by Greig Beck
Hartigan paused, perhaps for effect. Hammerson didn’t have the time. “Let’s keep it moving.”
“Okay, well, everything on Earth, from the lowliest bacterium to the most sophisticated mammal, is a carbon-based life-form.” Doctor Miles sounded a little breathless. “This thing isn’t.”
“Wait a minute.” Hammerson sat forward. “What are you saying, it isn’t from Earth?”
“No, no, I think it definitely had a terrestrial evolution, but its basic structure is silicon-based. Every scientist involved in evolutionary biology has theorized this possibility.”
“My understanding is silicon is a hard chemical element, something like quartz. Is that what these things are?” Hammerson frowned.
“Not quite. But you’re right in that silicon is a chemical element acting as a hard and brittle crystalline solid. But it’s one that’s an essential element in biology.” Hartigan sounded excited. “You see carbon is the backbone of every known biological molecule. Life on Earth is based on carbon, likely because carbon atoms are well suited to form the long chains of molecules that serve as the basis for life as we know it, such as proteins and DNA.” He cleared his throat. “Are you still with me, Colonel?”
“Of course, go on.”
“Well, the thing is, carbon and silicon are chemically very similar in that silicon atoms can also each form long-chain bonds. Moreover, silicon is one of the most common elements in the universe. Did you know that silicon actually makes up almost thirty percent of the mass of the Earth’s crust and is roughly one hundred and fifty times more abundant than carbon in the Earth’s outer layer?” Hartigan sounded a little awed.
“No, I didn’t. But I see what you’re getting at – why didn’t life start out as silicon-based rather than carbon-based?”
“Exactly.” Hartigan sounded like he’d slapped a tabletop. “Life had all the raw materials there for it. It’s always remained an open scientific question why life on Earth is based on carbon when silicon is more prevalent in the Earth’s composition. And now maybe we have our answer.”
Hartigan took a deep breath. “This specimen seems to have moved along an entirely different evolutionary path to what we know. It feeds on and converts organic silicon into its own physical structure.”
“Bones.” Hammerson breathed. “The bones in the bodies were missing.”
“Not just bones,” Hartigan said, “but hair, teeth – anything that has organic silicon would have been consumed. It latches on with hook-like teeth around the mouth parts, and then uses a hypodermic-like feeding apparatus that we believe injects a substance that liquefies its chosen food source and then simply sucks it back out.”
“Those poor folk,” Hammerson muttered.
“Yes, those poor folk … over eight hundred of them. Plus every horse, dog, cat, cow, sheep, and wild critter in that town was consumed. Or at least the parts of them these things prefer,” Hartigan said. “There must have been thousands of them, many thousands of them, Colonel, to consume so many organisms in such a short period of time. So, the million-dollar question is, where’d the swarm go?”
“Where indeed?” Hammerson asked softly.
“That’s all we’ve got on the sample analysis so far …”
“Okay, very good, Doctor Hartigan. Continue with your investigations and I’ll be in touch.” Hammerson moved to disconnect the call.
“One more thing, Colonel,” Hartigan rushed in.
Hammerson waited.
“The sample creatures you brought in – they were splitting down the back, naturally, as if they were outgrowing their shell.” Hartigan sighed. “I think they were about to molt, and to get bigger.”
They’re growing. Hammerson ran a hand up through his iron-gray crew cut. “How much bigger?” He turned.
“Who can tell?” Hartigan shrugged. “But the Permian, about three hundred million years ago, was referred to as the age of insects. Bugs were enormous, spiders the size of hubcaps, dragonflies as big as eagles, and millipedes ten feet long.”
Doctor Miles sounded like she came closer to the speaker. “And then there was an anomaly unearthed in China in 1984 – a sample cast in amber from late in the Permian period, just a fragment, mind, but it was clearly insectoid.” She gave Hammerson a crooked smile over the video link. “It corresponded to some sort of beetle-like creature that stood six feet tall, and might have weighed two hundred pounds.”
“Could these things get that big?” Hammerson asked.
“At this time, we can’t answer that, Colonel.” Hartigan’s face was deadpan.
The silence stretched for a few seconds as Hammerson processed the information. Like Kearns had said, time was catching up with them.
“Thank you, doctors.” He disconnected the call and leaned back in his chair.
Colonel Jack Hammerson looked at the creature’s image on his screen, and felt a primal horror. These things were beyond deadly, but he couldn’t imagine how much worse it’d be if they got bigger.
And Hartigan was right – Where are they now? was the million-dollar question. But right then, not he, or anyone else, had even a two-bit answer.
CHAPTER 14
Treptow, Germany
Matt looked down the cabin toward the three huge elite Special Forces soldiers, called HAWCs, which stood for Hotzone All Warfare Commandos.
There were two men and one woman, and he didn’t know any of them. But he knew their boss, Jack Hammerson.
He kept watching them for a moment more; right now they were in civilian dress, but had kit bags that had their “work gear” inside. Plus, Matt bet they had more weapons than he could count.
The biggest and oldest of them, who looked to be in his late thirties, and was their team leader, was Roy Maddock. He was coal dark and shaven-headed and had shoulders that strained his bomber jacket. He talked softly to the other two, giving instructions by the look of it.
The other male smiled easily. He was the youngest-looking and lantern jawed. Vincent “Vin” Douglas could have been on any starter’s lineup for a college football team. Instead of tackling and running, his training was probably how to kill you quickly and silently in a hundred different ways.
The woman was Klara Müller, a German speaker who was ice blonde with the palest eyes Matt had ever seen. It made him wonder whether she was part albino. Once she had looked down the cabin at him, and he smiled and nodded in return. But she just stared back the way a cat intensely studies its prey before pouncing. She never blinked and, after a while, Matt simply looked away. She was the only one that unsettled him.
What had struck Matt about these types of Special Forces soldiers were they were a rare combination of intelligence, tactical thinking, and deadly brawn. You were only invited to join HAWC after proving yourself in the SEALS, Rangers, Green Berets, or even in one of the other foreign Special Force units. Working with them made him feel safer, knowing that they were on his side.
“Ten minutes.” The pilot’s voice was low and calm.
Matt rubbed his face, already weary from the traveling. Hours back they had arrived in Ramstein Air Base, one of several US airbases across Europe and the headquarters for the United States Air Force in the continent. But then they had immediately left the plane and sprinted across the cold tarmac and jumped into a dark insignia-free helicopter.
Its blades were already turning but were whisper quiet. Onboard there was just a single pilot who checked his instruments until Maddock drew the heavy door shut and the chopper immediately lifted off.
Now they were on their way to Treptow, known as the billionaire’s borough. Matt had been there once before – it was a place of huge parks, houses behind ten-foot fences, and more Rolls-Royce and Mercedes limos than you could poke a stick at.
It was also where Herr Rudolph Schneider – property mogul, software importer/exporter, and collector of World War II memorabilia – lived. And hopefully Schneider was still the current holder of the secret Hitler diary. At least he was according to
Hammerson’s intel.
He glanced at his watch – Megan had calculated they had two more days until the next event. And at this point he had no idea how the diary was going to help.
Roy got to his feet and sauntered down the cabin and sat beside him. “How you doin’?”
“I’m okay.” Matt sat back.
Maddock continued to stare at Matt for a moment longer. “This diary must be important, huh?”
“Yeah.” Matt thought for a moment. “Hitler was researching the supernatural for ways to give him the edge in the dying days of the war. Somehow he planned to use the tablet stones, and I believe the diary will tell us how.”
“Use the stones like a weapon?” Maddock asked.
“Possibly, but he must have thought he could control whatever they unleashed.” Matt turned to look at the huge man. “Maybe exactly like a weapon.”
“Control the plague events.” Maddock’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, we need to see that diary.” He looked past Matt and out of the window onto the dark forest below. “Heads up, Professor.” He got to his feet and ordered his team to prep for disembarking.
Vin had pulled out a computer tablet and brought up the schematics for their target – Rudolph Schneider’s compound. It was a huge mansion set on several acres and backing onto parkland. When Schneider looked out from his upper floors it would look like he was living in a never-ending countryside, with his own waterfall, rivers and lakes. It was a secluded paradise for the mega rich and uber famous.
For the HAWCs it was perfect – they could land in the secluded and darkened park, and strike out from there. Matt watched as the soldiers seemed to agree on a plan and he sat forward.
“What do you want me to do?”
“You’re coming in with us,” Maddock replied. “I’ve got your kit, and you’re going to suit up now.”
Matt groaned, but already guessed he wasn’t here just to make up the numbers.
“We want to be in and out, and on our way home in two hours, well before the sun comes up.” Maddock threw him a pack that thumped heavily at his feet. “Let me know if you need help.”
“I’ve done this before.” Matt opened it, and found the same night-black clothing the HAWCs were putting on.
The pilot must have switched over to silent running mode as the sound of the already quiet chopper blades vanished completely. Maddock turned out the internal lights.
Matt touched his chest, feeling the solid plating over the pectorals; he rapped on it with his knuckles. He also wore the head and facial unit that were of a light material with lenses over the eyes that illuminated ambient light sources.
Maddock held up five fingers as the craft came down feather light and Matt felt his heart rate kick up. Maddock counted down from five, four, three, two, one – he pulled the door back as the wheels were only just settling, and they all leaped to the ground.
They were in Treptow Park, not far from the Schneider compound’s fence-line, a ten-foot concrete wall running all the way around the perimeter of his estate.
Matt knew the plan – once they scaled the wall, they were to quickly locate Rudolph Schneider who would be inside a house that covered over thirty thousand square feet, had over fifty bedrooms, packs of patrol dogs, seven fully armed guards, electronic surveillance and was also heavily fortified – simple, really.
In a few minutes the team was at the wall. Vin went up first, reaching back to grab Maddock’s hand to haul him up. Then came Klara and finally it was Matt’s turn.
They dropped lightly to the grass on the other aside and Matt marveled at how quickly and efficiently the soldiers worked.
Klara and Maddock pulled telescoping rifles from over their shoulders and lay down flat. Vin took out a small device the size of a laptop computer and opened it up. A small lens telescoped out from its front and he angled it toward the massive house.
Maddock lifted his head from his scope. “Here comes our welcome party – the mobile bear traps.” He sighted again. “Let’s put ’em to sleep.”
Multiple dogs bore down on them, and Maddock and Klara fired off several well-placed shots. The sprinting animals were all hit; they slowed and then simply toppled onto their sides.
“That’s them out of the way for a few hours.” The pair compressed their tranq-guns and slid them up over their back again.
“Walls are fortified, but we still have good clarity,” Vin said. “Eight bodies inside, five downstairs, and three up. Only one seated – gotta be our guy.”
Maddock nodded. “Good.” He reached into his pack and pulled out a small dark box. He opened the lid to display a touchpad and began to key in some data, and then enabled it.
He waited for a second or two until he was satisfied with what the machine was telling him. “Confirm, comm-net now enabled over the compound – their communications will be down for sixty minutes.” Maddock got to his feet. “Kearns and I will go in on the first-floor balcony. You two introduce yourself to the muscle on the lower floor.”
“Roger that.” Vin closed his scanner and then he and Klara sprinted for the left-side corner of the huge mansion. Maddock waved Matt on to follow him and they moved toward a smaller structure attached to the side of the main building. It was possibly a gymnasium or indoor swimming pool.
Maddock scaled the building like a mountain goat. And even though Matt was extremely fit from years of surfing, he found it difficult to keep pace with the HAWC.
In another few leaps Maddock was hanging on the outside of the large upper balcony, and he reached back to haul Matt up beside him. He put a gloved finger to his lips.
There were two men slowly walking along the balcony edge, and Matt and Maddock pressed themselves flat to the railing. As the guys went past Maddock leaped up and over, and slammed a flattened hand in underneath one of the men’s ears. He fell like a rock. The other big man turned, and Maddock lashed out, firstly to his throat, immediately cutting off his voice with a blow to the larynx.
But the guard was a professional and had time to reach inside his jacket and drag out a gun. He was fast, but the HAWC was faster, grabbing his wrist, removing the gun, and then using his elbow to jerk it back and catch him under the chin, snapping his head up. He too fell backwards.
In a few seconds, Maddock had plastic-cuffed their hands behind their backs and then also cuffed the hands to one of their legs. He lastly taped their mouths, and then waved Matt closer.
Matt was both impressed and surprised. HAWCs were the most lethal forces on the planet, but Maddock had chosen to only incapacitate the guards, even though it had slowed him down. Matt could only guess that these men had received special treatment because Germany was an ally.
The pair then went to one of the window-doors and peered in. It was a grand bedroom, but looked empty, so they guessed it was an unused guest room. Maddock quickly ran a pencil-like device around the outside of the door – taking out any alarms, Matt assumed.
Maddock pushed it inward, and they entered.
Then from downstairs there came a shout of alarm. Maddock and Matt froze.
*
Vin turned to Klara. “Orders are non-lethal.”
The female HAWC looked briefly at her younger teammate. “Objective is to secure the floor, with overriding priority to obtain the target. Non-lethality depends on them.” She then focused her pale, laser-like gaze on the room’s golden interior.
Everything seemed to be gilded, crystal, marble or have a rich burgundy material covering the furniture’s cushioning, rugs, and drapes. It was a veritable palace.
Vin held up his wrist using the same device that Roy Maddock had used on the upper balcony doors to deactivate any alarms. He then drew forth another pencil-sized instrument and inserted it into the lock. There was a hiss and a click and the door was open.
With one hand on the door handle, he counted down from three, and then went in low and fast. Klara followed.
The large entertaining area they crossed was lit up like a stage, so they changed th
eir lens type for normal vision. Klara saw the guard as he came into the room and went to one knee. Vin didn’t.
The guard saw the young HAWC and his eyes widened in surprise.
“Target,” Klara said, causing Vin to turn.
For Klara, the guard was behind a column. He grabbed at his gun, but had to spend an extra second unclipping it from its underarm holster position.
Vin spun and fired, striking the guard in his gun-arm shoulder and spinning him around. He yelled a warning as he went down.
“Shit.” Vin cursed his luck.
He turned to Klara, who muttered something, just as the other four guards poured into the room. This time they already had guns drawn and pointed them dead on Vin.
Klara pulled her second gun and stepped out. Machine-like, she shot each of the men in the forehead, the suppressers on her guns sounding like someone softly coughing.
The guard that Vin had shoulder-shot on the ground yelled again and she turned to him. She stared down with half-lidded eyes for a moment. And then also shot him in the head.
“Non-lethal takedowns,” Vin hissed.
“He was alerting our primary target.” She reholstered her gun, and then turned her laser-like gaze on the younger HAWC. “Lift your game.”
*
Maddock pulled Matt closer. “We’re outta time, stay behind me.” He went through the door fast.
Matt followed on his heel, trying to keep up as the HAWC sprinted forward while trying to see everywhere at once. He had his gun up, and went into the hallway, moving along an opulent artworks-lined corridor.
From their reconnaissance they knew where the master bedroom and study were, and Maddock headed there first. All of the super-wealthy expect that there may be kidnap attempts, and so guard themselves accordingly. To that end they create defensive and offensive capabilities within easy reach.
As Matt and the HAWC leader burst into the enormous golden room a huge steel door was already closing at one end, and a wall covered in paintings was now concealing it perfectly.