Chapter 16
Jack headed out of town, and gave Ping an update on the bike, advising him it had been repaired. Seek came on the comm. “Jack, it’s Seek, we need you here. There has been an attack on Wing’Tan, Trina is dead, a whole group of our operatives taken out.”
“Who?”
“We don’t know, but Ping says he had Aleutian chatter around the Lake before you got hit, maybe them.”
Yeah right, thought Jack. You sent them you bastard. He kept that as an inside thought for now. “OK, I’m back in twenty. The bike seems OK, but it may need a make-over, it’s got a few scrapes.”
Ping was back on the comm. “Yo, Jack, Tank says if you’ve dented BB he’s gonna kick your arse.”
“I better wear thick padding on my arse then Ping, she’s been touched!” Jack hoped Ping got the hint that the bike had been tampered with.
“OK Jack, just get it back so I can sort her out and get you out there. You know that bit in your contract about getting dirty? Well, you’ll need to open a laundromat by the time you’ve finished your next mission.”
“That’s OK, I haven’t washed for three days anyway.”
“Go to the city post, it’s on the edge of the old city, not far from the Third Quadrant.”
Dammit, thought Jack, I wouldn’t even send my enemies to that hole. Jack continued toward the Wing’Tan outpost, hoping Sin had their comm system set up properly.
“Jack, we got all of that. Looks like Wing’Tan don’t want you at HQ, maybe they suspect you.”
“Why Sin, I’m such an upstanding citizen!”
Cindy and Blake both burst out laughing.
“C’mon guys, you’ll hurt my feelings, cut it out. Anyway, business. We don’t have deets on the location I’m going to. Sin, find all the intel you can, and give Blake the co-ords. I’ll muck around as much as I can getting there, but don’t want to be suspicious.”
“Got it. Wait out a few minutes while I figure out where they’re sending you.”
“Blake, get the hell over there as fast as you can. I need a good high-point to snipe from if necessary. I can handle riff-raff on the ground, but can’t see everywhere. You’re my eyes.”
“Roger. With our firepower kindly donated, your back is well covered.”
“Yeah, well don’t use the elephant bugger, I prefer my internal organs to stay internal.”
Blake laughed, “Don’t worry sunshine, I’m a ninety-nine percent dead-eye on the sights.”
Blake and Jack kept heading towards the target. As they came off the freeway, they split to come in from different angles. Jack intentionally took a route around the South East to hit a few dead ends and detours. Even though most Sat-Nav systems were up to date, the city there was so low, the water changed from week to week, losing fifteen minutes was easy.
As he came into the suburban areas, Jack thought of his youth around here. He remembered sitting down at Maroubra Beach with his great grandfather, telling him about the old days, when all of the beaches were golden sand, and there were surfers crowding the breaks. Before the water became so polluted it wasn’t safe to swim in. Before the huge desalination and purification plants went in. Before the place turned to crap.
His grandfather really had been the rock in his life during those times. It was no wonder Jack had such a passion for the music and film of the twentieth century, it was his escape, to remember the stories he was told about how amazing and culturally rich the world had once been. A time before the world welcomed him in and drowned him in the raging torrent of troubles it had turned itself into.
His thoughts were broken by Cindy. “Right boys, the location is in a built-up urban area. I can see heat signatures from generators. They’re giving off radiation, so must be micro fusion plants. That is some serious power, so they have something going on there.”
“Any good vantage points Cindy? I’m sixty seconds out.”
“Yeah, Blake. Stop one block north, there is no activity at all there. Co-ords on your locator now. There is a six storey building that looks burnt out. Assuming the stairs are OK, it has prime roof space. “
“Got it.”
“Be careful, it has line-of-sight with the entry to the facility, so may already be manned or have sensors. I don’t pick up anything, but I’m not perfect.”
“Hear that Jack, finally admitting it!”
“Yeah, Blake, looks like the lady is coming back to earth,” he laughed.
“Right you two, funny-funny; now get yourself together, game time.”
Cindy gave the locations of known personnel outside the building and where the proximity sensors were located. Blake pulled up to position and quickly grabbed his kit from the boot. Slinging the rucksack over his shoulder, he entered the open side entry of the building, pistol raised. It was the first time he handled it, and he almost threw it out of his hands when he picked it up; it was so light he had to look to see he was holding it properly.
As he got to the top landing, he heard a muffle outside. He stepped back in and got on the comm. “Jack I’ve got company up here. I hope you don’t get in too much crap; I’m gonna hide out for a few minutes to let you in.”
There was no reply. Either Jack was already in, or the building had shielding that blocked the comm. Either way, he didn’t want to give his position away. “Cindy, you got any way I can have eyes out there to see what I’m dealing with?”
“Way ahead of you. I’ve got a stealth drone from the nearby military base heading your way”
“I don’t even wanna know.”
“Probably best you don’t ask since you’re a man of the law and all.”
“Yeah, somehow I don’t think that will be lasting too much longer.”
“Sensors coming up now Blake. You’ve got one man down there. I’m going to set the drone in a loop and relay their comm through me. Be as noisy as you want.”
Blake carefully put down the sack and peeked around the corner. There was one man out there, he didn’t look armed, but probably was. Either way he wanted the upper hand; he didn’t know if this guy could handle himself.
As he started to move out, there was a loud crack from above. It was an electrical storm brewing, looked like a good one too, plenty of sparks licking off the antennae on the various buildings. Moving toward the target, he could now make out is was a male, about six foot tall, lanky. He was dressed casual to scruffy and had a long trench coat on. He was slouched a little and sucking on a cancer stick. He didn’t have the gait of military, probably just another prospect trying to earn his stripes.
He was two metres away when there was a crunch under his foot, he didn’t look down, what was the point. The target spun and flicked a knife at him. Blake saw his movements in slow motion and easily stepped aside. The target spun, swinging his coat out, pulling knife after knife and throwing them all with deadly accuracy. Blake kept moving sideways, ducking and weaving at least a dozen knives.
He saw there were no more knives left; the attacker padded his coat checking, all the while not taking his eye off Blake. Blake gave a slight grin and started walking towards him. The target started gobbing off in French, but hesitated mid-sentence. Obviously Cindy had interrupted and advised him he had called the wrong number.
Blake rushed him just as he was reaching down to his boot for some kind of weapon. Blake kicked him hard in the ribs, hearing multiple cracks. He followed through with his momentum and drove the heel of his hand under the chin, grabbing an arm at the same time, then pulling the target into him and head-butting him square on the temple. As the target crumpled to the ground there was another crack in the sky.
“Damn it!” Cindy came over the comm.
“What Sin?”
“I forgot my popcorn. Nice show. Look up and give me a smile.” Right then the drone whipped past Blake about fifty metres up. It was silent, but he saw it off the reflection of another lighting splash.
Blake g
rabbed his sack and moved out to the edge of the building. He could see a lonely light above the entrance to the facility. The building was a two story modern design, which stuck out like dogs bollocks in the junk heaps that surrounded it. There were no windows that Blake could see, which was far from an ideal situation.
“I got him Blake, pulling in now.”
“I see him Cindy, you got anything on the building?”
“They have some pretty high tech defences on the signals front; I’m chipping my way through them at the moment.”
“Well you better start chopping; we don’t have a lot of time.”
“I’ve got x-ray penetration now. Four people inside. Can’t I.D. them, no voice recognition yet. Wait out.”
The plan was simple really. Get in, don’t act suspicious. Get close to Ping, take out the others, get the hell out of dodge. OK, it wasn’t that easy. For a start no one knew what security or defences were in place. Don’t know bugger all really, thought Jack as he got off Betty, looking around. There were shadows in the shadows, muffles in the static, and the feeling of being watched but seeing no eyes.
As Jack took off his helmet, a single light shone on him. “Don’t move please.” An electronic voice came from nowhere. As Jack stood still, he saw a small red light appear on the door in front of him.
“Scan complete, please enter.” The door clicked open. As he started to walk in he brushed his thigh where the Timmy was, just for comfort’s sake.
The room he walked into was a large lobby that seemed in stark contrast to the crap-hole he just walked out of, quite inviting and relaxing. The ceiling was at least ten metres up, and covered in bio-lighting; the walls were some kind of granite or something similar, and the floor was what looked like grass, but was probably some kind of synthesised material. Pretty believable though.
As he walked into the middle of the foyer, he scanned around the room repeatedly, looking for anyone who may be watching or targeting. There was an empty reception desk, a large set of doors at the end of the foyer and no one around. Jack walked towards them and put his hand on the Timmy. Things were a little quiet in here. He wondered if the place had already been swept by the Feds.
“Boys, I’ve got some good readings up now. The building is some kind of research facility. It’s only two stories up, all offices, but six stories down. It’s off the grid for power, running on cold fusion. I can’t get a signature on the type of generator, but it’s on the fourth floor down.”
“OK Cindy,” replied Blake, “what personnel are in there?”
“That’s the funny bit, there are only four. They were all in the foyer Jack is in now, but have walked through the doors at the back of the room and are walking away.”
“Are there any anti-personnel defences in place in the building?”
“Yup, but I neutralized them. Jack, you’re free to roam. Just be careful, I’ve got solid signals, but it’s possible they have physical defences in place too, I won’t get those. Go through the doors and go right, they just turned the corner.”
Jack went through the doors, the hall was lit from the floor, but only ten metres in front of him. As he started to walk down the hall, the lights in front glowed and disappeared behind him. He was about to turn the corner when Cindy came up on the comm.
“Jack, they’re splitting up. Two are either side in the corridor, the other two are looping around back to the foyer. They may be trying to box you in. I’m calling foul, get out.”
Jack had a second to think; she may be being paranoid. They may not have even known Jack was there. He poked his head around the corner to see what was there. As he did his eyes were splashed with a bright green light. He quickly dropped and fell back around the corner, a split second later a plasma blast smashed the wall across from him. A few spots of plasma ricocheted off the wall and hit his arm. The burn was instant and intense.
“Damn, they’re hot, I’m getting out, sit rep now!”
“Jack, double back, fast, don’t go into the foyer, go past it, there is a room next door, get in there now.”
The building shuddered as Jack ran for the doors. “What the hell was that?”
“Their cavalry are here. It was a concussion round fired at the roof where Blake is, he was already hitting the stairs; he’s clear and finding a route.”
Jack crashed through the doors into the room. As he did the lighting glowed up and a man appeared at the front of the room. Jack fired a round at his head but it went right through and hit a visual screen behind, shattering it.
“Damned holos,” Jack muttered to himself. “Plan Cindy?”
“Go to the far end, there’s a window to the foyer.”
“It’s whited out, I can’t see anything.”
“Shoot it out when I say. When you do, the two that doubled back will be to your right. Blake is roof skipping, making his way to give you cover, his comm is out … Go!”
Jack fired a salvo of shots at the window and dove through it before the shards even began to fall. He fired a dozen shots straight at the two men standing about five metres from him. By the time they started turning, they were already hit. Jack fired another twenty or so rounds at the ceiling. The bio-lighting started to dim as he ran to the front doors; he spun with his back to the wall, facing the doors at the other end of the foyer.
“Jack, we got two armoured hovers outside, a few bikes and a drone. I’m going after the drone now. Blake has some glorified cigar tube he’s pointing at the hovers.”
“As soon as that thing gets fired, I’m out those doors. We need Ping, we’ll have to go to Wing’Tan HQ now, no mucking about.”
“Got it. Betty is still OK, if she doesn’t get incinerated meet at the RDV in twenty minutes. Blake is about to launch. I’m hitting the drone now; wait for the second explosion.”
Jack held the Timmy to his chest; his heart was pumping like mad now, but he was focussed, going through the scenario outside. How far was Betty? Where would the other bikes be? Just trying to narrow the variables. What if Blake didn’t get both hovers?
He heard a faint explosion, must have been the drone, then a flash of blue to his right. As the door swung open, a tall man in a trench coat came running in, shooting towards Jack. With nowhere to go, Jack dropped and shot back, he missed. As he rolled away, he saw a flash of red from the opposite side; the last of the four in the building was moving around his flank, trying to box him in.
“Screw this,” Jack yelled, shot a massive salvo of rounds at the trench coat and got up running for the entry door. Aiming for the lock, he fired a series of rounds, while ricochets echoed around him, just as he saw the last man coming from the right.
In slow motion, Jack saw the attacker raising his gun straight at him, then he disappeared, replaced by a burning mass of what looked like the undercarriage of a hover. The noise and heat were intense, forcing him to turn away. Just as he did he saw the blue flash of an arm swinging across at him. The impact on his jaw felt like a sledge hammer as his head whipped, blood spraying from his mouth. The ground felt like the sledge hammer’s brother, taking what little wind he had left ...
Looking up, Jack could see Trenchy standing over him, holding the Timmy. As Jack looked toward him, he grinned, looking at the front door that was now open and letting in cool air. Trenchy raised the gun towards Jack’s head, he squeezed the trigger and nothing happened. He checked for a safety on the odd looking gun, shrugged his shoulders, and put the gun in his coat while pulling out his knife with the other hand.
Jack saw a bright blue flash sweep into view through the entrance. Coming in low and hard was an Ion-Plasma Drone at what looked like the speed of light. Jack rolled over and covered his head just as the drone blew through the doors, tearing its wings off on the impact. The fuselage bolted into Trenchy with such an impact his body folded in half around the sleek black missile. The force pushed him through the room and into the reception counter, splitt
ing it with the impact. Shards of material scattered around the room.
Jack got up and ran over to Trenchy, or what was left of him at least. He saw the coat had been torn apart, replaced by internal organs. Pulling the main fragment of the drone aside, he saw the Timmy wedged into the side of it. He picked up the fuselage and smashed it on the ground to release the weapon, picked it up, and blew the dust off it. As he held it, the charge display lit up. One for the stabilised-Ionic-whatever today.
Just as he was turning, he saw a hover rotating towards the opening. “Dammit!” he yelled and turned to dive over the remains of the reception counter. There were a series of low thuds, but no blast. Looking around the end of the reception counter he saw Blake standing on top of the hover with an open hatch and Timmy in his hand. Jack scrambled up and ran over, jumping on the stabiliser and onto the roof.
“Holiday’s over sunshine, stop pissing around.” Blake had a grin as he pulled the helmet off the now dead pilot and shoved him from the seat.
“What’s the plan?”
“Cindy says there is one more hover around the corner. I thought we’d give them a surprise call.”
Jack pulled the hatch as Blake fired up the hover. He pushed forward on the thrusters while arming the weapons. The whole windscreen went white and showed a series of diagnostics and camera angles all around the cabin.
“How the hell can you drive this?” Jack said as he was looking around for a seatbelt or handle to hold.
“Standard control configuration for Spec two military vehicles.”
“Oh, here’s me thinking you’re just a pen pusher in a suit with a good left cross.”
As he spoke Blake whipped the hover around 180 degrees, almost making Jack lose his lunch. “Nah, long mil history in my family. Hold on, this may get bumpy.”
“What, you mean this isn’t bumpy yet?”
As he finished his sentence Blake swung into the corner. The other hover was right there, and Blake narrowly missed it as he swung a full 270 degrees to now become the follower. He then stopped in the middle of the road.
“What the hell are you doing Blake?”
“We’re too close. If I use the Hellcat Plasma too close we’ll cook ourselves in the process.”
“What the hell is a Hellcat?”
“Watch.” Blake had a big grin as he tapped the display panel in front of him. The screen went clear again and they could see the other raft accelerating but starting to make a turning manoeuvre.
“Damned rookies. That’s the problem with kids these days Jack, no damned combat knowledge.”
A green grid came up on the screen with cursors on all moving objects in front, with number beside them, presumably distance thought Jack. Blake tapped the cursor on the other hover and a large tube appeared from the front of the hover and rotated to position to the side and facing the other hover.
As Blake tapped the screen again, there was a series of bright flashes from the tube, Jack figured at least twenty. A second later the hover exploded into a violent fireball. First green, then a bright red. The chassis lifted at least five metres off the ground before crashing down in a burning heap.
“Party over kids, get the hell out of there, it looks like half the city is heading your way.”
“Sin, is Blake’s vehicle still OK?”
“Yup, I’ve been keeping an eye on it.”
“Right Blake, let’s get the hell out. I’ll grab Betty and we’ll meet at the RDV.”
The two of them got out of the cockpit and jumped onto the skirts of the hover. As they got down, Jack looked at the exhaust of the Hellcat and could see the iridescent glow of the Plasma still burning.
A half hour later the three were all at the car park of the Newport lookout. Cindy was last to arrive and was in the Ferrari, no windows. As she raised the door and stepped out, Jack watched her long sleek legs and couldn’t remember why the hell he ever ran away. Well, I guess one night doesn’t make a relationship, but y’know … The thought kept rattling in his thick skull.
“Right, we don’t have long. Wing’Tan are probably already on lock-down so we need to get in there, get what we need, and get out.” Cindy spoke with urgency and authority, but she needn’t have, the others knew time was fleeting. She started unloading kit.
“We have to assume they’re pulling in their defences, runners, prospects etcetera. We’ll be copping a lot of heat all the way through.” Cindy pulled out two black bags from the boot and threw one at each of them.
“That’s why I brought these. They are a new type of fabric a friend of mine has developed. It’s a hybrid composite/organic material. Nanotubes grown on a modified polymer of a few different chemicals you two lug-nuts would never have heard of.”
“Fascinating stuff Sin, I love your science lessons. I’m gonna call it a nano-tac suit.” Jack was zipping it up and checking the pouches and padding. “So what do they do?”
He saw Blake tapping his finger past him, as Jack turned Cindy swung a baseball bat full-noise into his chest. The force knocked him back and he stumbled, but didn’t fall. He grabbed his chest, but it didn’t hurt.
“It absorbs kinetic energy. Unlike your head if you give me stick again.”
Blake laughed and made a cheesy gun shape in Jake’s direction.
“They don’t need batteries, don’t wear out and are breathable.”
“This stuff will come in handy.” Jack rubbed his chest again just to make sure it was all still in the right place.
“Don’t take it for granted that it will take a bullet. He’s tested it with a few weapons and it’s fine, but not everything. Smaller projectiles shouldn’t hurt it, but I think pulse weapons will go through it. He developed it for the military and Feds before they flipped and tried to confiscate the material and his life’s work.”
“Still batting for the other side then Blake?” Jack winked at him as he threw his empty duffle in the Ferrari.
“I think it’s fair to say I’m off the team now.”
“Good, ‘cos I only dislike you now, don’t want to kill you anymore.”
“Aw, how cute, glad you two boys are getting along. Now, finished playing around?” Cindy was pulling a device from the car. She held it up and tapped a button. A holo of the region came up in a dull green sphere about half a metre in diameter.
“Blake, get on your comm and see if Ping is still there. They may not know you have back up yet.”
“What the hell, I’m not Rambo, of course I had help.”
“Who the hell is Rambo?”
“Forget it,” he said as he tapped his comm. He started panting and coughing. “Ping, you there?”
“Jack? Where the hell are you, we’re out everywhere looking for you. Your tracking devices are off, your comms were out.”
Of course they were looking for him, to tidy up the mess. “I’m up the coast,” he drew a hard breath, “I’m injured, but will be OK. The facility was hit. I scrambled out the back and waited till it was clear before grabbing Betty and bolting.”
“I know, it was the Feds.”
Nice try, thought Jack.
“It’s OK J, we’ll help you out, get over here now. Seek has the crews clearing a path for you, safe route coming up on Sat-Nav.” And there it was. He referred to Jay, they must have had contact, and Ping was their inside man, obviously wanting out. Jack walked back to the other two as they were discussing an entry route while considering choke points.
“How did that go?” said Cindy.
“Ping is OK, and he’s on our side.”
“You sure?” said Blake in a concerned flat tone.
“No, of course I’m not. But if I’m wrong, we’ll know in about ten minutes. He’s mapping me the route that Wing’Tan have all of their ambush set-ups on.”
Jack put on his helmet and selected the routing overlay. It came up with the forty kilometre route and suggested a fifteen minute travel time. Instead of cross
ing the freeway network, it took them around the fringes of Sydney, even back past Third Quadrant.
“Who the hell are these idiots, why would we go that way in the first place?”
“They’re panicking now, obviously,” said Jack as he looked toward Cindy. “Bring it up on the holo. I’m assuming Ping sent the broadcast on an unsecured channel for you to intercept.
“Nearly there,” said Cindy as she tapped a device that was strapped to her forearm.
She placed the holo projector on the ground and took a few steps back. The boys followed suit. The sphere grew to about three metres in diameter, and showed a route from where they were to Wing’Tan HQ, in red.
Jack didn’t realise it was actually in Helensburgh until he looked at this map. No wonder it was Wing’Tan HQ, it was in the middle of the last place anyone would want to mess with.
They spent a few minutes discussing various routes but decided the fastest way was best. They would travel together, and if necessary Blake would fall back to draw attackers away first, then Cindy. While they were running interference, Jack would see if Betty could hit Mach one.
“Remember not to look up when you’re smoking it Jack, hate to see you arrive with your head folded backwards.” Blake made a pretend motion of flipping his head back and sticking his tongue out the side of his mouth.
“Thanks for the tip on riding a bike, arsehole!” Jack stared at him as though he was about to have a go at him, then smiled and put his hand out.
“Good luck chump, make sure those arseholes don’t scratch Betty, she’s my baby.”
“Don’t worry sunshine, I’m the best.”
“Second best,” said Cindy as she picked up the holo and walked to the car. “Right after me.”
Blake and Jack let her walk to the car, both checking out her arse as she walked past them. They looked at each other and Blake raised his eyebrows in approval.
“Out of the gutter boys, this is one arse neither of you are touching.”
Jack stepped ahead of her and tried to open the door. “Oh, aren’t you a gentleman, Jack. It’s got a bio-link sweetie, excuse me.” She touched the door and it opened.
Jack looked in, although there were no windows, it didn’t look that way from inside. There was clear vision of all of the outside angles as though it was clear glass. The cockpit only had one seat, the rest being taken up by fixed screens, holos and a weapons rack behind the seats.
“Whoa, don’t travel light do ya, Sin?”
“Girl’s gotta be prepared.” She winked at him as she sat in the cockpit. Jack had to step back as the door came down.
“Nice try, cowboy,” Blake said with a wry grin.
“Screw you,” Jack said, walking past with his middle finger in the air.