siphon shrieked, breaking up the radio communication. Cal silenced it with a three-round burst before swinging to her left and dropping two more. These Siphons moved slower than others they’d encountered. Back on Koya, the monks and workers had sprinted toward them. These walked. Fast walking, sure, but it made them easier targets.
“Let’s move. Cal, take point,” Ryan said. He signaled for Takeshi to stay behind him.
Pops of handgun fire echoed down the corridor, dispersing a knot of Siphons. Booth and Allie burst through before turning and firing at the Siphons.
Ryan took down three more and urged the others on. They had to make the cable tunnel. It was the only way out.
“We got more Black Skulls incoming,” Booth said.
“Understood. Keep moving.”
Ryan adjusted the shot selector to single. He was down to his last magazine.
Slowly, The Nameless and Takeshi advanced along the wide corridor, shooting any Siphon that hindered their advance. They passed the cells and stepped over and around the guards with their broken necks. Necks that had now been fed upon. Dead Siphons with gaping holes in their skulls lay next to them.
Allie shrugged. “I had to give them mercy.”
They made it to seventy meters from the tunnel entry without any further resistance, only to be greeted by Siphons and Black Skulls leapfrogging each other along the corridor. The commandos would shoot a Siphon, then spin and rake the walls with rounds.
Bullets slammed into the concrete walls, sending chips and fine dust into Ryan’s face. He pivoted and released a couple of rounds in the commandos’ direction. They scattered but kept firing.
A new and chilling howl sounded from the front of the building. It was joined by a chorus of others, filling the early morning. Ryan flinched. He’d never heard anything like it. It was like a wolf but not quite. More a cross between a wolf and a howler monkey. Whatever it was, it was loud. Within a few seconds the howl was nearby and coming up fast, echoing from the way they’d come. Ryan renewed his efforts to make it to the tunnel, but the Siphons and commandos still blocked their way, and there was still fifty meters to go.
“I’m running low. Cal?”
She tossed him a spare magazine and jammed in a fresh one herself. “Last two. Make it count.”
“Any idea what’s coming, Takeshi?” said Ryan.
Takeshi Yamada was slumped forward, his eyes downcast. He held the Glock loosely at his side.
“Takeshi!” Ryan said again, snapping his fingers.
Yamada’s son looked up and frowned. He listened to the growing howls. “Horkew Kamuy has returned for his revenge.”
Cal took down a Siphon that had ambled too close. “What’s he saying?”
“He said Horkew someone is coming for his revenge,” Ryan said.
“Who’s Horkew, Takeshi?”
“A wolf spirit. Angry.”
The howls grew louder. The Black Skulls and Siphons stopped fighting and turned toward the noise. Booth and Allie snapped their heads around searching for the source of the noise. Ryan pressed his rifle against his shoulder and peered through the scope. At first they were just blurs of white. Then their shapes slowly came into focus. It was difficult to count them, they were moving so fast. Maybe half a dozen, but no more than ten. They had thick white fur and red eyes, and their skulls were deformed, their foreheads squished back and their jawlines long. Each creature had a mouth full of threatening jagged teeth. Ryan shook his head in disbelief. It was like a bad ’80s horror movie come to life. Being attacked by werewolves. Not quite. More like a beast trapped between a wolf and a human. They ran on four legs, but those legs were elongated, twisted and sinewy.
“What the actual fuck are these things. Satan’s hounds?” Cal cursed.
The Hounds barreled into Black Skulls and Siphons alike, tearing into them. Cal opened fire, sweeping her carbine from side to side. Ryan followed suit. As they fired, he advanced toward the tunnel entrance. It was tantalizingly close at just ten meters away. A quick jog and they would be in and away.
“I’m out!” Ryan shouted, patting his combat vest in case he had missed a magazine.
“Me too,” Cal said.
Allie and Booth were still firing. Commandos, Siphons, Hounds. A chaotic mess of fighting bodies. Using her foot, Allie kicked a dead commando’s rifle over. Cal grabbed it, reloaded her own and moved forward slowly until she was above the commando. She grabbed two more magazines and threw one to Ryan.
The Hounds howled, tearing into the Siphons’ flesh. One broke through the knot and sprinted toward Allie. Cal shouted a warning and managed to score a shot to its torso. It barely flinched. The bullet only seemed to anger it more. It swiped at Allie with a clawed fist, its fingers abnormally long. She took a hit in the shoulder and spun into the tunnel door.
“Allie!” Booth shouted. He released a full burst into the creature’s chest. The Hound stumbled and fell to its stomach, blood flowing from its open wounds. It snarled and swiped at Booth as he drew his pistol and shot it in the head.
Ryan grabbed Takeshi and yanked him toward the tunnel. This was their chance. “Let’s go!”
Booth reached the cable tunnel first and helped the still-dazed Allie inside. Ryan took up a covering position, laying down suppressing fire. The Hounds sensed that some of their prey was escaping. Several leant back and let out ear-splitting shrieks. Then, with almost supernatural speed, they attacked.
“Hurry!” Ryan shouted. He didn’t bother aiming, he just fired. The mass of white fur staggered. Two Hounds broke away and scampered up to the ceiling, sharp claws digging into the concrete as if it were soft clay.
Cal yanked Ryan back. “Get in.”
A klaxon blared, so loud it drowned out the cracks of the rifles. It wailed three times, then blared once before repeating. Ryan ignored it and went to slam the door home. The Hounds, snarling, baring their ferocious teeth and paws, covered in matted white fur, gripped the door.
Cal grabbed Ryan’s collar. “C’mon. Move. Forget about them.” She thumbed her throat mic.
“Sofia. We’re coming in hot.”
A monotone voice replaced the blaring alarm. “Attention. Please evacuate.”
The voice repeated the same three words over and over. It didn’t give any indication as to why. Just that they should. Was it the nuclear power plant? It shouldn’t be. That had been offline for years, running at minimal power to keep the last remaining reactor cool.
“Takeshi. What’s that alarm for?” Ryan said.
“Self-destruct. Ando must have activated it.”
Takeshi continued to roll down the tunnel, offering no further explanation.
As Ryan predicted, the wolf-like creatures crawled into the tunnel. Barking, and letting out the occasional howl, they moved steadily forward on their bellies and knees, sniffing and gnashing their teeth.
Ryan retrieved his Glock and tossed the HK aside. He was out of ammo, its .22 caliber incompatible with his pistol. Plus, he didn’t want the extra weight.
One of the Hounds got within a few meters. He shot it. Immediately two more crawled over the dead creature. The tunnel gave the escaping humans a slight advantage; though the Hounds were fast and strong, they were big, their limbs long, like they had been stretched to almost breaking point. Out in the open with room to maneuver, they were formidable, but down here in this cramped space they had to slide along on their stomachs, dragging their tall frames. If the infiltration team kept away from the sharp teeth and claws, the Hounds were just a hindrance.
A Hound crawled onto the metal grating the cables were tied to and pulled itself alo
ng, long nails latching onto the holes. Ryan leant back on his skateboard to face up. When there was a gap in the rack, he fired a quick burst. His first couple of attempts were mistimed, the bullets pinged harmlessly off the metal. The Hound gained momentum and was soon above him, slashing its claws and spitting through its teeth. The cable shelf saved Ryan. The creature couldn’t get around it. The creature howled and burst ahead. Ryan rolled onto his stomach and emptied his magazine into the creature’s back. It cried and shrieked one last time before becoming still.
The other Hounds fell back, keeping their distance – for now.
After twenty minutes, Cal and Takeshi, quickly followed by Allie and Booth, exited the cable tunnel. Ryan scrambled under the trapdoor and accepted Booth’s firm grip as he hauled him through. Then slammed the trapdoor back into place and locked it shut.
“Everyone okay?” Ryan said.
The Nameless and Takeshi grimaced in reply. Cal alone met his eyes. Hers looked haunted by what they’d seen down in Ando’s lab. The cells with imprisoned experiments. The tanks filled with mutants. And now the Hounds. Horrifying killing machines. Had they been dogs once? All those humans and animals, treated so cruelly, mere test subjects, not beings full of life, love, laughter, and potential. Objects to be discarded when they no longer had any use.
The team had hardly caught their breath when the ground shook beneath them and a split second later an explosion rolled out over the bay.
Ryan ran up the stairs two at a time and saw orange plumes of flames reaching into the early morning sky as if seeking the sun, wishing to rejoin the molten star. The ground shook again, and three more explosions rocked the squat building above the lab. The trapdoor thumped as flames shot out of the ventilation shafts along the length of the tunnel they’d just traversed. Black Skulls sped away in their Humvees and SUVs.
Ryan’s radio crackled to life. “Are the doctor and Takeshi safe?”
Ryan gritted his teeth. He glanced at Sofia; she gave a barely noticeable twitch to tell him she had made sure her daughter Keiko and Hogai were safely off any kill list.
“Takeshi is safe, but Ando didn’t make it. I’m sorry,” Ryan said.
Shadows of Ash (The Nameless Book 2) Page 11
