Gideon then navigated the halls, walking with authority and purpose. There were virtually no employees, government or civilian, here at night on a Saturday, at least not on the surface levels, beyond security. The few workers were down below with the captives. He took a secure elevator that required pass code, pass card, and retina scan to get it to work between floors, otherwise it would allow the person or persons to enter but the doors would close on them and the lift would not move, trapping them in a steel box for security personnel to come and retrieve. He passed the security measures with no issue and took the elevator to a sub level that was actually between levels and the back of the elevator box opened to reveal a vertically lifting door. He exited the elevator and walked a few steps to a secure door that he again, easily bypassed with Grimsley’s security code, security card, and biometric scans. He stepped into the room, pulled the gun from the shoulder holster he was wearing and shot the three men in the head before any could pull their own weapons or even vocally protest. Then he surveyed the room. Two walls were occupied entirely by security camera view screens below which was a curved table style desk setup built onto the wall with keyboards and inset computer monitors. The door was on the third wall and most narrow wall. The fourth wall had tied up cords for electronics being fed through the wall and various manuals and checklists hanging from hooks. There were three of the computer setups and each had a security guard slumped over the keyboard and the screens on the opposite side from Gideon were broken and sprayed with blood and brain matter, the upper screens were clear. No alarms sounded.
Gideon went to the nearest station and shoved the guard to the floor, then took his seat. He was about to enter commands on the keyboard when he stopped, leaned down and pulled a walkie talkie from the dead man’s utility belt. He thumbed the walkie talkie into the on position. “Jamie, we are a go,” he said and dropped the walkie talkie onto the dead body. “Who is Jamie?” “Was that Grimsley?” “What…” Gideon heard voices come over the frequency asking questions in their confusion and then he heard screams abruptly cut off, he presumed by Jamie who was to take out the remaining outer security now that Gideon was sure no one from inside could pass on any alarms. Gideon simply shut the system down for a maintenance procedure. A maintenance procedure that would never be done. Then he also ripped what he could out of the wall and destroyed the control panel at the security bank as best he could. There would be no alarms going out while their rescue was underway but it didn’t hurt to damage things as much as possible they decided, at the very least it would delay them discovering what really happened and might discourage them from working out of that area in the future. Shutting the system down would have released all of the prisoners but there were additional manual fail safes on those floors.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Gideon got up and went back to the elevator. He had not disabled the electricity to the building, just temporarily the ability to call for help or perform any security lock down procedures. He keyed it to go back to the top level and he went to get Liesel. He opened the door and Liesel jumped up, he held out his hand and she grabbed it and allowed him to lead her to Grimsley’s office. He booted up the desktop computer and logged in using Grimsley’s credentials. Liesel reached into her shirt and removed the mini USB flash drives from her bra with a wink to Gideon. She put the drives into the free USB slots on the tower of the desktop computer and let them be as they were set to auto run. One was tasked with copying as much information as possible with certain key words and the other was tasked with uploading a virus designed to fry the system. Then Gideon and Liesel jogged to the larger grouping of elevators that went to the sub floors. There were not only more of these elevators but they were also larger in case anyone or anything was brought in on a gurney or in a cage that required more room plus more personnel to escort them. Jamie appeared in front of the doors along with a band of therians with glowing eyes and phereins without their characteristics gloves and long sleeves and pants. Liesel gestured to the phereins and nudged Gideon in the ribs. “See, I fit right in,” she whispered. Gideon smiled indulgently but rolled his eyes. Liesel was bouncing on her toes as if she was about to enter the ring for a boxing prize fight. The rest of their group was tense and on edge anticipating more conflict than they had yet encountered. Gideon had already give Liesel a master pass code to memorize that would unlock any manual locks.
The elevator bells pinged and the group split into two. One elevator took Gideon, a couple of therians, and most of the phereins to the first sub level to destroy any research and samples gathered or created at the facility. Jamie, Liesel, a couple of phereins, and the bulk of the therians took the second elevator to the second sub level where the captives were being held.
The first group did not encounter any human resistance so they went about aggressive but thorough destruction. Gideon unlocked all of the rooms, cubicles, and cabinets they came too. Then he and the therians destroyed anything electronic or paper and assisted the phereins if they needed extra muscle. The phereins tainted all of the samples using an over production of acids on every physical sample - be it liquid or tissue or power form. They all moved in a grid like pattern to ensure there was nothing missed in an upper or lower cabinet or drawer or hiding place.
The second group encountered a handful of care takers with tasers but Jamie dropped them cold as soon as their ill intent towards the intruding group surfaced. Liesel grabbed Jamie and told him the master door code.
“We split up,” Liesel said, projecting her voice to those gathered. “Jamie and I both have the master door code. We free everyone, known to us or not, no matter their physical condition. If they are no longer living, we still take their bodies home. Jamie and Michael can provide triage care, get the injured out first leading the mobile and less injured and we will care the severely injured and dead out,” she told the group. The split up to better cover the floor. The cells for captives lined the outer perimeter of the square floor with food and medical facilities in the center along with the large bank of elevators.
Liesel headed left and opened the first cell but it was empty. The second cell opened to reveal a figure lying on the floor and they did not react to the door opening.
“I don’t recognize their scent, definitely not a therian, and they’re passed out,” said one of the therians in the group. Michael rushed forward to help Liesel as she rolled the body over. The figure was actually a woman with a short hair cut and in a jumpsuit. Michael lifted her eyelids and checked her pulse.
“I think she’s just drugged, must be auric or pherein and this was the only way to keep her subdued,” said Michael.
“Can we revive her quickly?” asked Liesel.
Michael shook his head, “probably not safely,” he said. It would be best to leave her as she is until we can look more closely. I think we should leave the uninjured alone unless we have too many unconscious to carry,” he said. Liesel nodded.
“All right, someone gently take her to the exit area and come back. The other group destroying the samples is going to come help us evac to the waiting transportation when they are done, we should have enough hands to get this done even if everyone is unconscious,” she said.
She and Michael moved on to the next cell. The therians made howling whimpering sounds as soon as the seal on the door came open and rushed passed Liesel to get inside. Liesel entered to find them all crowded around a very haggard looking John Dixon chained to a chair, also wearing a jump suit.
“Alpha Dixon, I’m Liesel Bohm and we are here to take you home,” she said. “Everyone step back so Michael can take care of the shackles.” Michael spit a bubbling acid substance onto the shackles. After a few moments they were weak enough that Dixon was able to break them on his own with his therian strength. “Do you need medical attention or can you move under your own power until we get to the surface?” asked Liesel.
“Go, I am fine, there are more,” he said, his voice sounding damaged but she didn’t see any obviously br
oken bones or open wounds.
So she and Michael kept moving ahead trusting the others would follow as needed. The next cell had another therian chained to a chair but this one looked to be a teenager and wouldn’t speak but would use gestures and head motions to answer questions. Liesel stroked his cheek as Michael and the therians worked on the shackles. “We are getting you out of here, this will not happen again,” she said softly. “Do you have family to return to?” she asked to distract him. He shook his head and looked down. “Well you have family now. The Dixon clan wouldn’t notice 50 more kids, one is not a burden at all,” she said to him and he nodded shyly. The boy had undoubtedly been tortured but wasn’t in need of emergency care so Liesel and Michael moved on.
Liesel and Michael encountered another empty cell and another unconscious captive they had carried to the exit point by the elevators. They came to a fifth cell that was open already but the therians started to growl and rushed into the room. Liesel heard a high pitched scream and moved to get into the cell but Michael stepped in front of her and shook his head. A minute later the therians emerged with human detritus on their claws and what Liesel could see of the walls in pass was splatter with blood and gore. The nearest therian looked her in the eye steadily, unconcerned with a challenge, but Liesel did not object, she was here to save her people, he could not be concerned with the human captors. There was no Geneva Convention rights for non humans so there would not be any given from non humans to those knowingly doing evil. Then they came face to face with Jamie and the group that had taken the other hall.
“Who did you find?” asked Liesel, having seen only Dixon her side.
“We have Cody Miller, an auric and a feline therian,” said Jamie, “all unconscious and in bad shape but alive and no life threatening trauma that we could see.” Liesel spun on her heel to address the therians in her group.
“Did Dixon see what happened to my grandmother, did he say anything about her?” asked Liesel, concern overtaking her voice and making it high and a bit quavery.
“No Steward,” the therian closest to her said with pity in his eyes. Liesel took in a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly and exhaled. “Okay, back to the rally point. Therians, you can carry the unconscious. The rest of us will help the wounded walk out if they need support,” said Liesel.
As they loaded onto the over-sized elevator to go up to the surface, Jamie pulled an electronic device out of one of his large vest pockets and handed it to Liesel. “It is a small explosive charge on a timer. Release it out the door and it should set the sub-level on fire after we have evacuated the building but before the automatic safety procedures can reinstate if the feds have remote access we don’t know about,” he said. Liesel nodded and flipped the switch on the side and tossed it underhanded into the kitchenette area across from the elevators in the center of the sub level floor. Then she pushed the button for the ground level of the facility and watched the doors close. They reached the sub level around the same time as Gideon and the group he had taken to the first sub level.
“Get everyone out. I am going to see if my portable drive was able to get any information from their system to tell us what they know, I will be out before the charges go off but don’t wait for me, just leave me a vehicle,” said Liesel.
“I’ll get her out in Grimsley’s SUV, we can strip it later. We will be right behind you,” said Gideon.
Liesel nodded and smiled thankfully to Gideon. The two of them ran down the hall to the offices in the back of the surface level while the rest of the motley group cleared out the main doors to waiting idling trucks. Liesel was pulling the mini flash drive from the USB slot when she looked up at Gideon, “Was this too easy?” she asked.
“I don’t think they realize how many non humans there are or that we are organized,” he said. “Security was pathetic.”
“They didn’t expect the natives to fight back,” said Liesel, then she shook her head. Took the mini drive that had been downloading files, put it in a protective case and gave it to Gideon. She left the one with the virus in the desktop, it wouldn’t matter if it stayed behind, it was a generic device and an unsophisticated virus that wasn’t very trackable because of that.
They jogged out of the building and got back in to Grimsley’s SUV outside. They were driving away when Liesel saw a flash of light and turned around in her seat to look at the facility behind them. The charges below ground had hopefully been as successful as the one Gideon had left on the ground floor as well, the windows were blown out and a nasty hot fire was clearly burning the place to slag on the interior.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Liesel spent the first half hour or so of the return trip to town, staring out of the window. Gideon let her gather herself, knowing she must be preparing herself to ask about her grandmother. He would let her come to him and get whatever level of information she wanted to deal with, there would be enough going on when they got back to the homestead. He did hope she didn’t take too long though because of that, not htat he was above driving around in circles to give her the time she needed.
Eventually Liesel spoke, although she continued to stare out of her side window. “Grams was not in one of the cells,” said Liesel.
“No, she was not,” said Gideon.
“She’s dead.” Said Liesel.
“Yes,” said Gideon simply.
“Did you find evidence of her death?” asked Liesel.
“We found a research collection with samples and notations that made it clear she would no longer be alive if they had them,” said Gideon. “We destroyed them with the rest. There were others.”
“Thank you,” said Liesel, with no inflection in her voice.
Gideon reached over with his right hand and took her left hand and held it gently. “I am sorry, Liesel. Gertrude was a good woman and did not deserve her end,” he said.
Liesel just nodded but when Gideon glanced away from the road momentarily to look at her she was now staring out of the front window at the long flat landscape ahead of them and tears were rolling down her face. She did not sniffle or try to wipe them away though. Gideon returned his gaze to the road and squeezed her hand. They drove for another half hour or so just holding hands in silence along the brown Texas desert roadway.
“Why her?” asked Liesel.
“Being remote means it is easier to live undetected from regular humans but it also leaves us at a disadvantage when it comes time to prevent or stop acts against us,” said Gideon.
“No, I get that, I mean why her specifically of the the captives did she get taken apart? They clearly tortured them all to take measure of their tolerances and to take tissue samples and probably hideous snuff film like video of what they can do. But why carve up my grandmother, who is the most human of anyone they were holding in those cells?” asked Liesel. “Non-humans follow our lead because we can play the long game as administrators and because it is how they have done for generations, not because we are more powerful. Am I wrong?” she asked, her voice strained.
Gideon chewed on the inside of his cheek for a couple of minutes, clearly deep in thought considering her question and concentrating on the roadway. Desert expressways were a lot less barren after nightfall than they seemed during the day, a lot of nocturnal animals skittered across and along the asphalt in the cooler hours.
“I will answer the second question first. Non-humans follow Stewards because yes, it is how it has been done for generations and people, even non-human ones, naturally follow such social structures by and large. It is also true that the Stewards are considered stable and expected to have the wisdom provided by a long life not overrun by hormones and pheromones and abnormal requirements to sustain life. That is now how the Stewards started however,” said Gideon. “Before you were Stewards, your more akin to knights.”
Liesel turned her head to look at Gideon then. “You are right. I had forgotten all those history lessons about our early founding mothers,” she said. “They never did say why we tho
ught we could be warrior women though,” she continued.
“Your healing and and reflexes are super human in addition to your longer life span and accumulated wealth and contacts,” pointed out Gideon. “You also blend in with the human population in a way no other non-human can, even a gauner,” said Gideon.
Liesel looked back out the front window and nodded. “That is true,” she said. “I suppose you worded that to answer my first question as well,” she asked.
“I did,” said Gideon. “The humans probably did not even know Stewards existed and wanted to know the capabilities and limits of your kind.” He spoke softly.
Liesel nodded again, then settled back into her seat in silence. Gideon figured she needed the time and space to gather herself together and prepare to face the town as the permanent Steward after presenting the death of Gertrude and to deal with the rescue and new comers to town.
They arrived in the town limits but took a perimeter route to their destination, which was not the city offices or the homestead but the Dixon compound. Gideon slowly navigated the bumpy and narrow road to the compound gate and it began to open as soon as he pulled up without him buzzing inside or using a pass code or card of any sort. The Dixons must have clan members manning the security cameras and any automation so that they could be on high alert and not slow down the rescue teams. They continued until the main building appeared and they parked in the front circle just like Trish had when Liesel had first come back to town. Gideon parked, exited the SUV, then came around to open Liesel’s door and offer her a hand to get out. She took his hand allowed him to help her and then close the door for her as well. She held on to his hand as they approached the front door, drawing strength from his body heat and even temperament. When the front door opened, Liesel released his hands, straightened her spine and walked forward with a purposeful stride. Gideon followed at a respectful distance, letting her lead as he had never been beyond the front door of the big house and even then it had been years before when he first introduced himself to the others in town in an attempt to reassure him he was not a danger to anyone. Liesel bypassed the living spaces and headed directly for the in house medical clinic. All of the rescued captives from the facility were in the clinic with John Dixon holding court and refusing to sit in on a gurney of course. The young therian boy revealed that his name was Jake Massey. The woman her team had found had come to and was a pherein named Patty Kinsey. Jamie’s missing aurics Andrew Jones and Daniel Lewis were among those recovered. Cody Miller was alive and fairly intact like John Dixon. The last surviving captive was named Crystal Hanes.
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