“You want no part of this, Collins. Slink back to wherever you came from and we will call today’s match a draw,” I told him.
“I have been waiting a long time for this,” he responded.
“You are either going to die or keep waiting,” I told him.
“Turn around,” he commanded. We all did. He was packing a shotgun.
“You have two shots. We have eight serial killers,” I reminded him. “And there is the possibility that you will have to use both shots on just one serial killer, and then reload. During that time, any one of us could take you down.”
“I don’t want them, just you.”
“You’re a fucking imbecile,” Timmons told him. “Even if you ignore the armed serial killers, she’s wearing a vest and that shotgun isn’t going to get through it. You don’t have the aim for a head shot with that thing and even if you did, you’d hit Roberts in the process. That isn’t going to stop him; it’s just going to piss him off. So, you’ll have several pissed off serial killers to deal with. You should take the lady’s advice and go away.”
“Too much talking,” I said and went to step forward. Roberts grabbed me roughly by the arm and pushed me to the side. The shotgun fired two rounds in quick succession. For a moment, the quiet was deafening. The moment passed and was replaced by screams. Roberts hadn’t even made it to the man, before Adam was on top of him. The knife moved in a blur of up and down motions. He could certainly use it. When he wasn’t stabbing Collins, he was slicing at him. Timmons moved in with my baton. I moved towards Roberts. A small trickle of blood escaped a wound on his arm. In his haste to stop the big man, he had only grazed him. Parsons, Fiona, and Bella all moved backwards towards me.
“I feel like I should protest this,” Parsons said.
“Me too,” Fiona told her. “But I won’t because he’s an asshole who is obviously too stupid to live.”
“Wow,” Bella looked at her sister. “I can’t believe you said that.”
“It’s hard to be around the SCTU and not have them rub off on you.” Fiona shrugged. She really meant me, but there was no reason to point that out.
Twenty-eight
The rescue crews had split up and were taking two floors at a time. Fiona, Bella, Parsons, and Adam took fifth floor where Gabriel and Patterson were at work on something. I took the rest up to the sixth floor to find Malachi and bring him down to the fifth.
“What are you doing here?” Malachi hissed at me.
“Saving your ass and Gabriel’s,” I told him. “We all need to reconvene on the same floor because this is about more than a few serial killers.”
“What’s with Roberts?” Caleb asked.
“He does not like Alejandro Gui very much. Since Eric and I have both tried to kill the man, he wants to be on our side,” I told him. “So, downstairs to regroup.”
“We’re almost done here,” Demetrius Lazar told me.
“No, you are not,” I answered. “This is not about killing some Marshals or even all the Marshals. It is an act of terrorism.”
That got everyone’s attention on me. A few seemed to get it immediately, but most just stared at me blankly.
“What better way to inspire fear and panic than release a couple hundred serial killers back into the community? Plus, organizing them to take down places like the federal offices is frightening,” Caleb said.
“Yes, and I do not think this is the first time. I just think it is the first time it has come this close to working. Now, I really do not want to explain,” I stopped. There were footsteps behind me, but no one was reacting to them. Patterson was leading the group up from the fifth floor. He had a sour look on his face. “That helps.”
“Fiona said you have some sort of theory,” Patterson told me.
“Yes, I think the organized attack on LA and this one are the same people. I think it is terrorism. That means the end game is blowing up at least some portion of the Fortress to let out the monsters. It has to happen after dark and it would need to be organized. I also think the FGN and FGA are potential targets or have already been hit. When they organized LA, the FGNs and FGAs were not in the works yet. That happened afterwards. LA was a dry run. I think Detroit was also a test. Looking back on it, Detroit had a lot of serial killers as well as gangs and mobsters. At the time, I chalked it up to it being Detroit. However, after spending time in here, I have had some time to change my perspective. Bell Schneider was an accident. They did not count on him trying to conjure demons using human sacrifice. Or it getting the attention that it got.”
“All three events have one thing in common,” Fiona said. “Christian Hunter was there in LA. He was in Detroit. He’s here. He’s a hacker who got his job thirteen years ago when he hacked the US Marshals Witness Protection Program database. We don’t know where the money is coming from, but it could be traceable if I knew what I was looking for.”
“Eric said the Hunter family has money, so he could be the source,” I told everyone. “If nothing else, he matches the description of the mystery man that has come in and talked to people.”
“Terrorism using serial killers and mass murderers,” Gabriel sighed. “It is kinda brilliant. However, it doesn’t explain why they are taking down the Fortress.”
“They aren’t going to waltz out the front door,” Bella said. “Too tight, too easy to get shot one by one as they try to exit. Bring down a wall though and you have a great escape route.”
“If your theory is correct, it means every FGN and FGA in the country is at risk,” Malachi said. I nodded. “But ours have to fall because that is where we all live, not just the SCTU or VCU, but the prosecutors and judges. Both FGNs are high risk targets, but to bring them down…” Malachi took in a breath and held it. The judges involved with the SKMM laws didn’t live in our neighborhood. They had their own. The prosecutors did though, just like Nyleena was next door neighbors with an FBI agent named Walters. The FGA could go into lockdown mode, which was actually more secure than lock down mode of the federal buildings. The FGN theoretically had the defenses to protect it, but I had never really seen them tested.
“The regional director of Homeland is Harry Burns. He’s a good guy, knows when to bend the rules a little. Lives in the FGA now that he’s divorced. If we can get in contact with him,” Gabriel suggested.
“Then there’s Marcus Devers. He does something for the NSA that includes guns,” Malachi said. “He’d be another good contact.”
“Plus, we have Apex,” I told them. “He might have fallen down the rabbit hole, but I think he is still one of the good guys. Helped get Nyleena back safely. I found him waiting in the building where she was being held. Left him to clean up the mess, and he seemed to enjoy it.”
“But how do we contact Apex?” Gabriel said.
“Oh, I know a way,” I didn’t mention that it might involve my mother.
“I can get a hold of Apex,” Patterson said. “And my guess is that it will be terribly easy.”
“You know who he is,” I said to my grandfather.
“Yes, while I was willing to do my own bidding, I did the bidding of others too from time to time.” Patterson was going to say more, but I held up my hand. I didn’t want to know.
“There’s some others on the outside that might be able to help as well,” Malachi looked at me. “They aren’t cops, but they would fight for what was right.” Malachi was charming and made friends easily. Some of those friends were questionable, others were lunatics, but occasionally he met good people. I had only met a few people from Daniels’ Security once or twice, when my mother needed protection, but the ones I had met were impressive. They weren’t psychopaths, but they were usually mercenaries that had found that the good guys paid really well. Malachi was related to one of the men, a guy named Sebastian. Sebastian wasn’t a merc, but he wasn’t a slouch either.
“Reynolds is pregnant,” I pointed out. “I got invited to some baby showeresque type thing.”
“Yeah, but Zeke, Seba
stian, and Anthony aren’t,” Malachi said. “Not to mention if it’s us, there could be others.” The owner of Daniels’ Security was a woman by the name of Nadine Daniels. Her life was a disaster, but it was hard to blame her for it, considering she came from a family of spies, double agents, and cops. Her brother, Ivan, actually lived in the FGN.
“Ivan is probably outside,” I mentioned absently. He was a homicide detective with great instincts and a hell of a left hook. Malachi and he had gone toe to toe once. Ivan had lost, but not without giving Malachi a run for his money. Of course, Ivan was a giant Russian-Irish American and they were all a little crazy. “However, I think we would be better off sending Daniels’ Security to the FGNs and FGA. I would not mind the extra fire power, especially in the form of sniper training, but if the neighborhoods get overrun, we go down.”
“Great, we have a plan. How do we get in contact with any of these people, considering the walls have steel plates in them?” Fiona asked.
“We crumbled a tower to some degree. It should have weakened enough to get a signal.” Eric looked at me. “Phone?”
“Mine fell,” I told him.
“I have everyone’s number stored in a secret location on my phone. I’ll go make the calls,” Malachi said.
“Take a few people with you, preferably not serial killers. We do not want the snipers in the towers opening fire. Make Xavier your first call,” I told him. “Tell him not to trust Hunter. The rest of us will see what we can do to rescue the Marshals.”
“All but the first floor has bombs on the doors,” Gabriel said. “That’s where the concentration of firepower is as well.”
“We distract them,” I looked at Roberts.
“Okay, you guys work it out. I’ll go see what I can figure out with phone calls. How do I contact Apex?” Malachi asked.
“Call my mother, she will know,” I told him. He gave me a funny look.
“Or you could call him,” Patterson rattled off a phone number. “Tell him I told you to call. Explain everything and alert him that Xavier is in an overlook tower outside. He may need a description, he may not.” Malachi nodded. Him, both Lazars, Parsons, and Caleb Green went off to get cell service.
“So, how do we distract them, exactly?” Eric asked.
“Patterson,” I looked at my grandfather, “you can diffuse a bomb, can you not?”
“Yes and no. Older ones, yes, these new ones, I don’t know how all the mechanisms work,” Patterson answered.
“Then it is a good thing I brought you help.” I turned to face a mass murderer by the name of Curtis Wright. “You like bombs, so you think you and Patterson can figure it out?”
“Oh yeah,” Curtis answered and immediately stepped towards the nearest bomb. Roberts stepped too, right in front of me. Eric gave me a look. I shrugged. As Patterson and Curtis examined the bomb, I tore a piece of cloth from my brother’s shirt and wrapped it around the giant’s arm. It might have only been a graze, but he still shouldn’t be forced to stand around and just bleed. Eric shook his head at me. I wasn’t sure why he disapproved. We’d argue about it later. For now, we had more important tasks at hand, like saving US Marshals and calling in reinforcements that we trusted.
“What exactly is the plan?” Gabriel asked.
“Eric, Patterson, myself, and a few other psychotics are going to go blow up a hallway full of serial killers. When the others come running, you lot are going to find an unmanned door, get the Marshals out, get them back to the cafeteria. We still have some moles to dig up. The rest of us will rejoin you as soon as we can, probably after we have made sure that Malachi and his group are safe,” I told him.
“I don’t like this plan,” Fiona told me.
“Well, I admit, I’m taking your sister with me, but it should work. Eric and Patterson are a little more Roberts than Timmons. Bella is a full-fledged psychopathic female with a dislike of the opposite sex. I can handle myself. Timmons can handle himself. Adam proved useful. Roberts will follow us. We will need Wright to make the bomb work. The rest of you just need not to get caught, especially alive,” I dismissed her concern. “I promise that we will all return alive, and we may be a little bloody, but nothing I can do about that.”
“And the people we are calling in?” Fiona asked.
“They have all dealt with serial killers before and we need the back-up since we do not exactly know who has been compromised.” I looked at her. “Look, I’m not overjoyed with the plan either, but in order to take back the prison, we need three things: guns, manpower, and more dead killers. No one will think twice about a bunch of killers who are already serving life sentences killing a bunch of other serial killers. They would not even blink an eye if I’m involved. However, if you or Gabriel comes along for that ride, they might have some questions about the mental stability of the SCTU. We cannot afford that at this moment. So, you are both on rescue duty. The VCU is out of the way because they were trying to make contact with the outside, so both those psychopaths are in the clear of any wrong doing as well. I will kill everyone that needs to be killed to stop this, but no one else from our units can be involved. Taking my family along makes me look a little less guilty, because they could be trying to rescue me and no one is really going to be the wiser,” I whispered all this to her. She nodded, but chewed on her lip. “Fiona, one last thing, I have a feeling some of these people in Marshals uniforms are not actually Marshals. If you do not know them, do not trust them. This includes the group on the inside that you are rescuing. Get them to safety, but do not let them put you in a position that may result in your being compromised.”
“You almost sound like you care,” Fiona whispered back.
“I do care. I have no desire to break in a new computer guru.”
“Done!” Patterson announced. “Stay here, bring them up and out through this hallway. The way down is more defensible and harder for the people on the first floor to see, especially after a bomb is detonated.”
Twenty-nine
I was a staunch believer that nothing good ever came from bombs. They were unpredictable and dangerous. The fact that I was being forced to use one did not make me very happy.
The first floor corridor was crawling with serial killers. Using a small mirror, Patterson had counted at least two dozen. How two dozen fit in the corridor was beyond me, but I didn’t know their attack skills or formation designs. For that matter, I wasn’t sure they did. Interestingly, there were three guys in Marshals uniforms also in that corridor and they were packing guns. At least one was not a Marshal. Patterson said he had an anarchist tattoo on his neck. I had to agree, anarchists did not make good law enforcement officers.
That meant a biker gang had been hired and now at least one anarchist. It seemed unlikely that he was the only anarchists. The person or persons responsible seemed to know how to get in touch with some bad people, reinforcing the theory that it was probably a cop.
However, it couldn’t be just any cop. It had to be a cop with connections. I suddenly had some doubts about calling in Homeland Security. I wasn’t sure whether they dealt with more scum or the US Marshals, it was a bit of a toss-up.
There was a noise behind us. I turned to see one of the massive giants coming our way. We just could not seem to get a break. If we had to stop and deal with him, we would most certainly get the attention of those patrolling the hall. We needed the attention of those inside the tower though.
“On it,” Timmons told me. I nodded. He sprang to his feet, lithe and ready. My baton hung in his hand like a sword. Roberts followed him and I suddenly had an idea. I grabbed the bigger man.
“Drag him into the hallway, where you can both be seen,” I told him. He nodded.
This monster I recognized. I’d taken him down once before. Aside from his size and the fight he had put up, there was nothing terribly remarkable about him. He was cannibalistic and he didn’t require his meat cooked, which was gross, but that was a minor detail. Roberts and he locked on to each other in what loo
ked like a Royal Rumble. Timmons swung the baton, bringing it down hard against the front lower part of Peter Lutz’s leg. Bone cracked under the sound. The big man grunted and reached out for Timmons, but Roberts kept him from grabbing the serial killer who liked to behead people.
It was hard not to watch. It was a real case of mortal combat, better than any game designer could ever had made. They pushed and shoved at each other. They landed heavy blows that would have dropped a normal person like a rock. All the while, the Tallahassee Terror, who was only half their size, moved around like a dancer, getting in blows where he could. Roberts was doing exactly what I wanted. He was dragging the large Lutz towards the corridor.
The grunting and groaning was getting the attention of others though. I could hear feet now approaching us. We prepared ourselves. Wright had two jobs, get the bomb into the hall and detonate it. The rest of us would be fighting those that came into the main hall where we were taking shelter from the bomb.
“Ready?” Eric whispered to me, obviously hearing the footsteps as well.
“Are you?” I asked my older brother. I passed him the scimitar. It would be better in his hands than in mine and I took a large hunting knife from him. I was pretty sure it was the one Deacon Priest had held against my throat earlier. It wasn’t a K-bar. It was bigger, with a stronger hilt. I would check into the maker after I got out of the Fortress. It felt good in my hand and I was beginning to find that guns were overrated since I never seemed to have one when I really needed it. “I want that back.”
“You know it’s evidence and you won’t be allowed to keep it, right?”
“Maybe,” I raised an eyebrow and took a position crouching, my shoulder touching the wall. We were all lined up and ready to go when the first man came through the opening. He was enthralled by the raging titans and failed to notice us. I sprang to my feet, knife folded against my arm, and slashed out. The blade was incredibly sharp, sliding through his flesh with ease. The wound sucked itself closed, it was so well honed that blood was unable to splatter out of it. I definitely needed one of these. I slashed a second time, oblivious to anyone except the killer in front of me.
Fortified Dreams Page 20
