“Machines?” Tawny asked, her voice taut.
Sledge looked up, “Yeah, machines and robots, he said those things could walk and talk. Just like us. He was freaked out by the whole thing. They made him sign all sorts of security documents to stop him from talking. We used to smoke the shit and shoot the breeze, it all came out… he told me about it. Now he’s dead, he didn’t survive the Baltimore riots—”
“Wait, what about power?” Jade said. “Surely those silos need power? The grid’s been down for over two years—”
“All these military installations have back-up power,” Barnes said.
Sledge nodded, “Yeah, they used power from the grid but they also had back-up power… fusion reactors, Marty said. Can you believe that shit? Fusion reactors—”
“Oh yeah, we can believe that shit,” Mercy said, the bitterness clear in her voice.
“So, the silos have been in standby mode, all this time?” Flynn said. “Ready to be reactivated—”
Barnes flinched, “Yeah, the American Military thinks of everything. These missiles were to be kept mission-ready, even after the apocalypse—”
“The human race is just so fucking—” Tawny hissed.
“Predictable,” Flynn finished for her.
“I was going to say stupid,” Tawny said, shaking her head.
They headed back to the campsite in silence. Sledge briefed Brody in the lodge. Mercy watched Brody’s reaction.
“God, we thought our predicament with the prison was pretty bad. You guys, your friend is holed up in a fully automated nuclear silo protected by robots… and now these alphas you mentioned. You sure got your work cut out. Annalise, Jade… you still want in on this shitshow?” Brody said, pacing the floor.
Annalise nodded, “Yeah, I do, if it means getting our people out of Charlottesville.”
Jade looked up, “Yeah, what she said—”
Brody stroked his chin and looked at Mercy, “Well then, if you still want to go ahead, you’ve got Annalise and Jade. Sledge will take you there. We can spare some ammo and guns if you need them but something tells me you’re going to need stealth not guns—”
Barnes spoke up, “These robots… they use thermal imaging to detect living things. We’ll need to use the same BoPET film or space blankets to hide our heat signatures.” He turned to Brody, “You don’t happen to have any of that stuff lying around, do you?”
Brody sat up, “Actually, we’ve got a silver weather balloon that we came across a few months back. We keep everything, you never know when something will come in useful. The balloon is reflective and light, like a space blanket—”
“That’ll do,” Barnes said. “That should give us enough material to make reflective suits for everyone. It’ll buy us some time… maybe.”
“OK, fine. I’ll get someone to bring it to you,” Brody said.
Jade put her palms face down on the table, “Mercy, you said you were pressed for time on this. When are you thinking of setting out?”
Mercy checked her watch; 11:37 am. “It’s still early, could we get to the silo by nightfall?”
Sledge rubbed his hands, “Sure, we can go along Skyline Drive for most of it. Then there’s a bit of hiking from the Oaks Overlook… about a klick or so. We could get there, on horseback, in four or five hours easy—”
Mercy stood up. “OK, let’s get a bite to eat and make us some of those thermal suits. Then we’re… Oscar Mike,” she looked at Barnes.
Barnes raised his chin and smiled.
They had a light meal and checked their weapons. Mercy found a replacement M4 carbine. They took extra ammunition from Brody’s armory. Barnes and Mercy fashioned six thermal ponchos from the weather balloon that Brody provided. They were ready to leave at 1:30 pm. Seven horses were saddled up for them and a group of the camp occupants had come to wave them off. Mercy looked at the small gathering of people.
Young, old, kids and teens. A motley bunch, tight though… and they’ve made it this far. They must have some fight left in them to want to raid that prison. Well, good on them. First things first though, Rose, hang in there girl, we’re coming to get you—
Sledge led them along Skyline Drive to the east. They rode in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Sledge kept going until they arrived at the Oaks Overlook. Mercy watched as Flynn and Tawny dismounted their horses. She swung her leg up and over and jumped down from her mount, her whole body ached.
“Christ, I’m walking like John Wayne,” Flynn said, rubbing his legs.
“Ditto,” Tawny said, in obvious discomfort.
Mercy checked her watch; 4:47 pm. “At least we’re here on time. Sledge, can you stay here with the horses? Barnes will take us in from here, we’ve got the map and bearings. We’ll be OK. Give us twenty four hours, if we’re not back by then—”
Sledge nodded, “Yeah, if you’re not back by then I’ll know you’ve had your ticket punched.”
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t actually going to say that. But thanks for your… clarity—” Mercy replied.
“Don’t mention it,” Sledge replied, spitting on the ground. He gathered up the horses and watched as they made their preparations.
When they were ready Mercy gave Sledge a final wave. She turned to follow Barnes as he headed west, picking his way down the slope through the trees.
Here goes nothing—
The next hour and a half was full of rough, ankle-twisting terrain. Barnes took his time and they descended towards their destination in silence. The sounds of nature surrounded them; birds sang overhead and the breeze rustled the leaves. The scent of honeysuckle and wild garlic filled the air and a collection of red butterflies fluttered along beside them. Mercy concentrated on the terrain and forgot the aching in her legs and back.
This could actually be enjoyable, under different circumstances—
Barnes stopped and raised his hand. Mercy halted and listened to the sounds of the forest. Barnes knelt on one knee and brought out his binoculars, he focused on the valley below.
Mercy drew near to him, “What do you see?”
Barnes grunted, “Two hundred meters ahead… the clearing in the valley. There’s a road leading up to a perimeter fence. Everything’s overgrown, but if you look closely you can make out silo hatches, and some concrete structures above ground. There’s a radio-camera mast in the centre. The cameras will have 360 degree coverage—”
Barnes handed Mercy the binoculars. The others kept their positions on the hillside behind. Mercy looked at the site, processing what Barnes had told her.
“The perimeter fence looks overgrown in places… which would give us some cover. That camera though, that’s a headache. If there’s working AI in there, it’ll be linked to those hunter killer bots, like back in Annapolis. If they spot us, they’ll be on us in a flash. Shit—” Mercy handed the binoculars back.
Barnes narrowed his eyes, “We could probe the perimeter, make it look like wildlife, see what the response is—”
Mercy chewed her lip then shook her head, “We could… but then we’d lose our one ace… surprise. No, I’m not prepared to lose our one advantage. There has to be another way—”
The sun was dipping to the western horizon, its red rays sending out a burst of warmth and colour over the hillside.
Barnes looked at his watch, “It’ll be dark soon. What do you want to do?”
Mercy closed her eyes, her mind spinning.
We’ll only get one shot at this. We can’t afford to blow it at the first hurdle. We need to get underground undetected. Shit, shit, shit—
“Hey, one of the hatches is open,” Barnes hissed, passing the binoculars back to Mercy. “Southeast corner, see the white concrete wall? Well, just in front of there—”
Mercy focused on the spot. The light was fading fast. “Yes, got it. Do you think that’s where they got in?”
One piece of the jigsaw—
A footfall. Mercy turned to see Jade inspecting the site with her own binoculars.
“We should go in at first light… in the morning mist. It’s thick as pea soup in these parts. If we wear our thermal suits under our clothes and go in under cover of the mist we should make it to that hatch. I’ve got wire cutters, we can cut through the chain link in that corner, it’s thick with ivy there which will give us some additional cover. What do you say?” Jade said, putting away her binoculars.
Mercy stared at Jade, then nodded.
Second piece of the jigsaw puzzle—
Mercy glanced at Barnes, “I like it—”
Game on. Game on—
The night was cold but uneventful. They woke at first light to a thick mountain mist.
“Have something to eat and drink. We’ll stash our packs here and just take our water bottles and weapons,” Mercy said to the others. “Barnes can lead, I’ll take over once we’re underground. Me, Tawny and Flynn… we’ve got the biotech. So has Annalise, but this is our fight. Annalise can you hang back and watch our six?”
Annalise loaded her shotgun with slug rounds and nodded, “No problem—”
Twenty minutes later they were ready.
Barnes led them through the trees to the ivy laden perimeter fence. He found a gap in the ivy. “Well I can’t see the camera or the mast through the mist. So if I can’t see them, they shouldn’t see us,” he whispered.
Mercy clenched her fist.
Yeah, and here’s hoping the foil blocks our heat signatures—
“OK, let’s do it—” Mercy said.
Jade produced the wire cutters and started working on the fence. Ten minutes later they had an opening big enough for them to squeeze through. Barnes led the way, crawling slowly over the weed infested gravel. Mercy followed.
Patience, patience, he knows what he’s doing, he’s going slow for a reason. Who knows? There could be listening devices as part of the security system. I just hope this mist holds out—
Barnes took thirty minutes to crawl to the open hatch. He turned to Mercy and pointed into the shaft; a yellow ladder beckoned.
Yeah, I got this. Rose, we’re coming for you—
Mercy crawled past Barnes and lowered herself down the ladder and through the blast door. She blinked in the dim interior, waiting for her eyes to adjust. A spiral staircase descended below her, she looked up and beckoned to the others. They followed her in. Mercy took out her silenced HK45 and moved down the staircase. She began counting the steps.
Eighty three, eighty four, eighty—
A scuffing sound came from further down.
Shit—
Mercy froze and peered into the dimly lit level below.
It’s pretty dark down there… just emergency lighting, I can’t see… wait—
Movement. A flash of white. A fleeting glimpse. A mottled blue face glanced up at the shaft.
Christ, what the hell is that thing?
The ruined, heavily veined face squinted at the spot of daylight far above.
It’s some kind of trope, it’s bald… wearing a white coat. A trope… left over from before the Fall? Christ… don’t move, wait for it to go, best not to engage unless we have to—
Mercy held up her hand for the others to see. She crouched down on the stairs and watched the creature below. Five minutes later the thing moved away from the light and disappeared.
Good enough. No alarm raised. Was it blind? Did it hear us? Can’t do anything about it, we’re committed now—
Mercy stood up and started descending again. The staircase creaked in places, she forced herself to slow down.
Not as silent as I had hoped but no sign of that thing. Keep going—
They made it to the lower level and fanned out across the open space. Dim emergency lighting glowed in the walls and ceiling. A narrow luminous strip ran in the centre of the floor.
OK, emergency power is good. No need for torches and enough shadows to hide in, for us… but also for them—
Mercy switched off her pistol’s safety and worked her way down the narrow concrete corridor.
Just wide enough for one person—
She stopped and listened. A distant hum came from somewhere deep within the complex.
There’s a slight draft, the life support systems are on. This place is fully automated, don’t forget the AI—
Mercy looked up at the ceiling. An air conduit lined the passageway above.
Are we being watched?
Goosebumps rose on her arms.
You’re just paranoid. Keep going—
Mercy pressed on, and slowed as a new room appeared ahead. She peered through its open door into a high ceilinged room.
Gurneys, strip lighting, clear plastic curtains, old blood stains on the floor. It looks like some kind of medical station—
Mercy crept into the room and raised her hand. A figure, wearing a bloodstained white coat, stood in the corner. Its hands hovered over a table full of medical instruments. A stethoscope hung from the thing’s neck.
Is it a normal trope or an alpha? Its hands… What is it doing? It looks like it’s trying to remember something—
Mercy crept forwards, her pistol held out in front of her. The trope tilted its head, as if listening. Mercy froze and took aim.
Has to be a headshot—
The creature stepped sideways, to a bench in the shadows on its left. Mercy’s eyes widened.
Wait, what?
Mercy took a step forwards.
Shit… it’s glowing—
Chapter 26
Riptide
Mercy aimed her silenced HK45 and squeezed the trigger. The trope’s head vanished in a mist of blood and bone fragments.
No time to investigate why it’s glowing. Press on—
Mercy brushed past the plastic curtains and entered the next corridor. It was dark, she peered ahead, moving slowly. Brighter lights shone at the end of the corridor and a lone silhouette stood in the distance. Mercy stopped and stared, her heart pounded.
Human or trope?
A slight scuffing came from behind.
Dammit guys, no noise—
The figure’s head jerked up, its body stiffened. It spun around and stared in Mercy’s direction. With a shriek it raced towards her.
OK, so not human—
Mercy took aim, waiting until the creature was at close range. She squeezed her trigger twice, her first round caught the alpha in the neck, the second round entered its right eye. It dropped to the ground at her feet.
Mercy turned to the others, “We’re making too much noise, these things can hear as well as smell. That one was an alpha. I’m going to take off my boots and walk in bare feet. It’s quieter on the metal floor. I suggest everyone else does the same—”
They removed their boots and progressed to the next room. Computer screens lined the walls. The monitors were alive with images and data.
Barnes drew close to Mercy, “This looks like some kind of security hub, there’s camera feeds from inside and outside the silo.” He gestured at the nearest computer, “That one’s got information on air filtration and temperature regulation… it looks like the AI’s running the place pretty well. Some of the systems seem to be in standby mode—”
“Which means?” Mercy asked.
“Something’s… pending?” Barnes searched for the correct word.
“Something’s in progress?” Mercy said, examining one of the monitors.
“Hey, what the fuck?” Flynn exclaimed. “That’s Rose’s picture… on this screen, it’s similar to the files they had on us in Cheyenne Mountain. Look… it’s got all her biometric data; fingerprints, iris and retinal recognition, DNA, you name it—”
Mercy joined Flynn and peered at the screen, “It’s not similar, it’s the exact same file. The NSA’s got files on you, me, Tawny and Rose. Why have they accessed her biometrics? What the hell’s going on here?”
Tawny looked around the room, “It’ll be Mitchell… or his mind upload, he’s merged with the AI, he’s up to something.”
“He’s not going to—” Jade said.
“I didn’t want to go there… because it’s unthinkable—” Mercy interjected.
“He’s going to launch a nuke? Against who?” Annalise asked.
Mercy chambered a round in her pistol, “Against Constantine and the Resistance. Come on, let’s go, we don’t know how much time we’ve got left.”
Mitchell’s here, he’s the ghost in the machine, he’s directing the alpha queen through her biotech. I’ve got to reach her before he carries out his plan—
Mercy ran to the next door and pushed it open. Another long corridor opened up before her. The metallic walls were splattered with old blood. She ignored the gore and pressed on, her silenced pistol held out in front of her. Her bare feet made no noise and she reached the end of the corridor a few seconds later. The hum of machinery was louder, a palpable vibration came up through the floor.
A T-junction. Which way? Shit, Rose… where are you?
Mercy turned left and approached the room at the end. The door was open, she listened at the entrance then burst in.
Empty—
A collection of radiation suits and respirators hung on the wall. Rows of lockers lined both sides of the room. The others piled in behind Mercy.
No, no, no, there’s nothing here from Rose. Move on—
Barnes beckoned to Mercy from the corner of the room, “Here, look, an internal CCTV feed from the other rooms in the silo. It’s on a loop. Wait for it, it’s coming up… there, see—?”
Barnes jabbed his finger at a fleeting image.
Mercy tensed, “That was Rose, top right hand corner… hang on, what was that? Looks like a… control room. That bitch is standing beside Rose—”
The image disappeared, replaced by flashes from other rooms in the silo.
“Wait for it again,” Barnes said. “It’s coming—”
The image flashed up on the screen a few seconds later.
“Shit, the rest of her pack’s in there with her, five of them… and did you see that DARPA robot in the corner?” Mercy gripped the sides of the screen. “It looks more human than the ones in Annapolis, it’s not moving. Shit, I don’t like the look of this—”
The Survival Chronicles (Book 7): Hard Mercy Page 13