‘As everyone in this room should already be aware, we have brought in the services of an outside organisation to assist us in this task.’ The director indicated the three chrome-clad warriors. ‘S.I.L.V.E.R. will lead SED and SFSD personnel in the field, making decisions as they see fit to ensure mission success. However,’ he continued, ‘since original instructions were disseminated a new power structure has been arranged, whereby this mission and everyone in it will answer to my newly designated field commander, an SFSD colonel flown in from USSB Steadfast—’
‘That is not acceptable,’ said a deep voice.
The intelligence director turned his head towards S.I.L.V.E.R.’s leader. ‘I’m sorry, what did you say?’
‘Those are unacceptable terms. We were promised full command, no less.’
‘I promised you no such thing.’
The chrome-clad man hesitated and looked around at those present. ‘Others did.’
The intelligence director removed his spectacles. ‘And what others are these? I see no one here that outranks me. In fact, the only people I answer to are the GMRC Directorate and the President of the United States, in that order. If you have orders from them I’m unaware of, then please, produce them now so we can move on.’
S.I.L.V.E.R.’s leader took a step towards Joiner. ‘This is not a wise decision; you’d do well to reconsider.’
‘And you’d do well to do as you’re fucking told,’ another voice said.
‘Ah, excellent.’ The director extended an arm towards the Special Forces officers, who moved aside to reveal an armoured figure lurking in the shadows. ‘This is the man in question. Ophion Nexus, meet Colonel Samson. Colonel, Ophion.’
The Special Forces colonel marched forward; he was shorter than S.I.L.V.E.R.’s leader, but stockier. His grizzled features, stubble and battle worn armour the complete opposite of the immaculate appearance of S.I.L.V.E.R.’s leader, who had been revealed as Ophion Nexus.
Riley wondered where a man with such an exotic name hailed from. He could have cut the tension with a knife. He glanced at Locke, who along with General Stevens looked on in bleak fascination. The U.S. Army colonel stopped inches from Ophion, his manner aggressive, his eyes manic – feral, even.
Ophion Nexus considered the man who’d superseded his command, his expression cool. He turned back to Malcolm Joiner. Behind him, his two S.I.L.V.E.R. colleagues had moved closer, perhaps sensing the danger Riley could see written all over this Colonel Samson’s face. If ever there was a man not to turn your back on, it was him.
‘If you want this mission to succeed,’ Ophion said to Joiner, ‘if you want this woman found, then I’m your best chance of success.’
‘I think you’ll find Colonel Samson more than motivated. You are, after all, aware of what happens if he fails.’
A look of confusion flickered across Ophion’s face.
The colonel’s expression darkened and he made to grasp Ophion’s arm.
The S.I.L.V.E.R. commander reacted with lightning reflexes, spinning round to clamp his hand onto Samson’s wrist, halting him mid-reach. The colonel bunched his fingers into a fist and forced Ophion’s arm down before the S.I.L.V.E.R. assassin resisted. Locked in a battle of strength, their arms shook under tension.
One of Ophion’s lieutenants stepped forward, a hand straying to a wicked looking knife on her utility belt.
Samson saw the movement and his top lip curled back in contempt. ‘I hear you enjoy hunting women, Nexus. You’d better relax your guard or I’ll take your friend’s knife and cut you in half.’
A dangerous glint entered Ophion’s eyes before he realised where he was. He looked around the room and released his hold. ‘You’d be wise not to touch me again, Colonel, or you’ll have no hand with which to do the cutting.’
Ophion moved away while Colonel Samson continued to glare at him with undisguised hatred, the ferocity of his manner undiminished.
‘Excellent,’ Malcolm Joiner said, resuming his address to the room as if the confrontation had never happened. ‘And now the issue of command has been cleared up, let’s move on.’
♦
With the colonel and Ophion separated, the room relaxed and Riley listened as the intelligence director outlined their strategies and how they would utilise special equipment and vehicles to negate the effects of the slow and tortuous route through Sanctuary Proper to the Anakim temple, where it was thought Sarah was headed. It seemed no expense had been spared in the gadgetry on offer, equipment the SED had been after for years had suddenly appeared out of nowhere at the click of Malcolm Joiner’s well-connected fingers. Why such efforts couldn’t have been made before to aid in Sanctuary’s exploration, Riley didn’t know. Perhaps those in power thought they had enough Anakim treasures to be getting on with, he thought. A fair assumption, considering the amount of archaeological finds that crammed the Smithsonian and military vaults.
‘So,’ Joiner said, ‘as you can see the time it would have taken to reach the temple has been significantly shortened. The original Deep Reach map before you,’ – he indicated the depiction of the route which hovered in their air in the form of a hologram – ‘has been replaced by a more direct path. Terrain that would have proven impassable has been made possible by the new equipment available. Make good use of it and your progress will be swift.’
‘But more dangerous,’ Locke said, interrupting. ‘And the supplies and equipment you’re using are stockpiles earmarked for future exploration; you’ll put back the study of Sanctuary by decades, all wasted on this one route.’
Unfazed, Joiner gazed at the SED facility commander. ‘There’s always a trade off, and the one you mention is of no consequence.’
Locke shook his head. ‘You do realise, the number of people you’re sending out there has never been attempted before. The risks are immense. As I have said before, surely a smaller team would be more effective, a—’
Joiner waved away the suggestion. ‘No, we need to trace their steps. While some teams will take the new route, others will continue by the original path to ensure nothing is left to chance. They’ll move fast and with precision. A communication network will also be set up, utilising shielded cable, enabling Colonel Samson to keep a rein on the search and its progress and to adapt as necessary. Regular reports will also be relayed back to SED command, where I’ll oversee the whole operation.
Joiner looked around at those present. ‘SED Deep Reach survey teams will take the lead, accompanied by a S.I.L.V.E.R. operative and SFSD units. I’ve been informed, Mr. Orton,’ – Joiner pointed at Riley – ‘is best qualified to pre-empt Ms. Morgan’s actions, and so he will accompany Colonel Samson, Ophion Nexus and Commander Locke in the lead expedition.’
‘What?!’ Locke looked at Joiner as if he was mad. ‘I’m the commander of this facility, I need to be here, controlling operations.’
‘Come, come, Commander. We all know this facility can operate without you and I’m perfectly capable of filling your shoes. Your experience in Sanctuary Proper is second to none. No one has racked up more field time. Who better to ensure mission success than you?’
Stunned, Locke didn’t reply.
‘And besides,’ Joiner said, ‘it’ll give you the opportunity to remedy your mistakes, which contributed to this whole sorry mess.’
Locke opened his mouth and then shut it again. Riley had never seen his superior spoken to like that, and it was disturbing not to see him retaliate. Something had spooked him regarding this Malcolm Joiner, something that told him this was a man to be feared. Riley looked around the room and saw Colonel Samson looking at him. Riley held his gaze before looking away, only to glance back a few seconds later to see the man still gazed at him. Riley felt a ripple of unease and turned his attention elsewhere. This whole mission was giving him a bad feeling.
♦
The mission debrief continued to whisk along, with orders given and questions asked, before Riley saw one of his SED colleagues raise a hand.
The intelligence director pointed at her. ‘Yes?’
The woman said something Riley couldn’t quite hear.
‘Speak up!’ Agent Myers said.
‘Why is she heading to this temple?’
The director frowned. ‘What?’
‘Why is Sarah Morgan heading to the temple? Someone said before they only had enough supplies for a one-way trip, so why the temple? If they only had limited supplies, why go in the first place? It’s suicide.’
The director seemed flummoxed by the question, which was strange as it was a perfectly reasonable one. Riley wondered why he hadn’t thought of it himself, or why no one had mentioned it before.
‘There are a number of reasons why,’ the director said. ‘First, they could have misread the map or chosen the wrong shuttle track. Second, they may be heading to the place where they entered Sanctuary. We discovered a search protocol conducted by Ms. Morgan on a computer database within the SED. As far as we can tell the temple is their target, although any number of routes off the pre-plotted course could be relevant, hence we’re covering every eventuality.’
The woman nodded, satisfied, although Riley didn’t feel it added up. Sarah wasn’t stupid, far from it. She had one of the sharpest minds he knew and an uncanny intuition when it came to exploration. He hadn’t realised at the time, but her Deep Reach tests had been off the chart in some areas, the fact only coming to light in a delayed report submitted to Riley’s desk after Sarah had fled the base. A breakdown of her results had been interesting reading, although some warnings on her psychological state were raised, including depression, hypomania, and perhaps more worryingly, risk-taking. But then, in their profession everyone needed that edge. Heck, when he’d done the tests his results hadn’t been perfect, either.
Malcolm Joiner continued: ‘As you know, the target has in her possession certain Anakim artefacts which are as much a priority as Sarah Morgan herself.’ He displayed the items on the holo-projector.
Riley looked at the floating, semi-transparent objects before him, which included a weird orb-like artefact, two pendants, a number of parchments and a Mayan tablet.
The director reduced the images back onto the desk’s surface screen. ‘Be aware, the orb in Ms. Morgan’s possession might be dangerous to the touch. You’ve been warned. You will find more details on the size and form of these items, along with other information pertinent to the mission, in a digital package sent to your personal server accounts. It will be available to download to your helmet visors prior to launch. Study these well when you can, your lives may depend on it.’
Malcolm Joiner powered down the screen and looked around the room. ‘Any questions?’
No one answered.
The director nodded. ‘Good. Facility Commander Locke and Colonel Samson will address your teams prior to mission start. You all have your orders, and every resource of this base to draw upon. Make it happen!’
Chapter Twenty Five
Deep Reach team leader Riley Orton and Dresden Locke left the command suite behind and walked down a familiar corridor to the SED facility commander’s personal office. Once inside, Locke slammed the door shut, moved to his desk and leaned onto it with his head hanging down.
Riley felt like he should say something, but he was lost for words.
Locke straightened up, his face livid. ‘Jesus H. Christ! That man, that fucking man!’
‘He gave you no warning he wanted you out for the search?’
Locke moved to his locker, where he yanked out an old set of SED coveralls, the logos and emblems fifteen years out of date. ‘Do you know how long it is since I wore this?’
‘Ten years?’
‘Try eighteen. What is that man thinking?! I’m the facility commander. He thinks he can just swan in here and assume control of the biggest operation the SED has ever seen, while he puts me out in the field.’
‘He must have his reasons.’
Locke gave him a furious look. ‘He’s a fucking idiot, a lunatic with a God complex. Do you know how many people he’s sending out into Sanctuary?’
Riley had a good idea, but kept quiet.
‘Over ten thousand – ten goddamn thousand! The most we’ve ever had out there is nine hundred and that was spread over multiple sites.’ Locke removed a dusty box from the back of the locker. ‘Mark my words, people are going to die out there, a lot of people.’ He shook his head and muttered, ‘Ten goddamn thousand.’
Removing the cardboard lid, he pulled out his well-worn dark red Deep Reach helmet. His call sign, ‘Torch’, had been emblazoned on the front above the visor, and his first initial and surname detailed on the right hand side in block lettering: ‘D. Locke’. On the opposite side was a holographic image of an archer with a bow, the notched arrow drawn back and its head alight with flame.
‘That’s a mark eight, isn’t it?’ Riley indicated the helmet. ‘Will it be up to the job?’
‘It’ll have to be, there’s no time to get a new one fitted. I’ll need a new battery pack, though.’
Riley nodded. ‘I’ll get you one.’ He moved to the door, paused and then turned back. ‘Sir, you don’t believe Sarah murdered Cora, do you?’
Locke held his gaze and then shook his head. ‘No. The girl was a loose cannon, but no murderer.’ The SED commander slid the outdated helmet onto his head and moved to a full-length mirror to assess his appearance. ‘I’ve been around enough soldiers to know a killer when I see one … as should you.’
‘So how did she die? There’s something they’re not telling us.’
Locke gave a snort. ‘There’s a lot they’re not telling us.’
‘And where is Sarah going? The temple, it makes no sense. If she wanted to get to the surface, surely they’d try and work their way up, not down? There’s no way she would have taken the wrong shuttle, or chosen the wrong route, either.’
‘As I said, there’s a lot they’re not telling us, and we never did find that tunnel of hers.’
Riley made a face. ‘She swore blind that’s how they found their way into Sanctuary.’
‘And you believed her?’
‘You didn’t?’
‘Maybe, but there was always something off about that girl. I’m sorry, Riley, I know you were fond of her, but that’s the way of it. How well did you really know her? How well do we really know anyone?’
Riley didn’t think there was anything off with Sarah at all, she was just a lost soul in need of rescuing and, until recently, he’d been hoping he’d be the one to do the saving.
‘One thing’s for sure,’ Locke said, ‘we’ll have to watch our backs out there as the military sure as hell ain’t gonna watch them for us.’
‘What do you make of Colonel Samson?’
‘Compared to who? Nexus? I get the feeling we’re out of the frying pan and into the fire.’
Riley couldn’t have agreed more. The intensity in the colonel’s eyes – it was hard to pin down, unnatural, feverish, disturbing, to name a few.
Locke tapped his Deep Reach headwear. ‘Battery?’
Riley gave a nod and left to source the item. Walking back the way he’d come, he saw the intelligence director’s lap dog, Agent Myers, leaving the command suite. Riley slowed to a stop beside the glass wall, the high-tech panel opaque, the door just ahead – ajar.
He could hear voices within and edged closer.
‘You saw what I’m dealing with?’ Malcolm Joiner said, the rasp of the intelligence director’s voice unmistakable.
‘I saw,’ Colonel Samson’s gruff voice replied.
‘Can you work with him?’
‘Yes.’
‘You know what you have to do?’
‘I do.’
‘Push them hard, push them fast. Leave behind any who falter. No compromises. Locke and his SED teams will try to slow you down; they’ll also try and protect their precious Sanctuary. Ignore them. Tear Sanctuary apart if you have to – whatever it takes, whatever the cost, that pendant must be retrieved.’
‘The woman?’
‘Secondary,’ Joiner said. ‘Alive is better, dead will do.’
‘The other two?’
‘Of no consequence. If you fail, Colonel, don’t bother coming back.’
‘If I fail, I’ll be the only one coming back.’
‘Is that a threat?’
Heavy footfalls approached and Riley scurried back to hide behind a pillar.
The armoured form of Colonel Samson appeared in the doorway and he stopped to look back into the room. ‘No,’ he said, ‘it’s a promise.’
Chapter Twenty Six
Colonel Samson disappeared down the corridor and Riley stayed where he was until the tall figure of the GMRC Intelligence Director emerged, moments later. Malcolm Joiner paused and Riley ducked his head back, holding his breath, until he heard footfalls fading away in the opposite direction. Relinquishing his hiding place, Riley stood in the middle of the corridor, the words he’d just been privy to ringing in his mind. Alive is better, dead will do. Thinking of Sarah imprisoned was one thing; he’d almost resigned himself to the fact, although, he secretly hoped she’d escape and make it to wherever she was heading. But dead? The thought made him nauseous. With a sense of dread he continued on his way, the feeling clinging to him like the cloying hands of disease.
♦
Sanctuary’s Exploration Division heaved with personnel and the circular command centre at its heart hummed with activity. Holographic computer screens and mapping systems glowed bright, while huge sweeping wallscreens displayed a mind-boggling array of data.
Two large areas stood on either side of this building within a building; one was a large staging area and the other the shuttle bay itself, which all teams would pass through on their journey into Sanctuary Proper.
2041 Sanctuary (Let There Be Light) Page 17
