She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Stress served a purpose—panic did not. She focused on the obstacles she knew lay ahead and tried to anticipate defenses that Audrey Stokes may have intentionally left out. Her thoughts kept returning to the motion sensors in the forest. She worried that Daron’s plan to “Run like hell” wouldn’t end well with a partially crippled team. After several long moments, she said, “Eli, how do you suppose the motion sensors are connected to the rest of the security network?”
Eli slowed his pace as he considered the sheer area the motion detectors would have to cover. “Some of them are probably connected with buried cables. But I bet most of them use solar power and radio transmitters. Why?”
“I don’t think we can risk running and ducking for cover. Do you think we could use jammers to mask our position?”
“Maybe.” Eli came to a full stop and glanced at the forest. “The problem is, if we turn on our jammers, they’ll be able to tell where we are by identifying which sensors aren’t working. And Katharos probably has equipment that can trace the jamming back to its source, so whoever is carrying it will be wearing a bullseye along with it.”
“What kind of range do the jammers have?”
“In the forest? They can probably cover a radius of two hundred feet on full power. But the more juice we put out, the easier it will be for them to track the source.”
Janson nodded. “Thank you, Eli. That’s all for now.”
Eli eyed her skeptically for a moment, then put his face against the sniffer and continued walking.
Janson could sense her team’s curiosity, but she didn’t want to give them the details just yet. First, she needed to make sure they made it out of the minefield alive.
Following the trail Eli blazed and doing their best to step in his exact footprints, the team zig-zagged onward. After thirty agonizing minutes, Eli held up a closed fist, signaling for them to stop.
“We’re about ten yards from the edge,” he said. “And I can see the motion sensor net on the other side.”
Janson pulled her night vision goggles over her face and switched to infrared. Beyond the minefield, the coniferous forest radiated an eerie glow. “Get out your jammers and set them to full power, but don’t turn them on.”
The team obeyed, dropping their heavy packs on the ground next to their feet. They each withdrew black, cereal-box-sized cases and held them up.
Janson took a few steps toward Ford and lowered her voice. She whispered for several moments, and he gave a single nod.
“It’s settled then,” Janson said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Ford and I will take the jammers and spread out to the edges of their range. That should give the rest of you a four-hundred-foot area to hide in. We’ll give you enough time to reach the edge of the forest, then we’ll shut them down. As long as no one makes any sharp movements after that, the sensors shouldn’t pick you up. Kacen and Eli, you’ll slowly get to a position at the edge of the forest and take out any targeting pods you can find.”
Kacen covered the hole in his trachea, and in a hoarse whisper said, “Got it.”
Eli shook his head. “It’s suicide. If you turn those things on, they’ll drop a mortar on your head before we’re halfway through the woods.”
Janson locked eyes with Ford and said, “We’ll move fast. And we’ll drop one of the extra jammers every few hundred feet to throw off their readings. Besides, we’re better equipped to handle a near-miss than the rest of you.”
For several long moments, the team was quiet, so Janson added, “Nobody’s trying to be a hero. Once we’re in position, the snipers have to take down the pods without getting hit by machine guns or the rail gun. Yuri, we’ll need you close so you can patch us up before we enter the Palace.”
Eli’s face contorted with deep concern. He chewed his lip as he tried to figure out a better plan, then sighed. “Alright, boss. We’ll do our best. Just…be careful out there.”
“We will.” Janson gestured toward the edge of the mine field. “Find us a spot in the open so we can get ready.”
Eli returned his attention to the sniffer, then found a patch of ground between the minefield and the forest. Ford and Janson divided six jammers between them and left everything behind but their primary weapons.
“We’ll follow the edge of the forest while we spread out,” Janson said. “When you get my signal, get through the forest as fast as you can.” She nodded at Ford, and the metamaterial-clad operatives set out in different directions.
“You think they’ll make it?” Yuri asked. “You think any of us will?”
Eli took a deep breath, and his shoulders sagged. “Death will come to us all; we can only try to face it with dignity.” He put on a brave face and gave his teammate a wink.
There was a rasp behind them as Kacen said, “Get ready.”
Eli set his feet and leaned forward slightly, then turned his head to watch Janson. In the distance, she fiddled with the bulky jammers to turn them on. Then she thrust her hand forward and disappeared into the forest.
Eli, Yuri, and Kacen started to run, spreading out and picking their way through the trees as fast as they could. The forest canopy shaded out most of the northern latitude sunlight, and they had to squint to see. Then, as they rustled through the low branches of fir and tamarack trees, a thunderous roar shook the forest.
36
The Palace, Central Siberia
Dmitri gripped the edge of the lectern as he watched the red dots streak across the display. “What is happening?” he barked. “Are the mortars engaging the targets, or not?”
“They are,” a timid voice answered. “But our triangulation of their position isn’t exact. And the targets are moving sporadically.”
Dmitri scowled at the screen. “Are we certain these are the only survivors of the swarm attack?”
There was a moment of silence, then a woman said, “We have no way of knowing. The Server analysis estimates chances of survival to be zero-point-zero one percent, but that doesn’t account for the two confirmed survivors. There may be more, but our motion sensors are down in that sector.”
“It has to be a distraction,” Dmitri grumbled. “No one can move that fast. They must be moving jammers on drones.” Depressing a button on the lectern, he opened communications with the mortar team. “Forget the jammer signals. Target the forest between. Use white phosphorus, and burn it to the ground.”
Janson careened through the forest, her eye protection smeared with dust and sweat. She held up her forearms just in time to block a low-hanging branch, which snapped at the base and sent wood splinters flying. Her feet padded through the dry pine-needles as she picked up speed. She nearly lost her balance as she cut left and right, trying to confuse the mortar targeting system.
Dropping the second jammer, she put on a burst of speed, her shoulders shrugged up to her ears in anticipation of the next explosion. When the mortar shell finally dropped, it didn’t land nearly as close as the last four had. She shot a quick glance back and saw a cloud of pale smoke billowing up. Then, farther to the north, a round impacted a tree, spewing orange fire in every direction.
She cursed under her breath. They hadn’t taken the bait. They were targeting the dead zone between her jammers and Ford’s, and they were using white phosphorus to set the entire forest ablaze. If Yuri, Kacen, and Eli weren’t burned alive, they would succumb to smoke inhalation within minutes.
Another round impacted, igniting the tinder-dry forest floor. The flames leapt upward, climbing an upright dead tree. The heat cooked the surrounding canopies until they, too, lit up like torches. A gentle breeze fueled the fire and carried burning debris onward. It would have been possible to outrun the blaze, but new explosions sparked off additional fires with every passing moment.
Janson watched the fire a moment too long and crashed sidelong into a tree. She threw out her arms to break her fall, and the remaining jammer landed with a thud in the soft duff. She impacted the ground next to i
t, leaving a wide trail of disturbed soil. Getting to one knee, she reached for the jammer. Her hand hesitated above the black box. There was a chance the team could make it to the edge of the forest ahead of the fire, but it was slim. And even if they did, the machine guns would cut them down within seconds.
Standing, she searched for somewhere the team could take shelter. The heat of the looming fire was incredible, consuming everything in its path and leaving nothing but blackness behind. A feeling of hopelessness settled deep in her chest as she imagined the blaze burning her teammates alive. Then, as she stared at the smoldering remains of the forest, she knew what to do.
Spurred by desperation and hope, she tore through the woods, venturing as close to the fire as she dared. Her lungs tightened as she drew breaths of polluted air, but she didn’t slow down. Skirting a ring of fire, she found what she was looking for: a clearing that had been burnt to a crisp. With no fuel left to carry the fire, the open ground was already beginning to cool.
Janson abandoned the black sanctuary and called out, “Eli! Kacen! Yuri! Over here!”
A tree flashed bright orange as it ignited. Janson turned her head away from the heat and coughed, then continued shouting the names of her teammates. She ran left and right, searching desperately for signs of life, but her eyes were watering so hard she could barely see.
Another white phosphorus round impacted overhead, knocking her off her feet and showering her with globs of liquid fire. Her head spun from the percussion of the blast, but she had enough clarity of mind to strip off her gear. Thankfully, none of the phosphorus had landed directly on her armor. Rolling onto her back, she watched the flames eat through the shoulder straps of her load-bearing vest. She crawled away from the fire, grabbed her rifle, and struggled to her feet.
“Eli!” she shouted. “Ford! This way!”
The world started to spin as the smoke clogged her lungs. She stumbled as fast as her legs would carry her, then tripped over an exposed root and fell. A coughing fit sent pain shooting through her ribs, and she clutched at her armor.
No, she told herself, not here. Not like this.
Taking shallow breaths through her nose, she got to her feet and gazed around. The forest had taken on a hellish appearance. Black smoke from the treetops obscured the sun, and the orange light from the flames provided the only illumination. The air felt toxic with smoke and heat, and every breath felt like inhaling napalm.
Fighting off a wave of dry coughs, Janson shouted, “Is anyone alive out there?!”
A dark mass, too big to be human, appeared between a pair of spindly trees. Acting instinctively, Janson raised her rifle. Then she heard a familiar voice, and her brain put the pieces together.
“Ford!” she shouted. “This way!”
Ford trudged toward her, carrying Yuri over his shoulder and Kacen under his left arm. When he was only a few paces away, he gasped, “Which way?”
Janson pointed toward the blackened clearing, then said, “Where’s Eli?”
Ford slowed enough to glance back. Between coughs, he said, “He was—he was right behind me.”
“Go,” Janson ordered. “I’ll be right there.”
Ford didn’t question her. He continued toward the clearing without looking back.
Crouching under the heat, Janson followed Ford’s trail backwards. The smoke grew thicker, stinging her eyes like pepper spray.
“Eli! Eli, where are you?”
The walls of fire crept onward, closing in on three sides. Janson hesitated, staring at the ground. Ford’s trail in the duff disappeared into a wall of black smoke. Fifty feet beyond, the canopies of a dozen fir trees shook in a whirling blaze.
Lowering her head, Janson trudged on. The fire sounded like a raging waterfall. She held her hands out in front of her, completely blind. Another coughing fit left dizziness in its wake, and she nearly lost her balance. She took another step, and her right foot planted on something soft.
“Eli!” she gasped. He was lying face-down, and steam rose from his gear.
Feeling a renewed sense of purpose, Janson snatched her teammate off the ground with one hand and draped him over her shoulders. She turned around and jogged away from the howling flames. The smoke thinned, then suddenly lifted. A fire whirl had formed fifty yards to her left, and it pulled in the smoke like a fiery tornado.
Getting her bearings, Janson sprinted onward. She leapt over a low wall of flames and let out a cry of joy as the clearing came into view. Ford, Kacen, and Yuri lay in the center, gasping for breath. The air wasn’t refreshing, but it was breathable.
Janson dropped to one knee and gently lowered Eli to the ground. Supported by her hands and knees, she checked for a pulse.
She smiled at the gentle throb beneath her fingers. Then darkness crept into the corners of her vision; she stopped fighting and collapsed into blissful unconsciousness.
37
“Boss, wake up!”
Janson’s eyes fluttered open, and Eli’s face came into focus.
“The fire’s reached the edge of the forest,” he explained. “We are about to be really exposed.”
Janson blinked and glanced at her watch, then frowned. Only twenty minutes had passed since they first entered the forest. At most, she had been unconscious for five minutes. Prying her tongue from the roof of her mouth, she said, “Weapons…”
Eli wiped his forehead, leaving a streak of black soot behind. “We lost almost everything, but we still have two sniper rifles and twenty rounds of ammunition. And I think it’s a safe bet the motion detectors are out of commission.”
Janson nodded weakly, then sat up. The rest of the team was still motionless. Concern flashed across her features, and she said, “Are they alright?”
“They’re alive,” Eli said. “But I don’t know if we can count on them for help.” He handed her Ford’s sniper rifle. “Think you can carry this?”
Janson grasped the weapon with one hand and got to her feet. She placed her free palm on her forehead and waited for the world to stop whirling. After nearly a minute, she glanced at Eli and nodded. “Let’s get into position. The fire should mask our infrared signatures, and the smoke should hide us in the visible spectrum.”
Eli coughed into his sleeve, then nodded. His feet kicked up clouds of ash as he trudged toward the fire and the machine-gun nests on the other side. He felt a disconcerting warmth on the bottom of his feet, and he wandered toward a thinner section of the forest, where the fire had not been as intense. Before long, he spotted the trees burning at the perimeter of the inner defense zone. He dropped into a crouch, hiding behind a burning log.
Janson did the same, taking cover behind a scorched stump. She raised the rifle’s optic to her eye and began searching for targets. Though she couldn’t claim the title of “best sniper at Hillcrest,” she was quite capable with a long gun. The Palace outbuildings came into view, shimmering from the heat between, and her laser rangefinder flickered a distance in the corner of her scope. Eight hundred yards—an easy shot with the next-generation .50 caliber rifle.
“I’ve got one,” Eli mumbled. “It’s on the second building from the left, disguised as a wasp nest.”
“Mark it and hold,” Janson said. “We want to make sure we have them all located before we take any out.”
“Roger.” Eli paused, then added, “We’ve got twenty rounds. What do we do if the security personnel come out to investigate?”
Janson found a targeting pod half-concealed in a patch of tall grass and made a mental note of its position. She took a deep breath and sighed, “One step at a time.”
Dmitri could have typed up a brief message announcing his victory, but he wanted to see Emily’s face light up. He hefted himself up the stairs, past his office and to the Throne Room. He knocked softly, and the door swung open. Ross’s cyborg stood inside, staring down at Dmitri with black, soulless eyes.
Dmitri frowned and said, “Ross, move this pile of garbage out of my way.”
The bio-
automaton took a wide step backward and gave a welcoming gesture with its hand.
Mumbling his thanks, Dmitri strode past the cyborg and up the red carpet. He glanced at the plexiglass prison, then smiled when Eugene gave him the finger.
Emily rose from her chair next to Borya and shuffled down the platform steps. “What is it?”
Dmitri took a deep breath and announced, “We have stopped the intruders.”
Emily smiled and wrapped her arms around the big man. She squeezed him tight for several seconds, then let go. “That’s wonderful news. Are the helicopters here yet?”
“They encountered an unexpected headwind on the way in,” Dmitri said. “But they should be here within the next five minutes.”
Emily glanced at her watch, then back at Borya. “Then I think you should be here for this.” She led him onto the platform, then stood next to the throne.
Dmitri watched his old friend, his hands crossed at his waist. Borya’s eyes rolled around behind his eyelids, then suddenly stopped.
“Is it finished?” Emily asked.
Borya’s eyes fluttered open. His face was slick with exertion, but he smiled. “It is done.” He glanced at the black globe with the proud, tired expression of a mother that had just given birth. “Those machines now contain the instructions to rewrite my consciousness. Soon, my body will be whole once again.”
Emily jaunted across the room to the globe, then glanced back at Borya. “I need to speak to the prisoner before we begin.”
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