The Sin Keeper

by Gary Winston Brown

  Hallier and Ridgeway rallied their command personnel. FBI Hostage Rescue Team Leader Special Agent David Chainer and DARPA Team One Commander Blaine Aikens met them as they exited their cars.

  Chainer provided the agents with a status update. “LAPD’s already inside,” Chainer told Assistant Director Ridgeway as they walked to the staging area. “SWAT’s started their first sweep.” He pointed to the Molecular and Life Science building.

  “Damn it!” Ridgeway said. “How long ago did they breach?”

  “Two minutes.”

  LAPD SWAT commander Sergeant Wayne Cowell joined the group.

  “Did you authorize those men to proceed?” Hallier snapped.

  Cowell held his assault rifle against his chest. “I did.”

  “Goddamn brilliant, Sergeant!” Hallier yelled. “Your men are as good as dead! Why the hell didn’t you wait? You have no idea who to look for in there. And you sure as shit don’t have a clue what you’re up against!”

  “What I’m up against?” Cowell pointed to the smoldering wreckage of the downed LAPD helicopter. “Are you kidding me? Look around you, Colonel. It looks like goddamn Syria. This is Long Beach, for Christ sake, not Aleppo. My guys got shot out of the sky by who-the-hell-knows-what. I can’t raise them on comms. I don’t even know if they’re dead or alive. I’ve got a whole city full of terrified citizens and mounds of rubble where less than an hour ago buildings stood. Even the goddamn media is wearing flak jackets. And you want to know why I didn’t wait for you?”

  Hallier pressed. “Recall your men, Sergeant. Do it now. You don’t want to lose another team. Let us handle this.”

  “I think we can manage a couple of terrorists, Colonel.”

  “Not these two. They’re not terrorists. Do you even have a fix on their location?”

  “We’re sweeping the grounds.”

  Hallier shook his head. “In other words, you don’t. Dammit Sergeant, don’t be a fool. Tell your men to stand down before…”

  A massive explosion erupted from the Molecular and Life Sciences building so concussive in its intensity Jordan felt the pressure of the blast right through her vest and into her chest. An entire wall of the MLS building had blown out. Shards of glass and metal debris rained down on the grounds. Sergeant Cowell watched in horror as two members of his breach team fell out of the building.

  “Jesus Christ,” Cowell said. The SWAT leader yelled into his microphone.

  “Traynor, status report!”

  No reply from the breach team leader.

  “Sterling!…”

  Only silence.

  “Kwan!…”

  Dead air.

  “Daniels!… Augustine… do you copy?”

  “Forget it, Sergeant,” Hallier said with disgust. “They’re gone.”

  Cowell stared at the burning building.

  “I tried to warn you,” Hallier said angrily. “That’s right, Sergeant. Take a good long look. The deaths of those men are on you. You better get used to living with that.”

  Obscured by rolling dust clouds, two distant figures exited the building and raced across the campus; a man and a woman.

  Jordan focused on the man’s psychic signature as he ran. “It’s Egan,” she said, then picked up on a second signature, similar yet different; the same one she had felt in Corona. It had to be Merrick. “There,” Jordan said, pointing across the campus. “That’s where they’re headed. Merrick’s in the Pyramid.”

  Hallier turned to DARPA Team One leader Blaine Aikens. “They have hostages. Commander, equip your men with Thermite launchers and dispatch them to the Pyramid. Tell them to hold fire until we have a lock on both targets. I say again, both targets. Do you understand?”

  “Copy that, Colonel.”

  “Thermite?” Ridgeway asked.

  “A chemical incendiary. Bullets are useless against Channeler. By just activating the device Merrick and Egan are protected. A bullet wouldn’t be able to hold its trajectory. It would skip off Channeler’s energy field like a stone across a pond. We’ll have to launch a dozen or more Thermite grenades at the field to try and weaken it. All we need is for one to get through and detonate. If it does it’ll be game over. Merrick and Egan will be incinerated right where they stand.”

  “What about the woman, Egan’s hostage?”

  “If she can get to safety she’ll live.”

  “And if she can’t?”

  “She’s dead.”

  Chris Hanover stepped forward. “Colonel, I might know how your men can take out Merrick and Egan and still keep the woman alive.”

  “I’m listening,” Hallier said.

  “I know this campus. I studied here. There’s a service entrance at the back of the Pyramid. Agent Quest and I can get inside and take up a secondary position. We’ll try to secure the hostage while your men press the attack from the front.”

  “It’s worth a shot, Colonel,” Ridgeway said.

  “All right,” Hallier agreed. “But you just saw what happened to SWAT. You’re not going in there alone. Lieutenant Bestow will cover you.”

  The DARPA commando stepped forward.

  “I’m good with that,” Jordan said. Chris nodded. “Me too.”

  “All right,” Hallier agreed. “You’ve got five minutes to gain entry and get into position before Commander Aiken and his team move in. After that all bets are off. Hostage or no hostage, this ends tonight.”

  Across the campus the Pyramid loomed, enveloped in a smoky haze.

  “You ready?” Lieutenant Bestow asked the agents.

  “As I’ll ever be,” Chris said.

  “Let’s do this,” Jordan said.

  They ran.

  CHAPTER 49

  “MOVE!” EGAN yelled, shoving Ashley Granger through the main entrance into the Pyramid. The mathematics professor stumbled but caught herself before she fell.

  The structure’s foundation, weakened by the tremendous energy exerted upon it cy Channeler, moaned and sighed under the enormous weight of its triangular walls. The building leaned at a precarious angle, it’s compromised aluminum skeleton creaking, threatening collapse.

  Ilya called out to his professor. “Dr. Granger!”

  Ashley Granger heard the teen’s voice.

  Ilya tried to run to her. Merrick grabbed him by his jersey, pulled him back. “Not so fast,” he said.

  Ilya yelled at Egan. “Don’t you dare touch her!”

  Granger called out. “Ilya! Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, professor,” he replied. “What’s going on here? Who are these guys?”

  “I don’t know. Don’t worry. The police are here now.”

  Keeping watch on the professor and her student, Egan walked over to Merrick. “Nice work with the chopper.”

  Merrick smiled. “It made for one hell of an introduction.”

  Egan nodded. “Military’s here. A Blackhawk just touched down.”

  “Then they’ve already made their first mistake,” Merrick said.

  “What’s that?”

  “They showed up.”

  Egan pointed to their prisoners. “What about these two?”

  “Kill them.”

  Egan raised his hand to carry out the order.

  Ilya stepped in front of Granger. “If you want the professor,” he said, “you’re going to have to go through me.”

  Egan stared at the teen. “Seriously? You didn’t just say that, right. That is so Hollywood, kid.”

  Ilya refused to move. “You heard me, asshole.”

  Egan raised his hand. “You’d think a smart kid like you would know it’s never a good idea to piss off the guy with the superweapon.”

  “Fuck you.”

  Darkness filled the entranceway. A metal canister clattered across the floor.

  Egan recognized the ordinance. “Grenade!” he yelled. “Get down!”

  As the Thermite grenade rolled toward them Egan waved his hand. The device flew back toward the breach team. Upon detonation, the i
ncinerated remains of two soldiers marred the floor of the Pyramid where they had stood a second earlier.

  Egan turned to Merrick. “Next time they come at us it’ll be harder and faster.”

  Merrick pointed to their hostages and the metal bleachers surrounding the basketball court. “Get them down between the seats and out of sight,” he said. “We’ll take care of this first and deal with them later.”

  Ilya lunged at Egan.

  Egan saw the attack coming and thrust the heel of his palm into the teen’s solar plexus. Ilya felt the air escape his lungs. He fell to his knees. “Stay down kid,” Egan said. “I’m in no mood for heroics.” He pointed his finger at Ashley Granger. “Get that little pain in the ass on his feet. Both of you get between the bleachers and lay down.”

  The professor helped Ilya across the basketball court and into the seating area. The injured student lay on his side. Granger knelt beside him.

  “You’re going to be okay Ilya,” Ashley said.

  The teen’s breathing was heavy, labored. He shook his head. “It hurts real bad.”

  “Relax. You’ll feel better in a few minutes.”

  “You don’t understand. My chest guard… I think he broke it.”

  “Your what?”

  “Chest guard. I have to wear it when I play to protect my heart.”

  Granger lifted Ilya’s jersey. Egan had struck the teen with such force that the nylon protector had shattered inside its harness.

  “Lay still,” the professor said. “I’ll be right back.”

  “No!” Ilya said. He grabbed Granger by the arm. “You heard what he said. He’ll kill you!”

  “No, he won’t. We’re hostages now. Which means we’re the only bargaining chip they have if they want to get out of here alive.”

  “I don’t think leaving here alive was ever a part of their plan.”

  “I do. Now sit tight.”

  Ashley Granger walked back across the basketball court and faced Merrick and Egan. “The boy has a heart condition,” she said. “You hurt him badly. He needs a doctor.”

  Egan walked up to the professor. “Get back there and lay down.”

  “What do you need him for?” Granger said. “Keep me. Let him go.”

  Channeler glowed.

  “Don’t press me,” Egan said. “I’ll drain the life out of you right here, right now.”

  Ashley stepped closer to Egan and stared him down. “Then do what you have to do.”

  “Bitch,” Egan muttered.

  Merrick walked over. “There’s movement outside, Commander.”

  “You want me to take care of her first?” Egan asked.

  “That won’t be necessary,” Merrick said. He struck Granger in the face with such force the woman collapsed at his feet, then dragged her unconscious body into the bleachers and dropped her beside Ilya. The teen had passed out. His breathing had become shallow. Merrick checked his pulse. It was faint, but he was alive.

  The two men walked into the middle of the Pyramid.

  The aluminum walls of the structure vibrated from the blade churn of an inbound chopper.

  “If they want in,” Merrick said, “they’re going to have to work for it.”

  He raised his hand.

  Channeler glowed.

  The Pyramid shook.

  Around them the foundation of the massive structure started to buckle, its architectural design and masterful engineering now pushed beyond its limit, no longer able to withstand the supernatural assault of Channeler.

  The Pyramid fell.

  CHAPTER 50

  ON BREACHING the rear door of the Pyramid, Jordan, Chris and Lieutenant Bestow felt the ground tremble. Jordan felt an enormous rush of psychic energy beginning to build. Cracks rippled along the concrete walls of the receiving area. Suspended ceiling tiles shook loose from their aluminum grids and fell to the ground. Fluorescent lights grew brighter, then exploded in their fixtures. Janitorial chemicals shuddered and danced on metal shelves, then fell and broke, their contents spilling across the floor. The air in the structure had become thin, hard to breathe, as if every last oxygen molecule was being pulled out of it.

  Under Bestow’s feet the floor groaned, growled and started to crack. “Take cover!” he yelled. He pushed the agents to safety under a heavy gridiron archway. The terrified soldier looked down. The ground beneath his feet began to rip apart. He was slipping down into the darkness.

  “No!” Jordan ran forward and threw herself onto the edge of the ever-widening gap, grabbing blindly for the disappearing DARPA operative, couldn’t. Too late, she caught the barrel of his weapon as it slipped from his grasp.

  Bestow was gone. The chasm had swallowed him alive.

  Hanover grabbed Jordan’s legs and pulled her back. Not satisfied with taking just one life, the crack in the floor kept advancing toward them, anxious to claim its next victim.

  Chris yelled over the thunderous sound of the destructive force. “He’s gone, Jordan. Come on! We have to get out of here!”

  Jordan pulled Bestow’s Thermite grenade launcher out of the hole, slung it over her shoulder, and ran behind Hanover out of the receiving area. Behind them, the building started to collapse.

  “Get down!” Jordan yelled. She pushed Chris to the ground and fell over him, covering him with her body.

  The Pyramid emitted a horrific screeching sound as its tubular support beams fatigued and bent under the power of Channeler. The foundation had begun to consume itself.

  “We need to get inside,” Chris said as Jordan helped him to his feet. “We’ll be safe there. There’s almost no chance the entire Pyramid will fall. It was designed to withstand earthquakes and structural compromises much greater than this.”

  “Like this isn’t enough of a structural compromise for you?” Jordan said. “Maybe you’d prefer an earthquake on steroids?”

  Chris pointed to a set of doors just ahead.

  “When we get through those doors we’ll hit a ramp that leads into the sports arena. Cover will be minimal. Which means that for a few seconds we’re going to be completely in the open, fully exposed. There are metal bleachers around the basketball court. We’ll need to get to cover fast and get eyes on Merrick and Egan and the hostages. There’s an announcer’s booth above the court. Assuming it’s still there, that’s where I’ll be headed. I’ll have a clear view of the court. I can take them out from there. But I’m gonna need that gun.”

  Jordan examined the weapon. “I assume you’ve never fired one of these before?”

  “Of course, I have,” Chris replied. “Took a class at Quantico. Incendiary Weapons 101. Right after light saber training. You know for an old guy Yoda’s pretty damn fast.”

  “From Star Trek to Star Wars? Funny.”

  “Relax, Jordan,” Chris said, “I know the lay of the land here, remember? That gives me home court advantage. Plus, I’m a trained sniper. If there’s a decent vantage point inside I’ll find it. When I do I’ll launch every damn grenade in that thing until those bastards have been vaporized.”

  Jordan handed him the weapon. “You sure you can do this?”

  “I am.”

  “Positive?”

  “Positive.”

  “How positive?”

  “Seriously?”

  “I need to know.”

  “Okay. One-hundred-and-twenty-three-percent positive.”

  “That’s a mathematical impossibility. You can’t be more than one-hundred-percent positive.”

  “We’re quibbling over math?”

  “Hey, it took me a long time to break you in. I’m not too keen on going through that again with a new partner.”

  “Excuse me… did you say you broke me in?”

  “Now who’s quibbling?”

  “Pass me the damn grenade launcher.”

  Jordan handed him the weapon. “You know you’re only going to get one shot at this. If Merrick or Egan see you, they’ll kill you.”

  “Thanks. I already figured that
out. Didn’t even have to do the math.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Me too. I hate math. Avoid it as much as possible.”

  Jordan shook her head. “For the record, you’re not fooling me.”

  “How’s that?”

  “I know you just want to fire the really cool gun.”

  Chris smiled. “Busted.”

  “Try not to blow yourself up.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “I’m serious, Chris.” Jordan held tight to the shoulder strap of the gun.

  Hanover saw the concern in her eyes. His voice was calm. “I’ll be fine, J,” he said.

  “You’d better be.”

  Chris peered through the crack in the double doors leading into the sports arena. “Looks clear,” he said. “Stay on my six. Move fast and quiet. As soon as you’re inside, tack left. The bleachers are double-step in height. They should provide perfect cover. You ready?”

  Jordan nodded.

  The man-made earthquake suddenly knocked out the electrical system. The facility was plunged into darkness. Sunlight streamed in through slits in the damaged aluminum walls. Chris and Jordan waited for their eyes to adjust to the dim light.

  “All right,” Chris said. “Here we go.” He grabbed the door handle, eased it open, slipped inside, leveled the weapon straight ahead, peered down the sight, hugged the wall, reached the arena entrance, waved his partner through, then broke to the right and headed for the announcer’s booth.

  Jordan took cover in the bleachers.

  CHAPTER 51

  ASHLEY GRANGER woke up on the floor of the Pyramid with a broken jaw. On her return trip to consciousness she had passed out twice. She struggled to regain a foothold on her senses.

  The building was dark. Scant ribbons of sunlight bled in through deep slashes in its wounded, triangular roof. The massive sports facility had toppled. One of the four corners of its base rested on a bed of crushed concrete and twisted metal.

  Ilya! Ashley dragged herself to her knees. Blood dripped from her mouth and nose and pooled on the hardwood floor. Her eyesight was impaired, no doubt a result of the powerful blow delivered by Merrick. She turned her head and searched for Ilya and saw his sneakers jutting out from the end of the metal bleacher. She crawled to her student. He was alive. Thank God.