Within seconds, they were speeding over the electromagnetic track on their way to the hangar.
Cole glanced at the clock. He began to tap his foot. Time was running out. He steeled himself. Harry Williams was no ordinary opponent. It was going to take all of his skill as a soldier and a ton of luck to bring the bio-engineered madman down.
Chapter 34
Kabar’s guts were churning. He had never been so afraid in his life. Being an agent had come naturally to him. He got to work alone, and when the time was right, he eliminated enemies of the state as if he were stepping on a bug. Now things were completely different. People were counting on him to lead them in a fight he knew would be short and desperate. Kabar stepped off the ladder and waved the lieutenant to his side. “If you were them, where would you place the bomb?”
“Over there,” said the young officer, pointing at a series of old huts. “The older shafts are over there.”
“Okay, then we’ll split up. You take half of the men and swing around to the right, while I take the rest and go to the left. We’ll link up by the first shack and hopefully catch them before they leave the bomb in one of the shafts.”
The lieutenant nodded and turned to split the force in two.
A Chosen private edged up next to Kabar. “Sir, Lieutenant Kall told me to help you.”
Kabar looked down into the youth’s face. He was barely out of his teens. “What’s your name?”
“Kutan, sir.”
“Private Kutan, pass the word that we’re going to head out in the next few seconds. If we come under fire, we’re not going to stop. If a soldier carrying a weapon is hit, tell those without one to pick it up, but above all keep moving.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kabar flipped the safety off his pistol and edged to the side of a power generator, taking one last look at the huts. He couldn’t see anyone down there, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there.
“Message passed, sir,” reported Kutan.
With legs that felt like lead, Kabar willed himself to move. He led them toward a large turbine. The noise masked the sound of their feet on the metal flooring. Kabar brought up his left hand. Behind him everyone stopped and took cover. He crept to the end of the turbine and took a quick peek at the shacks. His heart skipped a beat when he spotted two rebel soldiers walk out of the nearest building and take a seat on a bench. Kabar studied them. The soldiers looked relaxed and were chatting about something. They were clearly unaware of the looming threat. He ducked back and looked at Kutan. He raised two fingers.
Kutan nodded and clenched the rifle in his hands.
“It’s about two hundred meters to the hut from here,” explained Kabar. “Can you hit a target from this range?”
Kutan scrunched up his face. “Of course I can, sir.”
“Okay, move to the corner of the turbine and kill the two insurgent soldiers sitting outside of the closest building. The instant you fire your second shot we’re going to charge that hut and overwhelm the rest of the rebels before they can activate the bomb.”
Kutan crept to the corner and brought up his rifle.
To Kabar, time seemed to slow down to a trickle. He watched as the young soldier placed his finger on the trigger of his weapon and slowly pulled back. Kabar never heard the rifle firing. He saw Kutan fire his second shot and let out a cry from the bottom of his stomach. Kabar sprinted around the corner of the turbine and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. When he was less than halfway to the building, three more armed rebels stepped outside to see what had happened to their comrades and saw the charging mass of government troops coming straight at them.
A rebel hidden on top of another shack with a machine gun opened fire. A soldier next to Kabar fell with a hole shot through his right thigh. Another and then another fell under the withering fire of the machine gun.
“Take cover,” yelled Kabar, diving to the ground. He crawled on his stomach behind a parked ATV. Kutan and two other soldiers joined him.
Those soldiers who had weapons returned fire with the insurgents. The rest lay where they were and waited for the chance to pick up a dropped weapon.
Kabar fired off a shot at one of the three men standing out in the open and wounded him. He gritted his teeth and looked around the side of the ATV. The ground was flat between them and the huts. If they got up, they would all be shot down before they got another fifty paces. Kabar cursed his luck. He had to do something.
Chapter 35
“Sir, our sensors have detected the activation of an antimatter bomb,” reported a Kurgan commander to Admiral Kaar.
Kaar jumped up from his seat on the bridge of his command ship. “Are you sure?”
“Sir, the antimatter signature is unmistakable, and it’s on a countdown to detonation.”
“How long do we have?”
“Sir, if this reading is correct, we have ten minutes until it explodes and takes half the planet with it.”
Kaar looked over at the tactical screen and gnashed his teeth. There weren’t enough ships on the planet’s surface to evacuate everyone still down there. “Pull the Old Guard out. Order everyone to the nearest ship and tell the crews of those vessels to jettison everything they don’t need so they can carry more soldiers in them.”
“The fleet, sir?”
“Have it move back to a safe distance. We’ll stay here until the last ship is on its way up and then jump away.”
“Yes, sir,” replied the commander, rushing to pass the orders.
“Are they serious?” said Wendy to Tarina. “The friggin’ rebs have an antimatter bomb!”
“That’s what they’re saying,” replied Tarina.
“Do you have a fix on Alan and Michael?”
Tarina looked down and shook her head. “I lost them an hour ago. Either they switched off their comms devices, or someone else did for them.”
Wendy threw a pen against her navigational computer screen and let out an angry cry. “We can’t pull back with the fleet and leave them to die down there.”
“I agree, but we have no idea where they are. To blindly fly down there in the hope of finding them would be nothing short of suicide.”
“There has to be something we can do.”
Tarina drummed her fingers on her flight console while she stared out into space. A smile slowly crept across her lips. “What about Harry? He’s not all human. Scan the fortress and see if you can find a life sign with biomechanical arms and legs.”
“Yes!” said Wendy as she brought up the image of the fort on her computer and began the search. Less than a minute later, she said, “Found him. He’s in what looks like a hangar located deep underground in the mountains about fifty klicks from the fortress.”
“Input the coordinates into the navigational computer and hang on. We’re going in fast. Hopefully, this ship’s heat shields will hold up on re-entry.”
“I don’t care. Fly it like you stole it, Tarina. While you do that, I’ll prep the coordinates for our jump away from the planet once we have the guys.”
Tarina applied power to the shuttle’s engines and dove toward the planet’s atmosphere. As they descended, she had to bob and weave her way around transport ships coming up from the surface packed with troops. The ship shook as it flew through the outer atmosphere and sped toward the fortress.
“I have the hangar on my screen,” announced Wendy.
“Got it. I can see the mountains,” said Tarina as she flew under a massive troop transport ship.
“Come on, come on,” said Wendy to herself, wishing they could fly faster through the swarm of Kurgan ships trying to escape before the bomb detonated.
Chapter 36
Sheridan was sure his throat was on fire. The pain resonated from his windpipe all the way down his bruised neck. He opened his eyes and saw his hands were tied to the headrest of the chair in front of him. Sheridan felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over. It was Komada.
“We’re alone,” said Komada. “Willia
ms isn’t here. He’s dealing with a problem in the power plant.”
Sheridan grinned. His friends must have found a way inside.
“I want you to tell me the truth about what you said before Williams attacked you. Am I going to die?”
Sheridan tried to speak, but only a raspy sound came out.
Kabar grabbed a water bottle and poured some of the liquid into Sheridan’s mouth.
“He’s infected you,” said Sheridan, barely louder than a whisper.
“How do you know?”
“He told me. He wants you to carry the virus inside your body back to your people.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he doesn’t care about you or your religious war. He wants the Kurgans to abandon the peace process and resume the war with Earth. He’ll only be happy when both sides have exterminated each other.”
“Close your eyes, Major, and concentrate on what Williams told you about the virus.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Please do as I ask.”
Sheridan shrugged and closed his eyes. The image of Williams talking to him was still fresh in his mind. For a brief moment, Sheridan felt an unseen presence watching the conversation. He opened his eyes.
Komada removed his hand. “I believe you. I’m a dead man.”
“Komada, he may have infected you, but there must be more of the virus still hidden away somewhere else. Do you know where it is?”
“No.”
Sheridan bit his lip. “Look, I know we’ve come to see each other as enemies, but you can’t let Williams butcher billions of innocent people. Release me and I promise you that I’ll stop him.”
Komada placed his sweaty palms on Sheridan’s hands and nodded. He reached under his robe and pulled out a knife to cut him free.
Sheridan jumped to his feet and rubbed his sore wrists trying to get the blood circulating again. “Give me your knife.”
Komada handed him the blade and sat down. “I don’t know why I never saw this coming in my dreams.”
“You weren’t supposed to. Harry’s an unbelievably smart man. I believe he may have psychic powers like yourself and used them to cloud your mind.”
“Do you think so?”
“I’m not an expert on such things, but I’ve come to learn over the past couple of years anything is possible.”
“What is possible?” asked Williams standing in the open doorway.
Sheridan acted on pure instinct. He spun around and threw his knife at Williams’ chest. With a wet thud, the blade sank home. Williams staggered back on his feet. He reached down and placed a hand on the knife sticking out of his chest. Before he could remove it, Sheridan ran at him and struck him in the stomach. Both men tumbled down the shuttlecraft’s ramp and onto the floor.
The subway carriage doors slid open, and Cole bolted out. He saw Williams and Sheridan rolling around on the floor and picked up his pace. A couple of insurgents ran to stop him and paid with their lives. He came to a sliding stop and thrust his pistol against the back of Williams’ head and pulled the trigger.
Nothing happened.
Cole pulled the trigger two more times. His eyes widened when he saw the ammunition counter read zero. He flung the pistol way and went for his knife. Before his hand reached his blade, Williams shot out his left hand and knocked Cole off his feet.
“No,” gasped Sheridan as Cole fell to the ground. He scrambled up onto his hands and knees and tried to grasp the knife still embedded in Williams.
His opponent saw him reaching for it and knocked his hand away as if he were swatting an annoying fly.
Sheridan cried out in pain. He looked down and saw that his left wrist had been shattered. His hand hung limp. Sheridan grasped it with his right hand and scurried back, trying to put some distance between himself and Williams.
Cole shook his head and scrambled to his feet. Williams’ back was to him. He jumped at him and wrapped his right arm around Harry’s throat and squeezed tight. With fire burning in his eyes, Cole pulled his arm in tight. He could hear his adversary struggling to breathe.
Williams dropped to his knees, reached up with both of his hands, grabbed hold of Cole’s arm, and flipped him over his shoulder.
Cole landed hard on his back, winding him. Stars filled his eyes. He let out a pained moan as he took in a lungful of air. Cole looked up and saw Williams standing over him with a demonic look in his eyes. Cole started to roll away when he was kicked hard in the chest, sending him sliding along the concrete floor. The sound of several ribs snapping like twigs told him he was in trouble. With pain wracking his body, Cole struggled to keep himself from blacking out.
Williams wasn’t finished. He walked over toward Cole and brought up his right foot, smashing it down on Cole’s left ankle, crushing the bones.
Sheridan got to his knees. The fight had to end, or they were both going to die. He had to get his hands on a weapon. Sheridan was about to try again for the knife in Williams’ chest when Komada walked out of the shuttle with a pistol in his hands.
“You lying bastard!” snarled Komada as he walked toward Williams. “You’re no better than the heretics. You’ve infected me with the virus, and now I’m going to kill you.”
Sheridan saw a calm look appear on Harry’s face as he stared at Komada. “It’s the Lord’s will. Now, give me the gun and I won’t harm you.”
“Never!” said Komada, bringing up the pistol to fire.
In a flash, Williams raised his left hand.
Komada fired twice. Both shots hit Williams in the palm of his mechanical hand. He took a few steps forward and wrapped his hand around Komada’s outstretched hand, breaking the bones. He dropped the weapon and groaned in agony.
Sheridan watched in horror as Williams spun Komada around and wrapped both of his arms around him. He lifted the hapless rebel off the ground and squeezed. The sound of Komada’s spine snapping was like a gun going off. Williams released Komada and let his broken body collapse to the ground.
Williams smiled at Sheridan. “Now you get to watch you friend die, Mike. Feast your eyes on this,” he said as he bent down and pulled a severely injured Cole toward him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sheridan spotted Komada’s pistol and dove for it. He ignored the blinding pain from his left wrist, scooped up the gun, and rolled over onto one knee. “Hey, Harry, feast your eyes on this.”
Williams turned his head and stood wide-eyed as Sheridan fired a round square between his opponent’s eyes. His head snapped back. Williams’ feet gave out, and his body dropped like a sack to the ground.
“Thank God that S.O.B.’s gone to hell,” said Cole between clenched teeth. He lay on the ground unable to get up.
Sheridan bent down and handed Cole the pistol. “Cover us in case someone comes.” With that, he staggered over to Komada, dropped to his knees, and looked into the dying man’s eyes. “You did the right thing at the end.”
Komada struggled to speak.
Sheridan lowered his ear to Komada’s lips and held his breath so he could hear the holy man’s last words. With a loud exhale, Komada let out the last of his breath and died. Sheridan reached up and closed the dead man’s eyelids, then stood.
“Did he say anything?” asked Cole.
Sheridan nodded. “While they were fighting, he read Harry’s mind. I know where the rest of the Alpha Virus is hidden.”
“That’s great, but unless we get off the planet in the next couple of minutes, the virus’ location will die with us. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m hardly at my best right now.”
Chapter 37
The sound of automatic gunfire striking the tires of the ATV he was using for cover made Kabar flinch. He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. If he had to sell his life to get the other soldiers moving, then he would do it. Kabar screwed up his courage and went to stand when firing broke out behind the insurgents. He popped his head up and nearly jumped for joy when he spotted Lieutenant Kall leading
his men in an attack on the surprised rebels.
“With me!” hollered Kabar as he got to his feet and ran forward. An insurgent fired a shot in Kabar’s direction. The bullet whizzed past his head. He stopped and fired off two shots, forcing the man to duck back inside.
The Chosen soldiers, unencumbered with armor, ran past him firing. They burst into the old building and shot down anyone in their path.
Kabar walked over the bodies of rebel and government soldiers as he made his way inside the shack. In the middle of the room, a steel tripod was suspended in the air over an old steam pipe. In the tripod was the antimatter bomb.
Private Kutan stood beside the dead body of an insurgent Kurgan captain. He looked at Kabar and said, “Sir, it looks like they’ve activated the bomb but didn’t have time to send it down the shaft.”
Kabar looked at the timer and clenched his jaw. They had less than five minutes before the device went off. He looked around the room. “Does anyone have any experience with bombs?”
A slender female Chosen technician raised her hand. “I’m an armorer, sir. I’ve never worked on an antimatter bomb before but I can give it a try.”
“Do it,” ordered Kabar. “The rest of you had best try to make it to the surface before this explodes.
“Sir, we’d never make it.”
“Then make for the shuttlecraft hangar and see if you can escape that way.”
No one moved.
“That’s an order!” Kabar watched as they turned and ran for the nearest elevator shaft.
“Sir, I can’t deactivate the bomb, but I think we can add another ten minutes of life to the containment field,” said the technician.
“Private, do what you must and then go.”
The technician hooked up a battery she found on a shelf to the device. “Captain, I wish I could have found a better power source, but this is the only thing I could find.”
Kabar saw she had given everyone on the planet another eleven minutes and thirteen seconds of life. “Thanks. Now, I told you to go, Private.”
Insurrection (The Kurgan War Book 6) Page 19