by Michael Bray
“Then that’s on them,” Cooper replied, his eyes saying what his mouth wouldn’t. “Come on; let’s get inside and out of sight. We’ll be docking soon. Just follow my lead, and everything will be alright.”
III
Despite repeated attempts to contact the vessel and deter it, Decker had been unsuccessful. The boat now rolled dangerously close to the structure, inching forward as the captain tried to wrestle the vessel against the giant swells and stop it from slamming into the outer structure of the Triton Spire. Decker had sent three men out to help try and secure the vessel and dock it, and was watching along with Rainwater and the others from inside. A nine foot wave slammed against the boat, steering it away from the two docking berths, one of which housed the Incognito.
“This is insane,” Decker said, wincing as the ship inched closer to the dock. “Why the hell won’t they respond to our calls?”
“Radio might be out, or he might just be trying to focus on not smashing into this place,” Rainwater muttered, for the time being his anger with Decker forgotten.
The three men on the dock hesitated as the vessel eased into the dock, and then tossed lines to the two crew members on the boat, desperate to secure it to the structure before any damage was caused. Lines were tied, flotation buoys deployed, and the boat was at last secured.
“Let’s see who decided it was acceptable to dock here without permission,” Decker said, straightening his tie and swelling with self-importance.
Out on the deck, the three men had finished securing the vessel and were waiting for the crew to disembark. They didn’t see Cooper’s machinegun until he had swung it towards them. Despite his assurances that nobody would be harmed, Cooper opened fire, peppering the three workers on the dock with bullets. Without breaking stride he disembarked, one of his men following as the other finished securing the lines.
It took Decker a few seconds to realize what he was seeing, and then he started to back away from the window.
“Who are they?” Rainwater asked as he too backed off.
“I have no idea.”
It was the first thing Decker had said that Rainwater believed since he had arrived.
“Follow me, we can get below and lock out the elevators from there. We’ll be safe.”
Decker led them through the rec room, shouting at the staff to head below. He activated an alarm on the wall on his way as they joined the mass of people on their way towards the elevators. There was screaming and pushing, jostling and confusion. There was also gunfire as Cooper entered the facility.
IV
Greg stood on the dock, staring at the three dead men. Blood ran across the wood decking and into the ocean. The rain drove down hard enough to sting, yet he barely felt it. He stared at the men, strangers who for all he knew had families of their own, and had now died for no reason at all. He blinked and looked at the man beside him who had now finished tying the lines. He had spoken, but whatever he said, Greg had missed.
“What?” he said, feeling like a passenger in a particularly harrowing, vivid nightmare.
“I said get it together. You knew what we were coming here for.”
Greg looked the man who was speaking to him, trying to recall his name. He thought it might have been Johnson, or maybe Rowley. Whatever he was called, he was young, no more than very early twenties. Greg wondered how he could do it, how he could be so indifferent to the callous murder which had just taken place of three innocent men. Until that moment, Greg had been sure that Victor was the most despicable human being he had ever met. He understood now that there were worse things in the world than Victor Mallone, and he had somehow become one of them.
“You’ll get used to the blood. The bodies too,” the man whose name he couldn’t remember said, somehow able to smile. “Just think of them as meat. That’s the best way.”
Greg wondered how much this younger man had seen to be so dismissive, how much blood he already had on his hands to be so indifferent to snuffing out three innocent people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. A smattering of gunfire followed by a series of screams drifted to them from inside the facility.
“Come on, we’re gonna miss all the good stuff,” the man said, clapping Greg on the shoulder and jogging towards the entrance to the facility.
The rec area was deserted, drinks and half-eaten meals abandoned.
“What’s your name again?” Greg said as the two men walked towards the inner corridors.
“Johnson.”
Greg nodded. “Cooper said nobody would be hurt.”
“We always have to set an example. Now those three out on the dock are dead, the fear should be enough to make everyone else comply. It’s a foolproof method.”
“You’ve done this before?”
Johnson glanced at him. “Why the curiosity?”
“No reason. You just seem a little young for this kind of work.”
“Don’t believe everything you see,” Johnson snapped.
They moved through into the central core of the facility. Cooper already had the staff sitting on the floor on their hands as the second of his men, Simons, paced among them, weapon ready. By the elevator doors, Decker stood with Jade and Rainwater, all of them frozen as Cooper trained his weapon on them. Michaels and Rainwater saw each other at the same time, each confused as to why the other was there.
“It’s about time. Thought you’d lost your nerve,” Cooper said over his shoulder. “These three were about to get in the elevator. Decker I know, I don’t know who his pals are.”
“I know him.” Michaels said, nodding towards Rainwater. “He’s involved in all of this. He knows about these things probably better than anyone.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” Rainwater fired back, unsure where Greg fit into what was happening.
“I could ask you the same. Last time I saw you was outside the courthouse when you tried to attack me.”
“Yeah, looks like they made a really good call there in letting you go,” Rainwater snapped.
Greg looked down at the gun in his hand, then back at Rainwater. “Maybe not everything is how you see it.”
“Yet here you are with a gun, shooting people.”
“That’s enough chatter. Whatever history the two of you have, you can deal with on your own time.” Cooper was irritated and glared at Michaels, who averted his gaze.
“What is it that you want? If it’s money, I don’t have any here in the facility,” Decker stammered, unable to take his eyes from the guns.
Cooper laughed. “No, we have money. That’s not why we’re here. I think, Charlie boy, you know exactly why we’re here and what we want.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Decker said as firmly as he could.
There was no fooling Cooper though, and he flashed a toothy grin at the billionaire. “I’m a patient man, Charlie, but I don’t like people screwing with me or wasting my time. It bugs me. Makes me cranky, and that’s usually when bad things happen. To avoid that from happening, here’s what’s gonna happen. You, me and your friends here are going to take a little ride downstairs to that super lab you have down there. When we get there, you’re going to show me where you keep the eggs, and then you’re going to stand back, behave yourself, keep your mouth shut and let us take what we need. If you do that and nobody tries to play the hero, then everyone here, including you, will be fine. In fact, you could be sipping cocktails on that private island you own out in the Caribbean by this time tomorrow if you play your cards right and do as I tell you.”
“What if I say no?”
Cooper sighed and looked at the staff sitting on the floor. They, at least seemed to get it even if Decker didn’t. “Well, that would be unfortunate. See, we have enough bullets for everyone and although I’d rather not spill any more blood today, I’ve been paid enough to do it if I have to, so the choice is yours. What’s more important to you, Charlie? Those eggs you’ve got squandered away downstairs in your la
b, or these people?”
“You need me. You won’t hurt me.”
The doors chimed and opened behind Decker. Cooper grinned. “How do you figure that? Granted, I’d rather have you show us where they are so I can be home with my feet up before this bloody storm gets any worse, but if you’re unwilling to do that we can butcher everyone here including you, then just take what we came for anyway. It really is up to you.”
Decker looked beyond Cooper to the frightened faces of his staff, then at his investors, who were sitting on the floor with Mackay. For a second, Rainwater was sure he was going to tell Cooper to do his worst, but for all the bravado, Decker was already broken.
He sighed and lowered his gaze. “Fine. I’ll show you where they are, just don’t hurt anyone.”
“Good choice, Charlie boy. Good choice. Let’s get to it shall we?” Decker entered the elevator. “You too, Mr. Expert,” Cooper said to Rainwater, ushering him into the elevator with Decker. Jade went to follow them.
“Not you. You stay up here with the others.”
Jade hesitated then sat on the floor with Mackay. Cooper walked into the elevator, and then stared at Greg. “Come on then, don’t just stand there.”
Greg was tempted, for a split second to refuse, part of him wanted to turn the gun on Cooper and put an end to the insanity; however, every time he felt brave, he saw his family in his mind’s eye, Victor’s threat still fresh and raw. He lowered his head and entered the elevator, resigned to becoming the very thing he was trying to prove he wasn’t. The elevator doors closed, and the four of them began their mile long journey to the lower levels of the Triton Spire.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
They were silent as they descended, the hum of the elevator the only thing to punctuate the tension. Decker and Rainwater stood at the rear of the elevator, Greg and Cooper at the front.For as tense and on edge as Michaels was, Cooper was totally relaxed. He leaned against the wall, hands clasped in front of him. He was staring at Decker, cocky half smile on his face. He fished a pack of gum from his pocket and put a stick in his mouth, chewing it noisily. Rainwater had a bizarre flashback to Russo, which was both surprising and unwelcome.
“This place must have cost you an arm and a leg to build,” Cooper said.
Decker kept his eyes on his shoes, unwilling to look Cooper in the eye. He had been broken by the experience.
“Go on, how much?” Cooper said, trying to catch Decker’s eye. “A hundred million? Two hundred?”
Decker wasn’t taking the bait. He continued to stare at his shoes and fiddle with his wedding ring. Bored of Decker’s unwillingness to play, Cooper turned to Rainwater.
“What about you, expert. What are you doing here?”
Unlike Decker, Rainwater didn’t duck or look away. “Wrong place, wrong time.”
“And how do you know my pal here?”
“Also wrong place, wrong time,” Rainwater replied, turning his attention to Greg and the gun he was holding.
“Come on, expert, spit it out,” Cooper said, enjoying the show.
“Some people lost their lives because of him. People who didn’t deserve it.”
“Him?” Cooper said, glancing at Greg. “You sure you got the right guy?”
“Definitely. He managed to worm out of a prison sentence that should have been coming to him.”
Cooper nodded. “Some might say that a man proved innocent by the law isn’t guilty of anything.”
“Some might. Others might say someone is still owed what he deserves.”
Greg was going to try to explain, to say that despite appearances, he was just trying to do the right thing, but he was tired of explaining. Tired of being laughed at. He looked down at his handless arm, then at the gun in the other, the weight reassuring, giving him confidence. He had sacrificed enough, more than Rainwater would ever know or understand. He decided that if he was to be painted as the villain, then he would play the role, if only so Cooper didn’t think he had lost his nerve.
“I’m sick and tired of you thinking you know what happened,” Greg said, pointing the gun at Rainwater. “You preach to me like you’re some kind of hero, but where were you? When I was out there with that thing, trying to save people’s lives, what the hell were you doing?”
“Save people’s lives? Let’s not confuse this. You shouldn’t have been there at all. You were out there to kill it. It was only when you noticed there were people in the water that you were forced to do something.”
Greg grinned now, the anger and frustration he had repressed for so long coming to the fore. He stepped forward, jamming the gun under Rainwater’s jaw as Cooper looked on, amused. Decker backed away, staring wide-eyed at the confrontation.
“You seem happy enough to preach to me but where were you? What did you do to help? That woman who died, you act like you’re all cut up about it but you couldn’t be bothered to be out there and help her.”
Rainwater flinched, and not because of the gun barrel pressed under his chin.
“I know about you, alcoholic, sitting there feeling sorry for yourself whilst she was in the water. I bet that eats you up inside, doesn’t it?” Greg was on fire now, the words pouring out of him. “I can see it in your face. You feel guilty for it and I’m an easy target to blame.”
“Easy pal,” Cooper said, taking a half step forward. “Might be an idea to cool off a bit.”
Greg barely heard him. He pushed the barrel of the gun harder under Rainwater’s chin. He backed off, pressing himself against the wall just as the elevator passed into the Lexan section. This time there were no ooh’s or ah’s or exclamations of greatness. Everyone was focused on the confrontation.
“You call me a coward; say I should rot in prison when all I did was try to help. Well, maybe I’m done with being called a coward. Maybe I’m done with trying to do the right thing. This world has chewed me up and spat me out and expects me to just let it slide. Well screw that. Not now.”
“All words,” Rainwater said, his words distorted by the barrel pressing against his neck. “We all know you have no guts. If you did you’d have admitted to what you did and taken the flack.”
“No guts? Maybe I’ll pull this trigger right now and see if you find it funny then. After all, we don’t need you. Not as long as we have Decker.”
“Then do it. Stop talking about it and do it.”
“Don’t,” Decker said, finally finding his voice.
“Give me one good reason why not,” Greg whispered, his nose inches from Rainwater’s.
“Because if you do and that bullet happens to crack the outer structure of this elevator, it will depressurize and we will all die before we even know what’s happened.”
Greg hesitated, considering that as far as ways to go went, it wasn’t a bad one. He contemplated doing it anyway, if only to prove a point. The more he thought about ending things on his own terms, those images of his family swam out of the darkness to remind him what he was doing it all for.
He stepped back and let the gun fall to his side.
“How long does this bloody thing take?” Cooper said, casual as if nothing had happened between Rainwater and Michaels.
“We’re just about there.”
“How many staff have you got down here?” Cooper asked.
“Around forty. None who are in any way armed though. Nobody needs to get hurt.”
“Well, that’s up to you, Charlie boy. You make sure they line up and go upstairs without causing a problem, and I won’t feel the urge to start shooting. I think we can all agree that nobody needs bullets flying around down here.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll do it. The last thing I want is for people to get hurt.”
“Right answer, Charlie. Just play it cool, got it?”
Decker said nothing. Instead, he straightened his tie again and slicked back his hair, trying to appear presentable. The doors chimed and opened. Decker stepped out, Cooper at his back, Greg keeping an eye on Rainwater. The alarm which had been tri
ggered upstairs was still active. The shrill warning sounds had been deactivated, but flashing orange beacons whirled in rhythmic patterns. The staff were lined up outside the elevator, following their emergency evacuation drill to the letter. Upon seeing Cooper, a ripple of panic surged through the crowd.
Decker raised his palms. “Please, remain calm and do as I say.”
The crowd fell silent, watching and waiting for their employer to instruct them what to do next.
II
The staff had been sent upstairs in batches, the elevator in constant motion as it ferried them to where Cooper’s men waited for them. With the last of them gone and the lower levels deserted, Decker started to lead them through the corridors. He had removed his tie and jacket and unfastened the top buttons of his shirt. The lower levels were eerily silent now that it was devoid of people. Only the steady sound of their shoes on the steel mesh walkways punctuated the quiet.
They walked through the claustrophobic confines of the structure, Decker in the lead, Cooper behind. Rainwater and Michaels were at the rear.
“It’s just through here,” Decker said, leading them into the training pool. Rainwater was confused, but said nothing, hoping that Decker had some kind of plan to escape that he could be a part of.
Cooper whistled through his teeth as he looked at the expansive Lexan dome, the ocean beyond black as the night sky despite the array of high powered lights on the outer structure. Rainwater expected to see Conway’s body still bobbing in the water, but there was no sign of it. As they watched, the triple wakes surged across the lagoon, followed by the dull impact of skull on titanium.
“So where are they?” Cooper said, turning towards Decker.
“Right there.” Decker replied, pointing to the water. “Each of those creatures is worth almost five hundred million dollars, which I’m sure is much more than you are being paid to do this heist, or whatever you want to call it. Take one and go.”
“Take one?” Cooper replied, sighing and staring out into the lagoon. “And how am I supposed to do that? Put a lead on it and take it for a walk?”