“We have to hurry.” Marco dragged the guard closest to them towards the booth. Dalton ran ahead of him and started to strip the guard inside of his uniform. Marco came in next and stripped his guard of the uniform as well.
They quickly dressed and deposited the unconscious bodies in the closet. Marco picked up his identity card and placed it in his pocket. He checked the surveillance cameras and touched his earbud.
“Jackal, are you in yet?”
“Yeah, I’m all set. How about you?”
“We’re at the front gate, all cleared,” said Marco. “Need you to loop surveillance footage on the cameras, can you do that?”
“Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“There any record of where they’re holding Tauna?”
There were a few moments of silence as Jackal checked the facility’s records. When he finished, he said, “Nope, no mention of her or any other prisoners being detained.”
“Are you sure this is the right place?” asked Dalton.
“Positive,” said Marco. “They’re probably trying to keep it quiet. Minimize the chance Dante would discover where she’s being held.”
“So what now?”
“Jackal, follow us on camera, loop the feed wherever you need to. Just long enough for us to get past,” said Marco. “Any longer and the facility’s security will pick up on it sooner or later.”
“You’re the boss.”
Marco nodded to Dalton. “We have to move quickly. Not only is Tauna’s life in danger, but won’t take long for them to realize there’s no one standing guard out here.”
Dalton nodded his understanding. The two men walked from the booth and up to the front entrance. Earlier, Marco spotted two guards standing there. But now when he approached, they were gone.
“Sent them a false alert,” said Jackal over the comms.
“I think I love you,” said Marco.
“You’re not my type.”
Marco removed the keycard he’d stolen off the guard and placed it against the scanner by the side of the door. The light turned green and the automatic doors parted for them. They walked down the corridor, side-by-side.
“Act natural,” whispered Marco.
“Relax, not the first time I’ve had to infiltrate a place like this,” said Dalton.
Marco slowed as they approached a junction. “Jackal?”
“You’re clear.”
He and Dalton turned the corner and continued walking. They passed a few guards along the way, giving a quick nod to them. Turnover was pretty high at these facilities, so no one really knew each other well enough to recognize someone out of place.
Marco stopped at another door with a sign labeled STAIRS beside it. He opened it and stepped inside, quickly moving down the stairwell with Dalton following.
“Prisoners are usually kept on the lowest level,” whispered Marco, not only for Dalton’s benefit but also Jackal’s. “Once we get down there, we should be able to find her.”
They reached the bottom of the stairs. Marco gripped the door handle but didn’t turn it. He touched his hand to the earbud. “Jackal?”
“Clear.”
Marco opened the door and he and Dalton entered the sub-basement’s corridor. They walked slowly down the hall, approaching the next corner.
“Careful, you’ve got company,” said Jackal.
Marco knew it. He and Dalton could hear the voices nearby. They approached the edge of the corridor. The two voices were easy for him to make out.
“This has gotten out of control.” The voice had a smoothness to it, with a bit of an edge. Johnny Venom, no doubt about it.
“I didn’t tell you the full story because I had no idea.” Michael Chandler. If he was called out to this facility, it means Venom learned something important enough to bring the Agency Director out in person.
“We’re dealing with a man every bit as dangerous as Dante and he hates us just as much,” said Venom. “Virgil isn’t someone to be trifled with.”
Marco arched his eyebrows in curiosity. He glanced to his side and saw Dalton had the same confusion on his face. Dalton mouthed the word, “Virgil?” Marco shrugged and shook his head.
Dalton moved in closer and whispered. “We have to take them down.”
Marco nodded. He and Dalton drew their weapons and moved out from cover, aiming them at the two men.
“Agent Marco, I presume,” said Venom. He looked at Marco’s companion. “Ah, and Mr. Moore. An unlikely partnership.”
“Marco? What the—?”
“Shut up, Chandler,” said Marco.
“Tauna. Where is she?” asked Dalton.
Johnny Venom scoffed. His movements were quick and before Marco or Dalton could blink, Venom had drawn the sword hidden within his cane. He lunged first for Marco, knocking the gun from his hand and kicking him in the head. Venom sprung next at Dalton, grabbing his weapon by the barrel and pulling it away, then kicking him in the abdomen.
Despite his age, the arms dealer was extremely spry. He kicked both discarded guns out of reach. Marco and Dalton stood, getting ready to take him on in a fight. Chandler, however, had already managed to scamper off somewhere.
Venom’s scowl transformed rapidly into a smile. “Ah, there you are, my dear. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Dalton and Marco turned around and they saw Venom’s top assassin standing behind them. Fiona held guns in both hands and had a wide grin on her face.
CHAPTER 19
Tauna could hear the sounds of battle coming from outside the door. She recognized Marco’s voice and…Dalton’s? Couldn’t be, he swore to never work with Dante again. But she couldn’t concern herself with that right now.
Her hands were still cuffed behind the chair. There was only one chance to get free. She ran her right index finger along her left wrist. When she felt the stiff object beneath her skin, she squeezed around it.
A small, trickle of blood ran down her hand as she pushed the thin, metal pin through the skin. Once it was out enough, she took it in her fingers and pulled it free, letting out a sigh of relief once it was gone.
Tauna worked the pin into the lock on the handcuffs. She now heard gunshots outside. It could have been her side taking out their enemies. But there was a chance it had gone another way.
The handcuff opened and Tauna pulled her arms around in front. She used the pin to unlock the cuff around her other wrist, then got to work on the ones around her ankles. Tauna stood, stretching her arms and allowing the blood flow to return to normal.
The sounds of battle still went on outside. She went to the door, but it was locked. Tauna slammed her palm against its surface, then looked back at the chair and the two-way mirror.
Picking up the chair, Tauna threw it at the mirror with all the strength she could muster. The glass shattered, revealing the monitoring room just on the other side. Tauna crawled over the partition and went to the door.
Fortunately, that one was open.
As soon as she stepped into the corridor, she had to move right back inside to avoid being hit by a stray bullet. Tauna took a breath and opened the door again, this time staying low.
Fiona stood there with pistols in both hands. Marco and Dalton were now on the ground and Johnny Venom had his sword drawn. The two stood over her friends and Tauna had to act fast.
She saw a gun nearby and silently rushed, picking it up quickly. Taking aim, she aimed at the back of Johnny Venom’s head. Tauna pulled the trigger.
There was no gunshot, just a pfft sound. Venom cringed and put his hand to the back of his head. No entry wound. But he collapsed all the same. Tauna shook her head and looked down at the weapon in her hand. Dalton’s tranquilizer gun.
But it drew Fiona’s attention. She turned to open fire. But as she squeezed off her first shot, Tauna had already crossed nearly half the distance between them. Infernum’s top assassin rolled on the ground to avoid the bullets. Once she completed her roll, she sprung to her feet and jumped at Fiona.
<
br /> Tauna grabbed Fiona’s wrist and pushed her arm up, bullets firing futilely at the ceiling. Tauna kicked Fiona’s legs out from under her and Venom’s assassin fell on her back. Fiona wrapped both her legs around Tauna’s, bringing her to the ground by her side.
Fiona was on top of Tauna now, and she reached for her pocket, drawing something free. A blur of metal and then Tauna saw the balisong held by Fiona in a reverse-grip, the blade pointed right down at Tauna’s face.
“It’s been nice,” said Fiona. “A shame you didn’t live up to your legend.”
Fiona raised her arm, about to ram the balisong into Tauna’s face. Tauna closed her eyes, but she never felt the attack. She heard the sound of Fiona grunting and the weight was off her torso.
Tauna opened her eyes and sat up. Dalton had tackled Fiona to the ground and now wrestled with her. They both struggled for the same knife, but though Dalton was skilled, he didn’t match Fiona’s level and it wasn’t long before she had him at her mercy.
Think fast, she told herself. Tauna saw Venom’s discarded sword-cane and picked it up. Tauna moved closer and stabbed the blade towards Fiona. The assassin had apparently picked up on Tauna’s movements, though. She swung the balisong around to deflect the sword strike and quickly got to her feet, pulling Dalton up with her and pressing the balisong to his throat.
Tauna hesitated, taking a step back, but still maintaining her defensive stance. She fixed her brown eyes on Fiona and the brunette assassin slyly grinned.
“Dalton Moore, right?” asked Fiona. “Know him by reputation. Word is you and him had a bit of a tryst in Europe, am I right?” Fiona clicked her tongue a few times in succession. “Oh honey, you should’ve known better than that. Developing feelings? Isn’t that against the rules?”
Tauna had only one chance at this and she knew she had to be right. She made eye contact with Dalton, coiled the sword, and rammed it through his abdomen.
The blade went through Dalton’s body and into Fiona’s. Her face went white and she dropped the knife. Tauna caught it before it hit the ground. She wrapped her hand around Fiona’s throat and pulled her off the sword, then jammed the knife into her forehead. Fiona’s eyes stayed fixed in that position and she fell into a heap on the ground.
Tauna moved to Dalton’s side and helped steady him, gently laying him on the ground. He looked at the sword sticking out of his body, then gave Tauna an angry stare.
“What the fuck?”
“I was careful not to hit any major organs,” said Tauna. “Where’s Marco?”
“After you got Fiona off our backs, he said he was going after Chandler,” said Dalton. “Said he was probably going to the hangar.”
“Then that’s where we need to go, so we can get you some medical attention.”
Tauna pulled Dalton’s arm around her shoulders and stood, steadying him. He cringed with every moment, but didn’t offer any further complaints. But as they started to move down the corridors, Tauna realized something else. She looked at Dalton.
“Where’s Venom?”
***
Chandler stumbled as he ran into the hangar. A helicopter sat waiting and he rushed for the door. He opened it and was just about to climb in, when a gunshot caused him to duck. Chandler looked to the source of the gunshot and saw Jack Marco walking towards him, his gun pointed at him.
“So you set me up, huh?” asked Marco.
“Don’t get all self-righteous with me, Jack. You were a fucking mole.” Chandler tried to climb into the helicopter again, but Marco fired another shot. The Agency director backed away. “Goddammit!”
“You’re not getting out of this one, Chandler,” said Marco as he approached. “I remember being so proud when I joined the Agency. Only to later learn that it was all a big con. Soon as I figured that out, I hooked up with Infernum.”
“We suspected, you know,” said Chandler. “Even before Russia, we knew Dante had to have someone on the inside. After Mexico, we even thought it might be Kim for a while, that’s why I sidelined her for so long.”
“You used her to lure me out. Knew that I’d risk blowing my cover if it meant saving my friend’s life.”
“Of course. You weren’t about to let another good agent die, not when you were in a position to stop it. Even if it meant blowing your cover.” Chandler snickered. “Didn’t want another Christian Pierce on your hands, did you?”
Marco’s grip tightened on the gun as he moved closer. “Yeah, I tipped off Infernum about Pierce. That led to his death and that’s something I’m gonna have to live with. But at least I can do something about you to try and start making things right. Then I can see to it that Julie gets out of this game safe and sound.”
Chandler held up his hands to try and calm Marco. “Now, let’s talk about this, Jack. You don’t want to kill me.”
“Oh no, I really do.”
“Think for a minute!” said Chandler. “I run the Agency, that makes me a very important man to the Cabal. We can go together, right now. I can put in a good word for you. These are the most powerful people in the world, there’s nothing they can’t make happen.”
Marco lowered the gun.
“That’s right.” Chandler began to smile. “See, Jack? We can be reasonable. Now let’s get in the helicopter and we’ll go somewhere safe, wait this all out. And when the dust settles, you’ll be a new man.”
Marco brought the gun up again and fired until the gun spat out its final round. Chandler collapsed into a pool of his own blood, the glasses falling from his face. Marco holstered the gun.
“No thanks, I quit.”
“Marco!”
He turned and saw Tauna and Dalton coming in. Then he noticed the sword in Dalton’s body. “What the fuck?”
“Long story,” she said.
“She ran me through with a fucking sword to kill Fiona,” said Dalton, groaning as Marco took his other arm.
“Fine, it’s not that long,” said Tauna. “Shall we go before reinforcements arrive?”
CHAPTER 20
Draconi’s eyes fluttered open as he heard the sound of locks turning. He sat up on the bed, still shackled to it. A switch was flicked and the room flooded with light. The sudden change caused Draconi to shut his eyes and cringe. When he finally was able to see again, he watched as Virgil entered the room with Dante by his side.
“So,” he said. “Both disappointments decided to show their faces.”
“You see?” asked Virgil. “I told you he wouldn’t be so amenable to our cause.”
“Mason,” said Dante, ignoring his ex-partner. “Good to see you again.”
“Wish I could say the same, kid,” said Draconi. “Truth is, you’re both full of shit.”
Dante raised an eyebrow. “Care to explain that assessment?”
Draconi gave a chuckle. “What, you think the Agency was just some sort of…of higher calling? It was just a job. You were supposed to do the job, retire with your pension, and then die somewhere under a fake name. You were supposed to be a goddamn professional.”
“It’s hardly that simple,” said Dante. “We learned what the Agency—”
“The Cabal? Fuck that,” said Draconi. “You think I didn’t know?”
Dante closed his mouth. He looked in Virgil’s direction and saw his former partner had a wide smile plastered on his face. Dante kept his gaze fixed on his former mentor.
“Of course I knew,” said Draconi. “But it didn’t matter, did it? I was always a soldier of fortune, kid. I never gave a shit about who was signin’ my checks because in the end, they’re all the same.”
Draconi raised his hand as best he could, pointing at the two of them. “You two. Why do you think you were chosen? Orphans. No family, no connections, nothing to believe in. We took you in and gave you a purpose. And you thought that meant, what, that you were special?”
He chuckled.
“We were tired of working for the bad guys,” said Dante. “We were trying to make things better.”
> “Yeah, and that’s the problem—you can’t.” Draconi shook his head. “You take down the Cabal and then what happens? The rich and powerful will just sit idly by? There will be another Cabal. And another after them. And then another, and so on. You can’t get rid of them, because someone’s always ready and willing to step up and take their place. Nature abhors a vacuum, fellas.”
“Means we shouldn’t try?” asked Virgil.
“Means you should focus on covering your own ass. You both knew what you were signing up for when I came to you all those years ago.”
“Not for this,” said Dante.
“Oh no?” Draconi scoffed. “You were living on the street when I found you. The second I put a gun in your hand, you couldn’t wait to use it. Don’t forget, I was there when you scored your first kill. I saw the look in your eyes. You enjoyed it.”
“Killing someone who deserved it, yes. But that—”
“Oh shut up,” said Draconi. “Don’t try and rationalize this, you hypocrite. Your problem—both of you—is that you can’t accept the fact that we’re all bad guys. Agency, Infernum, Cabal, these names don’t mean anything. You kill people for money. You gamble with people’s lives. You both need to man the fuck up and stop trying to convince yourselves that you’re somehow better.”
“That’s a lesson I’ve learned,” said Virgil. “It’s why I’m bringing it all down.”
Dante took a deep breath and stepped closer to Draconi. He looked down into his old mentor’s eyes.
“Mason, you taught me everything I know. You taught me how to shed attachments, how to make myself strong. Virgil here, he thought he could play upon my sympathies. That because you were the closest thing I’d ever had to a father, I would throw reason out the window and do whatever he wants.”
Dante glanced up at Virgil. “That is what you expected, right?”
Shadow Brokers (Infernum Book 5) Page 8