by Alan Spencer
Henry's team followed his lead as he entered the helicopter. When Conrad met his father's eyes, he could see through the man's steel facade.
"I'm so sorry, son," Henry said. "You never should've been involved. Forgive me."
Duke gave Conrad a smile and whispered in that brotherly way, "Don't worry, pussy. We've got a plan. You'll be back at your apartment crying into a pillow and reading books in no time."
Bavardi and Amati were the last to get into the chopper. Amati sat next to the pilot.
"Strap yourselves in tight," Amati said. "We're going into the hot zone."
Chapter Ten
A half hour into the helicopter ride, Henry introduced his team to Conrad.
"Everybody, this is my son, Conrad."
Henry pointed to the woman with no shirtsleeves, showing off her bronzed and toned arms. She had a buzz cut and strong hazel eyes.
"This is Scoop. We call her scoop because she used to be a field reporter, until she put down the pen, picked up a gun, and joined the service. She made the right choice. Scoop's a helluva a good solider."
Scoop gave Conrad a good once over. "So Duke told me you lost your balls? Let's hope we can find them again. Maybe when this is over, I can help you. Duke never told me how handsome you are."
Conrad swallowed hard. He was about to come back with something when Henry pointed at the other solider, a softer looking version of Bavardi. He imagined Sylvester Stallone meets Tiger Beat magazine.
"This is Dirty Poncho," Henry said. "He never leaves a mission without being covered in some kind of crazy shit. Blood, mud, gunpowder, ash, you name it, he'll be caked in it by the time this is over."
Dirty Poncho's eyes wouldn't leave Bavardi, Fryer, and Keyes. When they did for a split second, he winked at Conrad.
Henry asked, "Are you okay, Conrad?"
"I feel like hell, but my head's not ringing as hard as it did earlier. I'll live. Maybe."
"I'm so sorry this is happening," Henry said to Conrad. "You deserve a better explanation about what we do. I recruit people to work for ENTECH. We call these people Post-Service Operatives. The PSO's are mostly ex-military, retired soldiers, or good ol' boys who can serve their country better through private means. I'm a talent scout, and I also go on missions. ENTECH takes on anything from terrorism, drug runners, meth cookers, hostage situations, and foreign matters against the United States. We could be in Istanbul one week, and a month later, we're in Missouri kicking in the door of a child pornography ring.
"We're America's shovel. We dig up the shit that the government is too busy to handle, and we bury it deep into the ground. It's not exactly legal, but the crime we're fighting requires that special touch. There's hundreds of us involved in this line of work. It's a special calling. The only problem, it appears our company has been compromised. These idiots think they're getting paid to take us somewhere, and that's it, easy and done. I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I do know it's not what Amati and these bozos have in mind. We're going to do everything to keep you safe until the shit at ENTECH blows over. Until then, I want to find out what this mission is. It might tell us what's going on at ENTECH."
Conrad had no idea what to say to everything that his father told him. It didn't make him feel any better that they were flying over an ocean. There wasn't land in any direction. They were flying over the Gulf of Mexico and going God knows where.
Amati spoke into the loudspeaker. His voice was sharp with authority. "We're approaching the hot zone, so shut the fuck up back there. Any minute, we're touching down."
Chapter Eleven
Conrad wasn't sure what Amati meant by "hot zone". He imagined trench warfare, bombs bursting, and one large number of soldiers shooting at another set of soldiers. For a hot zone, the area was quiet. There was only ocean and the horizon line that was reducing itself from a red-orange color to an early evening purple.
Ten more minutes passed with agonizing sluggishness. Everybody in the helicopter, including Amati's men, was getting antsy. Only a sliver of daylight remained to paint their destination, which was a huge shape in the shadows. It was a long platform with legs that lifted it hundreds of feet above the ocean. He thought of an oil platform, except this was so big, he imagined four platforms combined.
This wasn't an offshore oil drilling rig.
Conrad knew it in his guts.
Large lights gave shape to the platform. Single level and multiple level buildings stood on the platform. The place had no identity or obvious purpose. The pilot was angling in for a landing on the helipad. When he touched down, Amati sounded distressed.
"Okay, team, move out. I don't know how long we're waiting for these late fuckers, but the plan's the same. Move everybody out to the platform, but first, have them dig out the supplies from the helicopter's bottom compartments.
Conrad was escorted out of the helicopter by Bavardi this time. The man twisted his arm hard behind his back, and Conrad gave a pained gasp, but nobody could hear him as the helicopter's propellers kept chopping at air. Bavardi directed Conrad across the helipad at gunpoint to a large door that was the size of a warehouse entrance. Sensor lights came on to bathe the way in blue-white. Fryer and Keyes had his father's team at gunpoint. Henry and Duke were hauling what looked like a large steel toolbox. Scoop and Dirty Poncho were carrying one just like it too.
"What's in the box?" Henry asked. "It's goddamn heavy."
Amati arrived last and didn't answer the question. The man was too busy searching the open platform.
"What's going on here, Amati?" Henry demanded. "Is something wrong? You didn't think this through. Who assigned you this mission? Are you sure, they're from ENTECH? You're too busy thinking dollars and not logistics. You wonder why you never were promoted to my position, Amati? You're impulsive. These jobs require people putting their lives on the line. Critical thinking is everything. The burden is heavy. It's one you can't shoulder, asshole."
Amati erupted, "Say another word, I shoot your son myself!"
Keyes spoke. "Where's the other chopper? You said somebody would be here to take us away, and what about our money?"
Fryer was next with his concerns. "You said this would go smoothly, Amati. Did you fuck us?"
Bavardi growled under his breath and tensed Conrad's arm harder behind his back. Conrad feared the man would rip his arm off if the plan went south. After head butting the bastard, Bavardi would kill Conrad for free.
"They're just late," Amati kept saying, "or we're early. That has to be it. Everything's fine."
Amati checked his watch and kept checking it.
The tension was thickening. The longer it was silent, Conrad thought somebody would talk, but they didn't. Conrad's eyes couldn't adjust to the darkness out there in the ocean. It was dark and mysterious, and it would remain that way.
From up in the sky, two great yellow eyes flashed. A helicopter hovered over the platform. It was hard to see in the dark. Conrad was half-blinded by the intense orbs of light. He could see the two machine gun turrets armed on the sides of the helicopter.
Amati was relieved. "See, I told you ENTECH was on schedule. We'll be out of here in no time. First round of drinks are on me, like I said earlier."
Everything happened so fast. Bullets were spit from the sky. The death rain pinged hard against steel, shedding bright orange sparks. Both teams fell back towards the building closest to the helipad. Conrad was used as a shield to protect Bavardi. Hundreds of rounds were unleashed from the twin turret machine guns. The assault was deafening. Conrad saw the entrance to the main building start to open like a garage door. Once it was open, the bullet fire increased. Bullets rained down in a death wall, pushing them towards the door. They were forced to retreat inside. The moment everybody was inside, the entrance closed itself.
The bullets had ceased, but not the action. Bavardi had lost his firearm while running for his life. Bavardi grabbed Conrad and tried to force him into a headlock. Before that happened, Bavardi was attacked from
behind. Conrad heard that wicked snap crunch of knuckles against jawbone. Bavardi was taken down by Henry. Bavardi clutched onto his mouth as blood funneled through his hands. Did he spit out teeth? No time to know really, Conrad stayed down and watched the action unfold.
Scoop got herself into high gear. She scissor kicked Keyes across the room into a wall. Dirty Poncho made short work of Fryer, giving him a solid blow to the solar plexus with two fists, and then elbowing him right in the nose. Blood shot out Fryer's nose. Next, Henry had Amati up against the wall with his arm twisted behind his back. Duke was collecting the guns taken from the other team members and handing them to Dirty Poncho and Scoop.
Henry ordered everybody to keep Amati's team covered. Conrad watched his dad shove Amati up against a steel wall two more times. "Now what the fuck is this all about?"
Amati couldn't restrain the panic from his voice. "Look, I don't know! I don't know! This wasn't supposed to happen like it did. I was paid to do as I was told. This was not how it was supposed to go down."
"Who gave you this job?"
"ENTECH. I told you."
"If that's true, then when did ENTECH give you this mission?"
"It was only days ago. This was a rushed job."
"Why didn't they just hire us for a job? Why all the hoops to jump through? Why involve Conrad?"
Amati was flustered. Henry kept twisting his arm, and the man caved against the pain. "This isn't like the other jobs. They were afraid you'd say no, and they needed someone of your expertise fast. This is an escalating situation. That's what they told me."
"What is this place?"
"That I don't know."
Henry twisted Amati's arm even more. "Liar! I hope they paid you a mint, because I'm going to beat your fucking face into raw dog meat. Then maybe if I'm nice, I'll drive a bullet through the back of your head and throw you off the edge of the platform."
"No, wait!" Amati shouted. "Release my arm, please. I'll tell you everything I know. I double crossed you, but that doesn't matter, because they double crossed me too."
"You fuck me in my ass, and now your ass is getting fucked. Hurts, doesn't it? How far back do we go, Amati? We've been Post-Service Operatives for how long? We're supposed to serve our country, not ourselves. Then you have the gall to include my son in this mess? So tell me what you know, everything. Tell me a good story, dick face."
Henry released Amati's arm. He aimed a Desert Eagle pistol right at Amati's face, the very gun Henry had taken from Amati when they'd started running from the chopper's gunfire.
"Look in this room," Amati said. "This is the only secure quadrant in the building."
Everybody was sizing up the room now. It was a simple steel square with an exit leading back to the helipad and another set of double doors leading deeper into the installation. Both doors had a light bulb above them that glowed bright red. There were shelves of food supplies, medical supplies, and large quantities of bottled water. By the exit door were the two steel boxes Henry's team had carried in from the helicopter.
Nobody knew what was inside those boxes.
Amati was pouring sweat. He pointed at the steel boxes. "All I had to do was deliver your team here, Henry, along with those supplies. I was to leave on that chopper until it opened fire on us. You know the rest. Everything's fucked."
"So what is this place?" Henry asked.
"It's a research facility."
"So we're here to destroy whatever's in this building?"
"I think so. I wasn't told directly. At first, I thought this was a search and rescue mission. Then I was told that the original project taking place here was scrapped. This is no longer a research facility for environment affairs. It's a chamber of horrors. They want everything in this place destroyed. Then the scientists could come here, see what went wrong, and start over."
"Then why not blow this place off the map?" Henry asked. "Napalm the shit out of this steel box and call it a day, right? They could start over, no problem."
"They're afraid whatever's in here could fall into the water beneath our feet. If that happens, it'll spread, and then containing it would be impossible."
"What will spread?"
"Listen to me, this is more important. They said ENTECH hired twelve other squads to clean up this mess. Every squad's been taken out, no survivors each time. They asked me to kidnap Conrad to guarantee your help. ENTECH is desperate. They didn't want to take the chance that you'd say no. And you're one of the best, Henry."
"What does ENTECH want us to destroy?"
"Lampreys."
"Lampreys?"
Amati was in his own head. "I should've known better. You're all good people, and I betrayed you, but you don't understand. I was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The doctor said I have six months to a year before I succumb to the illness. I just wanted to live high for a while before I died. With the money they were going to pay me, oh man, I'd go out like a fucking fiesta.
"Look, we're here now without a choice in the matter and I'm willing to help. We can clean this situation up. Let's band together and kick some ass like the good old days. ENTECH had a good argument. If we can't stop what's on this installation, nobody can. That could mean death for everybody. If this spreads, there's no stopping it. The lampreys are out of control. I've seen pictures and security feeds. They're an abomination. Somebody has to stop them, and the only person is you, Henry."
Bavardi dug into his belt and pulled out a snub-nosed bulldog. Amati's forehead bloomed red. Amati's eyes were wild, frozen in that death stare, as his body lost its balance and fell backwards. The dead man landed in his own scattered brains. By the time everybody reacted to Amati's execution, Bavardi already had his gun aimed at Conrad's head.
Everybody aimed their guns at Bavardi, including Henry. "Put the gun down, Bavardi. Can't you see this isn't going to work out in your favor?"
Bavardi face wasn't intimidating anymore. He was terrified. "I shot Amati, so I'll shoot this maggot too. I'm not going into that place. You go in, and I'll wait here. Conrad won't get hurt if you complete the mission. Fuck Amati, fuck ENTECH, and fuck you guys. I'm taking Conrad with me as collateral. You get him back alive if you kill everything in there and survive. ENTECH told me if Amati caved, I could take over. My job's to ensure you go in there and clean house."
Everybody was startled when the exit to the platform opened. Bavardi looked around in confusion. Then it occurred to him somebody was listening. There were security cameras everywhere.
A deep voice spoke on the intercom. "Step outside while the others complete the mission."
Conrad was forced to backpedal with Bavardi as they retreated onto the platform. Conrad watched his father and brother and their looks of horror and helplessness. Then the garage closed again. He was all alone with Bavardi.
Chapter Twelve
Henry ran to the exit door. There wasn't any mechanism to open or close it. Conrad couldn't be reached. Whoever had closed it, it had been done by a remote signal. Amati had created so many problems in so little time. Amati felt remorse for what he'd done to the team. Faced with cancer, he had made poor decisions, but Henry wasn't Amati. Faced with death, Henry had to make the correct, critical decisions to save everybody and somehow get Conrad back from Bavardi.
Bavardi, now there was a beast of a problem. Bavardi was a good solider, but he'd also suffered a good deal of psychological torture in his time. He was captured by a rogue group of terrorists in Iraq. He was taken to the bottommost dwelling of a cave and tortured for two months straight. Bavardi survived, having escaped his cell and killing everybody involved with his bare hands. Henry hired him because of his heroism, but he also required the man to take medication and visit a therapist. Bavardi suffered from violent tendencies. And that man had his son. Henry was scared to think what Bavardi could do to his son if he had the chance. Conrad had no fighting skills. He was a college English professor. This was not a good place for him.
Henry put that information as
ide. First, he had to find out what Keyes and Fryer knew about Amati's workings with ENTECH and what was going on inside these buildings.
Duke, Scoop, and Dirty Poncho had each of them at gunpoint.
"Tell me what you know, Fryer," Henry said. "Go."
Before anything could be said, the intercom addressed them, “FIVE MINUTES BEFORE ENTRY."
"Shouldn't we find out what's in those boxes," Fryer argued. He kept eying the barrel of Duke's pistol. "Look, Keyes and I are as confused as you are. Amati said we'd take you guys here, drop you off, and we'd get paid two million a piece. None of this other shit was supposed to happen. Everybody's ass got fucked on the deal."
Keyes was angry, and she didn't lose an ounce of nerve with a gun in her face. "Yes, we betrayed you, but we're in here together now. I'm assuming whatever's behind that door is pretty fucking scary. I know nothing you don't already know."
"FOUR MINUTES BEFORE ENTRY."
Henry did his best to keep his head on straight. Too many concerns and ideas were attacking him at once. "Duke, find out what's in those boxes. Dirty Poncho, keep your guns on these two. I need to think."
ENTECH was more solid and trustworthy than the United States government. So what had happened? Why did ENTECH set up the kidnapping?
Confusion.
Everything was so mixed up.
Soldiers, good, honest Americans, had turned against him. This was by design. Amati was coming back to himself before Bavardi shot him in the head. The group that perpetrated this mission was smart and deceptive.
Henry had to be smarter than ENTECH.
He also had to be safe.
"We're working together," Henry said, making his decision. "Take your guns off of Fryer and Keyes. We have to get along if we're going to live."
"Are you sure?" Duke was eying his fellow comrades like dog shit. "They betrayed us."