The Trident Conspiracy: A Gripping Vigilante Thriller

by KJ Kalis

  Scanning his men working silently, Chase frozen in his chair, Landon shook his head, amazed at how calm he was about this entire mission. It had to be all the standing around over the last few hours. He pressed his lips together, realizing if he got too relaxed, he’d lose his edge. He needed his edge. It was the only way to survive. The most important part of the mission was coming up — getting out of Tucson and to one of Foster’s safehouses. He had two favorite parts of every mission — the moment they left and the moment they got to the safe house. There was something about turning in all of his equipment and watching money getting transferred into his bank account that was satisfying. It was like making a touchdown in football. They’d spend days or weeks or months driving the ball down the field and once they crossed that line, the feeling of victory was sweet.

  “How long does the test take?” Landon asked.

  “Well, it depends on which test you want me to run. The quick test takes three minutes. But, if you want to be sure, I have another test they gave me that takes fourteen.”

  Landon looked at the time on his watch. Since Jess and Chase had been kind enough to show up at the warehouse, they weren’t under as much time pressure. They were well hidden, no one knew where they were, and Foster had provided multiple plans for them to get away. Better to be sure. “Go ahead and run the longer test. We’ve got a few extra minutes. I’d rather be sure than show up at home base with the wrong stuff.”

  Baker nodded, “Roger that.”

  As Baker lined up three of the vials of ABG on a test tube tray, getting out a variety of clean test vials and chemicals, Alvarez came back, standing shoulder to shoulder with Landon, “I sent the formula. Just waiting on a response.”

  Landon nodded. They were at a crossroads. If Chase had brought the ABG, they faced one set of options. If he’d tried to trick them, there was another. Landon would know what path to take in the next few minutes. “Let’s hope this stuff is the real deal,” he said. Failure was not an option.

  28

  Jess had been sitting in the cage for what seemed like about five minutes when her phone chirped. The only problem was she couldn’t get to it. The soldier that shoved her into the cage had made a big show of reaching into her back pants pocket, taking the time to grip her backside as he pulled her phone out. It was sitting on the chair where the man who was eating the sunflower seeds had been watching Abby all day long.

  Jess stared at the empty chair where her phone was sitting. She and Abby had been quiet, not saying anything to each other for a couple minutes. Jess sat with her arm protectively over Abby’s shoulder, pulling her close. She kept wondering if Abby would ever get back to normal. Jess closed her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath. It’s not the time to figure this out, she told herself. When she opened them, her phone chirped again. A few seconds later it chirped for a third time. Jess stood up from where she was sitting, going to the side of the cage that was closest to her phone, trying to see what was happening. She prayed it was Jamison or Charlie trying to find them.

  Jess glanced to the other side of the warehouse. It was too dark to see where they’d gone. With the men on the other side of the warehouse testing the ABG, Jess realized she could probably climb the chain-link fence and drop down on the other side, but she was sure the rattle of the fencing as she climbed up would make enough noise they’d come running. Probably not the kind of chance to take, she thought to herself, sitting back down next to Abby. She’d have to wait for her opportunity.

  Jess’s phone went off again and then stopped. A shrill beeping pierced her ears. It was coming from the command center. She jerked her head to the side, staring at the computers. There was a red line across each one of the screens. She heard footfalls in the background, the noise of heavy boots running on the concrete floors of the warehouse. Jess blinked a couple times. What was happening? Her heart started to pound in her chest, and she reached over and grabbed Abby’s hand. “Whatever happens, run outside. Don’t wait for me and don’t wait for your dad. If somehow you get free, go outside and find someone to help you. Do you understand?” Abby nodded, her eyes wide, filled with terror. Jess couldn’t be sure that help was coming, but the fact that alarms were sounding in the warehouse told her something was happening.

  Jess took two steps over to the gate, watching the door. A shadow passed in front of it and then another. Jess gave the gate a little push, trying to see how wide of a gap there was. Was it enough for at least Abby to squeeze out and get away? As Jess pushed on the gate, she saw that the kidnapper that had locked them in hadn’t completely closed the padlock. From where he was standing, it probably looked like it was closed, but it was just hanging. Jess’s eyes got wide. Just as she was about to reach through the gate and take the padlock off, she saw Walker and his men moving around the building. They’d grabbed rifles and had taken positions near the command center. They didn’t seem overly concerned about Abby or Jess. They were probably protecting the ABG and Chase, Jess realized.

  Before Jess could do anything else, the door she and Chase had walked through cracked open, the tinny sound of something metal dropping on the ground. “Abby, get down!” Jess shouted, covering the little girl with her own body. The light and sound of the flash bang grenade nearly blinded her, the ringing in her ears deafening. When Jess opened her eyes, she saw shadows moving around the building, the sound of gunfire. All she could do was protect Abby with her own body. The noise of guns going off echoed on the brick walls of the warehouse. The concussion of each shot thudded in her chest, the noise making it impossible to hear.

  Jess knew that she and Abby were sitting ducks in the cage. If they weren’t caught in the crossfire, Landon or one of his crew might use them as a human shield to try to get away. They couldn’t stay there. Jess gritted her teeth and motioned for Abby to stay on the floor. She crawled over to the gate on her knees and reached up, loosening the lock. It fell to the floor at the same time as shots rang out. Jess dropped to the ground, covering her head with her arms. A second later, the volley stopped and Jess pushed on the gate, the rattle of the chain falling away. She glanced up. The gate was open. The door that would get them outside was maybe forty feet from them. She knew how fast Abby was, but no one was fast enough to outrun a bullet. There was no possible way to know what Walker and his crew were prepared to do.

  As another volley of gunfire roared through the building, Jess covered her ears, shivering under the noise. Still on the floor, she realized the gunshots seemed to be coming from the back corner of the building. Whoever had come in had driven Walker and his crew away from the cage. Why they hadn’t stopped to rescue Jess and Abby, she wasn’t sure, but Jess knew they couldn’t wait. She jumped to her feet, extending her hand behind her toward where Abby was still flat on the floor, “Abby, come on!” she yelled. Jess pushed at Abby from behind, “Run for the door. Go as fast as you can. Don’t stop!”

  Jess took off after her, sprinting as fast as her cramped legs would carry her. Shots rang out overhead, forcing Jess to duck and cover as she ran for the door. Abby got there two strides ahead of Jess. As she pushed the door open, the bright sunlight from the long afternoon streamed through the door. Outside, there were a dozen vehicles. Jess scanned the crowd. Jamison. He was dressed in the same tactical gear that Walker’s crew had on, but with his badge hanging around his neck. Abby stopped just outside of the door, looking confused. “Over here,” Jess said, grabbing her hand and dragging her to Jamison.

  As soon as Jess and Abby got to Jamison, he grabbed them, pulling them behind one of the armored vehicles. He looked at Jess, grabbing both of her arms and staring at her, “Are you okay? What’s going on in there? Who is in there?”

  “It’s just Walker and his crew. Plus, Chase. I don’t know where they are. It sounded like they were in the back corner of the warehouse, so Abby and I ran. The guard — he didn’t lock the padlock on the cage the whole way, so we were able to get out. Is that the SWAT team in there? They didn’t come to get us. Whe
re’s Chase?”

  “I don’t know where Chase is,” Jamison said slowly, “and no, that’s not SWAT. When I got here, there was someone in military fatigues that told me to stand down. He said they’d handle it. Something about a matter of national security.” Jess glanced back toward the building. The door she and Abby ran out of was half open, but it was impossible to see inside, the bright light outside drowning the darkness within. From where they were standing behind the armored vehicle, Jess could hear the occasional rattle of gunshots firing. How anyone had any ammunition left, she didn’t know. When she’d seen Landon and his crew that morning, it was clear they were ready for a fight. She didn’t expect it would take as long as it did for them to settle this. “Chase is still in there,” Jess said, staring at Jamison. Her chest was tight. It felt like every muscle in her body had been made shorter, the stress and strain causing pain to surge everywhere. “Who did you say is running this operation?”

  Jamison pointed a couple more vehicles away from the building. “Right behind there. There’s a guy, I don’t know his name. He got here just as I pulled in. Told me the military was taking over jurisdiction.”

  Jess glanced at Jamison, “Stay with Abby!” Jess ran off just in time to hear Jamison’s voice behind her, telling her to stay put.

  She didn’t.

  Jess darted between a couple of other men dressed in fatigues that were waiting by the back of one of the other vehicles, their combat helmets on, their rifles strapped to their chests, American flag patches on their shoulders. Behind the truck where Jamison had pointed, the doors on the back of the vehicle were open. It was something that looked like a cargo van, with steps that led inside. The interior had three people -- two of them were seated at remote computer monitors that had been bolted to the inside of the van. There was someone else inside, pacing back and forth, his fingers interlocked behind his back, staring at the floor. As he glanced up, he gave Jess a little nod, “You made it out. How’s your niece?”

  Jess shook her head, knitting her eyebrows together, “Who are you?” she said, not answering the question.

  “Lieutenant Commander Mitchell. I’m running this op.”

  There were a couple of murmurs behind Mitchell from the two people monitoring the situation inside. One of them pointed as Mitchell stopped to stare at a computer screen. He glanced back at Jess, “We’re doing our best to get your brother out. The guys in there — they’re some of the best in the business.”

  Confusion washed over Jess, “I don’t understand. Who are you? Who sent you?” Jess glanced behind her, seeing the Tucson SWAT team huddled behind another vehicle just down the block, “Why are you handling this and not SWAT?”

  “Matter of national security. By order of Admiral Dumont and the Secretary of the Navy.”

  As soon as Mitchell said the Secretary of the Navy, all the pieces fell into place. Charlie and the secretary were golf buddies. Somehow, Charlie must have called in a favor. Jess nodded and glanced at the computer screens, “Where’s my brother?”

  Mitchell shook his head, “I can’t see him at the minute. My guys have body cams on, but…”

  Jess didn’t wait for his answer. She sprinted toward the building as fast as her legs could carry her. She ran down the sidewalk, cut across the scrubby grass and got to the door, pulling it open. She heard Jamison’s voice yelling behind her, telling her to stop, telling her to come back and hide behind the vehicle. She couldn’t. Chase was still inside. Landon had taken enough of their family. He wasn’t going to get Chase.

  Just inside the door, Jess crouched down. It was so dark inside the building, she wasn’t sure how anyone could see at all. The military must have cut the power when they breached. Jess hadn’t noticed. She was so busy trying to get Abby out of the cage that it didn’t matter, light from outside casting a long enough glow for her to see how to get out. Now, things were different. She waited for a second, trying to see what was going on. From over her left shoulder, she heard more gunshots, two or three, by her count. She sucked in a breath, her stomach in a knot. What was she doing? She was unarmed in a building where people were chasing each other with live ammunition. This wasn’t paintball. But she had to find Chase. She couldn’t leave him behind. Last she saw, he was with Landon. What if they still had him as a hostage? There was no telling what Landon and his crew would do to Chase if they were able to escape with him. She swallowed. She might never see her brother again.

  Jess inched her way along the wall, staying low, hoping the darkness would cover her. She knew all of Lieutenant Commander Mitchell’s guys had headsets on. She’d heard the audio when she was standing at his command center. She could only hope Mitchell radioed them, letting them know she was in the building so they didn’t shoot her. From where she was, she could see the cage where Abby had been kept all day long, the door pushed open, the abandoned food off to the side. As she pushed herself along the wall, she could see the outline of the command center, all of the monitors dark. There was no way for her to know how big the warehouse was, or how many rooms it might have. She decided her best bet was to stick to the perimeter. At least there was a chance she could find some cover if she did.

  Jess made it to the corner of the building, pausing for a minute. She listened. The only thing she could hear was her own ragged breathing. She inched her foot forward, trying not to make any noise. She couldn’t see anyone, only hearing the occasional rattle of gunfire. For some reason it seemed close and yet far off at the same time. There had to be more to the building, Jess realized, picking up the pace a little bit. She stood up, bent over, dodging behind a few metal barrels as she made her way around the corner. This part of the warehouse was unfamiliar. Ahead of her, a few windows from above showed the outline of another wall and a few doors that were open ahead of her. Maybe those are offices, she thought. Jess pushed her way forward, getting to the first office door. She peered inside, just in time for more gunfire to erupt, over what sounded like her right shoulder. She ducked down again, a lump forming in her throat. A second later, they dissipated. Voices seemed to echo off the walls, but they seem to be far away.

  There was nothing in the first office, Jess realized as she ran through the door, ducking down on the other side. Nothing except for an old desk and chair that had been abandoned. Crawling around the other side of it, a head of hair appeared on the other side. Jess drew back, until she realized the person was on his back. It was one of Landon’s men. Jess inched forward toward him. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling. She waited for a second, trying to see if his chest moved up and down. Was he just unconscious? Or dead? Jess waited for another second, a shallow breath catching in her throat. She leaned over, scooting toward him. He wasn’t breathing. She put two fingers on his neck, surprised that his skin seemed to have cooled already. No pulse. He was dead. She looked at him for a second, wondering which of Landon’s crew had died. A second later, she realized it was the man that sat outside of the cage while she was in it, the one with the sunflower seeds. Jess thought maybe his name was Reinhardt, or something. “One down, three to go,” she whispered, moving past him.

  On the other side of the office, there was another doorway. It opened up to a massive space, one that Jess didn’t know even existed while she was in the building before. Chains attached to pulleys hung from the three-story ceiling, a couple of mechanic’s lifts positioned off to the side, their metal frames jutting up out of the ground. At the far end of the space, she could see a flight of steps. Leaning forward, Jess noticed they looked to be metal and ran the entire way up to the roof of the building, connecting to a catwalk that spanned the length and width of the ceiling. Jess knelt back behind the wall in the office, blinking, trying to get her bearings. She glanced around the corner again, just in time to see a few dark forms moving, the eruption from the end of their guns lighting up the space with an incandescent red glow that only lasted for a second as the ammunition exploded from the end of the barrel. The noise was so loud Jess covered her ears as it b
ounced off the high ceilings. She could barely think straight.

  Jess crawled around the corner again. From over her shoulder, she saw another body on the floor. Staying low, she ran over to it, wondering if the person was alive or dead. The shadows made it hard for her to see. She dropped to her knees as another volley of bullets sounded, a few of them whizzing right over her head. Dodging behind a couple of crates, she hid, looking at the outline of the person who was down. It looked like Chase, she thought. Was it? If it was, she had to get to him. Her heart started to pound in her chest. Chase had to get through this. Abby needed her dad. She needed her brother.

  Jess didn’t dare stand up with bullets flying overhead. She crawled on her hands and knees, grit from the floor pressing into her palms, trying to get close enough to see if the person curled up on the floor was one of the soldiers or Chase. She stopped for a second, peering around the back corner of the crates she was hiding behind. Glancing up, she noticed that black writing had been stenciled on the side of each crate, but it was impossible for her to read it in the darkness. As another blast of gunshots fired, she stared at the body, realizing there was just enough light as the shots fired to see the shirt on the body looked like it belonged to Chase. She swallowed. He wasn’t moving. Jess waited for a second, listening. Every muscle in her body was tense. As soon as the volley stopped, she crawled as fast as she could over to the form on the floor. From five feet away, even in the darkness, she could see it was Chase. “Chase,” she whispered. “Are you okay?”