“Ken,” Myrine said. “Find that last one.”
It took a little doing, but Ken found the right device and played what they had. It was disjointed and a little garbled.
“…he’s fighting it… not sure how long… that could kill him… too much invested… General needs him ready… we’re too close to…”
“It sounds like their poster boy is giving them some trouble,” Han said. “What about the animal sounds? Did it sound like bears and wolves to you?”
“Well, it certainly wasn’t gerbils.” Mirissa turned to Carter and gave him a sympathetic look. “It sounded like they were in cages or something. I kept hearing loud clanging noises like something was banging against metal. They sounded like they were hurting, too.”
Carter took a deep breath before responding. “We need to get them out of there. Either Persaud’s running experiments on them, trying to synthesize our shifting ability, or he’s implanting those chips in them to put them under his control. Maybe both.”
“Would a chip work?” Myrine asked.
“I’m not sure. Our minds work like everyone else’s, so it’s a possibility. But having any foreign body implanted will effectively keep us in whatever form we’re in when it’s put there. Years ago, one of our council members broke his leg and the surgeon put a metal pin in him. When he tried to shift afterward, he said it felt like his bone was being broken all over again. He hasn’t shifted since.”
“That makes sense,” Jackie said. “The anatomical differences between your two forms are too great. Unless you could shift the implant at the same time as your biological parts, you’d be stuck. But the guy who shot at us at the airport shifted right in front of us. If he was under Persaud’s control, either they found a way around that problem, or they’re controlling them by some other means.”
“From what Dr. Powell said, the chips were a later addition. They don’t use them on everyone,” Han said. “So, what’s the plan, boss?”
Myrine rubbed her temples as she thought. “We’ll need to get to the general while he’s on the outside. It’s our only shot. Once we have him in custody, there are several ways we can force him to cooperate.”
“How do we know when and where Persaud will be?” asked Han.
Carter smiled. “Unless he likes the doghouse, he’ll be home for dinner.”
Chapter 30
General Persaud’s home was in a beautiful wooded area just north of Flagstaff. The two-story log cabin, now enveloped in shadows, blended perfectly with the rustic terrain that surrounded it. Carter had to give the general credit. He had great taste in homes. In fact, it was exactly the kind of place that Carter had dreamt of living in with Gina all those years ago. All the comforts of a luxury home, with the open wilderness of Kaibob National Forest at the doorstep.
Julian had pulled up the schematics of the house, as well as everything else he could find online. They knew the layout of both the cabin and the land, and were certain the only occupants were Persaud and his wife. They didn’t know, however, what kind of security system they had. There were no electronic records of one ever being installed, but that didn’t mean much in this instance. The general could easily have had a system installed by his own people. If that were the case, it would most definitely be top of the line.
A quick pit stop at the airport allowed them to load up on the equipment necessary to pull off this kind of mission. The new jet was stocked by the team in Jacksonville with all of their usual accoutrements, and everyone was more than happy to discard the army surplus store gadgets. They had served them well, but nothing could compare to the real thing.
Carter donned his goggles and scanned the area in front of him, searching for any signs of a laser grid. Nothing. Switching to night vision, he inspected every tree for cameras and sensors. Still nothing. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Persaud had no reason to suspect an ambush on his private residence, and it wasn’t unheard of for people to forego security systems when they lived this far out in the woods. Still, Carter was vigilant. Underestimating the enemy was not a mistake he wanted to make.
His earbud crackled as the rest of the team reported in. One by one, they each gave the same “all clear” signal. Silence followed as everyone waited for Myrine’s order.
“Go one,” she said.
Weapon drawn, Carter double-timed it to his target: the back door. Peering through the decorative glass panes, he found an empty mudroom. The view to the kitchen beyond was limited, but he knew Han had it covered.
Myrine had split the ten of them into two groups. Carter, Han, Jackie, Mirissa, and Greco covered the back of the house, while Myrine, Steve, Ken, Asteria, and Myrick covered the front. If all went according to plan, they would enter together and overpower the general before he even knew they were there.
“Go two,” Myrine said in his ear.
Carter knelt in front of his door to inspect the lock. He pulled out the appropriate tools and went to work first on the bottom lock, then the deadbolt. Forty-five seconds later he said, “Back done.” Moments later the other lock pickers announced their success.
“Go three.”
Silently, Carter opened the door and stepped inside. The artificially cool air raised goose bumps on his sweat-dampened skin as he slipped through the kitchen entrance. The smells of a recently cooked dinner filled the air, and Carter found himself wishing he’d eaten more before coming.
He passed through to the dining room with Han at his heels. The table was set for an intimate dinner for two that hadn’t happened yet. Room by room, the team cleared the main floor, then moved upstairs.
Something was off. Carter couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that grew with each empty room they found. Persaud said he was going home for dinner. The aroma in the kitchen confirmed that it was prepared, but the clean table showed it was never eaten. So, where did they go? And why?
Myrine’s voice was in his ear. “Maybe they went for a walk before dinner. Their cars are still in the driveway so they can’t be far. Everyone head downstairs. We’ll wait there, out of sight.”
Carter stepped from what appeared to be a guest bedroom into the hall, then froze. Asteria lay crumpled on the floor just outside the next room. “We’ve got trouble. Asteria’s down.” He checked her pulse—slow and steady—and found no outward sign of injury. “She’s unconscious, but…” Carter shook his head to clear it of the sudden deluge of cobwebs. “Gas… Get out now.”
Carter knew he only had seconds before he would lose consciousness, and then he wouldn’t be able to help anyone. He stumbled to the end of the hall, raised his weapon, and fired at the picture window. Glass exploded as he leapt through the opening onto the lawn far below. He rolled as he impacted the ground, trying to stave off serious injury, but the popping sound made by his left shoulder told him he hadn’t completely succeeded. Struggling to his feet, he cradled his injured arm and took several deep breaths of the clean night air.
His mind sharp once again, Carter ran for the front door. He could still get his team outside, even with only one arm. It would just take a little longer. He took a few more deep breaths to expand his lungs as much as possible, then held the last one. Grabbing the door handle, he pulled, and was immediately thrown back through the air by a shockwave that blew out every window on the first floor.
Carter groaned at the new painful sensations that wracked his body. Rocks felt as though they were embedded in his spine, and his head thudded with every heartbeat. He reached up and pulled a glass shard from his cheek, wiping at the blood with his sleeve.
After an explosion like that, he expected flames and smoke to follow. When they didn’t, it became clear what had happened. Well done, Mirissa. Although she’d obviously used her powers to force the gas-laden air out of the house, the scene was still too quiet.
Carter dragged himself to what was left of the front door and stumbled inside. Myrick lay at the bottom of the stairs. He was still unconscious, so Carter dragged him out to the front porch. He di
d the same with Steve, Myrine, and Jackie. He found Mirissa in the living room on her hands and knees. “You okay?” he asked.
She lifted her head and slowly nodded. “I just need a minute.”
“That’s about all you’ve got, I’m afraid. We’re probably going to have company soon, and I could use your help getting everyone out of here.”
Using the couch for balance, Mirissa rose to her feet. Carter grabbed her when she swayed and said, “Maybe you should wait on the porch for a bit.” He wrapped his good arm under her shoulders and walked her outside. “When you’re ready, give me a hand. I’m down to one right now.”
The rest of the team was on the second floor, where most of the windows were still intact. He held his breath once again, charged up the stairs, and dragged Asteria painfully down.
Before heading back inside, Mirissa grabbed his arm. “Let me take care of the rest.”
Carter had no problem acquiescing, as his shoulder felt as though only a few tendons were holding it in place. He all but collapsed on the porch next to the others and waited. Less than three minutes later, Mirissa returned empty handed. “You can’t find them?”
She smiled and continued outside. “Nope. I got them.” Trailing behind her like some bad magician’s trick were the floating bodies of Han, Greco, and Ken.
“Show off.” Carter scowled.
The fresh air quickly succeeded in bringing everyone around, but they remained huddled on the porch until the last of the gas’s effects wore off.
Han was the first to speak. “So, I guess we need a new plan.”
Carter’s phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket. Gina’s number flashed across the screen. “Hey, how’s it going?”
A deep voice that didn’t belong to Gina answered. “It’s going very well, Mr. Mockta. I’ll give you a moment to get your team’s attention and place me on speaker.”
Carter did just that. “We’re all here.”
“Good. Let me start by saying congratulations on your narrow escape tonight. I’ve been watching you since you arrived and am quite impressed by your abilities. I’d originally thought I just needed to kill all of you, but now you’ve shown me an even better path. Let’s make a deal, shall we?”
“Why the hell would we make a deal with you?”
“Because you don’t have a choice.” The joviality in his voice was gone, replaced by calm anger. “I have your friends, and you have two hours. You know where I am.”
The line disconnected, then Carter’s phone dinged as a text message was received. The picture on the small screen caused his blood to boil.
Gina and Kell, bound and gagged.
Chapter 31
Two hours wasn’t much time, but the team made the most of it. Jackie put Carter’s shoulder back in its socket and wrapped it as best she could after he refused to wear a makeshift sling. Although they needed to work out a plan of attack, the general’s home was obviously under surveillance, so they kept their conversation to a minimum until they were back in the cars. As soon as they were on their way, they began to devise their strategy.
Carter listened to the ideas from each of the team members, nodding his agreement when appropriate and adding suggestions when warranted. He knew their abilities would give them the upper hand, but the potential for loss of innocent lives was just too great. “What do we do with the super soldiers? If they’re being controlled, they’re as innocent as any bystander.”
“I know,” Myrine answered. “We just need to hold them off long enough for Julian to crack their system and shut down their chips.”
Their computer genius’s voice crackled over the sat phone speaker. “I’m writing a program right now that will give me access to their network. You guys will need to load it onto one of their internal computers when you get inside. Once I’m in, I’ll go to work.”
“How long do you think it’ll take you to shut them down?” Myrine asked.
“I’m not sure. It depends on what I find. It could be five minutes or twenty-five.”
Carter played out all the possible scenarios in his head but kept coming up short. “There’s no way we’ll have that kind of time. The general won’t be giving us a nice long tour tonight. He’ll have a plan for us and won’t waste any time getting to it. He knows about Mirissa’s telekinesis and my shape-shifting abilities, at the very least. Whatever he’s got up his sleeve to remove us as threats will be the first thing on his to-do list.”
Myrine continued his thought. “We’re going to have to start our assault before he has the chance to do anything.”
“Which brings us back to my original question. What do we do with the super soldiers?”
There was a moment of silence while the team worked through the dilemma. Then Han spoke up. “What if we recruited some help to use as a distraction?”
“You mean the Havasupai?”
“And the Yavapai. They’ve both lost tribe members to this guy. They’ve got just as much invested in this as we do. Maybe more. The general said he has twenty-six soldiers in his MDS program. If we want them out of harm’s way, we’re going to need help.”
Carter knew his friend was right, but that didn’t make it any easier. “All right. Let’s get them to the hotel and see if we can convince them to work together.”
That proved even more difficult than Carter expected.
The same tribal representatives—minus Bill Soyala—that came to the conference room two days prior arrived at Myrine and Steve’s suite with only a little more than an hour left until the general’s deadline. Carter relayed the events of the past days, explaining who the real culprit behind the kidnappings was and their current situation.
Although their fragile truce had survived the unexpected news of Bill’s treachery, they were a long way from trusting each other. The ingrained hatred between the two tribes was still close to the surface and didn’t allow for any real negotiations.
Chief Istaqa of the Yavapai tribe was unmoved by the Omega Group’s plea for help. “We have suffered enough already. I will not risk the lives of any more of my men.”
“We have all suffered,” Carter’s father replied. “That doesn’t mean we should simply stand by while others fight our battles for us. This general has taken men from both our tribes. Would you do nothing to help them?”
“They are already lost to us, Chief Mockta. I see no reason to lose more,” Istaqa said.
Carter could feel his cheeks redden as the anger surged inside him. Even if those men were already lost, which he didn’t believe, what about Gina? She was a member of their tribe. Didn’t her kidnapping warrant their involvement? He was just about to say as much when a calming hand set upon his shoulder. Bidzil always seemed to know when Carter was about to react badly.
But the hand didn’t belong to Bidzil. Instead, Dyami stood beside him and addressed his tribe. “Chief, whether those men are lost or not doesn’t matter. We must help with this. We have spent too many years feeling sorry for ourselves and blaming the Havasupai for our problems. The truth is, we are the ones responsible for our situation, not them, or anyone else.” Dyami looked at Carter and then at Chief Mockta. “I may be the most guilty of all Yavapai in this, and for that, I am truly sorry. I cannot undo the things I have done, but I will do whatever I can to make amends. I owe that much, and more, to Gina. No matter what decision is made here today, I will stand with you against the general.”
Carter’s father walked over and shook Dyami’s hand. “Thank you.” When he looked to Istaqa, his face took on a sympathetic expression. “I understand how you feel right now, Chief. I, too, am on unfamiliar ground. These last few days have shown me how my stubborn, narrow views have hurt both my family and my tribe. Now I have the chance to make things right, and so do you.” He held his hand out to the Yavapai chief and waited. “Will you join us?”
Istaqa looked to his tribe, and was greeted with nodding heads and mumbles of agreement. He grabbed Chief Mockta’s hand and shook it. “We’re with you.”
Myrine filled them all in on the strategy to keep the super soldiers distracted long enough for Julian to do his thing. She didn’t hide the dangers involved, and gave them each the opportunity to bow out gracefully, but they didn’t. When they left to gather their men, she returned to her team and ironed out the rest of their plan.
Julian was sending a helicopter from Flagstaff to pick them up so they wouldn’t have to waste any of their precious time hiking to the entrance of the research facility. Steve would pilot the chopper from the hotel so as to not put any more innocent people at risk.
Once at the facility, Han would surreptitiously place a small explosive in the frame of the heavy metal door to the entrance, in the same way he’d planted the listening devices. Mirissa would use her powers to break the locking mechanism of the elevator doors under the cover of noise created by the team. She’d then send the boxcar back to the top of the shaft to await the arrival of the Havasupai and Yavapai men.
They loaded the program Julian emailed to them on a thumb drive and gave it to Mirissa. They didn’t know where or when she’d have the opportunity to plug it in, but when the time came, they’d do what was necessary to make it happen.
From there, it would be a matter of getting to Gina and Kell and planting another explosive. If all went well, they’d be in and out of the facility in thirty minutes, with the kidnap victims in hand, and General Persaud in custody.
Rogue (Book 2) (The Omega Group) Page 14