Cade 2

by Neil Hunter

  Cade broke cover and ran for the access platform. He pulled open the hatch of the waiting car and settled in the padded seat. He scanned the control panel and was pleased to see that the operation of the cars had been simplified in the extreme. Cade keyed in the start sequence and felt the car glide forward. He punched in maximum speed. The bullet-shaped vehicle burned its way along the shiny steel rail.

  Shortly the concourse snaked its way into the complex. Buildings rose on either side in a blur as the car hurtled by. Cade could see the other car in the far distance.

  He felt the car begin to slow, then saw that the monorail was descending. It dropped below ground level. As daylight faded, it was replaced by brilliant strip lights embedded in the sides and roof of the curving tunnel the car was in. An interior light came on inside the car.

  Cade took the time to reload the assault rifle and his handgun. He got rid of the other gear he’d been carrying.

  A light began to flash on the control panel. On a small screen a readout told him the car was slowing due to a blockage on the rail ahead. Cade sat impatiently as the car slowed to a walk, then stopped altogether. He could see the blockage now. It was the car Sinclair and Tane had been in. The industrialist had stopped it in order to block the rail. As his car stopped, Cade leaned forward, examining the interior of the stalled car ahead. It was empty and the hatch was open.

  “Son of a gun,” Cade exclaimed.

  The Plexiglas canopy of his car exploded as a furious burst of fire tore through it. Cade dropped to the floor of the car, cursing his own stupidity. Lukas Tane would be laughing his head off! He had set a simple trap, and Cade had stepped right into it.

  More shots. This time they were aimed lower down, at the body of the car. Cade winced as the bullets tore through the metal skin and over his prone body. He couldn’t stay here for much longer. Tane would move in soon.

  Reaching out, Cade unlocked the hatch on the far side of the car. Then he wriggled around and kicked the hatch open. It swung wide and clanked against the body. Cade took a deep breath and rolled across the floor of the car and out the open hatch. He fell clear and crashed down to the concrete below the monorail support column. The impact on landing drove the breath from his body, but Cade was aware he couldn’t lie there for too long.

  He snatched up the assault rifle, dragging his legs under him, and crawled along the concrete until he’d put a good few yards between the car and himself. Then he flattened himself against the side of the tunnel, trying to keep his harsh breathing down to a soft hiss.

  Lukas Tane was around somewhere, maybe even closer than Cade suspected. The mercenary would be in a killing mood now, more so than at any time previously. Not only had Cade and Janek blown the conspiracy all to hell, but they had also decimated Tane’s mercenary force. The elimination of Tane’s group was certain to reduce the man’s credibility to zero—and credibility was the lifeblood of a mercenary soldier’s existence. If he couldn’t be trusted to carry out an assignment, there weren’t going to be any more jobs. That would hurt Tane’s pride more than his bank balance.

  Cade picked up a shadow of movement. It came from the upper level of the tunnel. He glanced along the curve of the tunnel and saw the concrete steps leading up from the base. He hurried to the steps and went up. There was a walkway extending along the tunnel, just above the steel rail itself. On silent feet Cade moved along the walkway, going in the direction that would lead him farther into the complex.

  He neared the curve in the tunnel where he’d spotted the movement.

  A shot gouged the concrete above his head, dusting him with powder. Cade dropped to his knees, pushing the rifle ahead of him, eyes searching the walkway. He caught a glimpse of light bouncing off the end of a gun barrel barely showing from behind a support pillar. Cade shouldered his rifle, using the laser sight to pinpoint his target. He stroked the trigger, and the rifle recoiled against his shoulder, the shot echoing along the tunnel. Cade was rewarded by the sight of the extended rifle barrel jerking sharply to the side. A moment later he heard it clatter to the concrete. Using the opportunity, Cade broke cover and sprinted along the walkway. He wanted to reach Tane before the man could rearm himself.

  As he closed in on the pillar concealing Tane, Cade saw movement. A dark figure swung out from behind the pillar, and light flashed on the blade of a knife. Cade drew back as Tane slashed at him, the blade slicing through his clothing and leaving a burning line across his chest. The Justice cop felt one foot slip into empty space as he reached the edge of the walkway. He twisted his body, pulling himself away from the edge, trying to keep Tane in sight. He saw the mere’s knife arcing around again, and threw up an arm to block the slash. The knife clanged against the barrel of Cade’s rifle, jarring it from his tired fingers. He let it fall, concentrating on regaining his balance, ducking under the next cut of the knife, then launched himself at Tane. He slammed into the mere, hearing the man grunt.

  Locked together, they crashed against the tunnel side, scraping flesh against the rough surface. Cade reached out and locked his fingers around Tane’s wrist, pushing the keen edge of the knife away from his throat. He failed to stop Tane’s knee as it drove up at his body and felt pain erupt across his ribs. He shoved hard, swinging Tane around, and head-butted the mere in the face. Something cracked, and Tane’s nose gushed blood. The mere blinked away the tears of pain and slammed his knee into Cade’s side again. The blow burst the edges of the bullet gouge in Cade’s side, and he felt the soft pulse of warm blood coursing down his body.

  Letting Tane pull him away from the tunnel’s wall, Cade swung his free fist in a short, vicious jab that connected with his opponent’s jaw. Cade repeated the blow a couple more times, drawing blood in the end.

  In desperation, Tane jammed his arm across Cade’s throat and shoved hard, trying to cut off his air supply and also bend his spine. For long seconds they shuffled back and forth across the walkway, coming close to the edge, then drawing away. Tane’s foot slipped on the concrete, leaving him off guard as he tried to right himself.

  Cade realized his moment was there. He rammed his right knee up into Tane’s groin with every ounce of strength left in him. There was no holding back. The blow was delivered with total force and it hit with crippling intensity. Tane’s howl filled the tunnel. The pain that erupted throughout his body left him completely helpless. Cade pulled down on Tane’s knife arm, smashing the wrist across his knee, and the knife flew from Tane’s grasp. Continuing his move, Cade caught hold of Tane’s collar with his free hand, spun his own body in toward Tane, leaning forward and rolling the mere across his hip. With a pull on Tane’s collar and the arm he still held, he threw the mere over his shoulder in a classic judo move.

  Tane was tossed over the edge of the walkway. He fell, and a short scream rose from his throat that ceased abruptly as his back slammed down on the steel monorail. Tane’s spine broke with an audible crack, and he was left dangling from the rail, his limbs trembling in a final spasm before death claimed him.

  Cade pulled his handgun, looking around for Amos Sinclair. The industrialist was nowhere in sight. He had deserted Tane and continued on into the complex alone.

  Following the walkway, Cade reached an open door. He stepped through and found himself in a long, softly lit corridor. The floor underfoot felt cushiony and seemed to move beneath his feet. The air was warm, and he could feel a gentle current coming from the overhead vents.

  He moved along the corridor, following the natural curve in the smooth walls. Reaching an intersection, Cade caught sight of Sinclair. The industrialist was a long way ahead. He was moving swiftly, clearly in a hurry but not appearing to be in any panic. The man was still sure of himself, Cade decided. Despite everything, Sinclair would still be figuring he could manage to come out untouched. He was incapable of accepting defeat and would resist right up to the end.

  Cade lifted his handgun and tracked the distant figure. He held his target for a moment, then lowered the gun. The dista
nce was too great for him to be sure of his shot. He found a wry smile hovering on his lips. Janek would have made the shot without hesitation.

  Sinclair had reached his destination. He paused at a wall panel and keyed in some numbers. A door slid open, and he vanished from sight. Cade broke into a run, trying to ignore the ugly burn of pain in his side. He touched a hand to his shirt and felt his fingers wet with blood.

  He reached the door just before it glided closed. That was a mistake on Sinclair’s part—not securing the door once he’d gone through. Maybe he wasn’t as rational as Cade had imagined.

  There was a flight of stairs ahead of Cade. He went up, moving sideways and keeping his back to the wall. At the top he found himself in another corridor and saw that the wall facing him was supplied with observation windows. Cade glanced through as he moved along the corridor. He found he was looking down into vast storage warehouses. They were lined with rows and rows of neatly parked machines of different shapes and sizes that seemed to go on forever.

  Cade reached an elevator door. The light on the indicator panel was showing the levels the elevator was dropping to.

  It stopped on sublevel 4.

  Cade waited a couple of minutes then called the elevator back. He stepped in and punched in sublevel 4.

  The elevator dropped like a stone. Cade leaned against the back wall of the car, breathing deeply and pressing his left hand over the bleeding gash in his side.

  The descending car slowed and stopped with irritating accuracy. The doors slid open and Cade cautiously stepped out of the car.

  He was in a storage area similar to the ones he’d seen above. Only this one didn’t house rows of machines.

  Stretching out in front of Cade were ranks of combat droids. Hundreds of them, identical to the ones Cade and Janek had faced during the past few days. The sight of the angular-featured, black-clad droids left Cade with a cold chill down his spine.

  He realized he was looking at Amos Sinclair’s last line of defense. The industrialist had kept these droids in reserve, banking on them doing the job for him if all else failed.

  Cade turned as a faint sound reached him. He moved along the shadowed wall of the storage area, his gun tracking ahead of him. Easing around a wall extension, Cade saw a computer terminal and metal storage cabinets.

  Amos Sinclair was immersed in some business at the computer. His attention was focused fully on the microchip panel he was inserting in the computer’s port, and he failed to notice Cade’s presence until a hand caught hold of his arm and yanked him away from the keyboard. He stumbled back but managed to regain his balance. He straightened and fixed Cade with a contemptuous and withering glance.

  “Why, it’s our upholder of law and order,” Sinclair said derisively. “Haven’t you done enough, Marshal Cade?”

  “Not yet,” Cade replied. “Isn’t this a touch over the top even for a crazy like you?”

  “Crazy? Only in your eyes, Cade. As far as I see it, I’m doing this country a favor.”

  “Correction,” Cade said. “You were trying. But that’s over now, you sorry bastard.”

  “I detect something of a personal vendetta here... something beyond professional zeal.”

  “I lost a good friend because of you. A damn good cop, too.”

  “One man’s fate in the balance... against the fate of a whole nation?” Sinclair smiled. “Hardly worth the bother.”

  “I don’t think George Takagi would have seen it that way.”

  “Takagi? Oh, of course. The meddling NYPD tech who decided to poke his nose in where he shouldn’t have. He got what he deserved.”

  “Glad you feel that way, Sinclair. Makes me feel a lot easier.”

  “What are you babbling about, man?”

  “You agree people should get what they deserve?”

  “Yes... I...” Sinclair’s eyes widened, his face paling as he saw the reasoning behind Cade’s question. “You can’t. You won’t kill me just like that. Not me. I’m too important for this country—”

  Sinclair’s hand moved toward his jacket, but Cade beat him to it. One smooth squeeze started the weapon spitting, but he kept firing until the auto’s slide locked back on an empty chamber and Amos Sinclair was lying dead and bloody on the floor.

  “Not anymore,” he said coldly, then dropped the empty magazine from the gun and slipped in a fresh one. He cocked the weapon and put it away.

  Before he left the storage area Cade pulled the microchip panel from the computer port and ground it under his heel. He took a last look at the ranks of immobile combat droids, imagining the chaos they could have caused if Sinclair had unleashed them on an unsuspecting city.

  The thought remained at the back of his mind as he returned to where he’d left Janek guarding the conspiracy’s three political allies.

  As the monorail car slowed, Cade was able to see armed figures crowding the concourse around the helipad. Police cruisers were converging on the area, and overhead the air was loud with helicopters and air cruisers looking for landing spots. Cade climbed out of the car and made his slow way across the concourse.

  He searched for friendly faces. At this distance they all looked the same—armed cops wearing body armor, and KC-200 patrol droids mingling with their human counterparts. Red-and-blue lights pulsed unceasingly as the wail of sirens competed with the grumble of motors and the endless chatter of radios.

  Cade pulled his badge and showed it to a KC patrol droid as it crossed to intercept him.

  “Marshal Janek has been concerned about you,” the KC said. “And Lieutenant Schuberg has been looking for you.”

  “Where is the lieutenant?”

  The KC led Cade across to one of the NYPD choppers. Cade spotted Schuberg, dressed in a bulky jumpsuit and a patrolman’s leather jacket, directing a group of armed officers. As the Justice cop neared the group, Schuberg happened to look his way.

  “T. J.? You son of a bitch, am I glad to see you.” Schuberg looked Cade up and down. “You look like hell. What happened? Your suspects give you a hard time?”

  Cade nodded. “Something like that. Looks like you pulled off your end of the deal.”

  Schuberg grinned. “Wasn’t easy, but once we moved and took out the men at the top, the rest of the guys were with us.”

  “I figure most of them didn’t even know what was happening.”

  “And that was what pissed most of them off. That, and the fact that Chief Norris had gone over to the other side.”

  “Well, he’s resigned,” Cade said.

  “I saw,” Schuberg remarked. He moved alongside Cade, leading him across to one of the other NYPD choppers. “How about Sinclair?”

  “Paid his dues,” Cade said.

  “Fair enough,” Schuberg said. “So what now?”

  “Stabilize the situation. Pull in all the suspects. Let the President know, and Washington will get the ball rolling. We’ll be up to our necks in paperwork for weeks. But let the other agencies handle it.”

  “You mean now that we’ve done all the dirty work for them?”

  Cade grinned. “That’s why we’re here, Milt. The unsung heroes of the streets.”

  “We picked up your three local politicians,” Schuberg announced. “I guess they’ll have a hard time getting a vote next time around.”

  “It is a long way back from the Mars penal colony.”

  They reached the chopper, and Schuberg opened the hatch.

  “Got someone here who needs to talk to you. And mind, treat this young woman with respect. She really helped us bring down a few of those men.”

  Cade glanced up in time to see Kate smiling down at him. She jumped to the ground and grabbed him around the neck.

  “Damn you, T. J. Cade, I didn’t know if you were alive or dead.”

  She saw the blood soaking his side, and she paled, her glance flying to his so she could assess the severity of the injury.

  “It’s okay,” he said. “Just a scratch.”

  “A scratch? Y
ou are bleeding all over the place.”

  Schuberg waved over a medic, but Cade had other things on his mind first.

  “Hey, where’s Janek?” he demanded.

  “I’m here, Thomas,” grumbled a familiar voice.

  Cade turned and spotted the cyborg lying on a gurney.

  “You off for a refit?” he asked, staring at the shredded wreckage of Janek’s leg.

  “We’re flying him to Cybo Tech’s facility in town,” Schuberg said.

  Cade grinned. “Any excuse so you can go flirt with Dr. Landers.”

  “That’s not true,” Janek snapped. “This has nothing to do with Abby... Dr. Landers.”

  No one said a word, leaving the cyborg staring back and forth between them, his mood darkening.

  “This is a genuine emergency,” Janek insisted.

  “Sure, partner.”

  Janek scowled at him. “It is my leg,” he said. “You have to realize, Thomas. I was very attached to it.”

  Cade and Janek will return in

  FIRESTREAK

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