by Alex Siegel
Marina looked in that direction. Shipman was a short, overweight man in a white lab coat. He had a puffy, white mustache. An elaborate headdress made of electronic components covered his bald head. His face was locked in an expression of concentration, and he was clearly controlling the animals.
"Kill him!" Marina yelled.
She fired her gun, but the bullets bounced off a pane of reinforced glass separating Shipman from her. He was in a separate chamber.
The rats were already crawling on Marina. They couldn't chew through her body armor, but her head and hands were exposed, and they were clearly trying to reach those targets. She tried to shake off the animals, but their little claws clung tenaciously to the course fibers of her armor. When she tried to brush them off, one bit her finger. The sensation of their wriggling bodies all over her was very creepy.
"I'll get him," Aaron said.
He calmly aimed his sniper rifle despite the dozens of rats swarming up his body. He fired. The barrel had a long suppressor, but the shot was still loud in the enclosed space.
Marina looked at the result. There was a hole in the glass, and the top of Shipman's head was gone. Blood spurted for a moment before he collapsed.
The rats jumped off and scattered to find hiding places as normal rats would. The dogs stopped growling, sat down, and appeared confused.
Marina breathed a sigh of relief. "OK. That was interesting. Let's finish sweeping this place."
The team searched the very large, underground laboratory. There were dozens of rooms which included a machine shop, a kitchen, and a dormitory. One room contained the equipment needed to make custom computer chips.
They found no other scientists left alive. Hanley used his gift to confirm there were no human heartbeats besides those of the Spears.
Marina took out her phone to call Min Ho, but the display showed a very weak signal.
"I'm going up top to call home," she told her team. "I want all of you to figure out how to destroy this place. We can't leave this equipment intact, and all the animals need to die, too."
She jogged to the exit from the laboratory. Along the way, she saw a rat hiding under a table, and tiny copper posts were sticking out of its skull.
"Your suffering is almost over," she murmured.
She went up the stairs and took a cautious look around before stepping into the open. There were still armed guards in the area, but fortunately, she didn't see any.
Marina called Min Ho.
"What's going on, ma'am?" he said. "People keep calling the police from Burch's mansion. I tried to block all the calls, but one or two might've slipped through."
"It's OK. The main fighting is done, and we're mopping up now. Where is Burch?"
"He's not in the mansion?"
"I don't think so," Marina said.
"Then I have no idea, ma'am."
"I want you and Jia to find him. That's your top priority now. Call me back when you do."
"Yes, ma'am," Min Ho said.
Marina put away her phone. She was enjoying the warm sunlight on her face. A cool, ocean breeze kept her from overheating in her thick body armor.
She walked over to a nearby garden and didn't recognize any of the strange plants. One had a flower shaped like a spider, and another flower had long, black petals. There was a short tree with a trunk so thick she couldn't put her arms around it.
She heard distant sirens, and they didn't come as a surprise. It had been a big, messy, loud fight, but she was happy with the results.
I'd better get the helicopter before the police become a pain in the ass, she thought.
She ran back to where she had parked the helicopter. When she arrived, she found two guards in black uniforms looking at the chain guns. She shot them in the heads.
Marina jumped into the cockpit and started the engine. She could see flashing red and blue lights now. Police cars were coming down the road in front of the mansion.
She flew over the mansion and landed by the fake rocky outcropping at the edge of the cliff. The ground was uneven, but she found a relatively flat spot. She left the engine running as she waited for her team.
Aaron, Ipo, Hanley, and Katie came running out. When they saw the helicopter, they immediately sprinted over and climbed onboard.
"Go!" Aaron yelled.
Marina pulled on the collective, and the helicopter shot up into the sky.
"What's going on?" she said.
"We broke a gas main. The whole laboratory is filling with natural gas."
"Did you provide an ignition source?"
He nodded. "A trashcan full of burning papers and alcohol."
Marina held the helicopter at an altitude of 500 feet. She watched police cars drive into the mansion compound and spread out. When officers got out of the cars, they were just blue dots.
She could tell when the gas exploded because the ground shuddered and some dust was kicked up. A tall jet of flame shot out of the entry to the underground laboratory.
"That's it?" Aaron said. "I was hoping for more."
Marina shrugged. "I'm sure a lot of damage was done, and it will keep the police out. Somehow, I'll have to come back later and make sure all the evidence is properly destroyed."
"Uh, maybe you won't."
He was looking to the west, and she followed his gaze. A white light was flying across the ocean towards the mansion at an impossibly fast speed. It was so bright, she had to squint.
"My God..." Katie said.
"Exactly," Marina replied.
The holy missile impacted the cliff face, creating a visible shockwave. The land beneath the compound liquefied and then settled as the underground laboratory collapsed. Some of the buildings fell over, and she expected people inside had been injured or killed.
"That takes care of that," Marina said.
"Wow!" Hanley said. "A real, full-size miracle!"
"It was the Lord's way of telling us to do a better job of cleaning up."
Aaron was blushing. "I'm sorry."
"Plenty of blame to go around."
Marina's phone rang, and the caller ID told her it was Min Ho.
She answered, "I hope this is good news. Where is Burch?"
"I don't have direct evidence of his location, ma'am," he said, "but his private jet took off from Monterey Regional Airport twenty minutes ago."
"Where is it now?"
"It flew west until air traffic control lost contact. It's somewhere over the Pacific now, and it has enough range to reach Asia."
Marina clenched her fists in frustration. "Damn it! Get the word out to the rest of the Society. Make sure wherever that plane lands, it has a warm reception."
"I'll do my best, ma'am."
She hung up her phone.
Aaron raised his eyebrows. "News?"
"He got away," she said. "We're going home."
She turned the helicopter and flew north.
* * *
Bill Burch settled back in the comfortable leather seat of his private jet. The passenger cabin was relatively small but very nicely furnished. There was enough seating for twenty people to travel in style. Some of the chairs could swivel or shift to create a dining room around a central table. There was a well-stocked bar and a kitchenette in back. A separate cabin served as a business center, and it had all the electronics one would expect in a modern office. Soft, recessed lighting created a restful mood.
He had brought essential staff members with him such as his butler, his secretary, and a few bodyguards. His favorite three girls from his harem were sitting in the back of his cabin, and their tight clothing emphasized their large breasts and narrow waists. They would share his hiding place with him, wherever it was.
Burch looked out a window. The Pacific Ocean was an endless blue expanse, and he couldn't see any land. This is far enough, he thought.
He pulled his secret red phone from a pocket in his jacket. Somehow, it still worked even when out at sea. Perhaps it used satellites. He put his eye against the scanner to acti
vate the phone.
"Vulture?" he said. "Are you there?"
"Yes," a male voice responded.
"I got away, and now my pilots need a heading. Where am I going?"
"To Hell."
"Huh?"
"You lied," Vulture said. "You didn't kill any members of the Gray Spear Society."
Burch's throat tightened. "How do you know?"
"You don't think we have spies in your organization? You don't think we keep a close watch on our members, particularly the new ones? We found out exactly what happened at the California Aqueduct. By the way, the Society just demolished your home. The police are finding lots of dead bodies. Your security was inadequate."
"Oh."
"An F-16 is approaching your position," Vulture said. "It's armed with two AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, and I don't believe your jet is equipped with counter-measures. The wreckage will sink in the ocean and never be found."
"This isn't necessary! You know I can be very useful to you. I'm wealthy and powerful. I have friends in high places. Yes, I made mistakes. I overreached. I was a little sloppy. But I've learned the error of my ways, and it won't happen again. You're throwing away a tremendous asset!"
"The Society knows your name which means you're of no more use to us. The Pythagoreans survive by being invisible. Good bye, Mr. Burch."
"Wait!"
The jet exploded as two missiles hit it simultaneously.
* * *
Marina and the rest of the San Francisco team were standing around a patch of disturbed earth behind headquarters. Aaron was holding Marina's hand. Everybody was wearing their formal robes even though they were outside and there was a slim chance of being seen. The occasion demanded it. A bright sun warmed the plush, gray fabric.
Liam's grave had no marker. He was lucky to be buried at all. Most legionnaires died in places where their bodies couldn't be retrieved.
"Everybody dies," Marina said in a solemn voice. "In the case of legionnaires, the end usually comes far too quickly. We rarely have a chance to grow old, and as far as I know, no member of the Society has ever retired. We're just bullets in the gun God fires at his enemies. We're expended and replaced, but until then, we can find glory. Our service to God and man is invaluable. Our sacrifice is necessary."
She took a moment to gather herself. Everybody else was silent and kept their head's bowed.
"Liam's time among us was very brief," she said. "Unfortunately, he never found much glory. I blame myself to a large extent. He should never have been recruited, but of course, that's obvious in hindsight. Let's try to remember the good things about him. He was dedicated and sincere. He was respectful. He always pushed himself to the limits of his abilities. He had most of the qualities needed to succeed in our cruel, fickle business, and his shortcomings weren't bad by normal standards. He was fundamentally a good man."
Several people nodded in agreement.
"Go back inside," Marina said, "and remember this lesson. We can never be weak, or death will take us in an instant."
The group dispersed, but Aaron stayed with Marina. The two commanders continued to hold hands.
"It's time for me to go home," he said softly.
She sniffled. "I know."
"This wasn't the restful vacation I expected, but at least we spent plenty of time together. That's a remarkable achievement all things considered."
"I just wish we knew where Burch was."
"He'll turn up," Aaron said. "He's on the list. He can't hide forever."
Marina nodded.
"And you're a great commander. I can see the respect in your people. Don't ever forget that. You just need to fine tune your leadership skills and work on being patient."
"I will." She kissed him on the lips.
He gave her a warm hug. "Good bye. I have a plane to catch."
Aaron walked off with one last loving look over his shoulder.
Marina was left alone at Liam's grave.
Learn from this, she told herself. The next time, the fight might be tougher, and the stakes might be higher.
THE END
Table of Contents
Title
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
