The Phoenix Variant: The Fifth Column 3

by Nathan M. Farrugia

He turned and, without a word, continued down the tunnel.

  ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ Sophia said, drawing her pistol.

  He sighed and turned to her barrel. ‘If it’s alright with you, I have a psychopath to stop.’ He pointed down the tunnel. ‘Denton is holding a party below Grand Central right now and I’m not invited.’

  ‘Not without a plus one,’ Sophia said.

  DC halted. ‘What are you talking about?’

  Sophia blinded him with her torch. ‘I’m your date for tonight.’

  STAGE 2

  LOCKDOWN

  Chapter 22

  Denton strode through Grand Central terminal. The only sounds around him were the quick tramp of boots across the marble floor as his Blue Berets moved in. He looked up at three arched windows making up most of the wall of the main concourse. Above them, a large American flag was hanging, stripes down.

  He recalled the first time he’d set foot here, as an OSS agent. The three windows were in that time three panels. They were hand-painted with government-sanctioned murals. Under them, in big bold letters: BUY DEFENSE BONDS AND STAMPS NOW!

  Grand Central terminal had been evacuated upon his arrival, save for a lingering few staff who he’d spoken with upon entering. They were eager to join the rest of New York City’s residents in the mandatory evacs, happy to hand responsibility over to Denton and the CDC. Or the CIA. Or whatever badge he’d used—he honestly couldn’t remember.

  Predictions suggested this hurricane was going to be worse than the last, and no one was taking any chances. Evacuation centers had been set up in schools throughout Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. All inpatients had been transferred to hospitals much farther north of the hurricane’s projected path. Police had, in waves through the afternoon, evacuated all the sick and elderly. Even the Day of the Dead festival had been cut short. He didn’t care much how his fireworks show at the museum had impacted on FEMA’s work: there was certainly no way it could have meant more New Yorkers in his way.

  All subways, buses, trains and ferries had shut down. All of Grand Central terminal’s pedestrian entrances were covered off with pink tape. All two hundred trains were tucked away in above-water tunnels and platforms.

  All the bridges had been manned with police, supported by paramedics and firefighters on standby. There had also been transportation officials with tow trucks ready to handle any vehicles that congested the evacuation.

  But Denton knew that by now the bridges were sealed and manned instead by soldiers. Anyone on the island who hadn’t escaped during the evacuation was instructed to remain safely inside his or her residence. Anyone off the island could not return until the hurricane had passed.

  It was the largest evacuation in US history. Denton couldn’t have timed his mission more perfectly.

  He turned to see Czarina emerge from Lexington Passage. At almost the same time, his Blue Beret captain emerged from Graybar Passage. They approached him in unison.

  ‘The meteorite from the museum,’ Denton said to the captain, talking fast. ‘Who stole it and did you recover it?’

  The captain’s expression seemed impenetrable. ‘Colonel, we assaulted the Waldorf Astoria hotel but the meteorite was taken elsewhere. We were driven back soon after. They’re operating at least at company strength,’ he said. ‘At this stage I’d say we’re dealing with a detachment of Blue Berets.’

  ‘This is less than ideal,’ Denton said. He held up his GPS device. ‘You’re tracking this, just as I am.’

  ‘We recovered our operative,’ he pointed to Czarina, ‘but the ruck with the meteorite is—as you can see—on the move. We have them surrounded now.’

  ‘No,’ Denton said. ‘I want all four Blue Beret squadrons to lock down this terminal and that includes entry to the OSS base. No one comes in or out without you knowing about it. That meteorite contains one of the Phoenix viruses and it cannot leave the island, is that clear?’

  ‘Yes, Colonel,’ he said.

  ‘The meteorite sample below Grand Central,’ Denton said. ‘Tell me you’ve located it.’

  The Colonel nodded. ‘It’s in our possession now. Do you want the team to—’

  ‘Tell me the label,’ Denton said.

  ‘Violet plague,’ the Colonel said. ‘Dated November 22 1998.’

  ‘Good. Get the analysis team down there now,’ Denton said. ‘I want it tested and confirmed.’

  Denton turned to Czarina. ‘Tell me something good.’

  ‘The package from Peru has landed at JFK. Cargo’s en route,’ Czarina said.

  ‘OK, that is good,’ Denton said. ‘Just make sure it gets through the National Guard on the bridge.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said.

  ‘The OSS base,’ Denton said. ‘Once the virus is ready. I’m going down and you’re coming with me.’

  Czarina hesitated. ‘Just us?’

  ‘Just us,’ Denton said. ‘I’ll place our backup outside. If we need them―’ He wiggled his thumb, gesturing to the distress signal he’d placed inside. ‘One crack of this knuckle and they’ll come running. Not that I anticipate the need for it.’

  ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Do you want a guinea pig for the virus? Like you did for the virus from Peru?’

  Denton flexed his thumb. ‘No. We’re out of time. But I want every operative other than yourself tracking that meteorite. Do whatever it takes to get it back, just don’t damage it. If the virus is exposed under the wrong conditions we could risk destroying it, is that clear?’

  ‘Clear,’ she said. ‘Already tracking, Colonel. No offense to the captain but he didn’t have them surrounded.’ She gestured to his GPS device. It showed no indication of elevation, but she said with confidence, ‘They’re in the tunnels.’

  Denton nodded, allowed a slight smile. ‘Excellent. Send enough to cut them off. You have five minutes then we’re going underground.’

  He watched her step away, her hand over a button concealed under her T-shirt. She was relaying orders to the other operatives.

  Like the rest of her detachment, Czarina was what happened when you took a Special Forces soldier and you took an intelligence field officer and you mashed them together, and then gave them the best, most progressive training on the planet and coupled that with genetic enhancements that were decades ahead of public science. Denton placed a great deal more trust in his nine operatives than he did in his platoon-sized Blue Berets detachment.

  Chapter 23

  ‘You broke protocol,’ Nasira said.

  Thirty seconds of standing guard, Jay thought, and she’s already found something to disapprove of.

  ‘What are you talking about?’ he said.

  ‘Oh nothing, just the email telling me and probably everyone from the Fifth Column where you’d be at,’ she said. ‘You know, in case I happened to be around.’

  Jay folded arms over his carbine. ‘Well, you happened to be around.’

  ‘Not how you wanted.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘How did you want it?’

  ‘I wanted it without being shot with an arrow,’ he said. ‘Why were you in Peru all this time?’

  ‘What you been doing in New Mexico for the past few months?’ Nasira said. ‘I was in Peru finding Lucia’s relatives, not that it’s any your business.’

  ‘So it’s you and Sophia now, a happy couple?’ Jay said. ‘I’ve just been playing bodyguard. Without a resume.’

  ‘Bodyguard work big on the damsel in distress market? Skills to pay the bills?’ Nasira winked at him. ‘Sophia only got the tracking thing removed last month; we been separate a while.’

  ‘I hear the “dudes in distress” market is stronger these days,’ Jay said. ‘So is assassination and interrogation just more of a mood swing or—’

  ‘Crime of passion.’ Nasira pulled him by the lapel and pressed her lips on his. ‘On both accounts,’ she said.

  He felt her breath on his face. He tried to carefully place his carbine on the rocky ground. She stepped closer, pressed her vest again
st him. He wanted to feel her warm body against his but her chest was covered in pouches. It didn’t stop her exploring his though. Her fingers dug into his neck and ran through the back of his hair. He’d thought about kissing her for so long that it was hard to believe it was happening.

  Between breaths, he said, ‘I’m not—carrying a pistol.’

  ‘So you are—just happy—to—’

  ‘See you—Fuck!’ He jerked suddenly as her hand got too close to his arrow wound.

  Nasira raised an eyebrow, confused. ‘There are a few steps before that, Jay.’

  ‘No, the arrow,’ Jay said.

  ‘Oh, sorry.’ She backed away, hands in the air.

  He instantly regretted making a big deal out of it.

  ‘No, it … hasn’t quite healed yet,’ he said.

  She rolled her eyes. ‘If that arrow went through me it would take days, weeks to heal,’ she said. ‘So stop complaining. Also, I am really sorry.’

  Jay heard footsteps and looked over. Someone was approaching. He adjusted to infrared and spotted Damien walking toward them.

  ‘Hey,’ Damien said. ‘Fall in.’

  Jay picked up his useless carbine and followed back to the group. Sophia was taking the stolen ruck off her shoulders, leaving just her own ruck on her back. She tossed it at Jay.

  ‘You said you wanted to get off the island,’ Sophia said. ‘Now you can.’

  Jay caught it with his free hand. ‘I’m guessing there’s a catch,’ he said.

  ‘If you can’t do it, I will,’ Nasira said.

  ‘I can do it, easy,’ Jay said.

  He pulled the ruck over his tuxedo. More pain in his shoulder but he ignored it. ‘So, what the hell’s going on?’

  ‘I’ll explain on the way,’ Damien said.’

  ‘I just need to know one thing,’ Jay said. ‘How many people exactly are going to be looking for this rock?’

  ‘Everyone,’ DC said.

  ‘Numbers?’ Jay said.

  ‘Nine operatives,’ Aviary said, checking her phone.

  ‘He has two more operatives as backup, without RFIDS. And he has some Blue Berets of his own. From what we can tell, anywhere between two and six squadrons.’

  ‘And the dudes with the black hockey masks?’ Jay said.

  ‘Yeah, they’re my Blue Berets. Ninety-six,’ DC said.

  ‘Holy shit,’ Jay said. ‘So we run with this and you do what exactly?’

  ‘DC knows where Denton will be,’ Sophia said. ‘We need to stop him.’

  ‘I’m coming with you,’ Aviary said.

  ‘No,’ Sophia said.

  ‘What else am I meant to do?’ Aviary checked her watch. ‘Last trains were an hour ago. I’m stuck with you whether you like it or not.’

  ‘She’s right,’ DC said. ‘The mayor signed an executive order today, mandating a staggered evacuation of Manhattan. Which is complete by now. No one can get off the island.’

  ‘So what the fuck am I doing?’ Jay said. ‘Swimming?’

  The color drained from Damien’s face. ‘Oh great.’

  ‘I cached a news report from earlier,’ Aviary said.

  She played a video on her iPhone.

  ‘Isaias, a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 160 miles per hour, is already responsible for 87 deaths in the Caribbean,’ the newsreader said. ‘Isaias is now travelling northward, parallel to the Eastern Seaboard, and at this moment is 150 miles southeast of New York City, moving at thirty miles—’

  The video tried to buffer and Aviary closed it in frustration.

  ‘That’s not going to help us,’ Nasira said.

  ‘No, but it helps Denton,’ DC said. ‘Timing’s everything.’

  ‘Speaking of time, when was that announced?’ Sophia said.

  ‘Video was posted at six pm,’ Aviary said.

  Jay checked his watch. ‘It’s 2200 now.’

  ‘Traveling at the same speed,’ Sophia said, ‘it should have landfall by 2300.’

  ‘One hour,’ Damien said. ‘We’ll need to head north if we have any chance of getting out.’

  ‘That’s if we can,’ Jay said.

  ‘You’ll have to try,’ Sophia said. ‘You should go now.’

  ‘Wait!’ Aviary reached into her jacket pockets and dug out an iPhone. It had a pink rubber case. She walked over and handed it to Jay.

  ‘What the hell is that?’ Jay said, inspecting the pink iPhone.

  ‘A smartphone,’ Aviary said. ‘You might’ve heard of them. Damien has one already; he can fill you in on how it works. We can share each other’s locations.’

  ‘Can they see the operatives on those?’ Sophia said. ‘Might be helpful.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Aviary said. ‘Haven’t set these up yet.’

  ‘It’s fine.’ Jay took the phone.

  ‘Cool. Our numbers are in there but it won’t work unless there’s a nearby phone or wifi,’ Aviary said. ‘Worst case scenario you can anonymously connect to a cell-phone tower—which is probably the only thing you’ll find right now anyway.’ She cleared her throat. ‘You don’t want pink? I should probably give you another color—’

  Jay pocketed the phone. ‘No, no, it’s fine. I like it.’

  ‘Don’t go through the same tunnel,’ DC said. ‘Head for that junction, and there will be two tracks heading northwest on your ten o’clock. Ladder M or Ladder O. They’ll take you to Track C, which will take you directly north.’

  Jay blinked. ‘OK, got it.’

  ‘Do you want me to write that down?’ DC said.

  ‘I’ve got it,’ Damien said.

  ‘In these conditions, the longer you stay underground, the better,’ DC said. ‘The rock is tagged so Denton’s operatives will be tracking you. They won’t know elevation but it won’t take them long to figure out you’re underground.’

  ‘Oh great,’ Jay said.

  ‘Hopefully these tunnels should make it difficult to track you. At least until they’re in the tunnels with you.’

  ‘Given that they’re operatives,’ Sophia said, ‘you won’t have much time.’

  Jay nodded. ‘Always comforting, thanks Soph.’

  ‘Don’t call me that. Go,’ Sophia said, handing Damien her torch, red lens attached.

  Jay handed off his carbine mags to her, which she passed to DC. Damien did the same. The carbines themselves were of no use to anyone except DC and he already had his own. So Jay moved to the edge of the tunnel and stashed his against the wall, hidden in the shadows. Damien did the same.

  Jay gave Sophia a friendly salute. As he dropped his arm, Nasira grabbed it. She was giving him a very serious, indeed unnerving look.

  ‘See you soon, OK?’ Nasira said.

  That sounded like a demand.

  ‘You bet,’ Jay said.

  He started into a run. The straps on the ruck pulled on his arrow wound so he only made it a few steps before offloading the ruck to Damien. He offered to move ahead a reasonable distance and make use of his infrared so Damien’s torch wouldn’t compromise them both.

  Jay figured right now they could move as loud and fast as they needed; the operatives wouldn’t be belowground just yet. But once he hit Track C or whatever DC called it, he was running on borrowed time.

  Then again, he was already doing that.

  Chapter 24

  Sophia’s stolen tac vest was heating up. She unzipped it to cool down. DC was walking ahead of her in silence. He stopped for the first time since they’d sent Damien and Jay off. She watched him splash a finger of red light over an old rail car. It was dusty and blue, probably once used to haul cargo.

  ‘Alright, we’ve crossed from Track 61,’ DC said. ‘We’re on 11 now.’

  ‘Care to share your plan?’ Sophia said.

  ‘To get inside the OSS base, we need to get inside Grand Central terminal sub-basement levels,’ he said.

  ‘How close are we to the terminal?’

  ‘Almost under it,’ he said. ‘Technically we should be right below t
he Park Avenue Viaduct.’

  ‘So getting inside won’t be too difficult then,’ Nasira said, catching up from behind. ‘Over a hundred train tunnels to take us into the terminal.’

  ‘Denton will be watching the cameras,’ DC said. ‘He’ll have every platform covered, every level covered, every street exit covered. And we have a problem.’

  ‘What’s that?’ Sophia said.

  ‘No one knows where in the terminal you access the OSS base,’ DC said. ‘But I think I know where to start.’

  ‘Where’s that?’ Sophia said.

  ‘I need a blueprint of the terminal,’ DC said. ‘Old, new, doesn’t matter. What I’m looking for has been there since World War II.’

  ‘The base entry will show on a blueprint?’ Sophia said.

  ‘No, but the clues are in there. Enough for me to find it for you.’

  ‘That’s handy,’ Nasira said. She turned to Sophia. ‘Guess we didn’t need him after all.’

  ‘Wait,’ Sophia said. ‘So I’m guessing you don’t have a blueprint.’

  ‘Get me high enough and I’ll find you one,’ Aviary said, waving her iPhone.

  Sophia shook her head. ‘Too dangerous.’

  ‘I’ll take her,’ DC said. He gripped his carbine.

  Sophia eyed him carefully. ‘No. You’re staying with me,’ she said. ‘Nasira, go with Aviary.’

  ‘You’re assigning me babysitting duty?’ Nasira said.

  ‘I am trained, you know,’ Aviary whispered. ‘Force Recon and even a little bit by Sophia!’

  Nasira rolled her eyes. ‘Then you don’t need me.’

  ‘Fine.’ Aviary slipped her ballistic mask on. She walked past DC and hesitated. ‘So, which tunnel am I taking?’

  ‘None of them with your mask on,’ DC said. ‘They’re not wearing masks like my detachment. Won’t help you blend in. It will help you get shot though.’

  ‘Cool.’ Aviary removed her mask.

  Sophia reached into her ruck and handed Aviary a multitool and Gerber knife in its sheath. ‘Here,’ Sophia said. ‘I got these for you.’

  Aviary’s eyes lit up. ‘Whoa, seriously?’