They used more of their climbing rope to secure the soldier to a tree, and bound her feet. They left her mouth untied. She had a good chance of surviving, which was the best offer she was going to get.
Menard and Hirotomi caught up with Henry, Mark, and Clawson and explained what they had learned. Clawson was not impressed with what they had done.
“You left a Gengon sniper alive? Was it just because it was a woman?”
Menard stood his ground. “There was no reason to kill her. Besides, she thinks we are some sort of outlaws. If she gets picked up, it will help deflect the Gengon attention towards fighting the outlaws instead of us.”
Mark nodded agreement, and then looked at Henry. “Looks like your instincts were right. They knew someone was coming, they just did not know who. Do you still want to try for the safe house on the north side of town.”
Henry was thinking out loud. “They know we are coming, but suspect we will approach south. It sounds like she never made a transmission, so it will take them a while to find her and figure out what happened. We should be done with the mission before that. I say we continue.”
Mark looked at the other members of the squad. “Anyone disagree?”
“Nope. Let’s do this thing.” Clawson was speaking for the rest of them.
Henry and the squad walked another two miles over a narrow ridge that marked the eastern boundary of the valley that held the city of Trintney. They did a second check for a tail, but found nothing. The ridge provided a clear view over farmland towards the city and then on to the mountains to the west. Trintney was by far the largest city they had every seen, with upwards of 10,000 people. The size of the city, and its proximity to a large Gengon base to the west, were intimidating.
They reached the northern approach to the city at 17:00 without running into another person. It was such a beautiful day, they were surprised that they didn’t run into at least one or two hikers. Fear of the outlaw bands must be keeping people inside of the city. Mark found a secure place to rest, set up watch cycles, and waited for night to fall. They all tried to sleep, but Henry was the only one who succeeded.
* * *
Eric Young was sitting at his observation position overlooking the path to T12. The sun was setting, and the air was starting to cool. Kami had brought him some dinner and chatted for a few minutes, and then returned to the cabin. Eric planned to spend the nights at this location until the squad returned. There was just too much risk of being surprised. He hoped that he could dose and still be alert enough to hear anyone approaching.
Anne-Marie had been at the top of the mountain, looking at the surroundings countryside through a pair of binoculars that they found in on of the dead soldier’s packs. It was too dark to continue looking, so she walked over to Eric’s position and sat down.
“Are you going to stay here all night again?”
“I think so. I’m nervous about being surprised by someone coming up the path.”
“I can split watch with you Eric.”
“Thanks. Maybe you’d better. I’m getting awfully sleepy. Do you mind if I take a nap now?”
“No, go ahead. I’ll take the next two hours and then wake you.”
Eric adjusted his blanket and started to dose off. Out of his half closed eyes he noticed that Anne-Marie was shivering.
“You’re cold. Come and share my blanket. You can keep watch from here.”
Anne-Marie paused for a second, and then came over to Eric. She got under the blanket next to him and put her head on his chest so that she could see down the path.
Eric felt the warmth of her body against his. He smelled her hair and felt the gentle weight of her body against him. He fell asleep a few moments later.
* * *
John Young spent a few hours at the research center inside Camp Williams that afternoon, discussing the success of the defensive weapon mounted in the tail of the Y class plane. He impressed upon the workers that they needed to come up with a countermeasure quickly, as the weapon was sure to be copied. The researchers were slow to accept this argument, but realized in the end that they would copy any weapon that the Gengon came up with, so it was logical the Gengon would be copying their handiwork.
John then stopped by Section 12 before heading home. He wanted to see how Sara was holding up. He found her in Largos’ office, looking tired but engaged in conversation.
“Welcome back Captain Young. I understand you are returning to Outpost Base this evening.” Largos was being hospitable.
“Yes that’s right. I wanted to see how Sara was holding up.”
“I’m OK Dad. It probably has not completely sunk in yet that Chad is dead, but I’ll get through this. And I’ve got a lot of work to distract me.
“Speaking of which,” Largos interrupted. “It looks like we may have been too hasty in deciding that all is lost with the attack on the bio-weapons plant. Sara found some interesting tidbits in today’s intercepts.”
“Right Dad. It looks like the north has been tipped off about the attack on the factory, but they are assuming that the attackers are the outlaw gang called the Geckos. This is that brother-versus-brother thing again, between Benjamin and Abraham Fowler. It does not look from the traffic that they think we are involved at all.”
“Any luck getting a message to the squad?”
“Not in time. If they are on schedule the squad should be at Trintney tonight. It would take a miracle for them to get through to the factory, given that the Gengon are expecting them, but perhaps we can mount another attack on a later day.”
“One other piece of good news,” Sara countered. “The Gengon squad that was carrying the canisters appears to have been the first mission of this type. The traffic makes it look like they were using that squad as a test, and may try another method to deliver the bio-weapons if the squad does not succeed. They don’t seem to realize that the squad is already dead.
“It certainly is convenient being able to read the Gengon messages.” Largos was smiling at Sara. Largos knew that Sara had pulled of the intelligence coup of the decade. Of course, she would never get any credit for the work, as it would be forever classified. Even her father did not know Sara’s role in breaking the code.
John stood up. “I can brief Major Walters on what you have told me tomorrow morning. I’ve got to go back to base. I’ll try to get back here soon as I can to see you Sara.”
“Thanks Dad.” Sara gave John a strong hug right in front of Largos, who did not seem to be embarrassed by it. John shook Largos’ hand, and then left Section 12 to get his horse.
* * *
“Time to go boys.”
It was 21:00 hours and Henry wanted to get the men into the city quickly. They needed to attack the factory tonight. The men put on their packs, checked their weapons, and followed Henry into the darkness.
There was a half moon, which provided more light than they would have liked. Henry took them to the edge of town on a quiet road that was bordered by eucalyptus trees. They advanced on both sides of the road using the trees for cover. They darted across a narrow road and followed an ally one block south.
Henry motioned for the other men to be still. He walked up to one door and knocked softly. A few moments passed before the door opened a crack, and then opened wider to admit Henry. He was in the room almost a minute before he opened the door again, looked around, and then motioned for the squad to enter.
“Antonio, these are friends of mine. We are on a mission of highest priority, and need to get to the factory called the ‘brewery’ undetected.”
“Henry, I owe you my life and that of my family, so I am bound to help you. But the brewery is surrounded by an extra twenty men. I saw them arrive on horseback yesterday. Also, they picked up Mathew Kidmore and his family yesterday and took them to the base.”
“Damn. That was the family I was planning to meet up with before we changed our plans and came here. Antonio, we need to get out of your house quickly so that you are not endangered fur
ther. Do you know your way in the old city?”
“No, but Father Benton does. If you explain your business, I’m sure he will help you.”
“Please take us to him, and then we will be gone.”
Mark interrupted. “What is this old city your are talking about?”
Antonio explained. “Trintney is an ancient city. There has been civilization here for thousands of years. Each new culture builds on top of the ruins of the last one. There are several layers of ruins below us, extending well past the edge of the present-day city. Some of the old city is passable underground, because it has become our sewer system. Winter rains wash through whole sections in underground rivers. It may be possible to get to the factory underground if you have a guide.”
“OK Antonio. Take us to the priest who knows the old city.” Henry hurried the old man along.
The temple was only two blocks away. Antonio led them out the back door of his house and across several narrow gardens. They had to cross another street, and then entered the temple through a side door. The faint smell of burning candles mixed with the musty air. The temple was dimly lit, but it appeared to be made entirely of stone. The stone columns disappeared into the darkness towards an invisible ceiling.
Antonio had them wait while he went to find the priest.
“Gentlemen, this is Father Benton. If you explain why you have come, he may be able to help you.”
“Is there a quiet place where we can talk?” Mark was uncomfortable talking in the main part of the temple. Any number of people could be hiding in the dark.
“Come with me.” Father Benton led them to a narrow door, which opened to a circular stairway. Antonio stopped, shook Henry’s hand, and hurried back to his home. Henry and the Mark’s squad followed the priest. They went down at least 20 feet to an underground chamber. The priest was carrying a single candle, and used its flame to light two others once they were below.
“You can speak freely here. Only the dead can hear us.”
Mark looked around and realized that they were in the crypt. Markers along the walls and in the floor provided names and dates of the many soles whose bones rested here.
Mark looked at the priest’s face. He had to make a decision as to whether or not to trust this man with their lives. Mark looked into the Priest’s brown eyes. He did not know why, but he knew instantly that Father Benton was a man of honor.
“Father, although we are dressed as outlaws, we are actually Madrin Army soldiers. Our mission is to destroy a factory called the ‘brewery.’ Intelligence data strongly suggests that it is being used to make biological weapons. We want to destroy it before it can be put to used.”
“Your data is correct.” Father Benton stroked his long chin while he spoke. “I have been observing that factory for some time. Everything I have seen is consistent with the facility being used to make biological weapons of some type.
“How do you make these observations?” Mark was having trouble imagining the priest spying on the factory.
“Sometimes I simply walk around the facility, seeing what the are doing. More often I look from below, taking advantage of routes in the old city. It is just a hobby of mine, looking at everything in the new city from the underside. But it is sometimes useful.”
“Can you take us to the factory underground.”
“Yes. In fact, it is a short distance from here, directly on the path of an ancient stream below us. I gather that you would like to go there immediately?”
“Yes Sir. Now would be fine.”
“Right. Let me fetch a torch for each of you, and we can proceed. I’ll warn you to take care not to get any of the water in your mouth or eyes. We will be travelling in the cities sewer system, and you can imagine what that means.”
Father Benton was well prepared. He doused the cloth ends of six torches with a liquid, and then set his on fire. He attached the bottle of liquid to his belt, so that he could replenish the torches as they went along. He also put on a pair of very high boots that appeared to be coated in grease. The men were envious of those boots. They knew their feet would be getting wet.
“Follow me gentlemen.” The entryway to the old city was from the crypt. It was more of a hatch than a door, and led to anther set of stone steps. Each of the men lit their own torch from that of the priest as they descended into another large room. Once all six of them were on the sub-floor, their combined torchlight illuminated the walls. It appeared that the walls had been richly decorated at one time, although the colors were now almost completely faded away.
“You are now in the church below the church you entered. The top church was built only 300 years ago, and built on the site of an older church. It appears that they toppled the old church, leaving only the bottom 10 feet of wall intact. That is what you see around you. They filled this area with rubble, and then built our present church on top of it. I believe that there is a still older church beneath us at this level, but I do not have the resources to excavate it, at least not yet.”
Father Benton was leading them to the south end of the second-level church.
“The whole city is like this. Layers of civilization have accumulated rubble over millennia. The current street level is at least 50 feet above the original ground.”
As they reached the end of the chamber, the sound of running water became audible. Father Benton pushed aside a heavy wooden door and peaked into the gloom beyond with his torch.
“We will follow this stream, or sewer, up to the factory. Come with me.”
They had entered a very uneven passageway. The floor was partially covered in running water, flowing the opposite direction from where they wanted to go. The walls seemed to be a random collection of building materials, including some heavy wooden beams, stone blocks of all sizes, and thousands of bricks. Although they knew that they were stepping into a sewer, there was little smell.
For the most part the men kept their feet dry, walking along the edge of the water. The reflection of their torches on the moving water gave ripples of light along the walls. At one narrow point they had to enter the stream to pass a low ceiling. The men’s shoes and lower half of their trousers were soaked, but the leather protected them from abrasions as they climbed past the rough surfaces.
Past the low ceiling the chamber opened up again. One side was a tangled mass of metal and glass. All of the iron portions dissolved to form patches of red rust on the rocks, but the aluminum and stainless steal beams remained untouched. Whatever it was that had collapsed must have been enormous.
“We are almost there. Guard your flames, as I do not want anyone in the factory to see light coming up from the drains.”
Mark handed Clauson his torch, and then went with the priest to pear up through a narrow drain opening. Father Benton scanned the area, and then whispered to Mark.
“This drain is inside of one of the smaller buildings. We can follow the river further to find a drain that is in the open area, but I though this might be a good place for you to enter.”
Mark took a long look at the inside of the building. It was a mouse-level view. His gaze was blocked at several points, but the room looked empty.
“This will do fine. You have been a great help to us Father.”
“You will be helping all of us if you can destroy this madness. Just make sure that you engulf everything in flame. I don’t want your destruction to spread the diseases in this city.”
“We will do our best. Would you mind leaving a torch by the exit to the old church on your way back? I’m not sure I would recognize it.”
“I’ll leave the torch by the wooden door. It may be burned out by the time you return, but you should see it.”
“Thank you again Father.”
* * *
The drain opening was narrow. Mark had Clawson and Hirotomi give him a boost to get through, and then he pulled his machinegun and pack up afterwards. He helped the other four men up. They carefully checked the room. It appeared that they were in a supply shed, fu
ll of all sorts of odd glassware and equipment. Looking carefully out the grimy windows they saw that they were near the grain elevators, and across from the larger structures. They would need to get inside of those structures to set their charges.
Henry whispered to the other men. “The priest is right. We need to start a huge fire, rather than simply rupturing the equipment. Only a fire will assure that the biological agents are destroyed. The worst thing we can do is explode their equipment, flinging the bacteria straight into the air.”
Clauson was in his element – blowing things up. “If those grain elevators are full, we have a huge supply of fuel. All we need to do is to get them to fall on the other structures. We can then disperse the grain into the air and detonate it. It would be like a giant grain elevator explosion, except we would be doing it on purpose instead of by accident.”
Mark realized that Clauson was right. Grain elevator explosions were an all-too-common problem in the farmland, and the energy released was incredible. You just had to get the grain floating in the air and apply a spark.
“OK, let’s split into two groups. Clauson and Hirotomi. You get to the grain elevators and set charges on the legs facing the buildings. That way they will collapse right over the middle of the structures. Set small charges at the bottom of the storage bins to blow the grain into the air after the elevators collapse. Use detonator frequencies one and two for your charges. Henry, Menard and I will go into the buildings and set charges that will both ignite the grain and help demolish all of the complex equipment we can find. Keep your detonator numbers straight. We need to do this in the right sequence to make it work.”
“OK boss. We’re on it. Meet you back here in 10 minutes.”
They opened the storage building door a crack and checked outside. Guards were visible in the distance on the other side of the perimeter fence, but none appeared to be patrolling the grounds. The guards had no-doubt been briefed to expect an attack from outside the complex, not from underneath. Hirotomi and Clauson ran from the storage-shed door to a group of crates, and then disappeared into the darkness. Mark, Menard, and Henry grabbed their guns and packs, and ran in the opposite direction, towards the largest building.
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