Hidden Impact

by Piper J. Drake

  Sites like these could be contracted to local governments and corporations, even private military contractors in decades-long leases for preservation or training purposes. Cheaper for the federal government than maintaining the site, perfect for organizations like theirs to establish a training facility. In fact, Centurion Corporation had similar contracts for other types of sites.

  Once his team cleared the glorified broom closet, they set up on the door and communicated through silent touches their readiness to breach it. Marc opened it quickly and the other three poured into the hall, Gabe at the lead, all weapons at high ready.

  Never breaking step, the fire team embodied the mantra “smooth is fast, fast is smooth” as they flowed past other doors and danger points in a modified T.

  “Not a spider or rat in sight.”

  “You’d think someone wanted to maintain good laboratory practices for some reason.” Yeah. They’d confirmed this was their target when surveillance had caught some very interesting supplies arriving. Coated slides for protein and DNA microarrays, multi-well microarray substrates and a long list of other things, harder to pronounce and definitely for genetic research, all received in fairly regular shipments from various sources.

  Whoever was maintaining the site had done a good job of hiding the supply draw from the eyes of anyone watching for a virtual paper trail, but for someone with eyes on the site? It was painfully obvious. Right up there with the number of fairly new surveillance cameras installed on the premises.

  His team reached a juncture in the hallways and, having established a beachhead, crouched at the corners to wait for Bravo and Charlie teams.

  The Bravo team would emerge with a mirrored formation to his own fire team a minute or two behind them to ensure they had heavy support on both sides. Charlie team would follow after, with Delta team holding position at the access point, ready to run in with medical support if the worst happened.

  Once the teams had all emerged from the drain and were able to move quickly, he took them forward.

  Based on the surveillance and intel they’d been able to gather, there were likely minimal patrols at this time of night. 0200 hours fell well into the graveyard watch, when those assigned to the shift became complacent with the night’s silence and, hopefully, bored enough to doze off. Any other personnel in the facility, maybe more kidnapped scientists like An-mei, should be asleep, and all were likely kept in separate quarters to prevent them from communicating more than was necessary.

  Hang on. You have a big sister looking for you.

  Gabe hoped they were in time. Edict shouldn’t have had time yet to move An-mei. They’d have needed a green light from a decision-maker in their backer’s organization, Phoenix Biotech, on any semi-permanent location to take her to in any case. And the Centurions were betting on An-mei’s value as a scientist to keep her alive. Anticipated retaliation after the attack on Centurion Corporation ground would push Edict and, by extension, Phoenix Biotech, into taking defensive action. Hopefully it wouldn’t pressure them into making An-mei disappear permanently.

  Harte’s voice murmured into his ear-comm, “Squadron Two Bravo reports normal movement above ground. Guards on watch show no change.”

  Which was an indicator that all was well below ground, if luck was on their side.

  Gabe proceeded forward, working his way through the network of hallways and stopping to check the labels for each of the rooms as they passed, trying to find the labs or the sleeping quarters. The search would be painfully slow unless they found someone to help them. Gabe wasn’t above asking for directions.

  Politely, of course.

  They moved forward two more hallway junctions before he heard exactly what he was hoping for: footsteps. They echoed around the corner as his teams halted. The person was alone and unhurried. Perfect.

  * * *

  “What are they doing?” Maylin squinted, trying to make sense of the images on the various monitors. Apparently Gabe and each of his teams were wearing cameras, but the images had been too dark until Gabe’s team emerged in the lighted hallways of the facility. Even so, the video feed wasn’t crisp and the color was a little closer to gray scale. Focus was sharper in the center of the screen but stretched along the periphery. It made it more like a scary movie for her, surreal and tense. As if anything could come at them from any side. They’d all become people who mattered to her. And Gabe? Much more. Indescribably so.

  “They’re about to ask for directions, most likely.” Harte stood in front of the monitors, arms crossed. His head turned slightly as he scanned each of the monitors in turn. “It’s what I’d do.”

  “We had a good idea of what the layout was inside the underground lab based on the way the military tended to build those old silos. They’re cookie-cutter in some ways. Not the same, but following the same architectural logic.” Caleb tapped a monitor showing an outside view of the area. “But these people could’ve repurposed the interior in any number of ways. It’ll take too long to do a room-to-room search. Our teams need to get intel directly from someone familiar with the operation.”

  Possibilities crowded into Maylin’s mind and none of them were the stuff of sweet dreams. She had to remind herself, chant silently. We’re saving An-mei.

  The people who had her sister would’ve done worse to her, would’ve killed Charlie. An innocent man dragged into chaos and it was all Maylin’s fault. Maybe when it was all over she could figure out a way to make up for it, but she wasn’t in a place to think about it. Yet.

  For now. There was only the screen and the sudden blur of movement as Gabe rushed forward and grabbed a person mouth first. There was a struggle as they grappled. Gabe had the other man subdued in less than a second. Frightening how quiet, how fast it had been.

  “The scientists. Where are they kept?” Gabe’s voice was barely recognizable, the low growl distorted. Maybe he did it on purpose or maybe it was a measure of how different he was with her.

  The captured man started to curse through the thing shoved in his mouth, but his words were cut off by a rapid clicking sound and he convulsed. Maylin jumped. Couldn’t help it.

  “Taser.” Caleb’s comment was neutral. Harte said nothing, his face a hard mask.

  Gabe waved a tiny cylinder under the unconscious man’s nose. As the man came to, Gabe fired off the question again. “Where are they? Where are the scientists?”

  The man spit out another muffled insult. Defiance was in the set of his jaw and his stubborn glare.

  Gabe tased him again.

  “Maybe you should wait outside.” Caleb made the suggestion gently. “I’ll come get you when they move to the next phase.”

  Maylin shook her head and hugged herself. Made sure to watch every moment. Gabe was doing this for her. He might have committed other things in the past and this probably wasn’t the worst he’d ever done, but this was for her. If there was nothing else she could do, she could bear witness.

  Caleb didn’t argue, only returned his attention to the screen.

  The man finally broke, stuttering out a set of directions.

  “One Charlie, secure him.” Having given the order, Gabe and his team moved forward.

  They moved quickly through the halls, and the cameras blurred a little more on the edges. They encountered one more guard, overwhelmed him with a speedy efficiency that made it look simple. It couldn’t be, but Maylin had no doubts they were very good at what they did.

  “Note—no unit insignias on the uniforms. Their badges are worn, they’ve been here a while.”

  Harte responded, “Understood, One Alpha.”

  Finally, Gabe’s camera trained on a door. He touched a badge he’d stripped off the first guard to a sensor on the left and it flashed green as the lock disengaged with an audible click. Inside, a tiny form lay curled up on a bare bunk. Gabe moved forward and pinned
the girl down as she woke, covering her mouth to silence her scream. Gaunt, exhausted, but a beautiful sight.

  “An-mei.” Maylin whispered her sister’s name.

  Harte didn’t even glance back at her. “Identity confirmed. Acquire the package and get the hell out of Dodge.”

  Still gruff, the version of Gabe’s voice she knew returned. “An-mei. Maylin sent us. Can you walk?”

  Panic receded from An-mei’s eyes when Gabe made no move. After a long moment, she nodded. He released her and helped her up. Her sister took a moment to gain her balance but then seemed steady on her bare feet.

  “She looks okay.” Dizzy with relief, Maylin leaned back against the wall.

  Clothes, boots. They could get An-mei those. What mattered was she seemed whole and mostly well.

  “They’d want her in good enough shape to conduct their research.” Caleb sounded so incredibly reasonable. “Scientists need steady hands. If she didn’t eat, they’d have force-fed her to make sure she was getting nutrition.”

  Hopefully, it hadn’t happened.

  They were on the move again and Maylin had to look at Marc’s camera to see An-mei. Gabe had taken the lead again and they were back in formation.

  Caleb moved to lean against the wall next to her. “They might have done other things to try to get her to cooperate. Isolation, sensory deprivation. Your sister will probably need counseling. I’d recommend you both stay here for some time until we can find new options for you.”

  “They aren’t safe yet. Can we talk about it after? We need them safe first.” It was unlucky to talk about the future before the immediate danger had been overcome. It was tempting fate.

  Gunfire burst out in a staccato beat across the speakers. Marc’s camera ran into An-mei’s back; from one of the Bravo team’s monitors, Maylin could see Marc pressing An-mei into the floor as he loomed protectively over her to shield her. Gabe had gone down into a crouch as he returned fire.

  “One Alpha, Code 13. We’re under fire. Request immediate assistance.”

  Maylin’s heart stopped.

  Harte barked orders. “Two Alpha, proceed inside. Two Bravo and Charlie, retrograde to vehicles and prepare for secondary exit scenario. One Delta, stand by.”

  “What...?”

  Caleb placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. She was glad he kept his distance, though. She might have shoved him off in her anxiety. Instead, his touch grounded her. He stepped into her line of sight. “We’re switching to Plan B. The other squadron was waiting above ground just for this. One of the fire teams is heading in to help and then lead them out to the ground level where the other two teams are clearing a path out. Squadron One Bravo is moving inside now while One Delta will stay below ground in the tunnels to guard that escape route in case they have to go to Plan C. The teams have this under control and are still moving.”

  And they were. Marc had hoisted An-mei over his shoulder and was walking fast. The cameras of the Bravo team bounced as the teams moved forward at speed, not quite running but definitely heading somewhere in a rush. Here and there, gunfire burst and Gabe’s teams responded. Victoria wielded an impossibly large gun, lighting up the hallway as she fired. Maylin wasn’t sure if it would be a memorial or a nightmare, but the sounds of shouts and pained cries burned into her brain. So far though, every one of the Centurion cameras continued to move.

  The teams seemed to converge and all head through a wider open area.

  “They’ve reached the front door.” Caleb said it like such a place had one, complete with reception area.

  All Maylin could see was open space and a pair of doors ahead.

  Suddenly, all of the cameras flashed with light. Terse words jumbled together as the teams reported in, and she couldn’t sort them. How any of them did, she didn’t know. Couldn’t imagine getting used to it.

  Anxiety wound up inside her so tight she had to force herself to let go of the air she was holding in her lungs. Her jaw hurt from clenching and her heart pounded. Please, please let them come through okay.

  “Flash bangs.” Gabe’s voice came across. “One Charlie has one man blind. Injuries minimal.”

  The cameras resolved to images again just in time to go black as they passed through the front doors into night.

  She could barely make out shadows as they moved to vehicles. The engines and shouting were enough to tell her they were moving. More gunfire. And the cameras flared again as another explosion went off ahead and to the left of one of the vehicles. The jeep Gabe was in.

  It was Lizzy’s voice over the speakers. “Fucking Jewel and her IEDs.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Gabe concentrated on breathing. Not easy with acrid fumes clogging his lungs. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision. The world was upside down. Actually, they were. Could’ve been worse.

  “All posts, status. One Alpha, go.”

  Lizzy reported in first, broadcasting across their radio channel even though she was right next to him in the passenger seat. “Scott. Green. Moving into position to provide cover but we need to get mobile again. Stat.”

  As soon as she’d checked in, she released her seat belt and scrambled out of the overturned vehicle. Gabe would do the same, but he had a suspicion his mobility was going to be more of a problem. Pain fired off at intervals down his lower back and through his legs. He’d have to go slower.

  Victoria checked in next, already halfway out of the vehicle. “Ash. Green.”

  “Lykke. Green. The package is unconscious. No visible injuries. Ash is assisting with extraction from vehicle.”

  Good. An-mei was their highest priority. If he had to, he’d send his team back to Maylin without him.

  The other fire teams continued their check-ins. No other cars had been caught in the small blast. It’d been the kind of present designed to flip a single car and cause confusion in the caravan while enemy forces focused fire on the vehicles caught behind. Only Squadron Two had already subdued what enemy units there were on site. They had a small window of time to recover and get out.

  Gabe reassessed his own situation. The immediate pain had subsided. He braced himself as best he could and released his seat belt. Nothing happened.

  “Fuck.” He reached for his utility knife and yanked the hooked end across the seat belt, the cutter parting the reinforced fabric with ease.

  Did Maylin have one of these in her car? Not likely. He should get her one and teach her to use it.

  Harte’s voice came across the comm, cool and calm. Meaning he was worried. “One Alpha Diaz, status?”

  “Green.” Gabe kept his growl to a minimum. “Minor seat belt issue. Not a problem. Enemy units have not been reinforced yet. We are clear to move for now.”

  Twisting and crawling out the window wasn’t an easy feat, but he made it. Muscles protested in his lower back, but he didn’t suffer any further sharp pains. Peering out into the darkness around them, he watched the deep shadows for any sign of movement.

  Nothing. Yet.

  Good thing his legs were working. He counted it a small win as he joined his fire team on his own. Running would be a problem if it came to it, but for the time being they doubled up in one of the other vehicles.

  “Proceed slow. Use extreme caution.” Speed was not their friend at the moment, even if there was a need for it. Enemy reinforcements might be on their way, but they hadn’t shown up yet and it could be because they didn’t want to be caught in their own blast zones. There were other improvised explosive devices. Had to be. His team couldn’t afford to rush out of here and potentially trigger another mine.

  The vehicles moved forward at an agonizing crawl. It would’ve been a good time for a military explosives detection unit, but they hadn’t brought any of the dogs with them. All they could do was hope there weren’t any more in the path out.r />
  The sound of gunfire surrounded them as multiple hits sounded against the side of their vehicle with a distinct thwang, thwang, thwang, thwang.

  There was a metallic click from inside their vehicle as Lizzy flipped up the rear iron sight on her assault rifle. The rest of his team reacted a split second later. Marc opened the west-facing window and Victoria moved to cover An-mei’s unconscious form while Lizzy shifted into position to return fire from her seat.

  Gabe made the report. “One Alpha. Shots fired from the west. Scott, you got this?”

  Two shots rang out. Then Lizzy reported in. “Two down. Two to go.”

  Even with a regular assault rifle and iron sights instead of her sniper rifle and scope, Lizzy was one of the best he’d ever encountered. She took another shot. “One to go.”

  “Roger that.”

  Harte’s voice murmured over the comms in their ears, “Two Bravo and Two Charlie, move to intercept additional enemy units to the west.”

  Gabe cursed. They were sitting ducks all lined up. The only comfort was that any shooter would have to stay far enough back to be clear of the potential blast zone. Too far to take aim for anything but an area target shot, so the best their attackers could hope for was a lucky hit on one of the tires. Unless there was a sniper set up out there to take a point target, his team had a chance of getting out. Problem was, their luck was running out and they couldn’t pick up speed without risking running over another mine. “Convoy, continue at current speed. Stay sharp for any additional IEDs.”

  Thwang.

  The point of impact was higher, the bullet ricocheting dangerously close to the window. They all ducked down a little lower in the vehicle, covering as best they could. Marc had joined Victoria in physically providing cover to An-mei.

  Lizzy took one more shot. “All targets eliminated.”

  His team rode in grim silence as they crept along. All of them would end up under medical surveillance once they got home. The blast had been enough to shake every one of their brains inside their skulls, and even if they thought they had green status to get up on their own power and get the hell out, they’d need to spend the next several days letting their minds physically recover from the blast trauma.