“Where the hell did they come from?”
“Get us the hell out of here!” shouted Denton.
Although they were quickly gaining speed, they could see that they would not be able get clear fast enough.
“We need more time!” Wells shouted.
Kaufman tapped a switch on the console and brought up the rear facing cameras on projections. The first fighter was in range and opened fire.
“Evasive action!”
Wells responded quickly, but his flight training was tested to the limit. They avoided the first railgun rounds but it had been close. The second ship was closing into range. As the first opened fire again, it was suddenly blasted apart. They watched in shock as the second fighter was also torn into pieces.
“What the hell?” said Barski.
A few seconds later, a ship appeared across their rear facing cameras. It was the Intrepid. It forked around at full velocity to come up beside their ship as they headed towards the cover of the asteroids. The intercom light flashed as they looked in awe at the ship they had come to know as home. Kaufman tapped the intercom light and a video transmission projected before them. Sergeant Lin greeted them with a smile.
“Lin, how the hell?” asked Kaufman.
“Sir, you don’t want to know. You’re not an easy man to track.”
“You just saved our asses, Lin. Much appreciated!”
Denton stepped into view. Lin was both surprised and relieved to see their former Commander.
“Sir? How? You resigned,” she said.
“Only officially, Sergeant. As far as this organisation is concerned, I am still head of the IBI. I am sorry to hear about the loss of Officer Zaya.”
“So am I, Sir.”
“You broke my direct orders today, Lin, but we can’t thank you enough. There is, however, plenty more work to be done,” Kaufman said.
“What’s our course, Captain?”
“Earth.”
Chapter 11
Kaufman had all but forgotten about Doyle after their daring escape. Surviving had been such a relief that anything else was irrelevant. He turned to address the issue. Doyle was sitting on the floor against a panel of the bridge. Kaufman could not tell if he was relieved or still in utter shock. Denton caught on and quickly stepped up to the former agent.
“The IBI is on the brink of collapse. Our lives are on the line, and we just gave the Senate every excuse to end us for good. Tell me you can bring Malory down,” he said.
Watching anxiously as Doyle lifted his head, Kaufman held his breath.
“I can do it alright. I got enough on that bastard to see him hang. You just need to keep me alive and out of his clutches.”
Denton smiled. He was utterly relieved to know that they had a chance.
“You still think this is going to work, Sir?” asked Kaufman.
“There’s still a way to go yet, Captain, but at least we are taking the fight to them.”
Barski strolled up beside them. His excitement from the mission had soon died down at the thought of return to Earth where they had more than a handful of enemies.
“They aren’t just going to let us walk back into the city are they?”
“In this ship, no. It will be the first place they look. As for the Intrepid, for now it is still a vessel of the IBI and nobody has the authority to apprehend the crew.”
“We can use this ship to draw them away, Sir,” said Wells.
Denton looked to the rookie who was still piloting the ship.
“Are you volunteering, son?”
The man nodded, though Denton was not sure if he knew what he was letting himself in for. Kaufman took a couple of paces towards him. Wells had shown doubt during their recent mission, but it was perfectly understandable. Despite any reservations, he had remained professional and stayed calm under the most extreme of pressure. With the number of officers the crew had lost recently, it was a relief to have a competent new member. After that day, none of them would call him a rookie again.
“This ship will be marked for immediate stop, search and likely confiscation. It is unlikely that the Caral crew have been able to track us. But this is a rare model and the authorities will be after it.”
“I understand, Sir.”
“We need you to buy us as much time as possible. That being said, do not risk anyone’s life in the process, not least your own. If you have to, surrender yourself. You’ll likely spend a night behind bars, but take comfort in the fact that you will be fully exonerated once this is over.”
“Got it, Sir.”
Kaufman looked to Denton; they were both proud of their colleague for having the courage to see it through.
“Sir, we need to get over to the Intrepid. We won’t be safe until we are aboard.”
“Okay, let’s get it done.”
“Power down the engines and signal for Lin to do the same. You’re on your own from here, Wells.”
* * *
Earth filled their view as they approached for what they hoped would be an end to their recent nightmare. Most of the crew sat aboard the spacious bridge and waited for the inevitable shit storm they would have to face.
“We aren’t going to be able to put down in peace. You do realise that?” asked Kaufman.
“Desal has likely cottoned on to the fact that you are not aboard the Intrepid after the Sergeant ducked his calls, but there may be other forces who are not so sure. We need to get off the ship before it lands.”
“Easier said than done,” said Barski.
“You have trained for high altitude drops with the cruisers, have you not?”
“Yeah, but we’ll draw the attention of every copper in whatever district we put down in.”
“Unless we are one of those cops,” replied Denton.
“Impersonating a police officer. That’s a new one for us,” said Barski.
Kaufman grinned.
“It’s ideal. If we’re showing city blues and have lights flashing, no one will think anything of it. The adaptive skins on our cars can manage it with no problem.”
Denton nodded. It was a sound plan.
“Right now we barely have an ally in the city. The only person who can save us is someone in a position of substantial power, and the only ally we have that high up is Senator Wilks.”
“Okay, Morrison, Barski, Kaminski, same as before!” Kaufman ordered.
Sergeant Lin stepped up to the group’s position.
“What are we to do once we arrive in the city?”
“Desal will want your ass. Don’t put up a fight. You have done quite enough already. He’ll likely try to demote you and your fellow sergeants. He may even suspend the crew pending an investigation. Don’t worry about it, we’ll handle it from here,” replied Denton.
“Sir, I don’t like being left on the sideline.”
“Sergeant, we’re making our final play here, and you have done more than enough to save all our lives,” said Kaufman.
“Twenty minutes till landing, Sir!” shouted Singh.
They were already entering the atmosphere. Kaufman could only wonder at what trouble Wells was getting himself into. He had long gone radio silent.
“To the car! Barski, grab Doyle on your way. He’s getting some chow.”
Within minutes, they were aboard the Ford and glad to be back in a familiar car, even if it lacked much of the plush decor and feel of the Cadillac. Barski was at the wheel and firing the engine up as Kaufman programmed the skin to LBPD spec. Singh’s voice rang out across the intercom.
“You’ve only got a two minute opening in which to launch. After that, we’ll be among the landing lanes. I will activate the docking doors from here. That is your signal to go, Sir.”
“Thank you, Singh.”
“Good luck to all of you.”
The five officers and Doyle strapped themselves in. They’d be making a rapid decent to the upper highways. Only emergency vehicles were allowed above those boundaries. To drop from the three tim
es the height of The Spire was unheard of. They could only rely on the fact that people did not question the actions of a police cruiser. Adaptive skin technology was still a well-kept military secret, but few people would be stupid enough to impersonate an officer of the most trigger-happy police departments on the continent.
The doors lifted to reveal a panoramic view of the vast city for as far as the eye could see. Barski didn’t wait for the order. He ramped up the power and they dropped from the side of the ship. Their descent was a blistering plunge, like a rollercoaster ride.
“Oh, yeah!” he shouted.
Ever the adrenaline junkie, Max could not believe his luck at being at the wheel. He briefly forgot all the woes that they faced and was like a kid at a fairground. A minute later the uppermost highway was well in view and they approached at a rapid speed. Barski hit the blue lights on. He started to lift the nose and applied the lower thrusters.
“Pull up!” shouted Denton.
Barski grinned. He knew exactly what he was doing, but he was revelling in the moment. The thrusters cushioned their approach, but their car burst right through the upper highway and narrowly passed between two trucks. He increased power that caused them to rush forward into the next lane. He quickly slowed down and flicked the lights off. They slipped into the flow of the traffic. He could hear Denton breath out a sigh of relief.
“Good work, let’s get to The Spire,” said Kaufman.
* * *
The Intrepid had quickly cleared the landing cues and docked. Sergeant Lin led her crew out onto the deck to meet Desal. He was standing with Lieutenant Sosa and the rest of the Victory’s crew.
“Sergeant Lin, where is Captain Kaufman?” he shouted.
After the recent loss of her colleague, she had not an ounce of respect for the sleazy man they had to call Commander.
“The Captain departed our vessel yesterday on a separate line of investigation, along with Sergeant Barski and three other officers of the crew.”
Desal looked furious, as if ready to burst out into a fiery rant. He tried his utmost to hide his dislike of the Sergeant and shouted out for all to hear.
“The crew of the Intrepid has brought this organisation into disrepute. You have put the lives of civilians at risk, ignored the chain of command and acted in an unprofessional fashion. You are all suspected from active duty, effective immediately! I want your badges and weapons. You will hand over control of the vessel to me!”
The crew looked at the newly appointed Commander with astonishment. Sosa turned to Desal with a look of absolute shock and disgust.
“Sir, I must protest! These officers are the IBI. How can you do this?”
“That will be all, Lieutenant. You have a job to do. I want those badges and guns!”
It was clear to Lin that Desal was an ill-tempered buffoon. She realised now that he had been appointed because Malory knew that under his leadership the IBI would be finished. She wanted nothing more than to beat him like the dog he was, but it would achieve nothing. She lifted her badge from her belt and tossed it down on the ground before them.
“You are no IBI officer. You barely have the balls to call yourself a man,” she said.
“And your gun?” he asked.
“Our personal weapons are all purchased privately from our salaries. You may not have them!”
Desal gave her a scornful look, but he knew he could not force the issue. Sosa and her crew looked in disbelief as they threw down their badges in a pile in front of the Commander. Several of the officers were wounded but on their feet. When they had all passed by and out of sight, Sosa turned to the Commander.
“Is this how we treat heroes? You didn’t have to be such a bastard to them!”
“That’s quite enough, Lieutenant! The crew of the Intrepid have breached our organisation’s regulations and likely broken many colony laws. Whatever glorified impression you have of them, it ends here. I will not suffer another insubordinate officer, do you understand me?”
Sosa nodded, her faith in the legal system completely battered. Sergeant Lin was her role model, despite the fact that she would never admit it. She refused to believe that the crew were in the wrong. Desal’s appalling attitude and lack of leadership only re-enforced her faith in Kaufman and his officers.
* * *
Kaufman’s team got into The Spire without any questions asked at all. As far as the world was concerned, they were still an authority. Commander Denton no longer held his commission, but nobody questioned him in the presence of the Captain. They reached an elevator and Kaufman reached for the button to Wilks’ floor. He had not been to the Senator’s office since he was first asked to join the IBI, so they were sad circumstances to have to return under.
The doors to the elevator opened. They stepped out to be greeted by Ray Denver and three other Secret Service agents. Kaufman at first grinned at the sight of the former IBI Sergeant before he remembered their last meeting. He also wondered why he was in this part of the building. Denver immediately recognised Doyle and reached for his weapon.
Kaufman had already seen the glint in Denver’s eyes, and he knew he would go for his gun. Kaufman snatched his own gun from beneath his jacket and fired a single round. The electro rounds hit Denver and knocked him to the ground unconscious. The other officers froze as Barski and Kaminski’s guns were trained on them.
“Sorry, old friend,” said Kaufman.
“What the hell are you doing?” one of the agents asked.
“You are in the employment of Senator Malory, are you not?” asked Denton.
“We are posted to the Senator, yes.”
“Then we can only treat you as enemy combatants.”
Denton nodded for their team to approach and disarm the agents.
“Don’t you know what you’re doing? You’ll do serious time for this!” he shouted.
Kaufman approached the man and studied his eyes.
“I really hope for your sake that you were oblivious to Senator Malory’s deeds and have stayed true to your duty.”
He turned to Barski.
“Secure them and bring them with us. Be sure to remove any comms they have.”
He turned and followed Denton who carried on to Senator Wilks’ offices. His secretary tried in vain to stop them, but the two men stormed into his room with the other officers and prisoners at their backs. Wilks turned in shock at the sight. He was in the middle of a conference call with four others.
The Senator quickly recognised the two men, but he was no less concerned. He turned back to the conference display screens.
“I am sorry, Gentlemen, but I am needed on urgent business. We will have to continue this at a later date.”
Wilks turned back to them. His curiosity could barely be concealed beneath his anger at their invasion of his suite.
“Denton, you’re now a civilian and Kaufman, you’ve got a lot to answer for. This better be good!”
Over the next twenty minutes they laid out their investigation of Malory to Senator Wilks. He was far from surprised at the facts, but he was astonished that they had been able to gather such evidence of his crimes. Denver began to come to in the chair he’d been propped in, but he could barely move. It was as if awakening from a road accident. He looked up at the Captain with contempt.
“What the hell are you doing, Kaufman?”
His voice was low and pained.
“Malory is going down, Ray. It’s time for this to end.”
“The Senator is democratically elected, and you have no right to meddle!”
Kaufman turned to the former Sergeant with an angry tone. He wanted nothing more than to strike the agent. He had thought in the time that Denver had served in the IBI he would have learnt both common sense and the necessity of doing the right thing.
“If not us, then who? You stood by and protected a man more corrupt and evil than any we have previously worked against.”
“He’s a politician, Eric. What else do you expect? Bribes, under th
e table deals and abuse of power. It is their way, and it always has been. The colonies have become what they are today with such a system, and you want to interfere with that?”
Kaufman shook his head. He couldn’t make out whether Denver was indoctrinated into his ways or if he really believed it. Wilks had overheard part of the conversation and strolled over to where the incapacitated agent lay.
“I don’t know where you’re getting your information from, agent. But if these allegations against Malory are true, then he must be stopped. There is no doubt that politicians use underhand tactics, but nothing as farfetched as murder, intimidation, and other such immoral and illegal activity!”
He turned back to Denton.
“The IBI is being dragged through the dirt right now. Another day or two of this and it would all have been over.”
“Sir, where do we go from here?” asked Kaufman.
Wilks turned to Doyle.
“You have rock solid evidence of everything we have discussed?”
“Yes, Sir. I have documentation, voice recordings and even video feeds. I installed hidden cameras in many of the cars used by the Senator and the Secret Service who work with him. They should be transmitting data even as we speak to secure servers.”
Wilks grinned. He knew he finally had his most vicious opponent by the balls.
“The IBI has no authority in this matter. Typically it would be the job of the Secret Service to bring Malory to justice. Considering the facts, that is clearly not a realistic option. But another Senator can make allegations and request that a case be brought forward.”
“You’d do that, sir?” asked Kaufman.
“If you have the evidence you claim, you’re damn right I will. I helped set up the IBI to fight corruption and organised crime, and I want them purged from all levels of society.”
“What is the procedure for this, Sir?” asked Denton.
“I must put a motion before the President and he will take it before the Senate. If Malory really is as ruthless as you make out, then we must be very careful.”
“Agreed,” replied Denton.
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