Reason For Vengeance (Dark Vengeance Book 1)

by Adrian D. Roberts

  They picked their way through to the stairs and headed up two flights before going deeper in to find their primary position. Troll knocked on the door and it swung in slightly.

  “Hello?” she called, not loudly, but clearly to be heard within the apartment. “Maintenance.”

  “Really?” Barney said quietly.

  “What?” Troll replied. “I can’t exactly say hired killers can I?”

  “I bet you can here. It would make more sense than maintenance.” Deni said under her breath. Barney glanced at her with a slight smile. He’d obviously heard her and Deni felt herself blush slightly. The big man hadn’t said so much as a word to her so far. This was the only acknowledgement he gave to say he knew she was even there.

  Troll meanwhile drew her pistol. “Stay here, Deni,” she said and moved into the apartment, going left. Barney drew his and followed her in, going right. Deni saw them checking every corner carefully before they moved out of sight. It didn’t take long for Troll to call back “Clear.” She came out of the left hand room and Barney came back from the right. Nodding his head and holstering his pistol to indicate his side was also clear.

  “Set up your spy cams, Deni,” Troll ordered. “You’re on watch. I need to know if anyone is coming up the stairs.” She came over, pointing to several places in the corridor and by the stairs. “Set your spycams here, here, here and there. That’ll give you good coverage and set your datapad just inside the door so if you need to give it an old fashioned eyeball, you can do it easily.” She went back inside and said to Barney. “Let’s get the charges placed. We’ve got a few minutes, but not many more than we need.” The building had originally been designed and built with windows. When Tumbler moved in, she made sure no one could look into her compound and had all the windows in the surrounding buildings filled in. Now the only way they would be able to see out would be to blast a hole.

  Deni had her own job to do and moved quickly placing each spycam as precisely as she could to Troll’s instructions, hiding each one with a small piece of chameleon cloth. When placed against a surface it copied to blend in. Once the camera was in place and covered with the cloth, only a small bump on the wall was visible. That in itself was not easily seen, so a casual glance at the walls wouldn’t show them up. It wasn’t as good as the Legion’s Camocloth, but it would do the job here.

  Deni hurried back in. Barney was just finishing up setting the explosive against the wall. Troll was on the floor unpacking their weapons carefully and placing them to either side. She was lining them up so they could switch from one to another quickly, without needing to reload.

  Deni set herself up by the door, fixing her datapad to the wall. It was out of the way and she could glance at it quickly, without having to look for it. She activated it and linked in the spycams with the screen split to show the four images simultaneously. She glanced up as Troll came back over to her.

  “Here,” she crouched down next Deni and held out a small pistol. “Do you know how to use this?” Deni shook her head.

  “It’s simple enough,” she showed the gun to Deni. “Safety here. Keep it on until you need it or you’re liable to shoot yourself, Barney or me and that wouldn’t be a good idea. Some of Tumblers Enforcers may show up here. Tell Barney and me, but we may be a bit too busy to do anything about it so switch the safety off, point it round the corner and pull the trigger. Just the gun. Don’t stick your head round as well. Use the cameras as best you can. Keep firing until you run out of ammo then reload and keep going until Barney or me tell you to stop. Got all that?”

  Deni nodded. “Not good enough, Deni. Repeat it back to me.”

  Deni took a deep breath. “Shout if Enforcers are coming. If you’re busy, switch the safety off, point only the gun round the corner and keep firing until you tell me to stop.”

  “Good.” Troll replied with a smile. “You’re a smart kid. Now take this,” she handed the pistol to Deni. “Unpack all the ammo packs. Lay them out just as we rehearsed. Keep your eyes on the datapad. We’ll use the guns in the order we agreed before throwing them back to you. You reload them and slide them back. After the first round it’ll get confused. We’ll probably be grabbing whatever gun is to hand. By that point though, it should be past time to leave, so we shouldn’t have to worry about that.

  “Just keep it together, kid, and we’ll get through this. Don’t forget your ear protectors.” Troll ruffled Deni’s hair before getting up and heading back to her position. Barney was crouched down to the right of the explosives, with the missile launcher at the ready and ear protectors in. Troll was already wearing them and Deni quickly put hers in. Like the others she would still be able to function after the blast. Troll picked up a Mag assault rifle and set herself to the left with the detonator in her hand. She glanced at her wristcomp’s chrono before looking back to Deni.

  “Eyes on the screen, Deni. It’s almost time,” she admonished before reassuring her. “Don’t worry, you’re well out of the line of fire so you’ll be fine. Tonight we’ll be toasting this in the Dawning Sun with Hanna and the others.”

  ***

  It was dark in the back of the recycling lorry and reeked of old waste, with just enough light to make out her companions. Not caring about the smell, Valerie looked at each of them, weighing their mettle in her mind, just as she would for her own platoon in Shadow Company before battle. Rush was hunched over, concentrating on his datapad as he drove the truck they were in remotely.

  He stole it before meeting them and jury rigged it quickly before they left. The dummy in the cab wouldn’t pass a close inspection, but it was good enough for anyone looking from five metres or more away. He wore his body armour poorly on his skinny body, often scratching were it rubbed against him. A Mag rifle was slung over his back, with plenty of spare ammo magazines strapped to his armour. A pistol was holstered at his side. The four of them were all armed the same except Valerie, who carried an additional pistol. They would all use the Mag rifles as their primary weapons while Valerie always preferred her pistols for close quarters. She knew Rush had known Hanna almost as long as Sneaker and was just as determined to get her back.

  “Controls feel OK,” Rush said, the truck weaving back and forth. Valerie braced her legs to stop from falling over.

  “Good enough to do the job?” Sneaker asked nervously.

  “Only because I’m here,” Rush answered with a forced chuckle.

  Sneaker sat next to Valerie, leaning forward on his Mag rifle, his hands opening and closing gently about it. His shoulders were hunched and taut, sweat was on his brow and his eyes were closed. Valerie reached over to him and gently squeezed his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

  “It’s alright,” she told him. “Your job is to watch our rear and I don’t plan on leaving anyone alive in front of me.” The words were right, she’d said similar things to hundreds of nervous soldiers over the years, but she could hear how cold she sounded. Sneaker still nodded and smiled to her reassurance. She guessed it helped a little at least.

  “You’re very confident of that.” The fourth person of their small squad said. That was Hobbs, dark haired, 190 centimetres tall and a slightly stocky build. He was leaning back opposite Valerie, with his legs stretched out in front of him, giving the impression he was completely at ease. To Valerie’s experienced eye he had an edge to him, a nervousness that wasn’t readily apparent. She had seen it many times over the years, he wasn’t trying to hide it, he was just acknowledging to himself that he was about to put his life into the line of fire.

  This is why she picked this professional Enforcer to be her Slack man, while she took point. Sneaker and Rush would then cover the rear of the squad, in case anyone managed to get round behind them. He also carried their only heavy weapon, an old but still very effective, Plasma rifle. Not the sort of weapon to be used in an enclosed space, though one they carried, for a specific purpose, which had to be used sparingly. There was only enough charge for a handful of shots.
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br />   He was staring at her through the combat goggles all four of them wore. The slim, light weight, dark goggles, fitted easily over his eyes, giving him all round protected vision. Sealed to his face to protect against dust, debris and smoke, the goggles had a low light capability and heads up display. They were an important and highly effective piece of equipment. Valerie was glad Sneaker had them as part of his arsenal.

  She shrugged her shoulders slightly and the corner of her mouth quirked up in a hint of a smile though her eyes were devoid of life.

  “I know what I can do, all that matters is what they can do and I can’t control that,” she replied. “I’ve been doing this for a long time and I’m still here. Most of those I’ve come up against aren’t.”

  Hobbs leaned forward. “Why haven’t I heard of you?” he demanded. He’d kept quiet during the short planning meeting they had before coming straight here. Now, just as they were about to go into battle, he was testing her, pushing to see if she could do what she promised.

  Valerie looked back at him steadily. She could see his jaw clench and some remote part of her knew this was a reaction to her cold eyes.

  “I haven’t been here long. My other Jobs have all been outside the Pantheon and, trust me when I say this, I’ve been up against better than what’s waiting for us in that building. You watch my back and I’ll get us through this.”

  Hobbs relaxed back. “It’s all the same to me. Tumbler knows me,” he shrugged. “If it comes to it and I yield, she’ll take it. She’ll work my balls off on the nastiest Jobs she’s got, but she knows I’m good enough to make it worth her while,” he smiled. “The rest of you she’ll gut like fish if you survive, so I suggest you don’t.”

  Valerie could see he meant it and that concerned her. The man, who would be directly on her six, could well decide it would be time to get out at any moment and try to shoot her in the back. She was about to draw her pistol and shoot him cleanly through the head when Sneaker cut in.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “Hobbs won’t yield unless he absolutely has to. He’s a freelancer and they rely on their reputations. If he double crossed us or any of his clients, best case, he’d never work on Blaze again. Worst case, he’d get his throat slit. Isn’t that right Hobbs?”

  “Yeah. I’m in until it’s hopeless. Then… Well, for what you’re paying, I’ll go quite a way before I stop.”

  Valerie hadn’t moved a muscle, otherwise Hobbs would have reacted, but mentally she relaxed. The code they lived by felt strange to her. She considered them the scum of the Galaxy, one step from Billy Bacc’s Rebels. She was sure they would sell their own mother to get what they wanted. This is what she had been taught by the Legion. Nothing in all her years killing scum like them, inside and outside the Pantheon, disabused her of that notion. Here they were though, willing to risk their lives for one of their Crew, just as she would have done for any of Shadow Company. Then there were these iron codes binding them, enforced by everyone in their violent and uncaring community.

  Her eyes hadn’t left Hobbs and she nodded to show she understood.

  “Coming up on the turn for the gate,” Rush called, interrupting them.

  “Get yourselves ready.” Valerie ordered. She turned to face the rear and moved into a crouch, grabbing a handhold with her left and having her pistol ready with her right. Hobbs moved smoothly to crouch next to her on her right at Rush’s call. Valerie glanced behind her to check on Sneaker who was also moving into position.

  She felt the truck turn right into the road heading towards the gate. The hum of the engine underneath them increased as the truck sped up.

  “Here we go,” Rush shouted. “Brace yourselves and hope the others are on time!”

  ***

  Up in the apartment block opposite the gate, Troll watched the seconds count down on her wristcomp and at the agreed time triggered the explosives. The wall blew out with a deafening roar. Amidst the dust and debris, Barney rolled out with the missile launcher. In his peripheral vision he noticed people in the compound below, turning to look up at him in shock, but his focus was on the gate. He could see the recycling lorry heading as fast as it could go towards it.

  Guards at the gate were turning towards him, not knowing which threat they should be concentrating on. The truck they had been watching accelerating towards them or the explosion from behind. The dust and debris from the detonation hid Barney from them. When the missile suddenly shot out, they could only stare in incredulity.

  Being one of Sneakers anti-tank missiles with the infantry mod, when the missile was fifty metres from the target multiple small darts sprang out. The main missile slammed into the gate, disintegrating it in a white hot fireball, obliterating the guards closest to it and blew the others in the compound off their feet. The darts landed all around the gate and many of the guards who survived the initial hit, died in the subsequent explosions.

  The recycling lorry sailed through the middle, its front cab smashed in by the missiles fire storm. Barney rolled back, casting aside the launcher and grabbed his Mag rifle. Troll moved round as Barney got clear, her Mag rifle came up and she opened fire on the guards at the main entrance. Most of the survivors were on the ground and she showed no mercy, killing them where they lay. The hyper velocity, spinning Mag rounds did instant and bloody damage to their bodies.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Inside the truck, they felt the concussion wave hit them, but were well protected by its reinforced body. The basic design of a rubbish collection lorry hadn’t changed in thousands of years, based on the principle, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. There were more technologically advanced ways of disposing waste, but they were more complex, harder to manufacture and, more importantly, cost a lot more. The concept of waste being collected by hand and stuffed into a container that crushed it down is antiquated. Its advantage is that it’s labour intensive and labour’s cheap.

  “Shit,” Rush said. The body of the truck was mostly unaffected, but it’s cab was another matter. “Main camera’s gone and the controls are all over the place.”

  “You got it?” Valarie shouted.

  “Just about,” he shouted back. “The backup survived as planned and here we go.”

  Valerie felt the truck swerve in, what she hoped, was the direction of the front entrance to the building. They really felt the impact as it slammed through the doors and much of the wall surrounding it. She hung on grimly as the others all got flung forward by the force of the collision. The instant she felt the truck come to a stop, she activated the remote on the rear doors. Not designed as an assault vehicle, they rose slowly and it took valuable seconds for it to open sufficiently for her to roll out.

  Shots pinged off the truck above her and she glanced in the direction they were coming from, pistol coming up. One of the guards was lying on the ground firing in her direction. She was about to shoot him when his back exploded in blood, rounds from Troll and Barney’s position ripped him apart. Valerie glanced about. She could see most of those outside the building were either still recovering from the blast or already dead from either the explosion or the two Enforcers.

  The truck was fully inside the building and Valerie just inside herself. Hobbs and the others were on their feet and moving towards the rear of the truck, coming to back her up. It was time to move, she couldn’t give those inside time to respond. She had to hit them as fast and hard as she could. She drew her left pistol and sprang round the side of the truck.

  Enforcers were coming in through the door leading to the loading dock. They were shocked and disorientated, not expecting missiles to be fired at them or a truck to ram into the building. Valerie’s pistols were already aimed before they even noticed she was there. Three Enforcers and for Valerie, three clean double taps. Head, throat and chest. They fell where they came in, not even having a chance to raise their weapons.

  She looked around, there were two ways in, the loading dock door and a corridor leading to the central stairwell. Sneaker’
s building schematic was out of date, but they couldn’t change something as fundamentally structural as those. The truck had gone through an interior wall. It held some sort of ready room for the guards. Bodies were strewn about both under the truck and the rubble. Some were still alive but were barely moving. This is why they had a little breathing room. Valerie didn’t hesitate. She moved over and finished off those who were still alive, with a shot to the head of each one before shooting the two surviving cameras.

  “You don’t mess about do you?” Valerie looked up to see Hobbs standing there with Sneaker and Rush coming up behind him. She could hear Troll and Barney continuing to fire at those still in the compound outside.

  “We don’t have time,” she said. “We can’t afford for these to get up and come after us. First job is to take out the freight elevators by the loading docks. Sneaker. Rush. Set up by the corridor and hold that position. One of you keep an eye on that hole we’ve just made. Troll and Barney should be able to keep it clear, but don’t depend on it. Hobbs’ you’re with me.” Everyone moved to obey her.

  For the first time in a year Valerie was behaving more like her old self. The act of leading a team into a tense, high risk engagement woke the part of her that excelled in these situations. It felt like the mother who was wounded and hurting so badly, took a step back and the commanding officer of Shadow Company came to the fore. The woman who ran the most dangerous and effective combat unit in the history of the Pantheon, was now in charge and she liked it.

  Valerie went to the door the three Enforcers came through. Their bodies were propping the doors open where they fell, allowing her to look in without exposing herself. Not seeing any immediate danger, she ducked in, pistols at the ready and quickly destroyed the four cameras set up in there. The three loading bay doors were open. They must have been in the middle of sorting a shipment, though she couldn’t tell if they were loading or unloading. A wheeled truck stood at an angle a few metres from the bay. Bodies were lying around it. A woman stood up from where she was taking cover behind the truck. Mag rounds hit her squarely in the chest. She must have been trying to fire at Troll and Barney. Valerie was impressed by how accurate the shots were.