The Protocol (A James Acton Thriller, Book #1)

by J. Robert Kennedy

  A low beeping tone emanated from a loud speaker in the room, interrupting their conversation.

  “Attention all personnel, attention. Evacuation stage one has been completed, proceed to stage two. I repeat, evacuation stage one has been completed, proceed to stage two.”

  “What the hell was that?” asked Reading.

  “We’re evacuating,” said Chaney. “We can’t risk having the council or the Oracle of Jupiter captured.”

  “It’s here?” asked Acton.

  “Yes, the Oracle of Jupiter is always kept with the council, although hidden away somewhere in this complex and only brought out for certain occasions.”

  “What are stage one and two?” asked Laura.

  “Stage one means that the Oracle has been successfully transported out of the building and is on its way to our Beta Site. Stage Two means all other artifacts such as our ancient volumes are to be evacuated. Once that is complete then Stage Three is to evacuate all of our personnel. You see, people can always be replaced, but the ancient knowledge never can. There is not a person here who wouldn’t die to protect that knowledge.”

  “Present company excluded,” said Acton. “I have no intention of dying to protect the skulls.”

  “Me neither,” agreed Laura. “If we give you the skull, do you think the others will stop pursuing us?”

  Chaney nodded. “Yes, I think they would. Once we have it we’d simply let them know, and that should clear you.”

  “Good, let’s go get it,” said Acton. Laura stood up beside him.

  Reading put his hand out. “Not so fast, I’m not letting you two out of my sight, not until I have some answers.”

  “Fine,” said Acton. “As long as you realize I had nothing to do with this.”

  “Oh, I know you’re not to blame, but I still have a few loose ends I need tied up before I’m satisfied,” said Reading. “Besides, you may need protection.” He turned to Chaney. “Where’s my weapon?”

  “I’ll get your equipment,” he said, leaving the room. A few minutes later he returned with body armor for all of them and guns as well. He handed each of them a vest and Reading his weapon. He turned to Acton. “Do you know how to use one of these?”

  Acton nodded, “National Guard.” Chaney handed it over along with several magazines then turned to Laura. “And you?”

  She took the gun out of his hand, removed the mag, inspected it, reloaded it, removed the safety and aimed the weapon at the door, inspecting the sight. She looked back at the surprised men. “Female on five Middle-East and three African digs.”

  Acton laughed. “You’re just full of surprises aren’t you?” Laura smiled back, flicked the safety back on then tucked the gun in her belt at the back of her pants.

  When they were all suited up, Chaney opened the door. “Let’s go, I’ll show you the way out.” As they started to file out the door all of the lights went out momentarily then came back on. A rapid beeping alarm blasted through the speakers.

  “We’re under attack!” exclaimed Chaney.

  Fleet Street, London

  Dawson’s feet hit the rooftop of the four-story Triarii Headquarters. He unhooked the line tethering him to the helicopter above and directed his men into position as they landed. They immediately went to work, laying cord explosives in predetermined areas their penetrating radar had indicated were the center of the rooms below. Dawson waved off the chopper as the last man unhooked and took cover.

  “Ready?” he asked Marco.

  Marco, holding the detonator, gave a thumbs-up.

  Dawson raised his fist in the air, and counted down with his fingers from three. Marco flipped the switches activating the remote detonators attached to the cord explosives. The explosions ripped through the night, leaving the air thick with concrete dust. Dawson and his men flipped their thermal imaging goggles down and surrounded the newly formed holes in the roof, opening fire on the unsuspecting victims below.

  Dawson and Spock dropped into a room on the northeast corner of the building. The two occupants, who had both taken cover after the explosion, were shot as soon as they stood up. In the other three rooms Dawson heard sporadic gunfire then the three other team leaders radioed the all clears.

  “Prepare to proceed to Level Three,” said Dawson.

  In each of the rooms the teams laid cord explosives again and waited for the signal.

  “Execute!” Dawson took cover behind a desk as the blast showered debris across the room. They ran to the edge of the hole and peered through the smoke with their infrared goggles. Across from him Spock’s weapon discharged. Dawson jumped down to the next level, followed by Spock. The room below turned out to contain only the single occupant already eliminated. Heavier gunfire came from the adjoining rooms.

  “Begin room-by-room clearing,” said Dawson over his radio. He ran to the door, followed by Spock and opened it. He saw nothing in the hallway from his vantage point. He stuck his head out to look down the other end and was met with a hail of gunfire. He jerked his head back just in time.

  Grabbing a flash grenade from his belt, he pulled the pin and tossed it down the hallway. The resulting explosion caused a scream of pain as he and Spock rushed their opponent’s position. A man writhed on the floor, gripping his ears and squinting his eyes. Dawson raised his weapon and shot him in the head.

  He looked down the stairwell the now dead man had been guarding and saw movement below as Niner’s team joined them. Dawson looked at his men, then pointed to his eyes then down the stairs. They nodded and took up covering positions on either side of the hallway, inside doorframes that provided some cover.

  Down the hallway the gunfire had ceased as the other two Bravo teams had finished mopping up the remaining resistance. The all clears again came over the radio. Dawson knew that coming through the ceiling wouldn’t work again; this time it would have to be a direct assault. He looked down the hallway at Bravo Teams Three and Four, giving them the thumbs up as they set up position at the stairwell at the other end of the hallway.

  “Proceed to Level Two.”

  The Proconsul jerked awake in his chair, the alarm blaring a rapid beeping tone, periodically interrupted with messages.

  “Level Three Compromised. Reinforcements to Levels One and Two to hold until Stage Two Evacuation complete.”

  The calmness in the voice giving the instructions was almost eerie. He hit a button on his desk phone.

  “Yes, Proconsul?”

  “Status.”

  “We’re under attack by unknown numbers from the upper levels. It appears they gained entry via the roof. We’ve lost all communications with the third and fourth levels however they were mostly evacuated. Casualties should be at a minimum. We’re reinforcing the first two levels to hold until Stage Two Evacuation is complete.”

  “Estimated time remaining for Stage Two?”

  “Five minutes, sir.”

  “Very well,” replied the Proconsul. “As soon as they announce Stage Three you get out of here right away, no delays. I want to see you at the Beta Site.”

  “Yes, sir, and thank you, sir, it’s been an honor.”

  “Likewise,” said the Proconsul, who cut off the conversation. And I hope it still will be after today. He had only one item in his office that needed to be removed and that was the latest volume of the Triarii Journal. He was the third Proconsul to have kept records of the Triarii business in this particular volume.

  Taking the leather bound tome from the antique desk along the far wall, he carefully placed it in its metal fireproof container. He then walked behind his desk, reached under it, and pressed a hidden button. The bookcase swung out. Hundreds of years of paranoia were about to pay off. Opening the case wider, he stepped into the passageway behind it then pulled the case shut and followed the dimly lit passageway, leaving no evidence as to where he had gone.

  “What do we do?” asked Laura.

  “We get the hell out of here,” said Acton. “Which way?” he asked Chan
ey.

  “I doubt the street entry is safe,” said Chaney. “We’re on the ground floor. We’ll need to go down the stairs at the end of the hallway three flights. There we can evacuate through the sub-levels with the others.”

  “Okay, let’s go!” yelled Acton, grabbing Laura by the arm and running toward the stairwell. Just as they entered it they heard a hail of gunfire from above and a loud explosion.

  The assault on both staircases began simultaneously with a series of flash grenades and sprays of gunfire. The two separate Bravo teams cautiously entered the stairwells and, using their infrared goggles, looked for enemy combatants. Through the eerie green haze Dawson saw a figure enter the doorway on the next floor down and aim a weapon toward them. Dawson fired and the person collapsed. They continued down the stairwell, slowly but deliberately, until they reached the doorway.

  One flight below them he heard the door open. He looked down and saw four figures rapidly descending the stairs. Removing his goggles, he looked through the clearing smoke and recognized their targets.

  “Bravo Team, the targets have been spotted in the East stairwell heading down,” said Dawson over his radio. “West stairwell team you continue clearing of the second floor then proceed to the first, East team will pursue the targets.”

  With that, he ran down the stairs after the two professors.

  Nelson was still looking over the charred remains of the SUV that had exploded earlier in the evening when another series of explosions rocked the roof of the building across the street. He couldn’t see any smoke or fire, but the sound that followed was unmistakable—gunfire.

  “Central this is DI Nelson,” he said into his radio. “We have further explosions and gunfire at this location. Requesting immediate armed backup and a half mile radius cordoned off.”

  “Roger, backup is on the way, ETA fifteen minutes.”

  It’ll be over by then! Nelson picked up a weapon from the ground, left over from one of the dead members of the Armed Response Unit. He confirmed it was still in working order and started across the street. The remaining ARU members followed him and took up position on either side of the large, wooden doorway that marked the entrance to the building, gunfire still sounding over their heads.

  Nelson reached out and tried the door. It was locked. He turned just as two ARU members ran up with a battering ram. They took up position on either side of the door and swung the object back and forth. On the third swing, they launched it into the center of the door. The wood splintered, but the door held. Again they swung and hit the door with full force. This time the door moved in a couple of inches as the lock shattered. One more swing and the two doors flew open.

  Nelson looked in and saw several armed men behind desks aiming weapons at them. He grabbed a bullhorn from one of his men.

  “This is the police. Drop your weapons and come out slowly with your hands raised above your heads.”

  “Did you hear that?” asked Chaney.

  “Yes,” replied Reading. “It sounded like Nelson. Where could that be coming from?”

  “He must be at the main entrance. The four-by-four that exploded tonight was right across the street from this building.”

  “What will your men do?” asked Reading as they continued down the stairs.

  “They’ll defend this building. They have no way of knowing if those really are police officers or not. They’ll assume they are hostile because of the assault from upstairs.”

  “We’ve got to warn them.”

  “There’s no time. If we don’t get the professors out of here so that they can retrieve the skull all could be lost.”

  “Those are our men out there,” said Reading. “Don’t give me bullshit about time or skulls. Their lives are just as important as anyone’s.”

  Chaney glared at Reading. “Don’t assume for a moment I don’t realize the choice I’m making. But you have to understand there is a bigger picture here that I believe is more important, whether you choose to believe in it or not.”

  They paused at the next flight of stairs near a door to the first sub-level. Footsteps approached from above. “Listen, guv, go through that door all the way to the other end of the corridor. Go up the stairs one level and you’ll see the entrance where our men are. Try to get them to help us.”

  With that, he continued down the stairs after the two professors.

  Reading opened the door and sprinted down the corridor toward the door at the far end.

  As the door closed behind him, several dark figures continued down the stairs after his partner.

  Dawson heard voices below them. They were taking the stairs as fast as they safely could without walking into a spray of bullets. As they reached the first sub-level he saw a door latch shut. A quick glance down the stairs however showed his prey was still below him.

  “Second level cleared,” came Red’s voice over the radio. “Proceeding to Level One.”

  “Roger that,” said Dawson as they continued down the stairs.

  Reading ran through the door at the other end of the corridor and climbed the stairs as fast as he could. He heard footsteps above him and assumed they were hostile. He reached the first-level door and opened it just as a hail of gunfire hit the wall next to him. Launching himself through the doorway, he rolled on the floor as more bullets hit the door.

  As he got up on his knees he looked up and saw several men had their weapons pointed toward him. Suddenly they opened fire. He fell back down and covered his head. “I’m with Chaney for Christ’s sake!” he yelled. “I’m a friendly.”

  The bullets sprayed over his head. They were firing at the doorway, not him. He crawled toward one of the desks that had been turned on its side and was now being used as cover. As he neared it a powerful hand grabbed him by the back of his body armor and pulled him to safety.

  “Watch the main entrance!” ordered the man who was firing at the doorway. “I think those blokes belong to you, don’t they?”

  Reading looked toward the main entrance and recognized the flashing blue lights outside the forced open doors.

  “This is your final warning, come out with your hands up or we will open fire!” he heard Nelson yelling over a megaphone.

  He launched himself toward a desk closer to the main entrance and rolled just as gunfire opened up the tile floor behind him. Another Triarii member pulled him behind the desk then returned fire.

  “Hello, Inspector,” said the man. Reading was about to thank him when he saw who it was. It was Rodney.

  The gunfire had reached the lobby.

  “Okay, men, on my signal we go in,” said Nelson, putting down the megaphone. The ARU members quickly double-checked their weapons and tensed up their bodies, ready to begin the assault.

  “Nelson!”

  Nelson looked around to see who was calling him.

  “It’s coming from inside, sir,” said one of the ARU members. Nelson cocked his ear toward the door.

  “Nelson! It’s DCI Reading, hold your fire!”

  Reading? “Sir, what the hell is going on in there!”

  “Too long a story! This building is held by friendlies, but is under attack by the same men who attacked The Yard earlier. We need your assistance!”

  Nelson looked at the skeptical ARU members around him. He wasn’t sure what to believe. “Sir, I’m not—”

  “Provide assistance, Detective Inspector!” boomed Reading. “That’s an order!”

  “Yes, sir!” Nelson looked at the ARU team. “You heard the DCI! Let’s get in there!”

  Two members rapidly approached the doorway with large bullet resistant shields as the rest of the team huddled behind them. They entered the building and heard gunfire from the West stairwell. They made their way to the apparently friendly position returning fire, the occupants, who had been pointing their weapons at them, now turned their attention to the two stairwell doors at either end of the lobby, no doubt relieved they would not have to fight on another front.

  “Th
is is it.” Acton kicked open the door to the second sub-level. As he came through the door, he was knocked down from behind and a boot pressed into his spine.

  “He’s with me,” said Chaney as he and Laura came through the door. The foot lifted off, then hands pulled him to his feet.

  “Sorry, sir,” said the man who had knocked him down.

  “They’re right behind us, coming down the stairs,” said Chaney. “Shoot whatever comes through that door.”

  “Yes, sir!” The man moved back down the hall to take cover. Laura and Acton ran after Chaney down the long corridor. Now underground, there was no natural light and the dampness of the old walls in combination with the dim emergency lighting was almost claustrophobic. The musty smell of hundreds of years of history reminded Acton of several of his digs.

  Early seventeenth century?

  He couldn’t believe he was actually trying to determine when this part of the structure had been built. Leave it alone, Jim!

  As they rounded a corner at the end of the corridor, they all turned as a brilliant flash and ear-piercing explosion erupted at the other end.

  “Come on!” urged Chaney. “We’re almost there!”

  Dawson tossed a flash grenade through the door. Two of his men exited the stairwell, hugging the walls on either side, trying to clear the doorway as quickly as possible. The hallway was thick with smoke, but their opponents answered the grenade with a hail of gunfire. One of his team immediately went down, the other dove out of the way and returned fire, finding cover in a doorway. He stuck his hand out with his machine gun and fired down the hallway providing cover fire for those still in the stairwell.

  Dawson and Niner exited the stairwell crouching and firing at the same time, and managed to reach the cover of a corridor entrance. Dawson drew his handgun and, using the infrared goggles, knelt down then shifted his body into the open so he could take aim. As his men provided cover, forcing most of their opponents to fire blindly, he was able to take careful aim and as each enemy poked their head up to fire, he started to pick them off, one by one.