Skull's Shadows (Plague Wars Series)

by David VanDyke

  He hadn’t been briefed on what type of threat to expect, so he tried to prepare for everything…but so far his impression was that this job was by far the best paying and most boring he had ever had. What was the chance something like Watts Island could ever happen again? A well-planned op had taken down a tiny, surprised security team, but that wouldn’t happen here. He had a hundred tough men and a few frighteningly competent women. They were ready this time. Procedures were in place. Policies had been enacted.

  Yet, nothing had happened for months.

  Not a damn thing.

  His phone rang and he paused his game of solitaire on the computer. “Yes?” he answered.

  “Boss, this is Sam down at Gate One. We’ve apprehended someone.”

  Sam Elderage was his deputy and if he was calling, then something interesting might actually be going on.

  “What do we got?” asked Covington, sitting up.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” Sam said, “but I got a guy here said he was part of the team that took down Watts Island last year.”

  “Probably a nut job.”

  “I thought so too,” Elderage answered carefully, “but he knows things he shouldn’t know. He said you guys were working on the XHV there.”

  Covington’s blood ran cold. Only a few people were supposed to know about that, and Sam wasn’t one of them.

  Elderage continued. “Said he’s part of a team planning to take down our facility, but wants to cut a deal.”

  Covington thought quickly. “Detain him, strip-search him and lock him up somewhere until I can talk to him. Use…use eight guys. That should be enough.”

  “Eight guys?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Will do,” said Elderage.

  “I’m hitting the lockdown button in five minutes, so get him inside now.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Covington hung up, walked out of his office and down the hall, stepping into a plush room where a secretary sat. “I need to see the Director.”

  “He said he’s not to be disturbed,” she said.

  “It can’t wait,” Covington replied, pushing open the polished wooden door.

  Behind a broad desk sat Director Tripman holding his hand over the mouthpiece of his phone, an annoyed expression on his face. “Yes, Covington. What is it?”

  “Sir, sorry to disturb you, but we need to lock down the facility.” He closed the door behind him and told what he knew, quickly and concisely

  ***

  Covington stood in front of the thin man hand handcuffed to a chair in the hastily emptied storage room. Something is wrong, he thought. This guy is too cool, especially in nothing but his boxers. It looked like his men had roughed the guy up a bit; knuckle-shaped bruises showed on the man’s ribs, but nothing serious.

  “What’s your name?” Covington asked.

  “He won’t tell us,” said Elderage.

  “Alan Denham,” Skull answered.

  Elderage started punching buttons on a computer before turning back to his boss. “He’s not in any of the databases or systems.”

  “Check the open systems.”

  The man tapped at the keyboard again. “Nothing.”

  “So you’re playing games with us,” Covington said. “What’s your real name?”

  Skull stifled a laugh. “Trust me, that’s my real name. I was never in too many databases, but eventually we had our identifies erased from the system.”

  “Who’s we?” Covington asked.

  Skull looked around and wondered if anyone else was listening in. “I already told you I was at Watts Island with Daniel Markis.”

  “The Daniel Markis who calls himself the Chairman of the Free Communities?” Elderage asked.

  “The same.”

  “So why are you here?”

  “I’m here to scout out any vulnerable points in your security,” Skull said. “I’ll go back and report what I’ve seen to my team and we’ll come up with a plan to scrag this place.”

  Elderage snorted. “Good luck.”

  Skull turned his gaze on Covington and smiled. Something about the man’s skin-and-bones face convinced him. “So why are you turning on them now?” asked Covington.

  “Because they all turned out to be fanatical Edens, but I’m not. The money was good, but then it became about the ideology and that sort of thing will get you killed.”

  “We tested,” said Elderage. “He’s not carrying the XHV.”

  “It just feels wrong now,” Skull continued, “to go against my own kind, especially with all that’s happened. I mean, I even had two brothers in Los Angeles and I don’t know if they’re alive or dead.”

  “So, you’re a mercenary who works for the highest bidder, but now you’ve had an attack of conscience and want to help the U.S. Government out of the goodness of your heart?”

  “Not even close,” Skull laughed. “I just like them even less than I like you.” He shrugged. “I was starting to think we couldn’t do it anyway. Your setup here is too deep. Too many redundancies. It’s a suicide mission.”

  “Okay, why don’t you tell us exactly how you think this is going to work?” said Covington.

  “Like I said, I want to cut a deal.”

  “You’re in no position to negotiate.”

  “Actually, I’m in a very good position. I’m offering to work as a mole on the inside for a very dangerous group intent on destroying everything you’re doing. You got anything else like that?”

  “We could just keep him locked up, boss,” said Elderage.

  Skull nodded. “You could do that, but if I’m not back or at least checked in by tomorrow morning, they’ll know I’ve been blown and you lose your chance to take them down. And when they hit you – and they will – even if you win, you lose, because whoever does the investigation is going to crawl right up your ass and camp there with sharp steel stakes. No way that ends well for either of you.”

  “So what do you want?”

  “Three things,” Skull said. “First, I want triple what they’re paying me for this job, in cash. Two, I want a new identity. These guys can be a bit…vindictive when double-crossed. And third, I want a private jet to a destination of my choosing.”

  A knock came at the door and two men in polo shirts entered. Skull couldn’t keep himself from stiffening, instinctively recognizing fellow black operators.

  “This is the guy I told you two about,” said Elderage. “He look familiar?”

  The two men stared at him. One spoke. “Yeah. Can’t forget that face. He was on the surveillance tape at the Johnstone place. Him and the Montagnard took out the van and infected our guys.”

  Yes, I was there, thought Skull coldly, memorizing every detail of the two men while trying not to let his hatred show. “Oh, can I have my watch back?”

  Covington rubbed his hand through his thin hair. “Sam, give the man his watch and his clothes. No belt. I’m going to have to make a call on this one.” He pointed at Skull. “Lock him down tight. Four guards.”

  Skull could feel the clock start ticking as he slumped, closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the chair.

  Chapter 31

  Skull lay on a cot in a locked storage room. Evidently the facility was not set up to house prisoners. Nevertheless, he searched the room and found no easy way out. He could probably surprise a guard opening the door, but Covington had assigned four men to watch him, a tough row to hoe for any unarmed, handcuffed prisoner.

  Except Spooky, Skull thought. If there was one guy who could do it with his bare hands, it was Spooky.

  Besides, Skull wanted to give this scenario a little more time to play out before forcing the action.

  Hearing someone entering a punch code from outside, Skull expected to see one of the uniformed guards, but instead a small man in a lab coat wearing glasses strode in with a medical kit. The guards remained outside, shutting the door.

  The man walked over to Skull and bent close to speak in a low,
almost soundless voice. “Spooky sent me. Thought you might need some help.”

  “What makes you think I need any help?” Skull asked in the same low tone, sitting up and swinging his legs to the floor.

  The man backed up, blinking behind his thick glasses, but unafraid.

  “Never mind,” said Skull. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Cyrus Alcroft,” the man said. “I’m a researcher here. I knew Elise Markis from her time working on XHV. She thought I was just a consultant, but actually I was on a second team, working up at Plum Island.”

  “And you want me to believe you’re working for Spooky?”

  “Him and Cassandra Johnstone,” the man said, his eyes shifting left and right. “Elise introduced me to them after I realized I was on the wrong side.”

  “And what side is that?”

  “The side that isn’t interested in the truth,” he said, glancing at the closed door and back at Skull again. “We really need to go. It won’t be long before the guards check on me. I’m supposed to be getting more blood samples.”

  Skull rattled his handcuffs attached to the aluminum cot. “I can get loose of this if I have to, but what’s the plan?”

  “There’s a freight tunnel beneath the facility that will take us under the fence,” Alcroft explained. “There’s a seaplane three miles away on the coast that will take you out of here.”

  “How do we get past the guards?”

  “I’ll come back in an hour. When I do, I’ll convince them there’s a horrible, virulent plague loose that will scare them silly. You’ll have to be ready.”

  “Sounds good,” Skull said, looking at the Patek chronometer on his wrist. “But when you come back, first you’ll take me to the armory.”

  “The what?”

  “Place where they keep all the weapons,” Skull explained. “I don’t like walking around without any weapons.”

  The little man looked at him uncertainly. “I don’t even know where that is.”

  “You have one hour to find out.” Skull lay back on the bunk, relaxing. “Go on. I’ll be waiting.”

  The small man’s brow furrowed, and then tapped for the guard to open the door and let him out.

  I should have known Spooky would have a man inside, Skull thought. He’s not the type to lead a frontal assault with no ace in the hole.

  An hour later, Skull had worked his cuffs off the cot, but they still held his hands in front of him. A commotion outside in the corridor, cries and pounding feet, told him that Doctor Alcroft had begun his ploy, whatever it was.

  The door swung open and the little man staggered in, his face covered in frightening boils. Skull stepped back instinctively, but Alcroft waved at him as if calming an animal. “Don’t worry, it’s moulage. Fake –”

  “I know what moulage is. Let’s go,” said Skull sternly. “Lead the way.”

  Beneath red strobes and flashing biohazard symbols they raced down deserted passageways until they reached a metal door with a keypad. Alcroft looked uncertain. “Spooky said they would hack into the system and allow me full access, but I’m not sure if it includes the armory or not.”

  “Only one way to find out,” Skull said.

  Alcroft punched in numbers to the keypad and the door clicked open.

  Skull pushed it wide and looked upon several rows of weapons racks. He picked out a Steyr bullpup machine gun and two HK pistols. While filling a small bag with loaded magazines, he noticed a large cabinet. Opening it, he saw it was filled with thermite grenades.

  “What are all of these for?” he asked.

  “How would I know?” Alcroft answered. “I’m a biochemist, not security.”

  “Never mind,” said Skull filling another small bag with the grenades. “Probably part of their emergency destruct plan. Guess what. The plan is happening.”

  “Can we go now?” said the researcher, fidgeting.

  “Sure,” said Skull. “Take me to the labs.”

  “I’m supposed to take you to the escape tunnel.”

  Skull placed the barrel of the HK pistol against the man’s head. “If anyone gives you a hard time, tell them I forced you. It’s even true.”

  The researcher took off at a trot down the hall. At an intersection they descended two flights of stairs leading downward. At the bottom, Alcroft opened a door that debouched into a single hallway with many doors.

  “These are all the labs,” he said. “That door there is for stimulating tissue growth. The one over there is for –”

  Skull ran to the very end of the hall and stopped at the first door. Pushing it open, he saw a small room with tables, lab equipment, and two researchers. He tossed in a thermite grenade and closed the door. Quickly, he turned to the door across the hall and did the same, and then on down the line. He was at the fourth door before he heard screams from behind him and smelled smoke. Working quickly, he finished the rest of the doors and then made his way back to a stunned Alcroft, seeing men and women in lab coats fleeing up the stairway.

  “Good,” Skull said. “Now to the specimen storage.”

  Alcroft’s mouth opened and then closed soundlessly. Finally he pointed downward.

  “Lead on,” said Skull and followed the little man to the next level lower. There he found larger rooms and used Alcroft’s code, which he had now memorized, to enter. More thermite grenades rolled and more screams and fleeing people resulted.

  “You have to get out of here,” the little man said.

  “Almost there.” Skull smiled as fire suppression system began to activate. They wouldn’t stop the thermite from igniting everything they touched, but the system would interfere with the total burnout he wanted. “Take me to where the security folks sleep when everything is on lockdown.”

  “Why?”

  Skull slapped him. “Don’t ask. Just do it.”

  The man led him up several flights via a different stairway. On this level, a mixture of people in lab coats, uniforms and various states of undress scurried through the flashing, noisy halls, pushing past them both ways as if they had no idea where to go. No one gave them a second look in the confusion. Alcroft opened a door that showed a long room filled with bunk beds, all of them empty.

  “The alarms got them up,” Skull said. “What about some sort of command center?”

  “You mean the control suite?”

  “Yes,” said Skull, “take me there.”

  Working their way down several long halls until they arrived at sliding glass doors, Skull could see multiple security monitor displays. Covington, Elderage, and six other men crowded the room, all talking frantically on phones, radios, or typing on keyboards. The two black ops men from Zeke’s house were among them.

  “Wait here,” Skull told Alcroft, stepping through the doors.

  Pulling the Steyr up, he sent a low burst of automatic fire into the guts of the two he hated, leaving them writhing on the floor. Then he worked his way around the room, methodically gunning down Covington, Elderage and the two other security guards before switching off the fire suppression system. Now, the blaze would consume everything.

  Once finished with this task, he returned his attention to the wounded men, removing pistols from beneath their nerveless, scrabbling fingers.

  “This is for Zeke,” Skull told them. Pulling the pins on two thermite grenades, he stuffed one down the shirt of the man on the left, and then did the same to the one on the right before walking out of the control suite.

  “Now we can go,” Skull said as the screams of the incinerated drifted from behind closed doors.

  They made their way back down to a lower level by using a smaller stairwell. Skull tossed an incendiary into every room he passed until his bag was empty. By that point they had neared another formidable steel door.

  Alcroft punched in his master code and it clicked open. Visibly relieved, the little man turned on hall lights and led them through a narrow, damp tunnel. After about one hundred yards came another door. The code opened it again.
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  “Three miles to the northeast on the beach there’s a seaplane and a pilot waiting for you,” said Alcroft.

  “What, you’re not coming with me?”

  “I can’t,” the man answered. “I’ve got a family, a job. I have to stay under cover.”

  “They’ll catch you. What if the security video survives?”

  “Like you said,” the man insisted. “I’ll tell them you forced me.”

  “That will only work so far,” Skull said putting a hand on his shoulder. “Believe me. They’ll make you talk and then you’ll tell them everything you know. I can’t let you stay.”

  The man shook his head and pulled back. “I’ve done my part. More than was asked of me, and now I’m done. I’ll go home to my wife and children and that will be the end of it.”

  “We can send for them later.”

  Alcroft shook his head sadly. “My mother-in-law lives down the street. My wife would never agree to leave her. I’ll never talk. I won’t break. Trust me.”

  Skull paused for a moment. “Okay, I guess.” He stuck out his hand. “Thanks for everything.”

  Alcroft shook hands with him and smiled. “Glad to help. Now you’d better get out of here.”

  “You too,” said Skull turning and walking through the door. He waited several seconds and then reversed course.

  Alcroft was walking away.

  Skull put one round into the back of his head. “Everyone breaks,” he whispered.

  Chapter 32

  Skull made his way up to the surface and emerged into the night. The exit wasn’t far from where he had stashed his gear, so he raced to it, throwing his ruck on his back and then sprinting to the northeast toward the coast.

  With good visibility from a full moon, he didn’t have to use his flashlight. He stopped to rest once, looking back at the billowing fire that marked the facility. The thermite grenades burned hot enough to ignite aluminum, and had likely started other chemicals blazing, producing a complete conflagration, especially with the fire suppression system deactivated.