Something crossed my mind, but I wasn't sure if I should ask Heathers or Nancy. Heathers was right there. I asked, "How does this event affect Nancy's map with different shades of pink anarchy?"
"A lot is going to depend on the video, if there is one. We retrieved a number of cell phones with videos from people at the scene, but it's very possible one slipped through our grasp."
Shit.
Chapter Forty-Eight
After lunch, Heathers appeared at my door. We walked to Archangel's room, then to each of the others. Heathers led the way to a conference room I'd never been in before. There were six big fluffy chairs set up in a circle.
We all took seats. Nobody said anything.
Archangel cleared his throat. "I made it clear, before. I have nothing to say."
"I agree," Zen said. "There's nothing to discuss."
Ayes and nodding followed. Heathers and I were quiet.
"We need to talk about this," Heathers said. "Seventeen innocent people died."
The room was quiet. Sphinx said, "MindBender addicts."
"Dancers."
Heathers was not helping matters.
Thomas sighed. "It was them or us. If we hadn't opened fire, we would be dead."
I looked from one team member's face to the next. I saw regret and remorse, but not forgiveness. "We have to get past this. We have to forgive ourselves."
Archangel started to cry. "We did the wrong thing. We made a mistake."
"It was a mistake, but our other choice would mean more of us were dead."
"Bad enough we lost GeoSix," Sphinx said. "I'm fine with this. We screwed up, but we did the only thing we could have."
"They haven't been giving me my medicine in detention," Thomas said.
"You poor boy," Zen said.
Heathers cracked her neck in a circle. "Standard procedure. All medicines are reviewed in detention. Do you need it that bad?"
Thomas shook his head. "It allows me to sleep right."
"I'll make sure you have an edible tonight."
He clapped his hands together.
The door opened. Nancy was there. "Can I join you?"
"Of course," Heathers said.
Nancy stepped into the room. "Charges against all of you are being dropped, but therapy sessions will continue until morale improves."
Damn, Nancy just told a joke. What?
She continued, "A video has surfaced."
The room must have some kind of sound dampening in the walls and floor or something, because I'd never experienced that much quiet before.
"The video paints everything in a bad light. It shows your troop gunning down dancers," Nancy said. "It does not show the shots from the blast rifle."
"It's all over the Internet?" I asked.
Nancy laughed. "All over does not do it justice."
I had an idea. Still had my cell phone, too. I rang Joe. He answered after the second ring.
"How long would it take you to build a first-person shooter video game?" I asked. "I assume there are libraries for that kind of thing. Reusable code."
Joe paused for just a moment. "How many doughnuts is it worth to you?"
"I was thinking ice cream sandwiches."
"Twenty-five hundred calories a day, including treats, until it's finished."
"We really just need a demo, and we need it right now."
Everybody was looking at me. Joe spoke very quietly, "2500 calories a day for two weeks straight, with treats, I'll have it for you in three days. I'm assuming you want the demo to show footage that's going around the Internet."
"You're a smart man, Joe."
"I want Nancy to approve of our arrangement."
I held the phone out to Nancy. "Joe is going to make and pretend to release a video game with the footage in it, but he needs 2500 calories a day for two weeks, including a lot of treats and desserts."
"I can't do that," Nancy said.
"He'll lose weight on that diet."
"He's at high risk of developing diabetes. I can do 2500 a day, but no sugar."
I sighed. I moved the phone to my ear. Looked Nancy in the eyes. "One 15gm of sugar snack a day."
Nancy squinted.
I spoke into the phone, "The best I can do is 2500 calories a day for two weeks, with a 15gm sugar treat every day. Unlimited sugary treats is not going to fly."
"I pick the treat?" Joe asked.
I held the phone out to Nancy. She snatched it up. "You can pick the treat."
She hung up the phone. "Releasing a video game may fix this."
Nothing is ever going to fix this. Not for me.
"We're not under arrest?" I asked.
"Our therapy session is not over. Sam is in class," Heathers said. "Sit down."
Nancy pushed past me and sat in my seat. "It didn't have your name on it."
Was Nancy drunk? I had to know. "Have you been drinking?" I asked.
"A little vodka. What are you, the fun police?"
Maybe I was. Kind of surprised was all.
Nancy whistled. A man stepped through the door pushing a cart. On the cart, a variety of alcoholic beverages waited. Including, two ice buckets full of craft beer. I grabbed one of those. Thomas and Zen started slicing lemons and doing shots of tequila. Archangel never even moved. Sphinx made a glass of ice and poured bourbon into it. Heathers and Nancy stayed seated.
The beer was good, with a hint of sweet spice. I stole Zen's seat. Thomas and Zen seemed determined to finish the bottle of tequila, and I was feeling awfully thirsty.
Archangel put his hands together and leaned forward in his chair. "This is how you're all going to deal with this? You're just getting drunk?"
Zen smiled at him. "Yes. I need at least six shots."
"I'm just having two beers," I said.
"Leave us," Nancy said. "Go say hello to your wife, or exercise. You don't have to stay."
"Thank you," Archangel said.
He left. I finished my second beer. Sent Sam a text, "I'm free! When can we meet?"
Chapter Forty-Nine
The only downside I could figure out to dating Sam was the constant euchre battles. I mean, she would happily watch a movie or exercise, but if she had her way, we were looking for opponents to play euchre with. She was a good partner, too.
A couple of days passed, and we were in bed after some heavy petting.
"We need signals," she said.
"What?"
"Like, simple stuff. If I dealt, and you have a Jack of the proper color, catch my eyes and lift either your left or right or both eyebrows."
That's not right. "That would be cheating."
She grabbed my hand and squeezed. "We need to win, baby."
I'm not going to cheat at cards. "I don't think it would be right."
"Do you plan to continue to date me?"
That was a good question. "You can't ask me to cheat at cards. It's not right, and our relationship is more important than our standing as card players."
"I can ask, and I have asked. We don't have to cheat for every hand. Just enough to get to ten."
Now I understood why she was under psych review. What choice did I really have? "I'll think about it. Ask me again in a few days." Maybe I'd get killed in a mission before then. My girlfriend was threatening to break up with me if we don't cheat at euchre. And I was considering it. What had I become?
I was having breakfast with Sam, when Nancy approached our table. She sat down.
"New mission?" I asked.
"Yes," Nancy replied. "I need to brief you."
Sam kissed me and ran off to parts unknown.
Nancy said, "Pick three teammates."
"Archangel, Enigma, Zen." All three of them were sitting at another table with Sphinx and Thomas. We rounded them up and headed for Nancy's office.
Nancy summoned a three-dimensional hologram. It was a large structure set up near a rocky beach. Three large pipelines ran from the structure to the ocean. A number of power lines ran into the bui
lding, and more pipes exited the building.
"Desalinization plant?" I asked.
"On paper, yes," Nancy said, "but a large portion of equipment that they've bought from companies run by high-level Centurian people that your team captured. The concern is the whole facility is a front for something major."
"But what could they possibly be fronting?"
"The only thing our engineers are thinking is a jump gate to the Razdoran home system. It's the only thing they could be building that would need that much power."
What possible need would they have for that other than convenience?
Enigma snapped the fingers on her right hand. "Interstellar quarantine stops them from shipping biologicals."
"That is the concern," Nancy said.
"So what?" I asked.
Enigma punched me on the arm. "If you studied."
Zen sat down and started spinning the holographic structure around. "Twice in galactic history, two intelligent species released a virus on themselves and were almost wiped out. Both times Razdorans were able to lay claim to their planets."
"They were cleared of it," Archangel said. "No evidence was found that Razdoran introduced those viruses."
Damn. They wanted our planet that bad that they'd kill everybody? "I have a hard time believing they're this desperate."
"Planets with life that is not intelligent are totally off limits. There are maybe three planets in explored space that are viable for Razdorans right now, and the other two are close to being unified under one government body."
"Let me see if I am understanding. You guys think the Razdorans are building a jump gate in Southern California to transport a virus into our ecosystem which will wipe out most of mankind?"
The room got quiet. "What else could it be?" Zen asked.
Nancy cleared her throat. "Your team is going to join forces with JenSix, and two of her people. You'll pretend to be on a state inspection task force. You must find the jump gate, plant explosives, and destroy it. We can only pray it's not yet operational."
If it was operational, we'd know. We'd be dead.
"Weapons?" I asked.
"Standard issue 9mm are too big and bulky," Nancy said. "You'll be wearing a holster on the small of your back, loaded with ten 9mm rounds. You will have one spare nine round magazine. Plus a stunner that looks like a cell phone. Zip ties. Plus a blade in a shoulder holster. No jackets. Lab coats to cover everything up."
"I want explosive rounds," Zen said.
"Unacceptable."
Zen smiled. "Just in the bottom of my magazine. My last three shots. It may be the difference between success and failure."
"I want a submachine gun," Archangel said.
Nancy glared at both of them. "Quiet you. The last shot in your magazines can be explosive if you want. I hadn't considered that option."
We nodded.
"JenSix's team is ready for you," Nancy said. "The explosives are ready. Other than reloading magazines… The clock is ticking. The plane will be loaded with armament by the time you get there."
We ran for the garage. I drove fast. Sent Sam a text. "Love you."
"You do not. You're just in it for the euchre."
I smiled.
Chapter Fifty
The plane took off. Archangel opened a weapons case. "Have any of you fired one of our 9mm minis?"
"I've never even seen one," Zen replied.
"They actually kick a lot harder than our standard 9mm."
"We should make certain they reloaded the magazines."
"I agree," I said.
I opened one of the cases. A few things stared back at me. What may in fact have been the tiniest pistol I'd ever seen, but I was no expert on pistols, other than my standard issue.
Archangel held up one of the minis. He pointed at a button on the handle. "Magazine release." He pointed at a lever on the side. "Slide."
"No safety?" Enigma asked.
Archangel shook his head.
I dropped the magazine into my hand. One by one the bullets came out. The last bullet was not explosive. Zen had a box of those. I watched and counted, and she put three of the little monsters into her magazine. I put one in mine. Filled the other eight up with hollow points. I wasn't watching Enigma or Archangel load. I only saw Zen's because she had the box of ammo.
I attached the holster for the mini. It was a lot like a set of suspenders. I put the shoulder holster on next. The second magazine didn't have an explosive round in the bottom at all. I glanced at Zen. She put an explosive round in her second magazine, then another and another. I thought she'd reach for a hollow point, but she didn't, she kept loading explosives.
I didn't say a word. If we needed the explosives, we'd have them. If we didn't need them, great. The rest of us loaded our second magazine with one explosive and with the rest hollow points.
I put the knife in my armpit. The stunner that was a cell phone went on a belt loop. My actual cell phone that I used to text Sam went in my pocket.
Within a few minutes, everybody was rigged with both holsters. I felt naked as Hell without my leather jacket, and it was the kind of bad naked where I wasn't even erect.
Archangel managed to produce a deck of cards from somewhere. "Euchre?"
"Screw euchre," I said. "Play Hearts."
"No way to keep score."
"Use the terminal."
"Just play euchre," Zen said.
Damnit I played so much euchre. "I'd rather nap."
Our terminal on board started beeping. I pushed the answer button.
JenSix's voice carried through the terminal. "Who's there?"
"Bear," I said. "I brought Archangel, Enigma, and Zen."
"We're going straight from the airport to the facility. A few hundred construction workers are there at any given time. We can't go in guns blazing. I've scheduled an inspection with a manager there. Mr. Cline."
"It's not like the jump gate is going to be easy to find."
"It's going to be huge, you idiot," Zen said. "At least a hundred meters tall."
"It could be 100 meters horizontal," JenSix said. "If you look at the official plans, versus the satellite map, there is a 300 meter space on the east side of the structure that is not in the plans."
"So we just put on lab coats and walk in?" I asked.
"I'm thinking there's got to be some way to reach the jump gate. Either a hidden door, or some kind of passageway. Something we can't find until we're inside the place."
"Why bring us in? You've got a full team."
JenSix paused. "Nancy didn't tell you?"
"Tell us what?" Archangel asked.
"My team was ambushed. I have been trying to requisition new teammates, but it seems everybody is still in training. GreenMel, Jack, and Sam are highest on my list, and they're a team, but GreenMel's in a coma. Jack's still hurt."
She can't recruit Sam anyhow. My penis won't reach from Phoenix to LA. "Surely there are other teams you can recruit from?"
"Yes. I do have two people with me. So we will have seven."
"It's a large structure," I said. "How will we find anything?"
"Each of us will have a toolbox," JenSix said. "Mine will have a volt ohm meter in it that is actually a tiny sonar sensor. It will pick up on open space on the other side of walls or in the floor. Everybody's toolbox will be packed with explosives underneath some basic tools."
"Is the Mr. Cline, who is going to guide us on our tour, a Centurian agent?" Zen asked.
"Likely, but if we take him out, we'll be giving ourselves away. We may end up being against hundreds, if we do it publicly."
I did not like this mission. We were the best for sure. It was our job. I would do my job. But I secretly wished I was back in bed with Sam.
"I'll see you shortly," JenSix said.
We waited. I pulled up the known plans for the structure we were hitting. I compared this to satellite photos. There was definitely a big gap on the eastern side of the structure that was unaccounte
d for. The plane touched down. We stepped outside.
JenSix and two males were waiting. One male was built like a ton of bricks and Hispanic. The other strangely looked like DogSeven, my old teammate.
Archangel shouted, "Jesus!" He pronounced it hay-soos.
The two giants among us approached each other, jumped in the air, puffed out their chests, and bounced off each other grinning the whole time. Archangel said, "This is Jesus."
Zen raised her hand. "Zen."
"Enigma."
The DogSeven lookalike said, "I'm DogEight."
I was like, Hell no, but what could I do? It wasn't my place. DogSeven was a good friend, and here's DogEight.
Chapter Fifty-One
DogEight had a duffle bag, from which he produced lab coats for us. Two sedans were nearby, with water works logos and state tags. JenSix walked towards them. "Drive, Bear, and follow us."
Into the gates of Hell.
We drove. The complex had a three meter tall chain link fence with razor wire in loops on top. There was a manned gate in the front, which led to a parking lot. JenSix said something to the guard, and he waved us through. We parked in the lot and pulled our cases out of the trunk. My case weighed about fifteen kilos, and I carried it in my left. Not that any of my armament was easily accessed by my right, but if I had that case, it would have slowed me down.
We walked towards the structure. It was a giant box. We were parked on the north side. Three men smiled at us. They were wearing lab coats like ours, plus hardhats and eye protection. I couldn't tell if they were armed or not. The center man said, "I'm Cline. You need hardhats and eye protection. These are my assistants."
The left man held his hand out to shake. "Bill Porter."
JenSix shook hands with him.
The right man said, "George."
Cline motioned us inside, and soon enough we had hardhats on and eye protection. I didn't mind the extra gear, but I doubted either would stop a bullet. Guess they could protect us from one of the countless explosive bullets Zen loaded.
Cline led us down a hallway into a massive room. "As you can see, we have six operational low thermal evaporation tanks in place."
Codename: Bear II: Secret Agent (Codename Universe Book 2) Page 16