by Jan Domagala
“Oh my God, so where has he taken Matt? C’mon, think man,” Sinclair shouted. He needed to move, to do something, anything, in order to help Matt.
“I’m not sure. No, wait, you said he’s a clone, right, and he works for Jonas Wilde and that OMEGA group thing?”
“Yes, a clone, we need to stop him. He may be able to lead us to where they are, and now that Wilde is dead we have to stamp them out.”
“Well, before you do that General, come with me. I think I know where he’s gone.”
HAWK SAW THE SIG COME up and adrenalin flooded his system giving him the strength to move. Not expecting to be able to evade the shot, he dived into a roll anyway and the pulsed plasma bolt passed under his right armpit grazing his already bruised ribs but at least he was alive, which was more than could be said for the clone once he got his hands on him, he vowed.
Maguire had aimed directly at him, firing at him as he stood there, and he knew of no man alive who could dodge a shot like that, but he also knew why he had missed. The slight tremor in his hand threw his aim off; the effects of cellular degradation had begun.
Still fighting the effects of travelling via the SUT, Hawk felt a little disorientation lingering throwing him slightly off his game. Putting a hand to his ribs beneath his right armpit he felt the blood oozing through his shirt from the wound. He had to finish this quickly before loss of blood became a factor. Looking up from the ground where he’d landed after being shot, he saw Maguire bringing the Sig onto him for another shot.
There was a desk close by and he frantically hurled himself behind it just as Maguire fired. The shot blasted away the corner of the desk and Maguire, sensing victory, fired again and again destroying more and more of Hawk’s cover with each shot. Soon there would be nothing left to hide behind. He had to do something – but what? He realised he was having trouble thinking clearing, obviously another effect of the SUT, but what could he do? He couldn’t move or he’d be shot, he couldn’t stay there for much longer either and he had nothing to fight back with. He was trapped and rapidly running out of time and options.
RAND RAN TO THE PRIVATE elevator with Sinclair hot on his heels. Once inside he ordered it to take them to Sub Level 5 and then he called security and ordered an armed team to meet them on arrival.
“Okay Rand, do you want to tell me where we’re going or should I cover my eyes and act surprised?” Sinclair was getting fed up of being kept in the dark like this and he realised this must be what it was like sometimes for those who worked for him and a wry smile escaped.
“Glad you’re enjoying yourself, General,” Rand said after spotting the quickly disguised expression.
“Just anticipating what Matt will do to that clone.”
“Trust me, General, he’ll be in no fit state to do anything, not after his first trip. I doubt he’s even conscious.”
“You obviously don’t know Matt Hawk very well; he’s got the constitution of an ox and the strength to match.”
“I hope you’re right, sir, because he’ll sure need it. Okay get ready, we’re almost there.”
OVER HALF THE DESK had been destroyed by shots from the Sig and Hawk could tell Maguire was getting closer in anticipation of the kill.
There was only one thing Hawk could think of doing and that was to take the fight to him. Seconds ago he wouldn’t have had a clue what to do, but now as the fog around his mind began to clear, he knew exactly what to do.
“Just a few more shots, just a few more steps closer”, he thought.
Grabbing hold of the underside of what was left of the desk, Hawk thrust up with his legs and pulled up with his hands hurling the desk at the oncoming clone.
Maguire wasn’t expecting any resistance from Hawk and when the desk came at him it caught him off guard and he momentarily panicked. He threw up his hands to ward off the incoming missile and therefore stopped firing.
Hawk continued his momentum and followed the desk towards the clone. By the time Maguire had deflected the desk Hawk was within striking range. He had run and dived through the air at him and they collided with a bone-crunching impact and Hawk’s momentum took them both off their feet to crash to the floor.
They rolled on the ground and Maguire suddenly found himself on top. He couldn’t believe his luck and before Hawk could react he’d smashed the butt of the Sig against the side of his head.
Unable to defend against the blow, Hawk braced himself as best he could, but still it rattled his teeth and for a second stars flashed before his eyes.
Maguire pushed himself away and looked around, momentarily disorientated by the fight. Seeing what he needed he moved off in that direction.
Shaking off the effects of the stunning blow, Hawk got to his feet faster than the clone thought possible and was after him once more. Forgetting he still had the Sig in his hand the clone began to run towards his objective, which looked to be a computer terminal over by a huge piece of equipment, the purpose of which was a complete mystery to Hawk.
Reaching the terminal, Maguire realised he still held the Sig and brought it around to fire at the onrushing Hawk who, on seeing the movement, once more dived full length.
He caught Maguire across the chest with his arm and took the two of them down again but this time, instead of landing in a heap, Hawk managed to roll clear then come up on his feet at almost the same time as the clone. Maguire still had the Sig in his right hand and as he tried to bring it up, Hawk kicked it away with his right foot in an outside crescent kick. This move knocked Maguire’s arm across his body as the kick connected and he watched as the weapon was sent sliding across the floor.
Hawk planted his right foot on the floor after landing the kick and followed through with a left cross to Maguire’s chin, which snapped the clone’s head around so viciously Hawk thought he may have killed him.
Maguire went sprawling on the floor from the tremendous blow to his jaw, actually following the path of the Sig. He managed to reach out and grab it then bring it back around to fire a series of shots at Hawk.
Instead of finishing the fight as he’d hoped, the punch not only prolonged it also gave his adversary the advantage again.
Seeing the pistol in the clone’s hand again, Hawk dived for the nearest cover he could find just as a salvo of pulsed plasma bolts strafed where he’d been standing.
He landed hard on his shoulder behind the huge piece of equipment he’d been next to and hoped the energy from the shots would not cause this thing, whatever it was, to explode.
Searching frantically for anything he could use as a weapon he noticed that the shots being fired at him were very erratic, almost none of them were hitting the target. He wondered if this side effect of travelling through the SUT would affect him too and if so, how soon.
All that could wait though, now he had more important things on his mind, like how to survive the next few minutes.
There was a cessation of gunfire then almost silence; the only sound was Maguire working at the computer terminal. Hawk had no idea what he was doing, then another sound invaded the silence, that of equipment powering up. No, more like an engine, and he was right behind it.
RAND AND SINCLAIR BRACED themselves to move the moment the elevator came to a halt. The doors opened with a soft hiss and were immediately greeted by two large men with pistols drawn and aimed at the ceiling.
“We’ve secured this level, sir. No one’s getting in or out through those doors,” said the largest of them who was obviously in charge. Both men wore battle vests with various pockets filled with spare battery clips and other equipment, similar to vests worn by Recon Delta marines. Leggings of the same material with patch pockets on the side of the legs were also worn with padding covering the knee area. Military style boots adorned their feet while a helmet of a design unfamiliar to Sinclair protected their heads. The blast shields were down so their faces were hidden from view.
“Very good, now let’s get in there before he gets out the other way,” Rand replied as the tw
o guards went before them.
“Other way? You should’ve sent guards to cover every exit,” Sinclair said angrily, he didn’t want Maguire to escape due to the incompetence of internal security.
“There’s only this one door, General,” Rand replied, further confusing him.
“Then what the hell are you talking about? Oh, you mean escape using the SUT?”
“No, I’m betting by now he’s having trouble even thinking straight. He won’t dare use the SUT again, not if he’s about to do what I think he’s about to do.”
“Okay, now you’ve lost me again,” Sinclair said, his frustration mounting.
“Don’t worry, General, you’ll see what I mean soon enough,” Rand said, not explaining at all. “Okay guys, let’s get that door open,” he added ordering the guards to move in.
THE SOUND FROM THE huge machine was devastatingly loud and Hawk wondered what it did. One thing was obvious; apart from making a lot of noise it used an awful lot of power.
Peering around the side he could see Maguire standing about twenty feet away from the machine, staring intently at it, the Sig held loosely by his side.
Catching sight of Hawk watching him Maguire brought up the Sig and fired at him, but his hand was shaking so badly by this time that the bolt went wide of it’s mark by feet rather than inches.
Quite suddenly there was a sound like a huge thunderclap that originated from the machine and reverberated around the huge chamber. The look of satisfaction and relief on Maguire’s face was palpable.
Hawk knew then that whatever Maguire had set out to do, was done.
OUTSIDE THE CHAMBER Rand said, “That’s gunfire,” and then when he heard the thunderclap he said, “We’ve run out of time, get that door open, now.”
“What the hell was that sound?” Sinclair asked.
Rand turned to him and said, “It’s started.”
30
Hawk knew he had to do something, anything, to stop the clone from doing what he was about to do, even though he had no clue what it was. Taking into consideration that Maguire worked for OMEGA, whatever he intended was bound to be extremely bad.
On his side was the fact he was feeling stronger each second as the effects from the trip were wearing off faster than he thought possible, considering how bad he’d felt at first. Also on the plus side was that the same effects seem to be worsening for Maguire. On the down side though he was still unarmed and pinned down by Maguire and, as ineffective as his aim was, there was still a danger from a lucky shot.
All that went through his mind in a flash with no obvious solution. Then, when he peered around the huge machine and saw Maguire walking towards it, he knew whatever he was planning to do would have to be done now.
Behind Maguire the door to the chamber began to open and as he turned to look, Hawk made his move.
Thrusting off the ground with his powerful legs, renewed strength returning to him with every passing second, he powered towards Maguire. Head down, arms pumping to gain maximum speed, he ran at the clone closing the distance between them with each ground-eating stride.
With Hawk just a few feet away, Maguire turned back to face him and braced himself for the impact.
As he got closer to Maguire Hawk saw two things in his peripheral vision. On his left where the door was, he noticed figures entering and two of them looked like Rand and Sinclair, but on the right, amazingly, the front portion of the huge machine had vanished to be replaced by what he could only describe as an energy vortex. Before he hit Maguire in a running tackle he wondered what the hell it was.
Without realising it, seeing the energy vortex made him slow down and instead of bowling Maguire over they collided but remained on their feet.
Striking the side of Hawk’s head with the Sig gave Maguire control again. Stars burst before Hawk’s eyes as they grappled in front of the vortex.
Hawk refused to let go as Maguire pounded on him with his fist and the butt of the Sig. Inch by agonising inch he dragged the Col Sec agent with him towards the energy vortex and as they got closer, although he had no idea what it could be, instinct told Hawk to stay clear.
Through the door four men entered the chamber and saw Hawk and Maguire struggling at the edge of the massive vortex. It was almost large enough to drive an ATV through, and Sinclair gasped in awe at the magnificent sight, breathlessly asking, “What in hell is that?”
“It’s the Gateway.”
“To what?”
“C’mon, we have to stop them,” Rand said, cutting off further questioning as he motioned the armed guards forward.
Maguire looked up through pain-filled eyes, saw the guards approaching and with one last blow to the back of Hawk’s head made his way towards the vortex.
Hawk felt the blow strike his head and almost blacked out. Feeling his strength leave him, he collapsed to his knees and knew it would be so easy to just stay there, to give up.
Maguire felt Hawk’s grip slacken and he knew that victory would be his and OMEGA’s in just a few short steps, once he’d reached the vortex.
To give up was not in Hawk’s nature though and as he saw the clone move off towards the vortex he was filled with a grim determination. It fuelled his limbs with power and with a strength he couldn’t imagine was possible he got up from his knees and ran at Maguire. This time there was no distraction and when he struck the retreating clone in a flying tackle he had the advantage. What he didn’t consider though was the momentum he’d gathered by the time they collided. Without thinking he struck the clone with such force that both of them went straight into the vortex and vanished.
“NO!” screamed Sinclair in horror.
Rand turned to him and said, “Come on, we can’t let them escape.”
Sinclair stopped in his tracks, looked at Rand and said, “What?”
HAWK AND MAGUIRE COLLIDED on the edge of the vortex and Hawk’s momentum carried them both into it, through it and out the other side to land on the floor of another chamber somewhere else entirely.
Immediately lights came on illuminating the huge chamber, the twin of the one they’d just left.
The vortex was still active behind them as they rolled on the floor and, although Hawk was aware of having travelled somewhere, he didn’t know how, just a sense that he’d moved, but this time there was no disruption to his nervous system. He could think clearly.
Maguire got to his feet and aimed the Sig, which somehow he’d kept hold of, straight at Hawk’s head.
“Don’t move Agent Man, as you can see my hand isn’t as steady as it should be. I’m dying but I can assure you, not before you,” Maguire said with a sneer, but the pain in his eyes told the truth.
“Why don’t you let me help you, perhaps our medical staff can find a cure,” Hawk pleaded, hoping to buy some time until he thought of a way of overpowering him.
“There’s no cure for death and anyway, I gladly give my life for OMEGA. It’s my purpose in life.”
“Ah yes, the blind obedience factor, I’ve seen this before in other clones, just before I killed them.”
“You won’t get that chance here, I can assure you.”
“Then get on with it, why the delay?”
“I don’t want you to die without seeing my victory.”
“Which is?”
“I download all the data pertaining towards this project, the Gateway Project, then upload it to OMEGA’s servers and then we’ll have the capability to...”
“Yada, yada, yada, yeah okay, cut the crap. Why now, why not before, why wait until we were here?” interrupted Hawk.
“You give yourself far too much credit Agent Man. You think all this was for your benefit? To what, rub your noses in it, so to speak? Don’t be so naïve; this project is about to go online tomorrow. This base will be fully operational by then and the staff will arrive at eight am. This was the only opportunity I had to gain access to the codes required. You just happened to stumble into this by accident. Your distraction of Rand actually gav
e me the chance to do this,” explained Maguire.
“Bullshit, you don’t want me to see all this,” Hawk said as he watched the clone concentrate on something.
“I’ve downloaded all the data,” Maguire said.
“You’re so fucked up you can’t multi-task any more, you can only concentrate on one thing at a time,” Hawk said and he lunged forward grabbing the extended arm holding the Sig at the wrist, turning it away from him. Then he smashed his fist into Maguire’s face snapping his head back with an explosion of teeth and blood.
Twisting the Sig from the clone’s grip he quickly aimed at him and fired. The pulsed plasma bolt struck the clone in the centre of his forehead exploding the top of his head in a spray of blood, bone fragments and pulped brain tissue.
“Say hi to Jonas for me,” Hawk said as he stood over the lifeless corpse.
A sound behind him alerted him to movement. Turning he saw four figures rushing through the Gateway.
“Cool, isn’t it!” Hawk said when he saw the expression on Sinclair’s face. “Oh don’t worry, Maguire is over there, very much dead,” he added when he saw Rand’s worried expression.
“What happened?” Rand asked.
“He was going to download all the data to this Gateway Project and upload it to OMEGA’s servers. I’m assuming he was using his NI so I shot him in the head before he could upload it,” explained Hawk.
